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Will Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch be a Rainout?; Wave of Twisters Rakes Across Parts of Five Southern States
Aired February 07, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN, ANCHOR: It happened at Notre Dame Elementary, again that's in Portsmouth, Ohio. And just to get you acclimated to that area. Portsmouth is on the Ohio River, that is just east of Cincinnati, Ohio. We're getting late word that the students have been evacuated from the school. No word on the gunman. There were some initial reports that the gunman might still be inside the school. That seems to be going by board right now is we're getting late word that the students have been evacuated from that school. And again, that is Notre Dame Elementary School in Portsmouth, Ohio. The situation, late word, is that the situation is under control. We'll tie up a number of loose ends on this story and get you more as we get it in right here in the NEWSROOM.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN, ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. Once again, I'm Heidi Collins in Lafayette, Tennessee.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris from the CNN World headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.
COLLINS: Live from Tornado Alley in Tennessee, I'll be talking with the mayor of this community about the very big job ahead.
And do you have enough insurance? If your home ends up like this. Personal finance editor Gerri Willis with some great advice.
HARRIS: The space shuttle Atlantis ready to fly in hours. Will the launch be a rainout? Eye on the sky today, Thursday, February 27th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Overwhelming scenes of destruction and devastation. Incredible stories of hope and heartbreak. And a death toll that now stands at 55. We are live from tornado ravaged Lafayette, Tennessee in Macon County. The wave of twisters raked across parts of five southern states. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in more than two decades. President Bush will be here in Lafayette tomorrow to survey the damage. He promises federal help. In fact right now we want to take a walk away from where we are standing right now. I've got the mayor of Macon county -- we're going to make our way over. Because what I've seen over here, Mr. Mayor, is a bulldozer. And I'm seeing that people are now starting to try to clean up a little bit as we look at these shots. I mean, have you seen much of this before?
SHELVY LINVILLE, MAYOR, MACON COUNTY, TENNESSEE: Yes, Heidi. We flew over the area yesterday. Of course, I've seen a whole lot of this. You know, most of this is just -- it's houses that's going to have to be torn down. You know, the majority of them will not be able to be repaired and it's just total devastation here in Macon county.
COLLINS: I know that you've had a lot of help from other people on the way. You've got people coming in from many different states, in fact, to help out.
LINVILLE: Yes, we have. We've got -- of course our local law enforcement does a tremendous job, our local ambulance personnel, rescue squads. Are all just in. Fire departments. But in addition to that, we've had a lot of volunteers. We've had people come from surrounding counties like Smith county, Clay county, Putnam county, Wilson county, Sumner county, as far away as Green county. And you know, it's just amazing that people will turn out to help their neighbors at times like this. And you can see the destruction, and it's just unreal.
COLLINS: Let's walk over here just a little bit further because I want people to start seeing what's going on with these bulldozers. I mean this is an area that now all we can see is just a little bit that's left of the brick on the outside of these people's homes that you would think, yeah, this would be safe, these structures will hold. But as we get closer we'll be able to see here in just a minute, it is really not the case. I mean, there was really nothing that was safe in the middle of all of this.
LINVILLE: And there's nothing to build back to. I mean, they're going to have to take those and tear most of these structures completely down and start over again.
COLLINS: Yes. Is that what people are telling you they're going to do? Are they going to stay here? Are they going to rebuild?
LINVILLE: I'm sure they will. You know, Maconians are resilient people. This is home. I'm sure the majority of them will rebuild.
COLLINS: As I said, it is interesting to me, because we are just now seeing a bulldozer like that. It's the first one we've seen. We've got all the crews out now. I mean look at that. These trees are just everywhere. There's hardly any that are standing anymore. What are your residents, what are they telling you? I mean a lot of them that I have talked to anyway have been shell shocked. There is a lot of crying. Just a few minutes ago we talked with a man who was physically pretty beat up and he told me that his neighbor who he went to go and check on, she died. She didn't make it.
LINVILLE: Heidi, it's really unbelievable. I mean, you know, you see this on TV. You see the destruction in other areas, like Oklahoma, Kansas. But you don't expect it to happen to you. Of course Macon county's never witnessed anything like this before. We've had a couple of small tornadoes that -- over the last 10 or 15 years that's just basically touched down and then do just minor damage and gone. But nothing like this. This tornado stayed on the ground all the way through Macon County. It touched down in the southwest portion of the county, and stayed on the ground.
We flew over yesterday, and you could just follow the path. You know, a lot of times they'll hit, then pick up, then go a few miles, then touch down again. But this one, it was obvious this one stayed on the ground from the time it entered Macon county all the way through the county and just cut a diagonal path all the way through the county and exited out into Kentucky. And there is just tremendous amount of damage that's been done.
