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Hurricane Dean Grows; Potential Targets Prepare for Landfall
Aired August 18, 2007 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HOLMES: Hello, everybody.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday, August the 18th. Hope you're having a good start to your weekend so far.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Betty, who is on assignment.
HOLMES: Well, straight ahead here, Hurricane Dean turning into an absolute beast this morning. Find out where it's headed as we track this storm.
KEILAR: And a live look from space now. This is the shuttle's astronauts. They nixed the fix but they cut short their trip. We're going to explain this.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHOCOLATE RAIN," COURTESY YOUTUBE)
TAY ZONDAY, YOUTUBE PHENOM: "Chocolate Rain," a baby boy was I before the sin. "Chocolate Rain".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, we are updating our play list this morning. We've been signing it all day, "Chocolate Rain".
Now we're going to meet the man behind this viral video, as we go behind the music this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, a lot of rain. We're going to be talking about it over the next few days. Not the chocolate variety -- rain, wind, you name it. A fierce storm gaining strength and we are tracking Hurricane Dean this morning. It's a Category Four storm and it roaring across the Caribbean on a collision course with Jamaica.
Forecasters say it could strengthen to a monster Category Five storm today. It has already proven to be deadly. At least three people were killed as storm slammed the islands of St. Lucia, Martinique and Dominica, flooding parts of the islands, downing trees and power lines, damaging homes and destroying crops.
CNN viewers also helping us out here with reporting on this storm, sending us in their video with their brush with Hurricane Dean. This is an I-Report we got from Erica in Puerto Rico.
Keep those coming to us.
KEILAR: And a new advisory just came in on Hurricane Dean.
Bonnie Schneider is in the Hurricane Center with all the details -- Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Brianna, this storm still is a Category Four, but we may see fluctuations in intensity. Hurricane hunters flew right into the eye of the storm and they said they haven't noticed any weakening with the storm. But what's happening is because it's so large, it's going through what's called an eyewall replacement cycle, or several of them, actually, where the inner eyewall actually collapses, the outer eyewall absorbs it and the storm contracts. So it fluctuates in intensity.
And that's what we're seeing right now with this storm, so large that tropical storm force winds extend outward of 205 miles from the center of the storm.
Hurricane force winds now extend 60 miles out of the storm.
This also just in. Jamaica is now under a hurricane warning. This was just upgraded moments ago from a hurricane watch. This is a very serious situation because Dean is such a dangerous, powerful storm. And if, indeed, we do see a direct hit, we're going to see winds well over 150 miles per hour if the storm maintains its intensity the way it is right now.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane force winds and hurricane conditions will be felt within the next 24 hours. And that holds true for Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well.
Here's the latest information. Not much of a change since earlier this morning. Just an intense storm. Winds now gusting as high as 180 miles per hour. The movement is to the west at 18 miles per hour.
And notice the fluctuation in intensity between a four and a five. Not much of a change. But once those winds get over 155 miles per hour, they could climb to intensity of Category Five strength.
And I wanted to show you here our computer models, because we were seeing more fluctuation earlier in the week as to whether or not this storm would hit the Yucatan or pass northward toward the Yucatan Channel or into Cuba.
Only one of the computer models are taking it toward Cuba. The rest of them are pretty uniform in agreement that the storm will move across the Yucatan into the Western Gulf of Mexico. And then we see more of a variation as to where it will go next.
But the main thing to note right now is that we're looking at a track of an intense storm that is very strong, a strong Category Four, just bordering on Category Five intensity. So this storm is growing in size and intensity and we are watching it very closely here, since now there is a hurricane warning for Jamaica -- Brianna, T.J.
All right, thanks,
HOLMES: Thanks, Bonnie.
KEILAR: Appreciate that.
And preparing in the path of this storm, reporter Kirk Abraham joins us now by phone from Kingston, Jamaica.
Kirk, thanks so much for being with us today.
KIRK ABRAHAM, JAMAICAN REPORTER: Sure.
KEILAR: And first up, I want to ask you about how prepared people are, because we heard from one reporter in Jamaica that it seems as if people are being pretty lax about preparations. But then we heard from a staff member to the prime minister that Jamaicans are really taking this seriously.
So from your vantage point in Kingston, which is it?
ABRAHAM: It seems to me, Jamaicans are taking this really seriously, particularly in Kingston. I know for sure there are several persons now rushing to the supermarkets, trying to stock up on last minute items -- batteries, nonperishable food items. Several persons -- there are long lines now. Several persons are also at the gas stations, trying to get petro, kerosene and all of that.
So people are really taking it seriously. There is supposed to be an evacuation plan in another hour from low lying coastal areas, particularly in Portmore in St. Catherine, which is about 20 minutes outside of Kingston.
KEILAR: And, Kirk, is this bringing memories of past hurricanes to the forefront for Jamaicans?
