Cracks in the ground ignite fears of a landslide in San Pedro, CA

September 30, 2011 – SAN PEDRO, Calif.  — A well-known stretch of San Pedro along the Pacific that is prone to land movement may be in danger of a landslide. Right now, residents say they’re just waiting to see what happens. The city has given the go-ahead to plug sewer lines and move power poles, preparing for the worst. Historically, the south-facing cliffs along San Pedro are historically unstable. On Sept. 19, engineers discovered that a sink hole about 2 feet long and 3 feet wide had developed below a depression in the road. “All of the sudden, one day you’re driving and you just felt a big drop in your car… maybe about half a foot,” one resident told KTLA. Surveyors say it appears the sink hole is expanding. Paseo del Mar has been closed indefinitely between Weymouth Avenue and Western Avenue. Cracks in the ground have also been found at the White Point Nature Preserve, which is bordered by Paseo del Mar, the Daily Breeze reports. On the south side of the street, crews have discovered cracks in the sidewalk and some separation of the curb from the gutter, according to the Breeze. Other cracks have been found south of the Mary Star of the Sea High School baseball diamond. Beach access below has been restricted due to fears of a landslide. So far, investigators have focused on the possibility that faulty plumbing may be to blame. A separation was found in a joint of a 54-inch storm drain that runs beneath Paseo del Mar between Weymouth and Western avenues. The county is now trying to re-route the storm drain away from the area of land movement. But, officials point out that it’s difficult to tell if drain break caused the land movement, or the other way around. –KTLA