Landslide affecting four residents in Sunrise Beach

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Over the weekend the Sunrise Beach Fire Department was notified that asphalt on Wilbus Dr. was cracking and began investigating a landslide.

In a press release, officials with the Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District said that they were notified by one of the residents in the area about the landslide. The slide sits above 2 duplexes, affecting four residents, three of which live there seasonally, and one who currently lives there.

Upon further inspection, the Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District Chief Joseph LaPlant, says they realized that the area in question was actually a part of a large 1.8-acre landslide.

"What we had noticed was we started to see where you're getting berming at the bottom of the hill and what that is is that area is sliding down and bunching up in a certain spot," said LaPlant.

LaPlant says they marked the ground with pink spray paint and will check back every couple of days to see if there has been any new movement.

The land is privately owned, but the road that runs through it is public.

The Director of Camden County Emergency Management Agency, Sam Henley, says they are all working together with the landowner to assess the situation and determine the best course of action.

Henley said that the damage is extensive "right now I can say that we are ballparking we've got at least a half of million dollars in damage in Camden County alone."

This is not the only slab of land they are monitoring. They will continue to post updates on this landslide and other potential areas on their blog.

The Sunrise Fire Protection Department, and the EMA, advise that if you can stay out of the area, you should. However, the road is still open, and the tenants have not been asked to evacuate yet.