Washington Mudslides

On March 22, the hill above Oso, Washington gave way. A massive mud slide swept through the town below, killing over 40 people, destroying the town and damming the north fork of the Stillaguamish River.

The debris field stretches over one square mile. Some survivors were rescued in the immediate aftermath of the mudslide on that Saturday morning, but hundreds of searchers, including local volunteers scouring the area for family members and friends, and specially trained dogs have found no signs of life since then. At least two people are still unaccounted for.

The on-scene command authority has asked, because of the continuing danger involved in the recovery operation, that only specialists respond to the disaster site. Those specialists have come in from all over the country. Snohomish County has created a new Facebook page to organize community mudslide relief and fundraising efforts. That is located at www.facebook.com/530sliderelief

As those specialists return home when their duties are complete, RNR is in a unique position to welcome them home and recognize their service to this tragedy. To find out who from your area has gone to Washington and returned, contact your local or state disaster response coordinators.