Joint Operations Center Opened For Rattlesnake Ridge Slide

The Yakima Valley Office of Emergency Management has opened a joint operations center in Union Gap as they continue to monitor the big crack on top of Rattlesnake Ridge. During a media briefing Wednesday the office Director Jeff Emmons told reporters the office is fully ready for every aspect of the event. "We are coordinating with numerous agencies to ensure the public is safe whether it happens tomorrow or in march. We want everyone to know we're prepared."
He says that includes working closely with contractors to move dirt if that needs to happen after the slide.
Stephen Slaughter a Landslide Hazards Geologist with the Department of Natural Resources told reporters Today. "The landslide is still moving South and we still expect it to fail in that direction."
He says that means they expect the slide to move into the nearby quarry. They're expecting it to fail in late February or early March. He says failure date keeps moving as they get more information everyday.