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Oregon residents may not know homes are in danger

Sunday, January 4, 2009 10:00 AM PST

By The Associated Press

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PORTLAND — The Lake Oswego street where a home stood before it slid down a 200-foot hillside Friday was marked on state geologists' maps as a landslide hazard zone years ago, but Oregon law doesn't require that those living in such risky designations be notified.

Experts say that if more people living on especially hazardous land were warned, more of them would take steps to protect their homes and families.

They could improve drainage to rainwater from saturating the ground and triggering a slide and buy landslide insurance, which is not often included in standard policies.

"The important thing is to get people in Portland and the rest of this area to ask the question, 'What can I do to prevent landslides on my property?'" said Scott Burns, a professor of geology at Portland State University and an authority on slides.

Almost every winter, destructive slides wreak havoc on the region. Oregon has its fair share of the three components that cause landslides: steep slopes, loose soil and water.

After landslides killed five people in 1996 in western Oregon, state geologists developed taxpayer-funded maps, which put some Lake Oswego areas in an extreme hazard zone.

But some local officials complained that too many areas were labeled hazardous, which would restrict development. The state never formally adopted the maps.

Lake Oswego, however, recognized Woodhurst Place, where the Friday landslide happened, as a risky site using earlier maps. The city ordered a geotechnical assessment before construction began on the destroyed home, said Stephan Lashbrook, community development director.

"The reality is that the places we're experiencing problems today are in an area where we consider there to be hazards," he said.

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justareader wrote on Jan 4, 2009 6:28 AM:

" There are disclosures required when selling a house. All for the sake of money, they are not "required" to disclose something that could actually cost the buyer/owner his life. "

Pasta wrote on Jan 4, 2009 8:50 AM:

" Uh oh, someone claimed this particular spot as a hazard? I wonder if the buyers were told this. Can you say "Lawsuit?". "

Beer&Skittles wrote on Jan 4, 2009 8:52 AM:

" The insurance companies are quite well aware of these maps, and WILL NOT write insurance on properties located within or close to the areas designated. FYI. "

Beer&Skittles wrote on Jan 4, 2009 8:53 AM:

" That would be slide insurance I'm talking about. Regular policies, as the article says, doesn't cover landslides. "

Just wrote on Jan 4, 2009 10:36 AM:

" Then the county should buy them out before someone get's killed. All the county doe's is just smile when they pay there taxes!!! "

momto1 wrote on Jan 4, 2009 11:10 AM:

" What did they think would happen? People build houses at the bottom of hills and cliffs then wonder why it falls down on their house. You take all the vegetation out it is going to come down. Common sense should have told these people that they were in a slide area. "

Atrucker wrote on Jan 5, 2009 9:59 AM:

" No common sense was used in Kelso, when the big slide happened and destroyed all those houses. The slide was used as a scape goat to avoid paying the people that lost their homes.
The freewy was moved because they knew that hill was moving and has moved for years , yet people were allowed to build on it any way. The planners and permit office knew that old slide was there.
It all about the money, the only way to find any property history is do your home work. "

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