Geotechnical Emergency and Disaster Support Services
Before and after severe weather events, after fires and earthquakes, municipal agencies face challenges in preparing their community, and to identify and evaluate hazard impacts before and after these events. During El Nino years, large and small scale landslides are not uncommon on natural and man-made slopes. As a result of the fires of 2017 and 2018, a large portion of the hillsides above communities in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles County were charred, and ensuing debris flows occurred. Denuded of vegetation, these slopes now have a layer of surface soil altered by the fire that increases the likelihood of severe erosion and debris flows even during normal rainfall years.
Over the years, GDI staff has acted as extensions of municipal agencies in southern California, helping them to:
- Identify geotechnical hazards
- Evaluate the impact of geotechnical hazards, before and after
- Characterize and map hazards
- Recommend mitigation measures
- Provide technical support for disaster assistance claims
