The Landslide Hazards Program (LHP),U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),is tasked with reducingthe hazards from landslides by conducting landslide research and assessments,to which most of its resources aredevoted,and public information through educational means. The USGS is also authorized through the StaffordAct of 1974 to issue hazard warnings when the threat of landslides is imminent. Within the Landslide HazardsProgram,numerous methods of educating and warning the public are used. This paper discusses two of them.To inform people about landslide hazards,a landslide documentary was produced that has been aired on publictelevision,in schools,and at special public lectures around the United States. The film was funded and producedby the U.S. Geological Survey Landslide Hazards Program and features narration by USGS scientists,stories,and interviews with people who have experienced devastating landslides. It is the first USGS landslide outreachproduct using a visual-media film format,and its effectiveness and influence is being closely monitored. Thesecond method involves landslide warnings,which are issued through the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP),whereby the U.S. Federal Government issues all-hazard emergency alerts and public warnings. The landslidewarnings are based on data for (1) rainfall-related landslide initiation thresholds for some regions of the UnitedStates,and (2) the expected,rapid saturation of vulnerable slopes from hurricane or heavy storm events as theydevelop and move across an area.
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