03.22.15

NW Washington Delegation Marks Remembrance of SR 530 Mudslide

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the congressional delegation representing the affected communities recognized the one-year remembrance of the State Route 530 mudslide that devastated Oso, Arlington and Darrington.

A massive mudslide on March 22, 2014, killed 43 people, destroyed homes, damaged public infrastructure and blocked the Stillaguamish River. Within a matter of seconds, a mass of earthen material rushed down the mountainside, burying people in their homes under 40 feet of mud, forever affecting the lives of thousands of Washingtonians.

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (D-WA-02) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01) have visited the affected communities multiple times since the mudslide.

“Oso, Darrington, Arlington, the Stillaguamish Tribe and the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe have been through so much this past year, but you can’t keep these communities down. Their response and resilience has been incredible since the mudslide,” the members of the delegation said. “Disasters like these are a time for all of us to come together to help the affected families and communities get back on their feet. We will continue to push for resources to help the region recover and for research into how we can prevent and mitigate tragedies from future disasters.”

The communities remembered the disaster with a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. on Sunday – exactly one year after the mudslide.

###