THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609020081
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 110 lines
Even as Hurricane Edouard's full fury was bearing down on New England on Sunday night, the storm's long reach was felt on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront where strong tides swept away one swimmer.
The eye of the storm, which passed just east of Virginia early Sunday, brought high surf, strong winds and heavy rainfall to Cape Cod overnight. In advance of its arrival, thousands fled inland, creating huge traffic backups as surging seas threatened to cut off evacuation routes.
In Edouard's wake, rescue crews scurried along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront as people who had largely heeded warnings to stay out of the boiling surf for three days tried to sneak in some swimming after lifeguards closed up shop Sunday.
A 20-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., man was missing and presumed drowned, police said. The man was last seen by his brother being pulled out to sea by strong currents. Police and the Coast Guard searched the rough waters for hours, but found nothing. Police said several other people were rescued unhurt.
With sunny skies and pleasant temperatures, it was hard to believe Edouard was just a few hundred miles east of Hampton Roads at midday. But the high waves crashing into the coast were evidence of the storm's passing.
Flooding Sunday in some low-lying sections - the result of very high tides - underlined how lucky Hampton Roads was that Edouard missed the region. Around the Hague in Norfolk, for instance, water was knee deep on the road near the Unitarian Church and Chrysler Museum.
The weakening hurricane was expected to pass just east of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod early this morning. At 11 p.m. Sunday, it was 140 miles south-southeast of Nantucket Island, moving slightly east of north at 14 mph. Winds gusting to 50 mph and higher were already hitting the coast.
And even as they deal with Edouard, forecasters are turning their attention to Hurricane Fran.
``This is a definite threat and it seems to be getting better organized,'' said John Hope, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel in Atlanta.
By 11 p.m. Sunday, Fran's winds had increased to 85 mph and the storm was 800 miles east-southeast of the Bahamas, moving west-northwest near 9 mph. That motion is expected to continue through today and the storm is forecast to reach the northeast Bahamas by Wednesday.
``Fran definitely has to be watched carefully,'' said Mike Bono, another Weather Channel meteorologist.
That was a worry for the future, however, as the National Hurricane Center tracked Edouard.
By midday, the huge swirl of clouds around the hurricane had already overspread all of New England, eastern New York and the north half of New Jersey.
Most hurricanes that affect New England move through quickly - often at twice the speed of Edouard. But ``steering currents are forecast to be relatively weak for these latitudes,'' said Max Mayfield, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center. ``Edouard is not expected to race eastward.''
Authorities went door-to-door Sunday, urging people to get out while they could. Many places are accessible only by ferry boats.
Thousands of visitors were heeding the evacuation recommendation, as evidenced by a 23-mile backup on Mass. Route 6, the only four-lane route out, which crosses the Sagamore Bridge and the Cape Cod Canal. Route 28, out of Woods Hole, was backed up for more than 10 miles from the Bourne Bridge, the other bridge across the canal.
Gov. William Weld declared a state of emergency and shelters were opened throughout the region while residents descended on stores buying up groceries, batteries and repair materials.
While tourists fled, local officials said most residents were ignoring advice to evacuate, betting instead that the storm's worst weather would stay offshore.
``We can't all get out of here,'' said Robin Ressler, a former Hampton Roads resident who lives in Provincetown, Mass. With roads jammed, he said many people were opting to stay. ``It's going to be some kind of party up here.''
That concerned emergency planners because Edouard's approach comes at a time or abnormally high tides, raising the specter of storm-surge inundating low-lying communities throughout the area.
``There's a lot of people in this town just not ready for a hurricane and, it's a really low-lying area,'' Ressler said. The region is not often threatened by hurricanes, one of the reasons he said he moved there.
``I came up here to get away from hurricanes, and look what happens,'' Ressler said. ``They are coming up here to get me.''
Still, people were getting ready.
``A lot of people are boarding up and moving out,'' said Debra Silva, owner of Clem and Ursie's, a popular restaurant in the heart of Provincetown's tourist area. ``Today is supposed to be our biggest day of the (tourist) season and it's become our worst.''
Silva said the mood of most residents was hopeful but concerned.
``We're taking it very seriously. No one is taking this lightly,'' she said. Many remember 1991, when Hurricane Bob hit the area, causing extensive damage. ``But we still have a lot of places that are staying open and are full of people trying to ride out the storm.''
She said some hotels and guest houses closer to the water's edge were ordered closed and evacuated.
``We just hope it moves east of us,'' Silva said.
And it appeared Edouard might do just that Sunday night. The storm was edging ever so slightly to the right of its northward course, although not enough of a turn yet to completely spare Cape Cod.
``If this hurricane should make even the slightest deviation from due north, that could keep all the hurricane force winds off shore,'' Hope said. ``And it is getting over cooler waters, so we know it's going to be weakening.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Mort Fryman/The Virginian-Pilot
Above: Music lovers turned their backs on Edouard....
Far Left: [color satellite photo]
AP Color photo
Left: [Tourists ...head for the Bourne Bridge in Bourne, Mass.,
Sunday
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE EDOUARD by CNB