Portland Oregon February 1996 a mountain begins to move and for a contractor and
begins to move and for a contractor and
begins to move and for a contractor and his son there’s only one option get out
his son there’s only one option get out
his son there’s only one option get out of the way fast
Oh God they had just gone head-to-head
Oh God they had just gone head-to-head with one of nature’s most powerful and
with one of nature’s most powerful and
with one of nature’s most powerful and destructive forces a landslide the
destructive forces a landslide the
destructive forces a landslide the surface of our planet is constantly
surface of our planet is constantly
surface of our planet is constantly reshaping itself and landslides are a
reshaping itself and landslides are a
reshaping itself and landslides are a major reason they strike wherever the
major reason they strike wherever the
major reason they strike wherever the soil is loosened by rain or tugged by
soil is loosened by rain or tugged by
soil is loosened by rain or tugged by gravity it can be a rock fall or a
gravity it can be a rock fall or a
gravity it can be a rock fall or a raging river of mud but wherever the
raging river of mud but wherever the
raging river of mud but wherever the ground fails it can result in massive
ground fails it can result in massive
ground fails it can result in massive destruction on average landslides kill
destruction on average landslides kill
destruction on average landslides kill more than 8,000 people every year around
more than 8,000 people every year around
more than 8,000 people every year around the world they can crash down without
the world they can crash down without
the world they can crash down without warning and travel for several miles in
warning and travel for several miles in
warning and travel for several miles in the u.s. landslides occur in all 50
the u.s. landslides occur in all 50
the u.s. landslides occur in all 50 states but some places are more
states but some places are more
states but some places are more dangerous than others landslides usually
dangerous than others landslides usually
dangerous than others landslides usually follow other natural disasters like
follow other natural disasters like
follow other natural disasters like volcanic eruptions earthquakes wildfires
volcanic eruptions earthquakes wildfires
volcanic eruptions earthquakes wildfires storms and floods steep slopes are
storms and floods steep slopes are
storms and floods steep slopes are obvious places for landslides as our
obvious places for landslides as our
obvious places for landslides as our areas that have been hit by landslides
areas that have been hit by landslides
areas that have been hit by landslides before but they also frequently occur
before but they also frequently occur
before but they also frequently occur where people have radically altered the
where people have radically altered the
where people have radically altered the landscape Hills stripped of vegetation
landscape Hills stripped of vegetation
landscape Hills stripped of vegetation slopes modified for roads and buildings
slopes modified for roads and buildings
slopes modified for roads and buildings and as our cities and towns expand
and as our cities and towns expand
and as our cities and towns expand further landslides become more frequent
further landslides become more frequent
further landslides become more frequent and more destructive
in 1998 disaster struck the Southern
in 1998 disaster struck the Southern California suburb of Laguna Niguel few
California suburb of Laguna Niguel few
California suburb of Laguna Niguel few realized that the man-made hill beneath
realized that the man-made hill beneath
realized that the man-made hill beneath them could fail the ground eroded by
them could fail the ground eroded by
them could fail the ground eroded by heavy rains began to give way and the
heavy rains began to give way and the
heavy rains began to give way and the houses came crashing down seven were
houses came crashing down seven were
houses came crashing down seven were seriously damaged and five of them
seriously damaged and five of them
seriously damaged and five of them tumbled down the cliff face though the
tumbled down the cliff face though the
tumbled down the cliff face though the ground cracked and the earth plummeted
ground cracked and the earth plummeted
ground cracked and the earth plummeted no one was injured
no one was injured
no one was injured the residents of Laguna Niguel were
the residents of Laguna Niguel were
the residents of Laguna Niguel were lucky they still had their town the
lucky they still had their town the
lucky they still had their town the following year in Venezuela torrential
following year in Venezuela torrential
following year in Venezuela torrential rains triggered widespread landslides
rains triggered widespread landslides
rains triggered widespread landslides across a twenty five mile wide strip of
across a twenty five mile wide strip of
across a twenty five mile wide strip of coastline in the state of Vargas
coastline in the state of Vargas
coastline in the state of Vargas communities were buried under waves of
communities were buried under waves of
communities were buried under waves of mud and debris
mud and debris
mud and debris it’s estimated that 30,000 people were
it’s estimated that 30,000 people were
it’s estimated that 30,000 people were killed around ten percent of the area’s
killed around ten percent of the area’s
killed around ten percent of the area’s population accurate death tolls were
population accurate death tolls were
population accurate death tolls were difficult to establish because so many
difficult to establish because so many
difficult to establish because so many people vanished under the mud or were
people vanished under the mud or were
people vanished under the mud or were swept out to sea though the catastrophe
swept out to sea though the catastrophe
swept out to sea though the catastrophe was on a massive scale it is by no means
was on a massive scale it is by no means
was on a massive scale it is by no means unique such disasters have happened
unique such disasters have happened
unique such disasters have happened before and will happen again as long as
before and will happen again as long as
before and will happen again as long as the earth continues to move people will
the earth continues to move people will
the earth continues to move people will live with the threat of landslides
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