Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 13, 1995 TAG: 9511130073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Chuck Robinson of the utility's storm center said the vast majority of those without power were in Northern Virginia. He said most, if not all, service was expected to be restored Sunday night.
Most of the outages were caused by toppled trees and power poles, the utility said. At one time Saturday night, as many as 94,000 Virginia Power customers were without service.
A line of thunderstorms moved eastward across the state Saturday afternoon and evening, snapping trees and downing power lines. Most areas saw heavy rain, but up to five inches of snow fell in western Loudoun County.
Emergency crews in Rockbridge County rescued 20 Boy Scout campers suffering from hypothermia near Vesuvius early Sunday, guiding them over a gorge filled by a rain-swollen river.
``The call to 911 was made from a cellular phone that one of the Scoutmasters had,'' said Fairfield Rescue Squad Capt. Steve Reese. ``It was very lucky that the Scoutmaster had thought ahead and packed the phone, because the situation could have been a lot worse.''
Reese said the group, from Chesapeake, was cold and wet but in good spirits when help arrived. One Scout was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, where he was treated and released. The other 19 were bused to Augusta Medical Center in Fishersville for treatment and released.
Conditions turned to mostly clear, cold and breezy Sunday.
A tree fell through the roof of Charles Gregory's home in Williamsburg as he sat listening to the winds Saturday: ``It was like an airplane went through the sound barrier. Then a big `Pop!'''
The tree came down, water poured in, and the electricity went out. ``We had six people here dumping buckets as fast as they could dump them,'' Gregory said.
``It was almost close to hell,'' Dave Linaburg, a firefighter with the North Mountain Volunteer Fire Department in Frederick County, said Sunday. ``We were out on call all night ... just baby-sitting the [downed electrical] wires.''
In Smyth County, winds tore the roof off the Deer Valley Apparel Factory in Chilhowie about 2 p.m. Saturday. Gene Groseclose of the Chilhowie Fire Department said the winds simply peeled the tin roof off of the building, which houses the company's sewing operations.
There also were reports of structural damage in Atkins and Danville.
There were no reports of injuries or serious flooding.
by CNB