Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508040063
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: PENSACOLA, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Erin was downgraded to a storm late Thursday after its sustained winds dropped to 60 mph, down from the 94 mph winds that blasted the Florida Panhandle, knocking out windows, damaging water lines and tossing boats like baseballs.
``We have trees down, we have transformers exploding on power poles,'' said John Teelin, a spokesman for Escambia County Emergency Management. ``It's quite a show.''
No injuries or additional deaths were immediately reported. Erin killed at least two people and left five missing at sea when it hit central Florida early Wednesday.
By late evening, Erin weakened further as it headed northwest, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm brought rain and high winds to parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, downing some trees and power lines but causing no major damage, officials said.
Earlier in the day, the hurricane-force winds and driving rain peeled back roofs at shopping centers, restaurants and apartment buildings across several Panhandle counties. Hundreds of trees toppled and power lines went down faster than utility crews could keep up.
More than 700,000 Florida residents were without power, some for a second day
Gov. Lawton Chiles requested a federal emergency declaration from President Clinton to pave the way for disaster aid.
The Escambia County Sheriff's Department said 50 to 60 police cars would patrol the area overnight to guard against looting.
The center of the storm moved ashore at about 10 a.m. in Pensacola, which had not been hit directly by a hurricane since one in September 1926 killed 372 people in Florida and Alabama.
Downed power lines in Pensacola sparked and snapped ``like a Fourth of July party,'' said Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Kirby.
State insurance officials projected insured losses as high as $200 million.
State meteorologist Mike Rucker said many Florida coastal residents failed to take the hurricane warnings seriously and were caught by surprise.
Forecasters had predicted Wednesday night that the hurricane would most likely brush the Florida Panhandle on its way to the Mississippi-Louisiana coast - not slam into it.
More than 10,000 people evacuated coastal areas near Pensacola, but Florida officials said only about 600 people had taken refuge overnight in shelters.
Teelin, of Escambia County Emergency Management, complained county officials didn't have enough time to warn residents.
Officials at the National Hurricane Center disputed that claim, saying a hurricane warning was posted for the Florida Panhandle at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Nonetheless, many residents felt ambushed.
``Normally, I would have loaded up and moved out, but they kept saying it was going to Louisiana,'' said 69-year-old Charles Clower.
Gulf Power Co. spokesman Steve Higgenbottom said a half-million of the panhandle utility's customers lost electricity Thursday. He said it could take a week to restore power to everyone.
Escambia County residents also faced severe water shortages because the pumps in 25 of the public water system's 34 wells had been knocked out by the power outages.
On its first pass across Florida on Wednesday, Erin killed two people and left five missing at sea. It also sank two ships, cut off electricity to 1 million people and caused minor damage and flooding in central Florida. About 360,000 people remained without power Thursday.
Charlie Porretto, who lives in Navarre Beach, said the wind blew out a bay window in his bedroom and tossed his 27-foot sailboat up on the beach a half-block away. He said the front and back of the boat were gone, and what was left was pocked with holes.
A sailboat capsized in Pensacola Bay, but the five people on board safely paddled to shore and were picked up by Gulf Breeze police, authorities said.
Farther east in Mary Esther, gusts peeled back most of the roof of the Florosa Fire station, raining insulation and debris on the firefighters inside.
``It kind of wiped the station out,'' said Fire Chief Sam Scott. ``It's like standing outside.''
by CNB