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CNN Live Sunday

New Orleans Evacuation No Longer Mandatory?; 9/11 Remembrance Across U.S.; Hurricane Ophelia Sits off Carolina Coast

Aired September 11, 2005 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Two major stories developing this hour. America remembers that day four years ago when terrorist attacks changed the consciousness of the nation and its people.
Plus nearly two weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the U.S. Coast Guard rescues more people stranded in New Orleans.

Good afternoon, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And this is a special edition of CNN LIVE SUNDAY, the 11th day of September.

Our live coverage this hour takes us to New Orleans, a city in recovery. Dan Simon is in the heart of the city. Also, New York, a city that can't forget, Mary Snow has live coverage from ground zero, remembering 9/11. And Sibila Vargas is with the Dalai Lama in Sun Valley, Idaho.

We begin in New Orleans where the search for survivors of Hurricane Katrina continues. Bodies are being recovered and the city's regeneration is well under way. CNN's Ed Lavandera is traveling with the U.S. Coast Guard and joins us on the telephone -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, you might be hearing me. I am onboard an air boat traveling through the streets of New Orleans. And we are trying -- we are going house-to-house essentially, trying to search for any signs of life with soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the U.S. Coast Guard.

It has been kind of a slow process. You are going to lose me here for a second, we are trying to power out of some trees and power lines that the boat has gotten tangled into. But we have brushed it through that.

We've also been to the Lindy Boggs Medical Center, which is along on North Jeff Davis Street, near downtown New Orleans where these soldiers and Coast Guard members were tasked with double-checking various hospitals for any signs of either life or bodies that might need to be recovered.

Part of the process that these groups are now going through is trying to identify locations where bodies might still be found on the streets of New Orleans, because now that is -- a major concern is making sure those bodies are found quickly and taken care of. So they are reporting back to where those bodies are found. We have also rescued one gentleman from his house this morning. But a lot of what these soldiers and Coast Guardsmen have to do is basically persuade a lot of people to leave their homes. At this point everyone pretty much left in the city of New Orleans is -- requires a lot of convincing to be able to leave their property behind.

So we have seen firsthand over the last couple of hours how these soldiers and members of the Coast Guard essentially have to negotiate with the people who are behind in the houses and tell them that staying there is not beneficial to them, that their -- if they would just jump on the boat they would be taken to a safer place.

We have been able to transmit live pictures from these boats. But we are a little bit out of range right now. So as we get closer back to where we are able to transmit, we will be able bring those live pictures to you as we move down these streets. It's an amazing site -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Ed, you explained that members of the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the U.S. Coast Guard are trying to persuade some of those hold-outs. So what are those residents saying in response to this kind of persuasion?

LAVANDERA: Well, you know, they say that there are a lot of people who are just afraid to leave their homes behind, that they feel safe there, that they are not exactly sure that once they get on the boat what lies ahead for them. They are not convinced that they are going to be taken to a place where they would want to be, that in the end they would much rather be in their house.

The one gentleman we rescued this morning said that he could have gone another three weeks, he had plenty of food and water there, but finally, it was the persuasion of the soldiers that had shown up on the front porch that convinced him to leave.

He was afraid that he was going to be taken to some far away place, somewhere far from New Orleans, and that's not what he wanted. He would have preferred to have stayed in his house that was surrounded by six feet of water. So that's what the soldiers and members of the Coast Guard are faced we here as the last remaining people of New Orleans remain behind.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Lavandera, thanks so much for joining us on the television, as you continue to travel with members of the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, through the streets of New Orleans.

Well, Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans is now open for cargo traffic. And the airport director says very limited passenger service will begin on Tuesday.

Cleanup is under way all across the city. CNN's Dan Simon joins us live now with an update from where you are -- Dan.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, first of all, I want to pick up on something that Ed was talking about in terms of what's going to happen with these remaining holdouts.

We are getting indication that there could be a shift in terms of policy in how you go about getting those residents out of their homes. There's been wide speculation that the police department might have to use force to get these folks out of their homes.

