Landslides are the down-slope movement of unconsolidated material under the influence of gravity and are widespread in the province. The introduction of excess quantities of water to the slope, either from rainfall or snowmelt commonly is the trigger for such events. Excess water loads the slope material beyond its shear strength, at which point movement occurs. The water may also act as a lubricant and movement is commonly rapid. These landslides are known as debris flows or debris torrents. The slope angle and sediment texture (grain-size of material involved) are other important factors that control drainage from a slope. Areas on the slope with better drainage, commonly near the top, may fail by rotational slumping (where a block of sediment slowly rotes downward) during failure of the lower slope by flowage.
The list below is somewhat slanted toward incidents in the Humber – Corner Brook area; the main source of information was the Western Star, which tended to report local events in more detail. Although this area is highly landslide prone, many other similar incidents elsewhere in the province remain to be documented.
bold text indicates fatal incident.
- Bay de Verde, December 9, 1912
- Beaches, Humber Arm, April 19, 1892
- Britannia, Random Island, September 21-22, 2010
- Corner Brook, Duncans Rock, October 27, 1914
- Corner Brook, May 1, 1967
- Corner Brook, Riverside Drive, April 19, 1994
- Corner Brook, Riverside Drive, September 27, 2005
- Curling, October 27, 1914
- Curling, January 4, 2004
- Daniel’s Harbour, October 20, 2006
- Daniel’s Harbour, April 15-20, 2007
- Daniel’s Harbour, May 7, 2009
- Elliott’s Cove, Random Island, September 21-22, 2010
- Englee, October 15, 1993
- Gambo, October 23, 1953
- Gambo, September 21-22, 2010
- Georges Lake, March 30, 2003
- Harbour Breton, August 1, 1973
- Holyrood (TCH), February 26, 2011
- Little Port, Bay of Islands, July 7, 1994
- Long Beach, Clarenville, September 21-22, 2010
- Marystown, September 21-22, 2010
- Pierres Brook near Bay Bulls, October 31, 1949
- Placentia-Argentia road, September 15, 1948
- Pouch Cove, August, 1903
- Southern Harbour, September 21-22, 2010
- St. John’s, South Side Road, July 26, 1912
- St. John’s, October 13, 1934
- St. John’s, South Side Road, February 23, 1936
- St. John’s, South Side Road, September 15, 1948
- St. John’s, Mill Bridge, October 1953
- Trout River, June 6, 2009