Officials: Rainfall not a landslide risk

After a weekend bout with heavy rains, memories of recent landslides linger and raise concern throughout Southern California.

Despite the nearly 1 inch of rainfall, Newport-Mesa officials say there’s no need to worry; landslides aren’t an immediate threat to local areas, officials said.

There are several areas in both cities that are monitored for slow erosion. Even when it rains, these spots don’t pose any risk to nearby structures, officials said.

“We have a few areas we’re always watching for erosions, nothing like a landslide,” said Costa Mesa Director of Public Services Bill Morris.

In his 16 years working for the city, Morris said there’s never been a problem with landslides after a significant rain. Last winter, there was some sloughing off the bluffs in Canyon Park but nothing that endangered structures, Morris said.

Similarly in Newport Beach, the public works department keeps tabs on several of the bluff areas, in Eastbluff and along Ocean Boulevard in Corona del Mar.

“There’s no area that we’re aware of that would be at risk like Bluebird Canyon [in Laguna Beach],” said Bob Stein, Newport Beach Senior Civil Engineer.The last known slide in Newport Beach happened in January 2005, when a small section of earth slid 50 feet down a steep slope in Buck Gully, Stein said.

In December, the Newport Beach public works department shored up hillsides in Morning Canyon, another area identified as a possible landslide concern. Rock structures were built to reduce erosion and prevent any possible sliding. Runoff from urban development has caused the canyon to erode over the last 15 years, officials have said.