European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A property owner along the Missouri River defies the rising water during flooding in july. A year of flood fire and false Start by Robert Dvorchak the associated press the great flood of 93 a with its death destruction and distress that tested Midwest Mettle in nine states a was named the top news Story of the year in a Survey of news executives by the associated press runner up among the 300 respondents in the 57th annual Survey was the apocalyptic image from a windswept Texas Prairie a a botched raid of a religious cult a 51-Day standoff with a self proclaimed Lamb of god and an inferno that left More than 80 dead. The Waco fire barely topped the no 3 Choice a the fledgling presidency of William Jefferson Clinton whose tribulations were tempered by accomplishment in his inaugural year. The remainder of the top 10 included in descending order _ terrorism comes Home to America with the world Trade Center bombing the Somalia mercy Mission turns horribly wrong two bitter Mideast foes shake hands but peace remains elusive a free Trade agreement among the United states Mexico and Canada health care reforms political crimes in. Russia and the bleeding wound of Bosnia. The second 10 was More top heavy with Domestic stories. They included Clinton s tax and deficit reduction package the . Economy California wildfires Domestic crime Gays in the the end is near smoke Billows from the Branch davidians compound. Military the los Angeles riots aftermath guns and the Brady Bill and Michael Jordan s Triumph tragedy and. Exit. Here s a look at the top three stories a the numbers Only told part of the Story 48 dead More than $10 billion in damage farmlands twice the size of new Jersey inundated 100 Rivers Over flood stage and 15 Waterways at All time High Levels 70,000 people displaced 421 counties declared disaster areas 50 towns ravaged 70 percent of the Region s levees overwhelmed Barge. Traffic grounded the Mississippi at St. Louis Over flood stage for a record 80 Days. ,. But fur All the losses there were also heroic struggles by Volunteer Sand baggers to hold Back  Rivers. The town of Valmeyer iii., voted to relocate on higher ground while others debated the Wisdom of trying to control the Mississippi behind flood Walls. A on feb. 28, agents of the . Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms raided the Branch Davidian compound even though sect Leader David Koresh a a guitar playing High school dropout whose real name was Vernon Howell a had been tipped it was Corning. Four agents and two cult members were killed in the gun Batte. After a 51 Day standoff the Fri fed an assault with modified tanks and tear Gas. Koresh was blamed for igniting a fire that destroyed the grounds. Among the dead were 17 children Many of them fathered by Koresh who was married to Many of the sect s women. New attorney general Janet Reno took responsibility for the controversial raid a Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton became the first Democrat in 12 years and the first baby Boomer to occupy the White House. He promised change and economic revival but the new Leader. Was tested on Somalia Bosnia Iraq Haiti unkept promises Gays in the military housekeeper problems that scuttled his first two choices for attorney general and the suicide of longtime Friend Vincent Foster or. Yet the new president got his lax and to deficit reduction package through Congress by the narrow est of margins won approval for Naftal signed the Brady Bill and helped end an airline strike in his rollers ouster year. Closer Loo the top stories by the associated press Here Are the top news stories of 1993, As selected by associated press newspaper editors and broadcast news directors in the United states in the Survey 300 news executives ranked the top stories. A first place vote gave the Story 10 Points a second place vote gave it nine Points and so on. Stories Are followed by the number of Points they received. 1. The flood of�?T93 2,026 Points. 2. The cult inferno in Waco Texas 1,734. 3. Clinton a fledgling presidency 1,732. 4. World Trade Center bombing 1,289. 5. Somalia a mercy Mission gone wrong 1,174. 6. Mideast peace 1,169. 7. North american free Trade agreement 986. 8. Proposed health care reforms for americans 903. 9.turmoilin Russia 715. 10. Bosnian bloodshed 615. The second 10 Are Clinton a tax and deficit reduction package the . Economy California wildfires Domestic crime Gays in the military the los Angeles riots aftermath guns and the Brady Yitzhak Rabin left and Yasser Arafat shake hands before a beaming president Clinton. Bill South Africa moves toward democracy the Amtrak train wreck in Alabama and Michael Jordan s Triumph tragedy and exit. A following Are the top10 International news stories of 1993, As chosen by newspaper radio television and news Agency editors in 44 countries outside the United states. 1. Mideast peace Accord 1,031 Points. 2. Russia s coup attempt 866. A 3. Yugoslavia 703. 4. South Africa 440. 5. The maastricht treaty 414.6. Somalia 408.7. Italy s scandals 223. 8. World Trade Center bombing 170.9. Gatt talks 169.10, Clinton s first year 163. The second 10 Are fighting in the former soviet republics North Korea s refusal to permit inspections to ensure it is not developing nuclear weapons the United nations failures in peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia Somalia and Haiti and its Success in Cambodia the earthquake that killed 9,000 people in India Japan a political scandals Cambodia s elections to return Prince Sihanouk to the monarchy Neo nazi attacks in Germany passage of the North american free Trade agreement the european monetary system s troubles and political and economic developments in China. Wednesday december 29, 1993 the stars and stripes