( CNN ) -- I am a geomorphologist : a scientist fascinated by the interactions of storms , floods , fires and landslides . We humans may feel a bit above that fray -- we refer to the `` natural environment '' as though it were a separate thing . Yet , as a landslide near Oso , Washington , tragically highlighted on Saturday , we remain subject to the forces of nature like all the rest of Earth 's creatures . At the latest count , 27 people are confirmed dead and 22 are still missing . A painful part of the natural order of things . Unlike those other inhabitants of Earth , however , we know something of how things work . This , too , was highlighted last week , when the Seattle Times reported on a study I did 15 years ago , one of many for the Hazel site , which had experienced recurring landslides . In that study , conducted for the Army Corps of Engineers , I had written of the possibility of a `` large catastrophic failure '' based on numerical analyses that indicated potential instability of a huge mass of material above the zone of previous landslides . As a scientist , I knew that material would someday be on the valley floor . As intended , that report guided further work . Tracy Drury , an engineer who reported on the site for the Army Corps of Engineers , was also clear that `` catastrophic failure potential places human lives and property at risk . '' He came up with designs to shore up the slope . Those designs were put in place ; everything was done that could be done to minimize the potential of a future landslide . A pleasant rural neighborhood , Steelhead Haven , sat directly across the river from the site . Drury 's most relevant design to protect lives was to try to buy up the properties and move people away . There were meetings to discuss these ideas , but nothing came of them . I was n't involved in the discussions , but I did attend a community meeting to discuss my analyses -- after a landslide in 2006 felled trees and crashed into the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River across the valley into the edge of Steelhead Haven . One response to my presentation , I was told , was that I was there to take their land . Construction of new homes continued , even after 2006 . In some cases , people were informed of the risk , but did n't trust the messenger , or decided it was an acceptable risk . I learned that some people were unaware that they lived across the river from an active landslide . I 've been asked , `` Where does responsibility lie ? '' The cast is large . Homeowners choose to live in beautiful , but dangerous , places . Contractors and developers then build those homes , Realtors sell them , bankers finance them , local officials grant permits , governments set zoning rules , and voters elect the officials who make those rules . At every step , those decisions need to be made from positions of knowledge and understanding of the potential consequences . Then who is responsible to ensure that scientific findings are disseminated and clearly understood ? The scientists ? The government ? The media ? We can not help those lost at Oso , but we can look to do better in the future . This is not the last landslide , flood , fire , hurricane , earthquake , tsunami , drought , tornado , or any of a long list of threatening events that we face . Scientists work hard to understand these processes ; we need to ensure that everyone makes decisions fully aware of the potential consequences of their actions . We have work to do . I 'm getting calls from concerned homeowners wanting to know where to get information . It 's not easy to find . Landslide hazards have not been systematically mapped across the state , much less the country . Where work has been done , maps are hard to find . If found , they are difficult to interpret . Many local , state and federal agencies are working to improve this situation , but progress is slow and funding is tight . Mapping hazards is not a national priority . Yet it seems that , if my smartphone can tell me how to drive to the nearest coffee shop , it should be able to tell me what 's known about the hazards where I 'm standing . We have the technology ; we need the public interest to drive the required investment . Like most scientists , I toil in obscurity to make my small contribution . Maybe we scientists are missing the point . The problem with toiling in obscurity is that no one hears us . We need better special effects . Getting our messages across can save lives , although it will involve getting houses off flood plains , coastal bluffs and debris-flow fans . In general , folks do n't appreciate having a scientist , or government official , suggest they move . Perhaps there is another approach . It took a massive information campaign to dramatically cut consumption of cancer-causing cigarettes , surely we can motivate people to examine the facts in this case and do things that are ultimately good for all of us . In 1997 , a colleague and I co-founded a small not-for-profit institute seeking to provide land managers with the data and tools they need to make informed decisions . We both had young children ; we saw it as a way to help ensure their generation would have something worth managing . That 's gone well , but our targeted audience is too small and public funding too limited . To really change things , everyone should have the tools and data to make informed decisions , and use them . For that to happen , these tools need to be as cool and easy to use as the latest smartphone app ; lives depend on it .
Daniel Miller predicted possible catastrophic mudslide in Washington 15 years ago . The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the entire state of Washington. Engineers tried to shore up site and offered to buy out homeowners in danger . Miller : Despite warnings , construction went on ; some did n't realize there was a risk . He says assessments of danger should be readily available to potential homeowners .