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American Morning

Father Searching for Boy, 2 1/2; U.N. Evaluating Needs of Tsunami Disasters; Winter Storm Hits the Midwest

Aired January 05, 2005 - 09:00   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: The U.S., rushing more planes, more helicopters, to help desperate tsunami victims. Ten days later, the scope of this disaster, still with the power to astonish.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I've been in war, and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The secretary of state continues his tour. He says the horror is unimaginable.

The children who survived the wave, what happens to them now? And what about kidnappers? And where is this little boy? The father who will not give up his search. His story on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

O'BRIEN: Good morning, everyone.

Colin Powell is touring the worst of the worst. He says he is shocked at just how bad the damage he is seeing is. This, from a man who has been to war, this from a man who has seen many other catastrophes. It gives you a sense of the scope of this disaster.

We continue this morning, or it's evening here, in Phuket, Thailand. It is about 9 p.m. Regions also that we are covering, north and south of this area.

It is the end of a busy day for survivors who are continuing to search for their missing loved ones, in some cases, making some gruesome and sad discoveries. Also, cleanup crews making a little bit of progress as they go about their business, trying to return some normalcy to this -- the island.

And the saddest story of all, saddest of the sad, I think it's fair to say, the story of a father who talks about how he was unable to keep his grip on his 2 1/2-year-old son, and now the boy is missing. We've got his story just ahead this morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CO-HOST: Soledad, thanks. Soledad continues in Phuket, Thailand. Good morning, everybody back here in New York. CNN has reporters all over the tsunami-hit region, bringing you the very latest on the rescue and aid efforts ongoing there. The new developments, as we have them now.

Hospitals in Aceh, Indonesia, overwhelmed by the number of injured people swarming in from the hit areas. The U.N. also reporting 50,000 children are dead; 13,000 have lost parents. In all, 1.5 million now in need of assistance.

Colin Powell continues his tour. Says the little he has seen so far is beyond his personal and professional experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POWELL: I cannot begin to imagine the horror that went through the families and all of the people who heard this noise coming and then had their lives snuffed out by this wave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That was from today. Secretary Powell attends tomorrow's international relief conference in Jakarta. He'll brief the president and Congress after that.

The U.S. set to increase the number of military hospitals that are bringing supplies and picking up the injured, from 46 up to 90. Europe came to a standstill earlier today as millions observed three minutes of silence in remembers -- remembrance, rather, of the lives lost.

Back to Phuket. Here's Soledad again.

O'BRIEN: Bill, thank you.

Let's talk about some big concerns, big concerns about tourism. It is an $8 billion industry here in Thailand. But with businesses wiped out and wiped off, in many cases, the faces of some of these islands, the rebuilding, obviously, very difficult.

In just a little bit, we're going to talk with a representative from the U.N. about just what kind of difficulties they face there.

A little good news to tell you about. A little return to normalcy, I think it's fair to say. Got some pictures to show you of schoolchildren making their way back into their schools. They were at the end of a scheduled holiday. Now they're back. You can see them in their uniforms, trying to get things back to normal.

And yet if you look at one school, a different school, what the numbers show. At that school, 128 children registered. Only 26 showed up. Are they dead? Are they missing? Are they temporarily dislocated? We do not know at this time.

At a camp that has been set up temporarily in Phang Na, tents in rows after rows after rows. The locals here lost everything. Now they are living in temporary quarters while they work on building them more solid, more long-term quarters. So many children in that camp, as well. And in light of the number, I think it underscores just the sheer number of children and women who were affected by this crisis. They, of course, were the ones who were on the beach playing or the ones who were in the home working. And these populations, as we have seen, truly suffering the most.

Searching for missing loved ones is, unfortunately, and sadly, very commonplace. Among them, a little boy. His name is Raglan -- Ragnar Ericsson. He is just 2 1/2 years old.

He was ripped from his father's arms as his father tried to hold on to him as they went through the rushing water. I spoke to Anders Ericsson a little bit about what happened to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERS ERICSSON, SEARCHING FOR SON: Our mission is to spread information about Ragnar and of his disappearance. We -- we have to collect as much information about him and his destiny. That's what I owe him as his father.

O'BRIEN: We are showing a picture of him. And he is very similar looking to another little boy, Hannes Bergstrom, who was found. How has that complicated your search?

ERICSSON: It has caused a bit -- some complication. But -- because he's very similar. And at first we also thought that he was our son. And we went to Phuket and found out otherwise. Hannes is found, and he is younger than Ragnar, but they look very much alike. And we still get information about Ragnar but it's Hannes.

