A Horrible Tragedy

At 10:37am March 22, 2014 there was what must have been a horrible roar and a mountain broke lose from itself and buried over 50 homes in about a 2 sq mile area. It took the lives of 43 people. So far they have recovered 41, identified 39. The youngest was a 3 month old baby girl and the oldest was a 91 year old woman.

It is an event that has connected 3 communities like none other. Arlington to the West, Oso to the West and Darrington to the east. The slide covered SR 530 making it impassable.

There are two alternate routes, one over the very rough narrow Mountain Loop Highway and the other Hwy 20 to interstate 5. What was a 30 mile trip to Arlington has now become an 85 mile trip.

But that is of no consequence when one thinks of the loss of life and displacement of a handful of people who survived. ness

May God have mercy on everyone.

 The enormity of the slide is shown here. It is totally incomprehensible. I can not wrap my mind around its enormity. My brother and his two sons and his son-in-law spend many days on site searching. They were searching mostly for 14 year old Denver Harris. A close family friends son.

 One of the units who were searching the area pulled out the other day and left this as a memorial. How sweet of them.

 Small example of the mud.

 Chaplins were with every unit.

 This is Denver.

 Flag raised by a local man the first day.

 Destruction

 Stillaquamish river on the left, SR 530 on the left. The slide completely blocked the river for a time, then as a river will do, began to cut a channel. However, there is much flooding upstream.

Spring Break has just begun for the Darrington School District. The high school kids were remarkable throughout the week. Worked wherever needed. They even went and washed the trucks a the fire department. A great group of kids.