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Nancy Grace

NANCY GRACE for September 21, 2005, CNNHN

Aired September 21, 2005 - 20:00   ET

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

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, Hurricane Rita, category 5, headed like a locomotive straight toward the Southland. Is New Orleans in danger? Will the levees hold? And this time, can we avoid the horrific results and legal nightmares of Katrina?
Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight.

Tonight, help us find a missing Florida girl, Erin Nembhard. Police say she left her bedroom five days ago with a convicted sex offender. She met him over the Internet.

But first, breaking news tonight. Legal state of emergency, Texas, Louisiana. Highly dangerous category 5 Hurricane Rita threatens to plow through the Southland. Winds? Up to 165 mph. The city still on its knees following Hurricane Katrina.

Tonight, straight out to senior meteorologist with Accuweather Jim Kosek. Jim, what`s the status of Rita?

JIM KOSEK, SENIOR METEOROLOGIST, ACCUWEATHER: Well, Nancy, this thing has been strengthening dramatically just over the past several hours here, and I would argue that it has at least 180 miles an hour for the sustained winds. Next advisory from the Hurricane Center will be coming out shortly, but just based on pressure, we think this thing is going to be in the top three in terms of overall strongest hurricanes, based on pressure.

Now, it`s very, very beautiful to look at, in terms of a bird`s-eye view, but deadly to be in its path and underneath it at this point in time. Keep in mind, 888 is the all-time record in terms of pressure. That was Gilbert back in 1988. There was a Labor Day hurricane in 1935 that caught the Keys. This one is just behind that, and it is, most certainly, Hurricane Rita. So as I mentioned, less than 920 millibars with ease. It`s 898, and winds are well in excess of 156, which is the lower end of a category 5 hurricane. If we could actually get to it a 6 or a 7, I would most certainly put it there. But this is the top end of the scale. It just doesn`t go any higher.

Now, this, interestingly enough, is the same place here, Nancy, where we saw Katrina go to its category 5 status before it was plowing off to the north/northeast. This is a scenario where it`s continuing to move off to the west. Once we get out of this very, very deep pool of warm water, the depth becomes more and more shallow as it heads toward the Texas coast.

At the same time, we`re going to be seeing some inner workings inside the core of the hurricane, where it will be going to what we call an eyewall replacement cycle. That tends to, at least in the short-term, weaken the hurricane. We saw that with Katrina as it came down to a category 4 before landfall. This may certainly do the same thing.

Regardless of that, the steering (ph) flow takes it on into the Texas coast. I heard you mentioning, Is it a storm for New Orleans? Absolutely not! I can`t stress that enough! Now, will New Orleans get a couple thunderstorms on the northern flank of Rita? Yes. That could cause some problems, but this is not a levee-breaking, busting scenario. I`d be more concerned about Galveston Island, East Matagorda Bay, on in through (INAUDIBLE) Freeport and the massive, massive port that eventually leads on into Houston.

If we all remember, back in 1961 -- and maybe you even want to read up on it if you weren`t around back then -- a category 4 hurricane named Carla breached the seawall in Galveston, and we had 100-mile-an-hour winds all the way on into Houston. This one`s larger and more intense, and what we`re going to be looking at is flooding 250 to 500 miles inland, storm surge going a mile inland, sustained hurricane-force winds 50 to 100 miles.

And this is inland. This is just not for the coast. And depending upon where that exact track is going to be, we`re looking maybe 50, 60 miles downcoast of Galveston is going to tell (ph) the tape here in terms of damage in the billions of dollars because the population decreases dramatically once you get away from Brazoria (ph) County. Unfortunately here, Nancy, it`s a storm system that`s going to hold off until Friday.

GRACE: Well, we all learned what not to do during Hurricane Katrina. We`ll go straight back to Jim Kosek in just a moment, with Accuweather.

Here`s what the Houston mayor had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL WHITE, HOUSTON, TEXAS: There will not be enough government vehicles to go and evacuate everybody in the area. And we need the citizens, who are the first line of defense in neighbor caring for neighbor in this community, to do your job and to go out and to actively look for those who may need assistance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Back in 1900, the single worst hurricane, according to many, to hit the U.S. hit Galveston. Let`s go straight to Galveston, Texas. Standing by, CNN correspondent, Sean Callebs. Sean, what are the conditions like there?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they`ve changed a lot since 1900. You`re exactly right. That one hit I think it was September 8 back in 1900, so 105 years ago.