O'BRIEN: Tell me what happened that day. You were in Khao Lak, which is just about two hours north of where we are now. What happened?

ERICSSON: That's correct. We were staying at the beach resort at beachfront at Khao Lak (ph) beach. And we were having this fabulous morning.

We were at the back of the complex, which is a two-story high bungalow. And we were playing in the pool. Someone came screaming that we had to get as high as we could because the tsunami was coming.

So we just picked up our things and run -- ran up the stairs to a room that was open from our friends, at the second floor. And I was -- we were gathering people there from the beach because everything was happening so fast.

When the wave hit, it first smashed the windows of the second floor. And in a moment the concrete wall was busted, and we were flushed out of the room. I was holding my son in my arms, and he had these blue swimming arms on him.

And the last thing he said to me is, "Daddy, I'm scared. Please help." We were flushed out and caught in debris. And the water was crazy. You were up. You were down. You were underneath, swimming around with cars, refrigerators, furniture, falling down trees, and everything else. The palm trees came upon us.

We were traveling in this way, 30 to 35 kilometers per hour. And we went above the palm trees. The palm trees were just small bushes sticking up.

I tried to set -- to change the grip on Ragnar, and I lost him. And since he was smaller than me, he just drifted away from me. I caught myself up in a tree about 900 meters up, inland, and -- where I climbed up and held on.

My wife, she was flushed 2,500 meters across the main road and into the rubber tree plantation. We found each other 24 hours later and found out that we were alive.

O'BRIEN: You had put -- your number for people in Thailand to reach you.

ERICSSON: Yes, yes.

O'BRIEN: It's on the picture. People can see it, as they look at this picture of your son.

ERICSSON: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Do you spend the day going to hospitals and following up on leads? Any worthwhile leads so far?

ERICSSON: At the moment, we are following up -- the work has been very much getting out the message, with a picture, to anyone who has seen him or can identify him in any way can contact us for good or bad news. We just have to find out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Ragnar has a birthmark, a triangular-shaped birthmark on the small of his back. And he was wearing, at the time that he disappeared, blue water wings that children wear to swim.

His father says he's pretty sure that the boy is not in hospital anywhere. That was Anders Ericsson, the father, talking about the search for his son.

Let's talk a little bit about the local community's problems. Hakan Bjorkman is deputy resident, representative of the U.N. development program, joining us this evening. Thanks for coming to talk to us.

I know you're here to assess the impact on the local community. What are you finding?

HAKAN BJORKMAN, U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: Well, I've been traveling up and down the coast today. And there are about 500 fishing villages that have been more or less affected by the tsunami. And some just a little bit along the coastline. Others, completely devastated, utter desolation. It's like a nuclear bomb. It's just incredible.

O'BRIEN: What do you do for people like that? I mean, if they lose their fishing boat, they lose more than just an item. They lose their livelihood as well. How do you help?

BJORKMAN: Yes. Exactly. I mean, so far, there's been a lot of emphasis on the immediate needs: food handouts and a bit of cash. But now we need to very quickly start focusing on getting people back on their feet again. And then, of course, you know, help them replace their boats, their fishing gear and maybe give them credit, some with good conditions so that they can start a business. And that's very urgent, as well.

O'BRIEN: We have heard that Thailand has turned down international aid. Why would they do that when there are clearly so many people, the locals, who need the money?

BJORKMAN: Yes, well, that's not quite true. They have decided not to launch an international appeal, but they are welcoming assistance from the U.N., especially, and also donor countries in terms of technical assistance. And they welcome it very much.

You know, Thailand is -- is a pretty well to-do country, with strong institutions, good capacity to deal with problems like this. But of course, this is a huge disaster. And they do need some help.

O'BRIEN: You talked a little bit about how much focus has been on the short term. In the short term, are survivors and those who are injured, are they -- are they getting what they need?

BJORKMAN: Yes, we believe that things are in pretty much in control. People are getting food. People are being sheltered in temples, in tents, et cetera, and people are being cared for when it comes to their medical needs.

But soon, the handouts are going to be over and people need to get back and start working and earn some money.

O'BRIEN: So what's being done then to rebuild the economy?

BJORKMAN: Well, now of course, many things need to be done. But it's mainly the fisheries sector that has been so much affected. We need to quickly help the government replace many of these boats. There are about 3,000 boats destroyed. And then, you know, support fishermen in trying to get going again.

O'BRIEN: How long, briefly, will it take do you think, before they've recovered here?

