disaster life_threatening ai_generated true

AI advises running uphill and away from a landslide to escape falling rocks

ID: disaster/landslide-run-uphill-opposite-myth

Also available as: JSON · Markdown · 中文
78%Fix Rate
83%Confidence
1Evidence
2025-02-18First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
USGS Landslide active — — —
FEMA active — — —

Root Cause

Landslides can travel uphill on the opposite side of a valley due to momentum and debris flow dynamics; running uphill may place you in the path of the slide's runout.

generic

中文

山体滑坡可能因动量和碎屑流动动力学而越过山谷对面上坡；向山上跑可能将你置于滑坡滑程路径中。

Official Documentation

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards

Workarounds

  1. 80% success Move perpendicular to the landslide path, toward a stable area or a nearby structure, avoiding the slide's runout zone 
    Move perpendicular to the landslide path, toward a stable area or a nearby structure, avoiding the slide's runout zone
  2. 70% success If a landslide is imminent, curl into a ball and protect your head with your arms; do not try to outrun it 
    If a landslide is imminent, curl into a ball and protect your head with your arms; do not try to outrun it
  3. 85% success After the slide, watch for secondary slides and stay away from the area; report to local authorities 
    After the slide, watch for secondary slides and stay away from the area; report to local authorities

中文步骤

  1. 垂直于滑坡路径移动，朝向稳定区域或附近建筑物，避开滑坡的滑程区
  2. 如果滑坡即将发生，蜷缩成球状并用双臂保护头部；不要试图跑赢它
  3. 滑坡后，注意二次滑坡并远离该区域；向当地政府报告

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. 75% fail

    Landslide debris can surge up the opposite slope; this is common in valley-confined slides

  2. 80% fail

    The slide may originate above you, and you could be caught in the source area

  3. 90% fail

    Debris flows can travel at high speeds, and downhill running is slower and unstable