Geological hazards and disasters in Newfoundland and Labrador

A geological disaster occurs when natural geological processes impact on ou r activities, either through loss of life or injury or through economic los s. A geological hazard is a potential disaster. Geological hazard in the Pr ovince of Newfoundland and Labrador was studied by archival research using a variety of sources to document the historical record of disaster. This re cord, although undoubtedly incomplete and selective, demonstrates that the province was affected by numerous geological disasters that inflicted a maj or economic and social cost. At least 80 people have been killed in Newfoun dland and Labrador since 1863 in such incidents, including debris flows, ro ckfalls, avalanches, and tsunamis. Many Newfoundland communities have devel oped at the base of steep slopes and are therefore prone to landslides and avalanches or are built adjacent to the coast and are susceptible to storm damage. The economic cost is difficult to estimate, but remedial measures f or individual events range from Can$ 20 000 for the construction of 50 m of gabions and retaining walls to Can$ 3 000 000 for community-level coastal flood-protection measures. Many of the documented geological disasters were unavoidable and were the inevitable result of geography. However, some wer e predictable and therefore preventable, either because a similar event had previously occurred in the same area or because geological factors, such a s rapid coastal erosion or rising relative sea levels, were not considered during the planning process. The identification of serious avalanche and ro ckfall hazards in the Battery, St. John's, has led to installation of prote ctive measures. Archival research methods provide a cheap, effective, and u seful means of defining regional geological hazard.