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CNN Live At Daybreak
Talk of CNN: Reaction After Storms in Tennessee
Aired November 12, 2002 - 05:56 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more on those devastating storms that hit Tennessee. We want to hear what people are saying on the radio talk shows there.
And on the phone with us now, Andy and Alison and the morning crew from radio station WIVK in Knoxville.
Good morning, guys.
ANDY, WIVK RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning. How are you?
CALLAWAY: I know this is an incredible morning for you guys. Everyone's still trying to recover. Some 17 deaths in your state.
ANDY: That's right. And even more immediately close to where we are around seven deaths, and there are still 12 people missing here that they're looking for. And as the sun comes up today, it's still raining where we are now. So it's going to hinder a little bit of the efforts. But I'm telling you what, the folks in Tennessee really always come together to help out with just a slew of volunteers. And, in fact, this morning we're here taking up monetary contributions to go to for whatever needs to be done there and in particular Morgan County and that area.
CALLAWAY: You know, Andy, I'm looking at video now and it's just amazing to me, you just, it's hard to believe that this many people could die in a storm with the forecasting capabilities that we have now.
ANDY: Well, you know, that's an interesting point you make because there's, some people did die even regardless of the warning we had. But imagine without the warning what could have happened.
CALLAWAY: That's true.
ANDY: Because forecasters were able to give most residents at least around 15 minutes warning or so, so that they could take cover wherever they could. Unfortunately all the time a lot of people are not even watching TV or listening to the radio and don't get the warning. So that could be the cause of some of this. But the forecasters did the best they could.
CALLAWAY: You know, we think of the severe thunderstorm season as really being in the spring. But at least in recent years it seems that these storms that have been coming through in the November, the month of November have been just as severe. ANDY: You know, I think and that's maybe part of the reason that people really didn't expect it, because some of the comments from the folks who were affected were like, you know, we don't see this kind of weather this time of year. So maybe people are caught off guard just a bit by that. Yes, the timing was really off.
CALLAWAY: Andy, let me ask you one quick question, because we're running out of time here. But what kind of stories are people calling in with?
ANDY: Well, a lot of folks were, who were directly affected, there initially were a lot of folks who were looking for family members. I mean right after the tornadoes struck, there were a lot of, all the power and phone lines were down. So, you know, you didn't know where your uncle or your mother was. So a lot of folks were doing that.
And right now it's turned really to more relief efforts. A lot of folks talking about the amazing damage, things that you really hear and see only in movies on TV about trees being uprooted and entire homes being completely demolished. So, I mean it's just like, you know, someone said just like in the movies. It's hard to believe it can really happen, but it has.
CALLAWAY: All right, Andy, our thoughts are with you.
Andy and Alison there with WIVK in Knoxville.
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 November 12, 2002 - 05:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more on those devastating storms that hit Tennessee. We want to hear what people are saying on the radio talk shows there.
And on the phone with us now, Andy and Alison and the morning crew from radio station WIVK in Knoxville.
Good morning, guys.
ANDY, WIVK RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning. How are you?
CALLAWAY: I know this is an incredible morning for you guys. Everyone's still trying to recover. Some 17 deaths in your state.
ANDY: That's right. And even more immediately close to where we are around seven deaths, and there are still 12 people missing here that they're looking for. And as the sun comes up today, it's still raining where we are now. So it's going to hinder a little bit of the efforts. But I'm telling you what, the folks in Tennessee really always come together to help out with just a slew of volunteers. And, in fact, this morning we're here taking up monetary contributions to go to for whatever needs to be done there and in particular Morgan County and that area.
CALLAWAY: You know, Andy, I'm looking at video now and it's just amazing to me, you just, it's hard to believe that this many people could die in a storm with the forecasting capabilities that we have now.
ANDY: Well, you know, that's an interesting point you make because there's, some people did die even regardless of the warning we had. But imagine without the warning what could have happened.
CALLAWAY: That's true.
ANDY: Because forecasters were able to give most residents at least around 15 minutes warning or so, so that they could take cover wherever they could. Unfortunately all the time a lot of people are not even watching TV or listening to the radio and don't get the warning. So that could be the cause of some of this. But the forecasters did the best they could.
CALLAWAY: You know, we think of the severe thunderstorm season as really being in the spring. But at least in recent years it seems that these storms that have been coming through in the November, the month of November have been just as severe. ANDY: You know, I think and that's maybe part of the reason that people really didn't expect it, because some of the comments from the folks who were affected were like, you know, we don't see this kind of weather this time of year. So maybe people are caught off guard just a bit by that. Yes, the timing was really off.
CALLAWAY: Andy, let me ask you one quick question, because we're running out of time here. But what kind of stories are people calling in with?
ANDY: Well, a lot of folks were, who were directly affected, there initially were a lot of folks who were looking for family members. I mean right after the tornadoes struck, there were a lot of, all the power and phone lines were down. So, you know, you didn't know where your uncle or your mother was. So a lot of folks were doing that.
And right now it's turned really to more relief efforts. A lot of folks talking about the amazing damage, things that you really hear and see only in movies on TV about trees being uprooted and entire homes being completely demolished. So, I mean it's just like, you know, someone said just like in the movies. It's hard to believe it can really happen, but it has.
CALLAWAY: All right, Andy, our thoughts are with you.
Andy and Alison there with WIVK in Knoxville.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
