Скачать или смотреть INTERVIEW: Why landslides will continue to be a concern in western Washington after severe floods

Western Washington is in for a final push of atmospheric river Thursday evening, but the landslide risk will continue for days if not longer.

Why? KOMO News Meteorologist George Waldenberger spoke with University of Washington Geomorphologist David Montgomery to get answers.

The reason: soils are saturated and it takes a long time for them to dry out. While they're saturated, they're weaker, with less resistive force holding the hillside back. The waterlogged soils are also heavier, increasing the force driving them downward. High rivers can also eat away the toe of the hillside, where a substantial portion of the force counteracting movement is located.

Give two weeks, without substantial rain and a chance for the soils to drain. Then, the risk of shallow landslides, those typical slumps we see most commonly, can be greatly reduced.

The other type of landslide, deep landslides, like the devastating Oso Landslide, where entire hillsides can collapse, can happen months after a season of heavier rain. Excess water can collect deep beneath the ground over time, to the point it eventually weakens an entire hillside to the point of failure.

Despite these early-season heavy rains, it's too early to say if we have a heightened risk of deep landslides by spring. Either way, if you live on a hillside, watch for signs of movement along and near your property.

Watch the full interview with Montgomery above. #interview #landslide #severeweather #landslides #landsliderisk #weather #westernwashington #washingtonflooding #flooding #winterconditions #storm #pnw #meteorology #science
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