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sudden 30‑ to 40‑foot drop tore through a 300‑foot section of the Marguerite Drive bluff in Rancho Palos Verdes, leaving several multimillion‑dollar homes perched above a steep plunge into the Pacific. The collapse ripped manicured backyards from the cliff face, scattering them onto the beach below. City officials say the houses are still stable and no evacuations are required, describing the event as an “isolated land subsidence” rather than a full landslide.

    Geologists have been called in to determine the cause, and residents are cautioned to avoid the shoreline directly beneath the affected area while the bluff continues to settle. The city is working closely with impacted property owners, but cleanup costs will fall on the homeowners because the damage occurred on private land.

    The incident has reignited concerns in a region already known for geological instability. Just five miles away, the Portuguese Bend neighborhood has endured ongoing slide activity, with residents experiencing utility outages, road damage, and home deterioration. In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the worsening conditions, though city officials stress that the Marguerite Drive collapse is unrelated to the Portuguese Bend activity.

    Some residents remain calm, lounging in pools just feet from the caution tape, while others express growing anxiety about the area’s history of landslides. A nearby resident noted frequent cracks in foundations and the unsettling amount of ground movement. The city continues to monitor the situation and urges the public to stay away from the unstable bluff until it is deemed safe.