The Oso Landslide death toll is now up to 29. This is one of the worst natural hazard disasters I can remember in recent times. First and foremost I think should be the memories of the victims. There are so many heart-wrenching stories of the people that lost their lives in this giant landslide. I think those stories underscore the importance of the jobs of geologists and engineers.
We have a responsibility to protect life and property in the work that we do. I’m not saying this landslide or the loss of life could have necessarily been prevented, but I personally take tragic events like this as a reminder of the sacred charge of our profession and use it as motivation in my daily practice of geological and geotechnical engineering. With regards to the geology and engineering aspects of the Oso Landslide, below are several links that I found interesting or informative.
- Oso landslip: useful resources and the rising human cost – Source: The Landslide Blog
- The Oso (Steelhead) landslide: mechanisms of movement and the challenges of recovering the victims – Source: The Landslide Blog
- Oso: Clearcut Extended Into No-Logging Zone – Source: Northwest Public Radio
- USGS: Preliminary Interpretation of Pre-2014 Landslide Deposits in the Vicinity of Oso, Washington – Source: USGS via USGS Landslide Events
- Oso landslide death toll rises to 29 – Source: KING5.com