Tracking Floyd State By State
- Florida
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Virginia
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- New Hampshire
- Maine
Florida:
Floridians returning home after Hurricane Floyd passed offshore found the storm left their coastal communities a little wind-blown and wet, but relatively unharmed.
Floyd skirted the state's eastern coast, bringing gusts of more than 75 mph, and up to four inches of rain. The hurricane sent waves crashing over dunes as it whistled by on its way to wreak havoc on the Carolinas. About 50 oceanside homes were left waterlogged. Most people had fled Tuesday as the hurricane made its turn to the northwest.
Elsewhere, most damage was along the coastline and limited primarily to downed carports, overhangs, awnings, signs, gutters, power lines and trees. The sea swallowed about 100 feet of the century-old Daytona Beach pier, exposing cement pilings, and sheared off the end of the Jacksonville Beach pier.
No deaths were blamed on Floyd in Florida, where 290,000 customers lost power.
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| Florida Gov. Jeb Bush |
"My impression really is how fortunate we were as a state to have had Floyd brush by us but not really impact us," Bush said. "By and large, it was pretty remarkable how close we got to having serious, serious property damage and perhaps loss of life, and yet it looks as though we escaped quite well."
Georgia:
As the threat of Hurricane Floyd subsided, public safety officials in coastal Georgia prepare for the next disaster as an estimated 300,000 people stream home after a mandatory evacuation.
On Tuesday, some people waited in traffic more than 12 hours because of the crush to leave Savannah after the evacuation was ordered. That order was lifted at 8 .m. Thursday, and tens of thousands are expected to begin returning to the port city.
About 1,000 National Guardsmen, in addition to the approximately 800 already in place, were sent to the coast to police the evacuated areas and help keep traffic unsnarled.
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| Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes |
About 50,000 people lost electricity Wednesday, with about 14,000 of those restored by 11 p.m. The rest were expected to have power back on later Thursday.
North Carolina:
Hurricane Floyd sloshed ashore Thursday near Cape Fear with winds of 110 mph, flooding the coasts of North Carolina as tens of thousands of people huddled in shelters.
The eye of the huge storm arrived on the U.S. mainland at about 3 a.m., preceded by hours of violent weather, including more than a foot of rain and several tornadoes, leaving more than 300,000 utility customers in North Carolina without power.
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| N. Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt |
President Clinton, hurrying back from New Zealand to deal with the hurricane, pre-emptively declared federal disaster areas in South Carolina and North Carolina.
Four deaths have so far been attributed to the storm in North Carolina. A person died when a car hydroplaned on wet roads Wednesday afternoon and crashed. A second person was presumed dead after being swept away by floodwaters. Two twisters damaged homes and churches, but no injuries were reported.
South Carolina:
Widespread power outages, flooding and downed trees were left after Hurricane Floyd brushed by Souh Carolina, but once again the state escaped a direct hit from a major storm.
At one point, more than 200,000 utility customers were reported without power and about 43,000 people huddled in shelters overnight, state emergency officials said. But it still was a relief for emergency workers who feared a repeat of the disastrous Hurricane Hugo that hit the state 10 years ago next week.
One storm-related death was reported, but Gov. Jim Hodges lifted the evacuation order south of Georgetown County. "The wrath of Hurricane Floyd did avoid South Carolina in a significant measure," Hodges said. "We're all blessed with that."
The National Weather Service said as much as 16 inches of rain fell in the Myrtle Beach area. Water was as much as three feet deep on U.S. 501 heading into Myrtle Beach and some stores and motels were flooded on the ground floor.
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| South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges |
Gusts as high as 80 mph were reported in Charleston Wednesday night, and while there were reports of scattered trees down in most coastal counties, there were few reports of serious building damage.
Virginia:
Hurricane Floyd, a day after turning roads into lakes and forcing thousands of Virginians to flee inland, threatened the state with gale-force winds and up to 10 more inches of rain as the storm came ashore in North Carolina.
A huge area from Richmond east to the coast and north to the Washington suburbs was virtually shut down Thursday, with schools, businesses and government offices closed.
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| Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore |
The National Weather Service said the storm already ha dumped up to 12 inches of rain in some places and could leave another 10 inches while packing 80 mph winds along the coast.
A hurricane warning was posted along the entire Virginia coast and the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. A tornado watch was posted for eastern Virginia as far inland as Richmond, and a flash flood watch covered areas east of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Maryland:
Hurricane warnings were extended up the coast as far north as Cape Henlopen, Del. early Thursday as Hurricane Floyd's powerful winds threw spray and surf onto the boardwalk in Ocean City.
