Ranchers evacuate livestock from mudslide area

Western Washington ranchers have evacuated their animals as a result of a mudslide that has left 14 people dead and 176 missing. The March 22 mudslide is believed to have been caused by groundwater saturation from heavy rains, according to The Associated Press. The slide completely covered Washington State Route 530 near Oso, Wash., 55 miles north of Seattle. According to Snohomish County, the slide is roughly one square mile and up to 15 feet deep in some places. Linda Neunzig, owner of Ninety Farms in Arlington, Wash., and Snohomish County agriculture coordinator, said family and friends helped her evacuate roughly 350 animals on March 22 to higher ground or other farms. “Every animal we own is off the farm,” she said of the four-hour operation. “We put the word out on Facebook that we were evacuating, and the stock trailers literally just started showing up.” Neunzig said there are other ranches and farm operations in the area. Her neighbors have also evacuated their cattle. She was unsure of the total number of operations or acres impacted...more