Protection of our property:
· If any our property lies in an area prone to landslides, we should seek advice of experts in earth movement and take corrective measures. Specialists in geotechnical engineering, structural engineering or civil engineering can be consulted for this purpose. We may also seek assistance of local officials to known about the best kind of professional to contact in our vicinity. But we should never take any measures on our own to make the situation worse.
· We should always install flexible pipe fittings to any gas or water leaks as they are less likely to be damaged.
Measures to be taken before landslides:
· It is useful to get familiar with the land around us. We can collect information about any prior landslides and flow of debris that may have been occurred in our area from the local officials, state geological surveys, or university departments of geology. This might be of great help to assess risk of any imminent danger of future landslides.
· We should keep a vigil over run-off water is converged that increases flow over soil covered slopes.
· We should also watch the hillside area around us to learn about any signs of land movement, for example small landslides, progressive tilting of trees and flow of debris. This may work as an alert to any potential greater landslide danger.
Measures to be taken during landslides:
· We should stay awake during intense storms because many casualties due to the flow of debris occur when people are asleep.
· We should listen to the weather reports on radio to know about warning of any heavy rainfall.
· We should remember that intense and short rains may be particularly dangerous, especially after long period damp weather due to heavy rainfall.
· We should always consider leaving the areas susceptible to landslides and flows of debris as it is safe to do so.
· We should never drive during intense storms as it might result is a disaster.
· If we are at home during an intense storm, we should move to the higher floors if possible.
· We should stay away from the path of a landslide or flow of debris to save our lives.
· We should be alert enough to be able to listen to any unusual sounds, such as cracking of trees that might be indicative of movement of debris. Any small falling of mud or debris may indicate a following of larger landslides. Sometimes debris may move swiftly without any warning signs.
· If we are near any stream or channel, we should be alert of any sudden increase of decrease in the flow of water and for any change from clear to muddy water. Such activities may indicate landslide activities upstream, therefore we should be prepared to leave as soon as possible.
· Embankments along roads are typically vulnerable to landslides, so we should be more alert when driving. We should be watchful of any collapsed mud, fallen rocks, or other indications of possible flow of debris.
· If we suspect any imminent landslide danger, we should immediately contact our local fire, police or public works department.
· We should inform our neighbours as they may not be aware of potential hazards. Informing them about potential hazards may be helpful in saving lives.
· We should also help the neighbours who may need assistance for evacuation.
· We should get out of the path of a landslide as it is our best protection against any potential hazards.
· We should move quickly and carefully out of the path of a landslide to a stable area to reduce any risk.
· If we are not able to escape, we should curl ourselves into a tight ball as it will provide the best protection for our body.
Measures to be taken after a landslide:
· We should keep away from the landslide area as there may be additional slides.
· We should check for any injured or trapped persons near the slide area and direct rescuers to their location.
· We should help our neighbours who may require special assistance like infants, elderly persons, and the persons with any disability.
· We should stay connected to the local or TV stations for the latest information.
· Sometimes flooding may occur after a landslide, so we should be watchful for any such eventuality.
· If we notice any broken utility lines, we should immediately inform appropriate authorities as this will facilitate turning off of utilities as soon as possible and may help in preventing any further hazards and injuries.
· We should check the foundation of our houses and the surrounding land for damages as this might assist us in assessing the safety of the area.
· We should do replantation of the damaged land as soon as possible as the erosion caused by the loss of ground cover can lead to flash flooding.