Remembering deadly Oso landslide 11 years later

America's deadliest landslide: 11 years of heartache in WA

On March 22, 2014, 43 people lost their lives in Oso, Washington. The landslide nearly wiped out a small town north of Seattle. Today, survivors and family members remember the victims together at a new permanent memorial.

OSO, Wash. - March 22, 2025 marks the 11th year since a landslide in northern Washington rocked a small town.

The backstory:

Loved ones reflected on the loss of so many members of their community 11 years ago as Saturday marked another anniversary of the 2014 landslide that killed 43 people, the deadliest slide in American history.

OSO, WA - MARCH 25: A structure sits in ruins in the aftermath of a mudslide and related flooding on March 25, 2014 in Oso, Washington. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

"It’s still surreal, it’s fresh in my mind, it’s fresh in everybody’s mind," said Dayn Brunner, the brother of Summer Raffo. "I remember it very, very vividly and the pain and the heartache not only that it caused myself, that it caused my mom and the rest of my family."

It was a Saturday morning when the hillside collapsed on March 22, more than a decade ago. A wall of mud and debris destroyed the Steelhead Haven neighborhood.

For years, families of those lost in the disaster have been advocating for a permanent memorial. Finally, the last bit of funding was secured in the 2022 Snohomish County budget.

FOX 13 coverage of the 10th anniversary of the devastating event includes more information about the victims, survivors, and community response to the slide.

What they're saying:

"She was a hard worker, she was the hardest working woman that I ever met," Brunner said of his sister on Saturday. "She was just amazing. No matter what you needed, no matter what day, no matter what time, if you needed help from her, she was there."

He said his sister worked seven days a week and loved horses, she was with one the morning of the landslide. His family not only honors her every March but also in December around the holidays with a weekend gathering celebrating her life.

"She was ‘Ms. Reliable’ and it wouldn’t matter what you were doing, if you needed help digging a ditch four feet deep and 100 foot long, she’d be there to do it and she wouldn’t complain about it, she’d make it fun," he told FOX 13. "She was an amazing person and we miss her a lot."

In a message to the public on Saturday, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said:

"Eleven years ago today, the tragic SR 530 Slide claimed the lives of 43 members of our community that morning. The impact of that day and the tragedy it brought will never be forgotten.

Please join us in taking a moment to reflect on the 43 lives lost in the landslide. Today, we keep their families, friends, and loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.

We also express our continued gratitude to the hundreds of first responders and volunteers who answered the call to help, as well as to the community members who stood by us throughout the 38-day recovery mission. #OsoStrong #NeverForget."

Photos of victims of the 2014 Oso landslide in Washington.

Big picture view:

The Oso Slide was a national wake up call for the country, ushering in more funding and research for preventing and monitoring similar disasters.

Congress in 2020 adopted the National Landslides Preparedness Act to create a national strategy to identify, understand and protect against landslides — legislation pushed by lawmakers from Washington state, including Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene.

The Source: Information for this article comes from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.