Heartbreak as landslide tears homes apart in Boise
Neighbors say they feel helpless to stop the problems surrounding their homes (KTRK)
Sunday, June 05, 2016 09:54AM
BOISE, ID -- There is heartbreak in the foothills of Idaho after a landslide has destroyed a number of homes.
"You're going to hear lots of cracking through here, and that's normal."
Stacy says the signs of damage were small at first.
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"So this is the first crack I noticed, and at the time it was only a millimeter big. You can see what has happened since," Stacy says. "It's just snowballed fast since then."
Throughout her once beautiful family home, piles of debris and framing are strewn about the home as the wood floor and foundation crumble beneath.
The landslide has pulled the house from its foundation, displaying the incredible force of the earth's movement.
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The situation, Stacy says, has been hard to explain to her children as they flee their home for safety.
"My second grader started taping up the walls and the hardwood, trying to fix all the cracks," she says.
Down the street, her neighbor Leslie says their home is in better shape, but are unsure for how long.
A concrete step which once met the walkway outside her front door is now significantly lower than it once was.
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Inside the home, the same tell-tale signs of cracking walls and foundation are becoming evident as they did for Stacy.
"Once we started seeing the cracks inside, we realized we were kind of following the same path," Leslie says.
Several agencies say they are working to stop the slide, but neighbors say it isn't happening.
Moving trucks have denied their requests for help because of insurance concerns. In the meantime, neighbors are finding themselves in dire straits financially after being caught without landslide insurance.
"It just feels like everyone who could help us in this situation has left," Leslie says. "That, think to me, is the hardest thing to really digest."