Historical Landslides in Western North Carolina

A landslide is the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are one type of what geologists call "mass wasting"—any movement of soil and rock down a slope that moves as a mostly unified mass under the influence of gravity.

From 1990 to 2016, the North Carolina Geological Survey (NCGS) responded to more than 175 requests for assistance on landslide events from government agencies, the public, and consultants.

NCGS geologists have since investigated over 200 landslides in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. At the time of publication, these landslides have resulted in five deaths, destroyed more than 25 homes and damaged at least 40 others, and impaired nearly 80 roads.

Scroll down to explore historic landslides and debris flows that have occurred across western North Carolina.

To learn more about landslides in general, including where and why they occur, please visit  An Introduction to Landslides in Western North Carolina .

Between November 2–7, 1977, an extratropical cyclone originating in the Gulf of Mexico passed over western North Carolina, causing extensive flooding and triggering debris flows in the Bent Creek area of Buncombe and Henderson Counties and in the Mount Mitchell area of the Black Mountains.

Within a week-long period in July of 1916, two back-to-back remnant hurricanes dropped more than 26 inches of rain over western North Carolina, leaving most of the region inundated and its riverways overflowing. 

Hurricane Frances was the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Downgraded to a tropical depression by the time it reached western North Carolina, this slow-moving and relatively large storm dropped as much as 23 inches of rain over parts of the region in September of that year.

On December 1, 2010, over seven inches of rain fell within 24 hours, triggering a debris flow near Holiday Drive in Hendersonville.

In September 2004, the town of Franklin experienced one of the most intense landslide events in the recent history of western North Carolina.

The western side of Polk County has recently experienced numerous landslides that have caused fatalities and heavy property damage.

On December 28, 2018, rainfall from a storm triggered a debris slide on Howard Gap Road. Over four inches of rain fell in 24 hours.

Between August 13–14, 1940, the remnants of a hurricane that passed through western North Carolina triggered over 2,000 landslides in Watauga County. Together, this group of landslides makes up 93 percent of the slope failures that have been mapped in the county to date.

Landslide damage from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan was countywide and particularly evident in the White Laurel subdivision, three miles east of Boone. Landslides triggered by the intense rainfall caused six houses to be condemned and deemed uninhabitable, including one home that was completely destroyed while its occupants were still inside. 

To explore the regional landslide data, visit the interactive  WNC Landslide Hazard Data Viewer , which displays data for all counties in western North Carolina that have been mapped to date.

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