COLLINS: And I know that President Bush is coming tomorrow. Is that something that people will look forward to and will get maybe a sense of comfort? Of course, to be honest, we're going to be looking for that federal aid, too.
LINVILLE: Well, we need all the help we can get. Of course, the Governor Bredesen came yesterday and hopefully we'll be able to get some state aid. And as you can, you know, this is only a small portion of what's happened in Macon County, just this one subdivision.
COLLINS: That's right.
LINVILLE: And it's obvious that we're going to have to have a lot of help. And hopefully that federal aid will come. And I'm just pleased that President Bush is going to come and look at the area tomorrow.
COLLINS: Mayor Shelvy Linville, we certainly appreciate your time today. We know you have a lot of work to do and a lot of comforting. People will look to you as the mayor of Macon county for a lot of that.
LINVILLE: Well, we've had people that's worked around the clock. We've got an electric membership cooperative here. Of course, we've got a lot of electric lines to be put -- that has to be put back up.
COLLINS: Some of that power coming back up this morning, we're hearing.
LINVILLE: Yes, well actually a lot of it was turned back on last night about 7:30. Now the entire county was without electricity up until that point. Of course there's still a lot of areas still without electricity. But, those employees have worked around the clock and did an outstanding job. I just can't say enough for the people that's helped us, people that's come in.
COLLINS: It is very much needed.
LINVILLE: And we appreciate to see CNN being here just to show the devastation and just to show how much we need that federal aid.
COLLINS: Thank you. And we certainly wish you the very best as well. In fact we have another correspondent standing by. Mayor Linville, again thank you for your time. I want to get another picture, a little bit more of this area. Because the mayor is right, there is so much to show and so much to see. My colleague Rusty Dornin is standing by a little bit further down in Macon county here to tell us a little bit more about what she is seeing. Rusty, over to you now. RUSTY DORNIN, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi, like you said, there is just so much to show. I mean, you just look at the force and fury that takes these cinder blocks and tosses them around just like Legos. We're at the veterinary hospital here in what's been known as Bradenton but in Macon county, 13 people died. That's the most of any county in the southern state. The man who was there to receive the calls when this thing first happened, Macon county Sheriff Mark Gammons is with us. Sheriff, can you just describe what happened from that night when this thing first blew through here?
SHERIFF MARK GAMMONS, MACON COUNTY, TENNESSEE: Well, you know, we're a small community where the Sheriff has to get out and work. It is not just paperwork, desk work. I was at jail that night, approximately 10:25 we started seeing phone calls. I would say that within ten minutes, we had 200 calls. Our second dispatcher to answer calls. At that time, I asked for one female correctional officer to come up and start helping answering calls where I could go back and get deputies. The radios was going down. I couldn't get contact with the deputies ahead.
DORNIN: The radio tower went down.
GAMMONS: The towers went down and luckily I swapped over to the city. While I was in my office trying to contact deputies I hear my correction officer start screaming, and crying. And I run up and she says her house has been flattened. Her husband and daughter -- her husband and her daughter are there. She lives just right over here, yes. At that time I told her I'll go check. When I pulled up, you know, there's still wind but people start coming out, electrical lines, houses. I mean where I was at the day before it looks normal. You know, what do you do, you get down and pray and hope somebody comes to you. I mean, within a short amount of time, within an hour, FEMA was here. And then I called, yesterday morning, I called one of my friends, the sheriff in Wilson county I told him I need help. He says I'm going to send you, guys. And we had our local sheriff's meeting yesterday.
DORNIN: You had a lot of help coming in. I understand there have been wrecker crews looking for more victims and that sort of thing. You had something happen last night.
GAMMONS: We found three more people last night.
DORNIN: And they were alive?
GAMMONS: They were alive.
DORNIN: Where were they?
GAMMONS: They were what we call the Gannon Road. It was probably 10 miles outside of city limits here in Lafayette. And that's what we're doing today. We got five crews. We've spent so much time in this area here. I'm hoping, maybe we have everyone out. But odds are we're going to find somebody, and I hope we find somebody alive.
DORNIN: Is anybody missing still? That are unaccounted for? GAMMONS: We have about 100 calls of welfare checks on people. These people may have already gone somewhere where they don't have telephones or is not willing to get in touch with. I'm not saying 100 people is gone or missing, we're just trying to locate them, in welfare checks.
