Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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News Floyd wreaks havoc on Bahamas, Florida shorelines by Michelle Faul AssociATKI) PRKSS Nassau, Bahamas — Hurricane Floyd pounded the Bahamas with howling winds and blinding rain today, snapping palm trees in half, ripping roofs off homes, downing power lines and churning up dangerous surf throughout the vulnerable islands east of Florida. Frightened residents in the low-lying archipelago huddled inside their homes and dozens of public shel ters as Floyd, a dangerous Category 4 storm with top sustained wind near 140 mph, raked the Bahamas and threatened the U.S. southeast. “We’re getting rocked,” said JAMZ radio news di rector Kirk Smith, who reported 100 mph wind gusts in Nassau, the Bahamian capital. “We tried to go outside but a huge tree just fell outside our studio,” he said. In a driving rain on New Providence Island, rescuers were trying to reach residents whose homes lost their roofs, but they had to contend with debris-strewn streets and flood waters 3 feet deep in places. “We’re trying to deal with it one emergency at a time,” said Melanie Roach, public works director at the government emergency command center. The hurricane shoved cars around and pelted buildings with tree limbs, roof shingles and fruit stripped from trees. In northern Nassau, flooding surged inland a quar ter-mile from shore, residents reported. At 2 p.m. EDT, Floyd’s center was near Abaco Is land, or about 195 miles east-southeast of Palm Beach, Fla. It was moving west-northwest near 14 mph, and a gradual turn toward the northwest was expected later today. Maximum sustained winds were down from 155 mph. San Salvador, Eleuthera and Cat islands reported 110 mph winds earlier today, and the U.S. National Hurri cane Center cited reports of severe damage in Eleuthera. Some 600 miles wide, Floyd dwarfed the small Ba hamian islands, its hurricane-force windsextending 125 miles outward. Tropical stomt-force winds extended 290 miles. Floyd was expected to cut across the Bahamas and then arc along the Florida peninsula today. The huge storm could deliver Florida its hardest stomi strike in years. A hurricane warning was in ell'ect from Florida City, Fla., to just south of Brunswick, Ga. A hurricane watch was in effect northward to Little River Inlet, S.C. With evacuations planned or under way in parts of Florida and Georgia, the U.S. hurricane center issued a heavy surf advisory for the East Coast northward to Mon tauk Point, N.Y. In Nassau, dozens of stranded tourists huddled inside the underground ballroom at the Marriott Hotel. The lone exception was a man who watched the storm from a seat on his eighth-floor balcony. “The kids slept through it and so did my husband, but 1 was awakened by what sounded like tin crashing Florida see page 4 *...... ...—.. , ...-. ,, i'll.1 Special to The Gamecock Strong surf propels waves to above-average heights. People are urged to remain away from the beach until the storm has passed. Wusc * from page 1 House, bul if a tornado does develop, we have a basement, which we are fairly cer tain we’ll be safe in,” he said. Beginning at 10 p.m„ the DJs will broadcast information they receive from correspondents, faculty advisers and a weather radio. WUSC is also linked to the Emergency Broadcasting Station, whose information automatically gets broadcast. “We’re going to be playing music, and every lime we hear something im portant, we’ll break in,” de Poix said. De Poix also said that WUSC would have telephone lines designated JL just for certain duties. Some lines will be for people with questions about the storm, while others will be for faculty and correspondent calls concerning the stomi and the university. According to Paddock, journalism ju nior Brock \feigakis and media arts junior Sean Rayford, both of The Gamecock staff, will be covering the hurricane from Beaufort. Paddock stressed the importance of listening to WUSC as opposed to other radio stations because “WUSC will be emphasizing campus news received di rectly from university officials” and “will provide class cancellations, building clos ings and other information that will be useful.” WUSC Music Director Jonathan Gar rick, an English and film studies junior, agreed. ^ “We’ll be covering the hurricane as it relates to USC campus, not all of South Carolina,” he said. Regardless of station, Paddock be lieves that radio plays an important role in hurricane coverage. “During [Hurricane] Hugo, the radio helped many people know about hurri cane developments, highway damages and road closings,” he said. Paddock believes the same will be true during Hurricane Floyd. “While no one can perfectly pre dict what will happen with the storm, ra dio atn spread information quickly about damages and the storm’s movements,” he said. WUSC plans to continue coverage of Hurricane Floyd throughout Thursday, «A)r until the storms subside. Hurricane from page 1 of the Adams Mark Hotel in downtown Columbia. “A couple of nights are sold out, and other nights [this week) are fill ing up quickly. “With die influx of people to die Mid lands, the hotels will fill up,” he said. The Holiday Inn across from the Col iseum is in the same situation. ^ “All rooms are booked,” said Karla Ayala, a clerk. She said the hotel booked its last room around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Not only are hotels feeling the influ ence of the coming storm, but so are gro cery stores. The W;d-Mart SuperCenler on Har bison Boulevard has had an onslaught of people buying supplies, said Jeremy Brooks, department manager. He said that the store is out of flash lights and D batteries, but that it’s trying to get more. Water is also a hot item for disaster preparation. Brooks said Wal-Mart ran out of wa ter earlier in the day Tuesday but had just received another shipment. “We have been getting special ship ments from the warehouse," Brooks said. c I People will do crazy I I I things to WIN I $25,000!