But I just spoke to a woman about 10 minutes ago, she lives near the French Quarter. She says police came to her house today and told her, in no uncertain terms, that we are not, we are not going to forcibly remove you from your house but we want you to be aware that there is a security risk here and that there is a health risk, but we are not going to forcibly remove you and we're not going to bother you anymore. So that would mark a radical shift in terms of how the police department is going to approach these holdouts.

Now as you mentioned, we've been following the cleanup crews all day long, we were just about a block from here in Jackson Park and we saw some of those folks clearing away the debris. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a ghost town. Nobody here. It's like a movie. Something you've never seen before. So we are glad to be here to help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: Well, it's definitely like a ghost town. All the stores are empty, all the businesses. And, Fredricka, an interesting development here, I called the New Orleans Police Department to get a clarification in terms of the policy in terms of what's going to happen with the holdouts, that public information officer referred me to the city attorney's office, and I left a voicemail but have not heard back -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Meantime then as the residents feel like they are getting kind of mixed messages now, what about provisions for some of those holdouts who have decided they want to stay? We heard Ed talk about one gentleman who said he still had enough provisions for at least another three weeks. What about for some of the other folks that you are coming across?

SIMON: Well, it was interesting in talking with this woman. She told me that the police department told her that we know that we have given you food and water in the past to get by, but now that may come to an end, so we want you to know that you are here at your own risk, there may not be any more food and water for you, so we strongly suggest that you leave your home and you leave you leave your home now, but we will not forcibly remove you from your house.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dan Simon, thank you so much for that update.

Well, when you are away from your television set, you can log onto our Website for up-to-the-minute coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The address is cnn.com/katrina. WHITFIELD: This is no ordinary Sunday as Americans across the country mark the fourth anniversary of 9/11, the day nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Two thousand seven hundred forty-nine of those victims died in New York when terrorists crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center towers.

Today the victims' family members walked to a memorial pool at the site of the attack, the names of their loved ones were read aloud during an emotional ceremony at ground zero. New York firefighters and police officers who were helping with the hurricane recovery efforts in Louisiana held commemoration services of their own. Many of those killed at the World Trade Center were first responders trying to get people out of the burning buildings.

In Washington, D.C., President Bush and Vice President Cheney observed a moment of silence at the White House, other ceremonies were held in Washington in memory of the 184 who people died when terrorists crashed a plane into the Pentagon.

It's a difficult day for all Americans, but for the people who were personally and directly affected by 9/11, the people who lost family and friends in the attacks, the anniversary can be especially painful. CNN's national correspondent Mary Snow is at ground zero in New York -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it was a very emotional and somber ceremony here at ground zero, as you can imagine, lasting about four-and-a-half hours today. As you mentioned, family members of victims were here, siblings ready the names of each victims one by one.

This is a day about remembering and already some families are working on a more permanent more permanent memorial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): September is a difficult month for Michael Kuo. It brings him back to ground zero, the place where his father Fred was killed four years ago, the place where he hopes to preserve his father's memory.

EDWARD KUO, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: When I'm home, I'm there for my mom, and then when I get the feeling that she's spooked by my presence because of how much I resemble him, it's something that I kind of wish that I didn't have because I think that it hurts her.

SNOW: Kuo is among the first 100 9/11 families recording oral histories at a story booth at the Trade Center train station, recordings to be a part of a permanent memorial.

As Kuo talks to an interviewer, he recalls simple things, the feel of his father's stubble, driving with him in a station wagon, and how he showed affection for his mother.

KUO: My dad, when we were driving in the car, he would always like put his hand on her knee.

SNOW: At times, Kuo has to stop, but he felt it was important to finish.

KUO: I have met a lot of people that have come here to the city to talk to family members like myself or just to express their kind of sympathy for us and to share. Every time somebody opens themselves up to me, I feel like a richer person because of this.

SNOW: The brainchild behind this project is documentary maker Dave Isay (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The microphone gives people the license to talk about things they might not be comfortable talking about.

SNOW: 9/11 survivors and first responders are also telling their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Father James Hayes (ph), I am 56 years old.

SNOW: Hayes is a priest in a Lower Manhattan church, just blocks from ground zero. The day of the attacks, he went to help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This I believe is a police officer, yelled in his booming voice, "the tower is coming down." And it was almost as if time stopped.

