Thursday, March 28, 2024

Heavy rain on saturated soil triggers slides, washouts, closures

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PATEROS – Heavy rainfall in the early morning hours of Friday, April 8, -  too much for already saturated soil - caused debris slides, washouts and lesser water problems in several parts of Okanogan County late last week.
Drivers from the Pateros-Brewster-Bridgeport areas found road closures or delays on both State Route 153 north of Pateros and State Route 20 west of Okanogan following the Friday morning downpour.
Strong sporadic wind gusts blew a stack of plastic apple bins onto the eastbound lane of State Route 97 impeding traffic near the Triangle shell station in Brewster Friday afternoon.
By mid-day Friday crews had reopened SR 153 three miles north of Pateros to one-lane traffic even though water continued to overflow the asphalt. It was a different story on SR 20 where water undercut a section of roadbed at milepost 221.7, part of a series of curves known as the Seven Devils, according to information posted on the Okanogan County Department of Emergency Management’s website, okanoganoem.org/. That portion of SR 20 remains closed pending repair to a substantial portion of highway embankment.
“As of right now, we have 24 roads in the county affected ranging from soft shoulders and undercuts to washouts and roads blocked by debris,” said Emergency Manager Maurice Goodall last Monday, April 10.
Goodall said he only listed the most serious locations on the countywide advisory map posted on the emergency management website.
“We got rain; we got snow at higher elevations; everything’s saturated,” Goodall reminded drivers. “Be careful before pulling over onto road shoulders that look like they might be solid.”
“Be totally aware that everything’s wet right now,” Goodall said.

State Route 20, SR 20, seven devils, mudslides, closures

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