OSO, Wash. — A decade in the making and the Oso Landslide Memorial is finally a reality.
The Oso landslide happened at 10:37 a.m. on March 22, 2014. It killed 43 people and remains the deadliest landslide in American history.
Every single thing at the 4-acre memorial is done with intention, right down to the materials used - rock, steel and timber symbolizing the strength and resilience of the community.
"It's always been the intent for this to a be a place where people can gather, learn, heal and remember," said Sharon Swan, Snohomish County's parks division director.
Swan has been working on the project since day one.
"It's been hard. Every single meeting is like ripping open up a wound for the family members who have to talk about their loss," said Swan. "Our real hope is that family members can see this really reflects their loved ones and that they connect with it."
There are several distinct sections along a paved walking path. One recognizes those who responded to the scene for search and rescue missions.
"The responder community experienced a great deal of trauma being out here every day," said Swan.
Another is dedicated to the Steelhead Drive community in general.
"It wasn't just individuals that were lost, it was an entire community that was lost," reminds Swan.
A third spot pays tribute to the 11 community members who survived the disaster.
The biggest and most impressive is the area for the 43 people that were killed. Twenty-six large, rust colored steel monuments are spread throughout the grounds. Each is uniquely adorned with personal memories and effects. Created by Seattle artist and Armenian immigrant Tsovinar Muradyan, they are curved to give the feeling of an embrace.
"The families early on told us they didn't want these to be tombstone-like," said Swan. "They didn't want them to be sad."
Still, one can't help but feel the sadness as you walk through the grounds; Even for Carol Ohlfs, who designed the final incarnation of the memorial.
"The stories of the youngest children really hit me," she said. "As I was working on this I had my little kids around. It definitely made me feel grateful and so very sad."
One of the monuments is for Christina Jefferds and Sanoah Huestis.
"They call her Snowy," explained Swan. "Christina was her grandmother. They were together. Sanoah was less than a year old when the slide came."
The girl was four-months-old at the time of the landslide.
The centerpiece of the memorial is a tall sculpture. At precisely 10:37 a.m. on March 22 every year, it will cast a shadow on a nearby boulder engraved with the words "hope is seeing the light despite the darkness."
There is also a covered gathering area with a wood fireplace and a place to sit, reflect and look directly at the collapsed hillside.
It was so much loss that still leaves a crater in so many hearts. It's a crater memorial organizers hope is slowly being filled with love and gratitude.
"We don't want this area to just grow over, like a lot of it has, and not remember those who were lost, not remember the heroic efforts of the responders, and the outpouring of support from the whole community," said Swan.
From the KING 5 Archives: Remembering the Oso landslide one year later