Well that can’t be good...
In studying landslide susceptibility in Pittsburgh for a graduate climate and sustainability course, I came across a landslide mapping tool provided by Allegheny county to assist in risk assessment and public education. This map identifies areas where landslides have occurred recently as well as historically and areas that have heightened risks of land sliding due to their slope and underlying geography.
That red star…that’s my house! Just across the street from my home is an outcrop area, shown in pale orange, of thick “Red Bed”. But what does the proximity of that big, scary, orange blob to my house really mean in terms of the risks of being impacted by a landslide? What is a “Red Bed” anyway? Are there warning signs? Can landslides be prevented? Would my insurance even cover landslide damages? Should I start packing my bags and looking for a new place to live that might not be at risk of sliding down a hill? Pandemic isolation has significantly increased the time I spend going down research rabbit holes and this new awareness of landslide issues right outside my front door was bound to send me down another one!
Check out the map here to begin understanding your neighborhood’s landslide risk!
Allegheny Landslide Task Force. Causes, Types, and Effects. Allegheny County. https://landslide-portal-alcogis.opendata.arcgis.com/pages/types-and-effects.