North Sound neighborhood comes together to prevent future damage after mudslide

MONROE, Wash. — In Snohomish County, neighbors are working together to prevent future damage after a mudslide wiped out their only route home.

Residents of Skyview Estates have defied steep, slick terrain in the name of safety.

"We have to protect that hill --- we still need that road,” said neighbor Sharon Fisher.

For two weeks now, anyone needing to leave Skyview Estates has either had to walk or take an ATV.

Stormy weather could complicate even that.

Going forward, there’s a very real worry that more rain could lead to a full collapse of the road.

“It can’t be a crappy road,” said resident Amy Haslund. “It at least has to be enough to help people."

On Thursday, KIRO 7’s cameras rolled as volunteers unfurled a giant tarp over the hillside.

Should bad weather hit this weekend, the hope is that the road will be shored up so there’s no more damage.

It’s damage that homeowners would have to fix, given that the road is private.

“Some people are good at pushing paper and other people are good at climbing hills, so we’re figuring out what we’re all good at,” said Haslund.

Fisher’s husband was working at sunrise.

By the middle of the afternoon, he’d defied every angle possible.

“You want to say, ‘get out of there, that’s dangerous,’ but this is a choice he’s made to help --- and it has to be done," Fisher told KIRO 7 News.

Neighbors say repairs to the private road could cost more than $2 million. And all day long, they worked to keep that bill from going up.

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