Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/283910
By Manuel Valdes The Associated Press ARLINGTON, WAsh. » A scien- tist working for the govern- ment had warned 15 years ago about the potential for a catastrophic landslide in the fishing village where the collapse of a rain-soaked hill - side over the weekend killed at least 14 people and left scores missing. A s r e s c u e w o r k e r s slogged through the muck and rain in search of victims Tuesday, word of the 1999 re - port raised questions about why residents were allowed to build homes on the hill and whether officials had taken proper precautions. "I knew it would fail cata - strophically in a large mag- nitude event," though not when it would happen, said Daniel Miller, a geomorphol- ogist who was hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- neers to do the study. "I was not surprised." Patr icia Graes ser, a spokeswoman for the Army Corps in Seattle, said it ap - pears that the report was intended not as a risk as- sessment, but as a feasibil- ity study for ecosystem res- toration. Asked whether the agency should have done anything with the information, she said: "We don't have juris - diction to do anything. We don't do zoning. That's a lo- cal responsibility." Snohomish County offi- cials and authorities in the devastated village of Oso said that they were not aware of the study but that residents and town officials knew the risks of living in the area. In fact, the area has long been known as the "Hazel fore Saturday's disaster was in 2006. "A slide of this magnitude is very difficult to predict," county Public Works Direc - tor Steve Thomsen told The Seattle Times, which first re- ported on Miller's analysis. "There was no indication, no indication at all." No landslide warnings for the area were issued before the disaster, which came af - ter weeks of heavy rain. The rushing wall of quicksand- like mud, trees and other debris flattened about two dozen homes and critically injured several people. "One of the things this tragedy should teach us is the need to get better infor - mation about geologic haz- ards out to the general pub- lic," said David Montgomery, a geomorphologist with the University of Washington in Seattle. "Where are the po - tentially unstable slopes? How big a risk do they pose? And what should be done to let homeowners know about that?" Meanwhile searchers ies. Authorities were work- ing off a list of 176 people un- accounted for, though some names were believed to be duplicates. The threat of flash floods or another landslide loomed over the rescuers. Near the southern perim - eter of the slide, volunteers from a logging crew gath- ered to help move debris with chainsaws, excavators and other heavy equipment. Gene Karger said he could see six orange flags in the debris field, marking bodies they would be pulling out. Karger, a logger most of his life, said it was the first time he was involved in this kind of rescue work. "You see parts of their bodies sticking out of the mud. It's real hard. It's that bad," Karger said. "There are people out there we know." In his report, Miller said that the soil on the steep slope lacked any binding agent that would make it more secure, and that the underlying layers of silt and currently have no basis for estimating the probable rate or timing of future landslide activity." In an interview Tuesday, Miller noted there are hun - dreds of similar landslides in Washington state each year, and this particular river val- ley has had three very large slides in the last three de- cades. Predicting landslides is difficult, so much so that damage from them is ex - cluded from private insur- ance policies, according to a study published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2012. One challenge is estimating the probability of a slide in any particular place. One of the authors of the USGS report, Jonathan Godt, a research scientist with the agency in Colorado, said landslides don't get that much attention because they often happen in places where they don't hit anything. But with Americans build - ing homes deeper into the wilderness, he said, "there are more people in the way " NATuRAL dIsAsTeR Scientist warned of mudslide 15 years ago ElainE Thompson — ThE associaTEd prEss searchers move lumber to help stabilize a destroyed structure before searching it Tuesday in oso, Wash. at least 14 people were killed in the 1-square-mile slide that hit in a rural area about 55 miles northeast of seattle on saturday. several people also were critically injured, and homes were destroyed. By Paul elias The Associated Press San Francisco requires handgun owners to secure weapons in their homes by storing them in a locker, keeping them on their bodies or applying trigger locks. The city also bans the sale of ammunition that expands on impact, has "no sporting purpose" and is commonly referred to as hollow-point bullets. The Sa n Fra ncisco - based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the requirements are reason - able attempts to increase public safety without tram- pling on Second Amend- ment rights. Judge Sandra Ikuta, w riting for the unani- mous three-judge panel, said modern gun lockers can be opened quickly and "may be readily accessed in case of an emergency." She also said that gun own - ers concerned about safety can carry them around the home as well. As for the ammunition ban, Ikuta said San Fran - cisco residents were free to buy the banned bullets out- side city limits. That limi- tation "imposes only mod- est burdens on the Second Amendment right," she said. Chuck Michel, the lead attorney on the N R A- backed lawsuit said he would ask the appeals court to rehear the case before a special 11-judge panel. Michel said he would petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case if the 9th Circuit rejects his bid for another hearing. "Self-defense is not a sport," Michel said. San Francisco's gun restric - tions are among the strict- est in the nation, he said. sTATe Court upholds San Francisco gun restrictions Paid Political Advertisement MEET AND GREET Jennifer Vise Candidate for Clerk and Recorder Tehama Oaks Winery 14494 Warren Ave Red Bluff CA Please join me for refreshments and appetizers Friday March 28, 2014 5:30 to 7:30 pm 1921 ~ 2014 93 RD APRIL 18, 19, 20, 2014 www.redbluffroundup.com (530) 527-1000 1-800-545-3500 Friday Family Packs $ 35 RODEO AMERICA'S ORIGINAL EXTREME SPORT! Servicing your disposal needs in Tehama County, and the City of Red Bluff including Residential, Commercial, and Temporary bin services. GREEN WASTE OF TEHAMA A WASTE CONNECTIONS COMPANY 530-528-8500 1805 AIRPORT BLVD. RED BLUFF, CA GreenWaste is a proud supporter of local events. No Strings Attached! 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