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Innovation in action: Empowering resilience through debris flow prediction

May 28, 2025

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True innovation begins with a spark, an impact that changes lives. With new ideas and creative solutions, we can transform our approach, opening the door for greater understanding and smarter action.

Debris flows are fast-moving landslides caused by intense rainfall, heavy flooding, or rapid snowmelt. They often happen in areas recently burned by wildfires. When a debris flow hits, it can devastate landscapes, infrastructure, and lives within minutes. In mountain communities, this means essential lifelines are put in harm’s way. That’s exactly what happened in the Poudre Canyon, Colorado, when a debris flow occurred a year after the Cameron Peak Wildfire.

By prioritizing the areas most prone to debris flows, we’re able to develop effective plans and solutions. Using landslide-simulation software, like DebrisFlow Predictor, we can assess hazards through large-scale modeling of debris flow risk. This proactive approach helps prepare our communities for future threats.

For more about our innovative engineering and design solutions, visit Innovation and our Innovation and Technology Ideas pages.

Thad is a principal and team leader for Stantec’s geohazard and geomorphology services. He applies high-resolution topography and two-dimensional modeling to manage environmental hazards and is an accomplished technical author in geomatics.
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Backed by 30 years of geotechnical experience, Richard leads a group of specialists who provide practical, science-based solutions to reduce the impacts of geohazards on communities, infrastructure, lives, and the environment.
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A geomorphologist based in Colorado, Caitlin applies her expertise in geomorphology, post-wildfire erosion, geochronology, and stratigraphy to assisting clients with understanding vulnerabilities and risks to their infrastructure and communities.
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