Six people are known to have died, three more are missing and seven are being treated for a variety of injuries following a landslide in the village of Joya Grande in the Department of Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala on Friday 30 May 2014. The landslide buried one home, containing two families, and damaged a further 17.
The village of Joya Grande in the Department of Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala following the 30 May 2014 landslide. Rhn.
The incident is said to have happened after about 5 hours of continuous heavy rainfall. 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. Guatemala experiences two seasons annually, with a dry season that runs from December to April and a rainy season that runs from May to November. Typically it receives about 400 mm of rain per month in the rainy season.
The approximate location of the 30 May 2014 Joya Grande landslide. Google Maps.
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