Thank you. While I understand that rubble accumulates, the definition of a 'tell' really hones in on the sort of answer I'm looking for. "A tell can only be formed if natural and man-produced material accumulates faster than it is removed by erosion and human-caused truncation,[6] which explains the limited geographical area they occur in."

I think that's the same for any human settlement, not just limited to a small area, but whole modern cities. It's a question of rate of accumulation vs deterioration. Natural disasters just add to the effects of constant deposition.