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CNN Live Today

Evacuations Near the Prado Dam; Nasty Weather Hits the East Coast; California Man Remembers His Family; Probe Lands on Saturn's Moon

Aired January 14, 2005 - 10:00   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We are going to have a lot to follow, the situation in Corona, California.
TONY HARRIS, CNN CO-ANCHOR: That's right.

KAGAN: Also, talking to a woman who will tell us why French women don't get fat. And how you can eat like them.

HARRIS: Really!

KAGAN: Complete opposite end of the spectrum.

HARRIS: I wouldn't have thought that.

KAGAN: But how about let's start with what's happening now in the news.

HARRIS: Let's do that.

KAGAN: OK.

HARRIS: In Southern California, a possible leak in a dam is forcing the evacuation of more than 800 homes in Riverside County. Local police and fire officials say that rain water is building up behind the Prado Dam. And there appears to be a small leak. But the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the dam, disputes that saying there is no leak. We'll monitor this story and we will bring you more as it develops.

The rain is over in Ohio, but not the concerns about flooding. The Ohio River at Cincinnati is the highest it's been in nearly eight years. Overflowing streams and rivers and other parts of the state has led to evacuations. This week's rain combined with melting snow caused the high water.

Army Specialist Charles Graner could learn his fate later today. Graner is the first soldier to be tried in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Closing arguments are under way in Fort Hood, Texas. A jury of four officers and six senior enlisted men will deliberate.

And we could see pictures from the surface of Saturn's largest moon in a few hours, Daryn. Scientists say the Huygens probe has been plunging through the orange clouds of Titan. The European Agency says the craft has been taking measurements and snapping pictures, as it descends. Huygens probe detached from the Cassini spacecraft last month.

Huygens. Huygens. Huygens.

KAGAN: We'll have to check on that. Because earlier they were telling me it is Huygan. Huygans. Huygens.

HARRIS: Miles would know. He's floating around. We'll check.

KAGAN: We'll check with Miles. And he does do that. We will check with Miles. That's a good idea.

HARRIS: Hey, good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris sitting in for Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan.

We are following up on weather related problems this hour across the country. The extreme weather spans from coast to coast and many points in between. And so does o coverage. Let's take a look. Chris Huntington is in Ohio. He's covering the state's flooding problems. And Eric Phillips is in Ventura, California the site of Monday's mudslide.

First stop, in the water in Ohio, where things -- there have been evacuations and rescues throughout the state. Chris Huntington in the town of Marietta. A town that normally sits alongside the Ohio River, today, just like Chris, the town is in the water.

Good morning.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you. Well, the town, just a bit of it in the water is getting a reprieve today. You are looking at the Ohio River here. It looks relatively calm.

But consider the fact that it is 20 feet above its normal levels. This staircase here would ordinarily lead down to a riverfront promenade. You can see the final four or five feet of it or so well under water. If the water were to get another foot or so higher, then the flooding of the town would begin in earnest.

Now, just last weekend, the water level goes about seven feet higher. In other words, up to about here. And that caused flooding in about 600 businesses. In September, the worst flood here in Marietta in 40 years brought the level of the water up to about here, putting about five feet of water through most of downtown Marietta.

Now, this is a town, of course, that has been on the banks of the river here for more than 200 years. They embrace the river. There are no big waterfront levees here. The folks here are very accustomed to getting wet and drying out. But this year, four times in a single year has been an awful lot for them to handle.

Around the state of Ohio, severe flooding brought on by the heavy rains in the past week up north near Toledo, in the central part of the state near Columbus, the evacuations have had to continue. The break in the weather today is a positive, of course. No rain is the best news that any folks could get around here. Another good factor is that it is getting colder. And in some of the higher elevations, freezing temperatures are slowing down the runoff from the tributaries.

I just want to put in perspective the type of flooding that has happened here in Marietta. We're looking at the historic Lafayette Hotel. If you look at the second story balcony up there. That's the level, the highest recorded flood levels here in 1913. In 1937 it got to about halfway up and similarly to that level in the mid '60s.

So this is a town that knows what this river can do. It is not something that is simply laughed off here, although the folks here have an awful lot of humor about it. You simply have to if you go through a process of getting wet and drying out, as they often have to do here in Marietta -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes. Interesting relationship the folks there have with the river. They have considered building a floodwall, but don't want to because that gets in the way of celebrations during the summer.

