The force of the slide was so great that it knocked out a 10-inch concrete wall with rebar, as well as knocking the house 20 feet off its foundation before pushing it another 6 feet in another direction, Meaker said. A house built to withstand a hurricane wouldn't have survived the powerful impact of the slide, he said.

"The forces of nature were too great," Meaker said.

Because of that, it was determined the three people in the house did not survive.

Investigators believe the family was still in the house because just prior to the slide, their landlord was advising them to evacuate because the canal above them had been breached.

The mother and children were reportedly grabbing just a couple of items and were about to leave, when the wall of mud and debris crashed into their house without warning.

Their cars were still parked in the garage, Meaker said. Investigators have also not been able to track the woman's cell phone, meaning it's either been disabled or it's buried deep in the mud.

The landslide occurred about noon near 915 Canyon Road, said Logan Fire Marshal Liz Hunsaker. It ripped through one home, and four others are still at risk, Hunsaker said.

Fifteen homes have been evacuated, and several others have been damaged by water and mud, she said. By Saturday night, 11 buildings remained evacuated. Meaker said those families may be forced out of their homes for several more days.

Roper said all available resources had been deployed to the scene. The search was suspended just before midnight Saturday.

Fire officials said Saturday night the hillside where the mudslide originated was "still unstable at this point," which is why search crews were forced to dig through the mud by hand. Rescuers were working in teams of 30, switching with each other when one team got tired.

The U.S. Geological Service is calling the scene near the slide moderately safe, but surveyors are evaluating the nearby land to ensure the freeway above the canal and surrounding homes are structurally sound, Roper said.

Adam Elsmore, who lives in the slide area, was just arriving home when the slide began.

"It was the noise that got my attention," Elsmore said. "I went into the home and I could hear something like trees being pushed over and went to the rear of the house, and when I looked out, the hill immediately to the left was sliding down."

Elsmore and his girlfriend ran outside and saw the house immediately north of his flattened to the ground. They went to look for people, but the strong odor of natural gas and downed power lines encouraged the pair to find a safe place to notify the authorities.

"It happened really quickly," Elsmore said. "Once the earth gave way, it was all tumbling down the hill, trees and rocks. It was a pretty good shake."