In a landslide-stricken town in California, life is like camping with no power, gas

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (AP) — Nick Mardesic and his family are living off the power grid, so light at night comes from a flashlight, and a hot meal and shower require driving several miles to his parents’ home.

The family is not in a rugged location, but rather on a scenic peninsula on the edge of Los Angeles. And they aren’t off the grid by choice. Their power and gas were cut because worsening landslides from two years of heavy rain are threatening to tear apart scores of multimillion-dollar homes perched over the Pacific Ocean.

Mardesic has been fighting for months to keep his home standing. Sections of his front yard have sunk about 3.5 feet (1 meter). Deep fissures snake across the walls of his house and a piece of dry wall fell from his ceiling. The sidewalk and one end of his driveway have caved, creating a gaping hole that has exposed an underground water pipe. His bedroom is on the verge of collapse, he said, so he has been placing wood on a beam under the house and jacks it up. In the past five months, he has spent about $50,000 to keep his home elevated.

“It’s something you see out of a movie,” he said outside the home he shares with his wife and two children, ages 3 and 1. “It’s almost unbelievable … just watching your house sink away.”

The landslides are the latest catastrophe in California, already burdened by worsening wildfires and extreme weather that has swung from heat waves to torrential rains that have caused flooding and mudslides in the past year.

In Rancho Palos Verdes, entire homes have collapsed or been torn apart. Walls have shifted and large fissures have appeared on the ground. Evacuation warnings are in effect and swaths of the community have had their power and gas turned off. Gas service was cut to more residents on Thursday and more were expected Friday. Others are contending with temporary water shutdowns to fix sewer lines.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.

Jill Carlton, who has lived in the community for nearly 30 years, said it is good the problem has finally gotten the governor's attention.

“They’ve been pressuring him for a long time and hopefully he’ll come down and actually visit us," Carlton said, but she is disappointed "there’s still no aid to the individuals."

The declaration instead opens state resources, such as emergency personnel, equipment and services. In an email, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes said it continues to urge state leaders and agencies to ask President Joe Biden to declare a federal disaster, which would trigger resources and possible individual help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Nearly 70 years ago, the Portuguese Bend landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes was triggered with the construction of a road through the area, which sits atop an ancient landslide. It destroyed 140 homes at the time and the land has moved ever since.

But the once slow-moving landslides began to rapidly accelerate after torrential rains drenched Southern California over the past two years. The land that once was sliding at an average of several inches per year is now moving between 9 to 12 inches (22.8 to 30.48 centimeters) weekly.

The rapid movement forced the dismantling earlier this year of Wayfarers Chapel, a historic landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright. Scenic roads that wind through the city have been buckling, too. Signs warn motorists of dips and the shifting, disfigured terrain.

“Bicycles and motorcycles use extreme caution,” reads one sign. “Rough road” and “Slide area,” read others.

Mike Phipps, the city's geologist, said the average rate of movement has slightly slowed but is still about 4 feet (1.2 meters) a month. “It's still significant movement. It’s just, we’ve kind of reached full speed and are cruising right now,” he said.

Some residents believe leaks are to blame for the destruction in their community. They argue multiple burst water and sewer pipes that were not quickly or adequately fixed saturated the ground and contributed to the land movement.

Residents recently filed a lawsuit against the city, its water provider and others, alleging in part that negligence and their failure to act were “substantial factors” in the landslide acceleration “and the resulting damage to the homes and lives of the residents.”

The city said it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Jeffrey R. Knott, emeritus professor in geological sciences at California State University, Fullerton likened the argument to the chicken or the egg dilemma.

“Did the landslide move and cause the pipe to break? Or did the pipe break and then cause the landslide to move?" he said. "It’s an extraordinarily difficult thing to prove."

Water leaks would contribute to the acceleration, but their significance is unknown, Knott added.

Last year, the city received a $23.3 million grant from FEMA for a project that officials hoped would slow the land movement by removing trapped water underground and stop rain from percolating into it in the future. But crews recently discovered a deeper and wider landslide.

“It’s like a freight train going down the hill. It’s billions of tons of earth,” Phipps said. "Trying to stop that is extremely challenging.”

Mayor John Cruikshank said finding funding for solutions poses challenges, as does preparing for the forthcoming rainy season.

“The climate is changing, and we’ve got to be more resilient," he said. "We can’t always rely on old systems like above-ground wire and below-ground natural gas.”

In the meantime, residents are left with difficult decisions.