I just talked with the mayor. She said a lot has been done in that time. Of course, 6,000 people, at least, died. She told this horrific story about many of the bodies washed out to sea and then blew back in.

Now, what they`re dealing with right now -- very sobering looks on the faces of city officials. They are convinced that once this storm hits -- and she heard that the winds are going to be close to, perhaps as gusts, up to 190 miles an hour at this time. Now, the lower end of the island is not protected by a seawall. What the mayor told us is that`s going to be well under water, perhaps as much as 30 feet under water. The highest place on this island is 37 feet. So if the storm surge is as great as many models are predicting at this time, much of this island is simply going to be swamped. There is a 17-foot-high seawall.

So it depends on where this monster hits. If the eye slams directly into this area, there`s a very good chance this seawall is going to be breached and sea water`s just going to pour over this island. But of course, everybody`s anxiously watching to see where it`s going to hit.

I can tell you that coming in today, the traffic on 45, leading out of the area, was bumper to bumper for miles. People are taking this very seriously. They saw what happened in the Louisiana area, and they don`t want it to happen here. We talked to a number of people who said they are going to -- they are -- just get out of the area. Perhaps in the past, they would have tried to ride it out.

I know there are some people in a highrise not terribly far from here that do plan on staying in there. If those winds are...

GRACE: Holy moly!

CALLEBS: ... going to be as punishing as they say, it is going to be frightening.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: Haven`t they been watching Headline News? Didn`t they see Katrina?

Everybody, take a look at this. Elizabeth, hold that. Sean Callebs with us in Galveston. We`re going straight out to Anderson Cooper. Here are evacuation routes. Take a look.

Very quickly, to Anderson Cooper. Anderson, speaking of Katrina, many Katrina evacuees relocated to Texas. Now they`re going to be relocated again out of Texas because of Rita.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. In fact, we just had a man here who had come here because he had relatives here, from New Orleans. Now he is going to be evacuating. And as Sean said, the line is awfully long. But I mean, what these people have been through, to come here and then have to go again -- you know, the shelters are filling up. There may be as many as, you know, several hundred thousand people...

GRACE: OK, wait, wait, wait!

COOPER: ... who were relocated...

GRACE: Wait, Anderson! Something`s wrong with the picture, Elizabeth. I`m used to seeing Anderson horizontal, holding onto the side of a tree. Give me that shot of Anderson again. What the hey?

COOPER: Hey. Hey, I`m -- you know what? You can`t believe it. I mean, look at the sea. You have no sense that there is this killer storm out there, Nancy. And you know what? It`s interesting that you pointed out because it makes me think back to what it must have been like back in 1900, when the people here, you know, were lining the beach, September 8.

They had no idea of what was coming to get them, that there was this killer storm, and it must have just emerged out of nothing. They must have seen it on the horizon, and that thing just swept down. Who knew that death was going to come and visit them on that day? More than 8,000 people here died in Galveston back then.

They called it the 100-year storm back then. It`s now 105 years later, and what may be an even stronger storm is out there and about to hit Galveston again. But you get no sense of it right now, and that`s why -- that`s where you get these problems of people not evacuating because they look out and they think, You know what? How bad can it really be? And until you`ve been there, until you`ve been in it, you know, it`s easy to kind of blow it off, Nancy.

GRACE: Back to Jim Kosek, senior meteorologist with Accuweather. Did you see Sean Callebs and see Anderson Cooper? It looks like they should kick back and put on some tanning lotion. Now, tell me how it is -- I was reading about Rita. A plane has actually driven over Rita, a reconnaissance plane, to determine how fast Rita`s coming?

KOSEK: Absolutely. And interestingly enough here, Nancy, these are prop planes. They`re very large planes, but nonetheless, it`s not a jet that goes in here. Amazingly, it just has to be an outright massive ride to go into one of these things. And the latest recon plane that flew in here, the Air Force hurricane hunters, within a five-minute stretch went from 20 miles an hour finding winds to 100 miles. The end result is what we have, at least at this point in time, with the category 5, 165 miles per hour for the sustained winds. That`s the latest report. But you know, we here at Accuweather.com honestly believe it`s at least packing 175, 180 for the sustained winds.

