A closer look at landslides
LANDSLIDES CAN occur due to a variety of reasons. They often occur as a result of natural phenomena, but human activity can also be a factor:
1. Vibrations from earthquakes can trigger a landslide.
2. Waterlogging, due to heavy rains, can saturate the top layers of unstable soil and cause them to slide downhill.
3. Human activity such as deforestation, vegetation removal, construction of roads, and construction of buildings on steep slopes may also lead to land slippage.
FACTS ABOUT LANDSLIDES
Landslides may move very slowly – from a few centimetres per year to a sudden, total collapse or avalanche.
Landslides may travel just a few metres to many kilometers in the event of mudflows.
Landslides can be deadly. They destroy houses, cars, water mains, gas pipes and anything else in their path.
Landslides and mudflows can strike without warning, trapping or burying people and livestock.
SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING LANDSLIDE
1. Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.
2. New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick, or foundations.
3. Outside walls, walkways, or stairs begin pulling away from the building.
4. Slowly developing, widening cracks appear on the ground or on paved areas such as streets and driveways.
5. Underground utility lines break.
6. Groundwater seeps to the surface in new locations.
7. Fences, retaining walls, utility poles or trees tilt or move.
8. You hear a faint, rumbling sound that increases in volume in one specific direction and may begin shifting in that direction under your feet.