Be Aware! 2006 Hurricane Season Ushers Landslide Hazards
As the 2006 hurricane season whips up, it reminds us of past hurricanes and the catastrophic events that followed. For example, Category 5 Hurricane Camille in August 1969 was the strongest hurricane to ever hit the mainland United States. It caused extreme flooding and fast-moving landslides (or debris flows), damage to roads, bridges, communications systems, homes, businesses, farms and livestock. The potential for debris flows in mountainous areas that have existing wet soil conditions is heightened during intense rain storms and hurricanes. During the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, USGS issued six advisories. Get the facts and information on what citizens living near steep hills prone to landslides can do prior to and after storms, from USGS Fact Sheet FS-071-00 entitled, "Landslide Hazards" at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0071-00/and in Spanish at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0072-00/. For more information, contact Lynn Highland at the National Landslide Information Center at (800) 654-4966 or at highland@usgs.gov.
