North Carolina Now; Hurricane Fran Destruction

Everything in it's brought is September 6 tonight from the coast to the mountains the damage from Hurricane brand being felt across North Carolina. Good evening I'm worried about your eye it took less than 24 hours for Hurricane Fran to sweep through North Carolina. The recovery will take weeks. Tonight the entire state has been declared a federal disaster area. When dawn broke over the coast this morning the daylight revealed a path of destruction along our southern coastline. This video from the Weather Channel is from the Wilmington area. You can see here damage docks and boats that were tossed about like toys. Certainly the most severe toll of this Category 3 hurricane is the lives lost and

people have been killed in North Carolina as the result of Fran. There are two reported deaths in South Carolina and damage throughout the state is extensive at the coast as far inland as the Triangle area. And there is more flooding in the mountains. President Clinton made the disaster declaration early this morning making victims of the storm eligible for federal aid. The president mentioned the hurricane in remarks today to a Baptist Convention in Florida. We're going to do everything we can to help the people of North Carolina and South Carolina in this difficult time. But again I say to you here in Florida those of you who went through Hurricane Andrew know what it's like. We need to be praying for those people and supporting them and there are doubtless people here from those two states. In addition to the hurricane there is has been or will be more rain and there's a lot to do. I'm urging our emergency preparedness officials say Carie beach to Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are the worst hit areas. There are reports of homes

completely washed out to the sea. Portions of Carolina Beach are under eight feet of water portions of Wrightsville Beach under five feet of water. The First Baptist Church in Wilmington which was built between 1860 and 1870 was able to survive the Civil War. But the churches 197 foot steeple could not survive Hurricane Fran Fran's 115 mile per hour winds brought the spire to the ground. The steeple was used as a lookout by Union and Confederate troops depending upon which side was occupying the city at the time. It's difficult for officials to get a firm handle on the extent of damage in Wilmington and other areas up and down the coast because much of the coast is still inaccessible. And Shana Vicary is joining me now and she found out this morning just how inaccessible the ghost is fan and you ran into some Bravo I'm sorry to you or so we're right we left about 8 o'clock this morning with the crew to go out to Wrightsville Beach the Wilmington area to try to get some video of the coastal damage to bring to you tonight. We did not

make it there. We had quite an adventure but it's one that I do not recommend for anyone to take Merida the biggest problem right now are the roads. There are very few main roads that are entirely open tonight. Most of them have downed trees downed power lines and are flooded. That includes Interstate 40 going towards the east. You're not going to get very far tonight. It is it is just something that you probably don't want to do because the roads are very inaccessible they do have crews out working. But there's so many trees and so much flooding. It's going to take a while to clean this up. Sheriff you had another problem too the judge called you a little bit off guard you ran out of gas. Another get everybody down. Right although it is funny tonight but it is one of those things you never really realize how much you depend on electricity until it goes out and one of the things that we learned today along with a lot of people on the coast is that gas pumps require electricity as well as all of our other appliances We've got down near Wilmington about 30 miles outside of Wilmington

and ran nearly ran out of gas we were very fortunate because we were able to use a state garage. They were wonderful Let us fill up. But not everyone is so lucky there are only one or two gas stations that are open down there and are able to pump gas so most people are just out a lot of the lines for these gas stations are reminiscent of back in the 70s when we had a crisis just tons of people right trying to get again. And also we want to let everyone know that there's really not a whole lot of reason to go down to I was they have a certain area certain beaches that are available that are open to property owners only those beaches are Sunset Beach Long Beach Caswell Johann Holden Emerald Isle Atlantic City by permit only. So that's something that only those property owners should go to. But you finally made it a little bit towards look a little bit to the coast like I was telling you before our objective was to get to the coast however we were only able to get as far as gall. And there we found massive flooding.

When this family near Berg all went to bed last night they never dreamed they'd have to row out today. But when they woke up this morning they found they now have a lake for a front yard. In all about five people in this neighborhood now have flooded homes thanks to Hurricane Fran. The water intrusion estimates run anywhere from a few inches to several feet loading all of my furniture everything in the kitchen. It's full of water even if it might you know about how much damage you think has been done your home but you know if you can actually believe it Residents here say this water has receded quite a bit since early this morning. In fact people who. I've lived here 20 to 30 years say they've never seen anything quite like this. We've seen a little bit maybe about like that but we never see it just on one of the words is gone.

