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As It Happens

One year later, Washington mudslide survivor still struggles

We check in with one of the survivors of the deadly mudslide that wiped out a small community in Washington State almost one year ago.
CBC News ·
Robin Youngblood survived the landslide that destroyed her house next to the North Fork of the Stillaguamish river Saturday, March 22, 2014. She is holding the only item that survived the disaster, a painting of a Cherokee warrior that was knocked from the wall and muddied. "It saved us." she said. (Mark Harrison/Seattle Time/AP)
As It Happens6:02One year later, Washington mudslide survivor still grieving

It took just seconds for the wall of mud and earth to wipe out Robin Youngblood's home one year ago. But the grieving and re-building process is taking much longer. Youngblood tells As It Happens host Carol Off, "It's been one of the hardest years of my life. There is immense grief."

"One family lost three generations, six people. When you have that kind of loss there is no instant fix, this is going to go on for the rest of their lives."

An aerial view shows the damming of the Stillaguamish River after Saturday's landslide in Oso, Washington, is seen in this Washington State Department of Transportation photo taken March 23, 2014. (Washing State Department of Transportation)
​The mudslide that hit Oso, Washington on March 21, 2014, killed 47 people, and displaced many more. A single tree has been planted for each of the victims near where the landslide happened. 

Youngblood still has questions about what caused the disaster and what's being done to make sure it never happens again. An investigation placed part of the blame on the clearcutting of trees at the top of the hill that collapsed -- and also on erosion of a river at the base of the hill.

Youngblood maintains that intense and careless clearcut logging caused the collapse. "I hope that we're really concerned about learning from our mistakes," she says. 

"When you clearcut the top of a mountain...things are going to happen that people aren't going to like."

Jason Anderson searches through rubble for bodies on Cory Kuntz's property near Route 530. The Kuntz family had gone to a baseball game Saturday morning when the fatal slide swept through the area. (The Associated Press)
​On Sunday, the anniversary of the mudslide, thousands are expected to attend a memorial. Youngblood says she and and other survivors are simply hoping for some time alone to quietly reflect. "We're all hoping that some next step of closure will happen this weekend. We're all trying hard to find new lives," she says.

"I would just ask everyone to say a prayer for all of us. We definitely need it."

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