Land and Mud Slide: Past Incidents

Landslides and mudslides are one of the most widespread disasters. They occur all over the world with varying degrees of intensity and often related to earthquakes, human modification of the environment, or flooding.

1903
The Frank Slide hit the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, Canada. 30 million cubic meters (82 million tons) of limestone came crashing down from Turtle Mountain and killed 70 people. The landslide was caused by the mountain’s unstable structure.
1966
Waste from a coal mine slid down Merthyr Mountain and crashed into the small village of Aberfan, destroying two cottages and two schools. This disaster killed 144 people, of whom 116 were young children.
1985
The Mameyes landslide struck Puerto Rico after a week of heavy rains from tropical storm Isabel. The soil was saturated and gave way to a catastrophic landslide burying a major portion of Mameyes. This disaster killed 94 people.
1996
Heavy rain triggered thousands of landslides across Washington and Oregon.
1997
Heavy rain on the snow in Washington State’s Puget Sound area led to hundreds of landslides damaging homes, businesses, and transportation infrastructure.
1997
A devastating landslide in Thredbo, New South Wales, Australia devastated the village and ski resort trapping 100 people.
2003
Heavy rains triggered a debris flows in recently burned areas near San Bernardino, California. Sixteen people lost their lives.
February 17, 2006
Landslides in Southern Leyte, Philippines killed ten people and displaced 1,400 families. This series of landslides resulted from heavy rains and many roads are inaccessible while power has been cut off in some areas. More than 1,000 people could be dead.

Sources Consulted

Sources

  • "Landslides and Mudslides." Wikipedia. 17 Feb. 2006.
  • Mehta, Seema. "Laguna Landslide Victims Get Help Reassembling Lives;." Los Angeles Times 23 Oct. 2005, sec. B: 3.
  • Paddock, Richard C., and Alex Santos. "Rescuers Hear Only Silence From Sea of Mud;." Los Angeles Times 19 Feb. 2006, sec. A: 3.
  • "Philippines: Hundreds in shelters as landslides destroy homes." Plan UK. 17 Feb. 2006. 19 Feb. 2006 <http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/asia/philippines/philippineslandslides/>.
  • "USGS Landslide Hazards." Landslide Hazards Program. Dept. of Interterior, U.S. Geological Survey. 19 Feb. 2006 <http://landslides.usgs.gov/>.