SNOW: As the first twin tower collapsed, the huge cloud of dust and debris barreled towards him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just literally dove like a baseball player heading for home plate underneath the front part of a car and just -- as all that stuff came down.

SNOW: Afterwards, Hayes spent weeks at the site morgue blessing victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To see the body parts, and see what -- and then try to understand that human beings did this to other human beings, it's like totally incomprehensible.

SNOW: Four years later he still struggles with what he witnessed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus says to forget. I am not there, yet. I am not there, yet. If there's any sense of forgiveness, it takes away from the pain.

SNOW: A pain these story tellers want us never to forget.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And right now, those recordings are a part of a permanent memorial here at ground zero today. Most people have left the site. There are still some people at the site where the towers once stood, there are two small pools of water, right now family members leaving flowers to remember those who died.

And you may be able to hear those loud motors behind me. There's also a long line of motorcycles snaking their way along the West Side of Manhattan. They did this last year as well on September 11th, just one of many tributes today being paid to those who were killed -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Mary Snow, thanks so much for that update from ground zero in Manhattan.

The Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama, is holding a spiritual service for the country on this fourth anniversary of 9/11. The event is expected to begin two hours from now in Sun Valley, Idaho. CNN's Sibila Vargas is in Sun Valley and joins us live -- Sibila.

SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, this certainly is an historic event. It's the first time that his holiness, the Dalai Lama, will be here in Sun Valley, Idaho. And if you just look around me, just to give you a scene-setter, this place is just pristine, it's surrounded by mountains.

People are starting to trickle in, there are about 10,000 people expected to come to this area, to hear the Dalai Lama speak. He will be speaking right there at the stage in front of me. He will be talking about September 11th, and he's going to be offering a prayer and a message of compassion and healing which right now the country really needs.

He will also take the opportunity to speak about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that that hurricane has left behind, so it definitely comes at a wonderful time, a time when we need some answers and a message of hope.

But I can tell you that the people out here are very excited to see him. Yesterday we got together with some children that they developed these kites for the Dalai Lama just to welcome his holiness to this area. We got to speak to some of them and it was very interesting because a lot of them didn't know who he was but because this is such a small town and there has been so much coverage and everybody is so excited to see the spiritual leader, they found out who he was and they were very inspired.

And some of the kids actually said that they are doing everything that they can, he has inspired them to help out with the victims of Hurricane Katrina. And they were counting their blessings.

Also interesting to note that Mr. Willie Nelson was also on hand. He had a concert yesterday and proceeds from that concert went to raise over $200,000 which went to the Tibetan Children's Fund. We got a chance to catch up with him on his tour bus. And he, like many celebrities, they really are drawn to the Dalai Lama.

And I asked him what it was like to meet him, this is what he to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIE NELSON, MUSICIAN: It's like meeting an old friend, you know. He's a great personality, a good sense of humor, and loves to talk and loves to laugh.

VARGAS: Did he give you any words of wisdom?

NELSON: No, not really. That's a picture of he and I together there, you know, today. So it's just -- yes.

VARGAS: You guys look like you had a lot of fun.

NELSON: We were -- yes, we laughed a lot. I think that's why everybody else likes him so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: And that certainly is quite a statement because if you really think about the Dalai Lama, you would certainly think about celebrities. I mean, you think of Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, staunch supporters of him. But just to give you an idea of some of the celebrities that will be here today, or who are expected to be here, it's reported that Lance Armstrong has already arrived, Meg Ryan, Robin Williams, reportedly Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz are supposed to be here, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, just to name a few.

But just to give an idea, in this area there are listed about 200 Buddhists. So it's not really about the Buddhist message. It just goes to show you that his message -- the Dalai Lama's message, really transcends any kind of religious background. It is a universal message and I think at this time when we are celebrating the fourth anniversary of the September 11th attacks and also dealing with the horrible devastation of Hurricane Katrina, it's just -- it's perfect. Fredrick, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sibila Vargas, thanks so much, from Sun Valley, Idaho.

Well, tonight the Dalai Lama talks to Larry King about coping in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He will be talking to "LARRY KING LIVE" and he will also be taking in your calls live, that's tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

The attack on 9/11 has defined the presidency of George W. Bush. Next on this special edition of CNN LIVE SUNDAY, we take you to Washington where Mr. Bush pays tribute to the victims of that tragic day in September.

