OLYMPIA -- Mid-January storms caused enough damage in Western Washington counties to rate a state of emergency declaration from Gov. Chris Gregoire today.

Gregoire said preliminary estimates put the damage to homes, businesses,  highways and public faciilties  from storms between Jan. 9 and Jan. 26 at more than $1.1 million and growing.

The disaster area includes parts of Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grant, Grays Harbor, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Wahkiakum and Whatcom counties. The declaration allows locals to use state resources to cover emergency needs.

In other Western Washington nasty weather news, the Gregoire asked for a federal disaster area to be declared in seven counties hard hit by the winter storms between last Dec. 8 and Dec. 18. If the feds approve, federal money can be used to cover 75 percent of elibible damages and costs from the storms in Clallam, Cowlitz, Kitsap, Mason, Skagit, Skamania and Snohomish.

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