GRACE: Whoa! To Sean Callebs, standing by in Galveston. Is Galveston under a mandatory evacuation order?

CALLEBS: Yes, it is, and it has been. And I can tell you, people are taking it seriously. We`ve driven around here. The people who are staying basically are trying to board up and perhaps going to get out tomorrow, maybe early Friday. But virtually everybody we have talked to said, We`re not going to try and risk this.

Now, I did mention, when we followed some people who were actually evacuated from the Louisiana area, then a good Samaritan put them up in a highrise here -- we did a story with those people today. Now they`re being moved again. The two poor children are going to start their third school in three weeks. But while we were in there, we ran into about nine people who say they are going to stay in this highrise.

It is right on the seawall. I mean, it is right there. And we saw what winds did last year in Pensacola Beach. Anderson saw that firsthand. It just ate the front of that building off. We tried to tell these people, You really want to think about this. Talked to the emergency officials in this area. They`re doing everything they can to urge people. It`s interesting because a mandatory evacuation means they want you out. They want you out now. However, they can`t force you to leave, and that`s the rub.

GRACE: What about hospitals and nursing homes? I don`t want to learn the same St. Rita`s lesson all over again.

CALLEBS: Well, I can tell you -- I talked to David Mattingly just a short time ago, another of our CNN correspondents who is here, and he spent the day talking with folks, and he said that the people here, using his words, "learned their lesson" from what happened in the Louisiana area. And they are doing everything they can to get people who are disabled or bedridden or simply can`t get out of their house for economic reasons, perhaps don`t have a car -- but they are doing everything they can to try and reach all these people. We`ve heard sirens going up and down the tree- lined streets, where it looks so calm.

But inside, I can tell you, it is some controlled chaos. People are worried. They`ve seen just how powerful this storm is, and the recent memory of what the Katrina hurricane did to Louisiana area very, very, very sobering. I think that, as much as anything, is having a huge impact on the people in this area.

This little strip of barrier island here that is virtually unprotected, except for a 17-foot seawall -- we heard Anderson talk about the people back in 1900. They had no idea this was coming. Now, over the past 100 years, they`ve done a lot. They`ve actually raised the elevation of this city more than seven feet. And all the dirt that was pushed up is basically holding that seawall back. So they`re doing what nature couldn`t do in trying to add some height to this barrier island. But there`s a good argument that people aren`t supposed to live on barrier islands because islands move.

GRACE: You know, Anderson cooper, after what you saw following Katrina, it`s amazing to me that some cities have done so much to protect themselves, like Sean Callebs just telling us, raising themselves up seven feet, where in New Orleans, they`ve known for years the levees couldn`t stand it.

COOPER: Yes. You know, it boils down to political leadership, in many of these cases. I mean, you had a local government, a state government in Louisiana, in New Orleans, which had been warned, which had been told. You had Max Mayfield, who you`ve talked to many times -- Max Mayfield personally called up the mayor of New Orleans on Saturday before the storm, just to impress upon him the -- you know, how strong this hurricane was going to be. Max Mayfield said it`s, I think, the only second time in his life he`s called up a politician to warn him personally what it was going to be like. And yet, you still had the leadership in New Orleans giving up an Amtrak train, 1,000-passenger Amtrak train -- Amtrak called up the mayor`s office, said, We`ve got a train that`s empty, it is leaving today from Saturday, it`s going to go to Macon, Mississippi. We can take 1,000 people. It could be 1,000 old people, 1,000 young people, doesn`t matter. We`ll take 1,000 people. The mayor`s office -- the man who runs the mayor`s office for emergency preparedness, a guy named Matthews, he passed on it. He said, No, it`s all right. Go ahead. The train left empty from New Orleans on Saturday, and we know people died because there weren`t buses. We know people died because there weren`t bus drivers, and we know people died because they were left for days and days and days in that convention center and in that Superdome, Nancy.

GRACE: When we get back, we`re going straight back to Anderson Cooper and Sean Callebs. They`re on the ground there in Galveston, Texas, with the latest. And I want to hear how this time will be different from Katrina.

