The Wichita Eagle from Wichita, Kansas • 4

9 4A THE WICHITA EAGLE-BEACON Friday October 3 1986 Today's Expected River Crests and Feet Above Flood Stage Ag Policy? Frustrates Farmers -w Kansas Takes Lashing From Hurricane ail Today Eclipse Likely to Elude Most Kansans Most Kansans are likely to find the view of the partial solar eclipse blocked out today because of the stormy cloudy weather Eric Rasmussen a forecaster with WeatherData Inc Wichita said Thursday night that the chances for witnessing the eclipse were about none for most of Kansas The only chance is in the extreme west along the border with Colorado" 9 ri o'i: 0 111 niirt Kansas farmers expressed fni tration Thursday about agriculture' being drawn Into the politics! crossfire over US economic saqo tions imposed on South Africa "It seems that any controversy that comes along in world politics it affects sajtfj Stan Ahlerich a Winfield farmed "No matter how remote it alwayj? comes out of our US grain became an issue1 again Wednesday when South Afn- can Foreign Minister Pik Botfya lobbied several form state seqa- tors in an unsuccessful effort to block the Senate override of Presl- dent Reagan's veto of sanctions against South Africa Botha warned senators that his nation would halt all purchases US grain and would block grain imports that flow th South African ports to neighboring African nations If sanctions were imposed Sj Neither Kansas formers noT grain market experts believe however that losing South wheat business or blocking grain? imports to other African nations'! would have much Immediate df-'- feet on overall US wheat export volume or sales The formers are more about food exports becoming a tool "We (US formers) have been handy tool to use in our own political system and now we seem to! be a handy tool to use by other'-' nations" said Del Wiedemann WaKeeney former and president of the Kansas Association of i Wheat Growers Ahlerich said incidents like the-South African threat of a boycott1 make Kansas formers nervbufc about depending on the export market a key beet of the gan plan to bof-1' ster US grain sales and reduce1' the nation's grain surplus The South African grain export 1 market while not a major source of Income for US formers has growth potential the formers say South Africa bought about million bushels worth $13 from the United States in 1986 and smaller amounts from Canada and -Australia South African offlctaR estimated that the country might need as much as 37 million bushels In 1987 because of drought losses The size of this year's Kansas wheat crop by comparison was 326 million bushels Growers in Kansas and neighboring states have the biggest stake in the South African debate because they grow the kind of hard winter wheat South Africans prefer for breadmaking said Johann Cantons agriculture attache- with the South African embassy In Washington RAIN Prom 1A South of Tuba 110 people remained out of their homes in Bixby Okla In Lawton Okla three trailer homes were destroyed and another dozen damaged during storms Wednesday night A FLASH flood watch was Issued for overnight in eastern Kansas as well as for northwest and west central Missouri The National Weather Service said that small streams in urban areas were the most vulnerable If storms were heavy A flash flood watch continued late Thursday in Oklahoma for all of the state expect the panhandle Eric Rasmussen a forecaster with WeatherData Inc Wichita said the strongest storms from Paine were expected to reach Wichita by this afternoon Weed said the emergency preparedness division would be on full alert through today Officials were worried most about several rivers in eastern Kansas The Neosho River was 6 feet over flood stage Thursday from Parsons in Labette County downstream to the state line The Verdigris River was at flood stage from Independence in Montgomery County south as was the Marais des Cygnes River from Ottawa in Franklin County south All reaches of the Marmaton and Cottonwood rivers were at flood stage late Thursday afternoon although the Cottonwood had been receding according to (buy Robinson a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka But said Phil Shideler the National Weather Service's chief meteorologist in Topeka "the mofor streams were not overflowing that badly" at mid-day Thursday STATE OFFICIALS were also watching the rising levels of Elk City Lake near Elk City in Montgomery County and John Redmond Reservoir northwest of Burlington in Coffey County levels that may necessitate the releasing of water into rivers this weekend according to Weed Flooding in Kansas Thursday was mostly in low-lying form areas especially in the southeast corner Weed said that croplands in Cherokee County "had an awful lot of water" Thursday afternoon and that in Labette County "80 percent of the crops have been David Butler executive director of the soil conservation service for Labette County said: "It's taken its toll on the milo and soybean crops We been able to look at the damage because most of the roads are dosed People are comparing it to the and 51 flood or the equivalent of flood that comes along every 75 years" Ludlle Napier dispatcher for the Cherokee County