Section of San Pedro Streets Slides

Officials have been concerned about a potential landslide in San Pedro for months, but their fears became reality Sunday afternoon when a chunk of road collapsed into the ocean.

Power lines bordering the White Point Nature Preserve in San Pedro began to sway around 3 p.m. Sunday, and shortly after, a nearly 900-foot section of the nearby cliff-top road gave way and crumbled into the water below.

The road, located between S. Western Avenue and S. Weymouth Avenue along Paseo Del Mar, had been closed since September, but city engineers were unable to secure the area before heavy weekend rains triggered the collapse.

“It is devastating,” said Rep. Janice Hahn. “I’m worried about these homes. They’re the front row on the ocean.”

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement that “there were no injuries and no property was damaged.”

He continued by calling the area “unstable” and a “life-threatening hazard,” and confirmed LAPD has increased patrols in San Pedro to keep residents away from the fenced-off collapse site.

Recovery crews are currently working to relocate sewer pipes and water lines before further movement occurs. The coastal bluff is now marked by large, deepening crevices that residents describe as “gaping holes.” 

Geologists said the landslide began during the summer, and has been sliding at a rate of 4 inches per day. City engineers speculate the weekend storms accelerated the damage, but are still unable to identify an underlying cause of the landslide.

"There is no danger to residents at this time. We've been monitoring it and we have seen no movement in any of the surounding neighborhood," said city engineer Gary Moore.

Although residents must find alternate routes to communte, the gapping hole on the coastal highway serves more as a reminder of lost memories. Many people remember walking their dogs, their first loves and family gatherings on the coast.

"It's not really an inconvience. It's sad. People have lots of memories out here and now it's ruined," said native Sherri Shadjis. "I hope they fix it up so life here can come back."

Moore also said an “outside geotechnical firm” will soon be contracted to conduct a thorough study.

"First, we need to look for the full extent of the landslide. We will start the study immediately but we will have to wait several months before [we see] results," said Moore.

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