Aerial photograph of a hillslope after a rainstorm in February 2017 that generated 595 shallow landslides in a 16 square kilometer (6.4 square mile) area in the hills west of Williams, California.

Land-use zoning, professional inspections and proper design can minimize many landslide, mudflow and debris flow problems. By the time severe weather hits, it's already too late. Disaster ...

But there are a few distinct varieties, as defined by hydrologists: Mudflow: Water rushing down with only mud. This is considered a type of shallow landslide — less than 15 feet deep.

Sugimoto lost no time in contacting experts in landslides, geology and data analysis ... at around 3:30 p.m., about five hours after the mudflow occurred. Sugimoto’s direct canvassing and ...