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CNN Live Today
Interview with Ray Nagin
Aired September 25, 2002 - 10:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are keeping an eye on tropical storm Isidore. The weather system has lost some of its punch after battering Cuba and Mexico, but it still poses a threat to parts of the Gulf Coast. Right now Isidore is swirling toward Mississippi and Louisiana, and it could make landfall as early as tomorrow.
As Isidore lurks offshore, many coastal residents are either moving out or hunkering down, preparing to ride out the storm. The biggest concern right now is not the wind but Isidore's large amounts of rain and potential storm surge.
New Orleans is preparing for high water by closing floodwalls and preparing pumping stations for full operation.
And the city's mayor, Ray Nagin, joins us right now to talk about the storm preps.
Mr. Mayor, good morning, I know this is a busy one for you so we appreciate your time.
RAY NAGIN, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: Good morning, Daryn, how are you?
KAGAN: I'm doing good. A little bit drier here in Atlanta then you guys are doing down there in New Orleans right now.
NAGIN: Yes, well we're having some rain and it started first thing this morning, but there are big gaps in the rain bands that are coming across the city. Right now it's pretty clear.
KAGAN: Mr. Mayor, you had some decisions to make today. First of all, evacuations, are you going to call for them or are you going to encouraging people just to stay home?
NAGIN: Well we have another session with the National Weather Service at 10:00 this morning where we're going to basically analyze where the storm is, what's the probability of it hitting New Orleans and then we'll make some hard decisions. If I were a betting person, which I'm not, I would...
KAGAN: But around New Orleans you can do that. You have...
NAGIN: Well, yes, you can do a...
KAGAN: ... casinos...
NAGIN: You can do a -- you can do a lot of things in New Orleans.
KAGAN: Yes, that is true.
NAGIN: But I would tell you that probably at noon today, based upon what we see as far as the bands and the winds and the rains, we probably will be recommending that businesses shut down. And we will be closing city hall with the exception of essential personnel at noon today.
KAGAN: And -- so businesses shut down, send employees home, but basically encourage people just to stay at home or move out of the area all together?
NAGIN: Well certain low -- very low-lying areas we would be recommending that people evacuate. But for the most part, I think the city of New Orleans is in decent shape. We've upgraded our pumping systems tremendously over the past couple of years. And it looks as though this storm may be a category one with winds in the -- in a range of 60 to 75 miles an hour, and I think we can just hunker down and handle that storm as it comes.
KAGAN: Ride it out. But as I understand it, it's not necessarily the winds you're most concerned about but flooding.
NAGIN: Well you know New Orleans is basically a city that is built like a bowl, a salsa bowl, where we have this elaborate levy system that the city is basically under sea level. So for us, a slow- moving storm that hits us on the western side would dump a tremendous amount of rain and it would put tremendous stress on our pumping system, that's the big concern for New Orleans.
KAGAN: Well we wish you well in riding out Isidore. Who knew when you were running for mayor you'd be a weatherman...
NAGIN: Well I didn't realize I was doing a lot of things. But you know the interesting thing about this storm is that come Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the forecast is sunny and 85, so you know welcome to New Orleans.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
KAGAN: That's the part when you make your pitch for folks to come down and spend their money in your fine town.
NAGIN: Yes.
KAGAN: Mr. Mayor, good luck, we'll be checking back in with you.
NAGIN: Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 25, 2002 - 10:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are keeping an eye on tropical storm Isidore. The weather system has lost some of its punch after battering Cuba and Mexico, but it still poses a threat to parts of the Gulf Coast. Right now Isidore is swirling toward Mississippi and Louisiana, and it could make landfall as early as tomorrow.
As Isidore lurks offshore, many coastal residents are either moving out or hunkering down, preparing to ride out the storm. The biggest concern right now is not the wind but Isidore's large amounts of rain and potential storm surge.
New Orleans is preparing for high water by closing floodwalls and preparing pumping stations for full operation.
And the city's mayor, Ray Nagin, joins us right now to talk about the storm preps.
Mr. Mayor, good morning, I know this is a busy one for you so we appreciate your time.
RAY NAGIN, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: Good morning, Daryn, how are you?
KAGAN: I'm doing good. A little bit drier here in Atlanta then you guys are doing down there in New Orleans right now.
NAGIN: Yes, well we're having some rain and it started first thing this morning, but there are big gaps in the rain bands that are coming across the city. Right now it's pretty clear.
KAGAN: Mr. Mayor, you had some decisions to make today. First of all, evacuations, are you going to call for them or are you going to encouraging people just to stay home?
NAGIN: Well we have another session with the National Weather Service at 10:00 this morning where we're going to basically analyze where the storm is, what's the probability of it hitting New Orleans and then we'll make some hard decisions. If I were a betting person, which I'm not, I would...
KAGAN: But around New Orleans you can do that. You have...
NAGIN: Well, yes, you can do a...
KAGAN: ... casinos...
NAGIN: You can do a -- you can do a lot of things in New Orleans.
KAGAN: Yes, that is true.
NAGIN: But I would tell you that probably at noon today, based upon what we see as far as the bands and the winds and the rains, we probably will be recommending that businesses shut down. And we will be closing city hall with the exception of essential personnel at noon today.
KAGAN: And -- so businesses shut down, send employees home, but basically encourage people just to stay at home or move out of the area all together?
NAGIN: Well certain low -- very low-lying areas we would be recommending that people evacuate. But for the most part, I think the city of New Orleans is in decent shape. We've upgraded our pumping systems tremendously over the past couple of years. And it looks as though this storm may be a category one with winds in the -- in a range of 60 to 75 miles an hour, and I think we can just hunker down and handle that storm as it comes.
KAGAN: Ride it out. But as I understand it, it's not necessarily the winds you're most concerned about but flooding.
NAGIN: Well you know New Orleans is basically a city that is built like a bowl, a salsa bowl, where we have this elaborate levy system that the city is basically under sea level. So for us, a slow- moving storm that hits us on the western side would dump a tremendous amount of rain and it would put tremendous stress on our pumping system, that's the big concern for New Orleans.
KAGAN: Well we wish you well in riding out Isidore. Who knew when you were running for mayor you'd be a weatherman...
NAGIN: Well I didn't realize I was doing a lot of things. But you know the interesting thing about this storm is that come Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the forecast is sunny and 85, so you know welcome to New Orleans.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
KAGAN: That's the part when you make your pitch for folks to come down and spend their money in your fine town.
NAGIN: Yes.
KAGAN: Mr. Mayor, good luck, we'll be checking back in with you.
NAGIN: Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
