The relentless downpour continued to torment Southern California this weekend, triggering a landslide in the Hollywood Hills that resulted in several homes being deemed unsafe. According to a report by CBS News Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety red-tagged homes on the 9200 block of Flicker Way after a landslide occurred behind these residences on Sunday.
First responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department were dispatched to Flicker Way in the morning after reports of "hill movement," with no injuries or rescues reported. The unstable ground, a consequence of the extremely wet winter season has wrought havoc across the region, prompting the red-tagging of homes also in Rancho Palos Verdes and Sherman Oaks recently, as the soaked soil has led to hundreds of landslides and mudslides since January.
In a neighboring occurrence outlined by KTLA 5, three houses have been earmarked with red tags due to an imminent landslide threat in Hollywood Hills, with a collapsed hillside behind the properties forcing mud and debris into the backyards. The combination of heavy rainfall and fierce winds over the weekend has raised the alarm for potential debris flow and further land instability in the area.
While Southern California had previously been grappling with a multi-year drought, the recent inundation of rain threatens to reawaken dormant landslides, "They stop moving during a multi-year drought," stated local geologist Mike Phipps in an interview with KTLA 5’s Rachel Menitoff, "Now, they might start moving again." Moreover, Phipps emphasized the insidious nature of landslides, warning that the dangerous shifts in the earth could occur months, or even years after heavy precipitation due to water infiltration weakening subterranean stability.
With additional storms forecasted for the coming weekend, concerns for the safety and integrity of Southern California homes persist. The history of red-tagging in recent months highlights an ongoing threat, with areas such as Rancho Palos Verdes, Sherman Oaks, and Torrance already impacted by the oversaturated conditions. Residents and officials alike remain vigilant as the aftermath of the storms continues to cast a shadow over the stability of the region.
