SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Some Mission Hills residents may need to leave their homes after the recent heavy rainfall triggered a mudslide.
The ground may not be able to support a house on Titus Street anymore. Caution tape can be seen in the yard. Everything close to the edge of the patio may fall down the hill if it collapses any more.
Some people were told to evacuate because if anything else falls, their homes are in danger.
Rex Huffman says it only took a few minutes for that mudslide to threaten his home.
"My wife, who was in upstairs the master bedroom, heard something hitting something," said Huffman. "It turned out to be these large concrete slabs that were sliding into our deck, into our Tuff Shed, and closer to our house."
The City of San Diego says it sent a structural engineer, who determined parts of the affected home on Titus Street are already caving in. The hill may slip further, putting homes like Huffman's in the crosshairs of falling rocks and concrete.
"They've recommended that it's unsafe and no one's allowed in this lowest room, which is the closest to the impact zone. Except us, on a very limited basis," said Huffman. "Now we're being told we should vacate."
According to the National Weather Service, the area picked up nearly 2.5 inches of rain over the past five days, saturating the ground and weakening the soil before the collapse.
"They did have emergency workers out here last night to try to do anything, if it rained, to keep it from sliding down. Like putting visqueen or plastic. But those workers refused to do it," said Huffman. "It appeared too unstable, from what I could hear them talking about. And they didn't do anything."
Huffman is worried more debris could fall at any moment, destroying his home of more than 40 years.
"Yeah I think we're in trouble," said Huffman. "It would be devastating. I can't imagine this all getting knocked down. That would be pretty traumatizing — lots of history."
City officials tell ABC 10News their structural engineer is still working on ways to secure the area. So we don't know whether the homes in the area can be saved, or when those repairs will take place.
