Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Hurricane Relief Floods to Gulf Coast

Aired August 31, 2005 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Big focus has been on New Orleans, Louisiana. The Army Corps of Engineers working now to plug levee breaks around New Orleans.
Walter Baumy is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and he joins me now by telephone from Mississippi, I believe -- Mr. Balmy.

WALTER BAUMY, CHIEF, ENG. DIVIS., ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: Yes. Yes.

KAGAN: What is the latest on the efforts to shore up these huge breaks?

BAUMY: Well, there's one large break on the 17th Street Halfal (ph) Canal. And we've got multiple efforts going at this point in time. We're going to bring in -- we're bringing in sand, large sandbags and other materials, to try to get some initial material into the breach and close it. We're going to drop those by helicopter and...

KAGAN: Why...

BAUMY: ... operate...

KAGAN: Go ahead, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Go ahead.

BAUMY: OK, go ahead.

KAGAN: Well, I was going to ask why the delay? Why is it taking so long to get that in there?

BAUMY: It's difficult to get any materials at this point in time. The whole area has been inundated by a massive storm, so you've not only knocked out what you see on the -- in your picture, showing the inundation and the destruction, the destruction that's taking place. But it's difficult to get contractors and locate materials, locate access. We're trying to get access through the river over to the -- into the lake, and over to that site. And to do that, we have to get through a lock and several bridges.

And the bridges are temporarily out at this point in time. We haven't been able -- we haven't gotten a damage assessment team to those bridges as of yet, but we're working with the owners of the bridges to try to see if there's a way we can get those bridges open, because that would speed up our process. If we can't get the bridges open, then we would have to go around -- down river through the mouth of the river and come back up into Lake Pontchartrain to access the site.

KAGAN: The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, was critical of what was taking place here, saying that the plan was in place before to do exactly what you're talking about, of trying to do sandbags and other things along this levee break. That was supposed to happen, I think, on Tuesday. But those Coast Guard helicopters were called away for search and rescue operations. Is there a frustration of too many cooks trying to -- too many cooks in the kitchen, as the mayor was saying?

BAUMY: I wouldn't say that. I would say there's a frustration because of the task at hand. It's an enormous task. And there's -- it's just difficult to mobilize to the site. All the access routes are closed out. And so we would like to get there by barge.

KAGAN: You would like -- so that would be number one, to get there by barge?

BAUMY: That would be our first choice, but we know that's going to take a little bit more time, so we're trying to do some interim measures. And we came up with the helicopters at this point to try to get to it.

KAGAN: And so what kind of timeframe do you think we're talking about to get the helicopters doing what you want them to do?

BAUMY: I'm hoping they're out there today. I expect them to be out there today.

KAGAN: That's the first step. That's just shoring things up a little bit. What's the next thing that has to happen?

BAUMY: The next thing that has to happen is we're going to get -- we're going to get a contractor out on the site with rock, earth materials, bags, what have you, to really close that gap and make sure it's closed.

KAGAN: Is this a plan that you're having to make up as you go along? Was there a contingency plan in case something like this might ever happen, given the closeness of these levees and the big city that's right there, the city of New Orleans right along Lake Poncthartrain?

BAUMY: The plan is fairly clear to me. We know where we need to go. We know how to do this type of work. We do it every day. The problem is getting access to the area with materials, equipment and manpower that's suitable to do the job.

KAGAN: It is a very frustrating...

BAUMY: That's the difficult. Yes, oh, yes.

KAGAN: I understand that. And you know, I wish you well.

BAUMY: We are trying every avenue.

KAGAN: Because it is so important.

BAUMY: We're exploring every avenue you can imagine. We're looking at the military forces, as well as our contracting community and our own forces at the corps of engineers. We're trying to get them there, too, with their equipment. So we're approaching it on all sides.

KAGAN: I have no doubt there's a lot of good people trying to solve this very desperate problem. Walter Baumy with the U.S. Corps of Engineers. I wish you well with work. And thank you for talking to us on the phone. Thank you, sir.

Now, meanwhile, as we've been reporting for days, over a million people took off and they left New Orleans. They had to go somewhere. One of those places, Shreveport, Louisiana. Our Deborah Feyerick is on the phone from Shreveport, talking about a place that the population has simply swollen -- Deborah?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, usually Shreveport's a town of about 2,000 people. We spoke to the police department this morning. They say there are about 20,000 people here now. Many of them are evacuees.

And we had a conversation with one family who had left New Orleans. They are desperately trying to get in touch with their sister. She is an oncology nurse at the Memorial Medical Hospital on Napoleon Street. The story that they told us of what is going on at that hospital is quite dramatic. According to their sister Joanne Lalla (ph), looters are trying to get into the hospital. There's no electricity. The nurses, the doctors, their families, have virtually locked themselves into the medical center. And they don't know when they're going to be able to get out.

