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INSIDE
MONDAY
SEPTEMBER 9,1996
State, town begin cleanup after Fran’s destruction
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l rees blown over by Hurricane Fran s devastating winds crushed buildings and cars across the state, including this station wagon parked
outside Cobb Residence Hall. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians were without power and at least 17 people died.
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DTH/GRAHAM BRINK
Jimmy Taylor (left) and Lloyd Ross help out Alpha Delta Pi
sorority members removing debris from the front yard.
Students explore hurricane damage
BY SHARIF DURHAMS
AND MARVA HINTON
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITORS
The Bell Tower rang eight minutes
early Friday morning, one indication of
the confusion Hurricane Fran caused on
the University campus.
Diligent students who tried to attend
morning classes found their paths blocked
by fallen trees and downed power lines.
“I walked to Phillips Hall, and I found
out that my class door was locked,” said
Ashley Richardson, a sophomore from
Currituck.
Administrators announced the can
cellation at 3 a.m. Friday. Students who
missed the signs in residence halls might
have had no indication that the Univer
sity was closed. Many students were
sleeping while winds faster then 70 mph
ripped through campus, but others stayed
awake to witness Fran’s arrival.
Chris Phelps, a junior from Greens
boro, said the hurricane’s arrival ended
his evening fun.
“We were at Carmichael Field play
ing rugby, then the light poles started
swaying so we decided it was time to go, ”
Long live the king
The Homecoming queen
will have an official escort
this year -a king. Page 3
a
Hooker: UNC will hold classes today
■ Officials say damage to
on-campus structures was
“minimal.”
STAFF REPORT
UNC will hold classes today as sched
uled, despite beinghitby Hurricane Fran’s
70 mph winds only 96 hours ago, Univer
sity administrators said Sunday.
While students living in residence halls
have not faced blackouts and blocked
roadways, off-campus residents have to
contend with both, in addition to downed
telephone and power lines. Executive
Vice Chancellor Elson Floyd said mar
ried students living in Odum Village Fam
ily Student Housing lost power this week
end, and the Friday Center still had no
power as of Sunday afternoon.
According to a press release from
Chapel Hill Town Manager Cal Horton,
dated Sept. 7, a State of Emergency had
been declared by Chapel Hill Mayor
Rosemary Waldorf. The press release
advised residents to remain at home.
“Everyone is urged to stay off the
roads except for trips necessary for medi
cal care and food,” the press release stated.
“The number of trees and utility wires
down and the lack of power for signal
lights still make for dangerous condi
Phelps said.
Michael Quinlan, a junior from
Lincolnton, said, “There were trees down
everywhere. There was a station wagon
that got crushed and the tail light was
on.”
While some students slept in Friday
morning, others ventured out with cam
eras in tow to explore the damage and
capture it on film.
Students posed for pictures on top of
huge, uprooted trees and marched over
trees with childlike wonderment.
Laura Muse, a freshman from Char
lotte, said she and two friends hit a road
block on their trip to North Campus.
“We’re going to look at the things
do wn on the quad if we can get over these
trees,” she said.
A tree that fell on a bike rack next to
Morrison Residence Hall became a gath
ering place for several students. Bicycle
owners stood on the tree or stared at bikes
that had been broken in two by the tree.
The damage also extended inside the
residence hall. Paul Kosko and his room
mate, Evan Markfield, experienced one
problem after another due to the storm.
They spent the morning mopping rain
tr
water from their eighth-floor room.
Then, Kosko discovered that his bike
had been one of those destroyed.
“I had everything I owned stacked on
my chair and my desk," he said.
Some Morrison residents complained
about contaminated water on some floors
and the lack of water on others.
Although area directors posted signs
warning students about water contami
nation and class cancellation, many stu
dents said they felt uninformed.
Monica Bogel, a junior Cobb resident,
said her resident assistant had not given
her enough information about the storm.
“That was something I was concerned
about, "she said. “Nobody told me what
to do if a tornado came.”
Some students walking to main cam
pus tried to make the best of an unsettling
situation, but said they had not expected
damage to be so severe.
Muse, who lived through Hurricane
Hugo, said the damage left by Fran was
similar. “It got our houses really bad
during Hugo. This looks like my front
yard.”
Jennifer Grey contributed to this article.
Maybe this world is another planet’s hell.
Aldous Huxley
In the storm's eye
An extensive look at the
destruction of Hurricane
Fran and rebuilding efforts.
Page 5
tions.”
The State of Emergency was still in
effect as of Sunday evening.
But Chancellor Michael Hooker, who
is himself without power, clean water or
telephone service, said the decision to
continue with classes was made because
of the amount of time a complete cleanup
would take.
“If we waited until it was easy for
everybody to get into campus, we would
be waiting forthree weeks,” he said. “We
think we can operate with minimal effi
ciency (Monday).”
Floyd said he understood that many
members of the University community
would have difficulty getting to campus.
“I think students as well as employees
will have to use discretion about coming
in (Monday),” he said. “I think that’s
given in this type of situation.”
University administrators waited un
til about 3 a.m. Friday to cancel classes
for that day. Hooker said those classes
were canceled because of the unusual
situation Chapel Hill was in.
“(The decision was made) when I
learned that the mayor had signed a proc
lamation of a State ofEmergency and the
Chapel Hill police wouldn’t be letting
people into town, so faculty couldn’t get
in to teach their classes,” Hooker said.
