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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 19, 1992                   TAG: 9203190294
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MICHELLE RILEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

AFTER ZELDA, ROANOKE'S SECURE

But then again, it was only a drill.

Since the beginning of March, a fictitious hurricane named I.E. Zelda has been heading toward the Atlantic coast, causing destruction in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

The path of the storm has been monitored by the National Weather Service, which helped develop the exercise with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Localities throughout the five-state region that receive federal money for emergency planning were required to participate.

Wednesday, the weather service reported constant rain, 85-mph winds and flash flooding, which caused heavy damage in the Roanoke Valley and forced local governments and Red Cross agencies to test their disaster resources.

At the Roanoke County Emergency Services Administration, a blizzard of papers flew around an L-shaped conference table as police, fire and communications officials responded to about 100 individual situations.

They ranged from the serious (50 preschoolers trapped under a collapsed roof at the Olympic Skate Center) to the ridiculous (a citizen who swore he saw two coffins floating down the road).

Although some of the reports brought laughter, the participants took the exercise seriously.

"It's very real for us," Roanoke County Administrator Elmer Hodge said. "The simulation is the closest thing to actually give my people . . . some firsthand experience."

And the situations weren't too far from reality. Emergency Operations Center coordinator Larry Logan used experiences from the 1985 flood in the exercise.

It was much quieter at mock shelters set up across the region.

Red Cross volunteers George and Frances Hill arrived at the First Church of God on Hildebrand Road Northeast at 9 a.m. and began setting up green cots, blankets and signs saying "disaster services."

They were ready to welcome anyone who appeared with hot coffee, soft drinks and cookies.

"We have no idea who'll show up," said George Hill, who began volunteering with the Red Cross during Hurricane Hugo in September 1989.

Although some real people were sent to the four Red Cross shelters, the volunteers filled out 300 registration forms mostly with names from the phone book, according to Kenneth Updike, an emergency services specialist for the Roanoke Valley Red Cross.

Like the local governments, the Red Cross used the drill to give new people the opportunity to experience disaster procedures.

"This is a check to see how well everything goes into place if a real disaster occurs," said Stephen Warren, the director of the office of communications at the Roanoke Valley Red Cross.

The exercise also let the agencies try out new equipment and organization procedures.

Although all of the participants thought the activity was a good learning experience, some of them found it a little taxing.

"It's exciting, but it can be really hectic," said Gordon Garrett, an amateur radio operator who kept the Roanoke County Emergency Operations Center in touch with other government centers and the Red Cross shelters.

"I think a real disaster would be easier because you can address real situations."