DORNIN: Great. Well, thank you very much for joining us. Mark Gammons, Macon County sheriff, who has definitely got his work cut out for him. And as Heidi was talking about before, President Bush is coming here to Lafayette, Tennessee tomorrow just to tour the incredible damage here. When this twister set down, I mean it burned a path a mile wide here and just brought destruction on just about everything in its path. But Heidi, you can see for yourself, that folks still a lot of spirit, people coming back trying to rebuild.
COLLINS: Yes, there's no question about it. It really is a very positive sign, Rusty. I know I keep mentioning it but this bulldozer behind me, we're hearing all these saws now. A lot more people out doing exactly what you are talking about. Good to talk with the mayor of Macon county too, who by the way was sitting inside his home and laying on the couch when he heard his own roof being ripped right off the top of his home. So very few people escaped this one without any damage. Tony, back to you.
HARRIS: Heidi, I'm curious, because it probably bears repeating that early in your reporting, the initial signs are that people are ready to get going again, ready to pick up the pieces of their lives. I know it something to that effect in the local paper this morning as well.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. You know, obviously, it's going to take a while. And everybody's different. You know? The Red Cross will tell you that they have mental health care counselors over at the shelter right now because everyone is going to handle this type of crisis, this type of tragedy, very, very differently. Some people are definitely ready to get out here and use their hands and use their minds and not sit around in that shelter and think about, oh, my goodness, what am I going to do with my life now. They are out and about, there is no question about it. Others, it will take longer.
HARRIS: Yes, I am wondering about, we talked about this because we have children, how are the children coping and faring with all of this? Heidi, great to see. We'll be checking back with you in just a couple of moments.
No, let's get you over to Reynolds Wolf now in the severe weather center. And Reynolds, we're talking about tornadoes here Tuesday afternoon, Tuesday evening, and into Wednesday as well. I wonder, we are talking about four, five states now. Do we have a way of showing folks the kind of path that the storms took as they moved from west to east?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Oh, absolutely. And you know what's funny, normally in most of our studies most tornadoes actually move from the southwest to the northeast. That was the case in virtually every single one of these during this outbreak. And right behind me on this image, notice every one of these red dots indicates a reported tornado. If you look through Arkansas, right here, you can just make out a faint path here. Then you see another one, right here, going through parts of Arkansas, into Tennessee, even into Kentucky. A third line going right through Mississippi all the way into Kentucky, including parts of Tennessee. Then you have this one from north Alabama. Rob Marciano was live there this morning, then moving into just across the Tennessee state line.
So, basically four separate tracks mixed in there. Just part of that big outbreak. Each one of those, one large super cell thunderstorm which is producing all these tornadoes. Certainly, a tremendous mass. This is just what you see when you have all those elements come together, the moist air from the gulf, the cooler air coming in from the north and northwest. You had the frontal boundary. You had that dry level aloft and of course, the jet stream all coming together to give you this outbreak. But that isn't the only big weather story we've got.
Another big weather story we had takes us a little bit further to north in the Ohio Valley, south of the Great Lakes. Findlay, Ohio, we got some flooding watches and flooding warnings there as well. We got a shot that we have here from WTOL out of Toledo showing Findlay as this nice community just to the south of Toledo where you have the flooding here. Another live image, a little bit farther east in the state, in Cleveland shows cloudy skies, light rain falling there for the time being. Certainly messy conditions there. But frankly, they aren't expecting more rain in parts of the Ohio Valley for today.
However, around the Pacific northwest, we're not talking about rain, we're talking about snow. It is going to be quite heavy in some spots of the Olympic Mountains, the Cascades, even portions of the central and northern Rocky Mountains. We could be dealing with over a foot of snowfall. And not only snow is part of the story, another big part is going to be that wind, the tremendous component with some gusts, topping 60, maybe even 70 miles an hour as we make our way into the midday hours. A lot to talk about. It's always the case, Tony.
HARRIS: It really is. All right. Reynolds, appreciate it. Good to have you here with us to help us sort through all these. Reynolds Wolf from the severe weather center.
I want to update you now on breaking news that we told you at the top of the newscast. WSAZ - and we have now confirmed a shooting, a female teacher wounded, shot. This is taking place in Portsmouth, Ohio, very near the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. We're told that this is a domestic situation by authorities on the ground there. Apparently the details that we are getting, let's sort of sort through this together, that a husband walks in to the school, shoots his wife, a teacher there at the school. This is an elementary school -- Notre Dame Elementary. I understand that Ryan Ottney is on the line with us. He is with the Portsmouth "Daily Times." And Ryan, I'm starting to go through the materials on this, the information that we know. But maybe you can fill us in on the very latest.
