Community Vanishes in Deadly Oso Slide

EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
DEADLY LANDSLIDE
MAJOR DISASTER
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14 Killed, community buried under tens of millions of tons of earth

Death toll in the deadly landslide near Oso, Wash., climbed to at least 14, while the list of potentially missing people ballooned to 176 by late Monday.

However, the  Snohomish County officials said the number included many duplicate names, and could drop.

The massive mudslide struck Saturday morning, a time when most residents  are at home, totally destroying or damaging dozens of structures in the communities. At least 25 residences were fully occupied at the time, officials said.

FIRE-EARTH estimates the slide moved about 50 million tons of mud, rock and debris.

 

A 54m (177ft) wall of rain-sodden earth separated from foothills of the Cascade Mountains along the Stillaguamish River, leaving a trail of  mud, rock and debris up to 5m deep. It buried communities  near the town of Oso, north of Seattle.  Photo: WSDOT, Handout

Photo: Handout, Snohomish County

Washington Emergency Declaration: Flooding and Mudslides (EM-3370)

The White House has signed Washington Emergency Declaration, authorizing FEMA to co-ordinate the disaster relief effort in the Snohomish County.

Washington Governor Inslee said it was “devastation beyond imagination” after surveying the area from the air.

A massive landslide near Oso, Washington killed at least 14 people and buried an entire community. The slide created a dam on the North Fork of the Stillaguamash River on Saturday.  Photo: Snohomish County, Handout.

 

Related Links

• Death Toll Climbs in Washington Landslide March 24, 2014

Death Toll Climbs in Washington Landslide

DEADLY LANDSLIDE
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4 Dead, 18 missing, 8 injured, dozens of homes destroyed after Washington state landslide

Death toll rose to at least four with 18 people reported missing, and 8 others injured after a large landslide in Washington state buried dozens of homes under mud and debris up to 5m (15 feet) deep, officials said.

The embankments along State Route 530 near Oso, Washington, about 55 miles north of Seattle, collapsed  on Saturday destroying dozens of homes.

“I am disappointed to tell you that after searching a very large area of that debris field on foot, we didn’t find anybody alive. There was no sign of life,” a Snohomish County Fire official told reporters.

A massive landslide near State Route 530, Oso, Washington on March 22, 2014 destroyed dozens of homes, killing at least 4 people and leaving 18 people missing. Photo Source: Washington State Department of Transportation/Handout via Reuters

The massive slide, covering about 2.6km² (1 sq mile), occurred in the rain-sodden foothills of the Cascade Mountains along the Stillaguamish River, leaving a trail of  mud, rock and debris up to 5m deep.

It blocked the North Fork of Stillaguamish River causing the water to pool behind the debris, and prompting the authorities to issue an evacuation notice downstream on Saturday.

Washington Gov. Inslee described the scene as “a square mile of total devastation” after flying over the disaster area.

State authorities have warned the number of missing could grow.