THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 1996 TAG: 9602070106
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Long : 180 lines
FEBRUARY 1ST fell Thursday.
Freezing rain fell Friday.
Snow fell Saturday.
Wind-chill temperatures fell below zero Sunday.
And tree limbs fell onto power lines all weekendlong, knocking out electricity for thousands of Virginia Beach residents.
Blizzard-like winds, lake effect snow and record-low temperatures played havoc for homeowners, motorists and businesses alike, but the Big Chill of 1996 will be remembered best as the nights the lights went out all over town.
By early Saturday morning, 138,258 Hampton Roads customers were without power, according to Virginia Power spokeswoman Pat Gayle.
By Monday afternoon, the electric company had narrowed that number to 4,759 customers in Virginia Beach, 1,332 in Chesapeake and 962 in Norfolk.
``We've come a long way,'' Gayle said Monday, adding that 1,000 Virginia Power employees were working to restore power. ``We're hoping the rest will be back by late this evening.''
Most of the power outages were caused by trees weighted down and eventually broken, by ice, she said.
Though fewer in number, Virginia Beach traffic workers were equally challenged by the storm.
By Monday morning, 32 trucks, some outfitted with plows and others with spreaders, had worked non-stop for 72 hours trying to clear the city's main roadways. Despite those efforts, no relief was in sight, said Timothy R. Berkhimer, who on Monday was the command center's coordinator for the city's Operations Management division.
Each day of the winter storm presented a different challenge to Berkhimer's day and night crews, which were comprised of about 150 people assigned to 12-hour shifts.
Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, crews were spreading pure salt on the city bridges and overpasses, Berkhimer said. Saturday evening the snow plows began treating all the roadways from ``curb to curb'' and then laying a sand and salt mixture.
Sunday the trucks did nothing but plow the snow out of the way. By evening, the trucks and drivers were laying sand and salt once again.
Monday morning, Berkhimer had called to reorder 500 tons of salt and 700 tons of sand.
``I think we're going to see this snow for quite a few days,'' said Berkhimer, who added that the department's overtime budget was wiped out during the Blizzard of '96 just weeks earlier. ``We're out, continuing to plow where we need to. Some of the roads are actually looking pretty good.''
In all, four to six inches of snow fell across the city, closing city schools Monday and Tuesday. The weekend already had gotten off to an early start when schools let out several hours ahead of schedule Friday because of the worsening road conditions.
The fine, powdery snow was difficult to pack or sculpt, but it provided a layer of fun for opportunistic youngsters packing makeshift sleds.
At least for a while.
Mount Trashmore Park was closed to sledding on Sunday and Monday after a series of snow-related accidents sent up to 13 people to the hospital with bruises, broken bones, at least one bruised kidney and one ruptured spleen.
City officials took the unusual step after volunteer rescue workers and officials from Virginia Beach General Hospital expressed concern that many of the injuries were preventable.
Pat O'Donnell, a registered nurse and the shift supervisor at the hospital's emergency department, said she called the police department with concerns that many of the injured were children. At least four patients treated at the hospital were seen by the trauma staff, an indication their injuries were more serious than customary emergency department patients.
``I asked the police if there was a chance of closing Mount Trashmore,'' she said. ``A lot of these injuries were to the hip and leg. Another got hit in the stomach and received a spleen injury.
``There were several patients who were treated for broken legs, another child had two broken legs and some with kidney injuries,'' she added. ``At least five were admitted, and that does not include those who were treated and released for minor injuries.''
City officials began to close the park over a period of time, starting at 1 p.m. Sunday by limiting access and then asking people to leave when conditions on the city's highest hill became too dangerous, around 5 p.m.
Ed Brazle, a captain with the Kempsville Volunteer Rescue Squad, said about
20 people were treated for various injuries at the park Sunday and that 13 of
them were taken to the hospital. At least two people required surgery for
abdominal injuries, he said. ``All in all, it took about a dozen volunteer medics at the park. We used
four ambulances from three rescue squads to shuttle people back and forth. It
was a busy day.''
The problems were a near repeat of events three weeks ago when a snow
slickened Mount Trashmore hosted thousands of homebound students who descended
on the park to play.