Sheriffs office said: "Our problems depend on the other storms still to come and we hope they (forecasters) know what they're talking In La Cygne in Linn County police Chief Frankie Hayes said the Marais des high level had presented few problems "Once in a while it floods some land And then a couple of hours later it goes she said HIGHWAYS CLOSED by weather at 7 JO pm Thursday were K-7 north of Harding K-05 east of Xenia and K-31 west of Fulton all in Bourbon County K-39 north of Elk City in Montgomery County UJ 160 at Elk Foils Elk County US-75 two miles north of Sycamore in Montgomery County and the south-bound lane of K-09 2 miles north of Emporia in Lyon County according to the Kansas Highway Patrol in Sallna The rivers reservoirs and streams reached flood danger after a frontal system of rain soaked the Midwest for two weeks Early Thursday the front stretched from Baja California south to the Kansas-Oklahoma border and east to northwest Ohio This week alone in Kansas from Monday to Thursday morning 443 inches of rain fell on Wichita 935 inches on Pittsburg 985 inches on Coffeyville and 884 Inches on Chanute In the Pate housing addition of Goddard neighborhood roads torn up for repaving were turned into mud trails by the rain "It is Just a quagmire It looks like the said homeowner Marti Johnson She worried that fire trucks would not be able to get to the neighborhood Cgd Graphic Bob Jenkins of Sweet Springs Mo maneuvers his boat on a flooded street as he tows a telephone pole trying to keep from being washed away week Partly cloudy skies are expected to cover Wichita on Monday But whether there is much flooding under the clearing skies depends on the last of this spate of storms expected As Mike Smith a forecaster for WeatherData said on Thursday of this rain and the expected finale: a lot of rain but there's a lot more to The Wealthier Report Prepare our Palates a Taste of Seattle Rainfall Amounts 24-hour rainfall totals as of 7 pm Thursday Eleven deaths have been blamed across the nation on storms from heart attacks to traffic accidents since Sept 20 They include four in Illinois three in Minnesota two in Missouri and one each In Oklahoma and Montana Two others were missing and presumed dead in Illinois and Oklahoma IN ILLINOIS flood waters up to six feet deep flowed through some Kansas ay 7260 nn nrtnrm Thunderstorms Lawrence 7159 Rain Forecast East Cloudy skies today with occasional rain and thunderstorms Additional rainfell amounts In excess of 2 inches Highs today in the 70s Cloudy and cooler tonight with lows in the upper 50s north to mid-SOs south Cloudy and cool Saturday with a chance for rain Highs Saturday mid-SOs north to near 70 south neighborhoods Estimates of damage caused in Illinois by the recent weather reached $30 million Thursday In Michigan rain had fallen for 23 straight days by Thursday At least 10 Michigan cities have set rainfall records and 26 counties have been declared disaster areas Shideler said Thursday that the region could expect to see the downpours diminish by early next Traveling Weather For Kansas of rain heavy northwest Lows southeast chance northwest Wichita of rain heavy shifting Low with a Cloudy skies today with periods and a few thunderstorms Locally rains possible today Highs upper 50s to mid-70s southeast Cloudy tonight with occasional rain or drizzle tonight low 40s northwest to mld-60s Cloudy and cool Saturday for rain Highs Saturday mid-SOs to near 70 southeast a Cloudy skies today with periods and a few thunderstorms Locally rains possible High today 73 with winds 15-25 mph Cloudy and cooler tonight with occasional rain or drizzle tonight 59 Cloudy and cool Saturday chance for rain High Saturday 65 Sunday through Tuesday Cool with a chance for rain Sunday Partly cloudy and a little warmer Monday and Tuesday Highs near 60 Sunday to near 70 Tuesday Lows in the mld-40s to mld-SOsL National frosts I projected temperatures as of 6 pm today Source: WeatherData Inc Today's Forecast Hays 6547 Rain GoodUad 5143 Rain Gardea City 6649 Rain KANSAS: Floods could Hock many mads NEBRASKA: Rainy and vary eooL MISSOURI: Flooda could block many roads norttiwasL OKLAHOMA: Floods could block many roada ARKANSAS: Scattered heavy thundar- Great Bead 6952 Rain TEXAS: Scattered heavy thunderstorms with flooding poosfcto central COLORADO: Cold with some snow showers mountains NEW MEXICO: Cold with scattered showers IOWA: Cool and damp Wichita Data Oct 2 1988 Howrfy Temperatures Llberal 6951 Rain Dodge Chy 6951 Rain Forecast West Cloudy and colder with occasional rain or drizzle Highs today upper 50s north to upper 60s south Cloudy and cod tonight with occasional light rain or drizzle Lows tonight mid-40s north to low 50s south Cloudy and cool Saturday with a chance for rain Highs Saturday mid-SOs north to low 60s south Forecast Central Cloudy with occasional rain and a few thunderstorms Highs today upper 50s northwest to mid-70s south Additional rainfall amounts in excess of 2 Inches possible Cloudy and cool tonight with occasional light rain and drizzle Lows tonight upper 40s north to upper 50s south Cloudy and cool Saturday with a chance for rain Highs Saturday upper 50s north to mid-SOs south.