Tuesday marks 8 years since deadly Oso mudslide

OSO, Wash. — Eight years ago, the Oso mudslide forever changed the Northwest.

On March 22, 2014, at 10:37 a.m., a rain-soaked hillside gave way onto the small city of Oso, killing 43 people. An estimated 49 homes and other structures were destroyed, causing nearly $60 million in property damage. An additional 12 people suffered injuries from the slide, four of which were serious.

The mudslide was declared a major disaster by President Barrack Obama on April 3. More than 900 responders, including many from the Spokane area, worked on landslide recovery operations.  The rural neighborhood was a complete loss, and those who survived were traumatized by the event.

The mudslide sent 18 million tons of sand, till, and clay toward the city, covering an area 1,500 feet long and 4,400 feet wide. Its overall size was 270 million cubic feet, and about a mile of SR 530 was covered in debris. Nearly 11,000 tons of wreckage was removed from the slide area in 2016.

Much has been done to remember the victims of this horrible natural disaster. Forty-three trees were planted in memory of each victim, and plans to create a large-scale memorial in Oso are in place. Its construction could begin as soon as this summer.

The victims of the Oso mudslide will always be remembered, and the disaster will never be forgotten by the state of Washington.

READ: Families announce plans for Oso mudslide memorial

READ: More Spokane-area responders deploying to Oso mudslide

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