Page 3 - ATD 03OCT,2015
P. 3
U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 3 October 2015
East Coast Likely to Dodge Hurricane; Flooding Looms
DAVID DISHNEAU will continue to supply trop- A man wades through flood water on Atlantic Avenue during high tide in Wachapreague, Va.,
SETH BORENSTEIN ical moisture to the rain- Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. A storm system brought heavy rain and wind into the region as well as major
Associated Press storm. coastal flooding.
Millions along the East South Carolina could get
Coast breathed a little more rain in three days that (Jay Diem/The Daily Times via AP)
easier Friday after forecast- it normally gets during the
ers said Hurricane Joaquin entire fall. Steve Stougard stood in Meanwhile, Joaquin tore out 850 homes in the com-
would probably veer out to “We are growing increas- his front yard in Norfolk, off roofs, uprooted trees munity of about 2,000 that
sea. But a freakishly power- ingly concerned about watching one motorist af- and unleashed heavy is considered the oldest U.S.
ful rainstorm fueled in part the situation in South Caro- ter another decide wheth- flooding in the Bahamas, town chartered by blacks.
by the hurricane threat- lina, western North Caro- er to try to drive through a and the U.S. Coast Guard Jackie Vines and her hus-
ened to bring ruinous flood- lina and perhaps even in flooded intersection. “It’s searched for a missing 735- band wound up living in a
ing to parts of the Atlantic northeast Georgia,” said convenient that we’re not foot cargo ship with 33 trailer in an encampment
Seaboard over the week- David Novak, director of getting a direct hit from a people aboard. that was dubbed FEMA
end. the National Oceanic and major hurricane. I consider Residents of Princeville, City. As for the storm now
With the soil already soggy Atmospheric Administra- that an answered prayer,” North Carolina, couldn’t threatening the town, Vines
and roads swamped in tion’s Weather Prediction he said. “But we still have to help thinking of Hurricane said: “All of that’s in God’s
places from days of rain, Center. “We’re pretty con- deal with the rain, still have Floyd in 1999, when muddy, hands. I just pray about
East Coast states braced fident that some places are to deal with the tides.” swirling floodwaters wiped it.”q
for what forecasters said going to have 15 inches. A
could be deadly and un- lot of places are going to
precedented downpours. have 5, 6, 7 inches of rain,
New Jersey, North Caro- particularly the whole state
lina, South Carolina, Virgin- of South Carolina.”
ia and parts of Maryland Parts of Virginia and Mary-
and Delaware were under land could get up to 5
states of emergency. Me- inches. The storm was al-
teorologists said the Caro- ready blamed for at least
linas will probably get the one death in South Caro-
worst of it, with 15 inches lina. Sylvia Arteaga, 56,
of rain in places and land- drowned in a flash flood
slides possible in the moun- under a railroad bridge in
tains. Spartanburg while driving
“It’s going to be enor- home from the night shift.
mous,” meteorologist Ryan Authorities around the re-
Maue of Weather Bell Ana- gion also warned that the
lytics said. “It’s going to be saturated soil could cause
a slow-motion disaster.” trees to topple. By mid-
For days, authorities had morning Friday, water was
feared that Joaquin would flowing over South Main
link up with the rainstorm, Street on Virginia’s Chin-
multiplying the disastrous coteague Island.
effects. Various computer “Every year, we kind of
models showed the hurri- hold our breath, knowing
cane hitting North Caroli- that we’re due,” said Brian
na’s Outer Banks, New Jer- Shotwell, manager of a
sey, New York’s Long Island sandwich shop.
or Massachusetts’ Cape Streets were underwater at
Cod. high tide in the afternoon
But on Friday, as Joaquin in cities and towns up and
raked the Bahamas with down the coast, includ-
winds of 130 mph, forecast- ing Norfolk, Virginia; Atlan-
ers said it appeared the tic City, Sea Isle City and
hurricane would pass well Stone Harbor, New Jersey;
off the U.S. coast. and Ocean City, Maryland,
“It looks like we dodged a which had 5 feet of water
bullet this time,” New Jer- in low-lying areas.
sey Gov. Chris Christie said In Poquoson, Virginia, Joy
at the Jersey shore, which Bryant had to cancel a
nevertheless got hit with yard sale because her
street flooding nearly three property was half-sub-
years after it was devas- merged and cars couldn’t
tated by Superstorm San- get down the road. She
dy. “Let’s keep our fingers planned to spend the eve-
crossed.” ning putting sandbags in
The rainstorm threatened front of her garage.
to bring a gusty and pro- “Of course, we don’t know
longed drenching from what to expect this week-
Georgia to New England. end,” she said, “but since
Forecasters warned that the storm is moving out and
even if Joaquin peels away not on the track that it was
from the coast, its effects yesterday, we’re very re-
will still be felt, because it lieved.”