Plus -- first there were not enough, now New Orleans is overrun with officers of the law. How much is too much?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It has been a solemn day of remembrance in the nation's capital. Four years ago today 184 people died when terrorists flew a commercial airliner into the Pentagon. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken joins us live from the White House to talk about that and the swirling controversy over federal support for hurricane-plagued New Orleans.

But first let's talk about the day of remembrance of 9/11.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDNET: Well, it marks, in addition to the national tragedy, what many consider to be the finest moments of the Bush presidency and President Bush was on the South Lawn of the White House this morning, leading the nation in a minute of silent tribute to those who were lost on September 11th, which occurred just four years ago.

But two weeks ago, Hurricane Katrina hit and now the president is under withering criticism, criticism for the reaction or lack of reaction to Hurricane Katrina, which is now considered to be a real threat to the legacy of President Bush.

There are new polls that show that his approval rating has fallen as far as 38 percent. That's in the Newsweek poll. With a huge portion of the American people blaming the president for what occurred and the problems that occurred in Hurricane Katrina.

The president is leaving in about an hour, going back to the region for a repeated trip down there. This one he's staying overnight on a ship that is docked outside New Orleans. He will have events here tonight and tomorrow before he comes back to Washington and deals with what has been continuing to be relentless criticism.

The White House continues to keep saying that it doesn't want to play this blame game but a lot of people are blaming the president for what they considered an unsatisfactory performance in the Gulf region -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Bob Franken at the White House, thanks so much.

Well, there are signs of recovery in Louisiana despite the criticism that's swirling around that state as well as in the nation's capitol. The "all clear" goes out in one flood-ravage parish. We will talk to an officer of that town.

Plus tracking Hurricane Ophelia, meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has the absolute latest when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You are looking at a live picture of downtown New Orleans, nearly two weeks after Katrina left this watery devastation. And now an update on Hurricane Ophelia off the Atlantic coast. Let's check with Jacqui Jeras who is in the weather center -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Fredricka, we have been watching this one for about a week now. It's just been sitting there and spinning. And believe it or not, over the past 24 hours, it's only moved 30 miles. In essence it's still stationary today, about 260 miles away from Charleston, South Carolina. It's packing winds still at 80 miles per hour, that has been holding steady for at least 24 hours, as well.

If you are on the coast today, if you're at the beaches in the Carolinas, down across Georgia, even into Virginia, really the only thing that lets you know that this hurricane is out there is the rough surf. These outer bands are not making their way onshore. The air is very dry in place here across the U.S. And so we are not seeing any of this development.

Also most of the heavier rain is on the northern and on the eastern sides of the storm. Now, the wind is starting to pick up a little bit. There in Savannah, 12 miles per hour. Charleston reporting sustained winds at 21 miles per hour. As you head up towards Wilmington, about 25. And over towards Cape Hatteras, about 14 miles per hour.

So it's a little bit on the breezy side today as well. The hurricane watches have shifted a little bit since yesterday. If you haven't been watching at all yet this morning, from Edisto Beach, extending on up towards Cape Lookout. And we may also see a shift farther up to the north with this later on, maybe in the 5:00 advisory when that comes in.

Forecast track bringing is bringing it much closer to North Carolina now than South Carolina. There is still a good margin of error. Until we get those winds to start steering this thing, it's still kind of anyone's game, I think, for the Carolinas on up towards the Mid-Atlantic..

But right now it has slowed down and our best estimate is that it will likely make landfall overnight on Tuesday or possibly even into Wednesday. So a Category 1 storm, very little change. An intensification is expected but stay tuned with that track because it has been changing quite a bit. The models are looking, though, a lot better, Fredricka, than they have the last couple of days.

In fact, some of them have them just brushing the Carolina coast. And others keep it out to sea. So I am hoping for that option, though I am not crossing my fingers too much on that one. It could very well brush the outer banks -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still, you know, an awful lot of nervous folks along the coast there.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Jacqui.

Well, New Orleans officials asked for outside law enforcement help and they got them. The observation now, the city is nearly as inundated with armed forces as it is water. Is it a problem?

