Landslides

Since a landslide can happen any time, make sure you know these landslide safety facts
Anyone who's spent time in the mountains can appreciate the beautiful scenery that accompanies them; however, that scenery also comes with the potential for hazardous landslide disasters.

Following these landslide prevention tips can help protect your family, your property and yourself.

For your home
The best time to make sure your home is stable for landslides is when you're remodeling. Consider taking steps to help with landslide prevention:

Don't build steep slopes close to mountain edges, near drainage ways or natural erosion valleys
Install flexible pipe fittings to avoid gas or water leaks
Plant ground cover on slopes and build retaining walls
Build channels to redirect mudflow
Get a ground assessment and landslide history of your property
For your safety
Take caution if you see these warning signs of a landslide disaster in your area:

Changes occurring in your landscape such as land movement, small slides, flows or progressively leaning trees
Doors or windows that stick or jam for the first time
New cracks that appear in plaster, tile or foundations, or outside walls, walks or stairs that begin pulling away from the building
Slowly developing but widening cracks that appear in roads and sidewalks
Bulging ground that appears at the base of a slope
Water that breaks through the ground in new locations
A faint rumbling sound that increases in volume
Unusual sounds such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together
If it is safe to leave the area, do so; otherwise move to the highest level of your house, curl into a tight ball and protect your head.

This landslide safety information is meant to help you make decisions that may reduce your risk. Of course, we can't note every possible risk, and we can't guarantee that these tips will work for you. However, we hope that if you use some of them, you'll better protect your family and yourself.