Families Displaced By Squilchuck Mudslide Saturday

Families were displaced and homes partially buried in a flash flood and mud slide below Squilchuck Road Saturday. Chelan County Emergency Management Sergeant Kent Sisson said three homes were damaged and several people had to be rescued from one home, but no one was injured.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, as a strong lightning and rain storm moved through the area, the extremely heavy rain caused mud and debris flows in the Squilchuck Canyon, Pitcher Canyon and Halverson Canyon areas southwest of Wenatchee. Storm drains and culverts quickly became overwhelmed as water and mud began running down the roadways.

A culvert that diverts water under lower Squilchuck Road began eroding the downslope hillside above Boodry Street just south of city limits. The force of the water created a deep channel in the earthen slope and forced a massive amount of rock and mud down the hillside and into a development of single-wide mobile homes.

Chelan County Deputies and Wenatchee Police officers responded and began evacuating the development. A river of mud, rock and other debris hit the north side of three mobile homes nearly to the roof lines. Children were carried out of one home by first responders. Three of the mobile homes are now deemed uninhabitable.

The flow of water, rock and debris began to slow by 6 p.m. Saturday, but the storm wasn’t over. Residents of 16 homes were advised they should stay out of the area until the storm completely subsided.

Chelan County Public Works engineers and road crews responded and began assessing the slope and clearing the affected roadways. The local Red Cross office was put in touch with residents of the affected homes.

Cleanup will likely take weeks. We’ll continue to bring you updates here on KOHO 101.