More Homes in Anaheim Hills Damaged

City officials on Tuesday discovered another seven homes that have been damaged by a creeping landslide in upscale Anaheim Hills.

A total of 32 homes have now sustained damage, city officials said after surveying the slide area. Nine of those have “major damage,” according to city spokesman Bret Colson.

Earlier this week, one house was declared “unsafe to live in,” Colson said.

So far, the landslide has caused an estimated $2 million in damage, including $400,000 in damage to city streets, sidewalks and underground utilities.

Officials said still more damage appears likely as the ground beneath the neighborhood of million-dollar homes continues to slump as much as three-fourths of an inch to an inch each day in some areas. In some places, the soil has moved more than 15 inches.

Ground movement in the area was first noticed last April, when area residents spotted small cracks in streets and sidewalks and reported the problem to the city. It was believed to be evidence of a previously undetected ancient landslide that had become active again.

But the movement accelerated dramatically last week after days of heavy rainfall soaked the hillsides and led to the evacuation of 46 homes. City work crews have been drilling wells to pump underground water in an effort to stabilize the hillsides. By Tuesday, 33 wells were in operation, and city officials said they are pumping as much as 3,000 gallons of water a day from the saturated ground.

At their regular meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Anaheim City Council formally ratified a state of emergency that was called for the Anaheim Hills area Jan. 19 by City Manager James D. Ruth.

A town meeting is set for 7 tonight at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 441 S. Fairmont Blvd.