Oso Washington Earthquake

198 Words1 Pages
On March 22, 2014 a 600 foot high hillside fell into the town of Oso, Washington. The total area consumed by the slide was 1,500 feet long, 4,400 feet wide and varied in depth from 30 to 70 feet deep – 49 homes and other buildings were destroyed, 13 people were seriously injured, and 44 people were killed (Department of Homeland Security 2015, p. 2). The slide itself moved “about 200 miles per hour, generating an estimated 10 million cubic yards of material covering approximately 318 acres” (Department of Homeland Security 2015, p. 2). According to eye-witness accounts it took mere seconds for the flood of debris to make its way down the hill. Other issues arose as a result of the mudslide, the river was dammed by the debris, which caused flooding