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CNN Live At Daybreak
Mississippi Tornado: After Storm
Aired December 20, 2002 - 06:32 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Many people in the small Mississippi town of Newton are without power this morning after a tornado carrying violent winds hit the town yesterday.
CNN's Kimberley Osias joins us live from the shopping center parking lot that just got clobbered.
Good morning.
KIMBERLEY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. We're about 60 miles east of Jackson in the small, little hamlet of Newton.
Now, what I can tell you is that Newton is not unlike many small towns, in fact, where the epicenter of activity is in the shopping area. That is right behind us, and of course, it was busy, bustling with Christmas activity yesterday, people getting last-minute gifts when the tornado struck.
Now, we'd like to show you inside to show you the damage; however, this area is cordoned off by police tape. But we can push in a little and show you the front windows back there that are now boarded up. That is where the glass came in. Witnesses say, then they heard the roof coming down and the back collapsing in as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OSIAS (voice-over): Ripping through front yards, it sounded like a freight train.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Low rumbling, and that was it, it was all over.
OSIAS: Right through the heart of downtown Newton, the violent winds flipped cars, snapped trees in two, and knocked out most of the town's power.
It happened within minutes, some say without warning. The sheer force lifting objects right off the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw a big cloud coming towards us (ph), and it just -- we ran into the thing, we ran into the cooler. That's how we got saved.
OSIAS: Holiday shoppers looking for deals got the scare of a lifetime. Lights flickered overhead, screams for help, people hit the ground, even in area hospitals. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just saw the rain real hard, and then all of a sudden, we heard some (UNINTELLIGIBLE) racket, and we got our patients in the center of the building and laid down.
OSIAS: Mississippi Governor Musgrove has declared a state of emergency and promises people speedy response.
GOV. RONNIE MUSGROVE, MISSISSIPPI: A lot of trees down. The major damage appears to be in the commercial area. Now, we're going to do everything we can to make sure the cleanup goes as quick as possible.
OSIAS: Flattened businesses, destroyed homes, but no lives lost, a town of 3,700 with a spirit to rebuild.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just so thankful that God blessed us to come through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OSIAS: And fortunately, there are no deaths, Carol. That is the good news, the bright spot in this story.
Governor Musgrove has called in the National Guard to help with clean up efforts -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, our best to them. Kimberley, thanks.
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 December 20, 2002 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Many people in the small Mississippi town of Newton are without power this morning after a tornado carrying violent winds hit the town yesterday.
CNN's Kimberley Osias joins us live from the shopping center parking lot that just got clobbered.
Good morning.
KIMBERLEY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. We're about 60 miles east of Jackson in the small, little hamlet of Newton.
Now, what I can tell you is that Newton is not unlike many small towns, in fact, where the epicenter of activity is in the shopping area. That is right behind us, and of course, it was busy, bustling with Christmas activity yesterday, people getting last-minute gifts when the tornado struck.
Now, we'd like to show you inside to show you the damage; however, this area is cordoned off by police tape. But we can push in a little and show you the front windows back there that are now boarded up. That is where the glass came in. Witnesses say, then they heard the roof coming down and the back collapsing in as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OSIAS (voice-over): Ripping through front yards, it sounded like a freight train.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Low rumbling, and that was it, it was all over.
OSIAS: Right through the heart of downtown Newton, the violent winds flipped cars, snapped trees in two, and knocked out most of the town's power.
It happened within minutes, some say without warning. The sheer force lifting objects right off the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw a big cloud coming towards us (ph), and it just -- we ran into the thing, we ran into the cooler. That's how we got saved.
OSIAS: Holiday shoppers looking for deals got the scare of a lifetime. Lights flickered overhead, screams for help, people hit the ground, even in area hospitals. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just saw the rain real hard, and then all of a sudden, we heard some (UNINTELLIGIBLE) racket, and we got our patients in the center of the building and laid down.
OSIAS: Mississippi Governor Musgrove has declared a state of emergency and promises people speedy response.
GOV. RONNIE MUSGROVE, MISSISSIPPI: A lot of trees down. The major damage appears to be in the commercial area. Now, we're going to do everything we can to make sure the cleanup goes as quick as possible.
OSIAS: Flattened businesses, destroyed homes, but no lives lost, a town of 3,700 with a spirit to rebuild.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just so thankful that God blessed us to come through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OSIAS: And fortunately, there are no deaths, Carol. That is the good news, the bright spot in this story.
Governor Musgrove has called in the National Guard to help with clean up efforts -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, our best to them. Kimberley, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
