Washington landslide risk maps still incomplete over a decade after Oso disaster

In the aftermath of the 2014 Oso landslide, it was clear there were significant gaps in how the state had mapped and prepared for the risk of such a catastrophic event. Many people in the community did not know their homes made them vulnerable to a life-threatening disaster.

As bodies were dug from the caked earth, lawmakers and state environmental planners set in motion plans to prevent such harm from repeating. A new mapping project was launched to meaningfully document Washington’s landslide risk — tools intended to inform the public, local governments and emergency planners.

But over a decade later, as a historic atmospheric river inundated Western Washington, the map is still unfinished. Critical projections about human and property risk, and which areas of Washington are most likel