Two Utah homes slide off cliff, prompting evacuation
Dramatic video shows one of the houses breaking free from its foundation due to melting snowpack shifting the ground, Draper officials said.
Officials say shifting earth from melting snowpack led to sliding and breaks in two houses’ foundations, causing destruction in Utah.
(CNN) -- Two empty homes overlooking a canyon slid off their foundations Saturday in Draper, Utah, prompting the evacuations of two adjacent residences, officials said Saturday.
In October, city building officials declared two clifftop homes "unfit for human habitation" due to "earth shifting that resulted in sliding and breaks in the homes' foundations," city officials said in a Facebook post.
This image provided by the City of Draper, Utah, shows one of two unstable homes that collapsed down a hill in Draper, Utah on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Officials say the homes had been in danger due to sliding that resulted from shifting ground and breaks in the foundations. (City of Draper, Utah, via AP)
This image provided by the City of Draper, Utah, shows one of two unstable homes that collapsed down a hill in Draper, Utah on Saturday, April 22, 2023. (City of Draper, Utah, via AP)
This image provided by the City of Draper, Utah, shows one of two dangerously unstable homes that collapsed down a hill in Draper, Utah, Saturday, April 22, 2023. (City of Draper, Utah, via AP)
The city had been following up with the developer for months on engineering studies regarding the stability of the area, officials said.
"With the snow pack melting and creating changes in conditions, other homes in the neighborhood will be evaluated for safety concerns," said the Facebook post. "At this time, only the two adjacent homes are being evacuated."
Draper officials closed two public trails following the slide.
"Everyone needs to avoid the area. Do not go to the neighborhood where the homes slid. Only residents allowed," said city officials. "We are grateful that everyone is safe."
Draper is about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Debris runs toward a canyon in Draper, Utah, after two homes slid off their foundations, officials said. (Draper City Government)
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Report a Typo
