The tremendous losses that have been suffered are recent and painful. Courage and cooperation are required to do what makes sense. Wishful thinking From a geologic perspective, landslides are frequent occurrences. From a human perspective, they seem rare events. When decades separate landslide episodes, dramatic changes can occur in land use patterns and density.
Buildable land is increasingly scarce.
The appeal of the views begins to outweigh the risks. The value of the land increases. We figure that lightning won't strike twice. We regain our sense that we are in control of these forces. Then, when landslides recur, we are shocked and disbelieving.