On March 23 at 10:45 am, a devastating landslide struck Olympia, Washington (Reuters). At this point in time, over 100 people are missing, eight have been claimed dead, and seven are injured. Based on the severity of the situation, it is supposed that no more survivors will be found.
The two rural towns most directly affected by this natural disaster were Oso (180 people) and Darrington (91,350 people), which are about an hour north of Seattle. The landslide originated from groundwater saturation along with heavy rains over the course of the previous month. The landslide encompassed an area of about one square mile in total. It was reported that almost 50 homes were damaged or destroyed. Victims also include workmen and people who just happened to be driving by at the time of the tragedy. In addition, the landslide blocked the highway and the Stillaguamish River, making transportation and rescues even more difficult.
Rescuers from the area have been and are working desperately to search for more missing people, but they must keep their own safety in mind, as the area is still extremely unstable and dangerous for anyone. The Washington governor, Jay Inslee, said, “Every human endeavor … is being explored here to rescue and find their loved ones.”
Much debris and destruction still remains in addition to massive amounts of mud. Residents in the area have also been warned of possible flooding due to the hillslide collapse.
This catastrophic event has left residents of the area in mourning over the loss of loved ones. Even more people are still living in question, as their loved ones have not been declared dead but still remain missing. Rescue and relief teams plan to help as much as they can, but the debris and instability of the land make this challenging.