Evening star., 1950-01-19
Midwest Flood Danger
Dropping al 2Points;
Northwest Hit Again
BY the Assoeioted Press

FlOOQ CnreaCS at TWO OF the
danger spots in the Midwest wa
tershed appeared easing today.
but cold weather and freezing rain
heaped more discomfort on thou
sands of refugees.
Winters elements battered other
parts of the country as the over
all death toll in a week of storms
reached 26.
A severe cold air mass extended
from the Northern Plains to Texas
and spread over the Great Lakes
to the Ohio Valley.
A belt of snow, sleet and freez-
ing drizzle dampened an area from
Southern Idaho to much of Ore
gon. Northwestern California low
lands were flooded and high wa
ters isolated some communities.
Twenty-Five deaths have been
charged to the storms which have
buffetted the Pacific Northwest
and Northern California for more
than a week.
New Storms Brewing.
And new storms were brewing.
A thousand miles west of Eureka,
Calf. a low-pressure area lay
waiting. The Weather Bureau
said it was expected gradually to
shift northeastward and may miss
California.
Four persons lost their lives in
the Midwest flood area yesterday,
two in Southern Illinois and two in
Western Kentucky.
Flood conditions remained crit
ical at many points along the
surging Mississippi, Ohio. Wabash
and other rivers in the Ohio and
Mississippi Valleys. More than
IL 900 persons have been evacuat-
ed from their homes along the
Mississippi.
Arkansas Harassed Further.
The food threat moved down
the Mississippi Valley and food
waters from many rain-swollen
rivers forced hundreds from their
homes in Arkansas and Tennes-
see. Arkansas was hit by it's Sec
ond ice storm of the year yester-
day, especially in the flooded area.
Although there were indications
that the flood threat in the Cairo,
ILL.,, district was easing, the Army
was ready for an emergency If
the flooding Mississippi appears
headed for stage of 81 feet. But
the big river appeared to be near
ing crest which might fall more
than a foot short of the stage
fixed for possible opening of the
Birds Point-New Madrid foodway.
The Weather Bureau forecast a
crest around 55.5 feet tonight
Unless there are indications of a
stage of 81 feet, Army engineers
said the Southeastern Missouri
fioodway "in all probability will
not be placed in operation"
Vincennes Winning Battle.
Some 5000 persons have been
evacuated from the f1oodway.
About 5000 did not leave their
homes, but will be evacuated if it,
is necessary to open the 'front.'
line leyee and flood the 2l2-
square mile spillWay. The prin-
cipal reason for opening the
f1oodway would be to ease the
flood pressure at Cairo, a COM
munity of $4,000, and other cities
along the Mississippi.
Another major danger spot in
the Midwest food area-Vincen-
mes. 1nd.-reported apparent vic
tory in the fight to halt the ram
paging Wabash River from spill
ing over the flood wall. The big
stream levelled off almost 2 feet
below Wednesdays crest of 2s.6
feet.
The flood level dropped sharply
after breaks in the 1evee on the
west bank of the Wabash yester-
day. spilling water out over 100.-
600 acres of already flooded
Illinois farmland. The breaks
came as the Wabash inched near
the top of the 2s-foot f1oodwall in
the Indiana city of 10000 resi-
dents.