Washington mudslides
© KOMO NEWS — APThis image made from a video provided by KOMO News shows a car in north central Washington after rain created mudslides on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014.
Mudslides in north-central Washington damaged or destroyed an estimated 10 homes on Thursday evening as heavy rains hit an area recently ravaged by wildfires. Mud and rushing water combined in Okanogan County, hitting some homes hard and blocking highways.

A flash flood watch expired on Friday when no more serious rain occurred.

More than 40 people helped dig out a couple in Methow, a small community of about 250 people, according to The Seattle Times. Resident Janie Lewis told the Times that a cascade of mud and water blew open her door, knocking down her husband and depositing several feet of mud in their house. They were unhurt.

"The 'river' was running through the house," she said. "We're lucky to be alive."

Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said he believes a couple of the 10 homes were destroyed and a few were knocked off their foundations. Many suffered mud damage.

"Still no injuries," he said Friday night. "No deaths. No missing people."

The rushing mud and water ate away chunks of highways, including State Highway 153, which runs through Methow Valley. That highway remained closed on Friday.

There were at least two slides on State Highway 20 in a 30-mile stretch from Twisp to Okanogan, Transportation Department spokesman Jeff Adamson said. That stretch of road was closed until Friday afternoon.

The multiple slides had marooned as many as a dozen vehicles but occupants of those cars were rescued, the Washington State Patrol said.

The slides and flooding hit hard in areas burned by this summer's Carlton Complex wildfires. The fires burned more than 400 square miles and 500 firefighters remain in the area mopping up.

"This flooding is in the areas that were burned," Adamson said. "It brings down rocks, mud and water."

Residents said they were feeling disheartened.

"It's like another nail in the coffin," Carlton General Store owner Jeff Lyman told the newspaper. "It's pretty bad down here right now."

Maggie Garrett, who lives on Benson Creek, described fences torn down and deep channels carved through driveways and backyards.

"It was literally like a river running through here," she said. "And now, everything's 6 inches under mud."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.