HUNTINGTON: Absolutely. And the area that I was standing before was historically had been the landing point for the side-wheel paddleboats, the riverboats that plied up and down the Ohio River. They very much want to keep the river as a welcomed part of the town. They don't want to turn their backs. They don't want to put a big concrete retaining wall here.

I spoke with the mayor yesterday. He said that folks here are resilient. Nobody here ever talks about moving out just because the water rises -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Chris Huntington in Marietta, George -- well, Marietta, Ohio. There is a Marietta, Georgia. You're in Marietta, Ohio.

HUNTINGTON: Marietta, Ohio.

KAGAN: You just keep those flood boots ready to go -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, a series of storms also raked across the southeast. Here in Memphis, Tennessee, the rain came down so hard, so fast it overwhelmed some drains and caused localized flooding. The heavy rains and strong winds ushered in a cold snap that could plunge weekend temps into the teens.

In Arkansas, the weather and the damage was much more severe. A strong tornado ripped a 20-mile swath through Union County. Two people were killed and several homes destroyed. Arkansas' governor is to tour the damage today.

In Laurens County, South Carolina probably went from bad to worst. First a tornado ripped through the midsection of the state, a number of homes were destroyed and damaged. The worst came when the twister lifted the roof off a distribution center. When the roof slammed back down, it started an electrical fire. About 100 people were evacuated. Some are now being allowed to return.

KAGAN: All right. We want to show you the weather story that is developing in southern California. We'll get to La Conchita in a moment. But this now, a live picture from Corona, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. Concern there about a Riverside County Dam and 800 homes this morning. There have been a number of evacuations, about 330 mobile homes, more than 500 other homes. That started at 1:00 a.m.

There is talk that there could be a leak in the dam. Officials say that is not what's happening. They're doing the evacuations as a precaution. It does look incredibly full. We'll keep our eyes on that and a report live from Corona coming up in a bit.

Meanwhile, let's check in on the residents of La Conchita, and talk with authorities about a possible return to the neighborhood that's been decimated by Monday's deadly mudslides. Yesterday, workers at the site paused to remember the 10 people who died in the avalanche of mud. The Ventura County sheriff says that the rescue mission at the site has now ended. There is no more hope of finding any survivors.

Our Eric Phillips has spoken on the man who lost the most in his mudslide, his entire family.

Eric, hello.

ERIC PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you. Residents will be coming here to the Ventura County Fairgrounds to find out how they can safely get back to their homes a little bit later on today. Millions of dollars have been lost here in Ventura County because of that massive mudslide on Monday.

But how can you place a price on human life? And no one knows that better than perhaps Jimmie Wallet, who lost wife and three children in the mudslide. We spoke with him yesterday as he described each one of his children individually and in detail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY WALLET, FAMILY KILLED IN MUDSLIDE: My Jasmine, my first one, she's 16. Cocoa butter brown, beautiful, radiant, beautiful. She was my first one. Like, all my daughters are my daughters, my sons and my best friends. I mean we hung tight. My little Jazzy, I thank God she wasn't there. She's artistic, she sings, she writes, she feels with her heart.

Hannah, my calm one. Even, always smooth. She just cruises. She has her mom in her so much. Such a -- her smile, she was like a porcelain doll. And my Raven, blond air, blue-eyed. I don't know where she got that. But she had my earlobes they say. Golden skin, her smile. She loved life. She loved to dance. She loved to just pester you to -- because she had fun with life no matter what it was.

And my Paloma, my little angel, my 2-year-old. She gave her soul when she looked at you. She was the one that made you laugh. No matter what, she would always give that you expression; joke around. She knew, she was in touch, really touch with soul.

Yes, they were all different but all one. My wife, my one and only. She did nothing but give to anyone, everyone in one way or another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Jimmie Wallet described to us how he clawed through that massive mound of mud with his bare hands searching for his wife and three daughters. Early Wednesday morning authorities found them. And really he said they gave a gift to him because he was able to finally put them to rest. And he believes they're in a better place.

