Im sure many forum members have seen reports of the deadly slide here.The tsunami tragedy makes it minute in comparison, but there are plenty of lessons. La Conchita is a short trip north of me on the Pacific Coast Highway. This major route is still closed and traffic and commerce impacted. The body count slowly climbs. Gov. Swartzenegger made an appearance and actually promised the residents their community would be restored. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> There was a major slide there in 1995 with home loss. The result was a farcical retaining wall that should have had graffiti spraypainted saying PLACEBO. No matter that nobody could secure new home financing or geologists stated it would happen again. No matter an earlier, smaller slide and water leaking through the wall gave warning. Another housing track suffering home loss wants to file suit. A retaining wall there was denied to protect our endangered Steelhead 'fish thing' as reported by a Fox 11 newswoman. No matter the tract is one of several statewide built IN a floodplain BELOW wide banks that actually look down on 2 story rooftops. Lessons? Few places in the world are free of potential natural catastrophe. An acquaintance moved after the Northridge quake and was killed in a tornado. I do think common sense and hard geological and meteorologic science should take precedence over calculated risk and wishfull thinking- even by Conan the Barbarian <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You are absolutely, positively correct. I lived in SoCal for 30 years. Time after time, it was the same old story: fire, then flood. They've built major roads in riverbeds, housing tracts in flood plains, & built houses on stilts on steeply inclined hills. You want to get out of the hills fast? Too bad.

Here in western WA, it's the same old game: Fill in the low spots & build on them (aka take the money & run); the next time it rains heavily, that spot may remain above flood, but the water that is displaced is now running into other homes & businesses. Cut & fill on the hillsides, then log off the top & steeper slope above the houses -- what do they THINK is going to happen? Your choice of earthquake or mudslide, & it all slides down the hill and everyone whines "Somebody should do something!"

The most important thing that people should be taught from infancy is consequences. Whatever choices you make, there will be repercussions, good & bad. Guaranteed.

A man once said that you can argue with the laws of physics all you want, but you're going to lose.

Sue

The pictures of the flooding were shown over here. One scene that struck me was a shot of 3 or 4 police officer walking calmly towards the camera, while 10 metres behind them the coastal road they had just walked across collasped . They seemed tottally oblivious to the danger.
Back to your post. I'm not sure who is to blame for building the houses. In this country you need to get planning permission to build any type of building. The developers would have to get permission off the local authorities. Both would seem equally liable.
Then there is the question of caveat emptor. If I was buying or building a house on a hill side or coastal area it would be in my best interest to get the house and the plot of land surveyed, so I would know it wouldn't be washed away in the first heavy rain of the season.
Seems incredible that it could happen in the first place.

Well I know people are people. I've lived in Oklahoma all my life and have never even seen a Tornado. But when the Lord calls one must answer. I have the same aggravation with people here that build right next to a river and then look at the camera with a blank stare as their house is carried away...floods will happen. It is tragic that people lose their lives. Perhaps people will take notice and realize you just can't put a house anywhere and be safe.