RYAN OTTNEY, "PORTSMOUTH DAILY TIMES": Yes. At this moment, information is still very sketchy. Police haven't released too much. We know very little more than what you've already reporting. There has been an incident, they believe it to be domestic related, where a man came in to the school and assaulted his wife, or possibly estranged wife. No students were injured, we are being told by police. They are all, I believe accounted for but none have been released to their parents as of yet. Police believe they may have something going on somewhere else within the city. They believe that he might be at his home, at another location and they are looking into that.
HARRIS: Ryan, let's at least put that second bit of information on everyone's radar. We are hearing some reports from our affiliate in Charleston, West Virginia, very close obviously, WSAZ, that there is a second episode, incident, under way right now, and that there may be some shots involved. Are you hearing anything along those lines?
OTTNEY: I just walked back into the NEWSROOM . I haven't heard anything of that nature yet. I was able to confirm with local law enforcement that there was an incident going on elsewhere in the city, that they believe may be related to the school incident.
HARRIS: And Ryan, let's go back then, circle back to the school. Is this Notre Dame Elementary?
OTTNEY: This is Notre Dame Elementary in Portsmouth, Ohio. Yes.
HARRIS: And has the school been secured? Are the kids OK?
OTTNEY: The school has been secured and immediately law enforcement arrived on scene, searched the building, secured all the children to make sure that the man was no longer in the building. After they realized he was no longer in the building they updated the parents telling them what's going on, saying no students have been injured at this time. They are taking a head count and they believe to be releasing the children to the custody of their parents shortly.
HARRIS: Any word on the condition of the teacher?
OTTNEY: No word yet. I only heard talk of her being still alive at this moment.
HARRIS: OK. Well done. Ryan Ottney of "The Daily Times" in Portsmouth. Boy, we'll continue to follow that. That's Portsmouth, Ohio very near Cincinnati, Ohio. We'll continue to follow developments in that story and bring you the latest information as we get it.
And to this story now, an ongoing story even at this moment in Los Angeles, a S.W.A.T. officer is dead, another critically wounded. A violent and dramatic overnight standoff, dragging into the morning It started when a man called police and claimed he killed three family members. Police went to a house, there was a shootout. Police also tell us two officers were hit. As far as we know the man is still barricaded inside. No word on the condition of the officers. We will keep you posted on developments in this story throughout the morning.
Stuck in the snowy wilderness. Today, safe and sound. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I would say that this has definitely made me a believer in prayer.
HARRIS: Answered prayers, indeed. Amazing real-life survivors next in the NEWSROOM
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HARRIS: OK, it is back to the campaign trail today for Senators Clinton and Obama. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, part of the best political team on television, in Chicago, the heart of Obama country. Suzanne, great to see you. So, where are these two democrats concentrating their efforts? Moving forward here.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I mean, There are really two important races that are coming up both on Saturday and Tuesday. So, they're really kind of crisscrossing the country. They'll both end up in Washington state at the end of the day. But what you're seeing here is there will be on Saturday a Louisiana primary and three caucuses, that is Nebraska, Washington state and Virgin Islands. So Barack Obama starts his day in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is expected that he will do well in that state, a significant African-American community there, that that will serve him well.
In Nebraska, you'll see pockets of rural areas, he tends to do well in those type of areas, as well as then he goes on to Washington state. But we'll see from Senator Clinton is she will start in Virginia. That is where it is expected to be a very competitive race. But the Clinton folks are confident that she's going to come out on top and then she goes to Washington state. They'll both end up in Washington state. The Clinton camp, however, is conceding, they do believe that these early contests may favor Barack Obama, but they are looking forward to March 4th. That is when you see Ohio and Texas in play. Ohio, the voters tend to be older, white as well as blue collar workers.
In Texas, Latino communities, very large. Those are groups that they see from the past contests where she performs very well. So obviously both of these camps looking for delegates in those critical states. Crisscrossing the country today, it will be very interesting, Tony, to see how it develops.
HARRIS: Absolutely. And Obama rally I believe scheduled for this hour, Tulane University. You mentioned New Orleans. Suzanne Malveaux, and just like that, like magic, a live shot from Tulane University Fogelman arena. Suzanne Malveaux for us in Chicago with the Obama campaign. Suzanne, great to see you. Maybe we'll get to that rally in New Orleans a little later this hour.