He did tell us, however, he's not planning on rebuilding in La Conchita, unlike many of the residents who are anxious to get back there. He says realizes that that is a dangerous place that is prone to mudslides. And that he's going to go elsewhere and try to rebuild his life -- Daryn.

KAGAN: He has a big, big job ahead of him. Thanks for sharing those stories. Eric Phillips in La Conchita.

HARRIS: Well, that absolutely breaks your heart.

KAGAN: Yes. It absolutely does. And yet, it is nice to get a story behind just the names and the faces. And appreciate the people, the young people they were.

HARRIS: We're hoping for the best for everyone in California. And that system has moved our way. Affecting us here with cold temperatures and a lot of rain.

KAGAN: Want to take another live look at the situation we're watching in Corona, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. The dam that is there. And we don't have the best shot with this shot. We don't have control over it. But it's a ton of water, a ton of rain water that's been building up behind this Riverside County dam. And some are saying that there perhaps could be a small leak in the Prado Dam. Now, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers says there is no leak.

But what there is a lot of homes nearby. They don't want to take any risks, especially with what we saw happen in La Conchita.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: So they've evacuated hundreds of homes in that area getting people out, starting at 1:00 a.m. this morning. So that if in case the dam does give or a leak does happen, those people are not in the way of a wall of water.

HARRIS: Safe than sorry. Sure.

And still to come this hour, he brought together people from all walks of life. And now dozens of celebrities get together to honor the life of Dr. King and the 40-anniversary of the acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize. We'll take you live to the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

KAGAN: Plus, they're lining up for their awards. But who will take home the win? Our guest claims he knows the answer.

And Miles is here, too.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am. I've been tracking Huygens. And we don't know for certain, but we think it is good. This probe has landed on the largest moon in our solar system. It is calling for home. The question is, is the mother ship listening? We'll keep you posted.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's make some history in space exploration. What looks like a flying saucer plunged through the orange clouds of Saturn's moon Titan early this morning, and it began its decent to the surface. And scientists monitoring Europe's Cassini Huygens probe say they heard it cry. They heard the baby cry.

Here with more on that, the mission, is CNN's own space correspondent Miles O'Brien.

Miles, stuff like this makes you weep too. You love this stuff. O'BRIEN: Yes, tears of joy. As a matter of fact, I was just talking to some of the scientists and engineers in Darmstadt, Germany, where all this excitement is unfolding. That's the control center for the European Space Agency. They said the atmosphere was electric. I said you mean the atmosphere on Titan, or the atmosphere there? They said no. No. No. Here in Darmstadt, the atmosphere is electric.

They've been working on this particular moment for 15 years. Imagine 15 years of your career funneled into a two-hour stretch of time, all with this planet. Well, it's bigger than some planets, Pluto and Mercury. But it's a moon of Saturn known as Titan. It is covered by haze. And very interesting to scientists because everything they've been able to cipher out about it leads them to believe it looks like earth did about 4 billion years ago, before life took hold here.

Let me show you this flying saucer-like craft that we've been talking about. There's the animation. But I want to bring up one other thing if I could, just to show you how it all kind of works here. If you could bring up that other animation for us that would help us. There you go.

This is it right here. It's right out of a 1950s movie, I guess. And as you take away the pieces of it, you can get a sense of what's inside, although none of it seems to be working right now. In any case, what you've got here is a heat shield beneath. And inside, a scientific package with all kinds of cameras, spectrometers, gas chromatographs, which sniffs the atmosphere on its way down to the surface.

And we are told it is still transmitting from the surface right now. The question is how good a conversation it and the mother ship Cassini are having -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Miles, thank you. We'll be keeping an eye on that, looking for those first pictures to come on in.

O'BRIEN: All right.

KAGAN: Thank you for that.

Speaking of pictures, we're watching the pictures from Southern California. Take a look at this. That is a lot of water. Corona, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, the Prado Dam. There's some word -- well, they're definitely concerned about it. What they're concerned about, whether it's just too much rainwater, too many homes near it, a possible leak. They're keeping an eye on it.

They have evacuated hundreds of homes. We're getting word of about 330 mobile homes, with more than 500 other homes to worry about that have been evacuated since about 1:00 a.m. this morning. They put up an evacuation center at the local high school, Corona High School. Trying to prevent what could be a very bad problem.

