(UPDATE: Shifting ground under Sunset Drive on Signal Mountain causes water line to break)
Recent rains have caused Sunset Drive on the side of Signal Mountain to shift, leading Hamilton County Emergency Management to question the safety of several homes.
One of those homes has been evacuated, and the other has been empty since July, said Chris Adams, fire marshall and director of Hamilton County Emergency Management.
Officials placed seismic monitors on Sunset Drive last week, after a homeowner asked Hamilton County Emergency Management to look at the power lines on his property. The lines were pulled tight, indicating the home had shifted, said Adams.
The homes are on what Adams refers to as a "Pennington shelf" where three other homes are also located. Those homes have not been evacuated, he said.
A structural engineer will decide whether the evacuated residents can return home, said Adams.
A structural engineer is evaluating whether two homes on Signal Mountain's Sunset Drive are safe for occupation. / Staff photo by Emily Crisman