Saturday, March, 22, 2014. 10:36 a.m. A moment in time. Before that moment 43 children, women, and men were living ordinary lives. After that moment in time, the world changed for dozens of people. This post is a story of tragedy in northwestern Washington state. It is also a story of the aftermath, rescue, and remembrance, a story about a living memorial at Steelhead Drive and State Route 530.
March 22, 2014, was a dreadful day in Washington state history. A tragic landslide occurred 4 miles east of Oso, Washington, a small, rural community 60 miles northeast of Seattle, nestled in a beautiful valley of the North Cascades. A hillside collapsed, sending mud and debris rushing south across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River.
Driving north from Seattle on I-5, a traveler will pass through Everett and Marysville. Ten miles north of the Marysville exit is State Route 530, the main exit for Arlington. Off the ramp, turning right, the road passes a truck stop on the right. Driving south from Bellingham or Mt Vernon, I-5 leaps across the Stillaguamish River, before reaching the SR 530 exit. If heading south on I-5, the traveler turns left at the bottom of the off ramp, and drives under the Interstate.
Pacific Northwest Vagabond Blog 