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CNN Live At Daybreak

Tourists Return; Returning From Iraq; Deaf Evacuees

Aired September 06, 2005 - 05:30   ET

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK.
"Now in the News."

The casket holding the body of Chief Justice William Rehnquist is being placed this morning at the Supreme Court. The body will lie in repose for public viewing from 10:30 Eastern until 10:00 tonight. Public viewing is allowed tomorrow until noon. The funeral is Wednesday.

Rehnquist former law clerk John Roberts is being nominated by President Bush to be the next chief justice of the United States. You know that by now. The president initially had nominated Roberts as a replacement for the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

And in southwest Japan, a typhoon has led officials to urge more than 100,000 people to leave their homes. One news agency says 16 people are missing, 23 have been injured.

To the Forecast Center and -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I often get the question what's the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane? Nothing, except they're in different oceans. It's the same storm, the same rotation, the same direction, the same process of making the entire storm spin. So there you go, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: "Mission Critical," here's the latest on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans police chief is defending his force. Superintendent Eddie Compass denies that officers have left in droves. And he says they've held their ground without food, water or even ammunition. So far, out of the 1,600 number New Orleans police force, more than 400 officers are unaccounted for.

The relief effort seems to be picking up. The government has now provided 8.5 million meals and 50 million liters of water. The Red House, or the Red Cross, rather, is housing more than 142,000 evacuees in 16 states. Donations to the agency have topped $400 million.

Texas has a lot on its hands. Federal health officials have declared a public health emergency in the state as it tries to shelter some 240,000 Katrina evacuees. The government is promising to speed up more aid to Texas.

Moving time again, about 4,000 Katrina evacuees are moving out of the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. They'll now be sheltered on two cruise ships docked in Galveston. Elderly evacuees get first priority. Carnival Cruise Lines canceled cruises for the ships for the next six months.

Finally fixed, repair crews in New Orleans have patched a major levee breach and are now pumping water from the city. Could take three months, though, to drain some neighborhoods. Helicopters dumped more than 200 massive sandbags into the hole.

Most of our reporting on Katrina has been about Gulf Coast residents who survived the hurricane but lost everything, but tourists also survived the horrifying ordeal. Some have just returned home to Australia.

Jo Stone of Channel 7 in Australia joins us now with more.

Hello -- Jo.

JO STONE, CHANNEL 7-TV REPORTER: Hi, Carol.

COSTELLO: How many...

STONE: This morning we had Karen Mox (ph) and Pamela Wycliff (ph), two residents of Melbourne who were caught up in the hurricane, but actually flew into New Orleans on Saturday with America West. They had no idea (INAUDIBLE).

They have told today a horrific tale of death and destruction. They were actually moved from their hotel to the convention center. (INAUDIBLE) power went off, they were forced out into the streets. They took two hours to walk the four miles carrying all of their luggage. They ended up having to dump some of their stuff because they just couldn't carry it any longer.

They spent almost four days in the convention center and they told us about seeing people stealing drugs. There was a man rolling a dead body around. That they had to use old T-shirts for toilet paper. That they were fearful of running out of water and they had no food. Karen, who's the 25-year-old, she actually is a vegetarian. So they, too, really struggled to find food to eat.

And you know they're really very upset with the American response. They said today, Karen, felt -- said she felt she was just nobody, that she had been forgotten. So it's a few days that they didn't see the Red Cross for several days and that the (INAUDIBLE) for the week (INAUDIBLE) to mention brought in early enough.

So they've come back and they're very happy to be home. But they said certainly that they'll be writing some angry letters to the airlines who allowed them to fly into New Orleans without actually telling them about the situation. COSTELLO: Well I was just going to ask you, Jo, if you know, could they have gotten out of the city? Did they hear the storm warnings coming in?

