Success Story: Landslide Workshop
NC Geological Survey and the National Weather Service host a landslide workshop
Project Purpose
Local governments and residents know what actions to take during a snowstorm, but winter-driven landslides are a more complex issue. The NC Geological Survey (NCGS) and a local office of the National Weather Service (NWS) considered how to simplify landslide hazard notices so that local governments could better prepare. The organizations hosted the Landslides and Weather Workshop to improve communication around landslide hazards and to foster cooperation between government agencies working in landslide-prone areas.
Quick Facts
- The rainfall that followed Hurricane Frances in 2004 was responsible for at least 400 landslides in North Carolina. These landslides destroyed 27 homes and caused five deaths (Wooten, Witt, Miniat, Hales, & Aldred, 2016).
- NCGS has been actively working to map landslide hazards for western North Carolina counties. Maps require significant time and investment, and data is always changing. The workshop aimed to ensure that communication is clear and up to date to help governments stay informed of landslide risk and the appropriate actions to take, regardless of the status of landslide hazard maps.
- Appalachian State University agreed to host the one-day workshop on climate-based landslide hazards and communication in February 2011. The goal was to inform researchers and government organizations of new resources that could help explain and communicate weather-related landslide risks and to ensure that emergency management policy and response to landslides were backed by up-to-date science.
- The workshop incorporated a host of local universities and federal government agencies that work in the fields of natural resources and emergency management.
- Attendees also learned how a variety of natural hazards like wind, heavy rain and flooding pose risks to residents of western North Carolinian communities. These hazards affect landslide susceptibility and pose a more direct risk to people, environments and infrastructure.
Spotlight on Equity
Workshops on landslide resilience could address equity by inviting partners from underserved groups. Workshop attendees could include representatives from neighborhoods that are at risk of a landslide. Including community members can help local governments understand their needs during a landslide disaster. In addition, the workshop agenda could include time set aside for considering how a landslide might impact residents with pre-existing challenges such as the elderly or those with limited mobility.
| Key Info | |
|---|---|
| Location | Boone, N.C. |
| Estimated Costs | $300 |
| Published | March 1, 2024 |
| Project Contact |
|---|
| David Korte Senior Geologist North Carolina Geological Survey david.korte@deq.nc.gov (828) 296-4540 |
| Related Resources |
|---|
| NC Geological Survey landslides website and mapping tool |
- NCGS and a local office of the NWS began planning the Landslides and Weather Workshop in 2010. The agencies produced an agenda for the workshop in late 2010.
- In 2011, Appalachian State University agreed to host the workshop.
- NCGS listed the following objectives for the workshop:
- Foster interagency cooperation around weather-related landslide hazards
- Establish a communication network to better predict, communicate about and respond to landslides
- The workshop covered the following topics:
- Current policies, procedures and guidelines for issuing landslide hazard statements
- Research and information on weather conditions and landslides
- Collaboration and coordination on protocols that guide when and how landslide statements should be issued and recommendations for action
- Improving the process: future cooperation, collaborative research and mapping opportunities
- Each organization involved in the workshop helped with the room rental costs and catering.
- The cost of the workshop was $300, the rate for the Appalachian State University meeting hall.
The following agencies and universities assisted with organizing the 2011 Landslides and Weather Workshop:
- Appalachian State University
- NOAA-National Weather Service, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C. Office
- NOAA-National Weather Service, Blacksburg, Va. Office
- NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- NC Geological Survey
- US Geological Survey
- Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy
- During the workshop, participants discussed how weather impacts landslides.
- The workshop prompted research and government responses.
- The NWS office in Greenville-Spartanburg NWS now lists landslides as a potential hazard in severe weather warnings. Workshop attendees agreed on a simplified message that provides information on the potential for a landslide in a clear way intended not to frighten residents. An example warning message drafted during the 2011 workshop is:
- “Impacts: Isolated landslides and debris flows are possible as rainfall totals increase this week, especially for mountainsides and coves previously susceptible to landslides. Location: The Blue Ridge Escarpment, especially in Polk and Rutherford counties. Timing: Today through at least Thursday. The threat is increasing now throughout the week as rainfall totals go up. Lesser threat on Wednesday.”
- In 2019, NCGS began holding regular meetings with the Greenville-Spartanburg office of NWS to discuss landslide hazards and reporting. The agency uses these meetings to refine the language of landslide warnings.
The best advice for local communities looking to host workshops like this is to reach out to partners, including local governments, universities and other organizations. Senior Geologist David Korte recommends contacting the NC Geological Survey and your local branch of the National Weather Service if you are looking for partners at the state and federal level. NCGS staff are excellent coordinators who work closely with landslide hazards and understand how to set up and facilitate these kinds of discussions.
Wooten, R. M., Witt, A. C., Miniat, C. F., Hales, T. C., & Aldred, J. L. (2016). Frequency and magnitude of selected historical landslide events in the Southern Appalachian Highlands of North Carolina and Virginia: Relationships to rainfall, geological and ecohydrological controls, and effects. In C. Greenberg, & B. Collins, Natural Distrubances and Historic Range of Variation (pp. 203-262). Springer International Publishing. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21527-3_9.