4 Families Displaced After Mudslide Crashes Through Oceanside Complex

OCEANSIDE (CBSLA.com) – A water leak may have caused a mudslide that broke through the walls of an apartment complex in Oceanside early Christmas morning, sending several families scrambling.

The mudslide occurred at about 5 a.m. on a hillside above a two-story, four-unit building in the 500 block of Canyon Drive. The Oceanside Fire Department reports the slide occurred in an area about 75-feet long by 12-feet wide.

Mud accumulated behind an exterior wall of the complex before the pressure sent it bursting through the two ground units, the fire department said. The two bottom-floor units sustained significant mud and water damage, while the two second-story apartments were evacuated due to structural concerns.

One of the four families was not home at the time. There were no injuries.

During their investigation, fire crews discovered a water leak from a residential irrigation line above the complex that may have caused the slide. A city inspector examined the building and deemed it unsafe. Meanwhile, the Oceanside Water Utilities Department evaluated its water lines in the surrounding area and found no leaks or damage.

The four families will likely not be able to return to their apartments for a long period of time, the fire department said, and will have to find new accommodations. The Red Cross is assisting them with temporary housing.

There was no timeframe on how long it would take to repair the damage or how much it was estimated to cost.