CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More of the unstable hillside at the end of the Yeager Airport came sliding down Sunday and Monday, though this time the movement was anticipated.
“The engineers have indicated this would happen and needs to happen,” said Yeager Airport spokesman Mike Plante. “The material that is still on the slope needs to finish settling and come down. In fact, if it doesn’t come down on it’s own, they’ll have to find a way mechanically to restore the slope.”
The massive hillside began collapsing March 12 and buried one house, destroyed a church, and blocked Elk Two Mile Creek, which flooded more than two dozen homes. Sunday’s movement was the most significant in recent days.
“It spread out at the bottom on both sides and into the road a bit,” said Plante. “Elk Two Mile Creek, which has been our primary concern, has been holding well and water is moving through there quite efficiently.”
The soil that gave way was part of the original slide and no new ground on the man-made hillside has been compromised, Plante said. No new property damage resulted from the newest slippage.
Engineers continue evaluating what action will be necessary to repair the massive slide.
“There still working on ways to begin mitigating it as soon as possible,” said Plante. “They’re still trying to figure out the best way to go about that while this thing is still in flux.”