Rodeo Raises Spirits After Devastating Mudslide

04:33

June 23, 2014

Alexis Blakey, 20, of Oso, Wash., helped rescue horses and search for survivors and the dead after the landslide earlier this year. She says running barrels with her horse Tax helps her hit the pause button on memories of the landslide for a few brief moments. (Anna King)

It's been three months since a mudslide buried dozens of homes in a rural area between Oso and Darrington in Washington state, killing more than 40 people. One woman is still missing.

This weekend, a stretch of State Highway 530 that was covered over with debris finally reopened to two-way traffic, just in time to let residents get to the annual Timberbowl Rodeo in Darrington.

The rodeo saw some of its largest crowds ever, as neighbors gathered to hug, shake hands and heal up a bit after the tragedy. From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Anna King reports.

Read more on this story via Northwest Public Radio

Reporter

Anna King, reporter for Northwest Public Radio and Richland correspondent for Northwest News Network. She tweets @AnnaKingN3.

This segment aired on June 23, 2014.