Simple actions can help people survive landslides

Date:
October 22, 2020
Source:
University of Washington
Summary:
Simple actions can dramatically improve a person's chances of
surviving a landslide, according to records from 38 landslides
in the US and around the world. People who survived landslides
tended to show key behaviors such as being aware of the risk,
moving to higher ground, and making noise if buried.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The March 2014 landslide in Oso, Washington, about 55 miles northeast
of Seattle, became the deadliest landslide event in United States
history. Forty- three people died and 49 homes and structures were
destroyed.


==========================================================================
A University of Washington engineer who analyzed the event's aftermath
began to investigate the circumstances that can make landslides so
deadly. The resulting study shows that certain human actions increase the chance of surviving a devastating event, and suggests simple behavioral
changes could save more lives than expensive engineering solutions.

The open-access study, published in the October issue of GeoHealth,
suggests key actions that range from opening doors and windows to
continuing to move and make noise if you do get buried.

"There are in fact some really simple, cost-effective measures that
can be taken that can dramatically improve the likelihood that one will
survive a landslide," said senior author Joseph Wartman, a UW professor
of civil and environmental engineering.

Worldwide, landslides cause on average more than 4,000 deaths a year
recently, with about 25 to 50 of those deaths occurring each year in
the U.S. These events may become more frequent as wildfires fueled by
warmer temperatures can leave slopes bare and more vulnerable to slides.

Wartman and a UW graduate student compiled and analyzed records of 38 landslides that affected occupied buildings. Most of the data came from
the U.S., but it included landslides from around the world for which
there were detailed records.



==========================================================================
The authors recorded the geologic details of each landslide, as well as
the reports from survivors of the events. They used newspaper articles, scientific papers, medical examiner reports and other documents to produce
a detailed catalog of fatalities caused by landslides hitting occupied buildings. The events, spanning from 1881 to 2019, included the Oso
mudslide and the 2018 mudslide in Southern California, as well as events
in Bangladesh, Philippines, China, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

Their analysis showed behavioral factors, such as a having an awareness
of local landslide hazards and moving to a higher floor of a building
during an event, had the strongest association with survival.

"Simply by being on an upper floor, an individual can increase their
odds of survival by up to a factor of twelve. This is a powerful finding
that we need to consider when we design the layout and vertical access
routes in homes," said first author William Pollock, who did the work
for his UW doctorate in civil and environmental engineering and is now
a lecturer in the department.

The analysis showed many things they predicted would be important,
including the size or the intensity of landslide events, made little
difference to the death toll for landslides below about 20 feet
depth. Similarly, the distance between a building and the landslide
slope, or an inhabitant's age and gender, didn't make a big difference
to their survival.

But the researchers found some behaviors, despite being performed by only
a small number of people, often save lives. According to their results,
those actions are: Before an event
* Be informed about potential hazards, from hazard maps or other
sources * Talk to people who have experienced these events * Move
areas of high occupancy, such as bedrooms, upstairs or to the
downhill side of a building


========================================================================== During an event
* Move away from the threat -- don't approach an active landslide *
Escape vertically by moving upstairs or even on countertops to avoid
being swept away
* Identify and relocate to interior, ideally unfurnished, areas of a
building that offer more protection
* Open downhill doors and windows to let debris escape
After an event
* If caught in landslide debris, continue to move and make noise
to alert
rescuers
The results suggest practical ways to lower the number of lives lost to landslides in the United States, Wartman said. He hopes the information
can be incorporated in education and community awareness programs.

"This is a message of hope," Wartman said. "What this work suggests is
that a modest investment put toward social science, policy and education
could have a very marked effect in protecting people from landslides." Residents who want to know if they are vulnerable to landslides can
contact a local agency, such as the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, to learn more about local risks. Federal legislation is pending
to make this information more easily accessible across the United States, Wartman said.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Washington. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. William Pollock, Joseph Wartman. Human Vulnerability to Landslides.

GeoHealth, 2020; 4 (10) DOI: 10.1029/2020GH000287 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201022112604.htm

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