Residents here say they hope the water will be gone before tomorrow but they admit it's going to take weeks if not months of teamwork to rebuild. I watched the storm last night I stayed up all night and just watched the big trees just laid out and we have to just put it to a little bit of property damage and things of that nature but you know the area and everything we are right. Meanwhile a nearby interstate 40. There is a fraud of a different kind as people try to cross the water along the interstate to get back into Wilmington. And if it isn't water it's down trees and power lines are blocking access to major roads in dewpoint County. State transportation officials say they've got crews working around the clock on the roads but at least one hurricane victim

believes all of this work is a test from Mother Nature. It is a blessing this is an experience of dad that we all have to be and do it you know. So in the future we know what we have to do to prevent things like this. And residents here say they'll remember this harsh lesson for years to come. It was certainly a tough day for everyone but Marie that we would like to report tonight that that stranded dog did get rescued. So now everyone else is hoping relief will also soon be on the way for them. Hopefully that dog a little bit of food will even go out. Well you know as night begins to fall in North Carolina many of us will still be in the dark this evening. As you can see here even are you in the TV studios and Research Triangle Park are running on a limited electricity and fact earlier this morning eight stations of our 10 station network were knocked off the air by Hurricane Fran. Our engineers worked hard throughout the day to bring each station back on line one by one. Now Wu and I am in Jackson is the only UN sea TV station that is still off the air. Our

engineers are now devoting their efforts to get that station back up and running. Well there are literally thousands of power company workers on the job across the state tonight trying to get the lights back on. The task is a monumental one. Duke Power says more than 350000 of its customers are without electricity for the larger Carolina Power and Light the number is 700000 including some in South Carolina. Crews are being brought in to help from Tennessee Ohio Kentucky and even Florida. The power companies are asking customers to please be patient they say it could take a few days to a week for the hardest hit areas before the electricity is restored. Meanwhile we do have some tips for dealing with power outages and avoid opening the freezer or the refrigerator. Food in the refrigerator will stay only cold for about four hours so that food now is probably already bad. But for food in the freezer that should stay frozen for up to 48 hours. Make sure that you turn off your major appliances such as your air conditioners washers and driers.

This will help prevent a system overload when that power is restored. And if you are using a generator do not try to connect it to your home electrical system. This can endanger you and others. And finally never approach or try to move a downed power line any line should be considered dangerous. Well by the way if you want a comparison between Hurricane Bertha and Hurricane Fran consider this PNL says Bertha knocked out power to 200 25000 customers only about a third of the damage done by Fran. And hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have suffered damage to their homes they must now rely on their insurance companies for help. All of the major insurance companies we spoke with said that they have sent additional claims adjusters to the state to help if you have suffered property damage we have some advice from state insurance commissioner Jim long. Now we tried to contact Mr. Long today but were unable to get in touch with him. However we did speak with him immediately following Hurricane Bertha and his advice on how to make a claim

still holds true today. They need to meet the contact insurance agent if they've had damage to their home or to their cars photograph the damages. We'll get advice from insurance agent and then they will get the adjuster come see you just as quick as you can but you can make temporary players but you should you need to board up the windows in case involved do wonders. You need to put a tarp over the roof for example for the rainwater coming out. These temporary players can be compensated for by the trucks coming. Don't make permanent repairs you need to wait for the claims adjuster. If you have time going start make sure of any personal property that may have been blown out of washed out of your home. Start that process and then the claims adjusters be there to sequester this danger subsided. Commissioner long also pointed out that flood damage is not covered under your homeowners policy unless you have purchased specific flood coverage. Also flood damage is covered under the federal flood program which is available to anyone living in a flood prone area. It's also important to note that water damage caused by wind driven rain is

