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U.S. Army Helicopter Crashes in Iraq; Hurricane Dean Weakens

Aired August 22, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: No strike three for Hurricane Dean. After striking Mexico twice in two days, the onetime super-storm begins to lose its punch.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: But not its rain. Five, 10, maybe 20 inches could trigger landslides and flash floods on Mexico's mountainous Gulf Coast.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Hurricane Dean has slammed ashore, and it's heading inland now.

CNN's Karl Penhaul and his crew have been getting battered near Nautla, about 50 miles from the eye of the storm. Take a look at this report filed as the storm came ashore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're in the town of Nautla, a village of about 3,000 people some 100 miles, or 150 kilometers, north of the major port city of Veracruz.

Since the early hours of the morning, there's been driving torrential rain like this you can see now. That, the experts say, could bring with it the risk of flooding. And if the hurricane moves toward the Sierra Madre -- that would be the tall mountain behind me -- that could also bring the risk with it of mudslides.

The winds have been picking up and are driving. We have seen tin roofs ripped off houses. We have seen some of the straw roof and wood structures also destroyed.

Battering waves are coming into the shorelines. We went into the village of Nautla when the police there, the local police, were doing their rounds, making final preparations, getting people to go inside, to batten down the hatches. They said that they have evacuated at least 50 people, including women and children, this morning, moving them from some of the lower-lying areas to higher ground.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And what a difference an hour or two make. Karl filed this report just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: Hurricane Dean made its second landfall in Mexico around the town of Tecolutla on the Gulf of Mexico coastline. It came ashore as a Category 2 storm, packing strong winds that we saw rip the tin roofs off some of the homes here and also destroyed some of the (INAUDIBLE) buildings made of wood with straw roofs.

But authorities in this area say, by far, the bigger risk is the rains, the driving rains, that this hurricane system is also bringing with it. Not only is there a risk of flooding and the battering waves, but there's also risk of landslides.

In contrast to the area of the Yucatan, where Hurricane Dean first came ashore, that is a flat area. But this area (INAUDIBLE) sea level up to 3,000-foot mountains in a very short distance. And that, the authorities say, as the hours go on, could mean a problem. As the storm system moves across those mountains, it could bring further rainwater flushing off the mountains, along with mud, hence the risk of mudslides.

As the winds die down, authorities and police will make their way around some of the small towns and up down this coastline to check (INAUDIBLE) the damage and seeing if there are any casualties. At least 10,000 people (INAUDIBLE) evacuated, according to authorities.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Nautla, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Jacqui Jeras has been tracking Dean since before it was a storm.

Where's it headed this hour, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's northwest of where Karl is there. Now, it's right around Poza Rica to the west of there, maybe 20, 35 miles per hour or so.

And look at all of the purple still on the map, indicating that there are going to be some strong winds still in this area and also some very heavy downpours. We have got a radar picture to show you. This is from Brownsville, Texas, keep in mind, so it's shooting from very far away, but it's even picking up some of those stronger bands as they pull out, and the showers and thundershowers are going to be coming in very, very heavy.

And it's just approaching the mountainous regions right now as well. We will be feeling the impact here across southern Texas, and coastal flood watches have been issued. Might get a little beach erosion and the waves could get maybe one to two feet above the normal tide.

I also want to show you some of the weather-observing sites. Poza Rica is right here, which is very near where the storm center is right now. And, unfortunately, it's white there because it means the weather-observing site is out.

But we can query things here in Tampico, showing you that the wind direction east-northeast. So, there you can see to indicate where the storm winds would be going, wind speed at 21 miles per hour. We're also going to check in on Puebla. There you can see 21 mile- per-hound winds.

And let's try and hit Mexico City down there, if we can, because they have been reporting some light rain. There you can see it with overcast conditions. The winds are relatively calm there, though, at about nine miles per hour.

I will show you the forecast track, as we're expecting this to start to turn a little bit more northwesterly. It's been moving almost due west the whole time. And now we're expecting it to kind of push a little bit more northwesterly as it continues to move inland.

It's downgraded, 85-mile-per-hour winds. It's still a Category 1 -- 74 miles an hour is the minimum sustained wind for it to be considered a hurricane still., It will likely move down to tropical storm status later on this evening, becoming extratropical eventually.

Those mountains, while that causes a problem providing more rainfall and bringing the rainfall totals up there to maybe 10, even 20 inches in a few spots, the mountains also help break down the storm and weaken it a little bit. And that's why we will see this storm break down a lot more here than it did over the Yucatan Peninsula.

