"The Ground is Shifting"... Upscale LA Neighborhood Homes Suddenly 'Sink'

Buildings Collapse Due to 'Jiban Idong' Movement
"Ground May Have Weakened from Winter Heavy Rain"

A luxury residential area in Los Angeles (LA), California, USA, has experienced a series of collapses due to 'ground movement' phenomena.

According to the LA County Fire Department and the Rolling Hills Estate city authorities on the 11th (local time), ground movement was observed in some residential areas of the region starting from the 8th.

As the phenomenon continued, cracks began to appear on the walls of 12 houses built on unstable ground, eventually causing them to collapse. Consequently, the authorities issued a red alert, and 16 residents evacuated their homes. No casualties have been reported.

Luxury homes in Los Angeles (LA) collapsed due to ground movement. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The ground movement phenomenon persisted afterward. On the 10th, the LA County Fire Department stated via its official social media account, "Among the houses under red alert, 10 continue to move," and "an additional 16 houses are being monitored."

Janice Hahn, a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors, described the situation, saying, "The speed at which the houses are being destroyed is very shocking," adding, "In just 48 hours, the ground moved about 20 feet (approximately 6 meters), and several houses sank into the canyon behind. Houses that existed just yesterday disappeared in an instant."

The cause of the ground movement has not yet been determined. Hahn stated, "There is still much we do not know about this situation," and added, "We do not know when the ground movement will stop."

However, she speculated, "Heavy rains fell last winter, and after the drought, water flowing underground may have exerted pressure, causing the ground to move."

Previously, Southern California, including this area, experienced 11 heavy rainfalls from December last year to March this year. The region is relatively elevated, so flooding damage was minimal. However, the sudden increase in rainfall may have weakened the ground.

Meanwhile, Rolling Hills Estate, where the incident occurred, is a luxury residential area about 40 km from downtown LA and is one of LA's representative affluent neighborhoods. The population is approximately 8,000, and the median household income was about $160,000 (approximately 200 million KRW) as of 2021.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.