B.C.

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) A landslide sent six expensive homes crashing down a hill early Wednesday and damaged at least a dozen more in this coastal Orange County enclave.

At least two people were taken to a hospital for minor injuries, officials said. Crews were apparently able to evacuate many of the residents before the earth gave way.

"The pipes started making funny noises and the toilet sounded like it was about to explode," Carrie Joyce, a fire department office manager who lives in the neighborhood.

"I could see one house, huge, we call it the mausoleum, 5,000 square feet or more. It had buckled, the retaining wall in the front of it was cracked. It just looked like the whole house was going," she said.

Six homes sustained "major damage," fire Capt. Danell Adams said. The city's mayor said as many as 20 had some damage.

Television helicopter footage showed the smashed homes on heavily built-up Flamingo Road in this city 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The earth was still moving beneath the homes. Some fell nearly intact, while others were ripped apart and left trails of debris. In addition to homes, trees, cars and roadway spilled down.

The homes are located in an area called Blue Bird Canyon, about 15 blocks from the ocean. The homes are worth about $1.75 million, which the mayor described as "average" for the area.

The steep area has had slide problems before and several homes were red-tagged as uninhabitable in February during the second rainiest season on record in Southern California.

The wealthy area, home of the world-renowned Festival of Arts, is built on picturesque but steep hills and canyons that have slid before. In February 1998, a rainstorm triggered slides that damaged 300 homes, 18 of them seriously. Two people were killed.

I hope that have GOOOOD insurance.

watermain

UPDATE:
"A large landslide creeping up Blue Bird Canyon destroyed 9 and damaged 21 homes. Other houses sit on the canyon edge with the land beneath them falling away. Most of the houses falling down the canyon are located on Flamingo Road."

B.C.

I hope thay carry mudslide,flooding insurance, b/c normal ins. does not cover...

The Raptor

It's very difficult to get mudslide insurance. Most people don't have it. Flood insurance doesn't cover it.

B.C.

I agree. There are many gas leaks, and NOONE in that area is going to sell mudslide ins. anymore. I feel bad for them.

Alot of these homes are "retirement" funds homes. Now it's gone..

Jake S2k

dang... good thing I didn't buy there this last year..

GoTuningTommy

I guess that's the price you pay for living on a hill side with a nice view. I do feel bad for them, don't get me wrong. I hope all goes well to the victims involved in the accident.

SC RHINO

one of our sales managers just came in rambling off about the landslide. her house was one of the lucky ones! just missed it!

B.C.

You're a baller if you got 1.5-6 million to buy a home here.

DaveZuck

Yeah, it's really tough break for the folks who own the homes.

Right now I'm studying for my CFP, and I just got through a unit on Homeowner's insurance.

Natural disasters caused by shifts in the land ARE NOT covered under a modern homeowners policy. Reason is that the risk is far too concentrated in certain geographic areas, and if they were to include the coverage on a standard policy premiums would skyrocket. The risk is just too specific and concentrated to be transferred.

Man, its gotta be rough losing your home. This is one of those things that really puts my own daily hardships and gripes into perspective