'There was no warning.' Oso slide survivor shares why road closure is worth the wait
OSO, Wash. -- Washington Department of Transportation officials announced SR 530 will remain closed until Thursday while they continue to monitor and evaluate the slide.
Transportation officials said the slide has not moved since Friday, but because the slope itself is dangerous and close to the highway, they don't want to take any chances.
They told Q13 News geologists are going to do some more testing throughout the week to determine whether or not it's safe to reopen the road.
At this point, they say the rain these next couple of days is not a big concern, but again they don't want to compromise anyone's safety.
"Our business is to keep roads open. So we don't take lightly closing the highway," said Dave McCormick with Washington Department of Transportation. "That 24 acres of soil that is impacted needs a little more time to settle down, and we need some assurety that it's not going to move."
Crews said in the meantime, drivers who need to travel between Oso and Darrington will need to take SR 20.
That will add at least an extra hour one way.
Many people who live near or close to the highway are frustrated because they have to travel even further to get to where they need to go.
Sunday, one woman who survived the 2014 Oso slide and is also affected by the latest closure, has a powerful message for her community, that she says she wished she would've gotten three years ago.
The first sign of possibly another big slide in Oso has brought back painful memories for many families.
"I just sat there for a moment and basically froze," said Dayn Brunner, whose sister passed away in the 2014 Oso Slide.
For Robin Youngblood, one of only 9 survivors in the 2014 slide, it's a horrible memory that won't ever seem to fade away.
"The slide happened in three minutes," said Youngblood. "There was no warning. I only had time to say 'oh my god.'"
Youngblood has since moved away from the slide's path on SR 530. She now lives in Darrington, but because of the latest landslide risk, today transportation officials decided to keep both sides of the highway closed until Thursday.
"Because safety is at an elevated risk, we want to keep the highway closed," said Dave McCormick with Washington Department of Transportation.
It's news the community isn't too happy about, Youngblood said.
However, having lived through a catastrophe before, she said she understands the damage Mother Nature can do, and how in the blink of an eye, your whole world could change.
"Right now, it's slow-moving, but all it's going to take is a bunch of rain," said Youngblood. "If that rain fills up the clay bowl, and it decides to go, it's 24 acres. It's going to cover the road and it will kill anybody who's on it."
For her, none of that is worth the drive, especially when officials said it's not safe. "Anybody who thinks that hey can drive down there and have enough warning to stay safe, it's impossible," said Youngblood.