Hurricane Helene pushed the boundaries of what residents and scientists were prepared for in North Carolina. A new federal report is raising concerns over future landslide risks in the High Country and Watauga County.
Big landslide events are experienced in Appalachia roughly every 25 years. In 2004, Hurricanes Francis and Ivan triggered a few hundred landslides. Following Helene, the U.S. Geological Survey mapped more than 2,000. Already saturated soil, followed by heavy rainfall, caused slopes to destabilize. Often, several smaller landslide tributaries clustered to form larger, more destructive slides. USGS geologist Kelli Baxstrom says while there’s no immediate risk of further landslides in the area, residents, contractors and government crews need to remain vigilant.
"Landslides don't always just fail once, and that's the end of it. They can often reactivate and move again for months or even years after the slope originally fails. So we say people should be on the lookout for new cracks at the top of the scar, which is where a landslide originally failed from, or new springs of water in the scar, or increased dirt, sand or rock tumbling down the slope, all indicators that the slope could still be unstable," she said.
As for protective actions you can take in the midst of a landslide, Baxstrom says, if you’re home, move up to the second-floor downhill side if possible. If you’re outside, always run perpendicular to the slope.