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A mudslide — also called mudflow — is a flow of dirt and debris that occurs after intense rainfall or snow melt, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and severe wildfires. The speed of the slide depends on the amount of precipitation, steepness of slope, vibration of the ground, and alternate freezing and thawing of the ground.
Typically, a flow may start after a heavy rainstorm, accelerate and eventually achieve a speed of 10-35 miles an hour. As the slide accelerates, the liquid mud picks up everything in its path — rocks, boulders, even trees and cars. The flow grows, accumulating more debris, and when it reaches a plateau, spreads out over the area.
Often, areas that have experienced a mudslide are more likely to suffer from recurring slides. Those who live in hazardous locations should be aware of the dangers and create a family evacuation plan, including deciding when the family members should leave a potentially dangerous area and where to meet up afterwards in case they're separated from each other. If it is too late to escape from an imminent slide, it is best to curl up in a ball and protect one's head. Public officials will announce when it is safe to reenter an area that has suffered a mudslide. It's important to look for broken utility lines, pipes and wires, and check the foundation of the building to which one is returning, before moving back in. In the US, it is recommended that people living in these locations consider purchasing flood insurance.
On Friday, February 17, 2006, two separate landslides, occurring about 14 hours apart, buried the Philippine village of Guinsagon. Some 1,800 people were killed in the disaster, and eleven nearby villages in the southern part of Leyte Island were evacuated.
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