THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508200063
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
Hurricane Felix, we hardly knew ye. And for that, we are glad.
But the Great Storm That Wasn't - at least not yet; it twitches yet out in the Atlantic - still had its effect on us, good and bad. Some examples:
The Bad:
Several people who dared the roiling surf didn't come back. The Associated Press reported Friday that at least nine people had drowned from North Carolina to New Jersey.
The Virginia and North Carolina tourism industries took a big hit at the height of their summer seasons, losing millions of dollars a day in hotel, restaurant and souvenir sales as visitors packed up and left.
Residents and business owners were left scraping unneeded tape off windows, filling nail holes from plywood shields and emptying water from boats that they had flooded with hoses to keep them from blowing away.
At HQ Home Quarters Warehouse in Virginia Beach on Friday, store personnel were advising that nail holes can be filled with exterior wood filler, window glazing compound or exterior spackling.
They also were selling something called ``Oops!'', an adhesive remover that loosens tape from windows and makes it easier to scrape.
``You also could use acetone, too, like a nail-polish remover,'' said Debbie L. Heigaard of the HQ paint department. The spray lubricant WD-40 also might work, she said, albeit a bit greasily.
``I think the tape did more damage than the storm,'' Heigaard said.
At her house she used painter's tape, which is easily removable, but still will hold a shattered window together, she said.
It hardly rained at all. While no one wanted a tropical deluge, many gardeners, farmers and Chesapeake city-water customers were hoping for something. Anything.
Lots of fresh rain water would've helped dilute the salty water in the Northwest River, from which Chesapeake pulls much of its drinking water. Water from the river hasn't been drinkable for many for weeks.
``That's what we needed,'' said a disappointed Frank A. Sanders, city water resources administrator. ``But we didn't get it.''
The Good:
Hurricane Felix never reached shore.
Property loss was apparently slight. And at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, erosion was only ``light to moderate,'' said Virginia Beach District Fire Chief James G. Kellam. A few homes in the Sandbridge section of south Virginia Beach were damaged, but none was lost.
``By comparison to other storms, they did very well,'' the chief said Friday.
The hurricane threat provided a helpful drill for local emergency officials under real-life conditions.
``It was a good exercise,'' Virginia Beach's Chief Kellam said. ``Under the very best training situations, you can't simulate actual conditions. Because you always know it's a drill.''
Officials learned in Virginia Beach and Norfolk that they underestimated the number of phone calls and fax messages they would have to handle during a hurricane.
In Virginia Beach, they learned they could keep the shelters running for days and not just the few hours they do when practicing. And they realized how useful some new tools were, such as portable satellite phones, radios and other equipment obtained by the local squad of the Federal Emergency Management Administration's Urban Search and Rescue Team for use at the bombed-out Oklahoma City, Okla., federal building.
``It was an excellent drill,'' agreed Kathy O. Bulman, assistant communications manager for Norfolk. ``Because even when you do it on paper, it doesn't seem to have the real-life urgency, you know?''
Chesapeake's salty city water improved somewhat, albeit temporarily.
Heavy storm winds helped push the saltier water further up the Northwest River, away from the city's water pipes. The chloride content - the stuff that's not dangerous but makes the water taste bad - dropped to a long-time low of 498 parts per million Friday, said Sanders, the city water-watcher.
That's still well above 250 parts per million, which is when you can taste the salt. And the level already was climbing back up by Friday afternoon.
But residents tasted at least a little difference, for a little while.
You take what you can get.
Ocean fishing may have improved during what's normally the summer doldrums, thanks to the hurricane.
``It mixes the water up, moves some food around,'' said William DuPaul, associate director for advisory services for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester. ``It changes the water a lot out there, and that can help fishing for tuna and marlin.''
Many of us got our yards cleaned up, finally getting rid of that old pile of boards and taking down the forgotten Christmas lights.
While the tourist industry took a nasty hit, other businesses made out great.
The rush for hurricane essentials such as batteries, bottled water and bourbon benefited hardware, grocery and liquor stores. Gas stations, video stores and power-tool rental outlets also saw lines of customers who left behind empty pumps and shelves. Inland hotels and restaurants saw increased business as tourists and residents moved out of harm's way.
All of which means we're stocked with candles, masking tape and Spam for next time. Hurricane season isn't over until November.
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE FELIX AFTERMATH by CNB