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On March 22, 2014, a portion of a hillside 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Oso, Washington, United States, collapsed, sending mud and debris across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River. The slide engulfed the Steelhead neighborhood of some 30 homes, killing at least 24 people and causing the disappearance of many more. The slide, which occurred about 11 a.m. local time, dammed the river and blocked Highway 530, the main route to the mountain community of Darrington. More than 100 first responders from Snohomish and surrounding counties were dispatched to assist with medical aid and search-and-rescue efforts.

The hill has a history of instability, and experienced up to 200 percent normal rainfall over the previous 45 days. The 1-square-mile (2.6 km) slide was described by witnesses as a "fast-moving wall of mud" containing trees and other debris cutting through homes directly beneath the hill. One survivor rescued by bystanders was a six-month-old baby pulled out of the mud and taken for medical treatment. A firefighter stated, "When the slide hit the river, it was like a tsunami." The Washington state geologist said the slide was one of the largest landslides he'd seen. The mud, soil and rock debris left from the mudslide is 1,500 ft (460 m) long, 4,400 ft (1,300 m) wide and deposited debris 30 to 40 ft (9.1 to 12.2 m) deep.

The slide blocked the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River which backed up eastward toward the nearby town of Darrington. By that evening, officials were concerned that the mud and debris dam could fail, causing downstream flooding. As of March 23, 2014, the river began flowing through a hole in the mud dam. As of March 24, 2014, a flash flood watch issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect. However, the river was flowing past the dam and the upstream pool depth had stabilized. Highway 530 was closed indefinitely and an alternative route around the slide was being prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Late in the evening of March 22, 2014, Washington Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen declared a state of emergency in Snohomish County. Governor Jay Inslee toured the area by air the following day before joining county officials at a news conference.

As of March 25, 2014, there are 24 confirmed dead as a result of the slide. Officials state they expect the number of confirmed dead to continue to rise. The number of reported missing and unaccounted for remained at 176 and 49 homes and structures destroyed. Five survivors of the slide remain at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

References

1. Berman, Mark (March 24, 2014). "Everything you need to know about the Washington landslide". Washington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
2. ^ "Death toll rises to 14 in Snohomish County landslide". KING 5 News and Associated Press. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
3. Phuong Le And Manuel Valdes, 10 more bodies found in Washington state mudslide, AP, 25 March 2014.
4. 16 dead; 108 reports of missing people, Seattle Times, March 24, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014
5. "Mudslide witness: 'Everything was gone in 3 seconds'". Everett Herald. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
6. Mark Leberfinger (March 24, 2014). "Death Toll From Washington Landslide Climbs to Eight". AccuWeather.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
7. Elisha Fieldstadt and Alexander Smith (March 24, 2014). "Rescuers Search 'Quicksand' for Survivors of Washington Mudslide". NBC News. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
8. Angel Gonzalez, Coral Garnick, Jack Broom (March 23, 2014). "3 die in mudslide east of Arlington, 6 homes destroyed". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 24, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
9. Nancy Bartley and Ken Armstrong,Site has long history of slide problems, The Seattle Times, March 23, 2014.
10. Fresh landslide tailings depicted in aerial photograph dated 2006, with topology map comparisons (1901–1977) at NETROnline.com
11. Zahid Arab. "What caused the landslide?". KING5 News online. King5.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
12. "8 confirmed dead in mudslide; 18 still missing". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
13. "Flash Flood Watch". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
14. "SR 530 Mudslide". Washington Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
15. "Landslide kills three, injures others in Washington state". Reuters. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
16. Death toll in Washington mudslide rises to 24
17. Navy Commander John Regelbrugge III found dead in mudslide debris
18. More victims found at Oso
19. 14 dead; 108 reports of missing people, Seattle Times, March 24, 2014. Accessed March 24, 2014; and A closer look at aerial image of Highway 530 mudslide – Interactive.

External links

• Professor Cliff Mass, Cliff Mass Weather Blog: The Meteorological Background for the Stillaguamish Landslide
• Dr Dave Petley, The Landslide Blog: The Steelhead landslide in Oso, Washington State
• Dr Dave Petley, The Landslide Blog: Oso landslip: useful resources and the rising human cost
• Dr Dave Petley, The Landslide Blog: Oso landslide in Washington State: three people killed and the river is blocked

• Current events from March 2014
• 2014 disasters in the United States
• 2014 in Washington (state)
• 2014 natural disasters
• History of Snohomish County, Washington
• Landslides in the United States
• Natural disasters in Washington (state)