Landslide is the displacement of huge masses of earth down a slope under the weight of its own weight. A mudflow is a stream of water and mud that moves at high speed and carries pieces of rocks, boulders and small stones. A landslide is stone fragments of various sizes flying from the top.
These natural disasters occur in mountainous areas and can be life threatening. Let’s figure out how not to let the elements take you by surprise and what to do if you find yourself in an emergency zone.
How to prepare for possible mudflows, landslides and landslides
If you live in an area where there is a danger of landslides, avalanches or mudflows, get ready to possible disasters in advance.
Explore the terrain
find out, where mudflows usually come down from the mountains, and do not visit these places after heavy rains or during the period of melting ice. Remember in which areas landslides occur and where the boundaries of dangerous areas lie.
Strengthen your home and help others
Check whether the walls, roof, and main supporting structures are reliable enough. If your community is preparing to face the elements, emergency services may need your help. Participate in the construction of general protection systems against possible disasters.
Follow information about the formation of mudflows and landslides
Read or watch weather forecasts. Always open SMS messages from the local emergency service – as a rule, they contain the most current information.
Report signs of an incipient landslide to emergency services
If your home is in a dangerous area, jammed doors or windows may be a warning sign. This effect can be caused by small movements of the earth on the slope. If you notice similar changes, notify the Ministry of Emergency Situations or the landslide station. Maybe your information will help prepare in time for a disaster.
Find out how to get information in an emergency
If forecasts indicate that the risk of a cataclysm has increased, turn on local media and monitor the situation in real time. Pay attention to siren sounds or information from outdoor loudspeakers. This way you won’t miss urgent messages from the administration and signals about the start of evacuation.
Study evacuation routes in advance
If a mudflow or landslide catches you in the mountains, you should know exactly how to quickly move away from mud flows or moving earth masses.
You may hear that your home is about to be evacuated. In this case, you must clearly understand where you need to go or drive, where the collection points are and how best to get out of the disaster zone by car.
Prepare documents and essentials
Place all your main documents in one folder. Make a list in advance of the things you will take with you when evacuating. If you think that you won’t be able to get ready quickly or will forget something, pack an emergency bag with things in advance. It must contain:
- Medicines you take regularly.
- First aid kit – bandage, plaster, painkillers, antiseptic.
- Medical documents if any of your family members have chronic diseases.
- Two or three sets of underwear.
- A set of clothes for the season, warm things.
- A set of home clothes and shoes – slippers, T-shirt, sports or pajama pants.
- Hygiene products – wet wipes, pads, diapers for babies.
- Food supply for three days. Be sure to take products that do not need heat treatment – canned food, bread, biscuits, chocolate.
- Chargers for smartphones, tablets or laptops. A charged power bank might come in handy.
Save calm down and be prepared to act quickly.
What to do during a collapse, landslide or mudflow
If a landslide is already developing, but its speed is a few meters per month, evacuation may not be necessary. But it is better to prepare in advance for any development of the situation. It is worth moving furniture and belongings to a safe place. It makes sense to dismantle buildings on the garden plot that could be destroyed by the elements.
When you hear a signal about a powerful landslide that moves at a speed of more than half a meter per day, a mudflow avalanche or a rockfall, prepare for immediate evacuation.
If you are at home
Act according to a pre-made plan.
- Bring all things from the yard or balcony into the house. If possible, pack items that may be damaged by moisture in plastic wrap.
- Remove toxic and flammable substances from your home. They can be buried in the garden or placed in the cellar. The entrance to the cellar must also be carefully closed.
- Shut off electricity, gas and water. Unplug electrical appliances from sockets. Disconnect the gas cylinder if you are using one.
- Close doors, windows, and vents tightly. This is necessary to prevent streams of dirt and water from entering the house.
Then go to an organized evacuation point or leave the village in your car. If you are leaving on your own, know the safe route ahead of time and also find out where to find an aid station for evacuees.
If you are caught in a landslide and your house moves along with the soil on which it stands, you need to leave the room. Try to stay close to the center and as high as possible. Do not go to the edges of moving areas.
If you are out and about
You can hear the noise of mudflows or the crash of stones when you are on the street of your locality. Perhaps you will find yourself in the mountains – alone or with a group. In these cases, you must immediately move away from the bed of the approaching stream.
- In a village or citymove not in the opposite direction from the flow, but to the side. Safe places will be mountain slopes or other elevations where there is no danger of mudflow or landslide. Try to get to such areas as quickly as possible.
- Inform your neighbors about the impending disaster. If the noise of a raging disaster finds you on the street of a village or city, talk about the danger to everyone you meet along the way. Perhaps someone will learn about a landslide or avalanche from you.
- Urgently in the mountainswalk from the line of movement of a mudflow or landslide. Use the same tactics – move to the side and up. If you are in a low area, immediately climb to a height of more than 50–100 meters. Remember that during a mudflow, heavy stones may fly out of the stream. Their high speed makes them life-threatening, so try not to hesitate.
You cannot hide in valleys and gorges. They can also turn into mudflow channels.
What to do when a landslide, mudflow or landslide ends
If you made an emergency escape from the elements and got to the nearest safe place, make sure that the threat is no longer present. After this, return to your locality.
When the connection is working, tell your loved ones that everything is fine with you.
Then, if you feel good, Help rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. You can join the search for victims and clearing the rubble.
If you yourself have been hurt, seek help.
Do not enter the house until it has been inspected by experts. They must ensure that the supporting structures are in good order. It is important to check that there are no gas leaks in the home. Do not turn on the power until you receive confirmation that the network is working.
Continue to monitor information from emergency services. In this case, the new cataclysm will not take you by surprise.
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