Washington State Landslide

[NJmike PE]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/us/washington-landslide/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

Earlier Sunday, when just four bodies had been found dead, Hots had said that at least 18 people remained unaccounted for. It was not immediately clear how many still did.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/251802421.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand

Washington officials report that 108 names are on their list of missing or unaccounted for after the mudslide.

 

[DVINNY]

very sad situation all around

 

[NJmike PE]

[SIZE=11pt]I was looking around on Google Earth during my lunch and decided to review the time-lapse for the area of the mudslide in Oso, Washington. I was amazed to see the change in the river alignment as a result of the logging activities above. Attached is a side by side comparison of the various years, and finally the first and last aerial for the site, all provided by Google Earth. Amazing no one stopped this, even though warnings were issued.[/SIZE]

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[engineergurl]

[SIZE=11pt]I was looking around on Google Earth during my lunch and decided to review the time-lapse for the area of the mudslide in Oso, Washington. I was amazed to see the change in the river alignment as a result of the logging activities above. Attached is a side by side comparison of the various years, and finally the first and last aerial for the site, all provided by Google Earth. Amazing no one stopped this, even though warnings were issued.[/SIZE]

The logging activities may or may not have been a contributing factor, however, that looks like a pretty typical movement... honestly, looking at it, the really older photos indicate that it must have been VERY VERY dry which isn't consistent to logging activities in there area.

 

[NJmike PE]

so you are saying that the apparent slope failure between 2005 and 2007 is not a direct result of the unstable land above when they logged that triangular piece upslope from the stream?

 

[engineergurl]

so you are saying that the apparent slope failure between 2005 and 2007 is not a direct result of the unstable land above when they logged that triangular piece upslope from the stream?

No and Yes. I have to go to meeting right now, dang it! What I'm saying is you can't take a few air photos and determine that, you need to look at rainfall amounts, activities upstream, the health of the stream, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Honestly, just by what you posted, I would say if any logging was to be blamed it was the activities back in 1989 that started a deterioration that after 25 years of additional contributing factors, finally failed.

 

[NJmike PE]

and I would totally agree with all of that. Especially on the heels that they warned about a potential failure. And let's be honest. It's Washington State. It's never dry there.

 

[Exception Collection]

and I would totally agree with all of that. Especially on the heels that they warned about a potential failure. And let's be honest. It's Washington State. It's never dry there.

That's not true! Cross the Cascades to Eastern WA and it gets quite a bit drier.

 

[NJmike PE]

and I would totally agree with all of that. Especially on the heels that they warned about a potential failure. And let's be honest. It's Washington State. It's never dry there.

That's not true! Cross the Cascades to Eastern WA and it gets quite a bit drier.

coming from a native WA I'll accept that. Here on the East Coast the perception is that it always rains there. That being said, does it ever NOT rain in those areas?