4 Million Without Power As Frances Strikes

STUART, Florida – Hurricane Frances pounded Florida relentlessly with high wind and heavy rain yesterday after it smashed across the state’s east coast, knocking out power to 4 million people and forcing residents to withstand a prolonged lashing that shredded roofs and uprooted trees.

Some evacuees had to flee a second time when the school’s roof was partially blown off. At dawn, the storm had weakened, with maximum sustained winds near 95 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, but forecasters warned the storm track would bring the centre of the hurricane back over the warm water of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.They said it was possible Frances would regain intensity by this evening.The eye of the storm blew ashore at Sewall’s Point, just east of Stuart, around 113h00 Frances was expected to remain over the state for most of the day, dumping 8 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 20 inches in some areas.Frances was so big that virtually the entire state feared damage from wind and heavy rain.About 230 miles of coastline – from the Deerfield Beach area northward to Flagler Beach – remained under a hurricane warning as dawn approached Sunday.The largest evacuation in state history, with 2,8 million residents ordered inland, sent 86,000 residents and tourists into shelters.Miami-Dade County told about 320 000 residents they could return home Sunday.The storm shut down much of Florida, including airports and amusement parks, at the start of the usually busy Labor Day weekend.President Bush declared a major disaster in the counties affected by Frances, meaning residents will be eligible for federal aid.Four people were hospitalised in Boynton Beach after breathing carbon monoxide fumes from a generator that was running in a house.No other injuries were immediately reported.Frances’ arrival came just three weeks after Hurricane Charley killed 27 people and caused billions of dollars in damage in southwestern Florida.Before lumbering into Florida, Frances shattered windows, toppled power lines and flooded neighbourhoods in the Bahamas, forcing thousands from their homes.The Freeport airport was partially submerged in water.At least two deaths in the Bahamas were blamed on the storm.In Palm Bay, winds pried off pieces of a banquet hall roof, striking some cars in the parking lot.Trees were bent and light posts wobbled in the howling gusts.Further south in Fort Pierce, the storm shredded awnings and blew out business signs.Many down town streets were crisscrossed with toppled palm trees.In Stuart, where the eye came ashore, traffic lights dangled, and one hung by a single wire.Downed trees blocked at least one residential street, and signposts were bent to the ground.The facade at a flooring store collapsed, as did the roof of a storage shed at a car dealership.In Melbourne, 65 miles north of Stuart, the wind and rain looked like a giant fire hose going off at full blast.”I’ve never seen anything like this, and no one in my family has,” said Darlene Munson, who was riding out the storm with family members at her Melbourne restaurant.Roads, streets and beaches were mostly deserted – the occasional surfer notwithstanding.Roads were littered with palm fronds and other debris.Businesses were shuttered and even gas stations were closed, their empty pumps covered with shrink wrap.At 08h00, the centre of the hurricane was about 40 miles east of Sebring, which is 70 miles southeast of Tampa.The storm was crawling west at 8 mph.Sustained winds were about 95 mph, down from 105 mph when it made landfall.The National Hurricane Center said one gust was clocked at 115 mph at Fort Pierce and damaged the mast of a truck measuring the storm’s intensity.Florida Power & Light pulled crews off the streets because of heavy wind, meaning the 4 million customers without power would have to wait until the storm subsided, spokesman Bill Swank said.Nearly all of Vero Beach, 30 miles north of Stuart, was blackened, the city’s utility said.In Martin County, where Stuart is located, 630 people taking shelter at a school had to move to another shelter when part of the roof blew off, flooding 16 rooms.More than 300 people were able to remain in the school.For thousands of Floridians spending the night in a shelter, the storm forced them to pause.Forecasters said the slow movement and large eye would mean several hours of calm for some locations after they were battered by the strongest winds.Meanwhile, Hurricane Ivan formed yesterday in the central Atlantic.The fifth hurricane of the season was about 1,210 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles with winds of 75 mph.-Nampa – APAt dawn, the storm had weakened, with maximum sustained winds near 95 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, but forecasters warned the storm track would bring the centre of the hurricane back over the warm water of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.They said it was possible Frances would regain intensity by this evening.The eye of the storm blew ashore at Sewall’s Point, just east of Stuart, around 113h00 Frances was expected to remain over the state for most of the day, dumping 8 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 20 inches in some areas.Frances was so big that virtually the entire state feared damage from wind and heavy rain.About 230 miles of coastline – from the Deerfield Beach area northward to Flagler Beach – remained under a hurricane warning as dawn approached Sunday.The largest evacuation in state history, with 2,8 million residents ordered inland, sent 86,000 residents and tourists into shelters.Miami-Dade County told about 320 000 residents they could return home Sunday.The storm shut down much of Florida, including airports and amusement parks, at the start of the usually busy Labor Day weekend.President Bush declared a major disaster in the counties affected by Frances, meaning residents will be eligible for federal aid.Four people were hospitalised in Boynton Beach after breathing carbon monoxide fumes from a generator that was running in a house.No other injuries were immediately reported.Frances’ arrival came just three weeks after Hurricane Charley killed 27 people and caused billions of dollars in damage in southwestern Florida.Before lumbering into Florida, Frances shattered windows, toppled power lines and flooded neighbourhoods in the Bahamas, forcing thousands from their homes.The Freeport airport was partially submerged in water.At least two deaths in the Bahamas were blamed on the storm.In Palm Bay, winds pried off pieces of a banquet hall roof, striking some cars in the parking lot.Trees were bent and light posts wobbled in the howling gusts.Further south in Fort Pierce, the storm shredded awnings and blew out business signs.Many down town streets were crisscrossed with toppled palm trees.In Stuart, where the eye came ashore, traffic lights dangled, and one hung by a single wire.Downed trees blocked at least one residential street, and signposts were bent to the ground.The facade at a flooring store collapsed, as did the roof of a storage shed at a car dealership.In Melbourne, 65 miles north of Stuart, the wind and rain looked like a giant fire hose going off at full blast.”I’ve never seen anything like this, and no one in my family has,” said Darlene Munson, who was riding out the storm with family members at her Melbourne restaurant.Roads, streets and beaches were mostly deserted – the occasional surfer notwithstanding.Roads were littered with palm fronds and other debris.Businesses were shuttered and even gas stations were closed, their empty pumps covered with shrink wrap.At 08h00, the centre of the hurricane was about 40 miles east of Sebring, which is 70 miles southeast of Tampa.The storm was crawling west at 8 mph.Sustained winds were about 95 mph, down from 105 mph when it made landfall.The National Hurricane Center said one gust was clocked at 115 mph at Fort Pierce and damaged the mast of a truck measuring the storm’s intensity.Florida Power & Light pulled crews off the streets because of heavy wind, meaning the 4 million customers without power would have to wait until the storm subsided, spokesman Bill Swank said.Nearly a
ll of Vero Beach, 30 miles north of Stuart, was blackened, the city’s utility said.In Martin County, where Stuart is located, 630 people taking shelter at a school had to move to another shelter when part of the roof blew off, flooding 16 rooms.More than 300 people were able to remain in the school.For thousands of Floridians spending the night in a shelter, the storm forced them to pause.Forecasters said the slow movement and large eye would mean several hours of calm for some locations after they were battered by the strongest winds.Meanwhile, Hurricane Ivan formed yesterday in the central Atlantic.The fifth hurricane of the season was about 1,210 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles with winds of 75 mph.-Nampa – AP