PHILLIPS: OK, Jacqui, thanks so much.

Well, dozens of people have been rescued back here in the U.S. and dozens more are waiting for help. Everyone anxiously watching the water. It's happening right now in towns in across north-central Ohio. Authorities say that they have rescued about 100 people from flooded-out homes in the Findlay area. About 100 more waiting to help. People are scrambling right now to higher ground anywhere they can to find, especially in places such as Mansfield.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELVIN RISTER, RESCUED: Basically, we were up -- we were trapped on a roof, you know, high wind and stuff. The Coast Guard actually come in with a helicopter and dropped a line. And Officer Doolittle there come down, and strapped us up, and basically pulled us up to safety and flew us off to Mansfield Lahm airport.

PETTY OFFICER BRIAN DOOLITTLE, U.S. COAST GUARD: It was a pretty good case in itself. We got a report of people stuck on the roof with some flooding.

So, as we flew in and located them, we circled back around, came into a -- the pilots brought it into a hover, lowered me down on the cable to them. Talked to each individual, make sure none of them were injured, make sure that there were just the two of them, and hoisted them up one at a time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, also in Mansfield, floods put about 30 post office vehicles under water, pretty much shutting down the entire mail service.

LEMON: Southern Wisconsin -- tens of millions of dollars in flood damage, and it's only getting worse. The forecast calls for more rain this week. The still rising waters are threatening to burst several earthen dams.

In southern Minnesota, thousands of homes destroyed there, damaged or made inaccessible by flash flooding. Federal emergency teams are there to look at damage. Floods are blamed for at least 22 deaths across the Midwest and also the Plains.

Mother Nature can't stop our I-Reporters. Take a look at these pictures from Jeffrey Laum (ph) in Rushford, Minnesota, a car submerged. Look at that. Homes sinking deeper and deeper into the floodwaters. And look what the storms did to this home. It crumpled like a child's dollhouse. Well, it has caused the basement to collapse there. That's from Jeffrey Laum (ph) as well.

Cars are pretty much useless in a flash flood like this. Canoes and life jackets are the order of the day.

And, as always, we encourage you to submit your photos or your videos. Just log on to CNN.com/ireport and become part of the CNN news team.

PHILLIPS: Well, an Army helicopter similar to this one goes down in Iraq, 14 U.S. soldiers on board. None survives. The Army is investigating it, but already an idea has surfaced about what happened.

CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre with us now.

Jamie, what did you find out?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the U.S. military is pretty convinced that this helicopter crash was the result of a mechanical malfunction. They're not saying at this moment why they believe that, but they apparently have some pretty strong evidence of that.

No evidence of any hostile fire with this Black Hawk helicopter that went down during a nighttime operation early this morning; 14 U.S. soldiers were killed, four crew members, 10 soldiers who were being transported by the helicopter.

We're told it was a routine operation. That is, they weren't moving in and out quickly. They were just flying at normal speed when apparently this mechanical malfunction developed. Again, no evidence of any hostile fire in this Black Hawk crash that killed 14. But the crash is still under investigation -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And tell us about the Pentagon and the delivery of these armored vehicles. And what's the status on that? It was supposed to be a priority, right?

MCINTYRE: Well, it is a top priority of the Pentagon.

You may remember that, last month, they announced an ambitious goal of building 3,900 of these MRAPs, the mine-resistant, ambush- protected heavily armored vehicles. They said they would get about 3,500 into Iraq by the end of the year, but today they have had to scale that back dramatically.

The problem, they say, is not the production. They still they're going to be able to get 3,900 MRAPs built by the end of the year, but getting them outfitted the way they're supposed to be equipped and then shipping them over is taking much longer than they expect. So, now they're just saying that, by the end of this year, they will have about 1,500 additional MRAPs in Iraq.

These are considered to be life-saving vehicles because of the way they're designed with a V-shaped hull that disburses the blast from underneath and the heavy armor that can really be a lifesaver against IEDs, which is the weapon of choice. They do think that by early next year, in the first couple of months of next year, they will be able to meet that goal of about 3,500, and they will still be building MRAPs after that -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, chief Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- thanks, Jamie.