STONE: No, they said they didn't. They actually flew from Australia to Los Angeles, but that's a really long flight, and I guess the situation really worsened while they were in the air. And then when they arrived in L.A., they said they got off the flight and they waited for eight hours in the Los Angeles airport before they boarded the American West flight to New Orleans. And they said at no time were they told by anybody, an official or anything, that the situation (INAUDIBLE) dire.

They said they arrived at the hotel and the hotel manager couldn't believe that they were there. (INAUDIBLE) that they'd actually come. And they could only stay a few days before the power went off and then they were forced out into the streets. So at no time were they made aware of how awful the situation was and that how dangerous it was going to be for them.

So they're very upset. And I think that that's going to be something that they'll be taking up with the people who organized the trip for them and the airlines as well.

COSTELLO: As Australians are watching this unfold on television in the United States, what is their perception of what's going on?

STONE: I think the big concern has been that we haven't been able to get our consulate officials in there. You know our officials here have said, well, they didn't want to jeopardize anybody's life by sending them in. But we also are hearing stories that American officials wouldn't allow our consulate officials in (INAUDIBLE) concern and they're very worried about that. I think there are still a few (INAUDIBLE).

I know that they have sent -- another family has gone over there just yesterday to look for their, you know, missing boy, a 30-year- old, a fellow by the name of Ashley McDonald (ph) who's also from Melbourne. He's missing over there at the moment.

And we just -- I think Australians are just watching with horror. And we just want to make sure that our people are safe, as well as the Americans, and make sure that help is getting through to them.

COSTELLO: Jo Stone reporting live from Channel 7 in Australia, in Melbourne, Australia this morning. Thank you, Jo.

Habitat for Humanity is getting involved in the hurricane relief effort. Volunteers plan to build thousands of homes for Gulf Coast residents left homeless by the hurricane. The effort is expected to start later this month in Jackson, Mississippi. Typically the group builds 1,200 square foot homes with three bedrooms. The former President Jimmy Carter, who is a volunteer, calls it the group's largest construction project ever.

And now it's time to get to our e-mail segment of the day. And you're right, Chad, our e-mail box is on fire.

MYERS: You know I try to click to get to the very latest ones as they come in. And they come in and they're like I'm clicking on one and five more comes in. I click on another, then five more comes in. So I'm kind of getting a little behind here.

But the "Question of the Day" was should there be and is should there be a National Catastrophe Fund? Be able to spread the cost out from Maine to Minnesota, all the way down even into Colorado, for things that might happen a little closer to home.

Maryann Costello (ph) in Sandusky. I don't think it's any relation to you.

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: Do you have any relation in Sandusky -- Carol?

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: Here we go again, tax the poor. How can I, living close to Toledo in a $50,000 home, contribute to the insurance of a million- dollar home that are -- million-dollar homes that are routinely destroyed and rebuilt on the Atlantic and the Gulf Coast?

And from Maher (ph), if we make a national fund for disasters, can we use it in Michigan up here to cover the cost of heating bills that we're going to have in the winter? Car insurance premiums are based on driving likelihood, so insurance premiums should be based on disaster history and likelihood.

And no name on this one, but I think people that live in these areas should expect to pay higher premiums. Would a corvette owner expect to pay the same insurance as a minivan owner?

And from Ashishia (ph), I think one nation under God says it all. We are a nation that should support one another, especially in situations where nature decides who gets the brunt of a disaster and who doesn't. I'm sure that there are some that will resent that. But the reality is that there are not many places in the U.S. that are not prone to some type of natural disaster. And in these days after 9/11, unnatural disasters, too -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Now see, that brought up a whole new level in the argument. And, plus, a lot of the people who live along the coast are not wealthy. In fairness, a lot of them have very little, so should they be helped?

MYERS: There was a six block area, and in many areas, Carol, longer than that, from the ocean all the way inland, where people, like you said, don't exactly have a lot of money. Sure, the oceanfront houses are bigger and they have -- they, you know, those people probably have money or you couldn't afford that lot. But a lot of people that were not on the oceanfront that are just the working class got destroyed as well. That's the hard part. COSTELLO: Yes, but I think those people who build those million- dollar homes, that's the rub here for most of our viewers this morning.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: And we are going to talk to someone from Allstate in the next hour, so we'll be talking much more about this. And the e- mails are still coming.