Tonight, urgent Amber Alert in effect for two boys, Justin and Jonah Contero (ph), 9 and 18 months old. Police fear the two were kidnapped by the non-custodial mother. Repeat, she does not have custody. Police suspect she is mentally unstable and using drugs. The boys, last seen in Salem, Oregon, September 18, could be traveling towards Vancouver in a gray Audi, Oregon plate ZLT-982. If you have any information on Justin and Jonah Contero, please call the Salem police, 503-588-6050.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Welcome back. I`m Nancy Grace. Thank you for being with us.

Rita, the hurricane, headed toward Galveston. Very quickly, to Dr. Paul Kemp. He is an associate professor with the Coastal Ecology Institute, Louisiana State University. How does Rita compare to Katrina, and what will be the damage in Galveston if it hits, since it has now hit category 5?

PAUL KEMP, ASSOC. PROF., SCHOOL OF COAST AND ENVIRONMENT, LA STATE UNIV.: Well, it`s one of the super-storms, and the thing that we`re looking at in terms of storm surge -- that`s the modeling that we do -- is how wide will the radius get. If we get a storm that may not, perhaps, intensify, but could actually expand its radius, then we can expect to see a lot more storm surge. We just have a -- if you can imagine, a bigger arm pushing a wall of water up against the curve between Louisiana and Texas. That`s what we`re concerned about, is that radius growing.

GRACE: Let`s take a look at...

KEMP: We`re also concerned...

GRACE: Go ahead, sir.

KEMP: Yes, we`re also concerned about flooding on the back side of that island because that`s -- you have Galveston Bay back there, and a lot of the damage in the past has come from back-side surges.

GRACE: Elizabeth, if you could put up that hurricane route for us? There you see it. Very quickly -- keep that up, Elizabeth. I want to go back to Jim Kosek, senior meteorologist with Accuweather. Jim, now, you`re telling me New Orleans, no danger. But according to the Army Corps of Engineers, they could be looking at three inches in six hours, which means two to four feet of water in the streets. And do you really think those levees can hold four feet of water?

KOSEK: If we`re going to see that type of a scenario here, Nancy, it`s not going to be from a storm surge per se. It would have to be what we would call a training of thunderstorms. Like a train goes by on the tracks, it`s boxcar after boxcar after boxcar. So you`d have thunderstorm after thunderstorm after thunderstorm in the same location, equaling three inches of rain over a six-hour timeframe.

Now, during Carla, back in `61, New Orleans did pick up just over three inches worth of rainfall, but it was a little bit of a different type of a scenario here. We think this storm system most certainly will bring thunderstorms to New Orleans, but it may be more on the order of an inch or two. And while we are saying, Yes, there can be flooding in New Orleans, we don`t think it`s a scenario where all these levees are going to be damaged to a point where there`s going to be flooding that would equal Katrina.

GRACE: Now, Jim, no offense. I`m just a lawyer, all right? You`re the senior meteorologist. But Anderson Cooper, we never thought Katrina would happen. Remember what you told me? remember what you saw? The bodies, the problems, the levees, the flooding. You really think those levees can handle two to four feet of water?

COOPER: Well, I mean, I`ve talked to people in the city of New Orleans, the mayor`s office. You know, they are greatly concerned about the strength of those levees. I mean, what -- you know, I talked to Ivor van Heerden, a man who works at the LSU Hurricane Center. And what he said is, Look -- we flew over these levees with him just other day. He said it wasn`t a matter of the water just, you know, being higher than the levees, that in his opinion, this was catastrophic failure of these levees. They`re simply not built strong enough.

And given the weakness that they have already exhibited and given the temporary nature of some of these repairs, there`s real concerns about the strength of these levees in New Orleans, depending on how much flooding or storm surge there may be due to this storm.

GRACE: With me, Anderson Cooper, Sean Callebs, Jim Kosek and Dr. Paul Kemp. We`ll all be right back.

