35 Dead in Floods; Richmond Threatened

Health officials voiced concern over contaminated water Wednesday after devastating floods killed 35 people in the mid-Atlantic states, and the governors of Virginia and West Virginia surveyed damage estimated in hundreds of millions of dollars.

Rivers that crested at record levels were returning to their banks in many areas, but Richmond braced for a surge on the James River, and sandbagging continued at historic sites around Washington in anticipation of a Potomac River crest of up to seven feet above flood stage.

About 20 people were still listed as missing in the floods that followed three days of heavy rain.

2,000 Out of Homes

More than 2,000 remained out of their homes Wednesday in Pennsylvania and the Virginias, while many began mopping up.

For others, however, there was no home to return to as trailers, A-frames and other structures washed down swollen rivers.

“You could see the loss in people’s eyes and hear it in people’s voices,” said ambulance worker Chris Trout at Rainelle, W. Va. “All around, people have lost their homes and everything.”

Gov. Charles S. Robb toured Virginia’s flood-ravaged western mountains by helicopter Wednesday as his state’s storm death toll climbed to 19. Fifteen more died in West Virginia and one in Maryland, officials said.

Water Rises in Richmond

Meanwhile, the James River, surging out of its banks, roared toward Richmond and threatened to inundate a major section of the city’s downtown area. Water rose in the warehouse district, sending rats scurrying to find dry ground. Richmond officials were distributing sandbags for the river’s expected crest today, and City Manager Manuel Deese declared a state of emergency.

Gov. Arch A. Moore Jr. of West Virginia also took to the air to examine the devastation. He was asking the federal government to provide disaster aid in 22 counties.

His first stop was Clarksburg, where he declared an emergency and shut down the city’s banks, saying they, like other institutions in affected areas, were having serious problems communicating with the outside.

The governor and others expressed concern about contamination of drinking water supplies, as raw sewage and dead livestock floated down streets in several communities.

Parks Closed

The National Park Service closed several parks in the Washington area and sandbagged the historic Great Falls Tavern and other sites.

The National Weather Service said the Potomac was expected to crest at six to seven feet above flood stage this afternoon as it passed through the Georgetown area of Washington.

Park Service spokesman Earl Kittleman said 5,000 historic artifacts had been moved from Harpers Ferry Park on the Potomac in West Virginia to higher ground or sandbagged buildings.

It was too early in most places for definitive estimates of the losses, officials said.