USGS-landslides.20060831T184846 gwieczor@usgs.gov 20060831T184846.000Z Test Alert Public en-US Geo Hurricane Ernesto Expected Moderate Possible Gerald F. Wieczorek USGS Issues Landslide Alert for Hurricane Ernesto in Mountainous Eastern United States Recent rainfall has soaked hillsides in the mountainous areas of the southeastern United States. In the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, 4.5 to 5.3 inches of rain has already occurred in the last several days before August 31, 2006. This preliminary rainfall soaking the soil and rock of hillsides can make these regions highly susceptible to landslides if major rainfall occurs when Hurricane or Tropical Storm Ernesto reaches these areas in the next couple of days, which is the predicted direction of the major rainfall of the continuing path of the hurricane. Rain is expected to persist throughout the central and northern Eastern United States beginning soon and continuing through this weekend. If the rainfall is intense, fast moving landslides, e.g. debris flows and rock falls, may be initiated. With less intense rainfall, but consistent heavy rain lasting for several days, more slowly moving landslides, such as earth slumps and block slides, are likely to initiate. Based on previous damaging hurricanes and heavy storms, parts of the mountainous Eastern United States, specifically Virginia, are particularly prone to landslides including the areas in the Appalachians and Blue Ridge Mountains. Such landslides can occur on hillsides that have slope as little as approximately 15 degrees. The combination of saturated soil and rock, heavy rainfall (perhaps the approximately maximum predicted 6.9 inches in 24 hours), could possibly trigger rapidly moving landslides from steep hillside slopes that contain weakened geologic materials. See instructions at http://landslides.usgs.gov/learningeducation/hazards.php http://landslides.usgs.gov/learningeducation/hazards.php Gerald F. Wieczorek The principal target area of the landslide alert from the heavy rainfall is the mountainous region of Virginia