Officials in Yakima held a press conference today as the concern over an impending landslide continues for those in the area. Here are some of the takeaways and latest information on the growing crack along Rattlesnake Ridge:
- Authorities are working with technical experts and officials from DNR, WSDOT, Geologists and Emergency Management to make sure everyone is on the same page and changes with the land are being monitored 24/7.
- Public safety is their number one priority.
- The slide is moving at a rate of 1.6 feet per week with an acceleration of 0.1 feet per week.
- The timeline for when the landslide will go is anytime between now and March.
- The landslide is headed south.
- Several hundred GPS tracking devices have been set up in various spots along the hillside to track the movement.
- 1-82 remains open and is completely safe to drive on.
- As soon as authorities deem the road unsafe, they will shut it down and send vehicles along an alternative route along highway 97.
- Residents living in the area that will be hit by the landslide have evacuated.
- Displaced residents are currently in temporary housing and long term housing options are being looked at.
- Animals living in the area have been moved to foster families.
- Rain and precipitation could impact the acceleration of the landslide, but it would take "a lot" of precipitation.
(story: Nichole Mischke, KHQ Right Now Reporter, KHQ.com; video: KHQ.com; photo: Google Earth)