Hurricane Sandy Landslides

     USGS has issued landslide alerts for hurricane Sandy.  They stated that with Hurricane Sandy moving inland that heavy rainfall will put a good majority o communities at risk for landslide hazards and slope failure.  A landslide hazard is part of a secondary earthquake hazard.
     USGS members think that most of them will be shallow landslides on coastal bluffs in th eChesapeake Bay area.  An interesting fact, and something to look out for in these areas, is that landslides that were produced by Irene and Lee in 2011 could be reactivated which goes hand in hand with the behavioral model in regards to living in locations prone to these disasters; did people learn from the past or no?
     Some of the major factos that play a role in landslides are the slope of the land, geology, saturation of the ground in regards to slope liquification, and the total rainfall/duration.  Some mitigation efforts you can do before the strom would include a) familiarize yourself with the land, have landslides occurred in the past? b) where does the water drain near your home? c) know your communities emergency response and evacuation plans.  Things that you can do after the storm include a)staying alert and awake, most landslide fatalaties occur when people are sleeping b) listen for sounds that hint toard moving debris. c) be alert when driving especially along embankments.