BJORKMAN: Oh, it's difficult. I think it's -- in a few months, people need to get back to work. And -- but of course it will take years to really get over this disaster, in terms of the trauma. It's just awful. O'BRIEN: Hakan Bjorkman from the U.N. Thank you for coming in to talk to us. We certainly appreciate your time.

BJORKMAN: Thank you so much.

O'BRIEN: That wraps it up this evening for us from here right now, Bill. Back to you in New York.

HEMMER: And Soledad, thanks for that. A bit past 9 p.m. there where you are. We'll see you again tomorrow in Phuket, Thailand.

We have an unmatched team of journalists on the front lines of this story. Stay with CNN throughout the day, the latest developments as we get them. Later tonight, 7 p.m. eastern, "TURNING THE TIDE," a special report. That's 4 p.m. on the West Coast.

Tomorrow night on Thursday, a primetime special again, this time, "SAVING THE CHILDREN," 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 on the West Coast, only here on CNN.

Want to say good morning now to Heidi Collins with me here, looking at the other news and the headlines. How are you?

HEIDI COLLINS, CO-HOST: I'm great, thank you, Bill.

I want to get you up to speed now in the news this morning.

U.S. military officials say they're boosting American presence in Baghdad for election day. Within the past half hour, CNN has learned all of the 35,000 U.S. troops assigned to Baghdad will be out on patrol January 30.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces are looking into this morning's attack on an Iraqi police academy. A suicide bomber killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 40 others.

Here in the United States, President Bush setting out next hour for his first road trip of the new year. The president will participate in a meeting today on medical liability reform in Madison County, Illinois. Some business groups say the county has the worst civil court systems in the country.

CNN will have live coverage of the event, starting at about 2 p.m. Eastern.

The first of President Bush's cabinet nominees heading to Capitol Hill. Kellogg CEO Carlos Gutierrez was named last November for the secretary of commerce post. He's expected to be approved later today. Three more confirmation hearings are set for tomorrow, including one for Alberto Gonzales as attorney general.

A "CNN Security Watch" now. A New Jersey man out on bail this morning, accused of pointing a laser beam at two aircraft last week. Daniel Banach faces federal charges under the Patriot Act. Law enforcement officials say the incidents are most likely not linked to terrorism. We spoke with his attorney earlier today. HEMMER: You know they're going to fight it all, right?

COLLINS: Right.

HEMMER: By the way, USC/Oklahoma. The Okies were whipped last night, weren't they? USC is the national champion.

How about this weather we're getting?

COLLINS: How about it?

HEMMER: Another blast on the way. Winter sweeping across the Midwest. Is this a repeat from two weeks ago? Remember the holiday mess out there? Many still do. A live report right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Want to bring you up to date right now. A story just developing here through the Reuters and Associated Press wire services, talking about the contribution of money given to help the tsunami victims.

Australia's prime minister now says it will pledge roughly $750 million to the relief effort. This, over a period of five years. That's the announcement that we're getting over the wire services. Working to confirm that through our own reporters.

This goes in addition to what Japan has done, $500 million for the Japanese. The U.S., $350 million.

There's an indication that the private donations in this country launched after presidents Bush and Clinton went on their jaunt earlier this week have already exceeded $200 million in private donations.

Worldwide, we're told that $2.3 billion have now been raised to help out in the relief effort. We should hear a lot more about this tomorrow in Jakarta, Indonesia. The head of the U.N., Kofi Annan, will there be. He is already talking again today, imploring the nations around the world to fulfill their obligation to make sure they meet this mark of more than $2 billion.

Again, the news that we're getting from the A.P. and Reuters, Australia now chipping in $750 million over a five-year period. More on that as we get it.

In the meantime, there are a lot of folks going to be smarting from this weather. A wicked winter storm now making its way through the Midwest today, bound for Chicago and Detroit.

That storm already causing problems from Colorado to South Dakota. Ice close to an inch thick in parts of Kansas and Missouri. And if you're on the roads, you do not want that. Trees have been snapped. Power lines are down. Thousands in the dark.

Rob Marciano is there outside O'Hare in Chicago, Illinois.

Good morning, Rob. How are conditions now?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still snowing, Bill, accumulating slowly. You know, a good snowstorm for the children. Ass the kid in us, we love it. As adults, kind of a headache. Sometimes that can become dangerous. Fact of the matter is, sometimes snowstorms can become deadly. So, you know, we'd like to talk a little bit seriously about this for a sec.