LEMON: A massacre in hindsight. Virginia Tech grades itself on how it handled the shocking events of April 16 and considers how to keep its students safer. Details on an internal report straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: And a notorious self-proclaimed pedophile is free to go, all because of a technicality concerning the court order against him -- that story straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Pit bulls on the attack. Police say the victim was a disabled woman. And just wait until you hear where she was when the dogs came after her. We will tell you straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Thirteen past the hour. Three of the stories we're working on for you here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

One of the biggest ferries in Seattle is back in service now after a suspicious package scare. The package was found in the men's bathroom, idling the ferry for about an hour. No details on the package. Security has been boosted on the ferry system after recent reports of suspicious behavior by two male passengers.

Hurricane Dean now a Category 1 storm as it moves inland. This afternoon, Dean made its second landfall along Mexico's eastern coast. It's now packing 85-mile-an-hour winds.

Back in the U.S., rivers are still rising and rain is still falling in parts of the flooded Midwest. In north-central Ohio, helicopters had to pluck people from rooftops. In the town of Findlay, officials say about 100 people are still waiting for help.

PHILLIPS: A legal technicality has set off an uproar in California where prosecutors have decided to drop charges against a self-described pedophile.

Jack McClellan was arrested last week after he allegedly violated a court order that prohibited him being within 30 feet of children. That order was ruled invalid because the judge didn't give McClellan notice about a hearing to argue the merits. McClellan was arrested after he was found near a child care facility on the UCLA campus.

LEMON: Remember these two young women? They were branded the Barbie bandits when police in a suburb of Atlanta said they stole money from a bank. Today, half of that duo, Heather Johnston, pleaded guilty to theft and misdemeanor marijuana possession. The 19-year-old apologized in tears, telling the judge she wants to take responsibility for what she did.

Right now, Johnson is free on bond, but has to wear an ankle monitor. She won't be settled until the other cases are settle. Also charged are Johnson's friends Ashley friend -- I should say Ashley Miller, a bank teller, and another man.

PHILLIPS: Two brands of pet treats made in China and sold at Wal-Mart has tested positive for melamine. Wal-Mart pulled the treats from its shelves last month. It says that it was found in trace amounts.

But the FDA tells CNN that so far its testing has not found any contaminates. Melamine is the chemical that sparked a nationwide recall of 150 brands of pet food back in March. The affected treats are sold under the names Chicken Jerky and Chicken Jerky Strips.

It's not clear whether any animals have died, but Wal-Mart says the that customers should return the products for refunds. Customers can also call 1-800-Wal-Mart for more information.

LEMON: Horrifying and hard to believe. Police in Washington State say two pit bulls entered this house through a pet door and attacked a woman in her bed.

Now, the woman was able to grab a gun and fire a shot at the dogs. She eventually got out of the house and locked herself in the car. She's now said to be in satisfactory condition. The dogs, well, they also killed a neighbor's Jack Russell terrier before they were captured by animal control.

PHILLIPS: A robber's giveaway all caught on surveillance tape. You have to see it to believe it. We will have it for you straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Check this one out. A robber handing out loot?

Well, police say this bold bandit halted his robbery at a Kansas City convenience store to give away freebies, like cigarettes. According to authorities, a man and woman approached the suspect during the holdup and asked for the stuff and then left without paying.

Well, this store's surveillance camera captured some of the action. Police don't know whether the man and woman were customers or somehow involved in the robbery. They're now described as subjects of interest. Meantime, the search is on for the robber and another gunman seen with him.

PHILLIPS: Customers couldn't believe their luck, and a decimal- challenged store clerk couldn't believe her mistake, premium gas for 29 cents a gallon, when it was meant to sell for $2.97 a gallon. The fire sale lasted about five hours, until the error was discovered. Pumpers who missed out were just a little jealous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, definitely, I would have took advantage of it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I could have filled this up for, what, $20 instead of $80.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you go in and tell the clerk or would you fill up first?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I probably would have filled up first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The Pennsylvania gas station lost about 700 bucks. So, the manager went back and charged 11 pay-at-the-pump customers the difference. But after that fueled some controversy, well, he refunded the money.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

LEMON: Now back to our big story now. As you see, severe weather happening here. Hundreds of Ohioans have had to leave their waterlogged homes and head to shelters due to rising floodwaters.

Fran O'Shaughnessy is with the Red Cross. She's at a shelter in Findlay, Ohio. And she joins us now by telephone.

I understand the Red Cross always helps out in these situations, but, for some reason, Ms. O'Shaughnessy, we're hearing that this water, in many cases, just sort of came out of nowhere. You weren't expecting that much.

