The luxury homes threatened by cliff erosion in California enclave

Daily Mail​

19-05-2025

A wealthy California town was facing the threat of falling into the ocean, but it has recently received a surprise reprieve. The unlikely savior of the idyllic town of Rancho Palos Verdes in Southern California is an ongoing drought in the area.
The region, located southwest of downtown Los Angeles, has received 46 percent less rainfall than normal since the start of the rainy season this year. Until recently, residents had been watching their properties slip in to the sea at a terrifying rate of four inches a week, or 17 feet per year.
However, local geologist Mike Phipps (pictured) informed residents at a city council meeting on May 6 that the rate has now stabilized or at least decelerated, SF Gate reported. 'Mr. Phipps believes this is largely due to significantly below-average rainfall through April,' the city council said in a write up of the meeting. The city said 'winterization efforts' and 'ongoing dewatering efforts' have also helped to bring about the slowdown. Last year the town experienced such heavy rainfall that the land became so soaked that it began to slip off into the sea . Houses became detached from their foundations as well as from municipal gas and power lines.
Ranchos Palos Verdes, which has been dubbed America's richest retirement town, is home to 135 properties. More than a quarter of the city's 42,000 residents are over 65, with a median income of around $166,747. In February, the Wayfarers Chapel, which boasts with stunning views out to the Pacific Ocean, had to close completely - leaving almost 200 weddings in limbo.
In October the federal government set aside $42 million to buy out Rancho Palos Verdes homeowners who were forced to abandon their properties. Under the Trump administration, however, landslide aid funds promised by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could be withdrawn, the Daily Breeze reported.
Despite the current reprieve, the city is still working to pump excess water out of the ground to help ease the strain below the surface. A recent report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that 44 percent of California and Nevada will be in some stage of drought this summer. Higher temperatures and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in California.
As a result, the state is facing a home insurance crisis with State Farm hiking its premiums and other companies, including Allstate and Farmers Direct limiting cover or stopping doing business entirely in the Golden State . Experts had warned that price hikes were inevitable as insurers faced massive payouts for deadly wildfires that severely damaged the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and thousands of other homes across Los Angeles County.
State Farm says the latest round of price increases is necessary to stop the company going bust, especially in the wake of the fires which damaged its bottom line further. State Farm has so far received nearly 12,700 claims from wildfire victims, and has paid customers more than $3.5 billion, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.