Put things in perspective. Hurricanes this past year, record- setting pace. Sixty-two people in the U.S. died from hurricanes. On average, in an average winter, 950 people die across the U.S. from winter-related accidents on the roadway. So not to be taken lightly, that's for sure.

Right now, we're at a traffic stop along the 294 here just outside of Chicago by about 20 miles. And this camera is going to show you that traffic. Indeed, at least right now, flowing smoothly. North towards Milwaukee, south towards Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the rest of the Midwest. Right now, roadways pretty wet. Salt trucks have been out.

And on top of that, the last week and a half, it's been pretty mild. So the roads and the ground themselves, pretty warm.

Let's go to the weather maps and we'll show you the radar loop and what we expect for snowfall totals. Another batch of heavy snow now just about to get into the Chicago area. And that will bring with it the heavier snowfall rates, which likely will begin to cover up these roadways.

Eight to 14 inches of snow expected in northern parts of Chicago. West towards Des Moines and farther north, as well.

To the south part of Chicago, and maybe downtown, four to eight inches expected. South of that, looking at ice from Springfield, Illinois, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, all the way up to Cleveland, and back towards Kansas City, where it is still freezing raining right now.

These are pictures taken just a couple of hours ago from Wichita, Kansas, showing what an ice storm can do, coating the trees, taking down those limbs, taking down power lines along with it.

Updated power outages for you now: 85,000 people without power. That number likely to go up.

All right, how much snow have we got here so far? Not very impressive. I've got to tell you that. But you know, we've got about two inches where it's not treated.

However, Chicago O'Hare, just that way a few miles, already average delays there, 2 1/2 hours and over 300 flights already have been canceled. Where planes are taking off, you bet there will be delays from de-icing. So there should be no doubt about that.

And the roads, Bill, will be getting worse as we go on throughout the day. And we'll tell you all about it.

Snow and ice heading your way as well, New York. This is a huge storm. And it's going to affect millions of people.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Two inches in Chicago. 'Tis a mere dusting for those folks, isn't it? Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: That's right. We should get up to 10 or maybe 12.

HEMMER: Be patient. We will be, back here in New York.

Some surprising news in a moment about which diets are the most effective. We'll get to that in a moment here when we continue after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Jack's here now once again.

JACK CAFFERTY, CO-HOST: Thanks, Heidi.

We've got an update on yesterday's question of the day, which was whether the Arab countries are doing enough aid the tsunami victims. Saudi Arabia announced now that it's going to triple its aid from $10 million to $30 million. In addition, the Saudis announced they're going to hold a fund-raising telethon in Saudi Arabia tomorrow. These telethons tend to do quite well. The last one in 2002 raised $155 million for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.

On to today's question, a New York family court judge has ordered a drug-addicted woman to stop having kids until she proves she can take care of them. She already has seven. They range in age between 8 months and 12 years and were fathered by seven different men. Six of the woman's kids are in foster care. The state's paying that.

Opponents say the judge's decision trampling on her fundamental rights to procreate.

So the question is, should a judge order a woman to stop having children? Here's some of the answers.

Melissa in Greensboro writes, "After spending four years working for a nonprofit with first-time pregnant women, I believe not only should the courts be able to restrict births, but we dreamed of a requirement system prior to giving birth the first time."

Karen in West Lafayette, Indiana, "How many other children have the seven men fathered? Has the judge ordered these men to stop having children? Why aren't these men required to support their children financially? Once again, the burden of responsibility is being placed upon the woman."

Katie -- Kathie, rather, Savannah, Georgia, "Why is the district attorney not prosecuting this woman for neglect, child endangerment and abuse, especially if she and/or her kids tested positive for drugs? Put her in jail until she reaches menopause, problem solved."

And Lynn in western Florida, "Because I work in a temporary holding shelter for children on their way to foster care, I can state emphatically, half or more of these kids are living in a world of heartache that they never banked on or wished for. The parents of these children live like animals and should be treated the same. We neuter our pets, don't we?"

HEMMER: Ooh, wow.

COLLINS: Strong opinions out there on that one, for sure.

Jack, thank you.

The biggest challenge for relief workers now in Southeast Asia, getting the aid to the people who need it the most. But is that happening? We're on the ground with Christiane Amanpour ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Opening bell from Wall Street. Right on time, 9:30 here in New York City. We were headed for 11,000, some thought. A bit of a retreat lately, though: 10,630 is where we start today, off about 98 points in trading on Tuesday.

NASDAQ market side kicking off today at 2,107, off about 44 points at the close of business yesterday.

