3 Missing After 'Unbelievably Big' Colorado Mudslide
Emergency crews were searching for three people missing after an "unbelievably big" mudslide – estimated to be about four miles long, two miles wide and about 250 feet deep – late Sunday in western Colorado's Mesa County.
The slide, which Lt. Phil Stratton at the Mesa County Sheriff's Office described as "unbelievably big," occurred in the town of Collbran, about 200 miles west of Denver, according to Reuters.
Officials suspect that an entire ridge was sliding for most of the day Sunday. It caused sound like that of a freight train, according to a witness who was the first to report it to authorities.
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The slide is being attributed to six straight days of rain that may have soaked large swaths of the Rocky Mountain state. Mesa County had rainfall most of the day Sunday.
"The September 2013 rains likely destabilized hillsides and steep slopes, so increased landslides and rock slides will also be possible this spring, particularly with heavier or prolonged rainfall," the weather service said.
Rescuers rushed to the area after the slide was reported around 6 p.m. local time, CBS News quoted Mesa County Sheriff's spokeswoman, Lisa McCammon, as saying.
The operations had to be stopped after nightfall, she said, as the "slide area is very unstable."
Plateau Valley Fire Department and the Mesa sheriff are jointly handling the slide and search operations for the people possibly caught in it.
The missing people have not been identified but are said to be residents of the Collbran and Mesa areas, according to The Denver Post.
The area hit by the slide is remote with no cellphone service.
There were no reports of any damage to structures. Officials were expected to make a more detailed assessment Monday.
Two months ago, dozens died in a mudslide in Oso in Washington State's Snohomish County.
A slide of dirt, trees, rocks and other debris – estimated to be a mile long – slammed homes about 55 miles north of Seattle on March 22.
Recalling what happened, a resident of Oso, LoAnna Langton, told The Washington Post she saw the mountain move. It roared, shook and tossed aside about a 100 trees at a time, she described. Then she saw an avalanche of mud and rock moving fast toward her back door. "I just knew we were going to die," she said, noting that she gathered the children and hugged them close. But it miraculously stopped in the back yard.
