New York Daily News – by Sasha Goldstein
Heavy rains caused half of an entire Baltimore block to split in half and slide down onto freight railroad tracks, bringing a dozen cars and other debris with it, officials in the Maryland city said.
Startling images show E. 26th St., between N. Charles and N. Lovegrove Sts. before — and after — the massive “sinkhole” struck the roadway in Charles Village on Wednesday afternoon.
The heavily saturated ground, after about four inches of rain and with up to another three inches forecast by Thursday morning, slid right onto CSX freight railway tracks, bringing down a wrought-iron fence, about 12 cars, a retaining wall, some of the street and the sidewalk, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told reporters at a news conference.
No one was killed or injured in the slide.
CSX has stopped rail traffic in the area until the debris is removed.
All the houses across the road from the slide, nicknamed Pastel Row for its colorful rowhouses, have been evacuated, WMAR-TV reported.
Neighbors said the collapse sounded like thunder and lasted about 15 seconds, shaking the ground nearby.
.@justin_fenton 26th St btwn Charles and St Paul collapsed onto rail tracks pic.twitter.com/WyZRGjZorl
— C.R.M. 114 (@GoffSolid) April 30, 2014
“We’re extremely blessed that were talking about property damage and damage to the streets and not any loss of life,” Rawlings-Blake told reporters.
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Hey, I’ve got an idea! Maybe if they put up a toll booth in the neighborhoods like they are doing on highways to pay for the roads and gas fees, there wouldn’t be a mudslide. (sarcasm)
http://www.fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/white-house-opens-door-to-tolls-on-interstate-highways-removing-long-standing-prohibition/86455
I know. I gotta stop giving them ideas.