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Tag: landslide

  • Baltimore Sinkhole Swallows Multiple Parked Cars

    A large sinkhole opened up and swallowed at least 10 cars in Baltimore on Wednesday. Those who witnessed the collapse of the street described it like a scene from a Hollywood movie.

    One man, whose car slipped down the sinkhole, said that the incident happened in just a few seconds. The ground just gave way and the “cars just kind of slid down.” The sinkhole appeared right beside the CSX railroad tracks in northeast Baltimore.

    After the incident, residents in the surrounding residential buildings were asked to evacuate. A building inspector also rushed to the scene to assess the situation. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake visited the scene and reported that there were no injuries, as the cars and the sidewalk were empty at the time of the collapse.

    She said that Baltimore has dealt with large sinkholes before, and they have a team that will use all their resources in order “deal with this as efficiently as possible, focus on safety.” She announced that the city will test the structural integrity of the road and the surrounding homes to keep residents and workers out of harm’s way.

    According to residents in the area, they had already complained about the street to the city. One woman said that the cracks were evidently getting wider, and that they knew the street was bound to collapse at some point.

    After receiving calls, the city tried to fix the problem with blacktop. However, the winter snow made the cracks deeper. One man said that he has been calling the city for three years, and they visited the site several times, telling him everything would be ok each time.

    Reports say that residents who live across from the street that collapsed will not be allowed to go back to their homes for now, as inspectors are still assessing the structures and gas lines are also being checked.

    Image via Youtube

  • Yosemite Rockfall: Massive Boulders Block Trail

    A rockfall on March 31 at Yosemite National Park in California has blocked a hiking trail.

    About 16,000 tons of rocks fell from a cliff near the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, causing a cloud of smoke.

    The fall was reportedly a 500 foot drop.

    Some of the boulders broke into pieces hitting nearby trees before tumbling into water. Other boulders have caused the Rancheria Falls Trail to be closed.

    The boulders caused damage to the trail. Park officials decided to close the area for safety reasons.

    Now that the trail is currently blocked off, there are other routes hikers can take to the park’s attractive Wapama Falls, which is one of the largest waterfalls positioned on the northern wall of Hetch Hetchy Valley.

    According to Fox 40: “The trail is the primary route to Wapama Falls, and will be closed until further notice. However, hikers can still access Wapama Falls by starting their hike from the O’Shaughnessy Dam.”

    Yosemite National Park extends across the Sierra Nevada Mountains and covers more than 745,000 acres.

    The park is commonly known for its impressive cliffs, streams, waterfalls, and of course, trails.

    Approximately 95 percent of the park consists of wildlife including White-tailed Jackrabbits, Rubber Boas, Mountain Beavers, and Great Grey Owls.

    The Yosemite park is made of older rocks and granitic rocks. Rock climbing is a big part of the park’s available attractions, which provides classes for rock climbers.

    Additionally, the open trails at the park span over 800 miles in distance. Since the park is divided into five sections, there are trails available to hikers in various areas.

    The last deadly rockfall occurred in 1996 when 162,000 tons of boulders fell to the ground. The incident reportedly killed one out of 12 hikers in the Yosemite Valley that day.

    Nobody was injured during the massive rockfall at the Rancheria Falls Trail.

    Here is very brief footage of rocks falling at the park:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Oso Washington Landslide: Number Of Casualties Raised To 14

    Fourteen people have been confirmed dead at the giant landslide that occurred last Saturday at the Darrington and Oso areas of Washington, after six more bodies have been discovered. However, the identities still need to be verified.

    Aside from the confirmed dead, many residents were also injured and more than 100 properties were destroyed. A mile-long stretch of land in Route 530 was also blocked due to debris.

    The towns were hit by a 1-square mile slide that tore through the rural area 55 miles northeast of Seattle. The landslide was caused by a hillside that collapsed after being soaked in rain.

    Snohomish County Fire District 21’s Chief, Travis Hots, says that “the situation is grim” and that they have not found anybody alive since Saturday.

    On Monday, 108 names of missing and unaccounted for have been submitted to emergency officials. Most of the people missing are residents, construction workers, and people driving by.

    The list of missing people contains detailed information, but many are also vague, with some descriptions saying, “I met him once. I think he lived over there.”

    Officials are encouraging people to call a Snohomish County hotline so they can update their database.

    There are over 100 emergency responders at the scene, but additional state and federal resources like technical rescue experts and search dogs are joining to help the recovery efforts. The Washington State Department of Transportation is sending heavy equipment to clear the mud.

    President Barack Obama ordered US government assistance after signing an emergency declaration.

    The search for victims continued on Monday as quicksand-like conditions affected relief works on Sunday. Some workers had to be pulled to safety as the mud reached the armpits. Movement along a stretch of earth near the slide area was also detected.

    The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management remains optimistic, and believes that the number of people missing would “drop dramatically.”

    Aerial view of Oso landslide

    Image via Twitter