But you look at the water and the stories we've been watching since the beginning of the year. You know the kind of damage that rushing water holds.

HARRIS: You hope that's a controlled release. We don't know that. But you hope it is.

KAGAN: Yes. We will keep an eye on it.

HARRIS: Remembering, the life of a leader. Celebrities are gathering in Atlanta this weekend to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Still to come this hour, we'll take you live to the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the ceremonies are getting underway.

KAGAN: But first, Gerri Willis is here with her "Top Five Tips."

Gerri, what are you talking about today.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. We're talking about gear heads watching that Detroit Auto Show. They may be inspired to buy a new car. We'll show you how to get the best money -- value for your money when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: If you've been thinking about buying a new car, this might be a good time. Incentives are at an all-time high for January.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis has the "Top Five Tips" for buying a car.

Good morning.

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn.

Tip No. 1, you've got to do your research. Roll up your shirtsleeves. Get some real information. If you're not a gear head, you may need help finding the right car in the first place. Check out consumerreports.org. You can get great information on the reliability of vehicles. And thee Kelley Blue Book online now, you can find it on the web. And it's not just for used cars anymore. You can actually get information on new cars. Edmunds.com, another great source for information on cars.

KAGAN: What about these incentives that we're hearing about?

WILLIS: Incentives are important and they're higher in January than they've ever been, $5200. Also think about snagging some of the hidden incentive money. You have to make sure that you ask that you are getting absolutely everything you can out of your dealer. And also, you've heard buy at the end of the month because you get a better deal. In fact, you do. You may get more incentive money. So make sure you do that.

KAGAN: Which brings me to the topic of negotiating your price. Can you really do that?

WILLIS: You know, people hate to negotiate. But yes, you can negotiate your price. The thing is what most dealerships know is that if you leave in the middle of a negotiation, you're not happy. The likelihood that you will come back, not very good, only 20 percent. So it is likely that the dealership will do everything they can to keep you on the lot and to get you to buy the car in the first place.

Make sure that you're getting absolutely everything you want in that car. If they don't have it on the lot, that's another negotiating point right there. You can ask for a discount --Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. The price is one thing, but the financing is something else?

WILLIS: Yes, financing is a little tricky these days. The car companies, the automakers themselves are offering most of the best deals. So what you want to do is figure out whether the cash rebate or the low -- the low cost financing is a better deal for you.

So to do that, a great thing to do, go to bankrate.com. They actually have a calculator there that will help you figure out which is best for you. You can see how to navigate to that. It's a little tricky. Click on calculators. And then go to "Compare low interest rate and rebates."

KAGAN: Some people call them "used." I prefer "pre-owned."

WILLIS: I do, too. You know, pre-owned is a really good idea. You can get a luxury car at a discount. And they really take care of these things. They do a 150-point checklist, looking over the car before you buy it. They typically don't have a lot of mileage on them, about 40,000 miles on them. They're pretty decent, in pretty decent shape. The trick here, make sure that you get the manufactured certified car, not the dealership certified car. Because if you get the manufactured certified car, you can take it anywhere in the country to have the thing fixed. You don't have to go to the dealership lot where you buy it.

KAGAN: Gerri Willis, thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome, Daryn.

KAGAN: We'll see you out there on the roads.

WILLIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Speaking of on the roads, that's where President Bush is today, as he -- I think this is a tape of him going for Andrews Air Force Base, as he was departing Jacksonville, Florida just a few days a go. He'll be speaking at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, at the south campus, talking about financing, stuff like Pell Grants. The president focusing a lot about education this week. Earlier, talking about trying to expand his No Child Left Behind Policy to cover high school seniors. More tests.

HARRIS: More money for Pell Grants, huh? I remember when those were Basic Education Opportunity Grants long time ago.

KAGAN: A lot of people depend on them.

HARRIS: I used that. Yes. It helped me.

KAGAN: There you go.

HARRIS: And coming up, a verdict could soon come in the first court-martial of an Abu Ghraib prison guard. The defendant could get up to 17 years behind bars.

