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Article published Sep 3, 2004
Upstate hotels fill up as Frances looms
offshore
Lynne Powell and Janet Spencer
Staff
Writers
Local hotels are left with few vacancies as coastal
residents make their way to the Upstate because of the looming threat of
Hurricane Frances.Danny Holbert, the manager for Ramada Inn at Business I-85,
said reservations are up about 20 percent compared with Labor Day weekend
numbers from last year."Most (calls) are from along the coastline, and they're
making reservations for two to three nights," Holbert said. "With the way things
are right now, most people don't know how long they'll be staying."By Thursday
morning, the Fairfield Inn by Marriott had reserved 100 rooms for the
weekend."We're almost full for Sunday, and Friday and Saturday are booked," said
manager Jack Linnerad.Hurricane Frances, a category 4 storm, is expected to make
landfall in Florida early Saturday with hurricane-force winds moving onshore
today.South Carolina residents and leaders also are watching Frances in case it
heads for the S.C. coast.About 3,800 members of the state National Guard are on
alert, prepared to mobilize if Gov. Mark Sanford makes the call, Lt. Col. Pete
Brooks said.Sanford receives regular updates on the hurricane via conference
calls with weather experts and state leaders.The Department of Transportation is
monitoring traffic in Georgia and Florida and reports any increased traffic to
the Governor's Office.Sanford's spokesman, Will Folks, said the governor uses
the information to determine whether to order an evacuation.Volunteers with the
Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross are in Columbia at the Emergency
Management Division setting up additional phone and fax lines.The Red Cross
joins FEMA and other state emergency agencies monitoring the hurricane while
others remain in Spartanburg preparing for heavy winds and rains, said Tony
Payne, director of public support for the ARC."We're anticipating a lot of rain,
and potentially tornados can spawn from hurricanes, so we're watching from that
end," Payne said.For most, it's a wait-and-see approach until Frances makes
landfall and its path can be better predicted.Barney Seigler, chief of the Inman
Community Fire Department, isn't taking any chances.Seigler spent much of
Thursday packing for a drive to Beaufort to help his 78-year-old mother,
Ernestine Boyne, ride out Frances.Although her house and property are 30 miles
from the ocean, Seigler said the promixity -- 65 feet from the Huspa River --
can pose problems."A full moon or even spring tide pulls water into the back
yard. So, we don't know what we'll get with this strong storm. We rode out Hugo
and others. I'll be there until it's over," he said.After boarding up windows
and doors, Seigler said the primary concern would be the water level.He's taking
gas and a generator to supplement the one already there. "She has three freezers
and two refrigerators. They are on timers. I'll be able to run them with the
generators to keep things cool," he said.A chain saw is another necessity,
Seigler explained."We're expecting wind and rain. And another problem is the
spinoff of tornadoes," he said.But the size of the storm and its path remained a
serious concern for him as he packed two footlockers with food and
clothes."Think about it. You can't put a finger on exactly where it will go. It
has a mind of its own and can cut a trail in a different direction. This one is
two times as big as Charley," Seigler said. "That's not good."Lynne Powell may
be reached at 487-7146 or lynne.powell@shj.com.