8:00 P.M. EASTERN. >>> THE LAND KEEPS SHIFTING IN THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES AND NOW THAT HUNDREDS OF HOMES HAVE LOST POWER AS A RESULT, CALIFORNIA'S GOVERNOR DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY. THIS ISN'T A TEMPORARY CONDITION. OFFICIALS SAY POWER WILL BE OFF UP TO THREE WEEKS AND IN SOME PLACES PEOPLE COULD BE IN THE DARK INDEFINITELY BECAUSE THE LAND KEEPS MOVING. THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT THE SEWAGE SYSTEM WHICH COULD FORCE EVACUATIONS. THE CITY HAS ASKED RESIDENTS WHO CHOOSE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES TO LIMIT THEIR USE OF WATER AND PLUMBING. CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT JONATHAN VIGLIOTTI JOINS US NOW FROM RANCHO PALOS VERDES. TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, BUT ALSO CAN YOU EXPLAIN? THERE IS NOT A LAND SLIDE, A ONE-SHOT DEAL, EVERYBODY CLEANS UP AND THEY MOVE ON. WILL YOU EXPLAIN EXACTLY HOW THE LAND IS SLIDING. >> Reporter: I WILL. I THINK THIS IS A PERFECT PLACE TO BE TO EXPLAIN THIS. FIRST YOU'RE LOOKING AT A HOME. IT HAS ACTUALLY SUNK MORE THAN TEN FEET. THE FRONT ENTRANCE USED TO BE CLOSE TO WHERE I'M STANDING. TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE HOW THIS IS HAPPENING BECAUSE WHEN I HEAR LANDSLIDE, I THINK THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN COLLAPSING INTO HOMES. THAT IS NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS KNOWN AS A SUBTERRANEAN LANDSLIDE. SO ABOUT 150 FEET BENEATH ME THERE IS A LAYER OF SOIL WHICH OVER THE PAST FEW THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAS MOVED AT A RATE OF TWO INCHES EVERY SINGLE MONTH. AFTER TWO WET WINTERS OF HISTORIC RAINFALL WHAT WE KNOW AS ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS, THAT ACCELERATION HAS GROWN. IN SOME AREAS WE'RE TALKING AS MUCH AS FOUR FEET A MONTH. IF YOU HAVE THE SUBSOIL 150 FEET BENEATH ME, IMAGINE THAT RAPIDLY CLEARING OUT. THEN YOU'VE GOT THE TOPSOIL WHERE THESE HOMES ARE. THEY'VE GOT NOWHERE TO GO BUT SINKING DOWN. YOU CAN TELL JUST BY THE SHAPE OF THIS WHAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY, ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A DEFLATED BALLOON IN SOME AREAS. THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN. THE ROADS ARE BLOCKED. THE POWER HAS BEEN SHUT OFF TO ABOUT 140 HOMES. WE'RE TOLD THAT IS GOING TO GROW. THE BIG THREAT NOW IS THE RISK OF FIRE. THE BIG QUESTION NOW, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? GEOLOGISTS ARE HERE ALONG WITH ENGINEERS TRYING TO FIND THAT SOLUTION. AT THIS POINT THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO STOP THIS LAND FROM SLIDING. MEANWHILE YOU HAVE THE GOVERNOR THAT STATED A STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION HERE. THAT WILL RELEASE CRITICAL FEDERAL FUNDING TO ASSIST WITH HOMEOWNERS. MANY DON'T HAVE INSURANCE FOR THIS. IT WILL ALSO BRING IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND CREWS TO THE GROUND TO HOPEFULLY MITIGATE THIS DISASTER AND