You may not know until it is too late actually, a natural disaster or fire leaves you homeless. Are you covered? We've got this angle covered for you in the NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: one of our favorite times of the morning, Gerri Willis' time. What if it were me? Homeowners everywhere thinking that as, Gerri, look at these pictures today, the five states impacted here, they're thinking, wow, am I covered? All right, Gerri is here to explain on what you need to do in case disaster strikes later. Gerri, it seems to me what you want to know is what it will cost to rebuild your home and how do you get that information.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: You know, it's tough. First you all, you want to ensure Tony that your home is insured for the total amount it would cost to rebuild it in its entirety in case it is destroyed. Now, this doesn't mean market value. You should know about 58 percent of homes are under insured. And of course, you'll get an estimate from your insurance agent but keep in mind, that estimate may not cover absolutely everything. In the end the responsibility for determining the value of your home is your job. One place to go is accucoverage.com. For a few bucks this website will let you get an estimated replacement cost of your home with information you plug in. Or go out and hire an appraiser, but that will cost you though $200 to $700. You can get an appraiser at appraisers.org. Tony.
HARRIS: Gerri, what are some of the costs that homeowners tend to overlook?
WILLIS: Well, when you rebuild a home you have to figure in the average cost of materials that are used in building construction. Costs have risen by more than 6 percent in the past two years alone. Labor costs and inflation - all of that has to be factored in. To insulate yourself against these increases see if your insurance company offers an inflation guard clause. Now, this is a way of automatically increasing your policy limits to reflect construction costs in your area. Tony.
HARRIS: I'm thinking about what particular type of policy perhaps we should be thinking about to make sure, you know, that we end up with the most protection.
WILLIS: Well, the actual cash value policy not my favorite. That's because it reduces your payout by how much your possessions have depreciated, declined in value over time. A guaranteed replacement cost policy -- let me say that one more time - a guaranteed replacement cost policy is the one you want. This one reimburses you for the full cost of rebuilding. It is really the gold standard. It can be difficult to find. So what you can do is go out and buy what they call an extended replacement cost policy. This pays you a set amount plus a 20 percent to 25 percent margin so you can actually rebuild the house at a level that makes sense to you. You can also add building code endorsements to cover the costs of complying with future rule changes. And that's a big problem for older houses.
HARRIS: Boy, let's hope folks there in the five states impacted had everything they need in place.
WILLIS: Tough.
HARRIS: Boy, Gerri, big "Open House" show this weekend.
WILLIS: Well, if you're worried about your finances this election year, we've been talking about recession, we'll be answering your questions, what's on your mind on our show. Then how to buy and sell your home in this struggling market, Tony. Join us at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning on CNN for "Open House." Hope you're there, Tony.
HARRIS: Always. Always. Gerri, great tips, as always, this morning. And thanks for the advice.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
HARRIS: Gerri Willis, CNN's personal finance editor.
(MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: Bottom of the hour, everyone. Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: Good morning to you, everybody. Live from Lafayette, Tennessee, I'm Heidi Collins. The horror after the storm. We are live in Tennessee in Macon County. It is one of the hardest-hit areas by the devastating tornadoes that just pounded the south. The death toll now stands at 55 this morning.
The storms raked across parts of five southern states. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in more than two decades. In fact, President Bush will be here in Lafayette tomorrow to take a look at the damage. He promises federal help in the recovery effort, and that is something that many people are very much looking forward to for two reasons. Obviously the financial help will be a very big thing for these people, but also to see your president, I've been told by the folks here, is something that will offer a unique sense of comfort to them, because as we look around us, still today, and as the sun comes up even higher in the sky, we are seeing more and more damage and more people with incredible stories.
In fact I want to introduce to you the Gonzales family. Their story is incredible because they moved here to Lafayette, Tennessee after losing everything in Hurricane Katrina. They are from New Orleans, Louisiana originally.
And, Steve, first of all, if you could just tell us for your family a little bit about what happened when you were inside your home.
STEVE GONZALES, STORM VICTIM: We were inside the home. We heard on the news that the tornado was headed this direction. So we huddled everybody into the closet, and I was watching the weather outside on the back porch, and I saw the big storm coming, big cloud, and...
COLLINS: You saw the funnel cloud?
GONZALES: I saw the funnel cloud and along with some transformers exploding, and so I ran to the closet, locked everyone in. And then all the windows started busting and the walls started shaking. Lasted about 20 seconds, and then we came outside and noticed that all the houses around us were severely damaged. Some of them weren't even there. So we started looking around and see if anybody was around in the neighborhood, survived or was hurt, and then rescue teams started to come in.
COLLINS: And you know, we've been talking a lot about what it's like to be a child in all of this, and if it's OK. Dustin or Samantha, I'd love to hear what did it feel like? you were inside a closet with your entire family just trying to make it through this. Do you remember what it sounded like or what it felt like?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it was a little shaking or something and your ears popped, and I thought I was going deaf or something; I didn't know what was happening.