Overall, Hooker said, the damage to
= ■>. *
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I 1
Flood waters collected near the the Mason Farm Water Pollution Control Facilities after Hurricane Fran dropped several
inches of rain. OWASA officials had to wait until Friday afternoon to enter the facilities.
Tar Heels stun
No. 9 Syracuse
Chris Keldorf passed for
218 yards as the Tar Heels
won 27-10. Page 12
BYTODD DARLING
ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
AND LAURA GODWIN
CITY EDITOR
On Thursday night and Friday morning, Hurri
cane Fran stormed from the N.C. coast to the Tri
angle, packing sustained winds of more than 100
mph, destroying houses and leaving 17 dead.
State and local officials are now left to estimate
the damage and begin the cleanup efforts.
The State Emergency Response Team is working
to rebuild the damage caused as Hurricane Fran
smashed Cape Fear Coast at about 8:15 p.m. Thurs
day and made her way through the central part of
North Carolina.
“The damage is very widespread over 34 coun
ties,” said SERT Public Information Officer Tom
Ditt.
Ditt said he was optimistic about the cleanup
effort and did not see any problems with the remain
der of the cleanup.
“We’re definitely making progress," he said. “I
don’t foresee any major problems.”
In a report issued by SERT, the damage reports
for the state ranged from shingles biown from roofs
to complete destruction of houses.
Accordingto the report, Gov. Jim Hunt requested
Sunday that 24 additional counties receive a federal
disaster declaration following the hurricane in
cluding Wake, Orange and Durham counties.
In Wake County, the damage estimate to homes
was approximately S9OO million, the report stated.
North Carolina has been placed under a state of
emergency, and local officials are asking residents to
stay inside unless it is absolutely necessary.
Chapel Hill Fire Department Information Of
ficer Joe Robertson said the department was still
campus was minimal, suggesting that it
would be safe for students to attend classes
there today. “There was mercifully little
property damage, and I’m not aware of
any physical harm to people from falling
trees on campus,” he said.
Hooker said much of the credit for that
safety went to the staffers who worked to
keep the University running smoothly in
the wake of Hurricane Fran.
“In general, I’m pleased with the way
we’ve come through this, ” he said. “Many
of the people who have been working
here have severe problems at home that
they would like to be working on, but
they stayed here because we asked them
to, and we’re very grateful to them for
that.”
Floyd echoed Hooker’s sentiments,
citing the many Carolina Dining Ser
vices and Buildings and Grounds em
ployees who worked through the week
end.
“We had a number of staff people who
have really gone above and beyond the
call of duty,” Floyd said.
The University kept Lenoir Dining
Hall and Chase Hall open all weekend,
despite the inclement conditions.
The grounds crew had cleared several
trees by 8 a.m. Friday and worked
throughout the weekend to clean up the
campus.
Today's
Weather
Partly sunny, chance
of rain; high 80s.
Tuesday sunny high 80s.
surveying damage and trying to clear roads so emer
gency vehicles could have access.
Robertson said residents should not leave their
homes except for emergency trips. “If it’s for food or
medical needs, then be cautious,” he said.
Chapel Hill Fire Department Chief Dan Jones
said the fire department was still in the process of
checking streets for clearance and could not predict
when the state of emergency for Chapel Hill would
be lifted.
Jones said it was still too early to estimate total
damage, but no area experienced more destruction
than others.
However, certain areas did appear to have dam
ages particular to them, such as more trees uprooted
or shingles blown off.
“There appears to be no rhyme or reason to it,” he
said.
Along with the National Guard, over 790 prison
inmates assisted in statewide cleanup efforts.
The urgency of counties’ need for assistance var
ied with the damage done.
The coastal areas reported major damage. North
Topsail Beach officials requested assistance from
the National Guard in locating missing persons
while access to the island was restricted.
At Carolina Beach, approximately 10 percent of
homes suffered minor structural damage, while in
Kure Beach, 12 houses were destroyed.
Many injuries were reported, and the number of
fatalities now totals 17. No one was killed in Orange
County.
Across the state, widespread power outages were
reported. Spokesperson Tom Pettit of Duke Power
said Duke Power as of Sunday evening had restored
355,600 of the 430,000 customers who had lost
See CLEANUP, Page 2
Thousands still in
dark after outages
BY ANGELA MOORE
ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR
Three days after Hurricane Fran’s fury hit, more than 12,000
Chapel Hill residents were still without electricity, Duke Power
spokesman Tim Pettit said.
Thousands of town residents have spent nights in the dark
smelling spoiled food in warm refrigerators and in most cases
were unable to cook food or take a warm shower.
Hurricane Fran blew trees onto power lines, causing about
29,000 outages in Chapel Hill alone, Pettit said.
“Restoring power to primary distribution lines is our first
priority,” Pettit said. “Then we will be able to restore to
neighborhoods and apartment complexes. Then we will work
on individual homes. It takes time.”
Duke Power first tried to get power back to hospitals, water
treatment facilities and other essential services, Pettit said.
“Our first priority is the health and safety of our customers and
employees.”
Duke Power has 1,800 workers in the area repairing dam
aged lines, joined by 1,000 workers loaned by other utility
companies in Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West
Virginia.
Pettit said Duke Power, which provides power to areas west
of Durham, considers Chapel Hill one of the hardest-hit towns
in its service area. The 12,000 outages in the town are wide
spread and not localized in one area, but the company expects
See POWER, Page 2
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