A branch of the supermarket Lidl was destroyed by a shallow landslide in the southern Italian town of Montescaglioso on Tuesday 3 December 2013, which also destroyed roads and severed power lines and water and gas mains. The incident happened following days of heavy rainfall and flooding. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.
The remains of the Lidl supermarket in Montescaglioso. Repubblica.
The landslide occurred on part of the Madonna La Nova Landslide System, and appears to be a rotational landslide, which can cause poorly consolidated soils to be moved by the weight of sediments on hillslopes some distance away. The area is monitored by geophysicists, and was evacuated prior to the main landslide event, preventing any injuries or loss of life.
Movement on a rotational landslide, allowing damage to occur distant from a slope. ONE Geology.
The approximate location of the 3 December 2013 Montescaglioso landslide. Google Maps.
See also Cyclone Cleopatra kills at least eighteen people on Sardinia, Eruptions on Mount Etna, Plastic contamination in Lake Garda, Italy, Eruption on Mount Etna and Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake off the Adriatic Coast of Italy.
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