Welcome back, everybody. It's 9:30.

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Aired January 5, 2005 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: The U.S., rushing more planes, more helicopters, to help desperate tsunami victims. Ten days later, the scope of this disaster, still with the power to astonish.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I've been in war, and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The secretary of state continues his tour. He says the horror is unimaginable.

The children who survived the wave, what happens to them now? And what about kidnappers? And where is this little boy? The father who will not give up his search. His story on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

O'BRIEN: Good morning, everyone.

Colin Powell is touring the worst of the worst. He says he is shocked at just how bad the damage he is seeing is. This, from a man who has been to war, this from a man who has seen many other catastrophes. It gives you a sense of the scope of this disaster.

We continue this morning, or it's evening here, in Phuket, Thailand. It is about 9 p.m. Regions also that we are covering, north and south of this area.

It is the end of a busy day for survivors who are continuing to search for their missing loved ones, in some cases, making some gruesome and sad discoveries. Also, cleanup crews making a little bit of progress as they go about their business, trying to return some normalcy to this -- the island.

And the saddest story of all, saddest of the sad, I think it's fair to say, the story of a father who talks about how he was unable to keep his grip on his 2 1/2-year-old son, and now the boy is missing. We've got his story just ahead this morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CO-HOST: Soledad, thanks. Soledad continues in Phuket, Thailand. Good morning, everybody back here in New York. CNN has reporters all over the tsunami-hit region, bringing you the very latest on the rescue and aid efforts ongoing there. The new developments, as we have them now.

Hospitals in Aceh, Indonesia, overwhelmed by the number of injured people swarming in from the hit areas. The U.N. also reporting 50,000 children are dead; 13,000 have lost parents. In all, 1.5 million now in need of assistance.

Colin Powell continues his tour. Says the little he has seen so far is beyond his personal and professional experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POWELL: I cannot begin to imagine the horror that went through the families and all of the people who heard this noise coming and then had their lives snuffed out by this wave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That was from today. Secretary Powell attends tomorrow's international relief conference in Jakarta. He'll brief the president and Congress after that.

The U.S. set to increase the number of military hospitals that are bringing supplies and picking up the injured, from 46 up to 90. Europe came to a standstill earlier today as millions observed three minutes of silence in remembers -- remembrance, rather, of the lives lost.

Back to Phuket. Here's Soledad again.

O'BRIEN: Bill, thank you.

Let's talk about some big concerns, big concerns about tourism. It is an $8 billion industry here in Thailand. But with businesses wiped out and wiped off, in many cases, the faces of some of these islands, the rebuilding, obviously, very difficult.

In just a little bit, we're going to talk with a representative from the U.N. about just what kind of difficulties they face there.

A little good news to tell you about. A little return to normalcy, I think it's fair to say. Got some pictures to show you of schoolchildren making their way back into their schools. They were at the end of a scheduled holiday. Now they're back. You can see them in their uniforms, trying to get things back to normal.

And yet if you look at one school, a different school, what the numbers show. At that school, 128 children registered. Only 26 showed up. Are they dead? Are they missing? Are they temporarily dislocated? We do not know at this time.

At a camp that has been set up temporarily in Phang Na, tents in rows after rows after rows. The locals here lost everything. Now they are living in temporary quarters while they work on building them more solid, more long-term quarters. So many children in that camp, as well. And in light of the number, I think it underscores just the sheer number of children and women who were affected by this crisis. They, of course, were the ones who were on the beach playing or the ones who were in the home working. And these populations, as we have seen, truly suffering the most.

Searching for missing loved ones is, unfortunately, and sadly, very commonplace. Among them, a little boy. His name is Raglan -- Ragnar Ericsson. He is just 2 1/2 years old.

He was ripped from his father's arms as his father tried to hold on to him as they went through the rushing water. I spoke to Anders Ericsson a little bit about what happened to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERS ERICSSON, SEARCHING FOR SON: Our mission is to spread information about Ragnar and of his disappearance. We -- we have to collect as much information about him and his destiny. That's what I owe him as his father.

O'BRIEN: We are showing a picture of him. And he is very similar looking to another little boy, Hannes Bergstrom, who was found. How has that complicated your search?

ERICSSON: It has caused a bit -- some complication. But -- because he's very similar. And at first we also thought that he was our son. And we went to Phuket and found out otherwise. Hannes is found, and he is younger than Ragnar, but they look very much alike. And we still get information about Ragnar but it's Hannes.