``There was a lot of discussion on Saturday about closing the park because
of the injuries,'' said Susan Walston, director of parks and recreation.
``We're in the business of people having fun, but this became a public safety
issue. By Sunday, we could not say it was a safe sledding environment.''
The tearing down of snow fences that were erected to keep people off
especially dangerous sections of the park troubled people like Walston.
``We even had permanent fences torn down,'' she said. ``We had people
sledding into the lake, into buildings. It only takes a few to ruin things for
everyone. We're going to look for a way to operate this more safely.
``This park is not equipped as a winter resort area.''
Other residents turned to smaller slopes across town for their fun.
Insurance man Johnny Ellis and his black Labrador, Josie, tested the
snow-frosted slopes of Christmas Hill on Monday morning, along with dozens of
children and one or two other adults, some of whom arrived on skis.
The popular sled run lies in the shadow of a water tower at Bay Colony
Drive and Atlantic Avenue.
Ellis took Josie on a ride down a packed incline. The brief adventure at
what actually is the high-rise 16th hole of the Princess Anne Country Club,
prompted Ellis to grin with boyish glee. Eight-year-old Josie was less than
enthusiastic. She bolted from Ellis' arms as the sled came to a halt near a
stand of pines.
Among those joining Ellis and Josie on the hill was Ross Powell, 11, a
fifth-grader at Linkhorn Park. Young Powell was enjoying a day off from
school.
Later in the afternoon Thomas Lyons, owner of a chain of resort hotels, and
his two sons joined the daylong sledding party. Lyons decided to take a
mid-afternoon break from work to accompany his youngsters to Christmas Hill.
Other hoteliers like Lyons got some unseasonal business from the storm,
thanks to the power outages.
The city opened Larkspur Middle School as a temporary municipal shelter
Sunday, but after only one or two people availed themselves of the facility,
it was closed at 3 p.m.
Residents of some areas of the North End, Bay Colony and Cavalier Park who
were without power for three days fled instead to nearby resort hotels and
motels for food, warmth, regular showers and television.
Two Oceanfront inns did a particularly brisk business.
One was the Ramada Plaza Resort at 57th Street and the Oceanfront, which
filled up Saturday night and had two-thirds of its 215 rooms booked for the
rest of the weekend.
``It was a lot of local people without power,'' said owner David Pender.
``Some of them were my neighbors. Some had their pipes frozen; most were
without power.''
The Ramada Inn Oceanfront at 7th Street and Atlantic Avenue also
experienced a banner weekend. ``We filled up,'' said owner Bruce Thompson.
Mahi Mah's, a restaurant affiliated with the Ramada Inn Oceanfront, also
stayed busy. ``Instead of a snowfall, we had a windfall,'' Thompson quipped.
Other Oceanfront hotels experienced some increase in business from power
outage refugees.
At the Princess Anne Inn at 25th Street, 15 to 20 rooms were booked over
the weekend by locals forced from their homes.
``We had 15 or 20 more rooms (booked) than we would have had this time of
year,'' said Cathy Pender, who helps to manage the hotel.
At 16th Street and the Oceanfront, James Capps, owner of the Breakers
Resort Inn, noted a similar influx of locals.
``We cut the rate some when they said their power was out,'' he said.
``We've had one couple in here for three nights now.''
The storm had a reverse effect on a few resort restaurants.
Wayne Smith, proprietor of Alexander's on the Bay, which overlooks
Chesapeake Beach, said he was forced to close Saturday and Sunday nights. Icy
road conditions, worsened by snowfall Saturday night and Sunday morning,
prompted Smith to lock his doors.
``In 11 years we've never closed for the weather,'' he said.
MEMO: Staff writers Lori Denney, Bill Reed, and Tom Holden contributed to this
report.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Wilson Hunter, of the city's Public Works department, directs
traffic while a backhoe moves snow off General Booth Boulevard. Some
150 people worked 12-hour shifts for 72 hours.
Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Debbie Moran plays with Tucker, her 1-year-old yellow Labrador, in
their back yard. Moran tossed snow balls in the air, and Tucker
tried to catch them.
by CNB