covered under your homeowners policy. Now the damage is not confined to our coast Hurricane Fran remained intact as she roared inland maintaining the strength of a hurricane as far inland as the Triangle the eye of the hurricane passed over Raleigh around 3:00 a.m. Bob Garner now takes a look at the damage Fran caused in the central part of our state. Hurricane Fran basically followed I-40 north and west from its landfall near Wilmington. The eye of the storm passed almost directly over Romney before Fran passed into Virginia and the capital city and the rest of the triangle area were hit hard. Power was knocked out in most of Raleigh because of trees falling on power lines. With nearly 700000 sepia mail customers in the surrounding region left without service repair crews were hampered by another problem. The fact that many of the city's streets were turned into a maze by fallen trees and downed wires. Two out of three streets were blocked in many

neighborhoods. Charles and Amy Madison were among thousands of residents trying to dry out soaked rugs and carpets. Theirs came from their bedroom which began to leak when a tree crashed onto the roof of their house. Well we went to bed and heard all the power transformers exploding got our children out into the hallway. We're safe and then the tree came crashing down into our roof. But you didn't know when it happened. We delayed a sort of a crash because it was so dark out we couldn't see what it was till we saw that the leaking in our bedroom window and the tree outside I feel like the sun came up the medicine said they knew they were lucky the damage wasn't worse. And indeed many homes were hit much more severely. At least eight trees fell on to this house. And just a few feet away another tree crushed a car parked in the driveway. At the State Emergency Management Operation Center downtown the assessments of damage to the city and the surrounding area were still preliminary. I understand you really get pasted pretty well a lot of trees down power out all over the county area and spread through a lot of the surrounding counties.

Damage assessment crews are having a hard time getting down simply because of all the power outages and all the trees down. So that makes it harder for the utilities to get out and try to restore power. It's a mess tent there. The entire first floor of Crabtree Valley Mall and the surrounding businesses and parking areas were flooded after Crabtree Creek spilled over its banks and there were numerous other flooded sponsor around the Triangle including quite a few roadways during the morning hours. A lot of people evacuated from the Wilmington area hotels and motels just off Interstate 40 in the Triangle area. But they found that brand part of their path and some of them had it quite a bit worse than others. At the innkeeper motel on Highway 55 in Research Triangle Park overnight guest included several families who thought they had successfully fled the storm. They awoke this morning to find their rooms and many of their cars flooded. Among them were Greg and Loretta Callum of Wilmington. We left Wilmington heading with what we'd missed most of it but it appears we got it pretty

bad anyway so the water started right rising early this morning. We noted about the hundred people saying you know there was a flood so we got out about five o'clock and that's when everyone in the cars are trying to move but if they wait until like 30 then they can move the cars that was already up. Sometimes the coast and its seasonal troubles with hurricanes can seem a long way away from places like Raleigh. This is one time though when the capital city got a first hand introduction to the awesome power of this particular phenomenon and it's one Riley's residents won't soon forget. Urgency management officials are asking that you please do not call 9 1 1 unless it is an emergency. Too many people are clogging up that system with non-emergency phone calls again. Please only use Nine one one if it is in fact an emergency. Now according to emergency management officials these are the only major roads that are closed in North Carolina North Carolina and S. 50 between Bailey wick

and Norwood roads is washed out and will be closed throughout the weekend. I-40 at the 3 12 mile marker east of NC 42 in Johnston County is closed and I 85 southbound at the Hall River Bridge in Alamance County will be closed until further notice. Officials are saying that you should remain home and not go out unless you absolutely need to. In fact some communities have instituted curfews and Wake County there is a curfew in effect from 10:00 p.m. tonight until 5:30 a.m. tomorrow. And Johnston County there is a curfew there from 6:00 o'clock tonight until 6:00 a.m. in Duplin County only the Roseville area the curfew is there from sunset to sunrise and Onslow County everyone must be in by 9:00 p.m. tonight. New Hanover County the curfew is from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. and Rutherford County the curfew is from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and Durham County there is a curfew beginning at 8:00 p.m. tonight until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.