FRAN O'SHAUGHNESSY, RED CROSS: No, we weren't, much more rain than was expected. However, this is an area that has flooded about three other times this year, much less than this, but, you know, it's just a matter of the water has been building and building and all of a sudden this was, you know, just too much for the rivers and ditches to handle.

LEMON: Yes, absolutely. And you're playing the role of meteorologist there. You did a good job.

And it looks like it's still going. Rivers are still going to rise and you're going to get more flooding there. What are you doing for the folks in Findlay?

O'SHAUGHNESSY: OK. Right now, we're sheltering people. We are feeding people. We're meeting -- if they have special needs, we're trying to make sure they have medicines and those kinds of things. We're also feeding the workers, the emergency workers, and, you know, who are working so hard to rescue people and keep the community safe.

LEMON: Mm-hmm.

O'SHAUGHNESSY: So, that's what we always do. That's our initial response.

LEMON: And I would imagine, too, with all that water comes a lot of things, like critters that you don't know about, as well as, we know, germs, disease and what have you.

And, when folks have to get out of their homes this quickly, they believe behind essentials like medication and other things they might need. You're helping out with that, I'm sure.

O'SHAUGHNESSY: Yes, we are. And we're also bringing in a lot of comfort kits and comfort items, shampoo, toothbrush, those kinds of things, so people can, you know, help -- you know, meet some basic needs there. We're also bringing in a lot of cleanup kits to help people as they are able to get back into their homes.

LEMON: How many people have you seen so far in the shelters where you are?

O'SHAUGHNESSY: Where we are, there's approximately 150.

LEMON: Wow.

O'SHAUGHNESSY: And they're still registering as we speak.

LEMON: And not just where you are. All over, correct?

O'SHAUGHNESSY: Yes, yes. There's at least three other shelters that I know of in the area. There are several counties. There's about eight counties at this point that are affected.

LEMON: How can people who are watching -- can they help at all? What can they do?

O'SHAUGHNESSY: Well, of course money is the best way, because, if people will donate to our national disaster relief fund, you know, we respond to over 70,000 disasters a year. And this way if we have the funds, then we can meet the specific needs of the individuals to make sure that they're taken care of.

LEMON: Fran O'Shaughnessy is with the Red Cross. She's at a shelter in Findlay. Give our best to everyone there and thank you so much for what you do, Ms. O'Shaughnessy.

O'SHAUGHNESSY: You're more than welcome. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, old crime, new charges. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, a 71-year-old man may now have to answer again for shots that he fired more than 40 years ago. We will explanation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.

In lots of places, the weather is the top story right now. And you're helping us tell it.

PHILLIPS: We have gotten hundreds of weather-related I-Reports in the past few days. We're going to share some of the best.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Crews in Utah have finished drilling a fifth bore hole into a shaft in the Crandall Canyon Mine. Searchers again plan to bang on the drill bit in hopes of getting a response from six miners who haven't been heard from since the mine caved in August 6th.

But with no signs of life in more than two weeks in dangerous conditions underground, mine co-owner Bob Murray confirmed to us little more can be done.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BOB MURRAY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MURRAY ENERGY CORPORATION: Ma'am, there is no way to continue to drill holes until we find bodies. That earthquake or seismic activity on August 6th, I'm told, was 10,000 times the force that killed two of my employees and injured five of them Thursday night. I had my hands on them in the mine. We're not going to risk more live people to go in there to get dead bodies.

PHILLIPS: OK. So you...

MURRAY: If, indeed, we find...

PHILLIPS: So...

MURRAY: If, indeed, we find life in the present bore hole or the next one we drill, then we will decide what we do then to try to rescue the live miners. But it's very doubtful at this time. And I told the families this three days ago. I hated to tell them that. They're in so much grief. But I've been consistent and I've told them that and I've told you that since August 6th, the only way to get them out is underground. But, nevertheless, we will look at it. After the sixth bore hole, Kyra, I don't have any more options and I don't think MSHA does, of anywhere that they could be that we could drill.

That...

PHILLIPS: OK. So...

MURRAY: ...seismic activity was devastating.

PHILLIPS: Understandable.

All right, so this is going to be the final drilling operation. That's what I'm understanding from you. So I guess my next question is then, Bob, if you are not able to find those bodies or signs of life once you drill this final hole, will this become a grave sight for those six miners, a memorial for these miners, and will this mine be closed down?