ABRAHAM: Indeed, it is. Certainly one of the hurricanes which hit us really hard was Hurricane Gilbert in '88. And that was a Category Four when it passed Jamaica and certain of the islands near. There was devastation to infrastructure and housing in particular, agricultural produce and all of that.
The last one to shave us was Hurricane Ivan about three or four years ago, in 2004. And that was really, really bad for Jamaica. Several persons are still trying to recuperate from that hurricane.
KEILAR: So when you listen to Jamaicans and they talk about when this storm passes, what they expect to see in the wake of it, what are they saying?
ABRAHAM: Well, persons are actually saying that they want to see quick relief. The office of the prime minister yesterday had a press conference and the opposition and the prime minister's ruling People's National Party actually had a (INAUDIBLE) committee to help residents as soon as possible out of the plight which they might find themselves in following this devastation which is about to hit the island in the next 24 hours or so.
(AUDIO GAP)
KEILAR: Kirk, can you hear me?
ABRAHAM: Yes, I'm hearing you.
KEILAR: OK. Sorry about that.
I just want to ask you, talking about the past hurricanes that Jamaicans have experienced, in terms of recovery, what was the time line in '88 and in 2004?
What are people expecting?
ABRAHAM: Well, people are still trying to -- getting recovery efforts in terms of there was only this week that some new houses were (INAUDIBLE) in one area in Jamaica, Central Jamaica, which was heavily affected by Hurricane Ivan and that people are still trying to recover from that process. Houses were lost. Several persons died as a result of the impact of that hurricane. And in 1988, it took us several years to get back on our feet here in Jamaica. Several houses lost their roofs at that time. There were (INAUDIBLE). Now it has -- we have gone up a bit, using concrete roof and now the roofs shouldn't be much of a problem in this hurricane.
However, we are going to expect severe flooding and that is a concern because there are reports that several drains on the island have not been cleaned.
KEILAR: All right, now reporter Kirk Abraham, thank you so much for being with us on the phone from Kingston, Jamaica.
We know, as you said, people are taking this very seriously there and we are really thinking about the people of Jamaica.
HOLMES: And Louisiana's governor is take no chances in dealing with Hurricane Dean. Kathleen Blanco has declared a state of emergency. Critical state agencies are being staffed this weekend in case the storm threatens Louisiana. The state, of course, still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
KEILAR: Well, no weather in space, but Dean is still cutting short this morning's spacewalk. Live images now. Two astronauts there outside the shuttle at this very moment. And they're adding new parts to the International Space Station.
NASA plans to bring Endeavour home Tuesday. That's a day early. And if Dean veers toward Houston, the mission control team would then relocate to Cape Canaveral in Florida. HOLMES: Well, we have some breaking news. More arrests to report in that shooting, the triple murder, a horrible triple murder that really upset the folks there in Newark, New Jersey. We know about this story. Those three friends there, teenagers, were killed -- lined up and killed execution-style a little over a week or so ago. One person, one other friend that was with them did manage to escape, even though she was shot, as well, and helped police.
Three people have been arrested in this case. And Newark certainly an area that's not new to violence and not immune from it, and certainly used to it. But this was a story, just a horrible, horrible story that really upset the folks and really struck a nerve there with the folks in New Jersey. And now word that there are more arrests.
Our Deb Feyerick is on the line for us -- Deb, what are the details of these new arrests that we know now?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., what we can tell you is that Newark police, working in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals New/ York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, last night picked up one of the key suspects in this the execution-style murder of three college students.
Now, that key suspect, Rodolfo Godinez, has been on the run since these murders occurred more than a week ago. He was traveling with his half-brother. But both of them were picked up at different locations within Maryland, within Prince William County, Maryland. They were staying at two separate houses.
It is unclear, according to law enforcement sources, why they were staying at these particular places. That now under investigation.
But we are told, according to law enforcement sources, that one of the men, Rodolfo Godinez, the key suspect -- one of the key suspects in this -- did run when law enforcement descended on the home. They gave chase and he was taken into custody.
His half-brother picked up at another location last night at about midnight. And today at about 4:00, Newark's mayor, Cory Booker, is expected to have a press conference.
And, again, T.J., this is just a little bit of closure and that's sort of a bad word to use in this kind of situation, but it does at least get the men involved in this particular crime. You have to understand, this crime occurred in a part of Newark that is residential, that does not feel threatened all the time. In fact, people who live here feel relatively safe. So that this should occur by people who really were just visitors to this community has really unsettled this entire area.
But right now we are told that one of the key suspects, Rodolfo Godinez, is in custody. Another key suspect, Jose Carranza, he turned himself in last Monday.
So right now law enforcement wrapping up this case and hoping to be able to bring it all to trial -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Deb Feyerick, thank you so much for that update.