The story they were telling us is that hospital administration was telling the staff there it would be five days until they might be able to be rescued. The story they're telling is that people in the hospital are dying because there's no electricity. One nurse walked outside to get a breath of fresh air. She was robbed at gunpoint. There was National Guard that was around the hospital. But, apparently, we are told, they pulled out in order to help with the prisoner uprisings that happened yesterday.

And according to the story they're telling, they just -- the people who are in that hospital simply don't know how they're going to get out. They want their sister to try to meet them in Shreveport. But right now they can't get in touch with her. We tried to call her. We can't get in touch her. We can't get in touch with the hospital, either. But it's a desperate situation.

And the folks here, a little bit upset because they feel that they're -- that they really haven't been -- that they're being ignored. And the reason for that is that many of them have no idea what they're going to go back to. And they have lost their businesses. One of them a business that's three generations old. They believe that is destroyed now. They don't have that to go back to. Their homes are on the lake front. They believe their homes are under 20 feet of water right now. So they have no idea whether, in fact, they're going to be able to go to New Orleans, or whether, frankly, they're just going to pull up stakes and start elsewhere.

We spoke to another family. They're in the exact same situation. They're thinking maybe they go to Arizona, maybe they go to Colorado. Everything is gone. And now they simply don't know where they're going to make their lives again. And that's a big concern to many of the people here who are trying to sort out the future.

KAGAN: We're talking about a major American city, about a million people who could be homeless at this time. Deb Feyerick, thank you. Live on the phone from Shreveport, Louisiana.

Now, when you go off to college, you go looking for a lot of lessons. A lesson in how to survive a hurricane and what you do afterwards not usually what people plan on.

We're going to talk with two young women who are facing that just now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We continue to be very fluid here in our coverage in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including looking at New Orleans and what's happening with the hospitals there.

We have on the phone with us right now Dr. Ruth Berggren. She is an infectious disease specialist. She is at Charity Hospital, still in New Orleans. Dr. Berggren, thank you for being on the phone with us.

DR. RUTH BERGGREN, CHARITY HOSPITAL: Thank you.

KAGAN: I understand you still have a number of patients there in the hospital with you.

BERGGREN: Yes, at last count, I believe we have around 250 patients here, as well as hospital staff, nurses, physicians and other ancillary personnel. So there's quite a large group of people.

KAGAN: But what about the conditions surrounding the hospital and power to your facility?

BERGGREN: We have no power. There was back-up power for the first day or so. And we have no power now, which means no air conditioning. No lights. We are making rounds by flashlight. We have no ability to check laboratory values on patients. We can't use electrical devices to deliver intravenous medications. So we're really on a first aid basis at the moment.

KAGAN: Yes, so your sickest patients, your intensive care patients, they have already been taken out of the hospital?

BERGGREN: As of this morning, only about four had been taken out. And as I understand it, there are at least 20 more. We were told that the sickest patients would be evacuated today. And I don't have a further update at the moment.

KAGAN: What about patients that need something as simple as a respirator? Heart monitors, things like that. Obviously you can't use that now.

BERGGREN: Nobody has a heart monitor. But for people who were ventilator-dependent, in many cases, the hospital staff have had to physically breathe for them using an ambu bag.

KAGAN: That is absolutely incredible. Have you lost any patients in these conditions so far?

BERGGREN: I understand that there have been two deaths. In- patients who were very, very ill, and intensive care unit patients. But those are the only ones that I am aware of.

KAGAN: Dr. Berggren, let's call on your specialty as an infectious disease specialist right now. These conditions -- these are exactly the type of conditions that are ripe to create the kind of diseases that you would usually treat.

BERGGREN: Yes, in fact, two of our staff have already reported gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal cramping and the like. And we have responded to this by emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene. The hospital administration has provided us with port-a-potties, which are placed down the end of a remote hall. And we have made arrangements for special hand-washing liquids to be available, and we've emphasized the importance of cleaning up the environment as much as possible. The doorknobs, the stethoscopes and the like.

KAGAN: Let me just ask you quickly, as we wrap up. So is the plan to keep the 250 patients there in the hospital or to try to get them out as well?

BERGGREN: There is an evacuation plan. There have been rapidly changing bits of information. This morning, we were told it might be five to seven days before all of us were evacuated. About half an hour ago, a uniformed police officer came to my ward and announced to us that we were all going to be evacuated today and that we could each take one bag. So the situation appears to be changing rapidly, and we're just trying to be ready for whatever comes up.

KAGAN: It does. You are on the front lines of what is taking place in terms of medical treatment. We wish you and your staff and your patients well.

