The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 9

THE PALM BEACH POST TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1999 a I IRENE: AFTER THE STORM if Cold front likely to turn Jose from South Florida coast Only ships in North Atlantic fear Hurricane Irene The way it looks now, this storm will not come even close to South Florida ROBERTO GARCIA National Weather Service West sofll p. n. Monday Hurricane Watch ED- Tropical Storm Warning ISLANDS Thursday CI Tropical Storm Watch 'or- CUBA 8p.m Wednescay 8 a.m. ANTILLES Jdse r-J DO r-rh Eo go en Anguilla south to the Grenadines. Forecasters also reported a tropical wave about 1,425 miles east of the eastern Caribbean, but Franklin said it was very weak and he expected Jose to break it up.

Also at 1 1 p.m. Irene now a threat only to ships in the North Atlantic was about 350 miles south of Newfoundland. It was moving east-northeast at a rapid 63 mph on a path parallel to the eastern seaboard. Freed from the sapping effects of its sojourn over land and fed by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, Irene regained strength Sunday and by Monday afternoon had top sustained winds of 105 mph, with gusts to 126 mph. But as forecasters expected, it picked up speed and weakened in colder waters and was losing its tropical characteristics.

eliotkleinbergpbpost.com By Eliot Weinberg Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Like wrestlers tagging in and out, Irene, which brought misery to South Florida, raced toward oblivion Monday as Jose grew in the eastern Caribbean. At 11 p.m. Monday, Jose was about 1,700 miles east-southeast of Palm Beach. It was moving to the west-northwest at about 13 mph, with top sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts up to 110 mph, and was expected to become a hurricane with top sustained winds of at least 74 mph by today or Wednesday. Tropical storm-force winds already extended up to 60 miles from the center.

"I know many people are concerned about this tropical days. Early prediction models forecast that a trough associated with that front will turn Jose to the north, National Hurricane Center hurricane specialist James Franklin said Monday. "But there are some conflicting signals in the models, so we can't count on that. We're hopeful for some curvature away from the continental United States. That would be appear to be the more likely scenario." Franklin said any curve wouldn't occur until Thursday or Friday but forecasters hoped to have a better idea today or Wednesday on the most likely track.

Forecasters said that even if Jose made a beeline for Palm Beach, it would not arrive until early next week. The cold front "won't give a lot Longitude: 56.7 Wind speed: SO mph 1 I atitndp- 13 TK nirortinn- WNW itll mnh storm Qose) because of all the rain from Irene," said Roberto Garcia, a forecaster in the National Weather Service's Miami forecast office. "But the way it looks now, this storm will not come even close to south Florida." A large cold front is expected to move into the southeastern United States, perhaps as far south as Florida, in the next few Latest updates, tracking maps and free e-mail advisories: www.storm99.com of relief from the heat; instead, it Forecasters Monday issued a is expected to bring clouds and tropical storm watch for Jose in rain through Wednesday, Garcia Grenada and a hurricane watch said. for all of the Lesser Antilles from Ik ,4 Insurers anticipate loss to be minimal mm 1 Much can be salvaged after waters recede By Lillian Weis Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Irene's heavy downpour creeped into homes this weekend, soaking furniture, rugs and drapes. Once the flood waters receded, residents began the arduous task of salvaging their drenched possessions.

The process may take a few days, but it's possible to restore and repair what has been; Z'fy damaged by the rain. Here are a few tips to help you get things backvij hi XV .11 ui SAFETY FIRST Don't use any electrical appliances until they are dry. Never stand in water when ooeratine switches or plugging and unplugging cords. I 3 When resetting circuit breakers, wear dry, i rubber-soled shoes and stand on something dry I and nonconductive. I Use only one hand and reset breakers with a dry wooden tool.

Do not make contact with metal breaker box. FLOORS Rent or borrow a water pump or bail by hand. III 1 1 1 1 II ii I i iSr -A Ihen shovel out sand or silt MARVIN JOSEPHStaff Photographer Emilio Valencia (left) and Charles Palmer repair a storm-damaged cooling tower at the Bryant Mill in Canal Point. Vegetable growers may lose WALLS If plaster or plasterboard walls are wet, do not rub them. Let them dry, brush off dirt and wash walls with a mild soap solution.

