Massive
Mudslide Severs
Malibu Peninsula
Heavy winter rains cause
a massive slide, severing Point Dume from the mainland and creating
a new offshore island. Peninsula residents say they like the privacy.
by George Wolfe
MALIBU, Ca. –— The second wettest
Southern California winter on record is still taking its toll. As
million dollar houses continue to slide down hillsides in such areas
as Culver City and parts of Orange County, Malibu now owns the title
for worst mudslide disaster of the winter.
Accumulated wetness in the hills along Pacific
Coast Highway combined with a new storm front caused a massive mudslide,
severing the entire peninsula and creating an offshore island.
"It was like all Hell broke loose -- or
at least a part of it."
—— Angela Patton-Gouldsby,
witness
"I looked out my
window,"” said one witness, Angela Patton-Gouldsby, “"and
it was like all Hell broke loose -- or at least a part of it. The
whole mountain caved in, just above the cusp of the hill there at
Heathercliff Drive, near Cooke's shopping center."”
The mudslide created a cliff-like fissure that
debris cascaded down into – other debris spilled out into
the ocean at Zuma Beach, causing a watery gap between the mainland
and the peninsula.
Amazingly, no one was killed in the slide thanks to the efforts of self-appointed town crier and local homeless man who goes by the name of Sig.
“I felt the tremors, so I stripped
down naked and ran around telling everyone that judgment day was
nigh and that they needed to get the hell out of there,” Sig
said. “I mean, whatever works, right?”
Point Dume peninsula residents voiced mixed reactions to the event. Heated debates have already begun about whether to build a bridge to re-connect to the mainland, or to use some form of water taxi service. Many residents said they looked forward to the privacy of being an island community.
A preliminary vote was taken about re-naming the new island. The first place winner?:
Isle of Dume.
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