A UNIQUE MULTI-STATE METHOD TO COLLECT RELIABLE LANDSLIDE LOSS DATA

In an effort to design a low-cost effective way of garnering landslide-loss information, the Association of American State Geologists has established a pilot program, partially underwritten by USGS, involving California, Oregon, Utah, Nebraska, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Participating states will be endeavoring to learn from building-permit records the costs of repair or replacement of landslide-damaged structures. These participants provide a sampling from across the nation of the variations in the permitting process. Each state will examine the feasibility of retrieving future data so that landslide repair or replacement costs can be retrieved easily in future years. Participating states will also endeavor to retrospectively collecting landslide information from existing building-permit files for some previous years with outstandingly extensive landslide damage. In addition, the states will contact selected local road departments in their study areas as well as their state highway departments to explore gathering landslide damage information.

The value of annualized landslide loss information collection is very high. The systematic procurement of landslide-loss information will ensure the ability to analyze landslide occurrence and cost trends through time. It may also provide the opportunity to do statistical regional comparisons between incident rainfall and landslide consequences for developed slopes of various grades, soil strength and conditions, and various construction types. Being able to quantify the cost of landslide damage on an annual basis is an important way of mobilizing greater efforts to reduce future damage through wiser land-use decisions for new construction and mitigation of existing conditions.