Rancho Palos Verdes · October 14, 2026
Rancho Palos Verdes was awarded over $54 million in FEMA grants to buy out 27 Portuguese Bend homes, plus $1.9 million to power deep dewatering wells, and applied for $3 million toward redesigning damaged Palos Verdes Drive South.
The City of Rancho Palos Verdes announced it has been formally awarded over $54 million in FEMA grants for two rounds of its Voluntary Property Buyout Program. The money covers acquisition of 27 pre-selected homes in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Area that were prioritized for safety risk, including red- or yellow-tag status, loss of utilities, and proximity to active movement. Buyouts will proceed in small groups over the next few years; a third round of about $19 million for roughly eight more homes remains waitlisted.
Separately, the city was awarded over $1.9 million in FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation funding to install permanent power for deep dewatering wells at the toe of the Portuguese Bend landslide. Those wells have removed more than half a billion gallons of groundwater in two years; the city currently spends about $53,000 a month on rented generators to run them. The grant requires a local match of $646,500.
Staff also applied last week for a $3 million federal PROTECT grant that would cover design costs to reconstruct and realign about two miles of Palos Verdes Drive South damaged by land movement. No local match would be required for the design work. The overall project, including construction, is estimated at $28 million.
The Oct. 14 weekly administrative report also noted that the Oct. 20 City Council agenda is posted, a recording of the Oct. 7 candidates forum is on RPVtv, and Trunk or Treat and other Halloween events are this weekend.