Mudslide Threat Forces Evacuation of Five Families
Five families were evacuated because the hill behind their homes is sliding, a situation that has become more dire with heavy winter rains.
Police closed off Pinehurst Court on Tuesday night as another storm moved through the area. Millbrae officials have declared a state of emergency for the area and authorized $50,000 for temporary repairs.
The five homes on Pinehurst Court were red-tagged with the warning that the structures were in imminent danger because of the landslide. Three homes on Crestview Drive, the street above the hill, were pasted with yellow tags advising residents of a possible slide.
“Our main concern is that we don’t want to have a catastrophic event happen when the houses have people in them,” said Ralph Petty, Millbrae’s director of community development.
On Tuesday, officials from the state office of emergency services toured the neighborhood and Millbrae Mayor Dan Quigg appealed to state Sen. Jackie Speier (D-Daly City) for help in getting state aid.
Geotechnical engineer Joe Michelucci, hired by the city to survey the slide, said the hillside will definitely come crumbling down: The question is when.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