And, again, as you saw, we saw that graphic there, folks, that the two suspects that are in custody there. There are also two 15- year-olds are in custody, as well. That's what we were showing you. The two suspects, though, on your left. Also, two 15-year-olds. And now, as we heard from our Deb Feyerick, another man, a fifth, also Godinez's half-brother, has been picked up in this case, as well, for those triple murders of actually two 20-year-olds and an 18-year-old, all college students, all friends, those execution-style murders there in Newark, New Jersey. Our Deb Feyerick, thank you so much for that update.
KEILAR: A fourth hole the only lifeline left for six trapped miners now. Tunneling inside the mine is too dangerous to continue.
CNN's Dan Lothian live now in Huntington, Utah.
And are we expecting to hear from mine officials today-- Dan?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, we are. We don't know exactly what time. That's still up in the air. But every day they have come down here and have briefed the press on the latest developments. And so we are expecting that they will give some kind of an update.
Also, the expectation is that fourth bore hole that you were just talking about, the expectation is that they, perhaps, will be able to break through, to hit into the mine, into that cavity area where they believe the miners may have gone to find some safety.
And that's, you know, there are a lot of ifs that we have been dealing with throughout this story, because it really is kind of an educated guessing game. They're drilling in areas where they think the six miners may have been. And each time, in one through three, they have not found anything. So the hope is that, perhaps, they can this time, in that fourth bore hole, be able to find the six miners alive.
KEILAR: Dan, when will this fourth hole be finished?
When will this finish up?
LOTHIAN: We don't know. I mean every time they give you any time limits, it's usually a 12 hour time frame that, you know, from the time they say, well, we might hit it to the time that they do. So we really don't know. Later today, perhaps, they will be able to break through with that fourth bore hole. And, of course, the idea being that if they do break through that bore hole and they are able to make any kind of contact with the miners, if they are, indeed, alive, then they will be able to keep them alive indefinitely. They can send down food, they can send down water, whatever kind of supplies that they need to send down, they can do that.
And then the process would be to build a bigger hole and take them out through there. KEILAR: All right, Dan Lothian live for us there in Huntington, Utah.
Thanks for that report. We also want to tell you that today at 4:00 ppmm Eastern, we'll have a CNN special -- "Tragedy At Crandall Canyon Mine."
You can join Fredricka Whitfield for a special one hour program that's only here on CNN.
HOLMES: Now, Sierra Leone -- it's known to a lot of Americans maybe because of that movie, "Blood Diamond".
Our own Betty Nguyen has been covering the election happening there and will join us for an exclusive live report on what's taking place now.
KEILAR: And Virginia tech students are trying to put memories of a tragic day behind them as they get ready to return to class.
That's coming up.
Stay here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: In Sierra Leone, observers fear violence will break out once official results are announced in last well, weekend's presidential election. Right now, the opposition party appears to be leading, with two thirds of the votes counted.
But to understand the importance of this election, you must consider that the country recently emerged from civil war.
CNN's Betty Nguyen is taking a closer look at how the small West African nation is still trying to recover from a violent past that's rooted in blood diamonds.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): With every sift, a watchful eye searches for that dream come true -- a shiny diamond emerging from the murky water. But finding that ticket out of poverty is hard to do.
These miners work day in and day out with no salary.
BAA: No diamond, no pay. No help, only god.
NGUYEN: Twenty-eight-year-old Ya Ya Baa (ph) says he hasn't found a diamond in six months. Even today, he keeps digging, while much of the country has left work to rally for its recent elections.
Instead, Ya Ya can only show his support by wearing celebratory glasses made out of the palm leaves. But his vision of a better future is out of focus. Whether it's the hot sun or the eternal hope, his dream of diamonds sounds almost delusional.
YA YA BAA: With this, I will get this. I will leave Africa.
NGUYEN (on camera): You get a diamond this big you can leave Africa?
BAA: Yes.
NGUYEN: How much do you get for this?
BAA: This? One million dollars.
NGUYEN: U.S.?
BAA: Yes.
NGUYEN (voice-over): Let's take another look at that stone. It's not large enough to earn that kind of money, yet thousands live the dream.
It was even depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie "Blood Diamond," where the pursuit of precious stones created so much death and destruction.
Now that the fighting has ended, the mining continues, literally transforming the landscape.
(on camera): Many say this diamond-rich soil is what funded Sierra Leone's civil war. But today efforts are being made to take the blood out of the diamonds found here so that they're never used to fund future conflicts.
(voice-over): A monitoring system called the Kimberly Process is aimed at keeping conflict stones after the open market.
ADBUL LAMIN, ANALYST: So that when the diamonds are exported out to the international market, that it can be verified that these diamonds do not come from a source that has been used to buy weapons and wage war.
NGUYEN: Diamonds are Sierra Leone's main export. Between 2000 and 2004, the government's income from diamonds soared from $10 million to $160 million, according to the United Nations. Still, the country remains mired in poverty. Drive through the diamond heartland of Kono and you'll find the face of despair. Yet the streets are filled with diamond shops.
(on camera): So this is an 'H'?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is an H-colored diamond.
