Mudflow is often associated with seismic activities. The present study applied a seismic based detection of the surface waves generated by the mudflow of Brumadinho dam collapse using records of Brazilian Seismographic Network. The signal envelope and time-frequency spectrograms of the mudflow signals were used in the analysis. As a result, the mudflow signals were successfully detected from the data recorded at a nearby seismic station. The findings of this study provide a good basis for future research to develop a flood early warning system based on cost-effective, remote and contentious seismic monitoring approaches.