Lawndale homeowners say county construction vibrations cracked their homes

At least 25 Lawndale and El Camino Village homeowners say vibrations from a Los Angeles County Public Works stormwater project shook their homes for hours at a time, leaving behind cracked ceilings, failed plumbing and misaligned doors — but Travelers Insurance has denied every claim, blaming pre-existing conditions and natural settlement.

The blanket rejections have drawn scrutiny from L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who personally contacted the Insurance Commissioner's office, and from the California Department of Insurance. The dispute underscores the legal gap homeowners face when public works projects cause collateral damage to private property.

Residents say the Alondra Park Stormwater Capture Project, conducted by Los Angeles County Public Works, brought heavy equipment that pounded the ground for hours, rattling neighboring homes across several weeks starting in July 2025.

Tracey Kelly, a Lawndale homeowner, described the experience to ABC7 Los Angeles. "It did feel like an earthquake. So, the whole house was shaking, the windows were shaking. Then you know, we started to see the cracks in the ceiling and, like I said, the oven went out, the plumbing shifted. And so, we had to have a new drain put in," Kelly said.

Her husband Jim Kelly documented a range of damage. "Plaster ceilings falling down. I had to do kind of a repair so it didn't fall on us on the couch while we're watching TV or something," he said, according to ABC7. He also reported "cracks in walls, doors that won't open and shut properly. I've had to file down some doors so they'll shut."

Travelers Insurance, representing the contractor, issued a statement defending its denials. "All claims are carefully reviewed against policy terms and available evidence, and we conduct investigations before determinations are made. In this case, our analysis concluded that the reported damages are consistent with non-vibration mechanisms, such as pre-existing conditions or natural settlement, rather than being the result of nearby construction activity," the company said.

Jim Kelly said the rejection came after a lengthy dispute. "They've been stringing me along over at Traveler's Insurance, their insurance company, for the past six months, and finally got a denial of my claim because they said the vibrations, according to their studies, weren't intense enough to cause the damage. But the damage to my house says the vibrations were intense enough to cause the damage," he said.

Neighbors in unincorporated El Camino Village reported similar experiences. Miguel Gamboa said, "It's not an earthquake, but it felt like it, and there was a couple instances where there was vibrations for hours." James Verhein described exterior structural damage: "We went outside, and it had this big, long crack on the side. And then, around the other side, I've had two cracks involved in my stucco."

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell pledged consequences. "It was never our expectation that homeowners would have damage. We are going to hold the contractor and their insurance company accountable," Mitchell said, according to ABC7.

Los Angeles County Public Works has launched an independent investigation into the damage claims. Homeowners contesting their denials have been told they must hire a private vibration expert to challenge Travelers' analysis — an additional cost that has left many residents feeling powerless, ABC7 reported.