COLLINS: Were you scared? Yes, I bet you were.
Dustin, what about you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was very loud. Like she said, the ears started popping, house was shaking, and I thought that the walls inside the house were starting to come down. I didn't know what was going on.
COLLINS: Wow, I imagine. So then what happened next? You decided you're going to pack up your family.
GONZALES: We got a phone call immediately after the storm passed our house and told us to get to the U.S. Armory shelter. We were the first ones at the shelter, and we spent the last part of the storm, the second wave, so to speak, at that shelter. It was just us four and one private from the military. We stayed there until 6:00 the next morning when the rest of the people started arriving.
COLLINS: In fact, the reason why you were there is because it probably felt like from what you'd told me, you'd been through this before, you'd seen what Mother Nature can do in Hurricane Katrina, and it didn't take you long to figure out, it's time to go.
GONZALES: No, no, right. Get to the safest place. Protect the family first. The other stuff can be replaced.
COLLINS: No question, and I know back in Hurricane Katrina your wife was actually in the hospital at the time.
GONZALES: Yes, she suffered two ruptured aneurysms in the brain and we were actually able to rescue her two days before Katrina hit Louisiana, and we evacuated for it. And our house was severely damaged in it, and we came back to Louisiana, rebuilt, and then sold our property and everything we had and moved up here.
COLLINS: To start over.
GONZALES: To start over again. COLLINS: Wow. And what's left of your home now?
GONZALES: We really don't know. We know that there's structural as far as the brick and things are still standing. But it has roof damage and all the windows are blown. So we won't know until they're able to let us go back in and look at things. They're trying to check to see if they're structurally sound to stay in.
COLLINS: You were able to go back to get some medications, you said?
GONZALES: The military was gracious enough to escort me back to the house to get medication for her because they don't have the facilities to dispense that type of medications.
COLLINS: Right. Any idea when you'll be able to get back in the home?
GONZALES: We were hoping some time today. They told us that we might be able to go back into the neighborhood today if FEMA came in and said that the houses were structurally sound, that we might be able to go back and get necessities, and if it was structurally sound be able to board up and actually stay there.
COLLINS: Yes, well. From the looks of your faces I know that you guys are going through a very tough time. But, boy, all four of you still together. It's not the story that we've heard from everyone.
GONZALES: Yes, you got to stick together in times of crisis.
COLLINS: Yes.
GONZALES: Yes, material things are one thing, but family's most important.
COLLINS: Absolutely. Well, you said it best. And you know it best now after everything that you guys have been through. It's a pleasure meeting you, the Gonzalez family. The best of luck to you. We'd like to keep in touch and find out how things go for you once you get back into your home and find out.
And, Tony, as I send it back to you now that is one of the things that is very disturbing, I think, for a lot of families here, is because many of them who stayed inside their homes knew that the homes were standing when they left, and like we heard from Steve, some of the windows were blown out and maybe even some of the shingling or the roofing. However, because of the mass density and the power of this storm, there is no way to know until you get back inside, and probably going to need to bring in some structural engineers or architects to find out whether or not it's truly safe to be living there.
HARRIS: That's right. We love the perspective on the Gonzales family, that's family, first and foremost. Boy, love that story.
COLLINS: Survivors, no doubt. HARRIS: Absolutely. Heidi, we're back to you in just a couple of moments. Thanks for that.
COLLINS: Want to give you an update on the story out of Portsmouth, Ohio, about two hours east of Cincinnati, right along the Ohio River, very near Charleston, West Virginia, trying to get the latest information on the condition of a school teacher, a female school teacher, shot there at Notre Dame Elementary in Portsmouth, Ohio. We understand from the authorities on the ground and also from Ryan Ottney, a reporter for "The Daily Times" there in Portsmouth that this is a domestic situation where a husband walks into the school and shoots his wife, the teacher there, at that school. Still don't know the condition of the teacher. Trying to get that information.
We are also getting some indications of a second incident playing out right now in one of the other neighborhoods in Portsmouth, maybe involving -- perhaps involving the husband, the shooter in this case. We're going to keep following developments on the story and bring you the very latest as we get them here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Another story that we're keeping an eye on right now out of Los Angeles, a SWAT officer is dead. Another critically wounded. A violent and dramatic overnight standoff dragging into the morning. It started when a man called police and claimed he killed three family members. Police went to a house. There was a shootout. Police say two other officers were hit. As far as we know the man is still barricaded inside. We will, of course, keep you posted on developments in this story throughout the morning.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, arrest in Pakistan. Two suspects today in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
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HARRIS: Arrests today in the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Live to CNN's Jennifer Eccleston in Islamabad, Pakistan.
