How much do landslides cost in terms of monetary losses?
In the United States, it is estimated that the total dollar losses from landslides is between one and two billion dollars ($1.6 billion and $3.2 billion, year 2000 dollars). This figure is a conservative estimate, as there is no uniform method or overall agency that keeps track of or reports landslide losses. Landslides result in extremely high monetary losses in other countries, but there is no overall estimate as to the exact amount. The El Niño event in the San Francisco Bay Area caused landslide damage estimated to total approximately $140.9 million (1998 dollars; $154.4 million in 2003 dollars).
