Oregon Landslide

National Weather Service officials notified residents of western Oregon to be prepared for possible landslides on January 1, 2009. The following day a landslide caused by a winter storm deposited mud two feet deep onto U.S. highway 26. The landslide, also called a mudslide, blocked the highway east of Sandy, Oregon, and stretched for 200 yards. County officials declared a state of emergency following the slide.Register-Guard: Flooding a concern for parts of Oregon (January 2, 2009) Kgw.com (Portland, Oregon): Mud slide blocks Hwy.26... (January 2, 2009)

Landslides affect Oregon every year. In 1996 and 1997 alone, over 9,500 landslides were reported in Oregon. Common types of landslides include slides, flows, spreads and topples or falls. Common events that trigger landslides in Oregon can include heavy rainfall, rapid snow melting, earthquakes and volcanoes. Even humans can cause landslides when they change the natural ground slope.Oregon Geology: Landslide Fact Sheet