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In the distance, what once was the hill above the neighborhood wiped out by the landslide
What was once a rural neighborhood where everyone knew everyone, where neighbors took care of one another, where there was always a helping hand, in a matter of seconds became a major disaster zone. A landmark mud and debris landslide, described as the most deadly landslide in American history, took the lives of 43 of those good people.
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Forty-nine homes were destroyed and 43 lives were lost in the epic landslide.
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A tribute to the search and rescue dogs that helped find both the survivors and the victims |
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This earth-shaking landslide, which occurred on March 22, 2014, at 10:37 a.m., 4 miles east of Oso, Washington, sent an enormous field of mud and debris across the North Fork of the Stilliguamish River, engulfing 49 homes and destroying other structures in this Oso neighborhood. It was declared a disaster site; rescue workers and first responders descended from all over the country.
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Each steel panel represents a family impacted and is curved to symbolize an embrace of those people. |
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The steel panel memorial tributes; the hillside in the background
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Plans began for a permanent memorial commemorating the victims, and on March 22, 2024, the Oso Landslide Memorial opened just in time for the ten-year anniversary of the landslide. According to Wikipedia’s entry, “Built by Snohomish County on land it purchased in 2015, the roughly 2-acre (0.81 ha), $4.5 million memorial includes a gathering plaza, interpretive exhibits honoring the victims, survivors, and responders, and a separate area honoring the Tribal members who took part in the response. The dedication ceremony included a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m., the time the slide struck.”
The Oso Memorial Tower honors the 43 lives lost, the survivors, and the first responders of the 2014 mudslide. It features 43 butterflies symbolizing each individual who died.
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The Oso Memorial Tower |
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The Oso Memorial Tower |
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The memorial shares sentiments carved in wooden signs and exhibited in pictures that seem to envelop the site in a sense of comfort: Keep Hope Alive, We are Family, Highway of Hope, Always in our Hearts, Never Forgotten, We are Stronger Together. It is a place for reflection, healing, gratitude and the remembrance of its departed friends and neighbors that this resilient community shares with its visitors. When you visit this sacred space, take some time to absorb the positive messages.
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The Oso Slide Memorial Tower with the 43 butterflies representing the victims |
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Sacred site - Oso Landslide Memorial
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The Memorial is located at the disaster site, just off State Route 530 - renamed the Oso Slide Memorial Highway - which runs alongside the Stilliguamish River. It’s mid-way between Darrington and Arlington, but has minimal signage, so be watchful for a small sign for the Oso Landslide Memorial on the river side of the road. This is a memorial site not to be missed.
About the author:
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Lynn Rosen is an Emmy award-winning TV broadcaster, producer and director, and has been on the Journalism and Theatre faculties at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. She’s also a theater critic, travel writer, published author, fearless skier and belongs to the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). |
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