Death toll stands at 17, 8 more to add, 90, missing. Latest from Oso, WA mudslide

[uppityperson]

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023252017_mudslidefridayxml.html

Toll remains 17: Why identifying victims seems to take so long
Officials in Snohomish County warn that the process of identifying victims of the mudslide will take a long time.

A volunteer assigned to call people who are believed to be missing, maybe dead, after last Saturday’s mudslide had just learned the person on the other end of the line was alive and well.
(clip)

As of Friday night, the county’s number of those missing and likely killed by the massive mudslide remained at 90. An additional 35 people, who might have been in the area at the time of the mudslide, are listed as “still unknown at this time,” officials said.

But the number of dead — a figure that has led to confusion — remained unclear Friday night, even as officials sought to clarify the process by which fatalities are confirmed and announced.

Gary Haakenson, the county’s executive director for public safety, said the number remains 17, unchanged from the morning despite a daylong search. He did indicate another victim had been found this afternoon but not included in the total of 17....(more)

This number includes the 5 yr old sister of the little 4 yr old who was rescued from the mud. The whereabouts of his other siblings and father are not known, somewhere in the mud.

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Officials-losing-hope-of-finding-slide-survivors-5356247.php

Officials losing hope of finding slide survivors

Washington state officials all but abandoned hope Friday of finding survivors under tons of twisted, sodden earth as a community waited in anguish to learn the full scope of what is already one of the most devastating landslides in U.S. history.

The grueling process of locating, extracting and identifying human remains from the unstable debris covering the community of Oso northeast of Seattle has slowed the release of information by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office to a trickle.

Crews may be finding more remains amid the destruction, but the official death toll will remain at 17 until medical examiners can complete the "very, very challenging" task of identifying the bodies, said Snohomish County Executive Director Gary Haakenson.

Authorities have located at least eight other bodies in addition to the 17, and they previously said they expect the number of fatalities from Saturday's mudslide to rise substantially....(more)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Vast-wasteland-of-Oso-mudslide-difficult-to-5358924.php?cmpid=fromhomecp

It is difficult to convey the vastness of the Oso mudslide.

We have tried to use aerial images to show how large it is. We have used photos from the ground and interactive panoramas from amid the wreckage. We have showed the huge, yet small-scale effort of one man in the enormous debris field.

Still, it is difficult to comprehend.

Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin tried analogy to explain his reaction upon first seeing the disaster. "It was as if a dinosaur walked up to me," he said earlier this week when trying to explain the shock he experienced looking over the forest and river valley instantly transformed to a wasteland of dirt, clay and debris....(more)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Baby-injured-in-Oso-mudslide-improving-in-hospital-5357072.php

Baby injured in Oso mudslide improving in hospital

A Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman in Seattle says a 5-month-old baby boy injured in the Oso mudslide has been upgraded from critical to serious condition in intensive care and is breathing on his own.

Spokeswoman Susan Gregg also said Friday afternoon that a 58-year-old man injured in the March 22 slide has been upgraded to satisfactory condition and is no longer in intensive care. He was briefly back in intensive care earlier in the day after surgery to repair his pelvis.

Gregg says the baby boy's mother, a 25-year-old woman, is in satisfactory condition, as is a 37-year-old man. An 81-year-old man is listed as serious and improving in intensive care.

ETA, I just found out a local (to me) woman's brother is in the mud along with his grandchild. They found the local woman's sister in law's body, but not brother yet.

[me b zola]

1. Thank you for the up-date

This will be a long process, and it is all painful

[uppityperson]

2. The emergency team is now doing a 6 pm press conference which is very good. They are giving what

they know without speculation which is really nice to see. It will be a hard long process, painful, and I highly respect how they are handling it as far as what info they give out and how careful they are to not release personal information without checking it out first. It may be boring for the media, but they are doing it well. And yes, long and difficult.

[sabrina 1]

3. It is heartbreaking. For those missing the pain must be incredible, trying to hold on to hope, while

having to face the reality that after so long, there probably really is no hope.

I can't imagine the shock of all those who have been affected.

Thank you for posting the thread and for all the work you put into it.

So sad to learn that the little boy who was rescued, has lost his sister and perhaps his father and other siblings. I was not aware of that.

[laundry_queen]

4. Such a tragedy

thanks for the update. Canadian news has been including the 8 that weren't recovered yet. I can't imagine the task ahead - I bet that mud is more like concrete by now. My heart goes out to all those dealing with this.

[uppityperson]

6. Unfortunately it has been raining heavily there, made the muck soft and treacherous again.

[Cha]

5. Mahalo for updating us, uppity

[malaise]

7. Too sad

Thanks for your update

[MerryBlooms]

8. Horrible tragedy, it just makes your heart ache.

[uppityperson]

9. Olympic National Park official to take over search-rescue operations at Oso mudslide

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140329/news/303299987/olympic-national-park-official-to-take-over-search-rescue-operations

Larry Nickey, Olympic National Park fire management officer, will take command of search-and-rescue efforts at the Oso mudslide beginning Saturday at 6 a.m., he said today.

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Nickey said he is in his 24th year at Olympic National Park, with headquarters in Port Angeles.

“You never really prepare for this,” he said of his upcoming duties.

“You’ve just have to go in with the mind-set you’ve got a job to do and be ready to work with all the people and families and friends who have lost family and friends....(more)

[uppityperson]

10. Another body found Fri. County press release and link...

http://snohomishcountywa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=175

Friday night 530 landslide update
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 28, 2014
CONTACT: [e-mail], Media line: 425-359-9323
ARLINGTON, Wash. – Searchers working in the debris field of the 530 Landslide located the remains of one person today, however, due to weather conditions, crews were not able to transport that person to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office (ME). The official count of fatalities reported by the ME remains at 17 tonight.
Operations in the debris field continue to be effective in the West Branch near Oso and the East Branch near Darrington. On the west side of the slide, six task forces were created to optimize efforts in the field. Each consists of the following: three technical rescuers, one Hazardous Materials unit, one K-9 unit, a chainsaw operator and a spotter, one medical unit, five volunteers, five members of the National Guard and an excavator.
Water levels along the North Fork Stillaguamish River in the East Branch have decreased which allowed for better access to the slide area today. East Branch officials also detected sloughing on the northeast section of the slide area today. Precautions were issued to field crews, however geologists determined there was not an immediate danger to personnel.
Hypothermia and dehydration are starting to impact the searchers in the field. Fatigue and stress are also setting in. Efforts are being made to protect the health of those working in the landslide area.
An emergency service road will likely be open to emergency personnel sometime tomorrow to facilitate travel between the branches along State Route 530. The road will be a welcomed asset for crews but will not be open to the public.

Chief Harper of the Oso Fire Department said he appreciates all the efforts from crews, agencies, and local residents. “It has been amazing to see how the people of this community have pulled together. I want to thank the volunteers and many teams and agencies who have put in countless hours. I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting me, both here and at home,” he said.
“I would also like to thank my fellow fire chiefs. They have placed themselves in supportive positions to allow me to be present in Oso where I coordinate efforts and work with the community members who have been directly affected,” he added.
Harper said he appreciates the donated food, clothing and supplies from many businesses and organizations that have made the work here more effective. “We appreciate your continued support. We are doing everything we can to help those who have suffered so much loss,” he said.

http://snohomishcountywa.gov/530Slide

[uppityperson]

11. Snohomish county photo link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snoco/