And Jennifer, good to see you. What can you tell us about those who were arrested, we understand in Rawalpindi where the former prime minister was killed.
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, precisely, Tony. Security forces here arrested two men in connection with last December's assassination of former Prime Minister amd opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
Authorities say the arrests took place in Rawalpindi which is just outside of Islamabad where I am now. They say it was part of an ongoing military operation to find those responsible for and those related to the suicide and the gun attack that killed Bhutto and 28 of her supporters at a political rally there in Rawalpindi.
There's also another development today regarding the assassination. Investigators from Scotland Yard who are helping with the probe are back in Pakistan. They are expected to release some of their conclusions to Pakistani authorities in the coming days.
Now, Tony, the prime suspect from the government's point of view is the Taliban leader named Butulah Mesud (ph) from Pakistan's tribal belt near the Afghan border. But he denies any role in the attack.
And Bhutto's Pakistan's People Party and her family still maintain that individuals within the government of President Pervez Musharraf had a role to play in her death and today, thousands of those supporters attended a memorial service marking the end of a 40- day mourning period for the late prime minister.
Asif Ali Zardari, you know, her -- Benazir Bhutto's widow and de facto head of the party during that service said the People's Party will resume campaigning tomorrow in the run-up to these crucial parliamentary elections that are taking place here on 18th of February, Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Jennifer Eccleston for us from Islamabad, Pakistan. Jennifer, thank you.
Eyeing the sky. The shuttle "Atlantis" counting down to liftoff but today's launch could be rained out. Live now to CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Clear your throat, young man. How is it looking there? Yes, thank you, Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, Tony Harris is talking to me, I better get serious here.
It's too bad -- you know, it's too bad they can't make it to the space station if they launch now because it's a beautiful morning here at the Kennedy Space Center. Blue skies, little bit of a breeze.
But that weather you've been talking about all morning long on CNN, that terrible, horrible weather, is moving its way through here, kind of the bottom end of it, not nearly as much energy as we saw with those tornadoes. But nevertheless, enough to put a real crimp in the style of NASA today as it tries to launch the space shuttle "Atlantis" to the International Space Station, aiming for 2:45 p.m. Eastern time.
That's the goal. You never know. They're saying a 70 percent chance that the weather will make it impossible to launch today. I've been here, Tony, when they've said 90 percent no-go and they light the firecracker. So, who knows?
Take a look at the crew: seven-person crew. All men this time. Just by luck of the draw or unluck of the draw, depending on which way you look at it. Two members of the European Space Agency are a part of that. They're suiting up, getting ready. Live pictures of that right now as you see them in their orange -- they call those pumpkin suits, Tony, for obvious reasons I guess.
HARRIS: Yes, sure.
O'BRIEN: The idea is to make it easy to identify them should they have to fish them out of the drink. We're hoping that doesn't happen ...
HARRIS: Sure.
O'BRIEN: ...today for sure.
Now, I want to walk you through -- this has been delayed two months. I don't know how much you've been following this, Tony, but this is the source of a big problem for the space shuttle. You know, the space shuttle is a million parts. And as the astronauts will often remind you, a million parts all built by the low bidder. And it doesn't take much to leave a shuttle on the pad. This is a very inexpensive connecter, which is at the base of the space shuttle's external fuel tank right about in this region.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
O'BRIEN: And it's basically -- it's a fuel gauge, OK? And the problem is the fuel is liquid hydrogen. It's minus 450 degrees Fahrenheit, coldest substance we know of on earth. The coldness combining with some air which got in this line, actually froze the air.
HARRIS: Whoa.
O'BRIEN: We're not talking about ice, we're talking about frozen air.
HARRIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Air freezes at 305 -- minus 350, and caused the pins in this connecter to lose contact. And this is a mettlesome problem that they couldn't figure out what was going on. They finally figured it all out, they've soldered all those pins together. And this important fuel gauge has been working like a charm so far this morning.
HARRIS: I see, I see.
O'BRIEN: It's important because if the fuel gauge doesn't work and the engines run dry, that's a bad thing. That's a catastrophic failure.
HARRIS: Absolutely -- hey, Miles, just a ...
O'BRIEN: Yes?
HARRIS: ...yes, I got a quick question for you. You know, I can understand ...
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HARRIS: ...why the folks there would want to wait until the last minute to decide whether or not we go or we scrub. I mean, this is an important mission. They all are now as we wind down the program.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HARRIS: But tell us about this international -- will this Columbus lab that's being taken to the International Space Station?