MURRAY: Yes, ma'am. It has already been closed down, except for the recovery of some of the outside equipment. It will not be reopened. We're already discussing how we might go about to honor the trapped miners and to make this a site for perpetuity.

We are not giving up, however, that there might be life in there. And that last hope, Kyra, won't be done until some time Saturday or Sunday, at the earliest. And we're going to keep going until we run out of options. But it's certainly looking dim.

PHILLIPS: And, you know, my heart just sank, Bob, because I think we're hearing this from you for the very first time, that if, indeed, you don't find anything as you drill this final hole, that this mine is closing down and this is going to become the final resting place for these six miners.

I know you've talked a lot with the family members.

Have they accepted this?

MURRAY: Kyra, it depends on which family members you're talking about. The trapped miners' families accuse me of being away from them for a few days. We had representatives there. MSHA was handling it fine. I've been up at the mine the whole time addressing the rescue effort.

But the media is forgetting the real heroes in this. And these are the three men that died Thursday night and the six who were injured going in and getting these trapped miners.

And, ma'am, I've been administering to those families, those injured and dead miners and their families, ever since that tragic Thursday night.

PHILLIPS: And, you know...

MURRAY: I was there. I brought them out. And everyone is forgetting the heroes here.

PHILLIPS: Bob?

MURRAY: So let's not forget them.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PHILLIPS: Bob Murray himself acknowledged that lots of people are frustrated, even furious, with him. And yesterday at a funeral for a rescue worker who was killed, a friend of one of the missing miners confronted Murray and accused him of skimping on the rescue effort. He sarcastically handed Murray a dollar bill.

LEMON: April 16th -- a massacre at Virginia Tech kills 33 people. August 22nd -- the first report to examine how the school responded to the shootings is released.

And our Brianna Keilar is standing by in Washington with a first look for you -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there -- Don.

LEMON: And this is an internal review conducted by officials at Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said an investigation into how the university responded will be left to an independent panel. And it will be. This is a state panel that will be releasing its report late next week.

So, again, this is an internal report. And this one, instead, is looking forward, really asking the question -- how do you keep Virginia Tech safe in the future?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES STEGER, VIRGINIA TECH PRESIDENT: We at Virginia Tech have been forever changed by the crimes of this severely disturbed young man. He was determined to commit murder, planned the crime meticulously and managed to conceal his homicidal urges from all of law enforcement authorities and the mental health experts who tried to help him, and presumably even from his family.

The reviews before you propose a credible framework to help us meet the demands and the expectations of the new reality that we face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Three different review committees looked at ways to improve security, communications and then counseling and identifying at risk students.

So among the suggestions, a couple of practical ones that really stand out. First, putting interior locks on classroom doors. This was not in place on April 16th. It since has been put in place. But because there were not locks that could be locked from the inside of those classrooms, the students, the professors were very vulnerable, and, no doubt, some of them lost their lives because of that.

And a second suggestion, fixing the hardware on doors at the entrance to buildings. The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, was actually able to chain those doors shut, creating an obstacle for police. So here's a suggestion to fix that.

Among the others, installing a closed-circuit television network, a card key entry to dorms 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is now in place. It wasn't before April 16th. And then, also, increasing the counseling staff, both on-campus and at also at a counseling center that Virginia Tech refers it students to.

But what you don't see in this report is really introspection into how the university responded on April 16th, because, remember, there were two shootings -- one at 7:15 in a dorm, where Seung-Hui Cho killed two students. And it wasn't until more than two hours later that the university sent out an e-mail notifying students of that shooting. And at that point, it was less than 20 minutes before the second shooting at Virginia Tech -- the most deadly, by far the most deadly shooting, where 30 students and professors lost their lives.

What you should expect is a closer look at that by this independent panel that is going to release its report late next week -- Don.

LEMON: CNN's Brianna Keilar.

Thank you, Brianna.

PHILLIPS: A former Philadelphia police officer has died of complications from gunshot wounds that he suffered 40 years ago. Now the man who shot him could face murder charges. Walter Barclay died Sunday at age 64. He was a rookie cop back in 1966 when he was wounded in the line of duty. The man who shot Barclay, William Barnes, has already served time for the shooting, but the coroner has ruled Barclay's death a homicide, so prosecutors are now considering murder charges.

Barclay was left a paraplegic after he was shot. He was wounded after responding to reports of a burglary at a Philadelphia beauty shop.

LEMON: From Mexico to Minnesota, the weather is making plenty of news right now.

