Nation IN BRIEF : SOUTHEAST : Rain-Swollen Rivers Rout More Families

Rain-swollen rivers chased dozens of Alabama families from their homes and threatened a new round of destruction in Georgia. Five people have been killed in those two states since the flooding began late last week. Extensive flooding was reported along Alabama’s Coosa, Black Warrior and Tallapoosa rivers, where dozens of families were forced to evacuate. The National Weather Service warned that 3 inches of rain could fall on already-soggy northwestern Georgia, where flooding has forced more than 1,000 from their homes. Meteorologist Gary Beeley warned that residents might be fooled by lighter rains and fail to take precautions, but that larger rivers often flood days after heavy rains.