Dr. Ruth Bergreen from Charity Hospital. She is still there, holed up at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, with no power and no fresh water.

We're expecting a news conference in about 45 minutes. Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, is going to hold this news conference. 1:30 p.m. Eastern. He's expected to announce that Michael Brown, who is the director of FEMA, will be named as the president's point man in the hurricane relief, the prime federal officer in charge of hurricane relief efforts. You will see that news conference live here on CNN.

Meanwhile, a lot of storm refugees are being taken far from home. Right now we have the story of Tulane University students who are staying on another campus. They've right here in Atlanta.

Joining me now, Bill Shafer. He is vice president of student services at Georgia Tech. And a couple of transplanted Tulane students. Tate Frakola and Rosie Gerstenecker. Ladies, welcome to Atlanta.

TATE FRANKOLA, TULANE UNIV. STUDENT: Thank you!

KAGAN: Not what you expected when you went off to school.

ROSIE GERSTENECKER, TULANE UNIV. STUDENT: Not quite.

FRANKOLA: Not really.

KAGAN: And, Bill, thank you. Welcome to you, as well.

BILL SHAFER, STUDENT AFFAIRS, GEORGIA TECH: Thank you for having us.

KAGAN: Ladies, I'm going to go ahead and start with you. Kate, you're from Pittsburgh.

FRANKOLA: Yes.

KAGAN: Rosie, you're from Massachusetts. Far from home. Tell what it was like when the storm hit.

FRANKOLA: Well, when the storm actually hit in New Orleans, we were already in Jackson, Mississippi. We were staying at Jackson State University. We were sleeping on a gym floor, about 250 of us in the one gym. I think another 250 in another gym. So we were inside that entire day. We heard the winds. We saw the rain through the windows at Jackson State, but we weren't actually in New Orleans for the storm.

KAGAN: Rosie, you know a lot about snow days, not about hurricanes.

GERSTENECKER: Um, I didn't even know what I was expecting, because usually when we have hurricanes up in Boston, like, it's just a lot of rain and a little wind. So I was kind of excited, actually. I was like, oh, we're getting evacuated. You know, a little adventure before school starts. But then, you know, they told us to pack a bag for a couple of days. So we just packed some clothes...

KAGAN: That's it.

GERSTENECKER: CD players, a little bit, our laptops.

KAGAN: Everything else is back on campus.

FRANKOLA: Yes, the rules were, the duffel bag had to fit on your lap for the bus. And then you could take something to sleep on. So, yes, everything is on campus. My computer, my clothes, everything.

KAGAN: There you go. Your parents know you're OK?

FRANKOLA: My parents know I'm OK.

KAGAN: OK, number one.

KAGAN: OK, Bill, Georgia Tech opening up its hearts and its buildings to Tulane students. How is this going to work?

SCHAFER: Well, we got a call from Tulane. And we were just pleased to help out in any way we could. And we had people up all night, students and staff, getting the staff prepared for 275 students that showed up at 5:00 a.m. this morning.

KAGAN: So Rosie and Tate are just two of 275?

SCHAFER: That's right.

KAGAN: And how long is Georgia Tech prepared to put them up?

SCHAFER: Well, we believe that most of them will catch their flights to go home or buses by the end of this week. Many are going out today. We do have a group of 83 international students, graduate students, that we're actually working with an apartment complex in town to see if we can put them up for a month or two months, because they can't go back to their countries at this point in time.

KAGAN: So, the idea, ladies, is for you guys to go home, home? Like Massachusetts and Pittsburgh.

FRANKOLA: Yes.

GERSTENECKER: Yes.

FRANKOLA: That's the goal.

KAGAN: And do you have plans right now? Do you have flights?

GERSTENECKER: We have flights around 6:00. I'm 6:30. She's 6:10.

KAGAN: So you're going home. I know your family's going to be thrilled to see you after all that. What's Tulane telling you? Are they telling you anything? Is this semester gone?

GERSTENECKER: They don't really know. I mean, they told us that the earliest right now, I think about September 27th. That's what they're hoping for, but...

FRANKOLA: Yes, that's what they're hoping for. But they're going to keep us updated on the emergency Web site. The regular Web site is down. So they just said keep checking the emergency Web site. They'll let us know.

KAGAN: Well, I know you expected some tests when you went off school, but not these kinds of tests. We're glad you're out and that you're safe and that you're going to make your way home. Bill, congratulations to Georgia Tech for stepping up.

SCHAFER: We have great students on our campus that have really appreciated being able to help out in this situation.

KAGAN: Honorary Yellow Jackets.

SCHAFER: That's right.

KAGAN: How about that? Yellow Jackets for life. Little green waves. Thank you.