MYERS: I'm sure they are.

COSTELLO: Yes, they are.

Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: First responders had put the Bush administration on notice even before Katrina struck. Emergency personnel warned the administration that their training and equipment was tilting too much toward fighting terrorism rather than natural disaster. The focus shifted when FEMA joined the giant 22-agency Homeland Security Department in March of 2003. And first responders raised their complaints this summer. It's still too soon to know if the change contributed to the slow federal response to Katrina.

One of America's most energetic and colorful cities laid waste. Coming up, after the wind and the flood comes the cleanup. But what, if anything, can be done to save New Orleans?

Also, stuck in the hurricane zone with nothing, including the ability to hear. The struggle for the deaf evacuees is ahead.

But first here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Almost 3,000 members of a National Guard unit from New Orleans are due to return from Iraq this week. Some have lost their homes and perhaps members of their families to Hurricane Katrina. The Army is making special plans to help them cope.

And here to talk with us about that is Maj. John Wells. He's now in Baghdad, but he calls New Orleans home.

Good morning -- Maj. Wells.

MAJ. JOHN WELLS, 256TH BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Have you heard from your family?

WELLS: I sure have. I've been in touch with my wife and with my immediate family just right after the hurricane, so I know they're all safe. COSTELLO: How did they get out?

WELLS: My wife evacuated the day before the hurricane and went to stay with my sister who lives outside of the immediately affected area.

COSTELLO: What about your house?

WELLS: At this point I don't know. I'm assuming there's some extensive flooding and damage, because when the levee broke, one of the neighborhoods that water went through is the Midcity (ph) neighborhood where my house is.

COSTELLO: How did you first get word that a major storm was approaching New Orleans? Was the e-mail flying?

WELLS: Actually, one of the things we do here is continuous weather updates, and of course we focus on the Baghdad area, but we always check to see how the weather back home is. So, as we were checking, we realized about four days out that it was very likely the storm was going to hit New Orleans.

COSTELLO: Were you able to get in touch with your wife before the storm hit to see what she was going to do?

WELLS: Definitely. We talked and she told me what her plan was and she told me the things that she was taking with her, too. You know the irreplaceable documents and pictures and things like that that she was going to take with her.

COSTELLO: I know that you'll be coming home soon.

WELLS: Yes, we're looking very much forward to getting home.

COSTELLO: When will that happen?

WELLS: Right now they're coordinating all the flights to get us home. And probably within the next two weeks the bulk of the brigade will be home.

COSTELLO: And I know some members of the brigade are actually going to go into New Orleans to help deal with all of the problems there and some are not. Am I correct?

WELLS: That is correct. At this time there's a plan for those that have to just get home and take care of family to do so. And those that want to stay and help will also be able to do that as well.

COSTELLO: What are your plans -- Major?

WELLS: Well, my plans are to get home immediately. The first thing I want to do is of course see my wife and family. And after a little break, I'll be ready for whatever capacity they need me to help out.

COSTELLO: Have you been able to see any of the images of what's been going on in New Orleans in Baghdad?

WELLS: Certainly. We get the news here, so we've been able to watch that, as well as recently the postings on the Internet of by neighborhood. People have been taking pictures is helping some individuals find out exactly what their immediate area of New Orleans looks like.

COSTELLO: So in the early days of this catastrophe, as you looked at the pictures being from New Orleans, having a house there and a family, what went through your mind?

WELLS: First, just so grateful that my wife got out, because I know there are many people whose families could not get out. And we still have a handful of soldiers that still don't know, have not been able to reach their families. So I was just grateful that my family was safe. And you know a little bit a sense of loss for the house. But in thinking about it more, it was just stuff that can be replaced. And knowing that the family was fine was the key thought in my mind.

