Landslide Photo Collections

Searchable USGS Photo and Multimedia Archive with Ordering Information

In November, 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused torrential rainfall. Approximately 10,000 deaths from the flooding and landslides occurred. Casitas volcano in Nicaragua experienced large debris flows, as torrential rains occurred at the rate of 10 cm of rain per hour.

  • The El Berrinche landslide, Teguçigalpa, Honduras, which was caused by 1998 Hurricane Mitch. This 6-million-m3 rotational slump-earth flow destroyed the entirety of the district of Colonia Soto near the center of the city, and temporarily dammed Río Choluteca, creating a lagoon that posed a health problem for the city. Arrows show path of landslide debris that dammed the river. Photo by E.L. Harp, U.S. Geological Survey.
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  • This image shows the Casita volcano in western Nicaragua after a mudslide caused by Hurricane Mitch in October of 1998. Photograph by U.S. Geological Survey.
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  • This image shows a mudslide in San Juancito, Honduras caused by Hurricane Mitch in October of 1998. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey.
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  • Hurricane Mitch caused mudslides in Nicaragua that destroyed several farming villages around Chinandega. Photo by Amigos for Christ
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  • One of many large boulders transported from Casita Volcano by the lahar; note the pathway of lahar on the volcano. San Cristobal volcano on the left skyine is an active volcano. Photo by K.M. Scott, U.S. Geological Survey.
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  • Close view of the source area for the landslide high on the south flank of Casita Volcano. The landslide scar exposes rocks and deposits that form Casita. The light-colored rocks in the uppermost part of the source area were relatively unaltered by weathering or hydrothermal activity, but many fractures cut through the rocks; low-grade alteration was concentrated along the fractures because groundwater had preferentially moved along the cracks. The dark purple rock is hydrothermally-altered basaltic scoria. As the landslide moved down the volcano, it increased in size as it eroded highly altered rocks of the volcano's lower flank. Photo by J.L. Macias.
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  • This view of Casita Volcano shows the pathway of the landslide and lahar that swept from volcano's south flank. The large boulders in the foreground originated from the upper flanks of the volcano; the largest boulders are about 3 m in diameter. The fast-moving lahar probably rolled or bounced the huge boulders along the base of the flow to their current location. Note that the lahar spread across the valley floor as it swept from the mouth of the canyon; trees in the center of the valley were left standing. The side of Casita Volcano collapsed on October 30, 1998, the day of peak rainfall as Hurricane Mitch moved across Central America. Photo by K.M. Scott, U.S. Geological Survey.
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