16 million worth of crops i RUGS Rugs and and carpets should be taken outside' to dry, but keep them out of direct sunlight. water-stained rugs to a cleaner as soon as possible. fl First get rid of the carpet padding. lift it, cut it into pieces and then roll it up. Flip the carpet back and use a special vacuum that will extract the water.

Wrap aluminum foil around chair and table legs to prevent staining. UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE It may be worth saving if the damage is not extensive. Otherwise, it's cheaper to replace it Clean, dry and then store it in a dry, well-ventilated place. Remove the furniture coverings using a hammer or tack puller, chisel or screwdriver. Wash cotton coverings and dry-clean other fabrics.

Throw away all cotton stuffing, but you can reuse 1 I ft By David Sedore Palm Beach Post Staff Writer The state's major insurers were getting damage claims by the thousands Monday. But none of the companies expects to take a major hit in Hurricane Irene's wake. In fact, many who filed claims might soon learn that no checks are in the mail if they don't have flood insurance or their claims are for less than their hurricane deductibles. The insurers won't have totals for several days, but most claims involved either flooded homes not covered by standard homeowner policies or cars. The tab for flooded homes is picked up by the National Flood Insurance Program, assuming homeowners bought flood coverage.

Irene caused little wind damage. Most claims were relatively small not enough to meet policyholders' hurricane deductibles, which typically are 2 percent of the insured value of a home. "A tree is down; some shingles are blown off a roof," said State Farm spokesman Tom Hagerty. "In many cases, (damage) may not go beyond the deductible." State Farm, Florida's largest insurer, received 17,000 homeowner claims and 7,500 auto claims as of Sunday. It didn't have a breakdown of where those claims occurred, but Hagerty said most probably came from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The Florida Residential Joint Underwriting Association, the state's home insurer of last resort, received 2,200 claims through Sunday and had set aside $940,000 to cover them. Both numbers are expected to grow before the final tally. "It'll take time," spokesman Ron Bartlett said "People need time to assess damage." The Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association, which provides hurricane coverage in coastal areas, also expects minimal claims. That coupled with the JUA numbers is good news for homeowners statewide. Both insurance pools make up deficits by assessing all policyholders in the state, including those with private insurance.

Through Sunday, Allstate, Florida's second-largest insurer, had 2,700 homeowner claims, 900 auto claims and 900 flood claims covered through the National Flood Insurance Program. Most of the claims involved smaller amounts, spokesman Al Orendorff said. "You're not seeing a lot of totaled houses," Orendorff said. Nationwide had received 1,645 claims as of Monday afternoon, including 159 auto and 133 from businesses, a spokeswoman said. Progressive Insurance has received about 450 auto claims in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, General Manager Jeffrey J.

Knauff said. The company expects 800 to 1,000 claims locally, most involving cars driven into high water or damaged by flooding. "It's a great time to be a mechanic," Knauff said. davidsedorepbpost.com By Julie Waresh and Marcia Gelbart Palm Beach Post Staff Writers BELLE GLADE Growers tramped through sodden, wind-whipped fields Monday trying to gauge just how much Hurricane Irene will cost them as countywide crop damage estimates mounted into the millions of dollars. Roth Farms Inc.

lost its entire 200-acre radish crop, which represents about $400,000 in profit alone, and expects to lose much of its escarole lettuce and other leafy vegetables. "I think most of the radishes grown in Belle Glade are destroyed," said Rick Roth, who has about 4,500 acres of vegetables, sugar cane and sod. It's still early in the planting season, but Palm Beach County agricultural extension agents estimate growers lost about $16 million in vegetable crops in the Belle Glade area and in eastern fields where tomatoes and bell peppers took a beating. Agent Ken Shuler, who surveyed fields on Sunday and Monday, said it appears most farmers were able to move water quickly off crops. But, he said, "The wind-driven rain is probably going to produce some (crop) disease problems." Growers said it could take weeks or, in the case of the sugar cane crop, several months to assess losses caused by wind damage.

