AFTER ACTION REPORT
Executive Summary
This is an official summary on the collapse that occurred on May 20, 2017. Natural catastrophes
are unavoidable and are sometimes referred to as "acts of God." This study is a comprehensive
inquiry into a calamity that occurred on California's Big Sur coast. It includes graphs, maps, and
information about what caused the landslide, what might have been done better, and what could
have been avoided. The evaluation of advantages and shortcomings has been facilitated by a
study of the insights gained from this occurrence. It has also aided in the development of
prospective proposals and ideas for instruction, planning, and performance. All of the
information in this article is accurate, and the findings may be verified.
A chart contrasts the incidence of collapses in slanted locations with vegetation with the
occurrence of landslides in sloping places without vegetation. Its purpose is to demonstrate that
removing vegetation increases the likelihood of a landslide in a given region due to increased
erosion. This photograph depicts the aftermath of a landslide. Even after rebuilding, the mark left
is undeniably permanent. The extra land dumped into the sea cannot be retrieved. It demonstrates
that the majority of the damage caused by a natural disaster is irreversible. The state of
California is characterized by landslides, and it was determined that it was worthwhile to seek a
solution to this problem or to understand the root of it and the extent to which it can or cannot be
handled.
A major calamity, such as a landslide, is beyond anyone's control. The world is always changing.
Climate change, rain, and drought are all elements beyond human control, but they occur on a
daily basis. This paper admits that this calamity is beyond the control of any human being and
recognises that there are things that can be done, processes to be performed, and steps that can be
taken to minimize the impact and devastation of a landslide. The research demonstrates the
definition, features, causes, and effects. It demonstrates how landslides have been dealt with in
the past and how they may be dealt with better in the future. It includes recommendations for
future actions to ensure the bare minimum.
The results in this paper are the result of extensive investigation. This has been accomplished
through the use of graphs that prove certain hypotheses that inspired this report, maps that show
evidence of the event that occurred, reading of books and articles to gather full and verified
information about the day of the calamity, and informal interviews with people who were close
to the landslide and experienced it firsthand. One of the constraints found was a lack of precise
information. The Big Sur coast is infamous for natural disasters, and there are several
inconsistencies in accounts regarding these calamities. The informal interviews were especially
unsatisfactory since the accounts of the interviewees did not match; everyone seemed to have an
account of what happened.
This is the result of the investigation. The observations were made using the methods employed,
and the conclusions were drawn. The state of California has been regularly affected by
landslides, and this was yet another example. The southern section of California appears to be
more impacted by landslides due to heavy rainfall and earthquakes, which are two of the causes
of landslides identified in this paper. Additional reasons for landslides include human activities
such as dumping sites, building, mining, settlement, deforestation, loss of flora, and others, as
well as an altered water table, earthquakes, and weathering of slope materials. Another research
conclusion is that the USGS (United States Geological Survey), the body in charge of dealing
with natural disasters in the United States, has a plan in place to deal with these disasters.
Nevertheless, as detailed in the study, the methodology utilized has some flaws.
The conclusions of the investigation suggest that the slide began in 2015 at a pace of seven
inches each year. The considerable rains that happened in this area in 2016 hastened the
landslide. As indicated before in this executive summary, "acts of God" are difficult to reverse,
plan for, or control. However, if we are more vigilant, we may be able to reduce the enormous
losses incurred from the damages of these calamities by studying the area most likely to be
affected, the worst possible level of damage, and the least possible level of damage that can be
caused to be able to neutralize these damages. The USGS's (United States Geological Survey)
excellent job is admirable, yet there is still scope for enhancement.
Locals in Big Sur, California, were certain that mother nature was up early and working one
weekend in May 2017 when they awoke to a thunderous blast followed by a massive cloud of
dust rising into the air. A massive section of the mountain had broken off and fallen into the
water, burying the California state highway for nearly one-third of a mile and 65 feet deep. In
and surrounding that location, mobility was paralyzed, and everyone who utilized that road to
travel could no longer use it. This landslide was so large that it added nearly five acres of land to
the ocean. A landslide is a mass movement that mostly involves rock and soil displacement. It
primarily flows down a slope because of gravity. There are five types of landslides: falls, topples,
flows, slides, and spreads. This sort of landslide includes a large section of land separating and
sliding into the ocean. As a result, it is a fall.
The one I saw in Big Sur that day was a sort of landslide known as a fall. Landslides may be
extremely dangerous, and they are especially prevalent in locations where the natural shape of
the earth has been disturbed. A stable landslide is slow and not calamitous; movement occurs
gradually and does not cause extensive damage, as opposed to one that occurs suddenly (Johnson
et al., 2015). 2 This landslide had been occurring for many years before that terrible day. That
had been happening slowly and steadily, the only thing that had accelerated it was the area's high
rains in 2016 and 2017. This location had been dry for a time, and the soil had dissolved as a
result of the dryness of the terrain. The landslide was caused mostly by the unexpectedly heavy
rains in 2016. Too much water filled the gaps in the earth, generating an abrupt separation.