COSTELLO: Knowing that parts of New Orleans may never be salvageable, knowing that parts of it were 80 percent underwater at times and that the city or the large majority of the city won't be fixed until six months, I don't know, that's got to hurt.

WELLS: Well funny you mention that, because one of the things I was looking forward to the most was just getting back and that was -- I had a plan to rediscover my city and go to all the places that I've been to before but had been missing so much since I've been here. Now that plan will just be put off a little bit.

But New Orleans is such a wonderful city because of the people there that I know it will come back. And it will probably be a little bit different than it was before, but the city has always changed with the population and I know that it'll just continue to be a unique city.

COSTELLO: Major Wells, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning, we appreciate it.

Major Wells reporting for us, actually, in an interview live from Baghdad. Thanks to Major Wells.

Imagine trying to survive a hurricane when you're unable to hear. Just ahead, an incredible story of hope and survival that lands some special evacuees in San Antonio.

And don't forget our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should there be a National Catastrophe Fund? We want to hear from you this morning, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The impact of Hurricane Katrina is overwhelming to anyone who lived through it, but the deaf are among the most vulnerable. Like everybody else, many deaf hurricane victims were evacuated to Texas. Leila Walsh of our San Antonio affiliate WOAI reports on one man's ordeal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEILA WALSH, WOAI-TV REPORTER (voice-over): It wasn't the wind, the rescue helicopters or the calls for help that woke up George Taylor. He couldn't hear any of those things. George got up when he felt the cold water creeping up the side of his bed.

GEORGE TAYLOR, DEAF EVACUEE: And we would go up in the roof, I broke through the ceiling to the roof and then we had to lift the ceiling through. And I was using these sheets, the bed sheets and the bed had to rearrange everything to climb up to the roof of my house.

WALSH: On top of the building, he kept waiving his arms. Help never came.

TAYLOR: So I took the wood and other things and made a makeshift raft to get my family out.

WALSH: He didn't know where to go, where to get help. Even when people gave him written directions, George couldn't understand.

(on camera): How much more comfortable is that?

TAYLOR: Well it was (INAUDIBLE).

WALSH (voice-over): Eventually he was rescued from the I-10 bridge over the Mississippi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's to hometown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New Orleans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New Orleans.

WALSH: There are nearly a hundred evacuees who are deaf here in San Antonio. Like so many, they too are looking for relatives.

TAYLOR: Felix Guedimin (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That was Leila Walsh of our San Antonio affiliate WOAI reporting.

Hurricane Katrina survivors have been evacuated to some 30 states.

It's time to read more e-mail because we're getting so darn many of them this morning.

MYERS: Yes, one from Mary (ph) here. It says in response to the idea that American people should have to pay higher insurance premiums to help disaster victims rebuild property in disaster-prone areas, I say absolutely not.

Our "Question of the Day," should there be a National Catastrophe Fund?

Let's face reality, Mary says, most Americans would love to live in or close to the beach but can only hope to afford a weekly rental once in a while in these expensive areas. Beachfront property is unattainable to most and only accessible to the more wealthy. Why should my already strained budget be drained further to assist rebuilding for the wealthy. We just cannot afford to stretch our budgets any further.

From Henry (ph) in New Jersey, what, another fund like Social Security for politicians to misuse. No thank you. Besides, why encourage more people to build in dangerous places.

And Jimmy (ph) in West Hollywood, California, maybe he sums it up pretty well, isn't that why we pay taxes -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Good point.

Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: The next hour of DAYBREAK starts in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is Tuesday, September 6.

New Orleans is a bit less flooded this morning. Authorities are starting to pump water out of New Orleans and they're trying to pump hope for a recovery back in.

Also, miles and miles of debris, whole communities wiped out. What will it take for coastal Mississippi to rebuild?

And they've lost their homes, they've lost their city and now they live in a football stadium, are they better off? A former first lady says they might be.

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