Florida residents urged to evacuate flood-ravaged homes

EMERGENCY officials urged the evacuation yesterday of more than 600 homes downstream from Lake Manatee after a flood gate on a dam holding back the lake jammed closed.

Some nearby homes were already flooding yesterday morning. In the lake, the water level was five feet higher than normal, and rain in the region was sending water streaming into the lake faster than two open flood gates could release it into the river below.

Crews with cranes and cables tried without success to pry open a third gate that jammed shut late Saturday. Without that third gate open, water was expected to begin spilling over the dam, about 15 miles east of Bradenton.