Surviving a Landslide or Mudslide

Heavy rains can make some Arizona terrain unstable. This can cause occasional land and mudslides. These forces of nature can be incredibly destructive. There is nothing to fear as long as you and your family are prepared.

Prepare to Protect Your Home and Family

Before a landslide or mudslide, there are steps you can take to improve your safety:

1. Do not build near steep slopes, mountain edges, drainage ways, or natural erosion valleys.
   
   
2. Get a ground assessment of your property.
   
   
3. Consult an appropriate professional expert for advice on any corrective measures.
   
   
4. Have flexible pipefittings professionally installed to avoid gas or water leak.

Recognize a Landslide's Warning Signs

In most cases, landslides do not happen in an instant. There are often warning signs that can tell you that a landslide is coming. This gives you precious time to take safety measures:

• Changes occur in your landscape:
      - Patters of storm-water drainage on slopes (especially where
        runoff converges) like Land movement, small slides, flows.
      - Progressively leaning trees.
  
  
• Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.
  
  
• New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick, or foundations.
  
  
• Outside walls, walks, or stairs begin pulling away from the building.
  
  
• Slowly widening cracks in the ground or on paved areas.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Faint rumbling sounds that are noticed and increase in volume.
  
  
• The ground slopes downward in one direction and may shift under your feet.
  
  
• Unusual sounds, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together.
  
  
• Collapsed pavement, mud, fallen rocks, etc. on roadside embankments.
  

During a Landslide or Debris Flow

If you are caught near a landslide or mudslide, the guidelines are very simple:

1. If you can, move away from the slide's path as quickly as possible.
   
   
2. If you cannot escape, curl into a tight ball and protect your head.
   
   

After the Slide

After the slide has passed, there are several safety guidelines to keep in mind:

1. Stay away from the slide area:
       - There may be danger of additional slides.
   
   
2. Check for injured and trapped persons near the slide, without entering the area:
       - Direct rescuers to their locations.
   
   
3. Watch for associated damage:
       - Electrical, water, gas, and sewage lines.
       - Damaged roadways and railways.
   
   
4. Replant damaged ground as soon as possible:
       - Loss of ground cover can lead to flash flooding and more landslides.
   
   
5. Seek advice from a geotechnical expert for evaluating landslide hazards.
   
   
6. Have a professional design ways to reduce further landslide risk.
   
   
7. Do not enter the area until you have been told to do so by officials.

For additional information on preparing for a biological threat, see "Are You Ready?" from FEMA.