But very quickly, "Trial Tracking." Tonight, still no sign of missing 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth student Taylor Behl. Police focusing on Benjamin Fawley, the 38-year-old photographer who submitted pictures of Taylor to a Web site. Fawley deemed a person of interest at this time, not a suspect, has a rap sheet. It includes assault, trespassing, destruction of property.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM MORET, "INSIDE EDITION": Her car was recovered over the weekend, and today it was revealed that that car had stolen license plates. This person had those tags and then parked her car about a mile-and-a-half from where she normally parked it. It`s clear that there`s some premeditation here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: The single worst hurricane to ever hit this country, according to many, hit Galveston 105 years ago. Death toll, 6,000.

Straight out to Sean Callebs, standing by in Galveston. Sean, how many people do you think have already left the city?

CALLEBS: Well, I would say the lion`s share of them. I mean, I don`t know exactly. We`ve seen very few people here. I do know -- we talked to the city attorney a short while ago, within the last five minutes, and she says that the city evacuated 2,300 people out of retirement homes and out of hospital homes -- out of the hospital, as well, today. So they`ve done everything they can -- they think they can do to prevent the same kind of disaster that we saw unfold in the Louisiana area right after that hurricane blew through this area.

But in terms of guessing, it would simply be that. And we have seen very few people. We`ve seen a lot of businesses boarded up. And the lines leading out of here -- I mean, Anderson can attest that. He came in just a couple hours after we did, and they were miles and miles and miles long.

GRACE: Hey, Sean, how are people without cars getting out of the city? That`s what went wrong in New Orleans.

CALLEBS: Well, that`s one thing. They did make it available -- they tried to get word out as best as possible through radio, through other announcements today, that if you needed help getting out, to contact emergency numbers. There were phone numbers to call, and then they would try and provide transportation to get you out.

And it`s not just here in Galveston because we heard earlier in this program that they`re expecting winds that could top 100 miles an hour all the way, 50 miles up into Houston. So in other low-lying areas, they`re doing everything they can to try and get people out.

GRACE: Jim Kosek with Accuweather, I`ve only got 30 seconds left, then we`ll come back to you. But could Rita gather strength or weaken?

KOSEK: Well, I think it`s initially gathering strength, as well. The pressure`s been dropping like a brick just over the past couple of hours here -- actually, all day long. So it strengthens, then it weakens down the road.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LYDA ANN THOMAS, MAYOR OF GALVESTON, TX: We`ve announced all along that if you choose not to leave, that the city services that you`re accustomed to, like 9/11, fire -- the hospital is evacuating. So you are here and it`s at your risk that you stay here.

GRACE: The lesson learned from Katrina, very quickly to Sean Calebs, CNN correspondent, on the ground in Galveston.

What did the mayor say about flooding?

CALLEBS: I think that they`re painting a picture here of what could very well be a catastrophe. They`re talking about flooding on the south end of the island, where there isn`t a flood wall, above 28 feet, perhaps 35 feet. That`s above ground. So all the buildings in that area are just completely swamped.

Here, where the seawall is, they`re concerned that the sea could actually pour above it, and then what would happen, especially if the winds blew waves and just pushed it even higher, and then the surge hit.

So they are very concerned about that. If you just read the definition of a category 5 hurricane, it`s frightening. Massive structural failure, possibility of fatalities, and it`s just frightening. And that`s what this area is looking at at this point. The storm surge is just going to be punishing, almost all of this island could be underwater if you look at those models and if the weather forecasters are right.

GRACE: Question. After the hurricane in 1900, what has Galveston done to try to protect itself?

CALLEBS: Well, it really started over at ground zero because virtually all of the buildings here were destroyed. Firstly, it was such a traumatic event because it killed between 6,000 and 12,000, depending on who you talk to. So they were able to actually push the land on this island up. They raised the elevation at least seven feet. They build a flood wall, but it`s 17 feet high, and since then the island has done a pretty good job of protecting itself from nature. But they have never seen a hurricane like this.

The best guess back then in 1900, the winds were about 120 miles an hour. So think about 120 compared to what we`re hearing tonight, winds in excess of 175 miles an hour, if it stays that strong and if it does hit this area.

GRACE: Elizabeth, could you put up the full screen about how to keep your children safe?

Take photos, if evacuated send photos to family members. Given children correct ID to take with them. Have a plan -- have a plan if you`re separated during the evacuation.

We learned those lessons the hard way during Katrina.

Very quickly, back to Sean Calebs.