O'BRIEN: Tell me what happened that day. You were in Khao Lak, which is just about two hours north of where we are now. What happened?

ERICSSON: That's correct. We were staying at the beach resort at beachfront at Khao Lak (ph) beach. And we were having this fabulous morning.

We were at the back of the complex, which is a two-story high bungalow. And we were playing in the pool. Someone came screaming that we had to get as high as we could because the tsunami was coming.

So we just picked up our things and run -- ran up the stairs to a room that was open from our friends, at the second floor. And I was -- we were gathering people there from the beach because everything was happening so fast.

When the wave hit, it first smashed the windows of the second floor. And in a moment the concrete wall was busted, and we were flushed out of the room. I was holding my son in my arms, and he had these blue swimming arms on him.

And the last thing he said to me is, "Daddy, I'm scared. Please help." We were flushed out and caught in debris. And the water was crazy. You were up. You were down. You were underneath, swimming around with cars, refrigerators, furniture, falling down trees, and everything else. The palm trees came upon us.

We were traveling in this way, 30 to 35 kilometers per hour. And we went above the palm trees. The palm trees were just small bushes sticking up.

I tried to set -- to change the grip on Ragnar, and I lost him. And since he was smaller than me, he just drifted away from me. I caught myself up in a tree about 900 meters up, inland, and -- where I climbed up and held on.

My wife, she was flushed 2,500 meters across the main road and into the rubber tree plantation. We found each other 24 hours later and found out that we were alive.

O'BRIEN: You had put -- your number for people in Thailand to reach you.

ERICSSON: Yes, yes.

O'BRIEN: It's on the picture. People can see it, as they look at this picture of your son.

ERICSSON: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Do you spend the day going to hospitals and following up on leads? Any worthwhile leads so far?

ERICSSON: At the moment, we are following up -- the work has been very much getting out the message, with a picture, to anyone who has seen him or can identify him in any way can contact us for good or bad news. We just have to find out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Ragnar has a birthmark, a triangular-shaped birthmark on the small of his back. And he was wearing, at the time that he disappeared, blue water wings that children wear to swim.

His father says he's pretty sure that the boy is not in hospital anywhere. That was Anders Ericsson, the father, talking about the search for his son.

Let's talk a little bit about the local community's problems. Hakan Bjorkman is deputy resident, representative of the U.N. development program, joining us this evening. Thanks for coming to talk to us.

I know you're here to assess the impact on the local community. What are you finding?

HAKAN BJORKMAN, U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: Well, I've been traveling up and down the coast today. And there are about 500 fishing villages that have been more or less affected by the tsunami. And some just a little bit along the coastline. Others, completely devastated, utter desolation. It's like a nuclear bomb. It's just incredible.

O'BRIEN: What do you do for people like that? I mean, if they lose their fishing boat, they lose more than just an item. They lose their livelihood as well. How do you help?

BJORKMAN: Yes. Exactly. I mean, so far, there's been a lot of emphasis on the immediate needs: food handouts and a bit of cash. But now we need to very quickly start focusing on getting people back on their feet again. And then, of course, you know, help them replace their boats, their fishing gear and maybe give them credit, some with good conditions so that they can start a business. And that's very urgent, as well.

O'BRIEN: We have heard that Thailand has turned down international aid. Why would they do that when there are clearly so many people, the locals, who need the money?

BJORKMAN: Yes, well, that's not quite true. They have decided not to launch an international appeal, but they are welcoming assistance from the U.N., especially, and also donor countries in terms of technical assistance. And they welcome it very much.

You know, Thailand is -- is a pretty well to-do country, with strong institutions, good capacity to deal with problems like this. But of course, this is a huge disaster. And they do need some help.

O'BRIEN: You talked a little bit about how much focus has been on the short term. In the short term, are survivors and those who are injured, are they -- are they getting what they need?

BJORKMAN: Yes, we believe that things are in pretty much in control. People are getting food. People are being sheltered in temples, in tents, et cetera, and people are being cared for when it comes to their medical needs.

But soon, the handouts are going to be over and people need to get back and start working and earn some money.

O'BRIEN: So what's being done then to rebuild the economy?

BJORKMAN: Well, now of course, many things need to be done. But it's mainly the fisheries sector that has been so much affected. We need to quickly help the government replace many of these boats. There are about 3,000 boats destroyed. And then, you know, support fishermen in trying to get going again.

O'BRIEN: How long, briefly, will it take do you think, before they've recovered here?