NGUYEN (voice-over): But even dealers admit diamond mining is becoming increasingly difficult.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not easy to get diamonds now, is the problem, because most of the area that we used to go, spend a few hours, get diamonds, now it has exhausted now. It is not easy for you to get diamonds.
NGUYEN: Still, thousands continue searching, convinced their dreams are hidden just below the surface, and the only way to find them is to keep digging.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: And CNN's Betty Nguyen joins us now live in Johannesburg, where she recently returned after reporting from Sierra Leone -- Betty, there's really a lot of hope that these elections will produce a new president who can expand the country's economy and create jobs.
But when will that new president be announced?
NGUYEN: Well, 60 percent of the votes have already been calculated. So it's going to take several more days for all the votes to be counted. But a run-off is expected because an outright winner has to secure 55 percent of the votes. That run-off will take place next month.
I do have to warn you, though, Brianna, because many observers worry that once the final results are announced, violence could break out. And because of that, we're going to be watching very closely -- Brianna.
KEILAR: That's right. It's a long process. And violence, as you have said before in your reports, is really always a concern.
Betty, thank you so much for your report.
Betty Nguyen, live for us there from Johannesburg, South Africa.
HOLMES: Well, just ahead, we've got a Reality Check for you.
What should you do if your children have been playing with toys that have been recalled?
KEILAR: And we're keeping track of Hurricane Dean. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the storm's progress.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Tony Snow is bowing out. The White House press secretary plans to step down as early as next month. And sources say that Snow needed to make more money to help his family, including college-bound children.
Snow took a significant pay cut from his broadcasting career to take the White House job. But he's remained passionate about the post and the administration's messages, especially about Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We've got to choose whether to stay or leave Iraq. The decision will influence the entire world. It's going stand future generations of Americans for good or ill. They will recall this either as America's finest hour or its final hour as a nation of consequence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: No official word on who might replace Snow, but speculation does surround his deputy, Dana Perino.
HOLMES: Well, there's a new effort to get recalled toys off the shelves. The State of New York says its inspectors will make sure that those toys are removed from stores, returned to manufacturers and destroyed.
Many recalled toys were found still sitting on New York store shelves this week.
Well, of course, another nationwide toy recall, another huge one we saw just days ago.
And so what do you do now to make sure your kids are safe?
What are you supposed to do?
We saw a story earlier about a playground that burst into flames. Toys -- you can't play with them.
What are you supposed to do, man?
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's getting scary, isn't it?
HOLMES: Yes.
LEVS: Yes. And the thing is, there's all these parents out there who hear this and they get very concerned, obviously. Some of it is a nightmare. You don't want your kids choking on some toy they were just playing with. And we know there's a lot of news this week. And some of it can be kind of confusing, especially when you're talking about millions and millions of toys.
So what we've done for you in today's Reality Check is we're boiling down for you here -- here it is -- what you need to know.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): Barbie, "Sesame Street," Dora the Explorer, among around 11 million toys recalled in the U.S. this month. Over the last seven years, more than This month, 15 million were recalled by Mattel.
The nation's leading toy maker produces hundreds of millions a year. Most are considered safe.
BRYAN STOCKTON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL, MATTEL: We've had a history of trust. And when you look at the number of recalls, we think we make overwhelmingly safe products.
LEVS: Some recalled products have magnets that could fall out and be swallowed. NANCY NORD, CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: Mattel has now redesigned that product to make sure that that doesn't happen.
LEVS: Other recalled toys have lead paint. Mattel says it was used by a subcontractor of a trusted Chinese vendor.
NORD: There is no excuse for lead paint to be used in children's toys. It is outlawed in this country. It has been for 30 years.
LEVS: How can you know if your kid's toys are safe?
First, check the recall lists. There's information at CNN.com and at the CPSC Web site, where you can also sign up to be notified about future recalls.
Nearly all the toys recalled this year with manufactured in China. But a "made in China" label does not automatically mean a problem. Parents concerned about toys can contact the CPSC.
Also, be vigilant. Swallowed magnets could lead to flu-like symptoms. Lead paint on toys often doesn't lead to symptoms, but it can have long-term effects. Health officials say if you're concerned, take your child to the doctor for a simple blood test.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LEVS: And toy companies now are making changes as a result of this. Not just Mattel, but I will tell you, T.J., a spokeswoman for Mattel this week told me the company puts no price tag on a child's safety.
HOLMES: All right.
Speaking of price tag, what is this costing them, the bottom line?
Of course, they're taking a hit image-wise, but are they taking a hit in the pocketbook, as well?
LEVS: They are. Yes. I mean here's the deal. I was actually looking into that number this week. I tried to figure that out, because we're talking about a $22 billion industry, which means every year about $22 billion in sales from toys.
So I spoke with industry analysts and with the industry association. And I said when you put together all these cost for recalls, how much has it been?
They have no idea. And the reason is the toy companies have not been very forthcoming about the overall cost.