State officials have set up a number where you can call to donate items or your time and labor for the recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Fran that phone number is 1 8 8 8 7 8 6 7 6 0 1. Now to the effects of Fran in the mountains there was severe flood damage and Bat Cave Lake lured the Chimney Rock areas prior to the arrival of Frey and in fact 11 inches of rain fell on a Sugarloaf Mountain in Henderson County within a three hour period on Wednesday. So the ground there was already saturated when Fran dumped even more rain on the mountains. Michel Louis spent the past several days in the mountains and he spent today in Rutherford County which escaped Hurricane Fran but still has extensive damage to deal with blood waters from the rocky broader river and rather for county have receded but reminders of the chaotic currents remain. Fourteen years those away from Sarah Lauder owns the Batcave apple house. She is one of many business owners feeling the financial

fury of this recent flooding. I was 26. Take me back. Yeah I think we carry ourselves trying hands a lot. 507 are right the banks are in the red. Just kept saying I met your new friend $30000 an hour longer than me when you're with a woman that in years and I'm not. Right. Maybe you can't rebuild it doesn't help me. The floodwaters have wreaked havoc on transportation routes such as swallowing sections of highway 64 crews spent much of the day trying to patch the road behind me is what is left of the Batcave bridge a bridge that was built in the early 1940s. At one time it used to be about a mile north of here although there was plenty of property damage there could have been more destruction if predicted rains from Hurricane Fran would have fallen but the area was spared. However rather for county emergency services director Barry Davis

says there is yet another water problem. Drinking water is limited and the chimley rock community we have a National Guard. Tanker market Chiles crush rate to provide water to those folks water is available and will be available though it will have to be carried to their home. Davis says the area is still under a state of emergency and a curfew remains in effect. The curfew is limited to from all the chimley rock town limits to the Henderson County line like Lurie is not under a curfew like we were with the exception of own the like on the water like lure is fully accessible. Emergency management officials caution people who want to stop by to view the damages because of the structure of our roads. We encourage folks don't come sashaying for the next few days to let us do our work. Don't impede the traffic so we can get our equipment in here.

Davis says plans are being put into action to rebuild. But as for Sarah Lauder rebuilding plans are bleak. I know I can't get at the marathon. It was open for them in a meeting with the Department of Transportation officials say that with crews working 12 hour days they expect it will take at least 10 days before the damage to Highway 64 is repaired. Now flooding isn't confined to the mountains little river isn't a little river anymore. It is one of several across the eastern half of our state that is in danger of flooding its banks in the wake of Hurricane Fran. We're risen Rollie hall river and Smithfield are all near record levels. The Tar River is also swelling as its winds its way through Louisburg and Franklin County through Rocky Mount to Tarboro an Edge Combe County. The National Weather Service predicts that Rivers will continue to rise over the next several days and has issued warnings for people along the following rivers.

The Cape Fear River at Fayetteville the Tarr river at Louisburg Rocky Mountain Tarboro the Hawl river at Hall River little river at Fort Bragg. Crabtree Creek in Raleigh the Neuse River at Smithfield and Goldsboro and the you know river at Durham. Again river levels may continue to rise over the next several days so use caution when traveling in river areas. Now Fran has moved from North Carolina and now is bringing rain to our northern neighbors. Our weather picture will improve tomorrow. Temperatures will be in the mid to high 80s so a forecast from the Charlotte eastward to the coast now into areas can expect the highs to range anywhere from between 69 to 79 degrees look for partly sunny conditions to aid cleanup efforts statewide. Forecasters do predict however a 30 percent chance of rain in the form of showers or thunderstorms to fall any in the 100 counties of our state throughout the afternoon hours. Throughout the day we have heard dozens of stories of people helping others across the state

checking in on elderly neighbors offering to take people in whose homes have been damaged or just calling a radio station to let other people know when they've found a store open or a gas station that happens to be open. North Carolinians are pulling together and that's what makes the Tarheel State such a great place to call home. I want to especially thank the people who helped to pull off this edition of North Carolina now some of those who have left their own damaged homes behind to make sure that we were able to bring you this information it was not an easy day. Please have a safe weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday when hopefully will be a much brighter day. Good night everyone. Take care. Both with

3 with 3 with and one with both.