European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 18, 1990 the stars and stripes a Page 5flood damage mounts in Texas  devastated As runaway Rivers continue rampage by the associated press billions of Gallons of excess water was released in thundering cascades through the floodgates of the Lake Livingston dam in Texas wednesday As a record flood Crest crossed the Reservoir flooding subdivisions downstream where 7,000 people were urged to evacuate. Muddy water that devastated Arkansas crops rolled across thousands of acres of Louisiana farms. Louisiana gov. Buddy Roemer flew Over flooded areas to Check damage caused by the rampaging red River. Col. Frank Skidmore of the army corps of engineers told him 700,000 acres of farms and Woods would be inundated. Severe thunderstorms also flooded parts of Missouri Mississippi Kansas and Illinois. A 25-year-old cleanup worker drowned when he was swept away by floodwaters along the red River in Northeast Texas raising the states total of flood related deaths to 13. The Federal emergency management Agency extended a presidential disaster area wednesday to four More Texas counties bringing the total to 33 counties eligible for government assistance because of severe weather and flooding since april 15. Roads leading to More than 15 subdivisions along the Trinity River downstream from Lake Livingston in Southeastern Texas were covered with water. Officials said the Trinity continued to soak up More land wednesday As a flood Crest crossed the Reservoir. A this is the front end of it. This is just the beginning a said Jim Mitchum Liberty county emergency management coordinator. The Trinity River authority released water through the Lake Livingston dams floodgates at a record rate of 94,800 cubic feet per second and authorities planned to increase the rate. A discharge rate of 100,000 cubic feet per second was expected by monday said Grady Manis the authority a Southern Region manager. He said that level was Likely to be sustained for six to eight Days. A below Lake Livingston dam there a about 990 Square Miles. Maybe 20 percent of that is probably going to be under water at the height of this a Manis said. Residents who did not heed earlier evacuation advisories and now want out can Call for boat assistance from the county said Mitchum. At the Rattlesnake ranch in Houston county manager John Merriwether estimates losses in cattle Homes fences and property will exceed $ 1 million. A we lost cattle but How Many cattle we done to know a said Merriwether who also is part owner of the 3,700-head ranch about 85 Miles North of  the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. May 18, 1950 a studies leading to the termination of the state of War Between West Germany and the Western allies became possible As a result of the big three foreign ministers conference members of the Allied High commission and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer agreed.30 years ago today. May 18, 1960 a both East and West acknowledged failure of the Paris Summit conference Between soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and president Eisenhower and each Side blamed the other for the collapse.20 years ago today. May 18, 1970 a Atlanta a Henry Aaron collected the 3,000th hit of his major league career when the 36-year-old superstar hit a first inning single in the second game of a double header against cincinnati.10 years ago today. May 18, 1980 a an influential member 9f Iran a parliament said in an interview that the majority of deputies supported the trial of the american hostages. Trinity Texas resident Lloyd Olson keeps a watchful Eye on rising floodwaters wednesday. A some of these cattle that got in the water probably a lot of them Are floating  agricultural losses also were High in Arkansas. Sam Walker of the agricultural stabilization and conservation service said about 281,000 acres of cropland had been affected by High water primarily along the Arkansas and red Rivers. During the weekend a Quarter of Little River county in Southwest Arkansas was under water. A we had 70,000 acres flooded including 40,000 acres of Row crops and 25,000 acres of wheat All gone a county judge Clyde Wright said. A we had 18,000 head of cattle in the area. We done to know How Many lived. A i know ranchers who will never recoup their losses from this flood a he said. On May 1, it was estimated that 1.38 million acres of wheat would be harvested in Arkansas this year. The flooding could affect about 13 percent of that total. And Ron Chastain also of the conservation service said very Little planting is going on because of the wet ground. A if they Plant later there a a potential lower yield and greater potential for the crop failing if they Plant real late a he said. In Louisiana the red River crested tuesday at 34.5 feet at Shreveport about 4.5 feet above flood stage a Day Early and nearly a foot below the predicted Crest. The difference was attributed to better water absorption upstream and less than expected fleets from recent rain in Oklahoma and Arkansas. A the worst is Over but we re not quite out of the Woods yet Quot said Ernest Ethridge chief meteorologist at the National weather service in Shreveport. The water had forced 225 people out of their Homes in the Shreveport Bossier City area of Northwest Louisiana. An additional 135 were flooded out downstream in Rapides Natchitoches and red River parishes. In Missouri police said up to 300 people were evacuated on Kansas City a East Side during the night after nearly 7 inches of rain fell. In nearby Blue Springs at least 60 Homes were temporarily evacuated after rain threatened to burst the dam of a private Lake. Flash flooding in Central and Southern Illinois forced about 20 families to flee. Five families in Macon county had to be removed by boat police said. Black Home loan rejections twice White rate panel told Washington apr Blacks were turned Down on Home loan applications More than twice As often As Whites in the first half of 1989, a Treasury department official testified wednesday. From the second half of 1988 to the first half of 1989, the rejection rate for Blacks Rose from 23 percent to 29 percent Jerauld c. Kluckman told a Senate banking subcommittee. During the same period the rejection rate for Whites Rose from 11 percent to 13 percent Kluckman told the subcommittee on consumer and regulatory affairs. The panel is examining discrimination in the mortgage lending Industry. Kluckman director of compliance programs at the office of Thrift supervision said the Agency is a concerned about these  however he cautioned against drawing too Many conclusions from the data. A the differences in rejection rates in and of themselves do not indicate that savings associations Are discriminating on a prohibited basis a he said. For example the data in their present state do not consider credit worthiness or the criteria set by lenders. A the significance of the differences cannot be ignored but can Only be explored and explained through vigorous Field examinations that thoroughly Analyse a Given savings associations policies procedures lending programs and Crit Cra a he said. Kluckman was one of several government witnesses at the hearing chaired by sen. Alan Dixon Dill. Kluckman whose office regulates the savings and loan Industry was the Only witness to have detailed data on turndown. The number of witnesses reflected the number of entities involved in enforcing Laws against lending discrimination. Among them were the comptroller of the currency housing and Urban development Federal Deposit insurance corp. And Federal Reserve. Dixon and others expressed Surprise that despite statistics showing such a wide Gap Between loan approvals for Blacks and Whites not one Case had been referred to the Justice department