Those with collapsed or severely damaged homes have had to abandon them. Others, like Carlton’s neighbors, left after their utilities were shut off indefinitely. Some are relying on generators to keep the lights on and propane to cook.

Others, like Mardesic, are hoping for relocation assistance and said that without help they are stuck and unable to afford anything in Southern California's pricey housing market. Mardesic's house was valued at about $2.3 million before the damage, he said.

“What can we do but keep fixing our home and try to stay here?" said Mardesic, a maintenance supervisor. “We have nowhere to go.”

For now, his family plans to move into the pool house in the back that is less at risk of falling down the hillside.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

A road closure sign stands in a neighborhood affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

An aerial view shows a collapsed hillside due to ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Cracks in the street are filled with dirt in a neighborhood affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A warning sign stands along a section of road affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Collapsed roads are covered with tarps in a neighborhood damaged by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A home severely damaged by ongoing landslides is seen in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

An aerial view shows a neighborhood affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Motorists drive along a section of the road affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

An aerial view shows a neighborhood damaged by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

An aerial view shows a neighborhood affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A reporter stands near a home that collapsed due to ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Shogun” had historic wins in an epic 18-Emmy first season, “Hacks” scored an upset for best comedy on what was still a four-trophy night for “The Bear,” and “Baby Reindeer” had a holiday at an Emmy Awards that had some surprising swerves.

“Shogun," the FX series about power struggles in feudal Japan, won best drama series, Hiroyuki Sanada won best actor in a drama, and Anna Sawai won best actress. Sanada was the first Japanese actor to win an Emmy. Sawai became the second just moments later.

”‘Shogun’ taught me when we work together, we can make miracles,” Sanada said in his acceptance speech from the stage of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Along with 14 Emmys it claimed at the precursor Creative Arts Emmys, it had an unmatched performance with 18 overall for one season.

“Hacks” was the surprise winner of its first best comedy series award, topping “The Bear,” which most had expected to take it after big wins earlier in the evening.

Jean Smart won her third best actress in a comedy award for the third season of Max's “Hacks,” in which her stand-up comic character Deborah Vance tries to make it in late-night TV. Smart has six Emmys overall.

Despite losing out on the night's biggest comedy prize after winning it for its first season at January's strike-delayed ceremony, FX's “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White won best actor in a comedy for the second straight year, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach repeated as best supporting actor.

And Liza Colón-Zayas was the surprise best supporting actor winner over competition that included Meryl Streep, becoming the first Latina to win in the category.

“To all the Latinas who are looking at me,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. “keep believing, and vote.”

Netflix’s darkly quirky “Baby Reindeer” won best limited series. Creator and star Richard Gadd won for his lead acting and his writing and Jessica Gunning, who plays his tormentor, won best supporting actress.

Accepting the series award, Gadd urged the makers of television to take chances.

“The only constant across any success in television is good storytelling," he said. "Good storytelling that speaks to our times. So take risks, push boundaries. Explore the uncomfortable. Dare to fail in order to achieve.”

“Baby Reindeer” is based on a one man-stage show in which Gadd describes being sexually abused along with other emotional struggles.

Accepting that award, he said, “no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better.”

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Gadd has.

Jodie Foster won her first Emmy to go with her two Oscars when she took best actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country.”

Foster played a salty police chief investigating a mass killing in the round-the-clock dark of an Alaskan winter on the HBO show. While her castmate Kali Reis missed out on becoming the first Indigenous actor to win an Emmy in the supporting category, Foster praised her, and the show's collaboration with Indigenous contributors.

“The Inupiaq and Inuit people of northern Alaska who told us their stories, and they allowed us to listen," Foster said. "That was just a blessing. It was love, love, love, and when you feel that, something amazing happens.”

Greg Berlanti, a producer and writer on shows including “Dawson's Creek” and “Everwood,” received the Television Academy's Governors Award for his career-long contributions to improving LGBTQ visibility on television. He talked about a childhood when there was little such visibility.

“There wasn’t a lot of gay characters on television back then, and I was a closeted gay kid," Berlanti said. "It’s hard to describe how lonely that was at the time,”

The long decline of traditional broadcast TV at the Emmys continued, with zero wins between the four broadcast networks.

In the monologue that opened the ABC telecast, Dan Levy, who hosted with his father and “Schitt's Creek” co-star Eugene Levy, called the Emmys “broadcast TV’s biggest night for honoring movie stars on streaming services.”

Though other than Foster, movie stars didn't fare too well. Her fellow Oscar winners Streep and Robert Downey Jr. had been among the favorites, but came up empty.

