Insurance considerations for mudslides and landslides

From 1998 to 2017, landslides and mudslides affected an estimated 4.8 million people around the globe and caused more than 18,000 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. These disastrous events can happen anywhere, and climate change and rising temperatures are likely to only exasperate them, especially in mountainous areas that receive a lot of snow and ice. Landslides are caused when the stability of a slope is compromised, often by things like heavy precipitation following droughts, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Mudslides, also known as debris flows, occur when water rapidly accumulates in the ground, causing a surge of rock, earth and debris. Debris flows are often triggered by natural disasters. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the areas most vulnerable to landslides or mudslides are:

• Areas where wildfires or human modification of the land has destroyed vegetation
• Areas that have previously experienced landslides
• Steep slopes and areas at the bottom of slopes or canyons
• Slopes that have been altered for construction of buildings and roads
• Channels along a stream or river
• Areas where surface runoff is directed

Mudslides and landslides are powerful events that can cause incredible amounts of damage to life and property, but insureds may be unaware of the coverage considerations of these disasters. In the slideshow above, we'll look at some common questions clients have about mudslide and landslide insurance coverage and get answers from the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

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