A mudslide tore through the small rural community of Oso, Wash. on Saturday, March 22. The rain-soaked hillside collapsed on top of the town, completely destroying homes and killing several.
According to Reuters, there was also a fear of flooding which would have caused even more damage. The death toll is currently at 25 and 90 people are still unaccounted for.
The small town of Oso is part of the larger community of Arlington. Junior Tabbi Tregoning is from Arlington and said the area has not experienced a mudslide since 2006, and there was not any sign of it happening again. Tregoning received a notification from a woman on the board of her church camp back home about the mudslide.
“It’s a blessing that I wasn’t there when it happened,” Tregoning said. “But it’s also really scary that my family and friends are there.”
Tregoning heard news about a family friend who discovered her sister and 4-month-old niece were missing. The sister’s body was found on Monday and she was confirmed dead the next morning. The 4-month-old baby was found and confirmed dead Thursday.
“At first I didn’t think much about it,” Tregoning said. “I never really experienced this, so I didn’t know what it really entailed. When I had heard the news about my family friend, I knew it was more serious than I thought.”
Sophomore Brandon Chase is also from Arlington. He said he thankfully did not know anyone that was hurt by the effects of the mudslide.
“It’s a scary thought to think that 36 hours away, someone that I know and care about could have been injured or even died, and I could not be there to help them,” Chase said.
According to the New York Times, search and rescue teams are still looking for survivors among the wreckage. It has been difficult for them to search because the mud is said to have a sticky consistency like quicksand.
“I have seen photos of the damage and just praise God that no one I know was injured,” Chase said. “But my prayers go out to those whose families were affected by it.”
