THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 14, 1995 TAG: 9508140138
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Crafty as a cat, Hurricane Felix toyed with meteorologists and their computers during the weekend, all the while edging closer to Ber-muda.
Strong seas, kicked up in advance of the hurricane, reached the island Sunday, and a hurricane warning was raised at 11 p.m.
Fearing the worst, some visitors were packing up and leaving while island residents busied themselves stocking up on emergency supplies.
The huge hurricane - which was packing sustained winds of 135 mph with gusts to 160 mph late Saturday - unexpectedly lost some of its oomph Sunday and ignored forecasts of where it would go.
At one point, computer models called for the hurricane to turn north - its eye crossing dead-center over Bermuda - and then northeast into the Atlantic. Instead, Felix marched steadily northwest. Then, on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center called for a northwest progression that would send the hurricane toward the Chesapeake Bay. Instead, it turned north.
As of 11 p.m. Sunday, the Hurricane Center was sticking with its prediction that Felix would shift back to the northwest and head toward the East Coast. But thanks to the day's northward movement, the threat to Virginia and North Carolina eased slightly, although meteorologists warned that it's simply too early for people to let down their guard.
``As we look ahead to the 48- and 72-hour period, there are some uncertainties about where Felix will be going,'' said Robert Burpee, the Hurricane Center's director. ``So I would say residents of the East Coast from the Carolinas northward should be monitoring the progress of this storm.''
Complicating efforts to forecast the storm's future is a trough of low pressure offshore in the Atlantic, roughly parallel to the East Coast.
Interaction with that trough was credited with stealing some of Felix's punch Sunday. The big question is whether that trough willdrag the hurricane along as it moves northeast, taking it out to sea.
But the Hurricane Center is doubtful that will happen; thus the forecast for a return to the northwest.
Based on its course and speed Sunday, the Hurricane Center said the earliest Felix could threaten the U.S. mainland would be midweek, most likely Thursday or Friday. Sunday's forecast track suggested the greatest threat would be to the New Jersey coast and Long Island.
Felix is expected to pass 50 miles southwest of Bermuda on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters said. Hurricane-force winds of 75 mph and above extend up to 115 miles from the eye and tropical storm-force winds extend 300 miles, so even a near miss could cause significant damage.
The storm could delay what has been called the biggest decision Bermuda's 53,000 people will ever make - a referendum on the colony's independence from Britain. The vote may be postponed for up to 48 hours.
``If you were being hit on Tuesday by a hurricane, you couldn't very well ask people to come out and vote,'' Premier John Swan told The Associated Press on Sunday. Gavin Shorto, a government spokesman, said a decision would be made today, when government offices would still be open.
Visitors were streaming out of Bermuda, many cutting short vacations. American Airlines added extra flights Sunday to accommodate the exodus, and cruise ships were setting sail early.
Meanwhile, in Hampton Roads, emergency planners were keeping close tabs on Felix and the Navy was recalling some personnel to make certain all ships are ready to get under way. A decision could be made today to send the fleet to safety at sea. MEMO: For updates on Felix, call INFOLINE at 640-5555 and enter category
1237.
ILLUSTRATION: INFOLINE
For updates on Felix, call INFOLINE at 640-5555 and enter category
1237.
KRT
Map
by CNB