BJORKMAN: Oh, it's difficult. I think it's -- in a few months, people need to get back to work. And -- but of course it will take years to really get over this disaster, in terms of the trauma. It's just awful. O'BRIEN: Hakan Bjorkman from the U.N. Thank you for coming in to talk to us. We certainly appreciate your time.

BJORKMAN: Thank you so much.

O'BRIEN: That wraps it up this evening for us from here right now, Bill. Back to you in New York.

HEMMER: And Soledad, thanks for that. A bit past 9 p.m. there where you are. We'll see you again tomorrow in Phuket, Thailand.

We have an unmatched team of journalists on the front lines of this story. Stay with CNN throughout the day, the latest developments as we get them. Later tonight, 7 p.m. eastern, "TURNING THE TIDE," a special report. That's 4 p.m. on the West Coast.

Tomorrow night on Thursday, a primetime special again, this time, "SAVING THE CHILDREN," 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 on the West Coast, only here on CNN.

Want to say good morning now to Heidi Collins with me here, looking at the other news and the headlines. How are you?

HEIDI COLLINS, CO-HOST: I'm great, thank you, Bill.

I want to get you up to speed now in the news this morning.

U.S. military officials say they're boosting American presence in Baghdad for election day. Within the past half hour, CNN has learned all of the 35,000 U.S. troops assigned to Baghdad will be out on patrol January 30.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces are looking into this morning's attack on an Iraqi police academy. A suicide bomber killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 40 others.

Here in the United States, President Bush setting out next hour for his first road trip of the new year. The president will participate in a meeting today on medical liability reform in Madison County, Illinois. Some business groups say the county has the worst civil court systems in the country.

CNN will have live coverage of the event, starting at about 2 p.m. Eastern.

The first of President Bush's cabinet nominees heading to Capitol Hill. Kellogg CEO Carlos Gutierrez was named last November for the secretary of commerce post. He's expected to be approved later today. Three more confirmation hearings are set for tomorrow, including one for Alberto Gonzales as attorney general.

A "CNN Security Watch" now. A New Jersey man out on bail this morning, accused of pointing a laser beam at two aircraft last week. Daniel Banach faces federal charges under the Patriot Act. Law enforcement officials say the incidents are most likely not linked to terrorism. We spoke with his attorney earlier today. HEMMER: You know they're going to fight it all, right?

COLLINS: Right.

HEMMER: By the way, USC/Oklahoma. The Okies were whipped last night, weren't they? USC is the national champion.

How about this weather we're getting?

COLLINS: How about it?

HEMMER: Another blast on the way. Winter sweeping across the Midwest. Is this a repeat from two weeks ago? Remember the holiday mess out there? Many still do. A live report right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Want to bring you up to date right now. A story just developing here through the Reuters and Associated Press wire services, talking about the contribution of money given to help the tsunami victims.

Australia's prime minister now says it will pledge roughly $750 million to the relief effort. This, over a period of five years. That's the announcement that we're getting over the wire services. Working to confirm that through our own reporters.

This goes in addition to what Japan has done, $500 million for the Japanese. The U.S., $350 million.

There's an indication that the private donations in this country launched after presidents Bush and Clinton went on their jaunt earlier this week have already exceeded $200 million in private donations.

Worldwide, we're told that $2.3 billion have now been raised to help out in the relief effort. We should hear a lot more about this tomorrow in Jakarta, Indonesia. The head of the U.N., Kofi Annan, will there be. He is already talking again today, imploring the nations around the world to fulfill their obligation to make sure they meet this mark of more than $2 billion.

Again, the news that we're getting from the A.P. and Reuters, Australia now chipping in $750 million over a five-year period. More on that as we get it.

In the meantime, there are a lot of folks going to be smarting from this weather. A wicked winter storm now making its way through the Midwest today, bound for Chicago and Detroit.

That storm already causing problems from Colorado to South Dakota. Ice close to an inch thick in parts of Kansas and Missouri. And if you're on the roads, you do not want that. Trees have been snapped. Power lines are down. Thousands in the dark.

Rob Marciano is there outside O'Hare in Chicago, Illinois.

Good morning, Rob. How are conditions now?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still snowing, Bill, accumulating slowly. You know, a good snowstorm for the children. Ass the kid in us, we love it. As adults, kind of a headache. Sometimes that can become dangerous. Fact of the matter is, sometimes snowstorms can become deadly. So, you know, we'd like to talk a little bit seriously about this for a sec.

