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CHAPTER 12. LANDSLIDE <br />12-7 <br />Zoning Area within Landslide Risk <br />Area (Acres) % of Total <br />Master Planned Resort 154 2% <br />Planned Unit Development 299 16% <br />Residential 1,453 5% <br />Total 144,809 10% <br /> <br /> <br />12.5.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure <br />An exposure analysis was performed for critical facilities located in the landslide hazard area. There were <br />no schools, emergency facilities, hospitals, or fire stations in Kittitas County located in the landslide hazard <br />area. While these facilities are not at risk, a significant amount of infrastructure can be exposed to mass <br />movements: <br />• Roads—Access to major roads is crucial to life-safety after a disaster event and to response <br />and recovery operations. Landslides can block egress and ingress on roads, causing isolation <br />for neighborhoods, traffic problems and delays for public and private transportation. This can <br />result in economic losses for businesses. <br />• Bridges—Landslides can significantly impact road bridges. Mass movements can knock out <br />abutments or significantly weaken the soil supporting them, making them hazardous for use. <br />• Power Lines—Power lines are generally elevated above steep slopes; but the towers <br />supporting them can be subject to landslides. A landslide could trigger failure of the soil under <br />a tower, causing it to collapse and ripping down the lines. Power and communication failures <br />due to landslides can create problems for vulnerable populations and businesses. <br />12.5.4 Environment <br />Environmental problems as a result of mass movements can be numerous. Landslides that fall into streams <br />may significantly impact fish and wildlife habitat, as well as affecting water quality. Hillsides that provide <br />wildlife habitat can be lost for prolong periods of time due to landslides. <br />12.6. VULNERABILITY <br />12.6.1 Population <br />Due to the nature of census block group data, it is difficult to determine demographics of populations <br />vulnerable to mass movements. In general, all of the estimated 847 persons exposed to higher risk landslide <br />areas are considered to be vulnerable. Increasing population and the fact that many homes are built on view <br />property atop or below bluffs and on steep slopes subject to mass movement, increases the number of lives <br />endangered by this hazard. <br />12.6.2 Property <br />Although complete historical documentation of the landslide threat in Kittitas County is lacking, the <br />landslides of 2009, 2011, and 2015 suggest a significant vulnerability to such hazards. The millions of <br />dollars in damage countywide attributable to mass movement during those storms affected private property <br />and public infrastructure and facilities.