Landslides disrupt Oregon City -- again

OREGON CITY, Ore. — It's not unusual to hear about the ground moving around in Oregon City, or much of Clackamas County for that matter.

Geologists say the ground is different there -- steeper and slicker underneath, which leads to more slides than many other parts of the metro area.

The latest slide along Trillium Park Drive forced people out of a rental home, after the city declared it too dangerous to live in.

The city also shut down a section of the road.

Unusual amounts of snow and ice and rain waterlogged the ground, but neighbors say they think construction in the area had something to do with it.

Last week, a water main became separated, flooding the road and soaking the lot below.

"There was water gushing everywhere," said Barbara Frost, who has been taking video and pictures since the pipe broke, and who lives right next to the slide.

"An inspector came and checked out our place, and we haven't been told we have to leave. I do have concerns about the soggy ground, though, and one big tree that has a huge split in it -- that could come down on us."

Oregon City Commissioner Brian Shaw was checking out the slide at Trillium Park Drive Friday morning while engineers looked at it too, trying to figure out how to fix it.

"We don't know if this will collapse and fall, we just don't know" said Shaw. "To prevent this, all we can do is be on the forefront of planning, when it comes to subdivisions and projects like that. We hire the best experts and consultants and get the best information we can. Then nature becomes part of it. We can't predict everything."

Another slide near Barclay Hills Park did some damage to a water pipe and a sewer pipe.

The city posted a "Sewage Spill" and "No Trespassing" sign to keep people away, but the slide didn't damage any homes.

In December 2015 slides forced dozens of people out of their apartments in the Beaver Creek Road Area.

Some property owners are building a retaining wall and hoping to get tenants back into vacated apartments soon.

If you'd like to find out the risk of a landslide where you live, there is an interactive map at www.oregongeology.org/sub/slido/index.htm, you can type in your address and get information from the scientific experts.