 Mass wasting of mud in Freetown on August 14, 2017 | |
 Location of the Western Area in Sierra Leone where the mudslides occurred (in red) | |
| Date | August 14, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Time | 6:30 a.m. (06:30 UTC) (GMT) |
| Location | Western Area, Sierra Leone |
| Coordinates | 8°26′2″N 13°13′22″W / 8.43389°N 13.22278°W |
| Type | Mudslide affecting 116,766 m2 (1,256,860 sq ft) |
| Cause | |
| Deaths | 1,141 |
| Displaced | 3,000 |
| [1]: 17 [1]: 19 | |
On the morning of August 14, 2017, significant mudflow events occurred in and around the capital city of Freetown in Sierra Leone. Following three days of torrential rainfall, mass wasting of mud and debris damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings in the city, killing 1,141 people and leaving more than 3,000 homeless.
Causal factors for the mudslides include the region's particular topography and climate – with Freetown's elevation close to sea level and its greater position within a tropical monsoon climate. Those factors were assisted by the generally poor state of the region's infrastructure and loss of protective natural drainage systems from periods of deforestation.
- ^ a b The World Bank (2017). Sierra Leone (PDF). Rapid Damage and Loss Assessment of August 14th, 2017 Landslides and Floods in the Western Area (Report). Publication of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / International Development Association.