MONROE, Wash. (AP) - Emergency services in Washington state have started to prepare an emergency response plan after a mudslide blocked a private access road residents rely on to get to town.
Snohomish County sheriff’s officials have scouted a horse farm as a potential helicopter landing zone for emergency air evacuation east of Monroe, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Seattle, the Everett Herald reported Wednesday.
“It’s a perfect day for us and the pilots to get eyes on the possible landing zone in the case we need it,” said Heather Chadwick, Fire District 7 spokeswoman. “But again, this is not our primary response for getting them down the hill.”
Authorities are preparing potential efforts after a mudslide broke off a chuck of 260th Avenue earlier this month blocking resident access and forcing 120 residents to walk or use all-terrain vehicles to get in or out of town.
Some residents fear the hill they are now using is also not stable and that a mudslide is imminent.
County officials determined last week that one home near the slide may be unsafe to occupy.
Contractors are estimating more than $2 million to fix damages, but another slide could nullify any progress, county officials said.
Three property owners in the town have agreed to allow a temporary road to pass through their land so residents have an alternative route out of town.
“People are in good spirits, but this is our new norm,” resident Samantha Idle said. “Neighbors are definitely helping neighbors.”
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