Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-20
Emergency Crews Kept on Alert
For Hurricane That Didn't Come
Tension Eases
About 2 AN. as
Threat Fades

Like q man waiting for the
other shoe to drop, a score Of
Washington area emergency
crews sat through most of last
night waiting for a hurricane
that didn't come.
Civil Defense, American Red
Cross, utility crews and house,
holders in areas which are often
flooded waited for lone. but
nothing happened.
At first all were poised. eager
and alert. Finally, after mid
night they got just plain bored.
Civil Defense units in Mont
|gomery. Arlington, Fairfax. Alex.
Iandria and Prince Georges Coun-
lty, gave up about Q am. when
lit became apparent the high
winds and heavy rains would
not strike this area.
Command Post Set Up
However, like all ill-winds,
lone blew some good as it
worked its way up the eastern
shore from the Carolinas.
It permitted District Civil De-
tense Director Col. John e.
Fonhdahl to set up a disaster
command post at the National
Guard Armory.
! Special telephone and radio
communications were installed
and contact was maintained with
1.-THE nearby county units until
1890 am.
The Armory command post
finally closed at 4 am. The reg
ular> Civil Defense headquarters
at 1920 Howard street NV. con-
ltinued its usual 24-hour opera.
Itions.
Fear Damage to North
The Civil Defense Region :
headquarters. covering the Dis
Itrict and seven Eastern States,
remained operational on a "a
hour alert. A spokesman there
said he was still concerned with
1.-THE possibility of storm damage
in Delaware and New Jersey to-
day.
! Potomac Electric Power Co.,
advised that any possible damage
from lone would come just be-
fore dawn, left only a few stand
Iby crews on during the night.
However. all available linemen
'Ireported earlier today than usual.
] They arrived but found little
to do.
!, A similar situation existed for
Virginia Electric Power Co. and
j Chesapeake g. Potomac Tele-
phone Co. crewmen.
|. Nothing more than the usual
emergency calls were experienced
during the night.
Police Chief Robert v. Murray
Cancelled a call that would have
, brought midnight crews in IL
conditions required. 4
! Men on the afternoon shift
Yesterday were required to put
in overtime in handling traffic
resulting from early dismissal of
Federal workers and school
children.
Floods Don't Appear
Faced with the prospect OF
certain flooding if tie predicted
two to six inches Of rain came.
the Suburban Supply Co., in
! the Peace Cross section obtained
500 sandbags from r. Hal Sill
Ivers, Prince Georges County
Civil Defense Director. They
were not needed.
| Also unneeded were detailed
plans issued by town Police Chief
Harry Miller to Edmonston resi-
dents for the safest routes to
elevated areas in case that sec.
ton were inundated.
Most water, highway and
sewer crews in both the District
and surrounding communities
were dismissed for the night
without having to go into action.
While Red Cross chapters
nearby had little to do those
in the New rn-Morehead. N. C..
section of the coast were bust
ling. More than 1000 persons
were evacuated from both towns
OF these, 800 were housed in Red
Cross shelters.
Other shelters have been set
up on the Eastern shore at Cape
Charles. Va. and in Cambridge
and Salisbury, Md.