7 warning signs a landslide or mudslide is imminent

BELLEVUE, WA - JANUARY 20: A home sits at the bottom of a hill after sliding off its foundation in a recent landslide on January 20, 2022 in Bellevue, Washington. No injuries were reported as authorities investigate the cause of the landslide, after evacuating dozens of nearby residents from 15 homes. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images) ( )

BELLEVUE, WA - JANUARY 20: In an aerial view, a home sits at the bottom of a hill after sliding off its foundation in a recent landslide on January 20, 2022 in Bellevue, Washington. No injuries were reported as authorities investigate the cause of the landslide, after evacuating dozens of nearby residents from 15 homes. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images) ( )

BELLEVUE, WA - JANUARY 20: Debris from a home sits at the bottom of a hill after the home slid off its foundation in a recent landslide on January 20, 2022 in Bellevue, Washington. No injuries were reported as authorities investigate the cause of the landslide, after evacuating dozens of nearby residents from 15 homes. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images) ( )

BELLEVUE, WA - JANUARY 20: Mud and debris cover the ground at the scene of a severe landslide in which a home slid off its foundation on January 20, 2022 in Bellevue, Washington. No injuries were reported as authorities investigate the cause of the landslide, after evacuating dozens of nearby residents from 15 homes. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images) ( )

BELLEVUE, WA - JANUARY 20: Police observe the scene of a home that slid off its foundation in a recent landslide on January 20, 2022 in Bellevue, Washington. No injuries were reported as authorities investigate the cause of the landslide, after evacuating dozens of nearby residents from 15 homes. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images) ( )

When the rains won't stop, the risk for landslides and mudslides increases. As the ground becomes saturated, hills and mountainsides can become unstable, unleashing a torrent of mud and debris that can bury cars, roads and homes, leading to millions in damage and potential injuries and death.

Nationally, direct losses due to landslides exceed $2 billion each year through damaged roads and property and are responsible for dozens of deaths annually, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Indirect effects from landslides can exceed direct costs, including loss of property value and tax revenue, and environmental effects such as water quality degradation.

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Here are 7 signs that a landslide is possible or imminent, according to the WADNR:

1. Cracks growing in the ground or downslope movement of rock, soil or vegetation
2. Sounds of cracking wood, knocking boulders, ground "groaning" or other unusual sounds, especially if the sounds are increasing.
3. Sudden changes in creek water levels or water wells that suddenly run dry, especially during or immediately after large rainstorms.
4. Sagging or taught utility lines, leaning telephone poles, deformed fences or tilting of trees on the hillside
5. Sticking windows or doors, new and/or growing cracks in walls, ceilings or foundations
6. Broken or leaking utilities, such as water, septic or sewer lines
7. A hillside that has increased spring activity or newly saturated ground -- especially if it was previously dry

If you see these signs, especially the first three, leave the area immediately and report the problem to your county emergency manager.

Washington state is among the hilliest and rain-soaked in the nation and as such as one of the most landslide-prone state. The state suffered the deadliest mudslide in U.S. history in March 2014 when a large hillside gave way in the town of Oso near the Cascade foothills, killing 43 people.

Heavy rainfall events are the most commonly associated with landfalls, but earthquakes, water level changes, geology and even human activities can trigger landslides, according to the DNR.