The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-06-29
Laredo Residents Evacuated
AS Rio Crande Flood RACES

UOIueT CITY nurT1eUy eVdcuate0
residents of low areas today in
the face Of the Rio Grande's great.
est flood.
Police said an expected 40-foot
crest would send flood waters
boiling into the business section OF
this city of nearly $1,000.
Across the steadily rising ram
paging boundary river the twin
Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo
abandoned attempts to sandbag the
levee. Workmen started moving
everything possible, including the
population, to higher ground.
Police expected the waters to
envelope the already closed Inter-
national Bridge at any moment
Thousands of people on both
sides of the U.S.-Mexico boundary
fled to the hills. Nearly 100 miles
north of the Rio Grande, in the
rich oil-and-cattle country of far
west Texas, IA persons were be-
ieved dead after flash floods swept
through Ozona.
Flood stages S to Is feet higher
than ever before were expected
in the border cities today. But an
International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBWC) spokesman,
after a plane flight over the river,
said:
"How much the river viii rise
ifter this crest passes is any
body's guess"
The IWBC had lost contact with
its gauging points north of Langtry,
some 60 miles upstream from Del
Rio.
Back Of the picturesque border
rivers churning, debris-laden crest
were shattered bridges, flooded
towns and washed-out railroads
and highways. Thousands were
forced from their homes, buick.
cept for tragedy-ridden Ozona-
there had been no loss OF lie re-
ported.
River-wise city folks quickly
evacuated their homes. Farmers
had been warned and Joined the
thousands in the Mexican hills.
Much OF the Mexican side Of the
river is lower than the US. side.
The rains, some up to 22 inches
were spawned by last weeks Hur-
ricane Alice, which dashed the
Texas-Mexican Gulf Coast for u
hours last Friday.
Ahead of the rushing floodwaters
lay the great international Falcon
Dam, dedicated less than yer
60 by the presidents of the United
States and Mexico. It was expected
to keep the damaging floodwaters
from the lush vegetable and citrus
growing lower Rio Grande Valley
and its big population.
For the lower valley, the great
flood was a blessing. Beyond Fall
con Dam, the river has been vir-
tually dry. Now the flood will be
used in future months to slacken
the MAMMOTH thirst of the orange
and grapefruit groves, the vege.
table arms and cotton growing
areas.
At least half of Ciudad Acuna,
across the river from Del Rio,
Tex, was under water. Some Is, 900
people huddled in the Tamaulipas
Hills. Water, medical supplies, food
and clothing were being flown in
by the American Red Cross. The
privately owned International Toll
Bridge was swept away between
Ciudad Acuna and Del Rio.
Fifty-five miles south of Del Rio.
between Piedras Negras and Eagle
Pass, the raging flood beat the city
owned international Bridge to
kindling about 9 pm. last night.
Eagle Pass only hospital was iso-
lated by the swift-moving flood
waters and could be reached only
by boat.
Both the United States and Mex
leo hurriedly marshaled forces to
combat the mad waters. The us.
4th Army flew field kitchens, cots,
blankets and clothing to flood
harried towns.