Sean, take a listen to what the Texas governor had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK PERRY, GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: I encourage coastal residents in a calm fashion to gather important documentation, secure their property to the best of their ability, fill up their gas tanks, pack water, nonperishable goods, flashlights, batteries, an adequate supply of medicine, study their local evacuation routes. Begin proceeding to more secure areas in an orderly, safe manner.

There is no need to panic. We have been preparing for this type of event for a number of years. We have run a great many training exercises for an even just such as this. We reevaluated and we have improved our hurricane preparedness plan after Florida was hit four times in one year. We`re doing everything that we can to prepare for this storm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: The top three category 5 hurricanes, Hurricane Andrew, `92; Hurricane Camille, `69; the Labor Day Hurricane, 1935.

To Dr. Paul Kemp with Louisiana State University, with the Coastal Ecology Institute, you know, Galveston is an island. Could the whole thing end up underwater after a cat. 5?

KEMP: There is no question. The question will be does it flood worse from the backside or the front side, and that`s going to depend on the dynamics of the storm as it approaches.

A lot of the flooding in the 1900 storm was from the backside, and a lot of people don`t think of it that way, but that`s often the way it is with a barrier island.

GRACE: Mary Snow is joining us, in New Orleans.

How are the New Orleans residents bracing for the storm -- Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Nancy, there is an mandatory evacuation here on the East Bank of New Orleans. I have to tell you, though, it`s hard to get a real number on just how many people are here.

I asked the mayor`s office that today, and they really didn`t have a firm number. I was over at the Convention Center, because people were told there was a staging area outside that Convention Center where people were told if you need transportation to get out of the city that there would be buses provided. And I have to tell you that not many people showed up, maybe 20 in all throughout the day.

And I talked to one gentleman who had stayed here during Katrina. He heard the mayor say there were mandatory evacuations. Another said police told him to leave and they say they`re not going to take any chances, and they got on those buses and left.

GRACE: Mary, can you believe, according to Anderson and Sean Calebs, there are people in high rises in Galveston that are going to wait out the category 5 hurricane headed toward them?

SNOW: Well, you know, when you talk to the people who live here, even the mayor said yesterday that he hoped that other cities, states and also federal government would learn lessons from Katrina because of the massive devastation here.

And, you know, this was a week where people were supposed to be reentering New Orleans. That plan was suspended, put on hold, and at this point, even if it does rain here and we get some effects from Rita, there still could be the threat of some flooding, and that`s why the mayor said he did not want to take any chances and that people should get out. So it`s kind of heard to believe that people, after seeing what happened here, would decide to ride it out.

GRACE: Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: By the time we have a better sense of where a catastrophic hurricane will make landfall, it is simply too late to begin a mass evacuation. Based on planning exercises and analysis, most coastal areas in Texas take 33 hours to fully evacuate. Coastal Texans should not wait until late Thursday or early Friday to leave. Traffic is most likely to be significantly heavier along the evacuation routes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: To Dr. Paul Kemp, Dr. Kemp, the disaster of Katrina put a lot of focus on the levee system around New Orleans, but aren`t there several towns in the Gulf Coast that have similar levee systems?

KEMP: Yes, we have -- actually, New Orleans has one of the better levee systems. Many of the towns on the West Bank have less protection and a lot of the places like Houma and the places that are closer to the border, Lake Charles, some of those places are very much in jeopardy if the story would make a last minute turn.

GRACE: Everybody, we`ve got an update on breaking news in California. A JetBlue airliner, faulty landing gear, heading for a emergency landing, you`re seeing live video of this at LA International Airport. It is flight 292, 139 passengers onboard. It left Bob Hope Airport in Burbank 3:17 p.m. It was headed for New York`s JFK.

The pilot`s reported landing gear indication, the light went on shortly after takeoff.

Breaking news. Everybody say a prayer for this flight.

Also, as you know, last night during our show, live, I got some very bad news, and I feel it is my duty to share it with you. Police believe they have discovered the body of 19-year-old Pamela Kinney (ph) near Apalachicola, Florida, between Appalachia St. Joe (ph). We`re still waiting for DNA confirmation from the lab, but recognized the clothes as Pam`s, according to police.

When Pamela disappeared August 14, her family found me on vacation, begged us to help find their girl. Night after night we showed you Pam`s picture. We didn`t find Pam fast enough and now that is left to do is to help solve the crime.

