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CNN Sunday Morning

Isabel's Aftermath

Aired September 21, 2003 - 08:06   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.


SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: And just north in Maryland, thousands of residents are cleaning up flood debris without the benefit of electricity. Power crews are working long and hard to restore electricity to more than 750,000 customers there. The Baltimore area waterfront was inundated with flood waters up to five feet deep. In western Maryland, the Potomac River spilled over its banks as torrential rain from the storm coursed down river to the Chesapeake Bay.
Now on to Virginia, another of the states that Isabel turned into a federal disaster area. Our Kris Osborn is live in Newport News, Virginia, where hundreds of residents are standing in long lines to get basic needs. Kris, how are folks holding up there?

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning to you, Sean. Yes, long and very twisted lines here in Newport News, Virginia. You know we are in the fourth day without power for many here in Newport News and much of the state of Virginia, but you wouldn't know it if you talked to people in line here.

This is a Harris Teeter. They are giving out free ice. And ever since the early hours of the morning, this line, we'll try and give you some sense of just how long it is. It literally twists around four different ways, and there are hundreds and hundreds of people here lining up to get ice.

A lot of them saying they want to try to get their food, they want to try and get cold drinks. Some of them here with their animals. They're doing everything they can, clapping to see that big ice truck.

Danny (ph), I'm sure can go a little bit over to the right here. See the Harris Teeter food mart? That's an ice truck coming in, unloading it off of the truck.

There's a curfew here, as there is in many areas. Some people lined up before the 7:00 a.m. curfew lifted. You see they've got the big carts to kind of load up with their things. There is an abundance of spirit here, Sean. That's what I can say with this line that's twisting around about four different times. Literally hundreds of people here.

CALLEBS: Boy, it's amazing to see them out smiling after everything they've been through. Any idea on when folks in that area have a chance to have their power back on? OSBORN: You know it's a great question, Sean. And yesterday, Governor Mark Warner was talking about it, saying it is still a matter if days as opposed to hours. But he did say there were literally hundreds of utility workers patrolling the streets, trying to reconstruct those downed power lines, hoping of course to get those pumping stations for the water operational again, and really thinking it is a matter of days.

And on that point, Secretary Ridge said several hundred additional FEMA workers are on the way down over the next couple of days. They'll be setting up additional disaster relief stations so that people can get more ice, more necessities, things like this, things like they're here at this Harris Teeter to get this morning.

CALLEBS: OK. Kris Osborn, along the Virginia coast, thanks very much. I'm sure we'll be checking back in with you throughout the day.

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 21, 2003 - 08:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: And just north in Maryland, thousands of residents are cleaning up flood debris without the benefit of electricity. Power crews are working long and hard to restore electricity to more than 750,000 customers there. The Baltimore area waterfront was inundated with flood waters up to five feet deep. In western Maryland, the Potomac River spilled over its banks as torrential rain from the storm coursed down river to the Chesapeake Bay.
Now on to Virginia, another of the states that Isabel turned into a federal disaster area. Our Kris Osborn is live in Newport News, Virginia, where hundreds of residents are standing in long lines to get basic needs. Kris, how are folks holding up there?

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning to you, Sean. Yes, long and very twisted lines here in Newport News, Virginia. You know we are in the fourth day without power for many here in Newport News and much of the state of Virginia, but you wouldn't know it if you talked to people in line here.

This is a Harris Teeter. They are giving out free ice. And ever since the early hours of the morning, this line, we'll try and give you some sense of just how long it is. It literally twists around four different ways, and there are hundreds and hundreds of people here lining up to get ice.

A lot of them saying they want to try to get their food, they want to try and get cold drinks. Some of them here with their animals. They're doing everything they can, clapping to see that big ice truck.

Danny (ph), I'm sure can go a little bit over to the right here. See the Harris Teeter food mart? That's an ice truck coming in, unloading it off of the truck.

There's a curfew here, as there is in many areas. Some people lined up before the 7:00 a.m. curfew lifted. You see they've got the big carts to kind of load up with their things. There is an abundance of spirit here, Sean. That's what I can say with this line that's twisting around about four different times. Literally hundreds of people here.

CALLEBS: Boy, it's amazing to see them out smiling after everything they've been through. Any idea on when folks in that area have a chance to have their power back on? OSBORN: You know it's a great question, Sean. And yesterday, Governor Mark Warner was talking about it, saying it is still a matter if days as opposed to hours. But he did say there were literally hundreds of utility workers patrolling the streets, trying to reconstruct those downed power lines, hoping of course to get those pumping stations for the water operational again, and really thinking it is a matter of days.

And on that point, Secretary Ridge said several hundred additional FEMA workers are on the way down over the next couple of days. They'll be setting up additional disaster relief stations so that people can get more ice, more necessities, things like this, things like they're here at this Harris Teeter to get this morning.

CALLEBS: OK. Kris Osborn, along the Virginia coast, thanks very much. I'm sure we'll be checking back in with you throughout the day.

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