How an ‘ancient landslide’ keeps threatening a railroad, homes in San Clemente
A train rumbles through a residential area in San Clemente. An earthquake fault running under the city is thought to have triggered a series of deadly landslides in the area over the last four years. But experts say a new assessment of the fault could reduce how dangerous it really is. The California Geological Survey is studying whether the fault is close to the top of the San Andreas fault. But the research is not done yet, and it could take years for scientists to learn whether the new assessment shows movement on the San Andreas fault. less The San Clemente Fault is considered one of the most deadly natural disasters in the United States, killing more than 100 people and prompting a mass evacuation of residents in the aftermath of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 1989. But how deadly is the San Clemente Fault? The San Clemente Fault is considered one of the most deadly natural disasters in the United States, killing more than 100 people and prompting a mass evacuation of residents in the aftermath of a… more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close How an ‘ancient landslide’ keeps threatening a railroad, homes in San Clemente 1 / 23 Back to Gallery
A train rumbles on.
The train’s wheels skid against the tracks and the chug-chug, chug-chug, chug-chug, chug-chug, chug-chug, chug-chug, chug-chug noise of the engine fills the air.
A man walks from his car to a parking lot, a woman strolls past a store window and a dog barks at a garbage dumpster.
This is a typical morning in San Clemente, a beach town about an hour south of Los Angeles, and it’s in no danger of escaping the threat of tsunamis or earthquakes.
But for the first time in years, people here fear that the San Clemente Fault, which runs beneath the downtown area and is the second most deadly in the country, could strike their homes in the next few decades.