Here's what we do know. Mattel said a couple of weeks ago when it announced a recall, it would cost the company $30 million. Now, this is interesting. Just a few days ago, when they announced the latest recall, they said it doesn't add to that cost because the cost of doing the recall in general is largely the same. So the only figure they're giving us for now is that this recall this month, which involves more than 10 million toys, will cost this company, just this once, $30 million.
HOLMES: Huh.
LEVS: Yes.
HOLMES: Not too forth coming with those numbers, are they?
LEVS: That's the little bit we could get, but it's something.
HOLMES: All right, we appreciate the Reality Check.
Joshua Levs, thank you so much.
LEVS: Thanks a lot.
KEILAR: Hurricane Dean growing into a massive storm in the Caribbean. The Category Four hurricane is heading for Jamaica and it's expected to strengthen to a Category Five today. That is the most powerful, with winds above 155 miles per hour.
Meanwhile, rescuers in Utah are pinning their hopes and efforts on a fourth hole being drilled into a mountain to try to locate six trapped miners. Authorities suspended underground efforts to reach the men after three rescue workers were killed Thursday when a seismic bump dislodged part of a wall.
Also, two more arrests in that deadly schoolyard shooting in Newark, New Jersey, from two weeks ago. Authorities telling CNN one of the suspects is Rodolfo Godinez, described as a major player in the case. He and another man were arrested in Prince George's County, Maryland this morning.
HOLMES: Well, just ahead here, we will continue to track that storm. We'll have the very latest for you on Hurricane Dean.
We'll show, you, also what our I-Reporters are sending us.
KEILAR: And later, he's singing "Chocolate Rain". So is T.J., we'll speak to the man who created this Internet sensation.
Take it away, T.J.
(LAUGHTER)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHOCOLATE RAIN," COURTESY YOUTUBE)
ZONDAY: "Chocolate Rain," the prisons make you want...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: We are keeping our eye on Hurricane Dean at this hour. And so is Bonnie Schneider. She is standing by in the CNN Weather Center with the very latest.
SCHNEIDER: Brianna and T.J., this is a very large and powerful storm. We're watching it go through what's called the eyewall replacement cycle. That's just an indication of its intensity, where you actually get two eyewalls forming, an inner and an outer. And, actually, the inner collapses. The outer absorbs the energy. The whole storm contracts and eventually strengthens again. So that's why we're going to see fluctuations in the intensity of this storm.
But one thing to note, it is powerful, with maximum winds at 150 miles per hour.
Now, because of the proximity now to Jamaica, a hurricane warning has been issued for Jamaica. This just in not too long ago. We also have hurricane warnings that continue for Haiti and Dominican Republic, specifically the south side of those islands. And, as you can see, Jamaica, unfortunately, looks like it is in the path of this storm.
I want to show you the latest track and the latest coordinates we've been tracking here in the CNN Weather Center.
Right now, the storm center is 519 miles from Kingston, Jamaica. It is a Category Four. But as early as tomorrow, we could see that fluctuation to Category Five intensity. And it won't take much, because all we need to do is get those winds above 155 and it's a Category Five.
Watch what happens as it comes over the warmer waters of the Caribbean. That intensity is expected to increase to 160 mile per hour winds by Monday.
And here's what's interesting. Most of the computer models are forecasting a hit with the Yucatan. And if that does happen, that will weaken the storm to category three. Not weak by any means, though. That's still intense, with winds at 115 miles per hour.
And then we follow it along through the Gulf of Mexico, and that cone of uncertainty stretches all the way from the Texas/Louisiana border down through Northern Mexico.
So, a lot happening and kind of a wider scope as we go through the next few days.
And looking at the computer models, you can see that they're fairly uniform, at least for the next couple of days, showing the storm passing over or very close to Jamaica and then coming through the northern tip of the Yucatan and hugging kind of the Western part of the Gulf of Mexico.
One lone model takes it a little further to the north, but most of them are in agreement that that's the direction the storm is headed.
We've been talking a lot about intensity of storms, Category Four, Category Five. We just want to show you a Category Four, how intense the storm is right now. If the storm makes interaction with any island right now, we could see small residences and mobile homes completely destroyed. And, incidentally, with this storm headed toward Jamaica, we're expecting five to 10 inches of rain. You have to remember, Jamaica is a very mountainous island. So, really, on the hillsides, of those islands, we could see mudslides and we could even see possibly up to 20 inches of rain.
Large trees are blown down and terrain that's lower than 10 feet above sea level -- flooding may require massive evacuations.
So a very serious situation for the storm right now because of its intensity and because of its path. And, as you can see, it's going to be effecting a good portion of the Gulf and the Caribbean -- back to you.
KEILAR: Bonnie Schneider, thanks for keeping an eye on Hurricane Dean for us.
HOLMES: And, of course, when the weather is the news -- that's the graphic.
(LAUGHTER)
Yes. When the weather is the news, you can turn to CNN for the latest.
Our I-Reporters tracking Hurricane Dean.