There is a $6,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this beautiful girl`s case, now an angel. If you have information on Pamela Kinney (ph), please Crime Stoppers. Help us. 850- 891-HELP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA MONAIR, PAMELA`S AUNT: She last saw her around 10:00 p.m. that night, and from there she walked, to go to walk home. She has not been seen since.

We have been getting leads that`s been leading up to a dead end. It is just -- everything we get back is just negative. It has been where we are just on a desperate search for her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: I still remember her aunt coming up to me and my family, asking for help.

On this note, Sunday, National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. We pay tribute to the thousands of people who have lost their lives and to their families, who continue to suffer. Vigils and memorials held across the country. To find out how to commemorate this day in your area, call POMC, National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, toll free, 888-818-7662 or go online, pomc.org.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: This is live video of a JetBlue airliner with faulty landing gear. It is headed for an emergency landing right now at LA International Airport. Flight 292, carrying 139 passengers. It left Bob Hope Airport in Burbank at 3:17 p.m. It was headed for New York`s JFK Airport. The pilots reported a landing gear indication light went on shortly after the takeoff.

You are seeing live video of this JetBlue flight, landing gear problem. They are heading for an emergency landing at LAX, Los Angeles Airport. We have our cameras trained on it, praying for a safe landing; 139 passengers aborad this JetBlue Airline.

Quickly to Michelle Callahan, psychologist. We have been through this before. Sometimes good results, sometimes bad. The family members right now watching this, right now, many of them probably don`t even know.

CALLAHAN: Exactly. They`re probably scared to death, wondering when is this going to happen and what is going to happen to their beloved loved ones.

GRACE: Everybody, we are showing you live video as it happens. This is a JetBlue Airliner, headed straight towards LAX. It was headed to JFK here in New York.

Elizabeth, could you show me that landing site again? OK, here we go. Everything is ready.

Michael Mazarella (ph), what is amazing to me is that we know right now what is going on and everybody is there prepared for a safe landing, God willing.

MAZARELLA (ph): Yeah, and I have faith in the pilot and copilot, Nancy. They practice this. They know what they`re doing. The emergency services are in order. Everyone is waiting for them to land. And they`re going to come home safe, Nancy, they really are.

GRACE: OK, live video of the JetBlue Airline. Elizabeth, keep that camera going so we can bring it to our viewers while we wait to hear good news about this emergency landing, 139 passengers aboard. This flight took off from Burbank this afternoon at Bob Hope Airport. Emergency touchdown, everyone. JetBlue Airlines.

As we wait to hear good news on that front, I want to quickly go to Florida and tell you about a missing girl.

Very quickly, let me go to Will Greenly with the "Port St. Lucie News."

Will, what can you tell me about Erin Nembhard?

WILL GREENLY, "PORT ST. LUCIE NEWS": Well, Erin Nembhard was last seen here in Port St. Lucie on Friday. She got into the car of a 21-year- old Miami man whom she had met on the Internet. That man took her, presumably to his house in Miami. And police have some evidence to suggest that some sexually inappropriate things happened between the two before the Miami man, Eduardo Navarez (ph), dropped her off with Coriel Whitty (ph), a 35-year-old sex offender.

Police just today arrested Whitty (ph) and Navarez (ph), but still they have not found Erin Nembhard.

GRACE: Very quickly, to Chief John Skinner. Haven`t there been certain confessions by these two adults?

JOHN SKINNER, POLICE CHIEF OF PORT ST. LUCIE: There has been some indication that they have had some inappropriate touching with Erin. However, at this point in time we have them on charges. We still -- our main priority right now is to find Erin, to locate Erin.

GRACE: I want to go to -- let me go quickly, chief, to Joy Nembhard. This is Erin`s mother.

How in the heck did she meet these two on the Internet?

JOY NEMBHARD, MISSING GIRL`S MOTHER: You know, I have no idea. I really don`t. But my main concern right now is to bring Erin home, and I`m pleading to anyone that has Erin out there to please turn her loose. Erin comes from a good home. Erin is just a typical American girl. She`s loving and we are here waiting for Erin, and we just want Erin to come home.

