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Inslee Declares State Of Emergency After Severe Rainstorms Hit Okanogan County

AP Photo/Washington State Department of Transportation
In this photo provided by Washington State Department of Transportation crews work near a damaged road east of Twisp, Washington, Friday, Aug. 22, 2014.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed a state of emergency proclamation for Okanogan County Thursday after severe rainstorms pounded the area earlier this month.

The rains last week ended in flash floods, mudslides and debris flows that blocked two state highways.

On State Route 20 near Twisp, a massive waterfall was flowing over the road the morning after the storm. A chunk of asphalt the size of two minivanssheared off the centerline and floated away. Homes, farms and public utilities were also damaged.

The estimated the cost to fix the blocked roads is more than $800,000.

Anna King calls Richland, Washington home and loves unearthing great stories about people in the Northwest. She reports for the Northwest News Network from a studio at Washington State University, Tri-Cities. She covers the Mid-Columbia region, from nuclear reactors to Mexican rodeos.