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CNN Live Sunday

Isabel's Aftermath: Virginia

Aired September 21, 2003 - 10:13   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: Isabel's victims face a long road to recovery. Across the region today, the focus is now on getting debris cleared away and restoring power for the tens of thousands, really millions of people. Virginia has the largest number of customers without electricity.
CNN's Kris Osborn is in Virginia. He now joins us again live from Newport News. Kris, good to see you again. What can you tell us now?

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you too. Well, Sean, as you mentioned, you know, snail's pace. That's what a lot of people in line here for ice are saying.

The EOC officials with the Emergency Operation Center say that there are still at least one million homes without power, as evidenced by this long line behind me. This is a Harris Teeter. It's a local grocery store where they have been giving out ice essentially for free.

A lot of people saying they want to salvage foods, get some fresh water, keep it cold. One man said, "It's Sunday, so I need gas, ice, water, and, of course, football." Along with that, as for the restoration of power, officials say is it still a matter of days as opposed to hours, you might say -- Sean.

CALLEBS: Amazing. What is the overall mood? We saw earlier today people were kind of jovial who were standing in line. Hard to believe after all of that.

A lot more quiet now. Is the kind of sobering aspects of all this really settling in again, day after day after day?

OSBORN: It has gotten a lot more quiet. Earlier this morning, people were singing cheering, laughing. Jubilant, you might say, especially when they came back from the store with all of their ice. Some of them were saying, "Why isn't the government giving us more ice? We're getting it here from this private store."

On that point, the U.S. Army corps of engineers, part of the FEMA response team, they are bringing huge trailers of ice throughout -- and water throughout places throughout the state of Virginia. In particular, six trailers of ice are on they're way to this area. We are in Newport News, of course, one of the places where still without power -- Sean. CALLEBS: Boy, Kris. And that is a scene that is being played over all along portions of North Carolina, Virginia, and several other states. Kris Osborn, Newport News, thanks very 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 21, 2003 - 10:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Isabel's victims face a long road to recovery. Across the region today, the focus is now on getting debris cleared away and restoring power for the tens of thousands, really millions of people. Virginia has the largest number of customers without electricity.
CNN's Kris Osborn is in Virginia. He now joins us again live from Newport News. Kris, good to see you again. What can you tell us now?

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you too. Well, Sean, as you mentioned, you know, snail's pace. That's what a lot of people in line here for ice are saying.

The EOC officials with the Emergency Operation Center say that there are still at least one million homes without power, as evidenced by this long line behind me. This is a Harris Teeter. It's a local grocery store where they have been giving out ice essentially for free.

A lot of people saying they want to salvage foods, get some fresh water, keep it cold. One man said, "It's Sunday, so I need gas, ice, water, and, of course, football." Along with that, as for the restoration of power, officials say is it still a matter of days as opposed to hours, you might say -- Sean.

CALLEBS: Amazing. What is the overall mood? We saw earlier today people were kind of jovial who were standing in line. Hard to believe after all of that.

A lot more quiet now. Is the kind of sobering aspects of all this really settling in again, day after day after day?

OSBORN: It has gotten a lot more quiet. Earlier this morning, people were singing cheering, laughing. Jubilant, you might say, especially when they came back from the store with all of their ice. Some of them were saying, "Why isn't the government giving us more ice? We're getting it here from this private store."

On that point, the U.S. Army corps of engineers, part of the FEMA response team, they are bringing huge trailers of ice throughout -- and water throughout places throughout the state of Virginia. In particular, six trailers of ice are on they're way to this area. We are in Newport News, of course, one of the places where still without power -- Sean. CALLEBS: Boy, Kris. And that is a scene that is being played over all along portions of North Carolina, Virginia, and several other states. Kris Osborn, Newport News, thanks very 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