Floods Threaten as Rains Hit East, Central Areas

Thunderstorms assaulted much of the Eastern and Central United States on Wednesday with downpours that pushed rivers and streams toward flood stage and sent pigs paddling for their lives in Nebraska.

Meantime, a region from the Gulf Coast to Canada and from Michigan to New England was steaming under high humidity typical of the Southeast at this time of year, the National Weather Service said.

The moisture combined with afternoon heat of up to 100 degrees at Rocky Mount, N.C., and 95 at Washington, D.C., to produce sweltering conditions.

Farmer Battles Flood

At Elm Creek, Neb., where 4.6 inches of rain fell, farmer Roger Benson was fighting overflowing creek waters.

“I got all my buildings under water. All my hogs are swimming,� he said.

He has not lost any of the 680 hogs and sows on the farm yet, “but I imagine I’ll lose quite a few before it’s all over with.�

The Elm Creek Volunteer Fire Department was sandbagging the farm, and a neighboring farmer was sandbagging his house also, Benson said. He said he would flee if the rain continues and causes the floodwaters to rise further.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms ranged Wednesday from New York and the Ohio Valley to the Midwest and Gulf Coast. The Texas coast was hard hit, and flooding occurred when 2 1/2 inches of rain fell at Galveston.

A severe thunderstorm watch was up for parts of Iowa and Missouri and a flash flood watch was posted for parts of Nebraska and Kansas. Overnight storms dropped more than six inches of rain at Tescott, Kan.

Indiana Road Closed

A flash flood warning was briefly issued for Knox County, Ind., where storms unleashed nearly two inches of rain over three hours early Wednesday and water surged over Route 58, closing the road for a few hours.

Rains caused water levels in the Thompson River in Iowa, the Grand River in Missouri and the St. Francis and White rivers in Indiana and the Cache river in Arkansas to rise, and minor flooding was expected by today.

Showers dotted the Northeast, where early morning scattered storms briefly knocked out power to 12,000 homes in New Jersey, utilities spokesmen said. The weather service office in Newark, N.J., reported heavy rain across the state but no flooding.