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Land continues to shift after hillside gives way, homes condemned in Garfield

PITTSBURGH — Five homes were condemned Wednesday and four were evacuated in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood because of a landslide.

The hillside gave way along Broad Street, causing concrete slabs on a driveway to move several feet and sending a tree crashing down into a parking lot below.

UPDATE: 5 houses now condemned on Broad St because of landslide. I'm finding out what happens next for WPXI-TV Pittsburgh at 12. ------------------- TREES CRASHING: We witness a tree crash into a parking lot below during a landslide in Garfield. We're waiting to hear what building inspectors have to say about the stability and how it's impacting a house and the building below. http://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/garfield-hillside-gives-way-leaving-family-to-fear-whats-next/704280255

Posted by WPXI Jennifer Tomazic on Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Members of a family that lives at the top of the hillside said they started to notice the land shifting on Tuesday. Matters quickly got worse Wednesday morning.

A truck belonging to the family was moved before the end of their driveway cracked off. The family also cleared out a shed that it feared might go over the hillside as well.

The land shifted even more Thursday. One tree was bent, with branches hovering over the shed.

A community organization is blaming the city, saying a home that was torn down could be responsible for the landslide.

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"My question is: Why condemn these houses?" said Richard Swartz, with the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation. "The demolition of this house and the garage and retaining wall  could have had a direct effect on what has transpired here in the last 24 hours."

Engineers will be out in the coming days to check the stability of the hillside.

“It doesn't look good. If they have to take this hillside apart, then that means we'll have to leave. Who knows when we'll be able to get back in here. This is the family house. I grew up here. It's pretty tough,” homeowner Darryl Simmon said.

With more rain in the forecast, homeowners hope the city can step up and save their homes.

Channel 11 contacted the city of Pittsburgh and a representative said engineers will continue to inspect the site and determine the next step.

The city also said residents will be allowed to return when the hillside is safe.

It's unclear when that will be.

There have been at least seven different landslides reported throughout the area in recent days.

 

Cox Media Group

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