From cracks to craters, problems on Lisbon street continue to deepen.

"This one was actually the deepest, we could drop a four foot stick down there," said East Liverpool service safety director Brian Allen.

Allen says the splitting  is just one sign the earth is shifting at a dangerous speed.

"The soil expert was here this morning, believes we have one of two issues going on we either are ontop of an old clay or coal mine or it's just natural erosion and it's just shifting," said Allen.

But the movement is causing more than just cracks in the road.
It's also causing cracks in the foundations of nearby homes.

"The ceiling is literally falling in the house is falling in," said Morris, an East Liverpool renter.

Morris says he doesn't feel safe in his basement apartment, after watching his walls split and his floors slope.  

"I'm moving out definitely, I'm getting out," said Morris.

The city is asking Morris and anyone else living inside the homes to stay in a hotel for safety but one family is insisting on staying put.  

"That's perfectly his choice but his foundation has some significant cracks and we've advised him with the storm coming in tonight that we can't guarantee their safety," said Allen.

The concern is that the earth could physically push the houses off of the cliff and it's not the only concern for the city the service director says he's also concerned about how the city can afford to pay for the fixes.
The city is currently dealing with a budget deficit.

"We have to seek an emergency loan to fund some of the upfront costs so we can actually build a plan that we can submit to the ohio department of transportation for help with funding," said Allen.

The city is meeting to discuss finances Friday morning at 11am.
But until they can diagnose what is causing the cracks, officials say there's a chance this problem will dig deeper.