Satellite Imagery Shows Landslide Damage in Papua New Guinea After Cyclone Maila
Similar Articles
Alaska Fjord Landslide Triggers Tsunami After Glacier Retreat
Flash Floods Devastate New Villages in Bangladesh's Northeastern Haor Region
Community Firefighters Use Satellite Alerts to Protect Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake
Kuskokwim River Ice Jam Clears After Brief Flooding Near Aniak, Alaska
Landsat 8 Captures Von Kármán Vortex Streets Near Remote Peter I Island
Heavy rains from Tropical Cyclone Maila triggered landslides in the mountains of East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in April 2026. Satellite images show the resulting scars and sediment-filled waterways. News reports indicate the landslides led to multiple fatalities.
Facts First
- Tropical Cyclone Maila triggered landslides in the Gazelle district of East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, around April 9, 2026.
- Satellite imagery reveals light-brown landslide scars and sediment-laden waterways in the Baining Mountains.
- The cyclone reached Category 4 strength on Australia's scale and moved slowly, causing rainbands to repeatedly strike the region.
- NASA's LHASA model highlighted the area as high-risk for slope failure during the storm.
- News reports state the landslides led to several deaths, with one report citing 10 fatalities and 28 survivors.
What Happened
Tropical Cyclone Maila brought unusually warm sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions near Papua New Guinea in April 2026. The slow-moving storm, which reached Category 4 strength, caused heavy rains that saturated steep terrain in the Gazelle district of East New Britain. This triggered landslides on or around April 9, 2026. An image from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 9 captured the aftermath on April 20, showing landslide scars in the Baining Mountains and the Toriu River with sediment-laden waterways. The landslides appear as light-brown swaths of exposed soil and debris.
Why this Matters to You
This event highlights how extreme weather can destabilize vulnerable terrain, leading to sudden and deadly natural disasters. For communities in similar mountainous regions, it underscores the importance of heeding landslide risk warnings, which models like NASA's Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA) may provide. The satellite-based monitoring used here could be applied to assess risks in other areas following major storms.
What's Next
Satellite imagery and models like LHASA will likely continue to be used to monitor and assess landslide hazards in the wake of major storms. Recovery efforts in the affected areas of East New Britain are now underway.