Cooperative Landslide Mitigation Work

May 7, 2000

• Geotechnical drilling at the El Berrinche slide, (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) has begun. The drilling will help determine the soil and geologic characteristics of the El Berrinche slide.Drilling will also begin at Campo Cielo slide due to the high risk of further failure during the coming rainy season (year 2000) in Honduras.
• The Japanese government, which has aided relief efforts, will begin new bridge construction over the Choluteca river in Tegucigalpa. The replacement bridge (built after Hurricane Mitch) had failed earlier in the year.

April 6, 2000

Torrential rainfall associated with Hurricane Mitch in October 1998, resulted in the initiation of landslide and other types of mass movements over much of the mountainous areas of Honduras. In the vicinity of Tegucigalpa, a number of landslide occurred. The most devastating were the El Berrinche landslide. El Berrinche landslide resulted in substantial direct and indirect loss of human life and destruction or damage to homes and infrastructure in Tegucigalpa. Preliminary assessments of El Berrinche landslide indicated that it may experience renewed movement during subsequent periods of significant rainfall in the next rainy seasons. Renewed movement of the El Berrinche landslide will result in substantial damage to the Choluteca River channel improvement work and possibly widespread flooding upstream. A program of geotechnical analysis and monitoring of the El Berrinche was recommended by experts of U. S. Army Engineer Mobile District under scientific direction of Lawson M. Smith, Research Geologist, Geotechnical Laboratory U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. At present, topographic survey work is being performed by a Topographic Survey company under supervision of the Natural Resources Ministry as a first stage of the recommended geotechnical and geological program.