The coastland times., 1958-10-03
COMPARED TO OTHER STORMS
HURRICANE HELENE TOUCHED
BARELY ALONG OUTER BANKS
Ocracoke Ineonvenienced Most With Ferry Serv-
ice Disrupted Roofs Blown Off Few Hat
teras Homes; Some Damage Reported in Cape
Hatteras Area; Few Road Washou+s; Cape
Hatteras School Flooded.

Hurricane Helene on Saturday,
was extremely light on the Walter
r e g h Coastland, particularly
when compared to the storms of
three years ago.
From Ocracoke Island Southwark
along the Carolina coast, the high
est loss of property occurred. The
loss in business will be great for
long time until traffic can be re-
sumed by road and ferry.
Damage extended heavily in
Southeastern N. c., and to Myrtle
Beach, S. C. Southport was re-
ported worst damaged of all places.
All sorts of wild estimates have
been made, placing property dam
aged at seven to ten millions in
southeastern N. C. The coastal
section comes in again for some
bad advertising, since Governor
Hodges has declared about IA
counties a disaster area, and has
appealed for distress aid. AS usual,
the Red Cross has been asked to
come down and give aid to an area
which considers this organization
lightly when the roll call rolls
around. AS one old beach comber
stated, "Why should l buy storm
insurance on my house, when the
Red Cross will give me a new one?
Included in the disaster area'
are the counties of Currituck, Dare,
Tyrrell, Hyde, Beaufort, Pamlico,
and Carteret.
During the progress of the hur-
ricane, trees were broken. some
glass blown out, power and phone
lines cut off, numerous asphalt
S h ing les stripped, particularly
those shingles which had not been
properly cemented down.
While damage to buildings was
small in the inland counties, the
high winds created a great fl
financial loss by destroying crops
mot yet matured or harvested.
Many farmers who had felt sure of
wonderful crop season already in
the bag, have come in for much
disappointment.
Much Damage on Coast
In our immediate coastland the
place most Inconvenience by Hur-
ricane Helene, appears to be Ocra-
coke Island which suffered much
wind-damage and unestimable loss
of business when it's road was torn
up badly by tides, and the splendid
motor ferry service has been inter-
rupted. Only one trip day is now
permitted. The boat leaves Hat
teras Harbor at 7:30 am. each
morning, and makes the long trip
to Silver Lake, Ocracoke. Return
ing, the boat leaves Ocracoke at
II noon.
Numerous boats have been dam
aged or gone adrift. A yacht be-
longing to George Fuller of Bux-
ton was reported to have disap-
peared. Many trailers at Cape
Hatteras We're reported turned
over. Some motels were damaged,
and serious loss reported at the
Tower Circle Motel of Buxton,
when a damaged roof let rain in
upon motel nearly full of guests.
The sound tide was reported
eight or more inches deep in the
new Cape Hatteras High School,
considerable damage results from
ruined tile, etc. This tide in the
school building was no surprise to
most of the people roundabout,
who had freely predicted this is
what would come about with the
first storm. The school was built
in low place by board of edu-
cation determined to locate it on
this site, against repeated advice
of many citizens.
Damage at other points in Dare
County was nominal. Nothing
more than during any kind of high
wind which occurs several times a
year. Worst reported losses were
asphalt shingles blown off.
Viewpoint in Belhaven
Hurricane Helene huffed and
she puffed but managed to blow
down only a few trees in Bel
haven. A big sycamore in front Of
the Episcopal rectory on Main
Street went down in the middle of
the storm on Saturday night,
knocking out power lines in the
section. The town crew had to cut
the huge trunk in two to clear the
road and it was some time before
power was restored. The driver Of
an ice cream truck, who was MAX
ing his rounds collecting ice
cream from the merchants for safe
keeping, saw the flash as the first
limbs hit the light wires and Slam
med on brakes just in time to
keep from being hit. A big pecan
tree in the yard Of Mrs. w. G.
Swindell's home went down, and
large limbs were blown from trees
/ in all parts of town. but there was