Post-wildfire landslide prevention

With the October wildfires in Southern California behind us, many people in the affected areas are concerned about landslide risk following the fires. It’s a known fact that landslides commonly occur in connection with other major natural hazards such as wildfires, heavy rainfalls and earthquakes. 

Luckily our coastal South Orange County area hasn’t been directly affected by the October wildfires. However for those of you living in the OC Santiago Canyon, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Malibu and other devastated areas, here are some useful resources on post-wildfire landslide prevention.

• The US Geological Survey publishes state and local landslide advisory, learning tools and prevention information on their website at www.usgs.gov
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an excellent website about local community emergency management, including landslides: www.fema.gov

In addition, many people are not aware that most homeowner insurance policies don’t cover landslides, mudslides or sinkholes. However landslide coverage is available through agencies such as AmWINS Insurance Brokerage of California, as a recent LA Times article points out. It doesn’t come cheap and there are restrictions. However if the possibility of a landslide doesn’t let you sleep at night, it may be well-worth it.