Photos | Martha Sparks
Cleanup workers shovel mud away from Rt. 10 Wednesday afternoon at Aracoma as heavy machinery scoop up it up and haul it off. The five-bay car wash, along with an estimated six homes, were damaged from a mudslide which began Saturday afternoon in Aracoma.
ARACOMA — Crews are busy cleaning up from a major mudslide that occurred early this week in Aracoma. The slide began oozing down the mountain and surrounding homes on Saturday afternoon with the majority of the mud sliding off the mountain Sunday morning, damaging about six homes and a business.
Traffic was also blocked along Rt. 10 as crews from the Department of Highway crews monitored and cleaned the area.
“I don’t think traffic was blocked for more than hour or two,” said Mike Kolota, Logan County Department of Highways supervisor, on Wednesday. “The slide is due to Cabot Oil and Gas.”
Kolota said DOH crews will be in the area cleaning up the mud along the side of the road but Cabot Oil and Gas is responsible for cleaning the mud from away from the homes and car wash.
“I’ve got guys down there now trying to clean up the side of the road and I’ve got some flaggers,” Kolota said. “Cabot Oil has a cleanup crew in there now. They are even pumping mud from under the houses. I don’t know how long it will take, but probably several days I would say.”
Kolota said traffic would be halted as needed during the cleanup but doesn’t anticipate any long traffic delays.
“Unless it comes across the road again,” said Kolota.
This was the second time that a mudslide occurred in the same area. A slide on a smaller scale occurred during storms on March 15, resulting in damage to several homes. One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had just about finished cleaning up from the first slide when the recent one happened.
“I lost everything in the bottom of my house,” said the gentleman. “I have a full size basement and lost everything in it. Cabot Oil and Gas has come in and assessed everything and has taken full responsibility for it.”
The gentleman said a gaswell road on the mountain behind the homes slipped.
“It brought the mountain down about a mile back in there,” he said.
The gentleman said he doesn’t know the amount of damages he received, but is concentrating on getting his home cleaned up.
“Right now we are just trying to clean up stuff first,” said the gentleman. “Then we will get into the assessment.”
Another resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said the slide began again on Saturday.
“It actually happened on Saturday afternoon,” said gentleman two. “Then on Sunday morning about 6:30 it all began coming out.”
Both residents were giving praise and thanks to local government officials for their quick actions following the slide.
“The county commission has been great,” said gentleman two. “Willie Akers, Art Kirkendoll, Roger Bryant and Bill Weese … we don’t know what we would have done without them. They have been fantastic.”
Both gentlemen agreed that Cabot Oil and Gas has taken responsibility for the slide and are acting accordingly.
“Cabot Oil has been fantastic,” said gentleman two.
“Cabot is at fault for it,” said gentleman one. “They knew about the slip before because I contacted them the first time and they said that they weren’t at fault. It’s got me twice.”
The first gentleman said he had just gotten straighten out from the first damage that occurred on March 15 when the second slide came in on Sunday.
“He bought a new washer and dryer on Friday. He hadn’t even hooked it up and lost them on Saturday,” said gentleman two.
“It’s been horrible,” said gentleman one. “You just get everything back together and, pow, it happens to you again. The biggest thing is that Cabot came in and took responsibility. They are doing the best they can right now.”
Both gentlemen said the area is being monitored 24 hours a day by Cabot Oil in case of any future sliding.
“The community has pulled together and done a heck of a job for us,” said gentleman one.
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