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CNN Live At Daybreak

Hurricane Juan Downgraded to Tropical Storm

Aired September 29, 2003 - 06:04   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: We have more now on the sights and sounds of Hurricane Juan. And those are the strong winds Chad was talking about. The storm pulled down trees and power lines, as it roared through Nova Scotia.
Local officials declared a state of emergency, as Juan approached, shutting down mass transit and closing bridges.

The only confirmed death is a paramedic, who was crushed when a tree fell on his ambulance. A power company official says the threat from fallen tree limbs is -- quote -- "real and present."

The mayor's advice to residents today: Stay at home if at all possible. Classes at all public schools have now been canceled.

More on the now Tropical Storm Juan, the mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelly, live on the phone lines with us.

Good morning, Mayor.

PETER J. KELLY, MAYOR, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Where did you ride out the storm?

KELLY: I was in the EOC, or the Emergency Operation Center. And we've been fully operational since noon yesterday, and we're still operational. And we're trying to get a full assessment of the outcome.

Just to clarify one point, there are now two confirmed deaths.

COSTELLO: Oh. Can you tell us how the other person died, do you know?

KELLY: It appears that other individual also was crushed by a tree in their car.

COSTELLO: That seems like it's going to be a problem for days to come, because the ground is probably so saturated there.

KELLY: There are a number of trees down throughout. There are also a number of power lines. It is extensive. And our crews have been out all night, and continue to be. But with the light now coming forward, the damage, again, is extensive. And we are telling people to stay home that are not in essential service.

COSTELLO: When you say damage is extensive, are you talking about damage to homes and businesses, ships and boats?

KELLY: There are several boats damaged. There is the dock in downtown has been damaged. Our ferry terminal in downtown has been damaged as well. Our ferry service is not operational, because it has nowhere to dock.

We also had a permanent building collapse over in Dartmouth. Those 200 people in that building have been put into the Sportsplex (ph). There was one commercial building that we also know of that collapsed. And, again, we continue to do assessment.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Mayor. You stay safe, and good luck to the people up there -- the mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelly, live on the phone with us at DAYBREAK.

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 29, 2003 - 06:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We have more now on the sights and sounds of Hurricane Juan. And those are the strong winds Chad was talking about. The storm pulled down trees and power lines, as it roared through Nova Scotia.
Local officials declared a state of emergency, as Juan approached, shutting down mass transit and closing bridges.

The only confirmed death is a paramedic, who was crushed when a tree fell on his ambulance. A power company official says the threat from fallen tree limbs is -- quote -- "real and present."

The mayor's advice to residents today: Stay at home if at all possible. Classes at all public schools have now been canceled.

More on the now Tropical Storm Juan, the mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelly, live on the phone lines with us.

Good morning, Mayor.

PETER J. KELLY, MAYOR, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Where did you ride out the storm?

KELLY: I was in the EOC, or the Emergency Operation Center. And we've been fully operational since noon yesterday, and we're still operational. And we're trying to get a full assessment of the outcome.

Just to clarify one point, there are now two confirmed deaths.

COSTELLO: Oh. Can you tell us how the other person died, do you know?

KELLY: It appears that other individual also was crushed by a tree in their car.

COSTELLO: That seems like it's going to be a problem for days to come, because the ground is probably so saturated there.

KELLY: There are a number of trees down throughout. There are also a number of power lines. It is extensive. And our crews have been out all night, and continue to be. But with the light now coming forward, the damage, again, is extensive. And we are telling people to stay home that are not in essential service.

COSTELLO: When you say damage is extensive, are you talking about damage to homes and businesses, ships and boats?

KELLY: There are several boats damaged. There is the dock in downtown has been damaged. Our ferry terminal in downtown has been damaged as well. Our ferry service is not operational, because it has nowhere to dock.

We also had a permanent building collapse over in Dartmouth. Those 200 people in that building have been put into the Sportsplex (ph). There was one commercial building that we also know of that collapsed. And, again, we continue to do assessment.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Mayor. You stay safe, and good luck to the people up there -- the mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelly, live on the phone with us at DAYBREAK.

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