Plus insurance companies move in to help rebuild lower Mississippi. So just how much help can storm victims expect?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Frederick Whitfield. You're watching a special edition of CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

Mission critical: A look now at the latest on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the state of emergency continues in New Orleans and the population dwindles significantly. The city has been almost crime-free for the last four days. That word from police chief Eddie Compass. 200 people arrested in recent days are now being held in a makeshift jail.

Victims of Hurricane Katrina continue to receive a massive outpouring of food, water and other forms of relief. FEMA says it has paid $669 million nationwide to families affected by the disaster.

Some good news for parts of storm-battered Southeastern Louisiana, orders to boil water have now been lifted. State officials made the move after tests showed the water did not contain unsafe levels of bacteria.

The scope of the exodus from the region is becoming clearer. The Associated Press quotes Red Cross and state officials are saying that at least 374,000 evacuees are now in shelters, hotels, homes and in other facilities across 34 states and Washington, D.C. And in New Orleans, progress is being made in draining the city of all that standing water. 40 percent of New Orleans is still covered by floodwaters. That's down from 80 percent just a few days ago.

Authorities are not forcing New Orleans residents after all, to evacuate their homes if they refuse to leave, but there are relatively few people left that, at times appeared to be outnumbered by police and military personnel in the city. Drew Griffin has a report from the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The New Orleans PD needed help, and in small towns and major cities the cry was answered. But take a look at New Orleans today. On every street corner, every sidewalk, police, soldiers, private security guards and guns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of gun is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shotgun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a shotgun?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yep.

GRIFFIN: Police from every corner of the country out here to patrol mostly empty streets. The thugs that threatened New Orleans, these New Orleans S.W.A.T. officers came a back from a day's patrol empty handed.

(on camera): In fact, with so few thugs left in New Orleans, the biggest threat right now may be friendly fire.

JAMES BERNAZZANI, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: The unintended consequences of all these nobly intended law enforcement agencies bringing resources to New Orleans has created an atmosphere where we really don't know who is in town and who is doing what.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): The FBI's Jim Bernazzani says he doesn't know how many law enforcement officers are now on the city street. He and the New Orleans Police are scrambling to put together a joint operational command center, one that will make sure the flood of police into this town doesn't turn into a disaster of its own.

BERNAZZANI: Because God forbid, what we don't need is to have a police department patrolling one area of town that runs into another police department and they don't recognize each other as good guys.

GRIFFIN: What's not known just yet is when all of these out of town cops can go home. The beleaguered New Orleans Police must recover from a triple blow to its force. A third of its officers fled the city when the crisis hit, 85 percent of them live in areas of New Orleans hit by floods. And those tough officers that remain here are working to the point of exhaustion. So the out of town cops are a necessity, even if right now they seem to outnumber the civilians left in the city.

Drew Griffin, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The FBI has issued this statement. It says, quote, "the FBI wants to quash any rumors that the federal government is taking over the New Orleans Police Department. Its joint operations center, which will be up and running by tomorrow, will only help the New Orleans PD police its own city" end quote. That statement coming from the FBI.

Outside of New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish is one of the hardest hit areas. Today, some storm victims there are getting a first look at the damage. Major John Marie with the sheriff's office in Plaquemines Parish is with us now on the telephone. And major, what are they seeing when they get there?

JOHN MARIE, PLAQUEMINES PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE (via telephone): Well, they are seeing a lot of devastation and destruction, mainly from the wind damage in the upper north section of Plaquemines Parish. The south section south of Myrtle Grove -- and as you can see on the man, our parish spans over 100 miles of the Mississippi River on both the east and west banks. The areas south of Myrtle Grove are totally devastated and under water at this time.

WHITFIELD: The few officers who decided to stay when this storm came through, and all the residents that left the area, you all really kind of got in there and took care of matters on your own before even asking for any kind of state and federal help. In what capacity did you all take charge?

MARIE: I must say, this is an incredible story to say the least. Sheriff Jeff Hingel, who is the sheriff of Plaquemines Parish, what he did, he commissioned under the Emergency Act, he deputized about 100 individuals within the parish. And then he began seeking resources throughout the parish from the businesses and industries that we could obtain help from. And it's been absolutely incredible.

