ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 10, 1996 TAG: 9609100073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA
SOURCE: Associated Press
For the fourth day in a row Monday, gawkers stood in front of Rick Giovannoni's restaurant to take pictures and dip their toes in the flooded Potomac River.
And for the fourth day, almost no one ordered food.
``Everybody wants to look at the water, look at the water,'' Giovannoni said as high tide pushed a lake of brown water toward the front stoop of The Alamo restaurant in Alexandria's historic Old Town district. ``They could have lunch and look at the water.''
President Clinton flew over flooded areas in Northern Virginia as floodwaters from Hurricane Fran receded. He expanded his declaration of major disaster to include more Virginia counties, making them eligible for federal assistance and low-interest loans.
Elsewhere, chain saws and heavy equipment continued the cleanup from flooding that forced thousands from their homes and killed eight people in Virginia. The latest was an unidentified woman who died after bystanders pulled her from her submerged car on a flooded Henrico County road Sunday night. Another woman in the car survived.
In the northern mountains, National Guard all-terrain vehicles drove into flooded hollows where people remained without electricity or drinking water.
Commuters complained more bitterly, as floodwaters blocked several major roads in Northern Virginia and Washington. The backup extended to Interstates 95 and 66, where morning rush hour lingered toward noon.
At The Alamo and other businesses along the Potomac waterfront, employees wielding hoses tried to wash the mud off 18th-century buildings. The river crested at 13.7 feet, well above the 7-foot flood stage, and pushed water nearly two blocks into Old Town.
``I'd been watching it on the news and just thought I'd come see it for myself,'' said Bob Arruda of Arlington. Arruda brought along his dog, Tofu, for the sightseeing trip.
Police blocked off several streets to cars, but allowed pedestrians to wander as far as they dared. Most businesses in the tourist district remained open.
Alexandria is accustomed to flooding - one renovated building includes a permanent flood gauge carved into the cornerstone. The water lapped at the 5-foot mark Monday afternoon.
U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., lives near the flooded area. He toured it Sunday with officials from the Army Corps of Engineers, and said Congress will consider federal funds for a flood wall similar to one in Richmond.
That would be welcome news to Giovannoni, who estimates lost business of $40,000 to $50,000 at his place and one across the street under the same ownership.
In Page County, all-terrain vehicles were sent into mountain hollows to reach about 75 homes that had no electricity or telephone service and no road to get out, said Leon Rickard, the county's emergency services coordinator.
``We've just got a lot of people isolated up there,'' Page County Administrator Ron Wilson said. ``They're going door-to-door, checking to see if anyone is missing, distributing food and water, and evacuating people if necessary.''
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. An Alexandria police officer wades his beat Sundayby CNBthrough Fran's floodwaters in Old Town.