And our I-Reporters have sent us hundreds of dramatic pictures.

Stick around for some show and tell, next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: We're getting word now about a smuggling vessel that has been intercepted, apparently with large amounts of cocaine found onboard.

Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is following this for us. The Navy, the Coast Guard and also customs involved -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

You know, Kyra, the drug smugglers are clever. They'll do a lot of things to bring their product into this country. They've dug tunnels. They've hidden it in toys and other things. But this is really something.

Customs and Border Protection had a P-3 Orion aircraft in the air over the Eastern Pacific Sunday night and they spotted this. They describe it as a self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel.

They then guided a U.S. Navy ship to the scene and the suspects scuttled the vessel and got rid of most of the contraband onboard.

The Coast Guard stepped in, made arrests of four people and seized 11 cocaine bails. That's more than 1,200 pounds of cocaine. A lot of product onboard there. The estimate is that this vessel was carrying $352 million worth of cocaine -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, could this lead -- does this look like a single operation or could it -- is it a domino effect, possibly?

MESERVE: You know, we just don't have all the details. You know, this is clearly -- it involves more than the four people who were on the vessel, I think, to get -- purchase this thing, get it -- or make this thing, get it in the water. There are going to be people at either end. Whether or not this investigation is going to lead to all of those other people, we don't know yet.

PHILLIPS: All right, well a coup for the day.

Jeanne Meserve.

Thanks a lot.

MESERVE: You bet.

LEMON: We've been following developing news on the weather front -- Hurricane Dean and, also, the remnants of Erin, and then the storm system that we've been talking about that dumped so much water on the Midwest.

New video in now. This is Findlay, Ohio. You're looking at a water rescue. That's not a river. That's where people live. That's a neighbor hood, probably streets and backyards there. This is new video, again.

And just to tell you about Ohio, we heard from the head of the Red Cross in Findlay there saying they had seen a couple of hundred people and people were still rolling in and signing up.

About 100 people had to be rescued from floodwaters in that area and a lot of those people stuck in their homes. In Bucyrus, 40 miles southeast of Findlay, nearly nine inches of rain had fallen since Monday.

Pardon me -- that's unedited videotape. Pardon that. But you get the idea here. Look at that. Those are rooftops. And these were either roads, as I said, or backyards here. And just watching that video, it really is just amazing, amazing to see there.

That video, of course, from one of our affiliates, WBNS, which is near Findlay, Ohio.

But we're going to talk about our I-Reporters. We've been relying on a host of resources during these natural disasters, not the least of which, our I-Reporters.

Vicki Smith is just one who's brought us incredible views of the flooding across the Midwest. Others have sent us images of Hurricane Dean.

Veronica de la Cruz is our CNN.com expert and she joins us now.

We have really been relying, again, on these.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

LEMON: And they've been incredible video -- and lots of it.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Tons and tons of submissions.

Let's go back to Bucyrus for a second. We were just looking at the video there.

We're going to start with Tropical Storm Erin, or what was once known as Erin. This is what she left behind. These are photos from Nate Roshon of Bucyrus, Ohio. He took these photos as the Sandusky River spilled over its banks near his parents' home and he says he's lived in the area eight years. He has never seen flooding like this. He says the storm brought tremendous amounts of lightning and a constant, steady rain -- rain that seems to fall for an unusually long time.

Don, we also got in a series of photographs from Jeffrey Laumb of Rushton, Minnesota, which flooded earlier this week. He says more than 16 inches of rain poured over the small town, filling basements with mud and river water. And not just basements. The flood reached the third step of the inside stairs of his parents' home.

Now, the basement ended up collapsing and the house -- take a look.

LEMON: (INAUDIBLE). Yes.

DE LA CRUZ: It fell in on itself. LEMON: Wow!

DE LA CRUZ: Now, Laumb says the water level is now down. You can drive through town. But everything, unfortunately, is caked with six inches of mud.

LEMON: Yes, and that's...

DE LA CRUZ: Caked with mud.

LEMON: Just watching the reports, our reports and a lot of folks from everywhere, you go and you scoop out that mud and you see how thick it is. And repairing that damage is not easy. Sometimes your home is a total loss when that happens.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Yes, unfortunately.

We also wanted to show you a couple of I-Reports on Hurricane Dean.

Take a look at this. Like I was just telling Don a second ago, a record number of video submissions. Rosemarie Smith documented the devastation in Kingston, Jamaica. She says many residential areas saw heavy damage and some still have no water or electricity.

