THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 29, 1994 TAG: 9406290400
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940629 LENGTH: Medium
But as workers began removing debris and power was restored to most communities Tuesday morning, emergency management coordinators said actual damages may not be as bad as original pro-jections.
{REST} ``The bottom line is that we were very fortunate,'' said Doug Hoell, a state emergency management coordinator who oversees 15 counties in northeastern North Carolina.
``We came through a severe storm without much serious damage.''
A 66-year-old Lenoir County man died Monday after a tree smashed through his two-story Kinston home shortly after 9 a.m. Other than that, county managers and sheriffs said there were no serious injuries as a result of Monday's storms.
Monday evening, officials were estimating that about 100 homes sustained serious damage when tree limbs crashed through their roofs and debris shot through the windows. Tuesday afternoon, they changed their estimate to about 70 structures. Most of the damage was to insured properties, Hoell said.
``We're not going to ask for a disaster declaration or aid because insurance should cover most of the losses,'' Hoell said from his Washington, N.C., office Tuesday afternoon. ``There always will be someone who goes without. But we'll pursue Red Cross and other assistance for them.''
According to National Weather Service spokesman Wally DeMaurice, tornadoes were sighted in Tyrrell County near Columbia, Washington County near Creswell and in Pitt County near Ayden on Monday. As of Tuesday night, none of those reports had been confirmed.
``Winds seemed to cause most of the damage, blowing down 20-inch diameter oak trees and tearing shingles off roofs,'' DeMaurice said from his Buxton office Tuesday afternoon. ``The storm actually had two separate systems which moved along a trough of low pressure. They worked their way on a fast northeastern path from Pitt County to the Virginia line.
``Waterspouts were sited on the Albemarle Sound and the Roanoke Sound, between Colington Island and the Roanoke Island airport.''
Tyrrell County took the brunt of the storms, with about 40 homes damaged and almost $200,000 in total property losses. At least 10 houses are unlivable, said county Emergency Management Coordinator Dennis W. ``Buddy'' Swain Jr. - whose own home was crushed by 40-foot pine trees. Two local businesses lost their roofs.
``All the roads are open again this morning, and we're getting state Department of Transportation crews to help remove debris,'' Swain said from his Columbia office Tuesday. ``We should all be thankful that this was all the damage we got.''
In Pitt County, 13 homes were damaged, one mobile home was destroyed and a church was hit by falling trees. An automobile body shop and vacant warehouse also were damaged in the storm, county Assistant Emergency Coordinator James McCotter said. In all, the county had about $48,000 in reported property losses.
``As people continue clearing trees and removing fallen limbs and debris, I'm sure that figure's going to rise,'' McCotter said. ``Right now, it's all we've had time to take account of.''
Martin County sustained about $200,000 in damages - half of which came from Golden Peanut Co. The company's three-story grain elevator facility was twisted in the storm, said county Emergency Management Director Dale Lilley. At least a dozen houses also were damaged.
``I'd say three or four vehicles were crushed by trees, too,'' Lilley said. ``There were a lot of limbs on the road, a lot of trees down. The down drafts of storm weather seemed to do damage here in a straight line.''
Other counties had minimal damage to homes and private businesses. All roads and bridges were reopened by Tuesday morning. Power was back on in almost every community by Tuesday night. by CNB