TAIPEI, Taiwan - After Typhoon Megi struck the Taiwan area, the forces led to a large mudslide on a mountainside highway which covered a nearby Buddhist temple. The landslides caused by the typhoon killed nine people and also damaged a large bus carrying Chinese tourists traveling on the highway. Searchers found the bus parts covered in mud and crushed parts scattered about. Reporters noted that the area had an astounding 45 inches of rainfall causing the mudslide to be quite large.
This event that occured alongside the mountain is not uncommon for a landslide. In fact, areas with steep terrain and high relief are topographically prone to cause landslides. This is due to the fact that there is are high levels of rockfall, deformed rock masses, and areas high in rainfall. The rainfall triggers slope instability and can prolong the landslide causing even greater damage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/asia/24typhoon.html?ref=landslides_and_mudslides
In knowing that such occurances happen often in this area, should there have been travel warnings posted for this specific mountainside, especailly because it does not come as much of a surprise to people who know this area. Or is it possible that the lack of education in how and why landslides occur could have also helped in this situation?
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