Now, what you're looking at used to the be the parking lot of a supermarket on the island of Dominica. Ashley Massicotti, who took this picture, says many buildings were heavily damaged and they lost crops. About 90 percent, Don, of the island's bananas were destroyed.

LEMON: Which is going to cost the economy.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Exactly. It will be very costly.

And Ricardo Presa -- he wandered around with his camera in Playa del Carmen. This is Mexico, as the storm was moving away.

He says the next day was sunny and beautiful.

And, finally, we want to show you some photos of an unusual evacuation that happened before the hurricane reached Mexico. You might be familiar with this, the Dolphin Discovery Program. It moved about 20 residents into the pool at the Hotel Cozumel to keep them away from storm surges in their seaside aquarium. Harry Greenstreet watched the operation. He says the trainers took extremely good care of the animals and stayed with them throughout the storm.

And I don't know if you've been to Mexico, but, yes, a very big tourist attraction, the dolphins.

LEMON: Yes. Absolutely.

Veronica de la Cruz.

Thank you.

I don't know, do we have that Ohio video, the new video, anywhere?

I'm not sure if we have it, but -- I don't -- I'm not sure -- there we go.

Can you believe that?

Sorry, it's rewinding on the air. But I wanted to give our viewers another shot at that, because it's new video just in. It just really shows the devastation here.

DE LA CRUZ: And keep sending us your photos and your videos.

LEMON: Yes.

DE LA CRUZ:

CNN.com/ireport, that's where you can do that.

LEMON: Yes.

That's what those folks were dealing with and that's what we're concerned about. And that's why we have every resource and our weather team here -- Jacqui Jeras and all of our meteorologists.

Thank you very much, Veronica de la Cruz.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

LEMON: And send in those I-Reports.

PHILLIPS: Well, weathering the storm so we can see it at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That just pushes the water and me with the wind.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, with the winds, well, I was going to say, the winds had lessened in strength, but we still do get some strong gusts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: We're going to take a closer look at Hurricane Dean's greatest hits straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now, let's get straight to THE NEWSROOM.

Fredericka Whitfield working details on a developing story.

What do you have for us -- Fred?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, the recalls involving children's products goes on. And what's the common denominator?

Once again, lead-based paint.

Let's give you an idea of some of the products that you need to look through your child's toy box and remove them immediately.

The Spinning Tin Pail -- these items are painted with Thomas and Friends, Curious George and a circus scene, as you see right there.

SpongeBob address books and journals by Martin Designs. They look something like this right here on your screen. You need to dispose of those.

Children's Divine Inspiration Charm Bracelets -- let's take a look at what they look like right there. And that's by Buy-Rite Designs Incorporated, usually sold at dollar stores.

And then a jewelry making kit. Sorry, that image doesn't look very good right there, but trust me. And Toby and Me Jewelry Set is the name of the recalled product.

All of this in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission as well as the manufacturers.

Just a reminder on some of the manufacturers, Schylling, Martin Designs, Buy-Rite Designs and Toby NYC. Those are the manufacturers of these various products.

What you're advised to do is either call the manufacturers. They will give you a refund or replacement toys. Or you can take it back to the places in which you bought them -- Kyra and Don.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Appreciate it.

Thanks, Fred.

LEMON: Well, you guys know because all three of us do it. It takes a special kind of journalist to head out into a monster storm, right, just so everybody can get to see it.

Well, you could call them -- or us -- weathered reporters.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When there's a hurricane and they say...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news.

MOOS: ...prepare for breaking waves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently everyone that came in here with me...

MOOS: Did CBS's weatherman learn from that wave?

Nah.

Minutes later, a couple of honeymooners got wet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The airports were full.

MOOS: American honeymooners had it tough, as one bride's dad pointed out...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Notice Beth's mascara is running. I wish she would fix that.

MOOS: Mascara damage is not what most storm reporters fear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, move it a little bit out of the way because we have some debris coming down the street here. Matt, I'm just going to step out of the way here, only because I'm getting sort of a sense of an unease here as some of this stuff is blowing around now.

MOOS: The bad news would be getting hit by debris. The good news is being a human billboard demonstrating the meaning of windy.

WHITBECK: The roar is like that of a jet engine.

MARCIANO: And that just pushes the water and me with the wind.

WHITBECK: Well, with the winds -- well, I was going to say the winds had lessened in strength, but we still do get some strong gusts.

