20 residents in Shorewood forced to move by slides

About 20 residents of the Shorewood neighborhood in North Burien were forced from their home Tuesday morning after a landslide pushed a wall of mud onto the street that provides access to their property. Eight homes were evacuated. According to Scott LaVielle, Fire Chief, North Highline Fire District, 11 homes were "yellow-tagged" and two were "red-tagged" in the residential neighborhood that features views of Puget Sound and Vashon Island. City of Burien personnel tagged the homes with yelow tags if they were safe for limited access. The red flags mean the houses must not be entered.

The principal damage occurred in the 130 block of Cove Point Road, where view homes rest on a terraced bluff.

Earth from a residence at 13030 Shorewood Drive S.W. collapsed and turned to mud, which flowed toward homes located on Cove Point Road below. Larry Moormeir, who has lived at the Shorewood Drive address for 53 years, was able to remain in his home in spite of having lost a substantial portion of his front yard.

Chief LaVielle said that officials from King county, the fire district and the City of Burien held a joint council at the site Tuesday morning and coordinated an emergency response effort. Chief LaVielle said all residents complied with the evacuation order and all found places to stay temporarily. Crews from Ming County were busy until late Tuesday afternoon scooping up the mudslide with bucket loaders and taking away the slide material to clear the road.

"We don't know yet who will pay for this," Chief LaVielle said.

No assessment of the property damage was available.