| CNN | - |
(CNN)
-- A devastating landslide in Washington state killed three people
Saturday and sent rescuers desperately digging for people crying for
help underneath debris, authorities in Washington state said.
People cry for help from underneath rubble after 3 die in Washington landslide
updated 4:03 AM EDT, Sun March 23, 2014
A landslide in Washington state
near the small town of Darrington left a muddy debris field that blocked
State Road 530 and included remnants of six homes.
HIDE CAPTION
Washington state landslide
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Rescuers searched for people crying for help in the debris
- 5 airlifted to one Seattle hospital, including a baby and 2 men in critical condition
- At least 6 homes are destroyed; the road and a river are blocked
- Locals are urged to evacuate for fear of a "catastrophic flood event"
The landslide cut off a
small town and a river and prompted an evacuation notice for fear of a
potentially "catastrophic flood event," authorities said.
The Snohomish County
Sheriff's Office said, in addition to those dead, seven adults and a
6-month-old boy were rescued and sent to local hospitals.
Harborview Medical Center
in Seattle reported that five patients had been airlifted there and
were in its care. Three of those -- including the baby, a 58-year-old
man and an 81-year-old man -- were in critical condition Saturday night,
according to spokeswoman Susan Gregg.
People were crying out
for help from underneath debris early Sunday, said City of Arlington
fire Capt. Brandon Asher. Rescuers are trying to forge through the
wreckage to get to them.
At least six houses were destroyed in the landslide and possibly 16 were damaged, the sheriff's department reported.
The first reports of the landslide came in around 10:45 a.m. (1:45 p.m. ET) along State Road 530, the sheriff's office said.
Photos provided by the
Washington State Patrol show floodwaters and sprawling debris covering a
rural patch of that two-lane road, framed by woodlands and snow-capped
mountains.
CNN first learned of the landslide via Twitter.
Groundwater saturation
tied to heavy rainfall in the area over the past month was blamed for
the landslide, which authorities say measured at least 45 yards wide.
Because it blocked SR
530, the landslide cut off Darrington, a town of about 1,350 people
located 75 miles northeast of Seattle and within close proximity to
Round Mountain, Whitehorse Mountain and White Chuck Mountain. Part of
the Stillaguamish River also was blocked.
Residents got reverse
911 calls warning them of "flooding upstream from the slide, as well as
the possibility of a downstream flooding should there be a catastrophic
breach by the river," said Shari Ireton, a sheriff's spokeswoman.
The county later said
"we strongly recommend" that those living in the north fork of the
Stillaguamish River flood plain, from Oso to Stanwood, to "evacuate your
home immediately."
"We are working on
establishing shelters for those who have nowhere to go," county
spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said in a statement. "Until then, people
should get to higher ground as soon as possible.
"Nightfall is approaching, and we do not want to take any chances."
Gov. Jay Inslee
expressed dismay later Saturday about the "tragedy in Oso," the remote
community of about 180 people 15 miles west of Darrington.
"The situation along the
Stillaguamish River is extremely dangerous," he said in a statement.
"Anyone along the flood plain of the Stillaguamish between Oso and
Stanwood should leave the area before dark due to risk of catastrophic
flooding."
A number of agencies
have responded, including the state transportation and emergency
management departments, the U.S. Navy and fire departments across
Snohomish County.
Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters and state troopers heard calls for help, trooper Mark Francis said.
The Snohomish sheriff
warned people to stay clear of trestles or bridges or anywhere near the
Stillaguamish River downstream of the slide.
"Water could break through at any moment," the sheriff's office tweeted.
end quote from:
No comments:
Post a Comment