KAGAN: Plus, with the Martin Luther King holiday upon us, people remember their own stories of human rights abuses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the lines my torturers used quite frequently was if I survived that no one would believe me and that no one would care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Talking about a celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. That is planned for today. More ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired January 14, 2005 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We are going to have a lot to follow, the situation in Corona, California.
TONY HARRIS, CNN CO-ANCHOR: That's right.

KAGAN: Also, talking to a woman who will tell us why French women don't get fat. And how you can eat like them.

HARRIS: Really!

KAGAN: Complete opposite end of the spectrum.

HARRIS: I wouldn't have thought that.

KAGAN: But how about let's start with what's happening now in the news.

HARRIS: Let's do that.

KAGAN: OK.

HARRIS: In Southern California, a possible leak in a dam is forcing the evacuation of more than 800 homes in Riverside County. Local police and fire officials say that rain water is building up behind the Prado Dam. And there appears to be a small leak. But the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the dam, disputes that saying there is no leak. We'll monitor this story and we will bring you more as it develops.

The rain is over in Ohio, but not the concerns about flooding. The Ohio River at Cincinnati is the highest it's been in nearly eight years. Overflowing streams and rivers and other parts of the state has led to evacuations. This week's rain combined with melting snow caused the high water.

Army Specialist Charles Graner could learn his fate later today. Graner is the first soldier to be tried in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Closing arguments are under way in Fort Hood, Texas. A jury of four officers and six senior enlisted men will deliberate.

And we could see pictures from the surface of Saturn's largest moon in a few hours, Daryn. Scientists say the Huygens probe has been plunging through the orange clouds of Titan. The European Agency says the craft has been taking measurements and snapping pictures, as it descends. Huygens probe detached from the Cassini spacecraft last month.

Huygens. Huygens. Huygens.

KAGAN: We'll have to check on that. Because earlier they were telling me it is Huygan. Huygans. Huygens.

HARRIS: Miles would know. He's floating around. We'll check.

KAGAN: We'll check with Miles. And he does do that. We will check with Miles. That's a good idea.

HARRIS: Hey, good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris sitting in for Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan.

We are following up on weather related problems this hour across the country. The extreme weather spans from coast to coast and many points in between. And so does o coverage. Let's take a look. Chris Huntington is in Ohio. He's covering the state's flooding problems. And Eric Phillips is in Ventura, California the site of Monday's mudslide.

First stop, in the water in Ohio, where things -- there have been evacuations and rescues throughout the state. Chris Huntington in the town of Marietta. A town that normally sits alongside the Ohio River, today, just like Chris, the town is in the water.

Good morning.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you. Well, the town, just a bit of it in the water is getting a reprieve today. You are looking at the Ohio River here. It looks relatively calm.

But consider the fact that it is 20 feet above its normal levels. This staircase here would ordinarily lead down to a riverfront promenade. You can see the final four or five feet of it or so well under water. If the water were to get another foot or so higher, then the flooding of the town would begin in earnest.

Now, just last weekend, the water level goes about seven feet higher. In other words, up to about here. And that caused flooding in about 600 businesses. In September, the worst flood here in Marietta in 40 years brought the level of the water up to about here, putting about five feet of water through most of downtown Marietta.

Now, this is a town, of course, that has been on the banks of the river here for more than 200 years. They embrace the river. There are no big waterfront levees here. The folks here are very accustomed to getting wet and drying out. But this year, four times in a single year has been an awful lot for them to handle.

Around the state of Ohio, severe flooding brought on by the heavy rains in the past week up north near Toledo, in the central part of the state near Columbus, the evacuations have had to continue. The break in the weather today is a positive, of course. No rain is the best news that any folks could get around here. Another good factor is that it is getting colder. And in some of the higher elevations, freezing temperatures are slowing down the runoff from the tributaries.

I just want to put in perspective the type of flooding that has happened here in Marietta. We're looking at the historic Lafayette Hotel. If you look at the second story balcony up there. That's the level, the highest recorded flood levels here in 1913. In 1937 it got to about halfway up and similarly to that level in the mid '60s.

So this is a town that knows what this river can do. It is not something that is simply laughed off here, although the folks here have an awful lot of humor about it. You simply have to if you go through a process of getting wet and drying out, as they often have to do here in Marietta -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes. Interesting relationship the folks there have with the river. They have considered building a floodwall, but don't want to because that gets in the way of celebrations during the summer.