"We had a lot more wind damage than flood damage," said Judy Englert, owner of Country Joe's Nursery in Boynton Beach, which has about 425,000 potted plants. I suspect 200,000 of them are going to have slight to heavy damage." Citrus farmers reported losses of between 5 and 15 percent of their total fruit, said Doug Bournique, executive vice president of the Indian River Citrus League, which represents 1,600 growers from Daytona Beach to Palm Beach County. Meanwhile, Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford toured South Florida's ravaged agricultural areas Monday. In Miami-Dade County, Mayor Alex Penelas reported about $75 million in destroyed crops. If Monday's estimates prove accurate, Irene will have been more destructive than Tropical Storm Mitch last November.

Mitch destroyed $35 million in vegetables in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, according to state figures. Gov. Jeb Bush, who said he anticipates statewide estimates of crop damage by today, said any help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency likely will be limited to low-interest loans. "There's going to be hardships," he said. In some cases, growers might be able to recover because of anticipated higher prices for vegetables.

Staff writer Thomas R. Collins contributed to this story. MARVIN JOSEPHStaff Photographer David Basore, a manager at Roth Farms examines a radish plant. Roth Farms lost all its radish crop. Sanchez, spokeswoman for Clew-iston-based U.S.

Sugar Corp. Harvesting machines can't pick up flattened sugar cane and excess rain can dilute the plants' sugar content, she said. Rainfall before Irene already had delayed this year's harvest. A water cooling tower at the Bryant Mill in Canal Point was damaged, but both of the company's mills should be running again by the end of the week, Sanchez said. Nursery owners also said they'll have to wait to see how Irene's wind and water will affect their plants.

"Some of them will die," said David other padding once it dned and fumigated. WOOD Any wood product should be dried slowly but do not place it in direct sunlight. It may warp. Take furniture outside and remove drawers! and removable parts. Do not try to force anything that may be stuck shut.

The wood will swell when it's wet but shrink once it dries. Then use a chisel or screwdriver to remove the backs or push out the drawers from behind. After you clean and let the furniture dry, reglue loose joints. It may be wise to consult a cabinetmaker if you do not have the tools or know how to repair it. Doors most likely will have to planed down once they dry.

Give it a couple of days. Don't force them shut or you may rip the veneer. If closing a door is a security risk, call a repairman to fix it Use a damp cloth dipped in turpentine, camphorated oil or a solution of a half-cup of household ammonia and half-cup of water to remove spots. DRAPES Wet drapes must taken down and spread out to drv or thev will stain. Power loss left animal carcasses rotting fl Take them to a dry cleaners as soon as they 3 are dry.

Antique satin draperies can't be cleaned. Water stains may also not come out on certain ace tates. Wash sheer and cotton draperies right away. If you can't use your washing machine, dry 3 them outside until you can clean them. ART Don't throw out damaged papers or art; professionals might be able to restore them.

Soaked books can be saved. Dry in an up- By Brian D. Crecente Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH Palm Beach County Animal Care Control officers carted off nearly 100 rotting carcasses frbm the Humane Society Monday evening, after a two-day power failure shut down the shelter's storage coolers and crematorium, officials said. Hurricane Irene knocked out power late Friday night to the Humane Society's shelter, the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League of the Palm Beaches at 3200 N. Military Trail, and a power surge burned out the generators, said Executive Director Marie Davis.

It didn't take long for the building, which is sealed and usually air-conditioned, to start stinking. "We have between 200 and 300 live animals in here and the air wasn't moving around at all," she said. The shelter also had about 100 animal carcasses, many euthanized pets from veterinarians, which are stored in bags in a cooler until they are cremated, she said. The power outage prevented the shelter from using the crematorium and the coolers began to warm up, she said. "It was a mess," she said.

"We had no electricity, all of our floors were wet and the smell Employees propped open doors and bought 20 fans from Home Depot to try to air out the shelter. "Even with the doors open, the smell infiltrated the other areas," she said. "Some employees became nauseous and had to go home." By noon, Florida Power Light Co. had restored power and animal control officers started removing the carcasses about 4 p.m., she said. "We were fortunate no one came in to turn their pets in for shelter from the hurricane," she said.

briancrecentepbpqist.com I ngnt position with the pages spread open. To prevent mold and mildew, maintain a constant air flow. Open windows, use a dehumidifi-er and leave the lights on. Then dust with cornstarch and stack to prevent wrinkled pages. lillianweispbpost.com.