On the morning of 22 March 2014 part of a rain-saturated hill on the banks of the Stillaguamish River about 60 miles northeast of Seattle collapsed, and the ensuing rush of mud and debris engulfed the rural community of Oso, Washington. The mud was filled with debris as well as toxic chemicals and human waste, creating a hazardous situation for rescue workers. In the forty-five days preceding the disaster the area had experienced rainfall amounts that were significantly higher than average, leading authorities to believe that the collapse was caused by soil saturation from heavy rainfall. On 18 April 2014 the Department of Natural Resources ordered a timber sale near Oso to be canceled and reviewed, as officials believe that excessive logging in the region may have also contributed to the disaster.
Contributed by Madeline Sheehy
Course: Modern Global Environmental History
Instructor: Dr. Wilko Graf von Hardenberg
University of Wisconsin–Madison, US
- Brunsden, Denys, and David B. Prior, eds. Slope Instability. New York: Wiley, 1984.