HUNTINGTON: Absolutely. And the area that I was standing before was historically had been the landing point for the side-wheel paddleboats, the riverboats that plied up and down the Ohio River. They very much want to keep the river as a welcomed part of the town. They don't want to turn their backs. They don't want to put a big concrete retaining wall here.

I spoke with the mayor yesterday. He said that folks here are resilient. Nobody here ever talks about moving out just because the water rises -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Chris Huntington in Marietta, George -- well, Marietta, Ohio. There is a Marietta, Georgia. You're in Marietta, Ohio.

HUNTINGTON: Marietta, Ohio.

KAGAN: You just keep those flood boots ready to go -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, a series of storms also raked across the southeast. Here in Memphis, Tennessee, the rain came down so hard, so fast it overwhelmed some drains and caused localized flooding. The heavy rains and strong winds ushered in a cold snap that could plunge weekend temps into the teens.

In Arkansas, the weather and the damage was much more severe. A strong tornado ripped a 20-mile swath through Union County. Two people were killed and several homes destroyed. Arkansas' governor is to tour the damage today.

In Laurens County, South Carolina probably went from bad to worst. First a tornado ripped through the midsection of the state, a number of homes were destroyed and damaged. The worst came when the twister lifted the roof off a distribution center. When the roof slammed back down, it started an electrical fire. About 100 people were evacuated. Some are now being allowed to return.

KAGAN: All right. We want to show you the weather story that is developing in southern California. We'll get to La Conchita in a moment. But this now, a live picture from Corona, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. Concern there about a Riverside County Dam and 800 homes this morning. There have been a number of evacuations, about 330 mobile homes, more than 500 other homes. That started at 1:00 a.m.

There is talk that there could be a leak in the dam. Officials say that is not what's happening. They're doing the evacuations as a precaution. It does look incredibly full. We'll keep our eyes on that and a report live from Corona coming up in a bit.

Meanwhile, let's check in on the residents of La Conchita, and talk with authorities about a possible return to the neighborhood that's been decimated by Monday's deadly mudslides. Yesterday, workers at the site paused to remember the 10 people who died in the avalanche of mud. The Ventura County sheriff says that the rescue mission at the site has now ended. There is no more hope of finding any survivors.

Our Eric Phillips has spoken on the man who lost the most in his mudslide, his entire family.

Eric, hello.

ERIC PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you. Residents will be coming here to the Ventura County Fairgrounds to find out how they can safely get back to their homes a little bit later on today. Millions of dollars have been lost here in Ventura County because of that massive mudslide on Monday.

But how can you place a price on human life? And no one knows that better than perhaps Jimmie Wallet, who lost wife and three children in the mudslide. We spoke with him yesterday as he described each one of his children individually and in detail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY WALLET, FAMILY KILLED IN MUDSLIDE: My Jasmine, my first one, she's 16. Cocoa butter brown, beautiful, radiant, beautiful. She was my first one. Like, all my daughters are my daughters, my sons and my best friends. I mean we hung tight. My little Jazzy, I thank God she wasn't there. She's artistic, she sings, she writes, she feels with her heart.

Hannah, my calm one. Even, always smooth. She just cruises. She has her mom in her so much. Such a -- her smile, she was like a porcelain doll. And my Raven, blond air, blue-eyed. I don't know where she got that. But she had my earlobes they say. Golden skin, her smile. She loved life. She loved to dance. She loved to just pester you to -- because she had fun with life no matter what it was.

And my Paloma, my little angel, my 2-year-old. She gave her soul when she looked at you. She was the one that made you laugh. No matter what, she would always give that you expression; joke around. She knew, she was in touch, really touch with soul.

Yes, they were all different but all one. My wife, my one and only. She did nothing but give to anyone, everyone in one way or another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Jimmie Wallet described to us how he clawed through that massive mound of mud with his bare hands searching for his wife and three daughters. Early Wednesday morning authorities found them. And really he said they gave a gift to him because he was able to finally put them to rest. And he believes they're in a better place.

He did tell us, however, he's not planning on rebuilding in La Conchita, unlike many of the residents who are anxious to get back there. He says realizes that that is a dangerous place that is prone to mudslides. And that he's going to go elsewhere and try to rebuild his life -- Daryn.

