A lone American flag defies a catastophic mudslide, rising from the rubble.
A massive rainsoaked hillside collasped, cascading over a river, road and residential area, burying dozens of homes.
The landslide left a square mile of tangled mud and debris in its wake.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SNOHOMISH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 21 CHIEF, TRAVIS HOTS, SAYING:
"What we're finding is these vehicles are twisted and tore up in pieces. You know I saw a car out there and I saw one piece of the car, like an eighth of the car, and it was just all twisted and it's just amazing the magnitude and the force that this slide has created and what it has done And it's not just done that to cars."
The death toll is believed to have climbed to 24 after rescue workers recovered two bodies and believed they had located eight more.
As many as 176 people are missing, although some may have been counted twice.
. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SNOHOMISH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 21 CHIEF, T