Slope failures are particularly prevalent in locations with significant rainfall, fine-grained
deposits, seismically shaken highland areas, hilly areas, and areas with severe land degradation
(Keith and Smith 2013, 208-209) 3. Landslides can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
Weathering causes the slope materials to lose the strength that was employed to hold the slope
during high water pressure. As the earth absorbs too much water, the pressure inside builds,
causing fissures in the ground and landslides. Droughts can also create landslides owing to
excessive dryness of the earth after prolonged drought conditions. The warmth leads the earth to
break apart, and the liquid that held the soil together has evaporated. Volcanic activity occurs
when a mountain spews hot lava from underground due to increasing pressure. The power with
which the lava erupts, as well as the heat it emits, might cause the earth to break and trigger a
landslide. Increasing rainfall causes slope materials to erode. It takes the topsoil down, and the
water pouring down builds its drainage system, causing large holes in the earth and finally gully
erosion, which leads to soil disintegration and a collapse.
Increasing steep aspect lowers lateral support - river erosion at the base increases the slope angle,
lowering support. Earthquakes - the shaking of materials makes them weaker and more easily
collapse. Mining, construction, farming, and dumping sites are examples of human activity.
Human activity is responsible for the majority of landslides. Humans' actions, such as
deforestation and the clearing of vegetation in order to develop structures, are among the factors
that cause the earth to split and landslides to occur. Changes in water table - fluctuations in water
level might potentially be a problem. Reducing vegetation - trees prevent landslides, and bare
terrain is vulnerable to landslides without protection.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), the team in charge of dealing with natural
disasters in the United States, has a response plan in place in the event of a landslide. The
process ensures that they control the issue, defuse it, and deal with the aftermath of the tragedy.
The first procedure step is to present an account of previous comparable disasters and compare it
to the one that occurred so that they can assess the scope of the disaster and determine how to
continue. The following step is to address the ongoing dangers. Physical risks, biological
hazards, chemical hazards, psychological hazards, safety hazards, and economic hazards are the
six categories of risks. Those are the risks they must avoid before proceeding. The security threat
is handled by ensuring everyone's safety. This includes evacuating and safeguarding the location
that poses a safety risk.
The biological danger comes next. Checking to see whether there were any humans nearby, if
anyone was caught in the rubble, taking headcounts, and ensuring those injured received medical
attention. The other is chemical risks, which include determining if any chemical emissions are
harmful to human health. Then comes the danger, when they inspect and assess the actual
damage caused by the slide. The ergonomically is similar to the risk, only that it now considers
the environmental impact. Social competence involves monitoring the sufferers' psychological
health and guaranteeing that the population comprehends what is happening and that it is being
addressed.
The next stage in the reaction method is to conduct research for the prospective to aid in the
occasion of a subsequent event, similar to how the first step in the present occurrence was to
refer to past instances. The next phase in the process is to present case studies. The final phase is
to summarize progress in the landslide response since it will assist to improve future approaches
by acknowledging accomplishments and analyzing problems and limits. This response strategy
has been meticulously developed and arranged. But, I dissent with you on one aspect.
I believe that resolving the threats would occur first since a human life may be lost while the
team is busy comparing notes with prior instances. The sequence of the procedures is the only
thing that should have been changed. The first should have come before the second. Human life
is more essential than everything else, which is why people must be evacuated and injured
people checked for prior contrasting the occurrence to previous disasters. That avalanche
incident teaches us that the earth is always changing. Be cautious in what you do; a split second
of inattention can change your entire existence. The landslide had been studied for many years,
but no one recognized the difference until it was too late. You must not slow down or relax.
Maintain vigilance. Keep your eyes peeled. A stable landslide is slow and not calamitous;
movement occurs gradually and does not cause extensive damage, as opposed to one that occurs
suddenly (Kelly et al., 2014). 4 When the landslide occurred, it drew national attention, and the
route was closed as a result.
A group led by J.P.L. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) conducted an inquiry to determine what caused
the landslide, and they discovered that the landslide had been steadily occurring with a change of
7 inches each year until 2016, when rainfall enhanced the pace of the slide following the rains.
The USGS (United States Geological Survey) and the California Department of Transportation
are regularly monitoring the landslide site. It took more than a year and 54 million dollars to
clear the highway wreckage and restore it to its former grandeur. The graphic below depicts the
terrain following repair.
The people living in landslide-prone regions should also be educated to search for warnings and
inform the necessary authorities. People should be aware of their surroundings, whether they
have previously suffered landslides, have present landslides, are at the foot of a hill, or are at the
top of a slope. Students should also be trained to check for and report any of the following
landslide warning indicators to the appropriate authorities; Cracks or swells in the ground, cracks
in walls and floors, water pipe breaks, gaps between soil and foundations that may indicate soil
movement, tilting of walls, fence lines that appear offset, trees cracking, approaching rumbling
sound, sinking roads, and dramatic increase or decrease in water levels. People ought to be also
taught what to do in the event of a landslide in order to protect themselves and their loved ones.
In the event of a landslide, a person in the affected region should: leave the house only if it is
safe, notify the appropriate authorities, warn your neighbors so that they can also stay safe, be
attentive for the changes stated above in their surroundings, and stay awake and alert. Most
people become trapped and injured while sleeping during such disasters; beware of earthquakes;
if you cannot escape, protect your head by curling into a ball; rescue yourself first; your property
will be saved afterwards; and lastly, listen to the media and keep informed.