We were self-sustained on our own. And we didn't see FEMA until about six days. As a matter of fact, when the first FEMA representative came to the parish line, he was greeted by Sheriff Hingel who asked the FEMA representative where the hell have you been? And representative said, well, sir we didn't hear from you so we assumed that you were OK.

The problem is we didn't get communications back until two days ago. So, it's just been a nightmare down here. But I think that on all the plans of the government and everything going, they have not -- they have underestimated the human resolve, and how humans can get together without the assistance of government, band together and work very hard to rebuild their communities and build their neighborhoods back.

WHITFIELD: But do you think yours is a unique situation? Because there is still been a lot of criticism that is being lodged against the state and federal authorities that there are parishes that certainly have been needing outside help and they weren't able to get it when they needed it.

MARIE: Well, I really don't think it was a problem with the state of Louisiana. We have prepared for this major disaster, we have prepared for this for over 30 years since Hurricane Betsy hit. And we knew that a category three or stronger storm coming in from the east side could just devastate ourselves and the city of New Orleans.

WHITFIELD: Well, the expectation may have been there. But was the preparation there?

MARIE: Oh, we were absolutely ready. We were absolutely ready. And couldn't do any more than that. All we could do is the day before the storm hit, I personally took the sheriff and our parish president to all the major TV stations and radio stations in the city and we begged our residents to flee.

And all we could do after that was hold our borders. And make sure there that was no looting like they had in Orleans or Jefferson Parish, that we could keep up our parish safe until help would arrive. And then we could use our natural resources to start rebuilding.

WHITFIELD: So major, when you say you all were ready, meaning you were able to get an evacuation plan in place, you were able to get the majority of your residents out of harm's way, so that when it came down to responding post storm, it was mostly civil servants who were there to put generators in place, to try to pick up some of the trash, sort of get the parish back in order as best it could before you were allowing residents back in?

MARIE: That's absolutely correct. And what has been also incredible is the fact that those people who have come in today, there's a big welcome sign, "Welcome Back Home." And our trustees -- our jail trustees made the big sign at the foot of the Bellchase Bridge when people enter the parish. And to attest to the fact that we were able to get so many people out and our plan worked perfect, was the fact that so far we have only had three deaths attributed to the storm. And that's just remarkable for the things that are going on at Orleans, Jefferson and our poor devastated St. Bernard parish. They got hit the worst.

WHITFIELD: Major John Marie of Plaquemines Parish, the sheriff's department there, thank you so much for taking the time out and best wishes and good luck as you all move towards rebuilding your parish.

MARIE: Thank you very much. And I do have to say since we are on national television, that the New Mexico Air Force National Guard who came in has absolutely done a remarkable job. And they have just been every bit of assistance we could even ask for. And I want to nationally praise them.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much.

MARIE: Thank you, ma'am.

WHITFIELD: Well, the major mentioned Orleans Parish which didn't fair as well when it came down to being able to evacuate all of its citizens. But among the evacuees, was Alvaro Morales. He was living in New Orleans, had been for the past three years. He finally made his way out, making his way to Texas and then eventually Miami. He's joining us now from Miami to tell us about your harrowing experience. And you are telling about it both verbally and through some photographic images that you took along the way. Good to see you.

ALVARO MORALES, NEW ORLEANS EVACUEE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. You got the orders, just like everybody else that this hurricane was very serious, it was on the way, it was time to mobilize, get out, how did you respond?

MORALES: Well, I had to go to work at 6:00 in the morning that Sunday morning. The mandatory evacuation was actually not in place until 10:30 that morning. So, I never planned to get out because I actually had to go to work in the morning, just like a lot of us that had to go to work. So, I never planned to evacuate.

After the mandatory evacuation was in place, then the first thing I did was just plan how to ride out the storm. The Senesta (ph) Hotel where I actually worked offered to protect me throughout the storm. And that's where I stayed that night.

WHITFIELD: And so, we are looking at some pictures, still images right now, nighttime photos, everything from you being in, I guess, a safe place with what appeared to be a lantern on, the skyline. And now we are looking at, it appears the next day, or at least when you have sunlight to see what kind of damage has been done and the amount of water that is on the ground. What possessed you to take these pictures?