MOOS: NBC's Al Roker managed to stay upright.

AL ROKER, NBC METEOROLOGIST: We actually had to climb over trees to get here.

MOOS: At least he didn't have to climb over the guy trying to hold Al in place back when he covered Hurricane Wilma.

ROKER: Right about now I feel...

(VIDEO OF ROKER FALLING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you OK?

ROKER: We're OK. We're OK. We're OK.

MOOS: Sometimes it was hard to see if things were OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no, no.

MOOS: And even when the sun came up, a single strategically situated drop could obscure a weatherman's head.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your community is well informed...

MOOS: Requiring an ever so subtle pan-over.

Our favorite cameo was by this iguana, who kept getting replayed on CNN's storm coverage. We almost mistook him for this guy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM GEICO AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one ends up looking foolish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Insurance isn't such a bad idea for weather-beaten reporters.

ROKER: We're OK. We're coming inside.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LEMON: I wonder if Wolf Blitzer has one of those big, red CNN storm jackets.

PHILLIPS: (LAUGHTER).

He's too cool for that. You just look at Wolf and he just -- he just says CNN. He doesn't need the jacket.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": I have one of those jackets. It's a lovely jacket, but I haven't used it lately. So I'm going to get it -- make sure it still fits.

Guys, thanks very much.

Coming up at the top of the hour, we're going to stay on top of the breaking news that you've been reporting on the flooding in Ohio. We have some new video coming in to THE SITUATION ROOM on the rising waters. We'll share it our viewers.

Also, just a short time ago, President Bush invoked Vietnam when talking about the war in Iraq. We're going to tell you why he's now drawing parallels between Iraq and an earlier war that many historians believe was seriously mishandled.

Also, Congressional waste -- we're going to tell you about a so- called pork project that's even angering those who were supposed to receive the money.

And what's the one state in the United States the president has never visited as president as president?

He's visited 49 states. There is one state he has not visited. We're going to tell you the answer. All of that, guys, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM." LEMON: Thanks, Wolf.

PHILLIPS: Well, a CNN reporter hits the late night stage with David Letterman and the closing bell live from Wall Street, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, anchors a three night television event this week called "God's Warriors".

And last night, she discussed the series with David Letterman. But she and Dave put serious issues aside when they talked about CNN founder Ted Turner and her early days right here at our network.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE FROM "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN," COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ted was a fixture. We were at Teakwood, this sort of converted country club in Atlanta. That was where he started CNN.

And Ted did, in fact, occasionally live above the shop.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Right.

AMANPOUR: And so since I worked on weekends and did sort of a lot of junior work at the beginning, we would see him after whatever he had been doing the night before...

(LAUGHTER)

AMANPOUR: ...come down in his robe and, you know -- and generally walk around the newsroom and...

LETTERMAN: Yes. Now, I've heard that story from other people who worked there.

AMANPOUR: It's true.

LETTERMAN: ...that he would show up in the morning and there he would be.

AMANPOUR: It's true.

And he would go to the horrible machine and get his coffee from there.

LETTERMAN: Yes.

AMANPOUR: ...and whatever else came out of those horrible machines.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Well, the second episode of Christiane's series, titled "Muslim Warriors," airs tonight at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

LEMON: Uncle Ted, as they call him, right?

They should call him...

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: He is a very unique individual, that is for sure.

The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz, who is also a very unique individual, standing by with a final look at the trading day.

How is it going -- Susan?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's going pretty well.

And I can testify that everything Christiane just said was absolutely true, because Christiane and I were news writers at the same time. We were both starting out. We were writing copy for talent, the stars, people like you. And, yes, I mean they say corporate culture descends from the top down, and Ted certainly set the tone for what was a maverick organization.

PHILLIPS: Tell us another story.

LEMON: Yes.

PHILLIPS: OK. You saw him in his robe.

LEMON: What else do you know?

What kind of bath robe was it?

Did it have a crest on it?

Was it terrycloth?

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: I think bath robe is being charitable.

LEMON: Boxers.

LISOVICZ: We'll leave it at that.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: P.J.s.

LISOVICZ: I'll leave it at that.

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. LISOVICZ: We're thankful -- we're thankful he had the vision to start an all news network.

(LAUGHTER)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LISOVICZ: See you guys.

PHILLIPS: All right, Susan.

See you tomorrow.

LEMON: Time now to turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Mr. Wolf Blitzer.

Take it away -- Wolf.

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