THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 12, 1996 TAG: 9607120455
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 146 lines
Broken but not benign, Bertha was on track Thursday night to hit land about lunchtime today in South Carolina as a smaller but still potentially troublesome hurricane.
The first gusty winds and rain bands already were knocking at the door of the Outer Banks late Thursday, however, and weather conditions northeast of the storm center are expected to worsen today.
An infusion of drier air and shearing winds from a low pressure trough to its northwest sapped Bertha's strength Thursday. Top sustained winds fell to 80 mph - just above the hurricane threshold of 74 mph - and the storm's circulation appeared to be coming apart while its barometric pressure rose.
``The hurricane weakened quite a bit during the day,'' said John Hope, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel in Atlanta. ``The eye wall kind of dissipated.''
By evening, however, the storm was moving into the heart of the warm Gulf Stream, and there were signs it was starting to regain some strength.
``The next eight hours should be critical as it crosses the Gulf Stream,'' Hope said at 8 p.m.
Forecasters warned that even a weakened Bertha moving inland could bring heavy rains and damaging winds to northeastern North Carolina and Hampton Roads today and Saturday.
At the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, however, it seemed that the threat was attracting people rather than chasing them away.
``We came down just to check out the surf,'' LeRoy Stewart of Williamsburg said as waves crashed ashore. ``So where's the hurricane? This doesn't seem like much.''
The surf could be much rougher today. And with Bertha threatening, Gov. George F. Allen declared a state of emergency Thursday, setting the state's emergency operations plan in motion.
In North Carolina, Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. declared an emergency in 34 coastal counties as visitors fled and residents boarded up and hunkered down. At least 10 coastal counties were ordered evacuated, sending more than 75,000 people inland to seek shelter.
Traffic moved at a steady pace from Nags Head on the Outer Banks.
The American Red Cross and the state set up shelters for people displaced by the storm.
Officials in Hampton Roads were waiting to see what happens today before taking any actions or recommending any evacuations.
In Virginia Beach, Mark Marchbank, deputy coordinator of emergency management, said the city had no plans to order evacuations but might declare an emergency and open shelters today if conditions warrant.
``At this point, we're looking at mainly a wind and rain event rather than a big flood event,'' said Jim Talbot, Norfolk's deputy coordinator of emergency services. ``Thank God this is not a stronger storm.''
Talbot said people who live in flood-prone areas should consider parking their cars on higher ground and moving to safety before streets flood from heavy rains.
``Up to 5 to 7 inches of rain is possible with this storm,'' said Bryan Cullen of the National Weather Service office in Wakefield.
While Bertha lost some punch Thursday, its apparent course changed only slightly, with the storm now expected to come ashore in South Carolina and then cut to the north through eastern North Carolina.
By early Saturday, the center of the storm is expected to head northeast over Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore before moving into the Atlantic.
The good news in that outlook is that, with the storm's eye moving inland, it should weaken quickly.
The bad news is that the Outer Banks, the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds and even Virginia Beach would be on the east side of the eye - where the strongest winds and heaviest rains are concentrated.
``Winds could reach tropical storm force, but not hurricane force, the way it's looking right now,'' Cullen said. ``And we could still get some minor coastal flooding.''
At 11 p.m., the center of Bertha was about 220 miles south of Wilmington and moving north/northwest about 10 mph. That motion was expected to continue overnight.
Hurricane-force winds in excess of 74 mph extended 115 miles to the east of the center, with tropical-storm-force winds of more than 39 mph extending 200 miles.
Bertha already was affecting life in Hampton Roads on Thursday:
In the port, cranes were being tied down, barges secured and plans laid to move equipment from lowlying areas. Empty shipping containers were being stacked close together so wind couldn't get between them and blow them around like giant dominoes.
At Norfolk International Airport, Continental Airlines said Thursday that it had canceled six of its morning departures and one arrival today.
The plans of other airlines could not be determined.
``There will probably be some impact on late evening activities,'' said Wayne Shank, the airport's deputy executive director.
He recommended that passengers call airlines for the latest flight information, not the airport.
The Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth has curtailed operations for today.
The emergency room will be open, but all elective surgeries and routine appointments for the hospital and for branch medical clinics are canceled.
Virginia Beach continued restrictions on swimming.
The Red Cross activated a hurricane watch team in Richmond.
The state police are providing information of road conditions with a toll-free number, 800-367-ROAD (7623).
If Bertha hits with force, the government is ready to respond, said James Lee Witt, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has positioned more than 3,000 people to assist state and local disaster efforts.
The teams are equipped with everything from tarpaulins to replace missing roofs to power generators that can get hospitals and sewage facilities up and running again.
Six units are a civilian counterpart to mobile Army hospitals like those depicted in the television series ``M*A*S*H.''
``I think we're in good shape with our response effort,'' Witt said. ``We've got our people in place.'' MEMO: Staff writer Christopher Dinsmore and The Associated Press
contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: KEN WRIGHT graphics/The Virginian-Pilot
WHERE NEXT FOR BERTHA?
STEVE STONE/The Virginian-Pilot
TRACKER'S GUIDE
[For complete graphics, please see microfilm]
BERTHA Q&A
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?
Thursday evening, Bertha was weakening but still heading for
landfall between Charleston, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C. Once ashore
today, the storm should weaken even more. But it should still cover
a large area and pack some punch, especially east of the eye. Expect
periods of heavy rain and gusty winds.
WHAT'S THE FUSS OVER EVACUATIONS?
The mandatory evacuations of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands
Wednesday and the northern Outer Banks Thursday angered some
business owners, who claimed it was premature. But emergency
officials said computer models of the storm's path and the potential
for flooding along highways prompted them to act.
WHAT IF THE POWER GOES OUT?
Depends on the number and type of outages. Mass outages, caused
by relatively few events, would take less time to fix than a lot of
scattered, individual outages. Longer time spans mean customers
could be without electricity for hours or days. Check inside for
tips on food, flashlights, etc.
WHERE'S THE PARTY?
Check before you go - Festevents has canceled tonight's show by
the Smithereens at Norfolk's Town Point Park, and rescheduled
Saturday's Judy Collins/Don McLean concert for July 20. Other
outdoor events are iffy; call ahead.
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE BERTHA ADVICE by CNB