MORALES: Well, the first thing is that I have been taking these kind of pictures and uploading them onto my album to send them to my friends and family for quite sometime. This was to me not very different. I never, ever anticipated this to become such a large scale as it has become.

I rode out the storm. And then the very next day, I tried to document what happened after the storm. The people -- what people don't seem to realize is that there was a high degree of optimism right after the storm hit. It wasn't until Tuesday or maybe even Wednesday morning that I finally realized when the water started to rise that the city was technically changing -- I mean, literally and technically changing.

So I just grabbed my camera. Photography is a passion of mine. And I just decided to take as many pictures as I could. I never anticipated to be on CNN talking to you.

WHITFIELD: Well, we're glad you are able to talk with us and share your story.

So, a lot of these images don't just represent the structural damage that you witnessed, the streets that are flooded with water, but you showed people on so many different levels, whether it was working, whether it was surviving, whether it appears to be just traversing from one location to the next, did you get a chance to talk to any of the people that you were photographing to hear a bit more about their story?

MORALES: I actually got to talk to a lot of different people. As soon as I saw -- I would see a reporter or somebody with a press sign, I would follow them to see where they were going. I would follow policemen just to make sure that I was safe at all times. I tried to capture the city as it was happening at the moment. I never, never just wanted to focus on one thing, which was my whole point.

WHITFIELD: And so what was the span of time that you took these photographs before. You finally did make your way out of New Orleans onto Texas before making it to your grandmom's house in Miami.

MORALES: I arrived on Texas on Thursday night. And as soon as I crossed the Texas border, my cell phone, which was completely out of commission for three days, all of a sudden started receiving a huge amount of text messages. So the only way I could think of, of actually calling every single one and tell them that I was OK was to actually upload these pictures, tell them my story and send them on their way.

WHITFIELD: And so now they know the results of your journey, that you are OK and well enough to have been able to get to the studios in Miami to talk with us and share your stories. Thank you so much, Alvaro Morales. And continued luck as you try to make your way back to New Orleans. I understand you do want to move back.

MORALES: I do want to move back. I keep telling people that New Orleans is not destroyed, it's just temporarily out of commission. As soon as my beloved city that I call my second home is back, I am on my way back.

WHITFIELD: All right. Good to hear you being very hopeful. Thanks so much.

MORALES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, clean-up and recovery efforts are entering a second week. The storm flattened area faces some big hurdles as it works to rebuild. To Biloxi now and CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): These shrimp boats rode out Hurricane Katrina in a canal several miles away from here. The canal filled up with debris. The Coast Guard has now cleared it out so the canal out, so the boats could come in. On the boats, more than 100,000 pounds of refrigerated shrimp. Only problem, the dock and the factories that usually take in the shrimp are entirely destroyed.

There are five such factories right here in the Bay of Biloxi. One of the biggest shrimp ports in the Gulf Coast. One of the dock owners has arranged for trucks to pull up to the water's edge. And these people are preparing to take bags manually off the boats and put them into a truck. Usually it's done with a crane electronically.

It is a makeshift solution and it cannot possibly keep the dozens and dozens of shrimpers who live here in Biloxi in business, yet another consequence of Hurricane Katrina.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, Biloxi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: From Mississippi to Alabama and onto Louisiana now comes what some are calling the really hard part: rebuilding from scratch. So, how much help will storm victims get from insurance companies? That story next.

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WHITFIELD: Along the Gulf Coast the battle to recover after Hurricane Katrina is really just beginning. Many displaced homeowners are starting to reach out to their insurance companies. Some are finding relief, others more headaches.

CNN's Chris Huntington met up with two sisters in Gautier, Mississippi who are trying to determine what coverage they will get.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Hurricane Katrina hit Gautier, Mississippi, it ripped apart this house, the home of 88-year-old Florence McGlamrock and her 83-year-old sister Grace Bush.

GRACE BUSH, HOMEOWNER: I could have surf boarded those waves. It was an ocean. HUNTINGTON: Grace is talking to Anna Eeten, a catastrophe claims adjuster for State Farm Insurance, the biggest insurer in the states hit by Hurricane Katrina.

ANNA EETEN, STATE FARM INSURANCE: Your wind policy will come into play as well as the flood policy.

