Storm aftermath: Mudslide leaves crumbling path to hilltop neighborhood in Monroe


SNOHOMISH COUNTY – A hilltop neighborhood in Monroe has been dealing with the aftermath of a mudslide on their private drive.

The community is called Skyview Estates. About 120 people live in the neighborhood.

After the mudslide on Thursday, a group of neighbors used excavators and chainsaws to clear the huge tree trunks, rock, soil and debris that came sliding down the hill.

Neighbors described the slide as 40 to 50 feet wide, and several feet tall. It blocked the only road that leads up to their homes.

“The whole road is just slowly falling off the side of the hill,” said Samantha Idle.

The ground beneath this uphill, curvy road is structurally crumbling apart. There are several cracks on the concrete, and one section is literally falling into pieces on the edge.

“It’s hard to sleep every night,” said Idle, a resident of ten years. “There’s a lot of what ifs. I don’t know if this road that we’re standing on is going to be here in the morning. I don’t know.”

Idle said there are two children in the neighborhood with medical conditions.

After consulting with city and county officials, a helicopter is the only safe way to provide emergency medical attention.

Snohomish County officials have stopped by to inspect the damage. Neighbors say the problem will ultimately be theirs to solve, because it is a private road.

A geo-technician is scheduled to assess the damage at the end of the week.

For now, this community is just trying to make due with their ATVs, and walking up and down the uphill road that spans about a mile in both directions.

“If somebody would let us leave through their property, that would be awesome. We’ve run into some complications with people not wanting us to do that,” said Idle.

Idle said other concerns include access for trucks to deliver propane to heat their homes, and going to school for children in the neighborhood, and going to work for the adults.

“It only happened on Thursday, but it feels like it’s been months,” said Idle. “It’s worrisome to say the least and I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet.”

The neighbors also need dump trucks to clear the mess, gravel and some way to control the eroding ground.