And Veronica de la Cruz tracking our I-Reporters. DE LA CRUZ: Yes. I wanted to go ahead and start with this one.
This is from Chris Evelyn and he shot it on the island of St. Kitts as Hurricane Dean was passing through.
Take a look. You can really see the wind whooping around here. Chris says that there were some downed trees and power lines, but not much damage, which is good news.
And this photo sent to us by Bob Eiess. This is the northern edge of Hurricane Dean, as seen from the U.S. Coast Guard base in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Bob says they have only had gusty winds there and occasional rain bands. So things haven't been looking too bad.
We've also seen this one from Puerto Rico. This is video from Erika Echevarria of the hurricane. She says that she saw damage to trees, like falling tree branches, like Bonnie Schneider was just mentioning, as well as fruit falling from trees. She said she saw avocados all over the ground. She says the wind gusts were much worse this morning and I think it's because the hurricane is now passing through that area.
Each of you out there can send us your I-Report by logging on to CNN.com, clicking on that I-Report logo. But please do be careful.
HOLMES: Yes, it's very important to say that.
DE LA CRUZ: And, quickly, a storm of a different kind, "Chocolate Rain". A "Chocolate Rain" storm.
HOLMES: "Chocolate Rain".
DE LA CRUZ: that's coming up, right?
HOLMES: It is coming. I know you can't wait. I can't wait.
DE LA CRUZ: I am sitting tight for that one.
HOLMES: Thank you. You don't want to miss that.
DE LA CRUZ: I am.
HOLMES: And, folks, you all don't want to miss it, either. We'll be talking about that rainstorm. But this other storm we are following, Hurricane Dean, well, as it hits, you may be looking for ways to help the people who are going to be affected by this thing. CNN can help you help them.
Go to CNN.com/impact. Click on natural disasters for a link to various relief agencies. Impacting your world now just a click away at CNN.com/impact.
KEILAR: Declaring war on the American lifestyle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We call them terrorists, virtue terrorists that are destroying our kids.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Virtue terrorists?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're -- they're raping virgin teenage America on the sidewalk and everybody's walking by and acting like everything is OK. And it's just not OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports on "God's Warriors".
That's straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): Hit the racetrack and go green with the checkered flag this weekend.
LARRY GAMACHE, CARFAX: CARFAX has decided to go carbon neutral. And the very first thing that we're doing is offsetting one of the major marketing initiatives that we have, the CARFAX (INAUDIBLE), at Michigan International Speedway.
WILLIS: CARFAX will offset all of the carbon emissions generated by the NASCAR event. This includes everything from emissions by the 43 revved up stock cars to emissions made by fans traveling to and from the race.
GAMACHE: And the number one contributor to carbon emissions in the United States is probably all the cars that we Americans love to drive. So we see this as a real opportunity to allow the regular citizen to take, you know, take a bold first step in offsetting their personal emissions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: With support from The Conservation Fund at carbonfund.org, CARFAX will plant 4,000 trees to offset the NASCAR event and they're pledging to set the trend for reducing our carbon footprint.
That's this week's "Greenhouse."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Students are returning to the Virginia Tech campus this weekend because classes start back up on Monday. The horror of April 16th never far from their minds, of course.
Our Gary Nurenberg is live in Blacksburg -- hi, Gary.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brianna.
I have to say, I was thinking about you just a moment ago and remembering that April 16th when you and I were both on campus assigned to cover this story, and thinking that today, it's so hard to say back to normal, especially on a campus where five faculty members and 27 students were killed by a deranged senior who terrorized the school by firing 170 rounds of ammunition before finally killing himself.
If not back to normal, the school is trying to provide some normalcy, however. We saw members of the legendary Corps of Cadets on the drill field earlier -- that grassy area not far from Norris Hall, where a majority of the fatalities took place. They were getting ready for a parade today.
That grassy area, as you know, is something of a community gathering point, where we also found students who were renewing old friendships, ready for the new school year to begin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE GIANCOLA, VIRGINIA TECH SOPHOMORE: I can't wait. Yes, I can't wait to get back in the swing of things. I mean, you know, I still think about it every day. But, I mean, I'm ready to get my life back going and whatnot.
AARON FRIEDMAN, VIRGINIA TECH SOPHOMORE: Yes, it was good to get away and then being with everybody back home really helped.
GIANCOLA: It's just a great atmosphere here. I mean I'd really -- I wouldn't want to go to college anywhere else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NURENBERG: Well, the students here talk about Hokie spirit and unity. And you really do get the sense of that as you walk around campus today.
Later in the week, a report from the special commission appointed by the governor with its recommendations and investigation into the shootings. Also, Brianna, tomorrow a memorial service here, a dedication of a new memorial to those who were killed. We expect tens of thousands of people to come by and pay their respects.
