
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 15, 1995                   TAG: 9501170083
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HEAVY RAINS BRING WIDESPREAD FLOOD RISK

Heavy rains all day Saturday had Southwest Virginians watching river banks in expectation of flooding, and bridges already were being closed in Roanoke on Saturday night.

Harry McIntosh, meteorologist in charge of the Roanoke office of the National Weather Service, said there was a flood watch for nearly every county in Western Virginia through today.

By 10:30 Saturday night, city of Roanoke workers had closed the low-water bridges on Wiley Drive in Southwest Roanoke.

Before midnight, the Roanoke River was just about two feet below flood stage at the Salem pump station, according to Kane Galleo of the weather service's Roanoke office. Galleo said he couldn't make a prediction about how high the river might crest in Roanoke, because rain is expected again all day today.

by CNB