Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 30, 1993 TAG: 9305300068
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: C-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short
Avila, who works at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, visited Virginia earlier this month on an East Coast tour of hurricane-prone areas.
When he arrived, he flew over the Virginia Beach resort strip and its high-rise hotels. "It scares me to death, because the destruction could be tremendous," he said.
A plane-load of hurricane experts came to the Norfolk Naval Base on May 18 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tour, which is intended to raise the public's awareness of the deadly powers of hurricanes.
Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
If a hurricane like Andrew hit Hampton Roads, it could cause $64 billion in damage and affect 1.5 million people during the tourist season, said Keith R. Keister, deputy state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Services.
Jim Talbot, Norfolk's deputy coordinator for emergency services, said the area's growing population combined with a lack of major roads leading out of Virginia Beach and Norfolk could hamper evacuation plans.
Another hurricane expert on the tour, weather pilot Gerry McKim, said flying into a violent tropical storm is like placing a pingpong ball in a closed shoe box. "Then you shake it," he said.
McKim said he flew through Hurricane Andrew last year while the storm will still over the Atlantic.
By the time his plane landed, Andrew had devastated the Miami area. McKim's home was in tatters, as were the homes of nine of his 20 crew members.
by CNB