From clustered landslides to road network disruption: evidence from Typhoon Wipha (2025) in Ningde, Fujian, China
摘要
Typhoon Wipha (No. 6, 2025) triggered clustered shallow landslides in Ningde, Fujian Province, China, in July 2025. A representative failure along National Highway 104 between Fuyang Village and Dashikeng caused severe traffic disruption and required rapid clearance. To characterize pre-failure conditions and mechanisms, we integrated Sentinel-2 image change detection, field mapping, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery, digital elevation analysis, meteorological records, rainfall-event comparison, and slope-stability analysis. The representative landslide was small and shallow (~ 15,000 m3) on a vegetated slope (mean gradient ~ 29.7°, local relief ~ 110 m) with a sliding azimuth of ~ 62°. Rainfall peaked near the time of failure: 59.4 mm in the preceding 3 h, daily totals of 163.3 and 104.6 mm on 21–22 July (UTC + 8), and a 3-day cumulative of 234.1 mm. Compared with three benchmark typhoon- and hurricane-induced landslide events, Wipha (2025) was characterized by the lowest event-scale rainfall intensity and cumulative rainfall, but the highest antecedent rainfall index (A15 = 22.5 mm/d), and slope-stability analysis indicates that antecedent rainfall played a key preconditioning role in slope destabilization. The coastal bay setting, combined with persistent onshore winds, likely enhanced orographic rainfall and surface loading. Surface soils are classified as sandy loam to loam and comprise kaolinite-rich residuals from granite, favoring transient perched water and hydromechanical softening during intense wetting. Field evidence of windthrow, root–soil cracking, and macropore development indicates a coupled wind–rainfall–vegetation process that promoted preferential infiltration, elevated pore-water pressures, and reduced effective stress, culminating in shallow failure. These findings clarify the controls on typhoon-induced landslides and support corridor-scale susceptibility assessment and resilient road-network planning in typhoon-prone regions.