Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles: Landslide caused the demolition of a building while two others were affected

A landslide occurred in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood approximately 19km northwest of downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday 13^th of March, causing significant damage. Specifically, a house, which was under renovation, fully collapsed after its roof fell on the ground, while the pool and the deck of a neighboring structure were displaced. Reports added that a third property was affected as its pool is in jeopardy of falling into a hole that has been created after the landslide.

The Los Angeles Fire Department stated that there were no injuries due to the incident, but for safety reasons they have evacuated the residences of the affected houses. The cause of the landslide remains unknown yet. However, it is speculated that the recent heavy winter storms in southern California might have contributed to the incident. Earlier in February, similar storms triggered mudslides in the Beverly Crest neighborhood, damaging homes, and cars.

Furthermore, since the year began, downtown Los Angeles has experienced 16 inches (41 cm) of rainfall, nearly double the average for this time of the year. By early February, the city had recorded close to 600 mudslides, resulting in the red-tagging of 16 buildings deemed unsafe and the yellow-tagging of over 30 others, restricting access to them. Authorities added that now they are assessing the possibility of more landslides occurring in the area that might affect other residences.