THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 21, 1995 TAG: 9508210021
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Felix executed a small loop within a larger, unfinished circle Sunday, briefly taking aim at the Eastern Shore before finally steering north, as forecast.
With the storm caught up in weather patterns that will steer it away, tropical storm watches were dropped for Bermuda, although new ones may be required in New England as the storm brushes past.
Felix lost some of its punch Sunday. With maximum sustained winds down to 70 mph, the hurricane was reclassified as a tropical storm. It is expected to lose strength within 48 hours as it picks up speed and moves into the cooler waters of the North Atlantic.
At 5 p.m. Sunday, the broad center of Felix was 700 miles southwest of Nova Scotia and 450 miles east of Virginia Beach. It was moving north near 7 mph.
``The outer fringes of Felix are expected to pass just offshore of the Cape Cod area,'' the National Hurricane Center said. ``However, if the turn toward the northeast is delayed, a tropical storm watch may be required for southeastern Massachusetts.''
Ocean swells generated by Felix continued to wash up against the mid-Atlantic coast Sunday. Swimmers were barred from the waters of the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach for another day while surfers enjoyed the wealth of waves.
Felix had completed most of a giant loop by Sunday when - after remaining stalled almost two days - it turned briefly northwest and finally north. It crossed over its own path late Sunday, in essence fashioning a tiny loop.
Felix has hung off the Virginia-North Carolina coast for five days since first approaching Wednesday and threatening to come ashore. But there was nothing in the atmosphere to steer the storm. While powerful, hurricanes rely on other weather systems to move them.
Finally, on Sunday, a frontal system started nudging the storm into the path of the jet stream, which should guide it away.
In Bermuda, concern turned to relief with the news that Felix would not make another pass near the island. Felix came within 70 miles of the island last week, downing trees and power lines.
As late as Sunday afternoon, islanders had been worried, canceling cricket matches and stocking up on food and batteries. USAir and Delta Air Lines canceled flights to the island.
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE FELIX by CNB