Rattlesnake Ridge Crack Could Lead To Big Landslide

A large crack on the top of Rattlesnake Ridge East of Union Gap has emergency officials monitoring the situation in case of a big landslide. Horace Ward is the Senior Emergency Planner at the Yakima Office of Emergency Management who tells KIT News they're urging people who live near the ridge to leave their homes. "Geologists believe this will happen within the next month or so." Ward says the best case scenario is that the earth moves but stays within the nearby quarry and stabelize the mountain. The worst case scenario is moves beyond the quarry and onto I-82.
Residents in about 15 homes in the area are being advised to leave under a level 3 evacuation order. Thorp Road remains closed between Birchfield and Gangl Roads because of falling rocks.
The Red Cross has closed a shelter for evacuees it opened last week at the Summitview Church.