There are so much people here ready to love her. And I`m asking south Florida, every mother, every father, every dad, every sister, every brother, if you see my child, please call the Port St. Lucie police or any other officer, you know, that you can call. Please, I`m just asking you, just get in touch with the law, the authorities, and to bring my baby home. I just want my baby to come home and I`m pleading to anyone out there that has my baby, please turn her loose so she can come home to us, because we love her. We love her. Please just turn my baby loose.

And I just want to say to Erin, if you`re there and you can hear us, please, Erin, just come home to us. Come home to us, Erin, because we love you and we need you. OK, Erin? Come home. And if you see the police, Erin, please don`t run from them. They`re only trying to help you, honey. They won`t hurt you. They just want to take you back home safe, because we are waiting to just love you. We already love you, we just want to give you more and more love.

And your school and everyone are there just waiting to hold you in their arms, Erin. Please, Erin, if you can get to a phone or get to someone, get in touch with us, because we love you.

And my plea, to anyone that has my baby, please, I`m begging you, turn my baby loose. In the name of Jesus, turn my baby loose. I`m asking you to turn my baby loose.

GRACE: Joy, we want to show that tip line, very quickly. 1-800- 273-8477, 273-TIPS. There is a $1,000 reward for information on this girl. She is only 15 years old. No trouble out of her, ever, she is not a runaway.

Very quickly, chief, can you give me the latest? These guys, you`ve got them, couldn`t they tell you anything about here whereabouts?

SKINNER: One of the things we found out, Nancy, is that Erin was on the Internet, and it`s such a -- that`s the sexual predators` playground out there. And, you know, for all of us who have children -- I`m the father of two teens, you know, we just don`t understand the dangers that are out there.

Erin was on the Internet and like any teen, she had a rollercoaster emotional set, and she went down to Miami with an individual, and she`s been with a sexual offender. So that sexual offender is incarcerated right now and in jail and our main concern is we pray for the people of JetBlue, we pray for the people of Texas, as we pray for Joy and Erin, for her safe return, because that`s what it is all about right now.

But the FBI is involved, Metro Dad Police, they`re all involved right now.

GRACE: We`ll be right back with Erin`s mother and the latest on that JetBlue flight. Crime Stoppers, 1-800-273-8477. Help us bring Erin home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Breaking news. This JetBlue Airliner with landing gear problems has circles the LA area more than two hours, the pilots dumping fuel over the ocean, officials trying to determine how to make an emergency landing.

The pilot`s discovered the front wheel is turned sideways and stuck as they tried to retract the gear. One hundred thirty-nine passengers on that flight.

Very quickly, before we move on to another topic, to Mark Class (ph). We`ve told you about Erin Nimbhard`s case. What is your analysis?

CLASS (ph): Well, there are several things that can be done. We`re dealing with a kidnapper, the guy that took her from her home, this young girl, and we`re dealing with this registered sex offender who has committed a statutory rape against this girl. These guys are going no place. Check their phone records at home and their cell phone records. Check the hard drives. You want to up the reward. Carol`s Son (ph) foundation is very good for offering up front rewards for these kinds of things.

Get her picture into all of the teen shelters. Get her picture into all of the homeless shelters. Certainly this is something they can do.

GRACE: I`m going to quickly go back to Richard Harmon (ph). As we show you the video of the JetBlue plane, Richard, how can you find out if your loved one is on this plane?

HARMON (ph): Nancy, just like in other instances such as this, I expect JetBlue, which has a fine reputation, to establish a hotline for family members and loved ones to be able to call in and find out.

GRACE: The back landing gear on the plane also down as the plane continues to circle. It appeared to be in the correct position to start with. It`s flight 292 leaving Burbank, Bob Hope Airport, 3:17, headed to Kennedy in New York.

Airbus A320, dumping fuel over the Pacific to lighten the plane for emergency landing. One hundred thirty-nine passengers aboard. We`ll bring you the latest here on HEADLINE NEWS.

Thank you to all of my guests. Thank you for being with us, inviting us into your homes. Coming up, headlines from around the world, LARRY on CNN.

I`m Nancy Grace, signing off for tonight. Our prayers not only with the southland, but with those passengers and pilots on JetBlue.

See you here tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp, Eastern. And until then, goodnight, friend.

END