KAGAN: He has a big, big job ahead of him. Thanks for sharing those stories. Eric Phillips in La Conchita.

HARRIS: Well, that absolutely breaks your heart.

KAGAN: Yes. It absolutely does. And yet, it is nice to get a story behind just the names and the faces. And appreciate the people, the young people they were.

HARRIS: We're hoping for the best for everyone in California. And that system has moved our way. Affecting us here with cold temperatures and a lot of rain.

KAGAN: Want to take another live look at the situation we're watching in Corona, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. The dam that is there. And we don't have the best shot with this shot. We don't have control over it. But it's a ton of water, a ton of rain water that's been building up behind this Riverside County dam. And some are saying that there perhaps could be a small leak in the Prado Dam. Now, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers says there is no leak.

But what there is a lot of homes nearby. They don't want to take any risks, especially with what we saw happen in La Conchita.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: So they've evacuated hundreds of homes in that area getting people out, starting at 1:00 a.m. this morning. So that if in case the dam does give or a leak does happen, those people are not in the way of a wall of water.

HARRIS: Safe than sorry. Sure.

And still to come this hour, he brought together people from all walks of life. And now dozens of celebrities get together to honor the life of Dr. King and the 40-anniversary of the acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize. We'll take you live to the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

KAGAN: Plus, they're lining up for their awards. But who will take home the win? Our guest claims he knows the answer.

And Miles is here, too.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am. I've been tracking Huygens. And we don't know for certain, but we think it is good. This probe has landed on the largest moon in our solar system. It is calling for home. The question is, is the mother ship listening? We'll keep you posted.

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KAGAN: Let's make some history in space exploration. What looks like a flying saucer plunged through the orange clouds of Saturn's moon Titan early this morning, and it began its decent to the surface. And scientists monitoring Europe's Cassini Huygens probe say they heard it cry. They heard the baby cry.

Here with more on that, the mission, is CNN's own space correspondent Miles O'Brien.

Miles, stuff like this makes you weep too. You love this stuff. O'BRIEN: Yes, tears of joy. As a matter of fact, I was just talking to some of the scientists and engineers in Darmstadt, Germany, where all this excitement is unfolding. That's the control center for the European Space Agency. They said the atmosphere was electric. I said you mean the atmosphere on Titan, or the atmosphere there? They said no. No. No. Here in Darmstadt, the atmosphere is electric.

They've been working on this particular moment for 15 years. Imagine 15 years of your career funneled into a two-hour stretch of time, all with this planet. Well, it's bigger than some planets, Pluto and Mercury. But it's a moon of Saturn known as Titan. It is covered by haze. And very interesting to scientists because everything they've been able to cipher out about it leads them to believe it looks like earth did about 4 billion years ago, before life took hold here.

Let me show you this flying saucer-like craft that we've been talking about. There's the animation. But I want to bring up one other thing if I could, just to show you how it all kind of works here. If you could bring up that other animation for us that would help us. There you go.

This is it right here. It's right out of a 1950s movie, I guess. And as you take away the pieces of it, you can get a sense of what's inside, although none of it seems to be working right now. In any case, what you've got here is a heat shield beneath. And inside, a scientific package with all kinds of cameras, spectrometers, gas chromatographs, which sniffs the atmosphere on its way down to the surface.

And we are told it is still transmitting from the surface right now. The question is how good a conversation it and the mother ship Cassini are having -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Miles, thank you. We'll be keeping an eye on that, looking for those first pictures to come on in.

O'BRIEN: All right.

KAGAN: Thank you for that.

Speaking of pictures, we're watching the pictures from Southern California. Take a look at this. That is a lot of water. Corona, California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, the Prado Dam. There's some word -- well, they're definitely concerned about it. What they're concerned about, whether it's just too much rainwater, too many homes near it, a possible leak. They're keeping an eye on it.

They have evacuated hundreds of homes. We're getting word of about 330 mobile homes, with more than 500 other homes to worry about that have been evacuated since about 1:00 a.m. this morning. They put up an evacuation center at the local high school, Corona High School. Trying to prevent what could be a very bad problem.

But you look at the water and the stories we've been watching since the beginning of the year. You know the kind of damage that rushing water holds.

