THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 17, 1995 TAG: 9508170529
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Three days of misery: high winds and heavy rain - not to mention the continuing uncertainty of when and where Felix will move.
That's what the National Hurricane Center was promising late Wednesday as Felix paused 145 miles offshore, as if to eye its target. The storm's winds - once topping 135 mph - were down to 75 mph, yet Felix was still in a position to regain strength and move toward land.
Gale-force winds were expected to begin slapping southeast Virginia this morning; rainfall totals of 5 inches or more are possible, especially near the coast; and rising tides could bring severe flooding to low-lying sections.
Felix's very lack of speed makes it a threat. ``The fact it is going so slowly means the coast will experience strong tidal surge and high water through several tidal cycles,'' said John Hope of The Weather Channel.
At high tide in Norfolk on Wednesday, streets in low-lying areas were flooded. On the Outer Banks, waves crashed over sandbag walls, flooding N.C. Route 12.
The storm's far-flung rain bands reached the Outer Banks early in the day and touched Hampton Roads by evening.
People who had been largely oblivious to Felix days earlier when skies were sunny threw themselves into frenzied preparations Wednesday. Windows disappeared behind plywood and geometric patterns of masking tape while store shelves emptied of essentials.
Felix is already costly: The Outer Banks are tallying a $4 million-a-day tourism loss; Amtrak canceled all service between New York and Florida; airlines canceled flights into Hampton Roads.
Felix has repeatedly proved itself to be finicky and feisty, often defying forecasters' efforts to project its course. And meteorologists are the first to warn that its future remains uncertain.
That's of little solace to the more than 100,000 residents and visitors who have fled the Outer Banks and northeastern North Carolina and the thousands more in Virginia who have heeded recommendations to leave their homes for safety inland.
They fume while Felix fumbles. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff
Elizabeth Scarborough; Kristi; Brittany, 3; Glenn and Debbie
Alexander watch the roiling surf at Kitty Hawk, as a stalled
Hurricane Felix stirs it up.
Graphics
HOW THE TRACK THE STORM (MORE COVERAGE/B3-B7)
WHAT TO DO WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE
EDITOR'S NOTE
Because of storm-related production decisions, the Thursday Flavor
section will be in Friday's paper.
[For complete graphics, please see microfilm]
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE FELIX by CNB