SEATTLE — About an inch of rain is forecast this weekend at the Oso mudslide where a few dry days this week have helped searchers looking for bodies from the March 22 landslide.
The National Weather Service says steady rain could cause the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River to rise by about half a foot by Sunday morning.
The rain and rising river complicate recovery work in the debris field and add to the flooding caused when the landslide partially blocked the river. Melting mountain snow from rising temperatures also may cause the river to rise. Forecasters expect warmer, drier weather across Washington early next week.
The death toll from the mudslide remains at 30, but the Snohomish County medical examiner’s office says it has positively identified one more of the victims — the 28th.
The office said Friday it’s withholding the name until the family is notified. Two other victims remain unidentified.
The number of people listed as missing has dropped from 17 to 15 on the latest list provided by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said that 44-year-old Victor Ford and an unidentified 50- to 60-year-old man added to the list Thursday have been removed. Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said the unidentified man is the one already at the Snohomish County medical examiner’s office.
She didn’t say why Ford’s name had been removed.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator and Department of Homeland Security secretary plan to visit the Oso mudslide on Sunday.
The agencies say Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate will survey the damage and meet with victims and emergency responders.
On Wednesday, President Obama declared a major disaster to help state, tribal, and local recovery efforts.
