Mudslide in Washington State

[TenEightyOne]

Just watching coverage of this, looks really terrible.

Authorities say they have 108 reports of people missing or unaccounted for after Saturday's huge landslide in the north-western US state of Washington.

Eight bodies have been recovered so far after the 177ft (54m) wall of mud swept near the town of Oso, about 55 miles (90km) north of Seattle.

Search crews have worked day and night, using helicopters in the dangerous conditions that destroyed 30 homes.

Several people, including an infant, were critically injured.

"This is devastation beyond imagination," Washington Governor Jay Inslee said after surveying the area from the air.

He said the slide "basically cut a mountain in two" and deposited it on the town below.

Nothing in the path of the slide was still standing, he said. "It's that absolute devastation that causes us all real pain."

They go on to stress that the current figure (at time of posting this was 108) doesn't necessarily represent the number of people who may be trapped by the slide.

Still, it's a terrible situation whatever the actual numbers.

 

[edawg456]

I live a couple hours drive south of where the mudslide happend. Such a tragic accident. Words can't really describe on how bad this is.

 

[phone]

I live about 45 minutes from there. The head nurse where I diallise at said she lost a house in that slide. That is scarey.

 

[Dennisch]

They are talking about a square mile that has been hit and covered up by the slide. That's a mountain collapsing, not just a mud slide.

 

[a6m5]

I saw the initial report that reported handful of casualties. Report mentioned possible flood due to the debris from the slide blocking a river.

This morning, I see it again on Google news headline & it says over a hundred people missing.

My thoughts are with the victims. The area is so dangerous right now, that authorities are having really tough time getting any rescue operation going in there.

 

[photonrider]

My thoughts are with the victims. The area is so dangerous right now, that authorities are having really tough time getting any rescue operation going in there.

Reports are that there are at least 176 missing, and the figure keeps rising as more reports come in.
Whether this planet is just or not is one question but the fact that it has no mercy is unquestionable.

We can only hope to recover.

 

[Crash]

It hasn't been a good couple of weeks up here. First the helicopter crash, then the mudslide.

Be safe everyone.

 

[Touring Mars]

Wow, the scale of this is quite shocking... some staggering pictures from today's news... I sincerely hope the numbers of missing people are revised downward, but it goes without saying that anyone caught up in this landslide would have very little chance of survival...

 

[Dotini]

The region has suffered a record amount of rainfall for the previous month. It is now unendurable. 👎

There have been numerous smaller landslides in developed areas blocking railroad tracks and so on, but this one is on the scale of a whole rural village being wiped out, like in a Pakistani or Peruvian earthquake. Except there was no earthquake.

The hill in question has been known to local geologists and residents since the 1940's at least. It has been a constant problem, with disaster long-predicted. State and County officials are even now starting to argue who knew what when.

1966 saw the birth of an incredibly exciting new series, the Can-Am for unlimited sports cars. It also saw the rebirth of Formula One, as displacement was doubled from an anemic 1.5 liters to a more robust 3.0 liters. I followed both, and had attended several of the West-coast big-money pro races for sports cars that preceded the Can-Am. This question delves into the comparative performance of the two cars. Which was quickest? From 1966-74, the life of the Can-Am, 18 races were held at St. Jovite, Mosport and Watkins Glen, while 17 races were held at the same circuits in the same time span by the F1 circus. So some comparisons are possible, especially considering they had many of the same drivers, and tires supplied mainly by Goodyear.

In the beginning, it was clear the Can-Am cars held the upper hand. For instance, by 1967 the Can-Am had been coming to Mosport for 2 years, and Denny Hulme (McLaren M6A-Chevy) had set pole at 1:20.8 and fastest lap at 1:20.7 (109.7 mph). The '67 F1 pole by Jim Clark (Lotus 49-Ford) was 1:22.4, with FL at 1:23.1 (106.5 mph).

By the end in 1974, it was clear Can-Am, over-regulated and lacking competition, was slower than F1. Indeed, in a demonstration match at Laguna Seca between Don Nichols' Shadow Can-Am cars (Oliver and Follmer) and his Shadow F1 cars (Jarier and Hunt), the heavier iron was humbled, spun and lapped.

Your question is to determine which car - F1 or Can-Am - on balance held the upper hand in the years 1966-1974, using qualifying times, fastest laps, etc. as your evidence.

PS, To make this easier, I will progressively add in data until the picture is resolvable:

1966 Can-Am
St. Jovite.......Pole 1:38.4....Fastest Lap 1:37.3 (98.05 mph)
Mosport.........Pole 1:50.7....Fastest Lap 1:23.1 (106.5 mph)

1966 F1
Watkins Glen...Pole 1:08.42...Fastest Lap 1:09.67 (118.846 mph)

1967 Can-Am
Mosport..........Pole 1:20.8....Fastest Lap 1:20.7 (109.696 mph)

1967 F1
Mosport..........Pole 1:22.4.....Fastest Lap 1:23.1 (106.5 mph)
Watkins Glen...Pole 1:05.48...Fastest Lap 106.0 (125.455 mph)

1968 Can-Am
- no races these circuits -

1968 F1
St. Jovite..........Pole 1:33.8....Fastest Lap 1:35.1 (100.315 mph)
Watkins Glen.....Pole 1:04.2....Fastest Lap 1:05.22 (126.955 mph)

