ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. – A neighborhood south of Los Angeles got quite the scare Saturday night as authorities went door-to-door warning of the potential for a major landslide and evacuated residents.
The chair of the Executive Office of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said at least 12 homes in Rolling Hills Estates were evacuated after cracks were spotted forming on a property.
Parts of homes in the Los Angeles County neighborhood were seen physically leaning as firefighters and public works crews inspected properties.
Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department patrolled the neighborhood while residents were forced to spend the night out of their homes.
City officials did not state what they believed caused the ground to start giving way.
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The U.S. Geological Survey reports landslides are common in the Golden State, especially after intense rainfall events and earthquakes.
The National Weather Service in Oxnard, California, did not report any heavy rainfall or significant earthquakes occurring in recent days.
The FOX Forecast Center said the area will remain dry as a high-pressure system starts to build into the region.
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It isn’t clear when the county will declare the neighborhood safe enough for residents to be allowed back into their homes.
“Had the chance to speak to residents who are being evacuated. Everyone is safe, but right now, these homes are too unstable to enter,” Chair Janice Hahn posted on social media.
Nationally, landslide losses exceed $2 billion annually and are responsible for dozens of deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.