KHQ.COM - Volunteers from all over the country continue to search for those missing in Oso, Washington. It has been eight days since the worst mudslide in U.S. history hit the town and crews continue working through treacherous conditions to find what is left.
One of those volunteers traveled from North Idaho with the Red Cross to hand out supplies and food to rescuers and survivors. He says many are overwhelmed by how many people came to help and that the worst part of the disaster is the fact that it happened so fast.
Previous Story: DARRINGTON, Wash. (AP) - Authorities say the number of people who have been confirmed dead from the mudslide in Washington state has increased from 18 to 21.
Jason Biermann of Snohomish County Emergency Management said Sunday that 15 victims have been identified by the Snohomish County medical examiner. Six have yet to be identified.
Biermann says another four bodies were found in the debris field on Sunday. About 30 people remain missing after the massive mudslide in mountainside community of Oso on March 22.
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Previous Story: DARRINGTON, Wash. (AP) - Authorities say the number of missing from the deadly Washington state landslide has plummeted to 30 after many people were found safe.
Officials previously set the number of missing people at 90, but they had said they expected that figure to drop dramatically as they worked to find people and cross-referenced a list that included partial reports and duplicates.
The confirmed death toll has risen to 18, Jason Biermann, program manager at the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management, said at a Saturday evening briefing.
The massive landslide struck the small community of Oso north of Seattle on March 22.
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Previous Story:
ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) - Authorities say there are 108 names on the list of people who've been reported missing or unaccounted for in the weekend mudslide in Washington state.
Snohomish County emergency management director John Pennington says that doesn't mean there are 108 injuries or fatalities. But he says it's the consolidated list of reported missing from various sources that authorities are working from.
Pennington says the slide occurred on a Saturday morning, when more people were likely to be home.
At least eight people were killed in the 1-square-mile slide that hit in a rural area about 55 miles northeast of Seattle.
Several people also were critically injured, and about 30 homes were destroyed.
PREVIOUS STORY:ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) - Washington state authorities have begun to identify some of the people who died in Saturday's mudslide in a community 55 miles northeast of Seattle. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office said those identified so far died of accidental blunt impact.
- Kaylee B. Spillers, 5, Arlington, Wash.
- Stephen A. Neal, 55, Darrington, Wash.
- Christina A. Jefferds, 45, Arlington, Wash.
- William E. Welsh, 66, Arlington, Wash.
- Linda L. McPherson, 69, Arlington, Wash.
UPDATE: OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Jay Inslee's request for more federal assistance to help with recovery efforts following the deadly mudslide in Oso has been approved.
Viet Shelton, spokesman for Rep. Suzan DelBene, said the request was granted Friday morning. Inslee asked for an expansion of a federal emergency declaration the state received earlier this week.
Inslee issued the request Thursday for additional help that would come from an expanded declaration, including helping local and state government agencies recover a portion of the estimated $4.5 million expected to be spent on emergency response, protective measures and debris removal related to Saturday's mudslide. The declaration that was received Monday provided federal disaster teams, other personnel and equipment.
UPDATE: OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Jay Inslee's request for more federal assistance to help with recovery efforts following the deadly mudslide in Oso has been approved.
Viet Shelton, spokesman for Rep. Suzan DelBene, said the request was granted Friday morning. Inslee asked for an expansion of a federal emergency declaration the state received earlier this week.
Inslee issued the request Thursday for additional help that would come from an expanded declaration, including helping local and state government agencies recover a portion of the estimated $4.5 million expected to be spent on emergency response, protective measures and debris removal related to Saturday's mudslide. Military Department spokeswoman Karina Shagren said that debris removal costs were not included in the federal approval, but that state officials are still working on securing that additional money.
The declaration that was received Monday provided federal disaster teams, other personnel and equipment.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:DARRINGTON, Wash. (AP) - A spokesman for authorities dealing with Washington state's deadly mudslide says search crews found an additional body late Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 25 victims.
That word comes from landslide incident spokesman Brian McMahan. Authorities say while they have discovered 25 bodies, not all have been recovered.
Snohomish County Emergency Management Director John Pennington said earlier Wednesday that 90 people have been confirmed as missing. Authorities are also looking into a list of 35 people who may or may not have been in the area at the time of last Saturday's slide about 55 miles northeast of Seattle.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
