Survival guides · Disasters

Landslide or Mudflow

ACT NOWHeavy rain on a slope, a burned hillside, or the signs below. Move out of the path — to the side.

1. Know the signs

   • Trees, poles or fences starting to tilt.
   • New cracks in the ground, pavement or walls.
   • Ground bulging at the bottom of a slope.
   • Doors and windows suddenly sticking.
   • Water seeping where it's normally dry.
   • A rumble that grows louder.
   • A creek that suddenly rises — or drops — or turns muddy.
   Why

   After a wildfire, even a moderate rain on a burned hillside can start a debris flow.

2. Get out of the way

   • A warning or any sign? Leave now.
   • Move to the side of the path — never downhill.
   • Driving? Watch for mud, rocks and broken pavement.
   • Don't cross a bridge with flooding upstream.

3. Can't get out?

   • Upstairs, on the side away from the slope. Away from windows.
   • Curl into a ball. Protect your head.
   • Caught in it? Grab something solid — a tree, a boulder.

4. After

   • Stay away — more slides can follow.
   • Help the hurt or trapped from the edge, not from inside the slide.
   • 911 if there's service, or send someone. No signal at all? Dial 911 anyway — iPhone 14 and newer offer to text 911 by satellite. Clear view of the sky.
   • Watch for floods — a slide can dam a creek that later bursts.
   • Home only after it's been checked.

Sources: USGS Landslide Hazards Program · FEMA / Ready.gov

General information to help in an emergency — not a substitute for training or professional care.