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Landslide Prompts Evacuations In Squirrel Hill

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Landslide concerns have lead to the evacuation of three homes in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

The hillside in the back of a home on Rosemont Lane is literally crumbling. The homeowner didn't want to go on camera, but a friend was helping her gather things from the home Friday morning since she and her family can't stay there.

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(Photo Credit: Amy Wadas/KDKA)

"She's terrified and doesn't feel safe living in the house and doesn't know what's gonna happen," Donna Luedde said.

Luedde lives next door. She and her husband stayed at a friend's house Thursday night.

"It's frightening more than frustrating," said Luedde. "It's not that we're restricted. They just said for our safety, we should leave."

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(Photo Credit: Amy Wadas/KDKA)

The family in the home on the other side was also ordered to stay elsewhere Thursday night.

Luedde said the landslide happened Thursday evening.

"They've been trying to fix and extend their yard. It's been shrinking, and then they built it back up, and then it shrinks. They just did a new thing with rocks and the whole thing fell down. They think maybe water got in," she said.

Engineers with the City of Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections were on scene for awhile surveying the damage. They couldn't give a direct answer on how to fix the problem.

Luedde is concerned about how repairs will be paid for.

"It's expensive because who's gonna build up a hillside. Do they have the finances? They're really in jeopardy. We may be in jeopardy," she said.

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