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Getting Answers: Are Landslides Going To Continue In The Dry Season?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- A huge landslide occurred on Highway 101 in Mendocino County Wednesday night. These slides are common this time of year with all of the rain we have seen this wet season.

So as we transition to dryer days one would think we will continue to see less landslides. It turns out that is not the case.

In fact, we may start to see some that are more costly.

According to the California State Geologist, there are two different types of landslides. The ones we see more commonly now are called debris slides. They occur when a lot of rain has come down in one area and destabilized the soil. These happen quickly and cover a comparatively small area and are the types of slides we see during the rainy season.

The slides we see after the rainy season has passed are earth slides. These occur months after the rain has stopped because they are a result of water slowly seeping into the lower levels of the soil. They often cover a larger area and can transition the land much slower than debris slides.

So far, Caltrans says there have been 126 landslides this winter in the Sacramento region. Last winter there were only four.

The total repair costs so far have totaled more than $74 million. With more landslides likely going forward even out of the rainy season, it is predicted that taxpayers are going to have to end up paying well over 100 million dollars repairing California roads.

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