Eleven deaths now blamed on storm

Web-posted Sept. 6, 1996 at 12 p.m.

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The Associated Press

THE STORM

Eye passed Cape Fear, N.C., Thursday just before 8 p.m. EDT with top winds of 115 mph. Winds extended out 145 miles, making it about as large as Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Winds dropped to 100 mph hours later and the eye fell apart by midnight. Downgraded to tropical storm this morning as it continued to churn north, spawning tornadoes and pushing a storm surge of up to 12 feet. Moved out of North Carolina into Virginia shortly before 8 a.m.

CASUALTIES

-- Woman killed near Conway, S.C., when car lost control in water and struck tree.
-- Man killed in Andrews, S.C., when car hit a fallen tree.
-- Woman killed in Onslow County, N.C. just northeast of Wilmington, when a tree fell on her trailer, trapping her inside during the height of the storm.
-- Two men killed near Holly Springs, N.C., when their truck hit a downed tree.
-- Motorist killed in Pitt County, N.C.
-- Two killed in Durham County, N.C., a motorist and a firefighter when a tree fell on a firetruck.
-- Resident of Johnston County, N.C., killed when tree fell on house.
-- A 13-year-old boy in Alamance County, N.C., when a tree fell on a house.
-- Motorist killed in Wayne County, N.C.

DAMAGE

-- Numerous beachfront homes seriously damaged or destroyed; coastal communities flooded, cars and boats washed away. Widespread damage to trees and roofs; power lines down.
-- Much of North Topsail Beach, N.C., under water.
-- Steeple ripped off churches in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C.
-- In Shallotte Point, N.C., 20 boats at Hughes Marina were washed away. Several sailboats also slammed into the Bradley Creek Bridge near Wrightsville Beach.
-- At Surf City, a tornado rocked the N.C. 211 swing bridge, and power lines were hitting each other and exploding in the wind.
-- Dome ripped off 1911 county courthouse in Kenansville, N.C.
-- Flooding makes Interstate 40 near Burgaw, about 30 miles north of Wilmington, nearly impassable.

UTILITIES

-- Carolina Power & Light says 670,000 customers without power. Virginia power says 170,000 customers dark. At one time more than 60,000 people in South Carolina were without power, down to about 45,000 this morning.

STORM WARNINGS

-- Hurricane warnings posted only in North Carolina early today. Tropical storm warnings for Virginia. People living as far inland as West Virginia were warned to expect heavy rains.
EVACUATIONS

-- More than 500,000 ordered to leave coastal areas of South Carolina and all or parts of eight North Carolina counties. Evacuation orders lifted in South Carolina's southernmost counties by Thursday evening.
-- About 90 shelters open in South Carolina and 100 in North Carolina, providing refuge for more than 9,000 people. Shelters also open in Virginia where some areas near Danville being evacuated because of potential flooding.
RESPONSE

-- National Guard troops activated in North and South Carolina, including military and security police members. National Guard and state police were on alert in Virginia. Emergency declarations in all three states.
-- North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt asks all nonessential state workers to stay home.

CLOSINGS and CANCELLATIONS:

-- Amtrak curtails train service along parts of the Atlantic coast.
-- All flights to Charleston International Airport canceled Thursday night. Most airlines cancel flights into and out of Raleigh-Durham Airport.
-- Many area schools and universities closed.