Put things in perspective. Hurricanes this past year, record- setting pace. Sixty-two people in the U.S. died from hurricanes. On average, in an average winter, 950 people die across the U.S. from winter-related accidents on the roadway. So not to be taken lightly, that's for sure.

Right now, we're at a traffic stop along the 294 here just outside of Chicago by about 20 miles. And this camera is going to show you that traffic. Indeed, at least right now, flowing smoothly. North towards Milwaukee, south towards Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the rest of the Midwest. Right now, roadways pretty wet. Salt trucks have been out.

And on top of that, the last week and a half, it's been pretty mild. So the roads and the ground themselves, pretty warm.

Let's go to the weather maps and we'll show you the radar loop and what we expect for snowfall totals. Another batch of heavy snow now just about to get into the Chicago area. And that will bring with it the heavier snowfall rates, which likely will begin to cover up these roadways.

Eight to 14 inches of snow expected in northern parts of Chicago. West towards Des Moines and farther north, as well.

To the south part of Chicago, and maybe downtown, four to eight inches expected. South of that, looking at ice from Springfield, Illinois, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, all the way up to Cleveland, and back towards Kansas City, where it is still freezing raining right now.

These are pictures taken just a couple of hours ago from Wichita, Kansas, showing what an ice storm can do, coating the trees, taking down those limbs, taking down power lines along with it.

Updated power outages for you now: 85,000 people without power. That number likely to go up.

All right, how much snow have we got here so far? Not very impressive. I've got to tell you that. But you know, we've got about two inches where it's not treated.

However, Chicago O'Hare, just that way a few miles, already average delays there, 2 1/2 hours and over 300 flights already have been canceled. Where planes are taking off, you bet there will be delays from de-icing. So there should be no doubt about that.

And the roads, Bill, will be getting worse as we go on throughout the day. And we'll tell you all about it.

Snow and ice heading your way as well, New York. This is a huge storm. And it's going to affect millions of people.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Two inches in Chicago. 'Tis a mere dusting for those folks, isn't it? Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: That's right. We should get up to 10 or maybe 12.

HEMMER: Be patient. We will be, back here in New York.

Some surprising news in a moment about which diets are the most effective. We'll get to that in a moment here when we continue after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Jack's here now once again.

JACK CAFFERTY, CO-HOST: Thanks, Heidi.

We've got an update on yesterday's question of the day, which was whether the Arab countries are doing enough aid the tsunami victims. Saudi Arabia announced now that it's going to triple its aid from $10 million to $30 million. In addition, the Saudis announced they're going to hold a fund-raising telethon in Saudi Arabia tomorrow. These telethons tend to do quite well. The last one in 2002 raised $155 million for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.

On to today's question, a New York family court judge has ordered a drug-addicted woman to stop having kids until she proves she can take care of them. She already has seven. They range in age between 8 months and 12 years and were fathered by seven different men. Six of the woman's kids are in foster care. The state's paying that.

Opponents say the judge's decision trampling on her fundamental rights to procreate.

So the question is, should a judge order a woman to stop having children? Here's some of the answers.

Melissa in Greensboro writes, "After spending four years working for a nonprofit with first-time pregnant women, I believe not only should the courts be able to restrict births, but we dreamed of a requirement system prior to giving birth the first time."

Karen in West Lafayette, Indiana, "How many other children have the seven men fathered? Has the judge ordered these men to stop having children? Why aren't these men required to support their children financially? Once again, the burden of responsibility is being placed upon the woman."

Katie -- Kathie, rather, Savannah, Georgia, "Why is the district attorney not prosecuting this woman for neglect, child endangerment and abuse, especially if she and/or her kids tested positive for drugs? Put her in jail until she reaches menopause, problem solved."

And Lynn in western Florida, "Because I work in a temporary holding shelter for children on their way to foster care, I can state emphatically, half or more of these kids are living in a world of heartache that they never banked on or wished for. The parents of these children live like animals and should be treated the same. We neuter our pets, don't we?"

HEMMER: Ooh, wow.

COLLINS: Strong opinions out there on that one, for sure.

Jack, thank you.

The biggest challenge for relief workers now in Southeast Asia, getting the aid to the people who need it the most. But is that happening? We're on the ground with Christiane Amanpour ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Opening bell from Wall Street. Right on time, 9:30 here in New York City. We were headed for 11,000, some thought. A bit of a retreat lately, though: 10,630 is where we start today, off about 98 points in trading on Tuesday.

NASDAQ market side kicking off today at 2,107, off about 44 points at the close of business yesterday.

Welcome back, everybody. It's 9:30.

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