Landslide wrecks Waikato hill, New Zealand
Image credit: Google
Extremely heavy rains that struck North Island, New Zealand over the past week have caused a huge landslide in Waikato District.
According to media reports, the entire hillside in Waikato moved on Sunday, March 12, 2017, after the region saw between 180 and 220 mm (7 – 8.6 inches) of rainfall in a matter of days. That's double its monthly average for March.
Homeowners said a crack started to form on the neighboring land and the earth began to move in front of their eyes. "I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was fixated," Ms. Schwass told NewsHub.
"The crack just seemed to be dropping and dropping and I yelled for my husband to come," she said.
"In slow motion, it just came rushing down the hill, took out the pine trees at the bottom. My eyes were popping out."
The landslip has caused a dam in the natural waterway at the bottom of their property, hampering drainage.
Read more:
- Tasman Tempest floods Auckland with 65 mm (2.5 in) in one hour
- Massive sinkhole opens up in Auckland, New Zealand
Images of the landslide can be found, here.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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