Three More Mudslide Victims

Three FEMA Disaster Relief Centers are open to assist residents who have been affected by the SR530 landslide. The centers are located at Haller Park, 154 West Cox Avenue in Arlington, the Oso Fire Station located at 21824 SR 530 NE, and the Darrington Ranger District Office, 1405 Emens St. in Darrington. The Disaster Recovery Centers will be open Monday through Friday from 11am to 8pm, Saturday from 11am to 4pm, and closed on Sunday. Residents should pre-register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or at www.disasterassistance.gov. FEMA continues to work closely with residents, tribal members, and business owners who sustained losses on a one-on-one basis.

There are now 33 people confirmed dead in the slide, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner. Thirty of those victims have been identified. Twelve people are still missing, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. A private memorial service was held for one of the victims today. These services are private and closed to all but invited media. Please respect the privacy of the victims’ friends and families.

U.S. Geological Survey scientists continue to monitor the area and measure land movement. At this time, surveys have shown no significant movement of the landslide mass or nearby hillside. A time-lapse camera has been deployed to record changes in the area over time.

The Army Corps of Engineers is assisting Snohomish County with construction of a temporary berm to reduce flood impacts in the slide area. The berm will be constructed at SR 530 near milepost 37 at C Post Road and 312th Street NE. Workers began staging materials for the berm today, and the Corps expects construction to take a week. Once complete, searchers have ongoing and planned recovery activities after pumping excess water from the area.

Rain is forecast for the Oso area beginning tomorrow. There is no imminent threat of additional flooding but the flood warning remains in effect at and behind the slide area because normally dry land is under water.

More than 900 people have been activated to assist in the recovery effort. In addition, 30 excavators and an amphibious backhoe are operating in the slide area. Crews continue to work in a grid pattern to remove slide debris down to the native soil. Volunteers are collecting, cleaning, and organizing personal property recovered from the slide. The process for reunification of property will be formalized over the next several weeks and family members will be contacted to identify and reclaim these personal items. To help protect the property of victims and their families, the location of the reunification site will not be disclosed.

The best way to support the landslide recovery effort is through a monetary donation. Anyone looking for ways to help can find a list of trusted charities collecting monetary donations on Snohomish County’s SR530 slide resources page: http://snohomishcountywa.gov/530Slide.