An investigation into what caused a landslide that pushed a Bellevue home off its foundation earlier this week will likely take weeks, “if not months,” to complete, the city said Wednesday in a news release.
State and city agencies and engineers continue to assess the safety and stability of the Somerset neighborhood where the three-level home partially collapsed Monday. And city officials are working with the homeowners to isolate and remove remaining hazards, according to the release.
Seven homes remained red-tagged Wednesday — unsafe to occupy. There’s no estimate for when displaced families will be able to safely return to their homes, city officials said.
On Tuesday, Bellevue’s Development Services Department Director Gregg Schrader said residents of those homes won’t be able to return until the collapsed home is either stabilized or partially demolished. At least part of the home will likely need to be removed to make sure the area is safe, according to Brad Harwood, the city’s chief communications officer.
“A big priority of ours is safety and we want to be certain this area is safe for residents, pedestrians and vehicles in the area so we are working as quickly as possible to assess this scene and get the remaining residents back in their homes if that’s possible,” City Manager Brad Miyake said in a statement.
Emergency calls came in around 4 a.m. Monday, reporting water flowing down the hill and roadways in the area near 139th Place Southeast and Southeast 51st Place.
Bellevue utilities confirmed an 8-inch water main break caused water to rush down the wooded hillside, but officials are still investigating what caused the landslide and the main to break, city officials said.
The street had quickly transformed into a “raging river with mud and debris everywhere,” according to John Surdi, whose home was carried off by the landslide with his wife, Barb, and dog still inside.
Responding officers helped Barb and the dog out of the home. About 40 people were ordered to evacuate Monday and take shelter in friends’ or relatives’ homes, or at the South Bellevue Community Center.
“We are very fortunate that no one was seriously injured and we want to keep it that way,” Bellevue Fire Chief Jay Hagen said in the news release.
The area near Southeast 51st Place and 139th Place Southeast is closed off, and the immediate vicinity of the collapsed home remains restricted. Officials are asking the public to avoid the area.
