Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-21
Flash Floods Strike Area:
Alexandra Asks U.S.HeIp
Motorist
Drowned in
Arlington
Alexandria officials formally

AlCAdlluI4d O1llC1dlo 1OL4l1dA4y
asked today that the flood
stricken Arlandria section be
declared disaster area in the
wake of the second torrential
rainfall to strike this area in
the past two days.
Nearly 4 inches of rain del
uged Washington and nearby
areas last night, swapping
hundreds of homes and bust
neSSes. paralyzing traffic,
knocking out communications
and drowning one Virginia
resident in a flash-flood.
City Manager Albert M. Hair,
jr., of Alexandria, asked Rep
reSentative Broyhill, Republican
of Virginia, to request President
Kennedy to declare Arlandria
a disaster area today. The
declaration is necessary to make
Arlandria merchants, who suf-
fered losses estimated at more
than 81 million, eligible for
Small Business Administration
loans. The loans UP to $780, 900
are granted at 3 per cent for
as long as 20 years to help
merchants rehabilitate their
property and acquire new
merchandise.
Streams Overflow Banks
The downpour struck at TAO
pm. and quickly inundated
low-lying areas, sent small
waterways out of their banks
and backed up sewers.
The surging waters struck a
blow Of disaster proportions at
the low-lying community of
> Arlandria near the Alexandria
Arlington line. A Small Bush
ness Administration representa-.
tive from Richmond, Va, was
en- route to Arlandria today to
estimate the damage and de-
termine if loans can be made
to some of the merchants
whose stores and stocks of
goods were ruined by flooding.
81 Million Loss Estimated
r Damage to business proper
| ties in the four-block stretch
, of Mount Vernon avenue be-
tween -Four Mile Run and
Glebe road was estimated at
more than 81 million by James
N. Hayman, president of the
Alexandria Retail Merchants
Association. He said the losses
to apartment residents in the
: area are Staggering"
The merchants association
today sent members to visit all
businessmen in the stricken
area to get damage estimates
and offer services. The city
also set up an information CEN
ter in a trailer at Arlandria to
coordinate needs of flood VIC
Tins and the work Of cleanup
supervisors.
Red Cross and welfare depart
lment representatives manned
the information center to in
terview families about food and
shelter problems. With an
estimated 100 Arlandria apart
; ments said to be uninhabitable,
the Red Cross may use the
Cameron Street Recreation
Center for emergency housing
tonight If needed.
: Mammoth Jams
Weather Bureau forecasters.
, whose teletype communica-
atoms were BACKED out for a
time at the height of the storm,
registered an official 3.9 inches
of rain until the storm clouds
passed beyond the area about
Midnight. The total rainfall
, in the 26-hour period was 6.28
: inches, a little more than an
, inch short of the all-time rec
, ord of 7.31 inches that fell
= August 11-l2, 1928.
The storm was marked by
mammoth traffic Jams. strand
ed motorists, hundreds Of
flooded Easements, downed
, trees. dead telephones and
5 power lines.
The drowning victim was
identified by Arlington police
as Charles Shepard, Al, Of the
Oak Knoll Apartments in Fair
fax, Va. Mr.. Shepard was in
his 1868 Volkswagen in the 100
block Of Army-Navy drive. near
Shirley highway, when Long
Branch Run swept out of its
banks over his car.
Neighborhood residents made
vain attempts to reach the car
! as the water rose around 1t.
! One unidentified man tied a
i garden hose around his waist
but was repeatedly swept off