[From Raleigh News & Observer, unless otherwise noted]

http://cgi2.nando.net/newsroom/nao/top/091296/topstory_side6_25334.html

Thursday September 12, 1996

". . . The new resources, tapped by Gov. Jim Hunt and federal emergency management officials almost a week after the storm hit, include: 1,000 N.C. National Guard soldiers, about 750 of whom will be stationed in Wake County. . . .

The new [National Guard] troops began arriving in Raleigh around 1 p.m. Wednesday on a passenger train across from the State Fairgrounds, where a tent city has been established to house them.

With Wednesday's deployment, more than 3,200 National Guard troops have been activated statewide in Hurricane Fran's aftermath. In addition to 2,800 North Carolina soldiers, 300 are coming from South Carolina, while Florida has sent 109 and Kentucky has offered 26. . . . http://cgi2.nando.net/newsroom/nao/top/091296/topstory_side6_25334.html

Thursday September 12, 1996

"With power back on in most places and the weather looking up, local authorities say Triangle residents can make life better by doing lots of little things right, from keeping storm drains clear to being more careful with candles and generators.

The number of house fires is four times as high as normal in some areas. . . ."

http://www.sma.ncstate.net/Nubian/Archives/Fall1996/091296/Headlines/fran.html

[NCSU newspaper]

"No one in their wildest dreams thought it would come this far inland and have this much impact. . . . For the first time in their lives, many citizens were blinded and deafened when Fran's fury was unleashed on the city's power grid. . . .

Proving that every good turn deserves another the governor of Florida returned a favor North Carolina had given them way back after Hurricane Andrew destroyed the Homestead area of South Florida by sending 100 members of the Floridian National guard to assist in the clean-up.

'North Carolina helped us out when we needed it most,' the governor said in a press conference Tuesday, 'we were more than happy to return the favor.'

One of the primary concerns of residents cleaning up after the killer storm is electricity. The major local power companies, Duke and CP&L spread across the triangle in a dragnet of white, restoring power, and life to all those who had been deprived by the wicked winds.

'Going without electricity for so long has made us appreciate how our ancestors must have lived. It's unbelievable how much we take this great luxury for granted,' Marilyn Graham, fellow victim of Fran said. 'You'd better believe I'm going to party when all this is over.'

The lights flickered a few times over main campus, but never did fail, thanks to the redundancy of N.C. State's back-up substations, but those students living on the outer fringes - the Avent Ferry Complex, University Towers and E.S. King Village, - were without power for three entire days.

'It was terrible. No water, no electricity, no cable, hell. Pure hell,' a resident of University Towers said.

Other citizens of Raleigh have had their power restored, but it seems that those who haven't will be forced to endure the trauma for at least another 4 or 5 days.

'There are approximately 50,000 people in the area who are still without power, but we have crews working around the clock and hope to have their electricity restored by the beginning of next week,' a representative of CP&L announced at a press conference today.

. . . Those lucky enough to still have running water after the storm passed over were advised to sterilize that which they had, as the severe flooding caused by the Fran's torrential downpours overwhelmed treatment plants which consequently dumped raw sewage into nearby rivers and streams.

'With all the extra water in the storm drains, we had to open the flood gates. Our safety systems were overwhelmed and some raw sewage slipped into the outflow. The contamination wasn't deadly, but it would be advisable for residents to boil their water for a few minutes before it is used for drinking or cooking,' Steven Wells, a representative of Wake county waste treatment said."

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 04, 1999

Answers

Nice post Old Git. The MAN says get ready for a storm. But this storm will hit the entire country, so don't count on any help from outside of your own town. And get ready for the storm of the century! <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 04, 1999.

Glad you liked it. I was really searching for a clip about the roadblock. Ah, yes. Roadblock. Chapel Hill, a high-rent town, is quite close to Durham. As soon as dawn broke the Orange County deputies were manning a roadblock to prevent Durham people from entering Chapel Hill--they cited the possibility of looting. Only those whose driver's license showed an Orange County address were allowed through. Take note if you plan to bug out.

Was it legal ? I guess so. There were some complaints but the roadblock remained for several days and nights. I think people might have been too busy trying to find ice and other commodities deemed essential in NC in August.

Yup, I included the info about "foreign" NG troops so people would catch that there's a mutual aid policy in effect between neighboring states.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 04, 1999.

I love the quote by the student, saying "three days without electricy, water...pure hell." And it wasn't even COLD out. Without that juice running through them thar lines, we're history.

-- Spidey (in@jam.com), March 04, 1999.

Not just the students, Spidey. The storm hit Thursday night. and we were able to get outside at daybreak Friday. According to my police scanner, problems began on the afternoon of the following Sunday. A fight over 50 generators just delivered at Home Depot. A fight over a gas station running out of gas. And, as I'm fond of telling y'all, on the Monday this poor old git was about to be clobbered by a very well-dressed, middle-aged woman, who was next in line when the ice ran out. Luckily, the store manager knew the friend I was with and told the woman we weren't one family, therefore eligible for a bag of ice each. (I'm not a small person, by the way, 5'9", generously padded, wearing jeans and work shirt.) I think the heat and humidity had a lot to do with it but still, there will be expressed frustration and anger early on, no matter what the weather. More problems were averted because just about all police and deputies came in--out sick, off, on vacation, whatever, they all pitched in and were highly visible.

A reminder--and valuable info for newbies--we knew Kroger had ice because I overheard on my scanner one cop telling another. Heard a similar message the following day too, regarding Food Lion having ice. We also heard about a planned dusk-dawn curfew some time before it was announced on TV and radio. A $65, 4", battery-operated B&W TV bought at Radio Shack on a sudden impulse the afternoon of the storm turned out to be far more useful than anticipated. It was psychologically reassuring to see familiar local news faces on their usual set. After we had seen one segment, we would run across the street with it and loan it to our elderly neighbors--they too were grateful for the psychological reassurance. The eight D batteries last several days if you're careful and ration your viewing. There's a car lighter adapter available. I'm building up my stock of rechargeable Ds and we can recharge them courtesy of our solar panels. I'll get a couple of solar battery chargers too.

-- Twice-bitten Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 04, 1999.

Sort'a mentioned part of this on another thread, but your comment remined me, Old Git ...

I have participated in a mandatory evacuation of a whole town due to inbound forest fires, and afterwards, in order to get back home, we did have to prove at the roadblock, with either a Driver's license or other paperwork, that we lived in town. No "extraneous" visitors (tourists) were allowed in until the "all clear" had sounded, about 24 hours later.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 04, 1999.

Great to be back and read informative and respectful threads like this one! Thanks to Old Git, Sysman, Spidey and Diane.

-- Watchful (seethesea@msn.com), March 04, 1999.