4 homes evacuated in Pittsburgh after 'thick, gooey' mudslide

Pittsburgh officials were keeping a close watch Thursday on a mudslide that caused the evacuation of four homes in the Allentown neighborhood, officials said.

City Operations Chief Guy Costa said “thick, gooey mud” is running down a steep hillside below McClain Street and threatening three houses along Arlington Avenue. Officials told residents to leave their homes. A dog from one house had to be taken because the owner wasn’t home. They evacuated a fourth house on McClain directly above the slide as a precaution.

“Water and mud continue to come off the hillside,” Costa said. “Mud and water are seeping into one building. It’s a thick, gooey mud and constant flow of water.”

Arlington Avenue remains open, but Costa said the city might have to close it if the slide worsens.

Engineers were on site Thursday assessing damages, he said. The city has yet to determine the cause.

“We’ve had so much rain over the last couple of weeks. The ground is just saturated” Costa said.

Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bob at 412-765-2312, bbauder@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobbauder.