Four years after the catastrophic Oso landslide that killed 43 people, plans were unveiled for a permanent memorial to remember the victims and response efforts.
The landslide wiped out neighborhood north of Seattle and destroyed homes when it roared down a hillside above the north fork of the Stillaguamish River. It was the deadliest landslide in U.S. history.
As the community recovered, it looked to a tree that withstood the slide as a memorial for those who perished that day. But the tree's roots sustained a lot of damage from the landslide, and it was at risk of toppling over.
>> See photos from the deadly slide here
Crews took it down last year. At the time, leaders told KIRO 7 that they want to repurpose parts of the tree as part of a permanent Oso Memorial along the White Horse Trail.
Snohomish County Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism announced on Thursday that a permanent memorial for the victims will be built on the site of the slide.
"Family members want visitors not only to find the information they are seeking about the slide but also empathize with the victims as loved individuals," Senior Parks Planner Amy Lucas wrote in a news release.
They are kicking off fundraising efforts in hopes of breaking ground this time next year. Click here to donate.
More news from KIRO 7
- 20 bullets fired: Police kill unarmed black man holding cellphone in own backyard
- Burglars say shop owner tortured them, made them strip naked after break-in
- Woman helping driver killed in hit-and-run near Port Orchard
- You don't have to #DeleteFacebook: 7 tips to lock down your privacy without leaving
- One dead in Maple Valley crash