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CNN Live Sunday

Rescuers Search For Survivors After Flood Wave Knocked Out Barrier

Aired August 31, 2003 - 16:01   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.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Rescuers are searching for missing people from an accident that killed four children on a flooded highway in southeast Kansas. Officials say a wave washed out a barrier wall last night, sweeping several cars off Interstate 35. A family from Missouri was in one of the cars. All four children died in the flooded waters. Their mother apparently is still missing.
And on the phone with us now, from Wichita, is Michael Johnston, president and CEO of the Kansas Turnpike Authority. Mr. Johnston thanks for joining us. Can you explain to us exactly what happened?

MICHAEL JOHNSTON, CEO, KANSAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY: Well, Fredricka, last night about 9:30 on I-35, about 65 miles north and east of Wichita, we apparently had a flash flood, just a torrent of water. A wall of water came across the turnpike, and took with it seven vehicles in addition to thousands of pounds of concrete barrier, and just washed them all off the roadway. As you said, we've had four confirmed deaths, the four children in the Missouri family, and their mother is missing in addition to another person we believe from Texas, who is also missing.

WHITFIELD: Had it been warned that there were flash floods?

JOHNSTON: Well, there was no warning. It had been raining all day in the area, heavy at times, but this area of the turnpike, insofar as we can determine, has never had water go across the roadway in our 50-year history. So it certainly was an unexpected event and you know, sometimes we're just no match for nature. I think this was one of those times.

WHITFIELD: So there were no prior indications of vulnerabilities on this I-35 stretch that in part was washed away along with these seven vehicles?

JOHNSTON: No, as I said, insofar as I can tell, we've never had water across the roadway in that location before. There are some other areas of the turnpike where we occasionally have water go across the road, but this is not one of them.

WHITFIELD: Of these other vehicles that were swept away, or caught in this flash flooding, you said at least one other person, that from Texas, as well as the mother of this one vehicle where the children were swept away, you're still searching for. What are the conditions of all the other people who are involved in this?

JOHNSTON: Well, I understand that in a couple of instances people got out of the vehicles before they were swept off the roadway and escaped. In one case apparently a gentleman was swept off the roadway and managed to get out of his vehicle and swim away to dry ground. So a variety of different circumstances. But a terribly tragic event and one about which we're quite sad.

WHITFIELD: And what can you tell us about the efforts under way to try and find these, at least two, missing persons?

JOHNSTON: Well, we have our emergency responders in addition to local law enforcement agencies and volunteers that are at the scene and continuing to search as we speak. I was there earlier this afternoon myself. So we'll continue to search for these folks until we find them. But it's not an easy task. The water has receded. The rain has virtually stopped. So we can certainly make progress. But it's a tough and gruesome task.

WHITFIELD: Michael Johnston of the Kansas Turnpike Authority. Thanks very much for joining us.

JOHNSTON: Thank you, Fredricka.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





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Aired August 31, 2003 - 16:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Rescuers are searching for missing people from an accident that killed four children on a flooded highway in southeast Kansas. Officials say a wave washed out a barrier wall last night, sweeping several cars off Interstate 35. A family from Missouri was in one of the cars. All four children died in the flooded waters. Their mother apparently is still missing.
And on the phone with us now, from Wichita, is Michael Johnston, president and CEO of the Kansas Turnpike Authority. Mr. Johnston thanks for joining us. Can you explain to us exactly what happened?

MICHAEL JOHNSTON, CEO, KANSAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY: Well, Fredricka, last night about 9:30 on I-35, about 65 miles north and east of Wichita, we apparently had a flash flood, just a torrent of water. A wall of water came across the turnpike, and took with it seven vehicles in addition to thousands of pounds of concrete barrier, and just washed them all off the roadway. As you said, we've had four confirmed deaths, the four children in the Missouri family, and their mother is missing in addition to another person we believe from Texas, who is also missing.

WHITFIELD: Had it been warned that there were flash floods?

JOHNSTON: Well, there was no warning. It had been raining all day in the area, heavy at times, but this area of the turnpike, insofar as we can determine, has never had water go across the roadway in our 50-year history. So it certainly was an unexpected event and you know, sometimes we're just no match for nature. I think this was one of those times.

WHITFIELD: So there were no prior indications of vulnerabilities on this I-35 stretch that in part was washed away along with these seven vehicles?

JOHNSTON: No, as I said, insofar as I can tell, we've never had water across the roadway in that location before. There are some other areas of the turnpike where we occasionally have water go across the road, but this is not one of them.

WHITFIELD: Of these other vehicles that were swept away, or caught in this flash flooding, you said at least one other person, that from Texas, as well as the mother of this one vehicle where the children were swept away, you're still searching for. What are the conditions of all the other people who are involved in this?

JOHNSTON: Well, I understand that in a couple of instances people got out of the vehicles before they were swept off the roadway and escaped. In one case apparently a gentleman was swept off the roadway and managed to get out of his vehicle and swim away to dry ground. So a variety of different circumstances. But a terribly tragic event and one about which we're quite sad.

WHITFIELD: And what can you tell us about the efforts under way to try and find these, at least two, missing persons?

JOHNSTON: Well, we have our emergency responders in addition to local law enforcement agencies and volunteers that are at the scene and continuing to search as we speak. I was there earlier this afternoon myself. So we'll continue to search for these folks until we find them. But it's not an easy task. The water has receded. The rain has virtually stopped. So we can certainly make progress. But it's a tough and gruesome task.

WHITFIELD: Michael Johnston of the Kansas Turnpike Authority. Thanks very much for joining us.

JOHNSTON: Thank you, Fredricka.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





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