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Jun 14

Written by:
6/14/2011 4:41 PM 

The Seattle Times posted a special section on June 10th with useful tips for those with (or concerned about) a landslide. My neighbor who had a very expensive landslide late last year just pointed this useful information out to me. Read the full report at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2015278322_realslidersbar12.html

Where to get more information on landslides

Chris Winters

Special to The Seattle Times

GREG GILBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES

A crack in the earth in March made the foundation slip at this home on Burl Place in South Everett. It was declared unsafe and the owners moved out.

Knowing whether you are in a slide-prone area is the first step in preparing for and preventing landslides. Here are some places to start research.

King County

• Office of Emergency Management Landslide page: www.kingcounty.gov/safety/prepare/residents_business/Hazards_Disasters/Landslides.aspx

• King County Landslide Map: http://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/water-and-land/flooding/local-hazard-mitigation-plan-update/landslide-hazard-map.pdf

Seattle

• Landslide Emergencies: www.seattle.gov/dpd/Emergency/Landslides/default.asp• Emergency Permit Requests (Seattle Department of Planning and Development)

www.seattle.gov/DPD/Emergency/Landslides/DPDS_005996.asp

Washington state

• Regional Public Information Network Landslide page

www.rpin.org/rpinweb/LandSlides.aspx

• Washington State Department of Ecology, covering most of Western Washington

www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/landslides/index.html

• Slope Stability Maps (Washington State Department of Ecology)

For King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Island, San Juan, Skagit, Whatcom, Thurston, Mason, Jefferson and Clallam counties

www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/landslides/maps/maps.html

Northwest Insurance Council's disaster-preparedness page

www.getreadynw.org

Surplus Line Association of Washington

www.surpluslines.org

Preparedness steps:

King County hosts a page on how to prepare for any disaster http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/prepare.aspx

You may also want to:

• Get a ground assessment of your property. Your county or city geologist or planning department may have specific information on areas vulnerable to land sliding.

• Seek advice of geotechnical experts for evaluating landslide hazards or designing corrective techniques to reduce landslide risk.

• Plant ground cover on slopes to stabilize the land, and build retaining walls.

• Plan at least two evacuation routes since roads may become blocked or closed.

• Make arrangements for housing in the event you need to evacuate your home.

• Plan for "earthquakes" and "severe storms" that can cause a landslide.

Landslide warning signs

• Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.

• New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick or foundation.

• Outside walls, walks or stairs begin pulling away from the building.

• Slowly developing, widening cracks appear on the ground or on paved areas such as streets or driveways.

• Underground utility lines break.

• Bulging ground appears at the base of a slope.

• Water breaks through the ground surface in new locations.

• Fences, retaining walls, utility poles or trees tilt or move.

• You hear a faint rumbling sound that increases in volume as the landslide nears. The ground slopes downward in one specific direction and may begin shifting that direction under your feet.

• Sinkholes. A sinkhole occurs when groundwater dissolves a vulnerable land surface, such as limestone, causing the land surface to collapse from a lack of support.