Mudslide Prompts Evacuations in Yonkers: Fire Officials

Two buildings that comprise a Yonkers apartment complex were evacuated Wednesday after an apparent mudslide related to the weather that has afflicted the region over the past few weeks, authorities say.

Fire officials say the slide may have started near the old Croton Aqueduct; it came down behind one of the two buildings that were evacuated on Walsh Road.

Thomas Fitzpatrick of the Yonkers Fire Department told NBC 4 New York over-saturated ground from the recent snow melt likely caused it. Water was leaking from a pipe in another building, which further undermined the ground, authorities said.

Yonkers firefighters shored up building interior, laying down wood beams in the common lobby shared by 95 and 97 Walsh Rd. 

Most of the residents there are senior citizens, authorities said. Those displaced from the 104 evacuated apartments are expected to be sheltered Wednesday night in local hotels, where the city's Office of Emergency Management has reserved 80 rooms, as well as a temporary shelter set up by Red Cross. 

Displaced residents wondered what that meant for the future of their living situation.

"My concern right now is where am I going to live after this? Is the building going to be safe for us to live in?" said Celeste Johnson. 

Josephine Martinez said, "We're not youngsters out here anymore. It's really like an accident happened." 

Authorities say there is potential for additional mudslides and are continuing to assess the situation. 

No injuries have been reported. 

-- Roseanne Colletti and Gus Rosendale contributed to this report

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