2019 North Carolina Landslides

On Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, a landslide occurred, dumping approximately 4 million gallons of rock and soil on Interstate 40, a major highway in the western part of North Carolina. The landslide shut down westbound I-40 and an eastbound exit just before midnight. Working as a subconsultant to S&ME, Inc., on a North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) project, DRMP provided surveying and mapping/geospatial services to help get the highway open and support the flow of traffic through the area.

Within 10 hours of the landslide, DRMP surveyors were mobilized and, on the site, prepared to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to start collecting data for NCDOT to aid in their planning to get this major highway open. The DRMP team set ground control and flew several UAV missions to create surface models to help ensure the safety of the area. The surface models allow NCDOT to see what the landslide consisted of to develop its plan of action. Without surface models, voids and hazards might have been missed.

To mitigate future damage, DRMP’s crews went back to the site of the landslide at later dates to perform additional UAV missions and surveys of the area. With DRMP’s growing disaster response experience in mobilizing support and the latest technology for real-time and future landslides, DRMP is able to help municipalities and departments of transportation avoid and lessen hazards due to recurring landslides.