KEILAR: And, Gary, I know even for us, looking back on this a few months later, I don't know about for you, but I've seen pictures of Seung-Hui Cho and it just sends chills down my spine, having been there and kind of watched these students experience it. And I know that a lot of students, even right after the massacre, they were so ready to sort of get together, get back to class.
It sounds like that's what you're hearing from students.
Or are they still just very terrorized by this?
Or is this, this feeling that they really want to get past that?
NURENBERG: You know, Brianna, I think you put your finger on the mood here, as you talked about the kids you talked with in April. There's a feeling of let's not forget the people who died, let's always remember the sacrifices they made for our school. But let's move on with our lives and live part of those lives in dedication to those who died.
That, at least, was the sentiment of some of the kids we talked to today. I think you've really kind of zeroed in on that school spirit and the atmosphere of always remembering, but still moving on.
KEILAR: And it really is an amazing, amazing school, an amazing spirit, an amazing unity that you don't see on too many college campuses. So, hopefully, that will help them into the new year.
Gary Nurenberg live from Blacksburg, Virginia.
Thanks for your report.
HOLMES: OK. It's that time, folks. It is time for us to hear the story behind "Chocolate Rain".
Stay tuned for the man who has put this tune in our heads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHOCOLATE RAIN," COURTESY YOUTUBE)
ZONDAY: And the school books say it can't be here again. "Chocolate Rain". The prison...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHOCOLATE RAIN," COURTESY YOUTUBE)
ZONDAY: "Chocolate Rain," a baby boy was I before the sin. "Chocolate Rain"...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: "Chocolate Rain," folks.
If you've watched Tay Zonday singing his song on YouTube, then you've heard that phrase more than you ever thought you would.
But more than -- about five million people now have made it one of the most watched, most talked about videos ever on YouTube.
And Tay Zonday, the "Chocolate Rain" man himself, joins us now from Minneapolis.
Sir, thank you so much for being here.
And, first of all, you've got to do something for me and just say hello to the viewers. Let them hear that voice.
ZONDAY: Hey.
Hey, how are you doing?
HOLMES: All right.
A lot of people, I would assume, thought you were putting on or making up a voice when you were doing this song, but this is how you talk. This is it. This is your voice.
ZONDAY: Yes. This is my real voice.
HOLMES: And, now, did you decide to do something -- to take advantage of it, if you will, and start producing these songs on YouTube?
ZONDAY: Yes, I think it's great. You know, YouTube is a great way to get stuff out there. And, you know, I'm glad people have caught on to it.
HOLMES: Well, let's talk "Chocolate Rain".
First of all, what in the world is "Chocolate Rain?"
What does that song mean? What is it about?
ZONDAY: Well, you know, I think, you know, if you listen to it, it might have a serious meaning. But, you know, for some people it's just a catchy tune, just a catchy beat. So I think however people come to it, that's great.
HOLMES: What did you mean for them to get out of it?
What were you going for when you wrote the song?
ZONDAY: Well, you know, I think I was going for a catchy beat. You know, I think it has a serious message. You know, if you listen to it, it talks a little bit about racism.
But, you know, it's not dogmatic. It doesn't beat you over the head with that message. It's also a catchy tune. So, you know, it has many different levels.
HOLMES: Now did you mean for it at all to be funny?
Because a lot of people who see it now are just -- it just gets in your head and people get a kick out of it.
ZONDAY: Anyway, I think that's great, you know. If people take it that way, then, you know, they're getting something out of it.
So however people come to it, it's great. Like I said, many different levels.
HOLMES: All right. And, actually you do, it's obvious that you do have some musical talent. The track is pretty hot, actually, on this song -- on your song here.
What is your musical background?
ZONDAY: I am a hobbyist musician. You know, I actually have no formal training.
HOLMES: Well, that is awfully impressive.
ZONDAY: But, you know, I'm a grad student who has been putting stuff on YouTube.
HOLMES: Now, tell us. Yes. You're a grad student. Tell us what you're studying.
ZONDAY: You know, I study American Studies, so it's kind of history and English. My career path was to be a university professor, you know, to -- certainly this music has taken off, so that's been exciting.
HOLMES: Now, do you hope to do this, the music thing, more full- time?
Would you like to do it full-time?
If, of course, other people have...
ZONDAY: Hey, if I...
HOLMES: Oh, go ahead. ZONDAY: Oh, if I could do it and make a living, I would love to do that.
HOLMES: I would love to do that.
All right.
Can you -- a lot of people have been imitating your song. Also some professionals, even, have been imitating your song.
Are you making your money just yet off of this catchy tune, "Chocolate Rain?"
ZONDAY: You know, I mean I can't talk about that in too much detail. You know, nothing that changes my life at this point. But, you know, maybe a little bit here and there. But, you know, I take it a day at a time.
Who knows what happens?
HOLMES: Come on, now. Come on, now. A little bit here or there. Come on.
How much are we talking about there?
ZONDAY: You know, that's all I can say. You know, it's -- I'm not going to retire to my penthouse in Dubai yet.
