THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607140042
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 101 lines
The power had just gone out, and Monty Ross was collecting candles and flashlights when he got a break from Hurricane Bertha that he didn't need.
A huge tree next to Ross' contemporary, two-story home in Riverview Estates split in two. One portion sliced through a neighbor's garage under construction; the other slammed into Ross' roof.
``I heard the crash and went upstairs and saw the holes,'' he said Saturday morning as crews prepared to dismantle the decades-old tree slain by a 40 mph wind gust about 8:30 p.m. Friday.
``It wasn't even the worst of the storm, but she snapped,'' Ross said.
Across northeastern North Carolina, residents took advantage of clear skies and much calmer weather Saturday morning to clear yards and roads of debris left by the violent weather.
The hurricane's eye passed just west of Elizabeth City around 10 p.m. Friday and continued to batter the area for hours afterward with heavy rains and wind gusting up to 56 mph.
The most common problems throughout Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Chowan counties were downed trees and broken branches that sometimes pulled down power lines or tore up fencing.
Flooding also created problems in some low-lying areas near the Albemarle Sound, but damage was apparently minimal.
``We've had no reports of extensive damage in our area,'' said Christy Saunders, coordinator of emergency services for Pasquotank and Camden counties.
Throughout the Albemarle, residents spent Saturday raking leaves, picking up pine cones and searching for lawn furniture and ornaments that weren't tied down the night before.
Those who weren't held hostage by flooded roads, caused by rain-swollen streams and ditches, quickly hit the road in their vehicles to join telephone and electric service trucks scanning the damage.
``I feel very lucky, actually,'' said Annie Ross of South Williams Circle in Elizabeth City.
In the Ross' back yard, large tree limbs filled the long, grassy area between two thick borders of trees and azalea bushes.
Just off the front yard, a big tree limb rested on a power line that traversed the street. Another line just a few doors away had broken, as did others in the neighborhood.
``Last night, we looked out our back yard, and we saw the branches flying through the air. I guess the wind must have really been whipping the trees around,'' Ross said.
Those who escaped damage to their property sometimes encountered trouble down the road. Flooded areas, such as the deep-dipped intersection at Water and Shepard streets, claimed many a compact car that stalled.
One place that normally is busy during a hurricane is the air station at the Elizabeth City Coast Guard base.
But this time, the aviators were not called out for any dramatic rescues.
``That's actually pretty unusual,'' said Petty Officer Blair Thomas at 5th District Headquarters in Portsmouth.
``I guess everybody heeded the warnings this time.''
The Pasquotank Correctional Institution had inmate work crews ready Saturday to help communities with the hurricane cleanup.
``So far, we haven't been called, but we do have crews standing by,'' a prison spokesman said.
For many people in and around Elizabeth City, the cleanup was more of a headache than a heartache.
``The worst thing that happened to me was I lost my bean crop, and my fence blew in,'' said John Morrison of Rivershore Road in Winslow Acres.
Like others around him, Morrison spent the morning raking up debris and tossing tree limbs into a pile on the street.
Morrison, who has lived all his life in Elizabeth City, said one of the strangest things about this storm was the way winds were able to force rainwater through sealed windows and doors.
Water damage, however, was minimal at his house.
``My pier made it all right, and my bulkhead made it all right,'' he said. ``Some of my neighbors weren't so fortunate.''
Morrison's wooden pier was bent in one stretch by storm surges from the Pasquotank River, which he estimated came about 12 feet into his back yard.
But at least it was still standing, he said. Then he pointed to a neighbor's new pier that now rested in pieces alongside someone else's dock.
Morrison said the storm had its advantages, too.
He and his wife, Nell, and their three teenage children spent the evening playing Monopoly and talking by candlelight.
``In some ways, it was good family time,'' he said.
Monty Ross, who had the tree fall through his house, lives about a half-mile from the Morrisons, in the next subdivision.
``From what I understand, I've had the worst damage in town,'' said Ross, who co-owns a local insurance agency. ``I've already faxed the insurance company,'' he said with a grin.
He commended the response by Elizabeth City Fire Department personnel, who brought in tarps to cover upstairs floors and minimize water damage, which Ross said could have been severe.
Before they arrived, Ross said, he was trying to collect water in six waste baskets. ``I was bailing furiously,'' he said.
A contractor quickly arrived Saturday morning to help.
``That's the value of living in a small town,'' Ross said. ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot
Highway workers from Dare County use heavy equipment near Hatteras,
N.C., on Saturday to clear a stretch of Highway 12, covered with
sand and water by Hurricane Bertha's high wind and slashing rain.
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE BERTHA AFTERMATH by CNB