HUNTINGTON: That's crucial. Determining how much damage was caused by the storm surge will have a huge impact on the pay out, because homeowners insurance typically covers damage from wind, but not from flooding.

EETEN: Out of curiosity, where was the tractor before it ended up here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tractor was stored under the deck where the rain would not get on it.

HUNTINGTON: This might look like a total write-off, but Eaton can not jumped to conclusion and must record the details of the destruction and what she thinks caused it.

EETEN: You start piece it together and put it back together.

HUNTINGTON: The sisters knew Katrina was coming, and that their neighbors were evacuating. But they insisted on staying along with Florence's son Wayne and his wife Julie.

BUSH: We thought well this house is strong enough to withstand anything that it would throw at us.

HUNTINGTON (on camera): This house was built in 1977, so it's essentially modern construction. The floor sits about 20 feet above the normal level of Mississippi Sound, which is about 500 yards that way through a bayou. During Hurricane Katrina, the water level reached about here. And what the water and waves didn't rip out, the wind did.

(voice-over): With their wooden house no match for Katrina, they fled to the brick house across the street left vacant by neighbors already long gone. From a second story window, they watched Katrina shred their house.

(on camera): And so there you just watched pieces flying off your house.

BUSH: Yes. Yes. Of course by then it was getting dark, nighttime.

(CROSSTALK)

HUNTINGTON: Grace and Florence did ignore the calls to evacuate, but they had bought flood insurance in addition to their regular homeowners' policy. The vast majority of Katrina's victims did not have it. The federal government provides flood insurance but with hard caps on the payout: $250,000 on the house and $100,000 for the contents. And the government relies on insurance companies to determine the cause of the damage.

State Farm could take weeks to assess, and it may limit their payout.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say the vast majority of the damages here are caused by flood.

HUNTINGTON: But there is no doubt that Katrina robbed Grace and Florence of their possessions. But that, Eeten cuts them a good sized check, the exact amount of which she could not disclose.

(on camera): Do you think you will rebuild on this site?

BUSH: I think so.

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): Just how much they'll have to rebuild depends on State Farm's decision about wind and water.

Chris Huntington, CNN, Gautier, Mississippi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: 9/11 four years later, those terrorist attacks lead to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. When we come back, American forces in Kabul remember that tragic day.

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WHITFIELD: U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan are honoring those who died in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Many attended a somber memorial service in Kabul this morning. A general speaking at the ceremony said that tragic September day became, quote, "battle cry for many Americans to enlist, to serve their country."

CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports those who could not attend the service also had 9/11 in their hearts and minds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An American soldier sings the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the 9/11 ceremony in Afghanistan, you know it coming from the heart. Soldiers missed the 9/11 ceremony know they have a job to do. Soldiers like squad leader Derek Justice (ph) and his men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big clump of red right here. The road's OK to drive on, but if you go anywhere off the road, you run the risk of hitting something.

CHILCOTE: Narrow streets into crowded villages, Alaska's 164th Military Police are scoping out the sites they fear Afghanistan's insurgents will target next. (on camera): The soldiers from this squad have spent the last month going from one polling station like this to another making sure they know exactly where these polling stations are just in case there's trouble next weekend when Afghanistan holds its first parliamentary elections in more than 30 years.

(voice-over): They have to find all of the polling stations in their area, evaluate their security, develop ways to evacuate casualties in case of an attack. Today's hunt ends after the soldiers find the fourth and final polling station on today's checklist.

The soldiers didn't see any Taliban or al Qaeda on the mission, but Justice is undeterred. The point is to deny terrorists a safe haven.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, just us driving around every day, day in, and day out is enough deterrence for a lot of what goes on around here.

CHILCOTE: Back at the ceremony, the soldiers who could attend were reminded of what went down four years ago on September 11, sent back to work to finish a war.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Bagrum Air Base (ph), Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHTIFIELD: Hurricane Katrina is has inspired a lot of people around the world to open their hearts. Take radio talk show host Ed Schultz, for instance. He started a nationwide adopt a family program. Ed Schultz joins us live next hour here on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

Also at the top of the hour, a briefing from FEMA officials out of Baton Rouge.

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