SCHAFER: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: And good luck with pulling it all together.

And, we're going to check in with our Rob Marciano in Biloxi, Mississippi. We're going to do that now or are we going to take a break? We're going to do that right now. Rob, hello.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. In Biloxi now, overlooking behind me, this is Highway 90, which was at one point covered with 20, 25 feet of water. Beyond that, a couple of casinos.

And this Windjammer is a condominium complex. And you can see how the first two stories are completely wiped out, with the exception of the support beams. So that's where the ocean or the Gulf of Mexico was barreling through that condominium. You know, it's obviously built well for it actually to still be standing with the first two floors completely wiped out.

Water got to at least 25 feet, from what I could see, here in the Biloxi area. A little higher in lower-lying areas, a little lower in higher-lying areas. And there are still a lot of folks who chose not to evacuate, some of which tell some pretty amazing survival stories.

I have one family here -- come on in now. This is the Rhetta family. They live just up the road a couple of blocks. Isn't that right, Olivia? About how far from the ocean would you say you live?

OLIVIA RHETTA, BILOXI RESIDENT: I would say maybe a half to a half mile. Half mile to a mile?

MARCIANO: And how high up, elevation-wise, would you think?

RHETTA: I'm not exactly sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nine feet.

MARCIANO: About nine feet? So, tell me what was going through your head. Where -- how close did the water get to you, or was wind more of a concern to you?

RHETTA: Wind was more of a concern for me. I wasn't really worried about the water until it started coming in. But after it started coming in, we just did what comes natural.

MARCIANO: Which is what? Head to a higher floor? Or did you get out?

RHETTA: We only have a one story house. We found some ladders and we tried to save a few things, but it was impossible to do, because the water was coming in too fast. So we found some ladders. My husband stood on a two stepladder, and my daughter and I stood on a six foot ladder.

MARCIANO: And at what point did the water recede?

RHETTA: It was maybe an hour, hour-and-a-half, when the water started receding.

MARCIANO: How about your neighbors? I mean, I'm sure your neighbors around you maybe have lost their homes completely. At least from what I've seen seems like there are homes that are standing and homes that are completely gone.

RHETTA: Most homes -- everyone in our neighborhood got plenty of water. The water came up in our home just above the door level. And we had maybe a foot, foot-and-a-half left before it would have reached the ceiling.

MARCIANO: OK, so now you're left with a damaged home. Obviously, no electricity, no phone lines, water. And very hot sun. How are you coping?

RHETTA: For now, we're coping very well. Just believe in God that he's going to do the best for us.

MARCIANO: Good enough. We're glad you survived the storm. And best of luck to you.

RHETTA: Thank you.

MARCIANO: That's a good story. You hear stories of people jumping from roof to roof, swimming, ratcheting make-shift rafts to get away from the water. An area that, all due respect, really should have been completely evacuated.

Anyway, we're live from Biloxi, Mississippi. The sun blazing hot. Folks still -- the biggest issues right now are getting supplies in here. We are near Keesler Air Force Base. There's a huge supply plane, I'm told a C-127, that keeps coming in. I'm not sure if it's bringing in supplies or just doing touch-and-go landings. Hopefully, it's bringing in supplies for the people that need them.

KAGAN: All right. Rob Marciano, live from Biloxi, Mississippi. Rob, thank you. We have a lot more coverage. We're going to that after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE) KAGAN: Want to head back down to New Orleans. We have our John Zarrella on the phone -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. We've just now made it out of the city of New Orleans, and the initial ride out through the downtown neighborhood, we helped -- all of us brought people from the hotel, evacuated some folks out of the hotel, brought them to a high location on Canal Street, where we turned them over to the authorities there. From that point on, we continued on, making our way through the streets that weren't flooded, and alternate routes, side streets and back streets.

And, quite frankly, along the bank of the Mississippi River, it was fairly dry where we were. Once we left the hotel district, we did not hit anymore high water from that point on. A lot of downed trees, a lot of power lines.

We went through some neighborhoods, literally right along the levee along the bank of Mississippi. And those neighborhoods were high and dry. There was certainly damage to the homes. But nothing to the extent of what was going on in the city of New Orleans, and some parts of Jefferson Parish, where the flooding continues to be awful and is continuing to come up.

And as we made it over the Huey P. Long Bridge, across to the west bank and on to Highway-90 westbound, it has been clear sailing all the way on Highway 90.

KAGAN: And on that, John, I'm sorry, I'm going to have to jump in. We're going to have much more coverage from you just ahead.

That is going to wrap our hour there. John Zarrella reporting from New Orleans. I'm Daryn Kagan. Kyra Phillips is going to continue our coverage, with all our correspondents, at the top of the hour.

We'll be back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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