© Washington State Transportation Department
The Saturday landslide, which encompassed about one square mile, was caused by groundwater saturation tied to heavy rainfall in the area over the past month.
At least six houses were destroyed in the landslide, and as many as 16 were damaged, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said.
The landslide affected the towns of Oso, a remote community of about 180, and Darrington, a town of about 1,350 people. The landslide cut off State Road 530 to Darrington. Part of the Stillaguamish River also was blocked, and residents were warned of possible flooding both upstream and downstream of the collapse.
The Washington State Patrol provided photos that showed floodwaters and sprawling debris covering a rural patch of the road, framed by woodlands and snow-capped mountains.
The first reports of the landslide came in around 10:45 a.m. Saturday (1:45 p.m. ET), the sheriff's office said.
Source: CNN
Reports today are that there are eight people dead, several injured and 18 confirmed missing. In addition, 108 people are on a list of potentially missing, but the county sheriff said that's a 'soft' number and anticipates that it will fall as people get in touch with their worried friends and family members. The number of dead is expected to rise in the next few days, however, since about 30 homes were swept away on a Saturday night.