Nearly six weeks after a major winter storm led to flooding and landslide throughout Southern California, some homeowners in Beverly Glen are still trying to return home.
On Caribou Lane, a landslide knocked a home off its foundation, and the debris slid into the neighbors’ homes. That debris and mud left Samila Bahsoon’s home with a lot of damage.
“I thought when I survived cancer that was the worst, but this is definitely worse,” Bahsoon said.
She has potentially more than $600,000 in damage, and two insurance companies already denied her claims.
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And that’s just the beginning.
“No utilities, nothing. No water, gas, electricity, nothing,” Bahsoon said.
She also said when the neighbor’s home was knocked off the foundation, the debris broke her water main. And it led to a massive water bill.
“LADWP sent me a $9,500 water bill, which is 6,500% more than average for the last 35 years that this house has been used,” she said.
Bahsoon is not the only homeowner dealing with problems.
“I was blocked out of my front door," David Christensen, who lives next door to Bahsoon, said. "My garage was filled with debris."
Christensen said he’s been trying to get the city to clear mud in the street outside his home. Thankfully street services started to respond Friday morning, but Christensen and other neighbors still don’t have gas.
“SoCal Gas came the day of the mudslide to cut off the gas, but now they are saying it’s going to take three to eight weeks to turn the gas back on,” he said. “It seems like they could have been using these past five weeks to plan. They knew they turned it off.”
Due to the myriad of issues, several families on Caribou Lane have been forced to find a place to stay for nearly six weeks.
“Thanks to my niece, I was on a couch for a little over a month. And some neighbors have offered warm showers and places to sleep,” Christensen said. “It’s hard to not have any semblance of a routine for five or six weeks.”
“It’s just impossible," Bahsoon added. “I had stayed with my son for some time. I have stayed with a friend for some time."
Bahsoon said she reached out to Mayor Karen Bass' office but didn’t hear back.
SoCal Gas was contacted and responded with a statement.
"At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, 2024, SoCalGas received a report of a mudslide and excessive rain impacting residences in the Beverly Glen area near 10334 W Caribou Lane. SoCalGas crews promptly responded to the situation and successfully controlled the gas, ensuring the safety of the affected area. Since February 5th, the city’s Bureau of Street Services have been working to remove debris from the road. Once the mud and debris in the roadway has been removed, the city will conduct an assessment to ensure the site is safe. Upon approval from the city, SoCalGas can begin working towards service restoration. SoCalGas continues to work with city officials and other utilities in an effort to safely expedite the service restoration process. For emergencies or to report a gas leak, please contact SoCalGas at 800-427-2200, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," wrote Dan. S Guthrie, spokesperson for SoCal Gas.
Editors note: A previous version of this story was published before obtaining a response from SoCal Gas.
