Mudslide threatens Corbin Tech Center after heavy rains

A creeping mudslide behind the Corbin Center for Technology and Community activities became a more urgent problem early Monday morning as heavy rains caused large amounts of rock and mud to begin slipping at an alarming rate.

Corbin Police Chief David Campbell said he had been in contact with City Manger Bill Ed Cannon about the issue last night. Officials noticed the problem at about 1:00 a.m. Monday. A huge pile of mud had already fallen to within feet of the back wall of the Corbin Tech Center and was continuing to tumble down in sloppy chunks.

Campbell said the city planned to immediately begin excavating the problem area so that any further mud would not get dangerously close to the tech center. On Monday, Cannon said mud and rock that slid down the hill earlier that morning had been cleared by workers. He added that the city had plans to address the issue in the near future, but that no other immediate action was needed.

"My opinion as an engineer is that it doesn’t pose an imminent danger to the tech center," Cannon said. "I think it will be OK until we can get it fixed permenantly."

During the April meeting of the Corbin City Commission, Cannon was granted permission to advertise for bids for an engineer to look at the problem and devise a solution. Officlals say the slide, which has existed for some time, has been worsened by paving of the road that leads to the Southeast Kentucky Agriculture and Exposition Center, which is behind the Tech Center on a hill. Water running off the pavement is causing rapid erosion.

Cannon said recent summers of drought followed by a wet spring this year have contributed to the problem.

Read Wednesday’s News Journal for more information.