THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 15, 1995 TAG: 9508150249
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Hurricane Felix took an unwelcome turn toward the west-northwest Monday as it swept past Bermuda, bringing a renewed threat to the U.S. East Coast.
At 5 p.m., Felix was about 750 miles east-southeast of Norfolk and heading northwest at 14 mph. If that track holds, Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina could be placed under a hurricane watch today, with the possibility of hurricane conditions reaching the area Thursday.
Coastal residents ``should be watching Felix very carefully,'' said John Hope, a veteran hurricane forecaster who joined The Weather Channel in Atlanta after many years' service at the National Hurricane Center.
The storm's turn ``could bring the center over your way by Wednesday or Thursday,'' Hope said in a telephone interview. ``I'm not saying it will reach the coast, but it could be very close.''
That's bad news. Although nowhere near as powerful as hurricanes Hugo or Andrew, Felix is huge geographically, and its effects are far-reaching. Hurricane-force winds extend 115 miles from the center and tropical storm winds extend for 300 miles. Thus, even a close brush could bring hurricane conditions.
Another concern is that the storm showed evidence Monday of regaining some of the intensity it surrendered on Sunday. Satellite images showed the storm was better organized Monday. And as it steers west, it will come into the Gulf Stream - whose warm, unstable waters would increase its strength.
``We don't see a lot of hurricanes get this far north, near Bermuda, and then turn back west,'' Hope said. ``But it has happened.''
One prominent example is the August 1933 hurricane that was on a course very similar to Felix's when it, too, turned westward as it neared Bermuda. It eventually steered directly over Norfolk, flooding most of the city.
``Even a minor storm could give us some problems,'' said Jim Talbot, Norfolk's deputy coordinator of emergency services. ``We could get winds in a funnel effect, pushing the (Chesapeake) Bay into Norfolk and onto the east-facing beaches of the Bay, such as Hampton, Poquoson and Yorktown.''
Emergency officials in North Carolina and Virginia were preparing for the worst, although on Monday that meant little more than keeping up with forecasts, briefing other officials and checking shelter lists.
One concern will be the thousands of visitors, most of whom may need to leave coastal areas. Their departure, along with that of residents leaving homes in low-lying areas, could create huge traffic problems.
The Navy may decide today whether to send ships to sea and evacuate its aircraft to safer bases inland. They already sent the carrier America out Monday.
Virginia Power also is getting ready for the worst. On Monday it planned where to move its huge fleet of vehicles so they would be safe from the storm, yet easily brought back to begin repairs.
Even if Felix stays well offshore, Hope said, the strong tides it has already produced will continue to pound the coast from Florida to New England.
Three people have died in the rough surf in Virginia and North Carolina.
``They don't understand this undertow,'' Hope said. ``They don't realize that all this water that is coming in on the tides has to go out, and it goes underneath the waves. People just can't swim against it.''
Waves kicked up by Felix are already eating away at precious beaches.
At high tide Monday morning, waves washed across N.C. Route 12 in Kitty Hawk and on Pea Island.
All roads on the Outer Banks remained open Monday afternoon. But the Highway Patrol said driving conditions probably would worsen by evening's high tide and, especially, by this morning.
``Those waves are only going to grow,'' said Patrol Sgt. A.C. Joyner. ``They already were washing across the roads this morning in all the usual spots. And we expect it to get worse by tomorrow's high tide.''
Meanwhile, residents of Bermuda will begin picking up the pieces today after being buffeted for about 24 hours.
Raging waves pounded the south coast hours before Felix passed. Many tourists had already left the island, and waterfront residents fled inland.
``We're swamped,'' Evelyn Carreiro, front-desk supervisor at the Hamilton Princess Hotel, told The Associated Press as the rooms filled up with soggy refugees and the rain poured outside. ``It's chaos!'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Smiths, Bermuda, Toppy Cowen cringes from a wave smashing a
retaining wall Monday at his Pink Beach Club.
In Virginia Beach, lifeguard Michelle Margiotta warns swimmers not
to go in deeper than their knees.
Graphic
Hurricane tracking chart
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE FELIX by CNB