Workers Sifting Debris at Site of Washington Mudslide

July 10, 2014

The homes destroyed in the March 22 mudslide at Oso, Wash., have mostly been removed, and Highway 530 has been reopened between Arlington and Darrington, but work continues at the site where 43 people lost their lives.

Before & After: Oso Washington Landslide

Contractors hired by Snohomish County under a $6 million site restoration contract are sifting through piles of debris that could fill about 17,000 dump trucks.

Tech. Sgt. Tayler Bates and Tech Sgt. Tony Rohrenbach, members of the Washington Air National Guard, 141 Civil Engineer Squadron pause for a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m., the same time that the mudslide occurred on Saturday March 22, 2014. Washington National Guard personnel continue to help the community of Oso in the wake of the mudslide. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rory Featherston WA ANG). FEMA news photo
Washington National Guard personnel continue to help the community of Oso in the wake of the mudslide. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rory Featherston WA ANG). FEMA news photo

The Daily Herald reports workers are screening and sorting the debris.

Personal belongings will be saved for owners or loved ones. Man-made debris goes to a landfill. Soil will be used to fill holes and trenches. Wood will be ground into chips.

The work will likely wrap up in September, and the site will be seeded with grass and wildflowers.

One body buried in the slide remains missing.

Was this article valuable?

Here are more articles you may enjoy.