Page 16-Saturday, July28 1979--The Michigan Daily
Texas floods receding,
some people return home
HOUSTON (AP) - Receding flood- ter a second inspection by boat,
waters allowed some residents to described the situation as a "tremen-
return to their homes on Texas' coastal dous disaster."
plains yesterday, but flooded streets "A lot of people have lost everything,
kept thousands more stranded. The . their homes, their cars," McConn said.
death toll from the state's worst floods The Federal Insurance Ad-
in nearly 20 years grew to seven. ministration predicted 15,000 federal
Five people were killed when a bus flood claims will be filed because of
taking church members to a youth con- Claudette.
ference was knocked by a small truck THE FLOODS also knocked out
into a creek swollen by torrential rains telephone and electrical service in
near Centerville, 120 miles to the north, many areas earlier this week, floated
officials said, sewage out of treatment plants and for-
TWO OTHER people died previously ced the shutdown of the Johnson Space
in floods caused by three days of hard Center on Thursday.
rainfall from the remnants of tropical Early morning rain and rising water
storm Claudette, which struck the coast yesterday caused renewed but com-
Tuesday and dumped up to 30 inches on paratively minor evacuation operations
the state. in Galveston and Brazoria counties.
"I told the people, what with all the Transportation still was a problem in
rain and people and dogs and cats, it some areas yesterday. Swollen Clear
was starting to look like Noah's Ark Creek continued to block the Gulf
around here," said the Rev. Frank Min- Freeway thatcuts through the heart of
ton, whose Park Place Baptist Church the areas affected in Harris and
housed about 1,000 refugees. Galveston Counties.
Hundreds of people in southern In- DR. ARMOND Goldman, a pediatrics
diana began returning home Friday to professor at the University of Texas
begin the formidable task of cleaning Medical Branch in Galveston, stopped
up after floods that also did millions of while en route to work to assist a stran-
dollars in damage and washed out a ded family and delivered a baby, the
dozen roads. Gov. Otis Powendeclared woman's third.
a disaster in five counties. Goldman then went to assist at a high
OFFICIALS SAID the flooding on the school shelter in Dickinson.
upper Texas coast was the area's worst "Most of the people here were largely
since hurricane Carla hit in 1961. Unof- in shock," he said. "None had expected
ficial estimates indicated damages anything like this."
could rival the $408 million caused by HULEN WILDER of Baytown was
Carla, a killer hurricane that left 46 among those taking the flooding in
people dead. stride. "We've had practice, he said.
The rushing waters chased some "This is the sixth time water's been in
5,000 people from their homes this that house since I moved there in 1955."
week. Hundreds of families in the The floodwaters broke store windows
Houston area began returning, but in the town= of English and police
flooded streets kept most evacuees in arrested six people on looting charges
schools and churches set up as Red Thursday, including one who emerged
Cross shelters. from a store in a power boat loaded
Gov. Bill Clements asked President with merchandise, officials said.
Carter to declare Claudette's aftermath A 38-year-old man was electrocuted
along the upper Texas coast as a major Thursday night while working on an
disaster. outdoor fuse box during the heavy rain
HOUSTON MAYOR Jim McConn, af- near Princeton, Ind.
AP Photo
AS FLOODS engulfed a recreation center in Marengo, Indiana Thursday, a
rescue crew pulled a woman to safety. It was the second time in two weeks
Marengo has been flooded.
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By ADRIENNE LYONS
Ann Arbor may soon seea new night-
time bus service specifically designed
for the protection of women and senior
citizens who are often the victims of
assault and rape, said one of the coor-
dinators of the proposed project.
"Our main purpose is to stop rape at
night," said Doris Wright, a coor-
dinator of the Women's Transit
Authority (WTA). If the service is ac-
tivated, Wright added, "women and
older citizens would be transported (to
their destinations) free of charge after
dark."
According to Wright, the WTA is
currently conductin a needs
assessment survey in Ann Arbor to find
which areas of the city need the service
most. The surveys are being conducted
in hospital areas, retirement homes,
and laundromats, among other places,
Wright said.
WRIGHT ALSO said the WTA is in-
volved with gathering rape statistics,
obtaining funds, and building a
cohesive service plan. Wright said she
hopes the service will begin "within six
months," although "it depends on
community support and how fastwe get
the funds.
"It's hard to tell," Wright added.
pected."
The project is an offshoot of a
workshop sponsored three weeks ago
by area women's groups, Wright said.
The workshop featured speakers from
the WTA in Madison, Wisconsin.
"THE WTA started in Madison in
1973, and is still in existence," Wright
explained. She added that at the
workshop in Ann Arbor, Madison's
WTA representatives offered
suggestions and information on
possible problems which might hinder
Ann Arbor's fledgling group.
Wright said the group is hoping to ob-
tain two cars which would work two
shifts. She said there is also the
possibility of obtaining a "swing," or
extra, car for use "during heavy
periods." Also, the WTA hopes to "get
funds to pay a coordinator," Wright
said.
Most cars will have fixed routes, and
possibly a system similar to Dial-a-
Ride, where someone needing a ride
can just call the WTA and be picked up,
Wright said.
She stressed, however, that assault
cases would receive highest priority
"If someone's been assaultedand needs
a ride to the hospital, we'll be right
out," Wright said.
Women's transit service
soon may become reality
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ROLLIN STONE