Small town locals furious as town suddenly cuts off power: ‘They’ve abandoned us!
Gas, electricity and even water have been cut off to residents of a California coastal city, who have been warned to evacuate immediately after land relocations have left the area virtually uninhabitable.
Rancho Palos Verdes, south of Los Angeles, has been called the wealthiest retirement city in America. But many of its poorer residents had nowhere to go after the water table knocked out utilities.
In early August, the gas supply was cut off to 135 households, followed by the electricity and water supply on Sunday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been called in to intervene with another 105 households left without power as of 7 p.m. Monday as chaos spreads across the city.
“I have no idea where the hell I’m going,” said resident Nikki Noushkam as she prepared to leave her home. “Why do you think it’s okay to ignore us? We lost everything and we’re not rich, we’re working professionals.”
The ground beneath California’s Rancho Palos Verdes is crumbling under the pressure of more than a year of flooding and landslides
Resident Mike Hong accuses utility companies of abandoning city residents
The coastal community has been struggling with landslides since torrential rains hit the area last spring.
Dozens of homes were destroyed by landslides last July, and the storms that hit California in February ravaged the area with flooding, causing “significant landslides” under homes that survived the storm.
Southern California Edison decided to shut off water after a downed power line sparked a fire Thursday and 10,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a ruptured tank on Palos Verdes Drive South.
“At this point, the situation has become so dangerous due to the landslide that we have had to make the difficult decision to shut off power indefinitely,” said spokesman David Eisenhauer.
“We never want to have to turn off the power unless it’s absolutely necessary. In this case, we absolutely have to. “We have an obligation that goes beyond providing electricity, and that obligation is safety.”
But resident Mike Hong said his neighbors were given only an hour’s notice that the plug would be pulled.
“They even give us less time than the gas company,” he told the LA Times.
‘Don’t abandon us. Where is the humanity in all this?’
More than a quarter of the city’s residents are over 65 and some have been ordered to pack their bags.
Nikki Noushkam has nowhere to go as she prepares to leave her home
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna promised a fleet of drones to patrol the neighborhood and warned opportunistic thieves not to target the growing number of abandoned homes
“SCE has determined that there is a threat to public safety,” the city told them in a message Saturday.
Do not use water or pipes after the power is turned off. This may cause a leak in the sewer.
‘All persons in these areas must prepare to evacuate and seek alternative housing.
‘Pack important documents, medications and essential items. Make arrangements for pets and animals.’
The city of 42,000 has a median income of $166,747 and was named the nation’s wealthiest city for retirees in a recent CNBC survey.
But residents say the city’s rich reputation means it is being ignored by politicians, putting vulnerable residents at greater risk.
“Everyone has to assume that everyone who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes is infinitely wealthy, but that’s not the case, especially not for me,” Craig Cadwallader said. CBS News.
“So I literally don’t know where I’m going.”
County Supervisor Janice Hahn said she had pledged an additional $5 million in county funds to help with the disaster and reiterated her demands that Gov. Newsom intervene.
“There is no playbook for an emergency like this,” she told a news conference on Sunday.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn has asked for intervention from Governor Gavin Newsom
The coastal city of 42,000 has an average income of $166,747 and was named the nation’s wealthiest city for retirees in a recent CNBC survey
But resident Craig Cadwallader said the city’s poorer residents are being overlooked
“We’re sparing no expense. This is bigger than Rancho Palos Verdes. This land movement is so massive and so damaging that one city should not have to bear the burden alone.
“You would think we would have responded differently if it had been an earthquake, a fire or a flash flood.”
SoCal Edison will shut off power to 105 more customers in the Seaview area Monday night, Edison said, due to “accelerated ground motions that are causing damage to our electrical equipment.”
The company could not provide an estimate for when power would be restored to some
“It’s just mind-boggling,” said one resident. “It doesn’t feel legal.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna promised to deploy a fleet of drones to patrol the neighborhood and warned opportunistic thieves not to target the growing number of abandoned homes.
“We are ready to arrest you, and you will go to jail if you come here to steal anything,” he added.
“Don’t think about it.”