(LAUGHTER)
ZONDAY: Not that much.
HOLMES: All right.
Will there be a follow-up to "Chocolate Rain," since it was such a big rain?
Do you plan on doing something else "Chocolate Rain"-related?
ZONDAY: Oh, yes.
I'm always putting music up on YouTube.
HOLMES: OK.
Well, man, thank you so much.
We're glad that you could stop by and hang out with us for a bit. This is fun. But I need you to do one more thing for me. I need you to say you're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
ZONDAY: OK.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
HOLMES: And there it is. Tay Zonday, the "Chocolate Rain" man himself.
Sir, thank you so much for being here.
And good luck with your studies.
ZONDAY: Thank you so much for having me.
HOLMES: Thank you for your -- good luck with your studies and good luck with the music career.
We'll be looking for some more stuff from you.
Thanks so much, man.
ZONDAY: Thank you.
KEILAR: He is just too much fun.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I know, James Earl Jones, look out.
KEILAR: All right.
Yes.
WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE).
KEILAR: And, of course, there's more ahead.
WHITFIELD: There is.
KEILAR: The NEWSROOM continues at 12:00 Eastern.
WHITFIELD: But nothing like that.
KEILAR: Oh, come on.
WHITFIELD: Today, we're going to dibble and dabble a little bit with some politics.
Fred Thompson, what's going on?
Is he in? Is he out?
Well, he's acting a little bit like he's in. He's there in Iowa.
Is it too late, however?
He says no. We caught up with him.
HOLMES: He's got a good voice, too, now.
WHITFIELD: He does have a good voice.
HOLMES: Yes. WHITFIELD: and what a presence, right?
Both on screen and off.
All right, and then Danica McKellar -- you remember her on screen.
Remember that cutie patutie (ph) in "The Wonder Years?"
She was Winnie.
KEILAR: Winnie Cooper.
WHITFIELD: She was Fred Savage's characters, like, you know, dream girl.
Well, apparently, she has moved on, people, moved away from the big screen. Instead now she's an actual author. She's also sum cum laude from Princeton. Math doesn't suck -- she wants to encourage a lot of young people that, you know, math is all right.
And, of course, we're going to continue to follow Hurricane Dean. And then in our 4:00 Eastern hour, we're going to have a one hour special on the mining disaster.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: A lot ahead.
HOLMES: We look forward to that.
KEILAR: All right, thank you, Fred, so much.
WHITFIELD: Sure.
KEILAR: Good.
And if it's Saturday, you know, someone's knocking down a building, of course.
Here on CNN, we're going to find out the story behind this implosion next, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): You decided not to buy and now you're locked into a lease.
SERGIO STIBERMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, LEASETRADER.COM: Approximately 90 percent of luxury vehicles are leased. Overall, over 30 percent are leased. At any given time, you'll approximately have about 17 million Americans that are leasing a vehicle.
WILLIS: Getting out of a lease can be difficult and costly. But the Internet is changing that. Leasetrader.com is one company that allows you to transfer your lease to somebody else. STIBERMAN: It asks you information pertaining to your vehicle and your lease, like your lease payment, like who your leasing company is, when the lease ends, you know, what type of vehicle you have.
WILLIS: Then, a perspective buyer can pick up the remaining months on your lease. Of course, they'll need to be qualified. A credit check is included in Web site fees.
All that's left, have the car inspected, work out a pickup arrangement and you're set to sign another lease.
(on camera): I'm Gerri Willis and that's your Tip of the Day.
For more ideas, strategies and tips to save you money and protect your house, watch "OPEN HOUSE" every Saturday, 9:30 aamm Eastern, right here on CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And we continue our theme, our continuing series of implosions on the weekend here on CNN.
There it is. It's gone. The big boom in downtown Salt Lake City this morning. Demolition crews imploded a 20-story office building.
KEILAR: And this is all about the look. The Key Bank Tower was still structurally sound, but, you know, it didn't really fit in with construction plans for the new City Creek Center, which is scheduled to be finished in four years. So an ending there.
HOLMES: And an ending for us this morning, as well.
It's time for us to hand it over to Fredericka Whitfield.
WHITFIELD: OK.
But it wouldn't be a Saturday without a good implosion.
KEILAR: Nope.
HOLMES: Got to have a good implosion, Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: So thank you for sharing.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right, you guys have a great weekend.
KEILAR: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right.
WHITFIELD: Straight ahead this hour, Hurricane Dean building strength and turning into a major storm. Our I-Reporters are sending in video and pictures and we're tracking this storm from our hurricane headquarters.
Also, will this man be the next president of the United States?
He hasn't even said he's running, but former Senator Fred Thompson is in Iowa. We catch up with him.
Plus, she's best remembered as Winnie from TV's "The Wonder Years." Now, Danica McKellar is all grown up and she wants young girls to know math doesn't suck. We'll explain.
Hello, I'm Fredericka Whitfield and you're in THE NEWSROOM.
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