“Robert Downey Jr. I have a poster of you in my house!” said Lamorne Morris, who beat Downey for best supporting actor in a limited series, said from the stage as he accepted his first Emmy.

The evening managed to meet many expectations but included several swerves like the win for “Hacks.”

“We were really shocked,” “Hacks co-creator Jen Statsky, who also won for writing, said after the show. ”We were truly, really surprised."

And “Shogun” got off to a quiet start, missing on early awards and not getting its first trophy until past the halfway point.

Still, it shattered the record for Emmys for one season previously held by the 2008 limited series “John Adams” in 2008. And its acting wins would have been hard to imagine before the series became an acclaimed phenomenon.

Sanada is a 63-year-old longtime screen star whose name is little known outside Japan, even if his face is through Hollywood films like “The Last Samurai” and “John Wick Chapter 4.” Sawai, 32, who was born in New Zealand and moved to Japan as a child, is significantly less known in the U.S. She wept when she accepted best actress.

"When you saw me cry on stage, it was probably the 12th time I cried today," Sawai said backstage. “It was just mixed emotions, wanting everyone to win all that. I may cry again now.”

“The Bear” would finish second with 11 overall Emmys, including guest acting wins at the Creative Arts ceremony for Jamie Lee Curtis and Jon Bernthal.

The Levys in their opening monologue mocked the show being in the comedy category.

“In honor of ‘The Bear’ we will be making no jokes,” Eugene Levy said, to laughs.

Elizabeth Debicki took best supporting actress in a drama for playing Princess Diana at the end of her life in the sixth and final season of “The Crown.”

“Playing this part, based on this unparalleled, incredible human being, has been my great privilege," Debicki said in her acceptance. "It’s been a gift.”

Several awards were presented by themed teams from TV history, including sitcom dads George Lopez, Damon Wayans and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and TV moms Meredith Baxter, Connie Britton, and Susan Kelechi Watson.

For more on this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards

Anna Sawai, winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun", poses in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Anna Sawai, left, winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun", and Hiroyuki Sanada, winner of the awards for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, and outstanding drama series for "Shogun" pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hannah Einbinder, left, and Jean Smart pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hannah Einbinder, left, and Jean Smart accept the award for outstanding comedy series for "Hacks" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Jen Statsky, center from left, Paul W. Downs, and Lucia Aniello, and the team from "Hacks" accept the award for outstanding comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hiroyuki Sanada accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Steven Yeun looks on from right.(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hiroyuki Sanada accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Justin Marks, center, and Hiroyuki Sanada, center right, and the team from "Shogun" accepts the award for outstanding drama series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Anna Sawai accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Richard Gadd accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for "Baby Reindeer" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Jen Statsky, from left, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs accept the award for outstanding writing for a comedy series for "Hacks" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Anna Sawai accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Richard Gadd poses in the press room with the award for outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or movie for "Baby Reindeer" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Liza Colón-Zayas arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "The Bear" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ayo Edebiri arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Billy Crudup accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "The Morning Show" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Yelena Yemchuk, left, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach arrive at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hosts Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hosts Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Skye P. Marshall, left, and Kathy Bates arrive at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

William Stanford Davis arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Jesse Tyler Ferguson arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

James Johnson, from left, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, and Cathy Tagnak Rexford arrive at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Sterlin Harjo arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Andrew Scott arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Dan Levy arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Elizabeth Debicki accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for "The Crown" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "The Bear" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Selena Gomez arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Steve Martin, from left, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez present the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hosts Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Liza Colon-Zayas accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for "The Bear" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

FILE - Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy appear at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

This image released by FX shows Hiroyuki Sanada in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Jeremy Allen White in a scene from "The Bear." (FX via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in "The Crown." (Alex Bailey/Netflix via AP)

This image released by FX shows Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Cosmo Jarvis, left, and Nestor Carbonell in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Jon Hamm in a scene from "Fargo." (Michelle Faye/FX via AP)

This image released by Apple TV+ shows Jon Hamm in a scene from "The Morning Show." (Apple TV+ via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, Princess of Wales, in a scene from "The Crown." (Keith Bernstein/Netflix via AP)

This image released by HBO shows Kali Reis, right, and Jodie Foster in a scene from "True Detective: Night Country." (HBO via AP)

This image released by FX shows Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu in a scene from "The Bear." (FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga, center, in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

FILE - A view of the stage at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)