The warning is in effect for areas of the Chesapeake Bay south of Smith Point, and a tropical storm warning remains in effect for the northern bay. The National Weather Service said Floyd's strong winds could produce tornadoes on Maryland's lower Eastern Shore.
Seas were expected to build to between 15 and 20 feet through noon. And residents of beach communities were warned of the possibility of dangerous rip currents.
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| Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening |
In Maryland, schools were closed in Baltimore Thursday in all but a handful of counties, while state offices were closed in much of the state. Airlines canceled flights out of Baltimore-Washington International Airport and the Baltimore Orioles canceled this afternoon's game against the Oakland Athletics.
Voluntary evacuations remain in place for parts of the Eastern Shore, as well as St. Mary's, Harford and Carroll counties.
New Jersey:
New Jersey officials declared a state of emergency and told students to stay home as the state braced for the remains of Hurricane Floyd.
Forecasters compared the storm howling up the Atlantic Coast to Doria, a tropical storm that caused $138.5 million of damage in the state and record flooding in Bound Brook and Manville in 1971.
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| New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman |
The weather service issued a tropical storm warning and flash flood watch for most of the state. Sandbags were readied along low-lying areas near the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek in Burlington County. Meanwhile, coastal towns prepared for what could be a much stronger storm, securing boats and clearing lifeboats, lifeguard stands and other movable equipment off beaches.
"We are preparing for an enormous storm," Gov. Christie Whitman said Wednesday after declaring a state of emergency.
Whitman early Thursday declared all of the state's public schools closed for the day. Whitman said county and local emergency management officials would order evacuations if necessary, but had not done so yet. The state of emergency will empower the state to deploy the National Guard, the New Jersey State Police and Department of Transportation personnel and equipment.
Twenty-four aircraft left McGuire Air Force Base in preparation for Hurricane Floyd's arrival. The aircraft were evacuated to Air Force bases in Florida and Kansas as a precaution to prevent damage from the hurricane's high winds. Members of the 305th Air Mobility Wing and the 621st Air Mobility Operations Group will be aboard the planes.
New York:
A hurricane warning was issued for eastern Long Island and New York City schools were closed Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Floyd, which threatened to flood highways and train tracks and ravage power lines throughout the region.
The National Weather Service issued the hurricane warning from Moriches Inlet east to Montauk, and a tropical storm warning was in effect for all of New York City, Rockland and Westchester counties and the rest of Long Island.
Suffolk County, on Long Island's eastern end, declared a state of emergency, allowing the county executive to order evacuations, close roads and take other measures if necessary. Dozens of schools planned to close early, but only one district there closed Thursday morning.
Gov. George Pataki placed the National Guard on 24-hour alert Wednesday and opened a state Emergency Operations Center in Albany that is in contact with the National Weather Service.
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| New York Gov. George Pataki |
New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani warned construction workers to strap down any loose materials and asked people to remove anything on balconies that could blow off. The city planned to open 20 shelters in its five boroughs for those who might have to evacuate from flood-prone areas.
Bond and commodities markets in New York also plan to close early Thursday to allow workers to return home before drenching rains hit the state. The New York Stock Exchange said it will stay open.
Officials advised people on Fire Island to evacuate by Thursday morning. High winds brought by Floyd could make ferry trips there unsafe.
The Mayor's Office of Emergency Management activated its emergency center in the World Trade Center. Updated emergency information is available on a 24-hour hotline at 1-888-MOEM-NYC.
Pennsylvania:
Hurricane Floyd Thursday morning brought howling winds and torrential rain to eastern Pennsylvania.
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| Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge |
Emergency authorities alerted city and county emergency management officials to activate their operation centers and alert the public to possible flooding and wind gusts over 50 mph into early Friday.
Tropical storm force winds of 40 to 60 mph were forecast for eastern Pennsylvania, and the National Weather Service urged people to secure outdoor furniture, garbage cans and other lightweight items outdoors.
Phildelphia Mayor Ed Rendell is calling on employers in to stagger dismissals of employees today so that they don't all hit the streets at the same time. All essential city employees will be asked to remain at their jobs.
Flash flood watches were in effect Thursday for southeastern Pennsylvania and the middle and lower Susquehanna Valley. A flash flood watch was canceled for central counties where the weather service forecast only about an inch of rain. The storm was expected to miss western Pennsylvania.
Some schools were closed Thursday, and the city of Philadelphia canceled some outdoor events.
Rhode Island:
A hurricane warninis in effect for Rhode Island. Residents in low-lying coastal areas and in the Blackstone River Valley may be asked, or forced, to evacuate their homes.
Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci announced that he is closing the city after 11 pm Thursday nightin preparation for Floyd. That means that all pedestrians and vehicles must be off the streets by 11 pm, when a parking ban will go into effect.