HARRIS: You hope that's a controlled release. We don't know that. But you hope it is.

KAGAN: Yes. We will keep an eye on it.

HARRIS: Remembering, the life of a leader. Celebrities are gathering in Atlanta this weekend to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Still to come this hour, we'll take you live to the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the ceremonies are getting underway.

KAGAN: But first, Gerri Willis is here with her "Top Five Tips."

Gerri, what are you talking about today.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. We're talking about gear heads watching that Detroit Auto Show. They may be inspired to buy a new car. We'll show you how to get the best money -- value for your money when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

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KAGAN: If you've been thinking about buying a new car, this might be a good time. Incentives are at an all-time high for January.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis has the "Top Five Tips" for buying a car.

Good morning.

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn.

Tip No. 1, you've got to do your research. Roll up your shirtsleeves. Get some real information. If you're not a gear head, you may need help finding the right car in the first place. Check out consumerreports.org. You can get great information on the reliability of vehicles. And thee Kelley Blue Book online now, you can find it on the web. And it's not just for used cars anymore. You can actually get information on new cars. Edmunds.com, another great source for information on cars.

KAGAN: What about these incentives that we're hearing about?

WILLIS: Incentives are important and they're higher in January than they've ever been, $5200. Also think about snagging some of the hidden incentive money. You have to make sure that you ask that you are getting absolutely everything you can out of your dealer. And also, you've heard buy at the end of the month because you get a better deal. In fact, you do. You may get more incentive money. So make sure you do that.

KAGAN: Which brings me to the topic of negotiating your price. Can you really do that?

WILLIS: You know, people hate to negotiate. But yes, you can negotiate your price. The thing is what most dealerships know is that if you leave in the middle of a negotiation, you're not happy. The likelihood that you will come back, not very good, only 20 percent. So it is likely that the dealership will do everything they can to keep you on the lot and to get you to buy the car in the first place.

Make sure that you're getting absolutely everything you want in that car. If they don't have it on the lot, that's another negotiating point right there. You can ask for a discount --Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. The price is one thing, but the financing is something else?

WILLIS: Yes, financing is a little tricky these days. The car companies, the automakers themselves are offering most of the best deals. So what you want to do is figure out whether the cash rebate or the low -- the low cost financing is a better deal for you.

So to do that, a great thing to do, go to bankrate.com. They actually have a calculator there that will help you figure out which is best for you. You can see how to navigate to that. It's a little tricky. Click on calculators. And then go to "Compare low interest rate and rebates."

KAGAN: Some people call them "used." I prefer "pre-owned."

WILLIS: I do, too. You know, pre-owned is a really good idea. You can get a luxury car at a discount. And they really take care of these things. They do a 150-point checklist, looking over the car before you buy it. They typically don't have a lot of mileage on them, about 40,000 miles on them. They're pretty decent, in pretty decent shape. The trick here, make sure that you get the manufactured certified car, not the dealership certified car. Because if you get the manufactured certified car, you can take it anywhere in the country to have the thing fixed. You don't have to go to the dealership lot where you buy it.

KAGAN: Gerri Willis, thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome, Daryn.

KAGAN: We'll see you out there on the roads.

WILLIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Speaking of on the roads, that's where President Bush is today, as he -- I think this is a tape of him going for Andrews Air Force Base, as he was departing Jacksonville, Florida just a few days a go. He'll be speaking at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, at the south campus, talking about financing, stuff like Pell Grants. The president focusing a lot about education this week. Earlier, talking about trying to expand his No Child Left Behind Policy to cover high school seniors. More tests.

HARRIS: More money for Pell Grants, huh? I remember when those were Basic Education Opportunity Grants long time ago.

KAGAN: A lot of people depend on them.

HARRIS: I used that. Yes. It helped me.

KAGAN: There you go.

HARRIS: And coming up, a verdict could soon come in the first court-martial of an Abu Ghraib prison guard. The defendant could get up to 17 years behind bars.

KAGAN: Plus, with the Martin Luther King holiday upon us, people remember their own stories of human rights abuses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the lines my torturers used quite frequently was if I survived that no one would believe me and that no one would care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Talking about a celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. That is planned for today. More ahead.

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