In other news: Storms bring floods across the South; Large crack in Utah dam puts nearby town at risk

Published 12:00 am Friday, April 12, 2024

By The Associated Press

Storms bring floods and damaging wind across the South; 1 dead in Mississippi

Officials in a Louisiana city are assessing the damage from a tornado spawned by a system of severe weather also blamed for a death in Mississippi and damage from Texas to the Florida panhandle. No deaths or critical injuries were reported when the suspected tornado hit Slidell, Louisiana, on Wednesday. The storm ripped off roofs and partially collapsed some buildings. The storms dumped close to eight inches of rain on parts of the New Orleans area as the city dealt with problems with the antiquated system of pipes and pumps that drains the streets.

Water pouring out of rural Utah dam through 60-foot crack, putting nearby town at risk

Utah state officials are hurriedly trying to shore up a rural Utah dam after a 60-foot crack opened and sent water pouring into a creek and endangering the 1,700 residents of a downstream town. State and local officials don’t think the Panguitch Lake Dam is in imminent danger of breaking open but have told the residents to be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen. Lowering the reservoir to below the affected area will take several days. State and local leaders held a community meeting Wednesday to answer questions from residents in Panguitch, a town of about 1,800 people that is about 10 miles downstream from the dam.

Japan is giving Washington 250 new cherry trees to replace those to be lost in construction work

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apan is giving the U.S. 250 new cherry trees to help replace the hundreds that will be ripped out this summer as construction crews work to repair the crumbling seawall around the capital Tidal Basin. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement during an official visit to Washington where he was soon honored with a state dinner at the White House. President Joe Biden says the gift is meant to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026. He says the trees are “timeless, inspiring and thriving.” The cherry trees were first planted in 1912 as a symbol of friendship between Japan and the U.S.