The storm is expected to move quickly up the coast, bringing heavy rains and surging tides to New England Thursday night or Friday morning.
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| Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Almond |
The National Guard has its full-time force of 650 people at work Thursday, should the governor declare an emergency and mobilize it. Besides the full-time workers, the guard has 3,200 part-time soldiers it can call.
Almond said he thinks the state is "well equipped to handle" whatever the hurricane may bring. He has ordered the closure of state campgrounds and beaches, and said school departments may also close schools on Friday.
Almond said there is no timetable yet as to when emergency measures will be implemented. "We will be making more and more decisions as each hour goes by," he said.
In Providence, Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. said the city is fully prepared to deliver essential services to its residents and deal with the impact and aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. He said the hurricane barrier's staff is fully mobilized, and that the barrier can protect against storms that produce surges 20 feet above sea level.
Delaware:
The hurricane was expected to churn across southeastern Virginia, then out to sea along the coasts of Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey before nearing New York's Long Island early Friday.
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| Delaware Gov. Tom Carper |
Rehobeth Beach in Delaware is practically a ghost town as residents batten down for the expected spillover from Hurricane Floyd. Even Dover Air Force Base is moving planes out of harm's way.
Hurricane shelters are open, and shoppers have been jamming into crowded grocery and hardware stores to stock up on supplies, including generators, sand bags and batteries.
Massachusetts:
As Hurricane Floyd surged up the East Coast, the National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning from Watch Hill, R.I. to Plymouth, upgrading from the tropical storm watch that was announced late Wednesday night.
A tropical storm warning was issued for the coast from Plymouth to the mouth of the Merrimack River. Cape Cod and the islands and coastal areas along southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island were expected to be hardest hit. The Steamship Authority canceled all ferry service from Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket as of 10:45 a.m. Thursday.
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| Massachusetts Gov. Paul Collucci |
National Weather Service meteorologist Glenn Field predicted the storm would pass over Buzzards Bay later Thursday. He predicted 5ind gusts from 85 to 90 mph along Cape Cod and the islands, and up to 70 mph in the Boston area.
The overflowing of small rivers and streams was a concern as a flood watch was issued from northern Connecticut to Southern New Hampshire.
Connecticut:
Governor John Rowland says Hurricane Floyd will make an appearance in the area a lot sooner than had been expected.
The brunt of the storm, at least as far as Connecticut is concerned, is expected to hit about 11:00 pm Thursday night instead of overnight. Heavy rains, high winds and high tides are expected in the state as Floyd passes through the Northeast. Gov. Rowland has opened the state emergency operations center at the state armory in Hartford.
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| Connecticut Gov. John Rowland |
Winds up to 80 mph were expected to hit Connecticut's southeastern shoreline with the potential for flooding, said the National Weather Service. High winds between 50 and 80 mph were predicted throughout the state.
The storm could dump between three and six inches of rain, and is expected to cause the most trouble between the hours of 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. Friday. Rowland said 2,000 National Guard members will be on standby and officials will decide Thursday whether schools will be closed Friday morning.
"We're going to assume high tides. We're going to assume a lot of water. We're going to assume branches and trees will fall," Rowland said.
The governor also warned residents to be cautious of tornadoes, which can be spurred by the high winds and heavy rain. Bridgeport's public works department workers are on standby status and can all be called in on hurricane duty.
New Hampshire:
As Hurricane Floyd heads north, forecasters have posted a flood watch for New Hampshire. They are looking for more than five inches of rain by Friday.
While it's too soon to start nailing plywood over windows, New Hampshire emergency workers are watching as Hurricane Floyd heads up the coast. The hurricane, with sustained winds of 115 mph, battered North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia early Thursday.
The State Office of Emergency Management urged New Hampshire residents to stay calm, but to pay attention to weather forecasts and other emergency information.
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| New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen |
The storm is expected to have winds of 30 mph to 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph if it stays on its present course. Emergency Management will staff an operations center in its Concord office.
If the storm strengthens, the Guard will evacuate many of its helicopters and airplanes to other states so they will be available after Floyd passes. Troops will be called in to help residents if needed.
Maine:
Mainers braced for heavy rain as Hurricane Floyd headed northward, but the region's summer dry spell could ease potential damage fom the storm.
Boat owners scrambled to pull their craft out of the water in advance of Floyd, which was expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached New England.
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| Maine Gov. Angus S. King |
Winds were expected to increase along the coast, raising the prospect of gale warnings Friday as the remnants of Floyd move northeastward. The biggest concern, according to forecasters, is the amount of rainfall.
It appears Floyd is not going to hit Maine as badly as had been predicted earlier this week, and many did not feel the need to resort to emergency measures.