Sinkhole/landslide swallows house, kills 4

I don't know how you prepare for something like this. Two adults and two children died when a sinkhole/landslide swallowed their house. They were watching TV in the basement.

"Their house tumbled down 40 metres into a giant crater created by the landslide, 400 metres long and 600 metres wide. The four bodies were found submerged in thick sludge in the basement. Their bodies were found Tuesday night by firefighters who scooped away the sludge by hand ..."

http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=3012668

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/quebec/four-missing-in-quebec-after-home-collapses-into-sinkhole/article1564432/%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nati...article1565639/

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Family+buried+alive+landslide+authorities/3023520/story.html

Nope. You just about have say in a situation like that, "when your number's up, it's up." They must have had no warning whatsoever.

If they had been in the 1st or 2nd floor they probably would've survived, since the floors are still intact, which basement doesn't have to keep people falling out/mud coming in.

My deepest sympathies for this family and others impacted by this tragedy. But, I can't agree with the statement "I don't know how you prepare for something like this." From one of the articles cited:

"Another resident lingering at the roadside barriers, who declined to give his name, said sinkholes and landslides are common in this area of southern Quebec.

He blamed "blue glaze" a very soft type of clay that lines the banks of the Yamaska River.

Civil security officials said the home was sitting in a zone known to represent a risk of mudslides."

Yes, you can't personally prepare when the terrain collapses and swallows your house whole. But no, you can mitigate your risk by not building homes in areas subject to landslides, mudslides, sinkholes, etc. When you do, or when local ordinances allow it, residents have to accept the risk of something like this happening to them. Generally speaking this tragedy is not much different than wildfires consuming houses built on hillsides above Oakland, or in the valleys outside of LA, or taken out by mudslides in Seattle along Prentice Lane. These areas are known to be hazardous over time, but mostly over durations where folks - including city planners and zoning experts - can ignore or overlook the short term hazard of building and living in them.

A friend from Spain always marvels at our American ability to build houses on hillsides - such a thing has never been done in his part of Spain.

"Major slides happen every two years or so on slopes in this region, but most occur in places that are not inhabited." [the article]

Hate to say it, but pay attention to where you build your house. Just like the people out in CA that build their houses on unstable hills, then are bewildered when a slide takes it out. Or the people across the country that build their house on a river flood plain, and then are amazed when the river floods their house.

I don't know. Considering the situation, seems a little harsh, guys. Now all of Southern Quebec is off limits because of the molecular structure of this clay? Not very practical.

Apparently, the area is known for this special clay: Quebec geologist on nature of landslides

"...when you start putting geo-risks on a map, property values are affected."

Hmmmm... people's lives vs property values... I wonder where the people live who made the money on the sale of this and similar properties?

An awful way to die, suffocating in mud...

Sue

I would agree that the only realistic prep for such an event is not to buy or build a house in an area prone to landslides and sink holes.
The risk is not actually that great, consider how many houses in the area have NOT suffered such a disaster, but those of a cautious or nervous disposition should avoid.
In the sad case being disscussed, the risk could have been slightly reduced by only useing the basesment for storage, laundry, or some other purpose that means it is only occupied briefy rather than for many hours at a time.The news pictures suggest that anyone elswhere in the house might well have lived.

As posted by others, people still move willingly to areas prone to wildfires, earthquakes, and tornados. The risks of these can be reduced by prudent preps, but the risk can only be eliminated by living someplace else.

It is an out of the frying pan, into the fire, situation. I have talked to recent arrivals from Florida who moved here (to California) specifically to avoid hurricanes. I gather that they prefer earthquakes. After every major earthquake, U-Haul rentals peak as folks move to Kansas. Perhaps tornadoes are more fun..

Fires are almost universal. Wherever you live, there are hazards. Learn the local hazard profile and adapt.

I live in South Dakota. Most deaths here are from boredom.

Probably after living a long, decent, productive life.

I have spent the last ten years working (digging fossils) every July in South Dakota. Along with that I have bike toured around the state, including one great ride from Hot Springs to Sisseton. Now SD isn't perfect, no place is, but SD has really great people and some great country - two National Parks, two of the largest cave systems in the world ( Jewel and Wind, ranked #2 and 3), and fabulous paleontology and archaeology - just to hit on subjects of great interest to me.

The people? - throw another log on the fire and let me tell a true experience. My boss and I were test driving his newly refurbished Jeep on our lunch hour, when we had a problem with the clutch linkage. A trivial problem, and we were easy walking distance between both work and his home, but within five minutes three separate cars, all complete strangers, stopped to see if we could use any help. Try that in LA!

I know SD has drawbacks - you lack the mellow climate of Southern California, but also the crowded freeways and the frantic pace. There is both good and bad about that. I must admit I have never experienced a SD winter - some of the state got snow just a few days ago, right?

A year or so ago, the only Starbucks int the entire state was in Sioux Falls. There is now one in Rapid City. There is good and bad in that, too.

Entering the state capitol, Pierre, from the west, you cross the Lt. Com. John Waldron Memorial Bridge, dedicated to one of this nation's greatest heroes, but that's another story.

Phaedrus, I think you are very fortunate to live where you do. Then again, most of us are fortunate to live where we do. I am looking forward eagerly once again to my South Dakota Fix this July.....

I keeed! SoDak is a mixed bag. First off, the weather can really suck. A few months ago it got down to -32 F, and that's not wind chill, that's air temp. Obviously it's the luck of the draw. Some winters are mild. The last couple we had at least one two-week stretch where it never got as warm as zero F, day or night. And it's not like we catch a break in the summer- IIRC our state record temp is well above 115 F. And in the part of the state where I live (East River) the humidity is oppressive. Still, fall is nice. And we do have a wide variety of geographic features. In one days drive you can go from the Badlands thru the grasslands and river-break country up into the mountains (Black Hills). The Hills are quite beautiful, that's true.

Economically the state is pretty backward. Again, IIRC we're 51st in teachers pay (note: only 50 states!). Wages are low here well out of proportion to the modestly lower cost of living. I'm currently training for an IT career, and if I stick with that plan (considering dropping it to go to Paramedic school) then I'll probably have to move to somewhere more metropolitan. IT wages in SD are actually pretty good, there just aren't many jobs.

Worst for me is that despite being a fan of rustic pursuits I also like cultural ones. I'm a big fan of classical music and opera; I don't recall any opera ever being performed in this state. Our state symphony is competent and enthusiastic but hardly world-class. We get only a handful high profile artists here (Yo-Yo Ma, once...Cantus a couple times...Olga Kern a couple times).

Really it's the same everywhere- there's good and bad and we tend to focus on the bad. But believe me, I see the good. I like the low crime rate. I enjoy the lack of seismic activity (only minor tremors are geostatic rebound from receding glaciers, generally too minor to feel), and I live a smidge east of Tornado Alley. My location isn't likely to flood. If my house is underwater, you'd better be building an ark! And we have pretty decent parks, to be sure.

BTW, growing up my best friends dad was a paleontologist. He spend many years excavating in the Badlands. Small world!