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 |  Subject: Oregon highway mud slide  December 12th 2007, 2:09 am | |
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- Mud slide covers Oregon highway hit by storms
PORTLAND, Ore. — A mud slide slammed into three homes and blocked a highway to the coast on Tuesday in a region that was hit hard by last week's storms.
The slide of mud, trees and debris covered five acres.
It hit at least three homes, moving one onto U.S. Highway 30, said Chris Friend of the Oregon Department of Forestry. Another home showed signs of giving way on its foundation and a third had mud up to its windows.
No injuries were reported.
The slide was caused by a buildup of water and debris behind a railroad grade located upstream in Eilertsen Creek. The abandoned railroad structure acted as a dam and officials had been monitoring it for days.
On Monday, a technician determined it was a danger and people were evacuated from their homes in the rural area. Officials tried to relieve the pressure on the structure but could not.
It began to move Tuesday and the Oregon Department of Transportation closed the highway. Within an hour, the slide covered the highway and surrounding area located just west of Clastakanie, between Portland and the Oregon coast.
One woman living above the slide was stranded in her home, where the driveway was wiped out by the slide, but was in no danger, officials said.
Several agencies worked to clear the area.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
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