New research aims to better predict and understand cascading land surface hazards

Hurricane Helene set up future disasters, from landslides to flooding – cascading hazards like these are now upending risk models

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New research aims to better predict and understand cascading land surface hazards

When an extreme weather event occurs, the probability or risk of other events can often increase, leading to what researchers call "cascading" hazards.

Natural hazards don’t disappear when the storm ends or the earthquake stops – they evolve

The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene. AP Photo/Allen G. BreedHurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future. Mudslides buried roads and reshaped river channels. Uproo…

New Research Aims to Better Predict and Understand Cascading Land Surface Hazards

When an extreme weather event occurs, the probability or risk of other events can often increase, leading to what researchers call “cascading” hazards. A new paper outlines a framework to better predict, understand and forecast the cascade (or chain reaction) of these hazards across the landscape.

Scientists Call for New Framework to Evaluate Complex Cascading Natural

In recent years, the scientific community has been increasingly attentive to the complex interactions and feedback loops that govern Earth’s dynamic surface processes. In a comprehensive new review published in Science, Brian Yanites and colleagues articulate the urgent need for an integrated, interdisciplinary framework to better understand what they term “cascading land surface hazards.” This approach seeks to unify disparate research efforts …