Washington Mudslide Kills Three After Demolishing Homes

Three people were killed and eight were injured in a mile-long mudslide near Seattle that completely demolished at least six houses Saturday morning and caused flooding, officials said.

“First responders heard someone inside screaming for help” as the landslide swept through the house, a river and onto a road in Oso in Snohomish County at approximately 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET) Saturday, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Mark Francis.

Among the injured is a 6-month-old in critical condition, according to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The hospital was also treating a 37-year-old male in critical condition and another victim, a spokesperson said.

A 58-year-old patient in critical condition was taken to Skagit Valley Hospital. Four other victims are being cared for at Cascade Hospital.

One of the people rescued died later at an area hospital, authorities said.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Washington Department of Transportation and Army Corps were carrying out search and rescue operations on Saturday afternoon, according to the DOT. The Department of Emergency Management, U.S. Navy and local fire departments were also involved in the search, the statement said.

Portions of State Route 530 were shut down, and the monster mudslide “diverted part of a local river, which started a flood in the area,” Francis said.

"Very high potential for fast upstream, downstream flooding. Prep now in case you have to leave quickly," the Snohomish County Government warned in a tweet four hours after the initial slide.

Officials said reverse 911 calls have been going out to residents in the area warning them of the danger of flooding upstream from the slide, as well as the possibility of a downstream flooding should there be a catastrophic breach by the river.

The commander of the Snohomish County Search & Rescue team told NBC affiliate KING5 that the slide is the largest he's seen in the area in 30 years.

The cause of the slide appears to be that the ground was oversaturated by heavy rainfall, the government statement said.

Francis said Snohomish County rainfall accumulations have broken records for the month of March.

— Elisha Fieldstadt

Washington State Patrol

The aftermath of a landslide blocks State Route 530 in Snohomish, Washington.

First published March 22nd 2014, 4:55 pm