NATION IN BRIEF : TEXAS : Floods Worsen as Swollen Rivers Crest

Residents of low-lying areas along the Trinity River in southeastern Texas braced for the worst as a record 85,000 cubic feet of water per second was released from Lake Livingston to protect the dam there. The river’s crest was expected to reach the dam today, and further releases from the reservoir could cause the worst flooding in 80 years. Some residents of communities below the dam had heeded early warnings and moved to higher ground, but last-minute stragglers called for help as water began to cover the the roads out of their subdivisions. Meanwhile, parts of Arkansas flooded since May 1 were declared a federal disaster area. In Louisiana, homes near the Red River were being sandbagged and some were evacuated.