CINCINNATI — Heavy rain has renewed concerns about more landslides in the region after several occurred Thursday night into Friday.
Mount Adams
One lane on Martin Drive in Mount Adams was closed after mud and debris came down the hillside. The movement began gradually late Thursday night and continued into early Friday morning, according to video surveillance footage from across the street.
"These homeowners haven't been digging into the hill or cutting it, so it's really just an actual natural occurrence," said Eric Russo, Executive Director of the Hillside Trust.
April is the middle of landslide season, and there are several dynamics at play. The ground is oversaturated after the snow from the winter melted. When it rains, 12-inch tears of exposed dirt, called scarps, become dangerous.
"When rain gets in there, it hits the bedrock plane, and the dirt, it's almost like a slip and slide,” Russo said. “The dirt can't hold itself, and the rain and gravity bring it down."
See the damage from each of these locations here:
Russo added that this natural phenomenon is part of Cincinnati’s terrain, noting, "There's really nothing you can do. I mean, we're in the city of Cincinnati. This is our legacy."
He highlighted that the recent movement of Earth is not attributable to human actions.
Representatives from Cincinnati’s Building and Inspections and Fire Departments were seen on the scene Friday.
Mount Auburn
A 10-foot-tall pile of mud and debris sat on Seitz Street in Mount Auburn after it came down the hillside and fell over the retaining wall overnight.
Queen Drummond, who lives nearby, said the mudslide was so impactful that it woke up her family during the night.
"It was just like a crash, a boom," she said.
Police closed off the road and the area around the mud due to safety concerns and anticipation that the weekend's forecast could bring more rain and subsequent damage.
Drummond said she thought it was crazy: "This is Mother Nature for you."
Fort Thomas (KY-8)
A portion of Mary Ingles Highway (Old Route 8) is closed in both directions after a mudslide early Friday morning, according to officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6.
The mudslide covers the portion of the road just past the Aquaramp Marina between Tower Hill and River Road.
The highway had only recently reopened last summer after being closed for five years due to an earlier severe landslide.
“It's not déjà vu all over again here,” said Jake Ryle, a public information officer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6. There is no structural damage, and crews should be able to clear the road after working all day Friday.
Still, Kentucky officials opted to keep the road closed over the weekend to monitor conditions and preserve manpower, as they remain vigilant in preventing further disturbances.
"With the amount of rain we’re going to be seeing overnight, for us to reopen the road, to potentially have to close it again if we were to have a similar issue … takes away manpower where we could be using it elsewhere," Ryle said.
KY-8 reopened last summer after a more than $9 million improvement project was completed to help protect the road from landslides.
“Had we not done that project, who knows how large a slide could have been on this section of road,” he said.
Read more about this closure here.
Elements of this digital story were optimized with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
