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A28 U.S. NEWS
Diamars 10 November 2020

Tropical Storm Eta dumps rain on an already flooded Florida

(AP) — Heavy rain from ting furniture up to higher RV parks, campgrounds and
Tropical Storm Eta caused ground and trying to get wa- other low-lying areas. School
dangerous flooding Mon- ter out of their homes,” Bar- districts closed, saying the
day across Florida's most ry said. “Everyone is helping roads were already too flood-
densely populated urban each other out a lot.” ed and the winds could be
areas, stranding cars and A tractor-trailer was left dan- too gusty for buses to trans-
swamping entire neigh- gling off the elevated Palmet- port students. But the islands
borhoods with fast-rising to Expressway in Miami, the were spared any major dam-
water that had no place to Florida Highway Patrol re- age, and officials expected
drain. ported. The driver lost con- shelters to close and schools
trol on the wet, slick road and to reopen by Tuesday.
The system made landfall in suffered minor injuries, CBS
the Florida Keys and posed 4 in Miami reported. Aside from a banyan tree that
a serious threat across South “Please take this storm seri- fell on a home and injured
Florida, which was already ously,” urged Palm Beach people inside, Key Largo was
drenched from more than County Emergency Manage- largely unscathed, Fire chief
14 inches (35 centimeters) the Everglades meet the sea, doing our best to ensure that ment Director Bill Johnson. Don Bock said.
of rain last month. Eta could with maximum sustained the people in our community “Please don’t drive through Eta also was not done yet
dump an additional 6 to 12 winds of 65 mph (100 kph). are being protected.” flooded roadways.” with Cuba, just 90 miles
inches (15 to 30 centimeters), It was centered south of Na- Miami-Dade County May- south of Florida, where the
forecasters said. ples, moving west-northwest City officials dispatched or Carlos Gimenez said he storm continued to swell riv-
“It was far worse than we at 13 mph (20 kph). some 24 tanker trucks with was in frequent contact with ers and flood coastal zones on
could’ve ever imagined, and giant vacuums to soak up wa- county officials about the Monday. Some 25,000 people
we were prepared," said Arbie Forecasters said the system ter from the past few weeks. struggle to drain the flooded were evacuated with no re-
Walker, a 27-year-old student could intensify again into a Some older neighborhoods waters. ports of deaths, but rainfall
whose Fort Lauderdale apart- minimal hurricane as it slow- simply do not have any drain- “In some areas, the water continued, with total accu-
ment was filled with 5 or 6 ly moves up the southwest age. The city also passed out isn’t pumping out as fast as mulations of up to 25 inches
inches (13 to 15 centimeters) Gulf Coast, centered just far 6,000 sandbags to worried it’s coming in,” warned Mi- (635 mm) predicted.
of water. enough offshore to maintain residents over the weekend, ami-Dade Commissioner
its strength while dumping but water seeped into homes Jose “Pepe” Diaz. Eta initially hit Nicaragua as
"It took us 20 minutes to vast amounts of water across and stranded cars in parking a Category 4 hurricane and
navigate out of our neigh- the lower third of the Florida lots and along roadways. Firefighters pulled a person wreaked havoc from Mexico
borhood due to the heavy peninsula. from a car that had driven to Panama. Authorities were
flooding in our area,” Walker Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Randi Barry, 36, also woke into a canal Sunday night in still surveying the damage
added. Floodwaters also sub- Trantalis called it a 100-year up Monday to flooded streets Lauderhill, north of Miami. Monday after days of torren-
merged half of his sister’s car. rain event. outside her home in Fort The patient was hospitalized tial rain. Official death tolls
Eta hit land late Sunday as Lauderdale, and joined her in critical condition, accord- totaled at least 68 people, but
it blew over Lower Mate- “Once the ground becomes neighbors in helping people ing to a statement from Lau- hundreds more were missing
cumbe, in the middle of the saturated, there’s really no whose cars were stuck in derhill Fire. and many thousands were in
chain of small islands that place for the water to go,” high water. shelters after flash floods tore
form the Keys. The storm Trantalis said. “It’s not like In the Keys, the mayor or- through communities of im-
moved into the Gulf of Mex- a major hurricane. It’s more “There are a lot of people dered mandatory evacua- provised homes on unstable
ico early Monday near where of a rain event, and we’re just with their doors open, get- tions for mobile home and mountainsides.

Former WVa judge known for eye-raising statements dies at 79

Armstead, a former House of schools.” baggage arrived 70 minutes
Delegates speaker, won a 12- If you are dead drunk and late at New York’s John F.
year term. miss the interviews, send let- Kennedy International Air-
Neely said he ran because the ters,” the ad said. port. He sought $3,000 from
court system was a mess, es- When he announced his the airline as a speaker’s fee
pecially since a 2018 scandal candidacy last year, Neely because he informed fellow
in which state lawmakers ini- defended the ad, calling it a passengers about the delay.
tiated impeachment proceed- humorous rebuttal to two He said he settled out of
ings that a separate panel of “highly pompous” federal court for $12,500.
judges later derailed. He also appeals judges who he said At a youth leadership con-
said it was taking far too long implied in law review articles ference in 1989, Neely sug-
for the Supreme Court to that clerks “had to be almost gested attacking drug dealers
process an appeal, which was superhuman.” with baseball bats. He told
“very, very bad for litigants.” “I couldn’t resist doing that,” the same conference a year
During his time as a justice, Neely said. later that society would be
Neely often got attention In 1985, Neely fired his sec- better off if women stayed
(AP) — A former West woman Jennifer Bundy. “We both for what he said and did retary for refusing to con- home with their children.
Virginia Supreme Court acknowledge all the great ser- outside of court. tinue babysitting his son af- Current Justice Margaret
Justice who once jok- vice and his incredible wis- In an ad for a clerk that he ter three consecutive weeks Workman once said of Neely
ingly referred to himself dom that he gave to the state placed in the Virginia Law of watching the child. The that “someone should drag
as “America’s laziest and of West Virginia,” Gov. Jim Weekly in 1991, Neely re- public outrage that followed him kicking and screaming
dumbest judge” and who Justice said at a news confer- ferred to himself as “Amer- prompted him to restore into the 20th century.”
attracted as much atten- ence Monday. ica’s laziest and dumbest her job and give up the title Neely said last year that he
tion for his behavior out- Neely was first elected to the judge.” of chief justice. At the time, stood by the baseball bat
side the court as in it, has court at age 31 in 1972. He The ad sought “a bright Neely claimed he had a right statement. He also reiter-
died. He was 79. served until stepping down person to keep (the judge) to order his staff to perform ated his opinion that women
in 1995 to start a law practice from looking stupid,” and such duties as babysitting, should stay home with young
Richard Neely died Sun- in Charleston. He tried to gave preference to Univer- collecting his laundry and children. He said that “would
day of liver cancer, which win back a seat on the court sity of Virginia law students typing books he wrote. be really nice” because “the
had been diagnosed recently, in June but lost to incum- “who studied interesting but In 1986, he sued Trans World more parental time kids have,
said Supreme Court spokes- bent judge Tim Armstead. useless subjects at snobby Airlines for $38,000 after his the better off they are.”