What is a Mudslide?
A mudslide is a type of landslide. According to the Centers for Disease Control , landslides “occur when masses of rock, earth, or debris move down a slope.” Therefore, a mudslide (also known as a debris flow) is “a common type of fast-moving landslide that tends to flow in channels.”
When there is a disturbance in a slope, a mudslide can occur. In fact, they often occur in the aftermath of severe thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and other violent weather. While they can occur in all 50 states, they are common in the Pacific Coastal Ranges, Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, and parts of Alaska and Hawaii.
Signs of a Mudslide
According to the Department of the Interior United States Geological Survey , a mudslide has many telltale signs that may occur before the event actually takes place. While not all-inclusive, some of these include:
- Strange noises, such as trees and boulders knocking together (which could indicate shifting ground)
- Offset lines of fencing
- Leaning telephone poles or trees
- Sudden increase in natural water levels, such as creeks
- Soil moving away from foundations
- New cracks or bulges in sidewalks, foundations, or pavement
- Broken water lines
- Broken underground utilities
- Decks, patios, or other ancillary structures shifting away from a house
How to Prepare for a Mudslide
Some useful tips for mudslide preparation include the following:
- Have the ground of your home or business assessed
- If possible, refrain from building near the edge of mountains, by steep slopes, or near valleys prone to erosion
- Install flexible pipe fittings in an attempt to prevent gas or water leaks when movement occurs in your property
- Build retaining or deflection walls around your property to direct the flow of moisture
- Plant ground cover on slopes
- Commercial and residential storm damage services
- Board-up services
- Construction services
- Immersion cleaning (where contents are submerged in a bath of the cleaning product)
- Foam cleaning (best used for upholstery fabrics in danger of shrinking or bleeding)
- Abrasive cleaning (where agitation on the document’s surface prompts cleaning to occur)
- Spray and wipe (best for items that can’t withstand cleaning)
- Dry cleaning (used for pre-cleaning prior to full cleaning, or cleaning light residues)
- Wet cleaning (used for removing moderate to heavy residues)
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For more information, visit our FAQ and Glossary .
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/landslides.html
https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-major-landslides-and-debris-flows-happen-all-areas-us