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A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 12 February 2020
Hill collapses, roads flooded, dam eroded by Southern rains

By JAY REEVES sissippi, and parts of Ala- Officials also were monitor-
Associated Press bama were under flood ing the site of a potential
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — warnings. dam failure in Yazoo Coun-
A Tennessee hillside col- North of Birmingham in Cull- ty, where the Mississippi
lapsed, roads were flooded man, the sheriff's office said Emergency Management
and rivers were rising across Deputy Adam Clark and Agency said a 40-acre
the Southeast on Tuesday his police dog were badly (16-hectare) lake in a sub-
after a day of heavy rains injured in a wreck during division was leaking around
that once again threat- heavy rains overnight. The a culvert and washing
ened a Mississippi lake cause of the crash was un- away dirt, threatening four
where a dam previously der investigation. homes and a church. Five
was in danger of failing. In eastern Mississippi, of- homes were evacuated
The National Weather Ser- ficials in Starkville said the after a levee breach in
vice said minor to moder- water at Oktibbeha Coun- Leake.
ate flooding was expected ty Lake had once again Elsewhere in Mississippi, 25
from central Mississippi to This aerial drone photo provided by the Mississippi Emergency reached a critical level just homes had been dam-
north Georgia following Management Agency shows a potential dam/levee failure weeks after heavy rains aged and four people
downpours. The Tennes- in the Springridge Place subdivision in Yazoo County, Miss., caused a mudslide that put were hurt in wrecks caused
see River was predicted Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Associated Press the earthen dam in danger by vehicles hydroplaning
to crest about 7 feet (2.1 of failing. on wet roads, according
meters) above flood level burg and Pigeon Forge, the (7.6 centimeters) in spots Pumps had been used to the state. The damage
at Perryville, Tennessee, on National Park Service said. across central Alabama, to lower the lake level by was worst in Yazoo, where
Sunday. At least 45 dump truck and forecasters said totals about 8 feet (2.4 meters) a dozen people were dis-
Near Great Smoky Moun- loads will be required to could reach 6 inches (15.2 since mid-January, but offi- placed from homes.
tains National Park in east- clear the road, officials esti- centimeters) by nightfall. cials said the water had ris- In addition, the National
ern Tennessee, tons of rock mated, but no injuires were Schools opened late or en to an even higher than Weather Service con-
and soil slid off a 70-foot reported. closed in parts of Alabama, before because of recent firmed Tuesday that an EF-1
(21-meter) hillside and Multiple roads were cov- Mississippi and Louisiana storms. tornado touched down
blocked the northbound ered with water or washed because of flash flooding. "It has risen over 8.5 feet Monday about 2.5 miles
side of a U.S. 441 spur linking out because of rainfall A flood watch stretched from our low elevation dur- (4 kilometers) northwest of
the tourist towns of Gatlin- that exceeded 5 inches from eastern Texas to Mis- ing pumping and continues Piave, Mississippi, in Greene
to rise," said a statement by County. The twister caused
Kristen Campanella, emer- minor roof damage and
gency management direc- uprooted several trees, the
tor in Oktibbeha County. weather agency said.q

Many winter residential evictions
banned in pricey Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) — Many resi- it become law without
dential evictions in pricey her signature or veto it, in
Seattle have been banned which case the council
for the city's coldest and would have to vote again.
wettest months of Decem- Her office said in a state-
ber, January and February ment that she is evaluating
but city leaders decided the measure. If she vetoes
against invoking the ban it, six city councilor votes
for November and March. are needed to override
The move aimed at help- the veto. Supporters have
ing low- and moderate- said the ban was needed
income tenants from being to prevent people down
ousted from their homes in on their luck from being
a city with a widespread forced outside during bone
homelessness problem was chilling weather, adding
enacted Monday night that the evictions dispro-
with a 7-0 vote by the Seat- portionately affect women
tle City Council despite op- and people of color and
position from Mayor Jenny that people can die with-
Durkan, The Seattle Times out shelter.
reported. Some other U.S. jurisdictions
Durkan spokesman Ernesto restrict evictions during bad
Apreza warned the ban is weather but Seattle is the
almost certain to be con- first U.S. city to adopt such
tested in a legal fight that a broad ban, city council-
would be be costly for tax- ors said. Critics of the ban
payers. It does not apply to said landlords need evic-
landlords owning four hous- tion power during the win-
ing units or less in the city ter so they can pay their
with some of the highest bills and urged city leaders
rents in the U.S. to reduce evictions by con-
Durkan could sign the necting needy tenants with
measure into into law, let rent assistance.q