1969 Can Am
Mosport............Pole 1:18.2....Fastest Lap 1:19.5 (111.25 mph)
St. Jovite..........Pole 1:31.7....Fastest Lap 1:33.8 (101.7 mph)
Watkins Glen.....Pole 1:02.21...Fastest lap 1:02.6 (132.27 mph)

1969 F1
Mosport............Pole 1:17.4.....Fastest Lap 1:18.1 (113.345 mph)
Watkins Glen.....Pole 1:03.62....Fastest lap 1:04.34 (128.691 mph)

1970 Can Am
Mosport............Pole 1:16.8.....Fastest Lap 1:18.0 (113.492 mph)
St. Jovite..........Pole 1:33.0.....Fastest Lap 1:34.3 (101.17 mph)
Watkins Glen.....Pole 1:02.76...Fastest Lap 1:05.8 (125.84 mph)

1970 F1
St. Jovite...........Pole 1.31.5.....Fastest Lap 1:32.2 (103.467 mph)
Watkins Glen......Pole 1:03.07...Fastest Lap 1:02.74 (131.973 mph)

1971 Can Am
Mosport...............Pole 1:17.3.....Fastest Lap 1:18.8 (112.343 mph)
St. Jovite.............Pole 1:32.9.....Fastest Lap 1:33.6 (101.93 mph)
Watkins Glen........Pole 1:05.11....Fastest Lap 1:06.083 (132.84 mph)

1971 F1
Mosport................Pole 1:15.3.......Fastest Lap 1:43.5 (85.522 mph) (rain)
Watkins 5.434km...Pole 1:42.642...Fastest Lap 1:43.474 (117.495 mph)

1972 Can Am
Mosport................Pole 1:14.2......Fastest Lap1:15.2 (117.766 mph)
Watkins Glen.........Pole 1:39.187...Fastest Lap 1:44.300 (116.560 mph)

1972 F1
Mosport................Pole 1:13.6......Fastest Lap 1:15.7 (116.929 mph)
Watkins Glen.........Pole 1:40.481...Fastest Lap 1:41.644 (119.611 mph)

1973 Can-Am
Mosport................Pole 1:14.1......Fastest Lap 1:18.0 (113..492 mph)
Watkins Glen.........Pole 1:38.848...Fastest Lap 1:40.0 (122.74 mph)

1973 F1
Mosport................Pole 1:13.697....Fastest Lap 1:15.496 (117.256 mph)
Watkins Glen.........Pole 1:39.657...Fastest Lap 1:41.652 (119.596 mph)

1974 Can-Am
Mosport................Pole 1:14.5.......Fastest Lap 1:14.6 (118.66 mph)
Watkins Glen.........Pole 1:39.969...Fastest Lap...........(119.35 mph)

1974 F1
Mosport................Pole 1:13.188....Fastest Lap 1:13.659 (120.181 mph)
Watkins Glen.........Pole 1:38.978....Fastest Lap 1:40.608 (120.837 mph)

 

[photonrider]

They had many natural warnings. As I commented before, Nature has no mercy.

As more reports of the devastation comes in, the images are too horrible to even comprehend. The bodies have been ripped apart according to the Asst. Fire Chief, as if flung around in a rock tumbler, torn to shreds, clothes ripped off . . . a four year old boy was rescued by a chopper hovering a foot above him in the mud; when he was lifted out by a crewman his clothes were sucked back into the mud. There were reports of children digging to find their parents, many incredibly painful stories coming in.
Debris is as high as 42 feet under which victims could be trapped.
Not a good time for the planet, just too much all piling up for humans to handle.
No doubt many of us send our thoughts to those out there facing turmoil, if only by devoting attention to what they're enduring.

 

[JMR450]

I saw the initial report that reported handful of casualties. Report mentioned possible flood due to the debris from the slide blocking a river.

This morning, I see it again on Google news headline & it says over a hundred people missing.

My thoughts are with the victims. The area is so dangerous right now, that authorities are having really tough time getting any rescue operation going in there.

I understand they are using helicopters with thermal imagery to look for heat signatures of casualties. It is a truly sad event, thoughts are with those of victims and family of the missing.

 

[a6m5]

@JMR450 I was just thinking about thermal imagery this morning. It's unfortunate it doesn't seem to be much help for obvious reasons. @photonrider People die everyday, all around the world...... but yes, news story like this are really hard to watch on TV.

 

[photonrider]

@photonrider People die everyday, all around the world...... but yes, news story like this are really hard to watch on TV.

Oh! Yes, people die everyday. Though mudslides and disappearing planes, and earthquakes, floods and hurricanes are always tragic, a lot more tragic than someone dying of old age.

More than anything, it's the lack of closure that the survivors of these incidents suffer, the families that are supposed to gaily carry on dismissing their loved ones as just more people that died. In the usual way.

 

[JMR450]

@JMR450 I was just thinking about thermal imagery this morning. It's unfortunate it doesn't seem to be much help for obvious reasons. @photonrider People die everyday, all around the world...... but yes, news story like this are really hard to watch on TV.

Yes, it is less effective each hour until this becomes a recovery instead of a rescue operation.

 

[gtavcfan]

Such a horrible tragedy, I just lost my grandma two weeks ago (of heart attack) just hearing others have died in the mudslides remind me of the sadness I went through, now others have to go through the same sadness.

Last summer, I drove through Oso, my mom's husband has family in the small nearby town of Darrington. While driving by Oso it looked like such a great place to visit, I had planned on visiting this summer.