O'BRIEN: I'm glad you asked. This is an important milestone in the history of the International Space Station, going back now since 1999. This is the first significant piece of European architecture, if you will, for the space station. The Columbus module, it's a new laboratory, not quite as big as the U.S. lab, but packed with a lot of scientific power, will greatly enhance the scientific capability.
And, frankly, this is a 16-nation partnership. The Europeans have really been waiting for this opportunity to be a part of this space station. They got delayed by the Russians at first, and then of course the loss at Columbia. But now, they got this fancy scientific platform headed up there.
So, hopefully all will go well. And who knows, Tony? We might get a launch today. You never say never in this ...
HARRIS: Absolutely, absolutely. Miles, great to see you, doctor! It's been a while.
O'BRIEN: Always a pleasure.
HARRIS: All right, Miles. We'll talk to you a little later.
And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, Angelina Jolie shows up in Baghdad on a mission.
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ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I don't see borders and I see lives and I see children and this is, you know, an environment where there's a war but there's also a humanitarian crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Our Arwa Damon with an exclusive interview.
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HARRIS: And very quickly, we want to take you back to Los Angeles right now to give the latest information we have on a story that we've been following throughout the morning. First of all, take a look at these dramatic pictures. This is an ongoing story that began to develop overnight. We're talking about a standoff that began in Los Angeles that resulted in the death of a SWAT officer. It started when a man called police and claimed he had killed three family members. Police went to this home. There was a shootout, we understand. Police say two officers were hit, and now it looks like we're getting these indications that the situation is about at a conclusion here. We'll go back to those pictures of the home in just a moment. Don't know how it has come to a conclusion, or if in fact it has.
But we certainly wanted to show you the pictures of the smoke pouring out of the home of the site, the location of this standoff between this individual and members of the Los Angeles Police Department and SWAT members as well. We are going to keep an eye on this situation and bring you the latest as we get it.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: And we keep moving in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's take you to New Orleans now. Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama campaigning in New Orleans this morning ahead of Saturday's Louisiana primary. Obama at Tulane University. Let's listen in.
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SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRES. CANDIDATE: ... language got all mixed up, and altogether formed something entirely new, something different and something special, an imperfect place made more perfect through its promise for forgiveness.
Now in the wake of this quintessentially American city's greatest test, a test that President Cohen and President Francis and so many political leaders and community leaders and ordinary people were able to work through. We see the stirrings of a new day. This great university is well into another academic year. And driving up to the campus, it was astonishing to think that only a few years ago this site was three feet underwater. The St. Charles streetcar is rattling downtown.
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And (INAUDIBLE) again winds through the streets of mid-city. And as a Bears fan, this is hard to admit, but a son of a New Orleans, Eli Manning, even won an improbable Super Bowl victory.
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We need a quarterback in Chicago. Is there another Manning brother somewhere? We've been having some problems.
Most importantly, with each passing day, with each student who goes back to school, with each business that reopens its doors, with each worker who puts in a shift, New Orleanians are reclaiming their future and showing America just what can be done in this country when citizens lift up their communities.
What we see in New Orleans...
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What we see in New Orleans is one of the central premises of my campaign, and that is, change in America does not happen from the top down. It happens from the bottom-up, because we are a hard-working...
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We are a hard-working and generous people, ready to sacrifice on behalf of future generations. And when we join together, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native-American, young, old, rich, poor, when we understand that we are the United States of America, then there is nothing that we cannot do as a people.
(APPLAUSE)
But of course, there is another side to this story, because we know that this city, a city that has always stood for what can be done in this country, has also become a symbol for what we could not do.
To many Americans, the words New Orleans call up images of broken levees, water rushing through the streets, mothers holding babies up to avoid the floods, and worst, the memory of a moment when America's government failed its citizens.
(APPLAUSE)
Because when the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast extended their hand for help, help was not there. When people looked up from the rooftops for too long they saw an empty sky. When the winds blew and the floodwaters came, we learned that, for all of our wealth and our power, something wasn't right with America.
We can talk about a few days in 2005, and we should. We can talk about levees that couldn't hold, about a FEMA that seemed not just incompetent, but paralyzed and powerless, about a president who only saw the people from the window of an airplane instead of down here on the ground, trying to provide comfort and aid.
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That was a metaphor for this presidency. Sometimes people ask me, why is it that you attract such big crowds? I say, well, you know, people are ready for change. They understand this extraordinary moment. Hopefully, occasionally my words can inspire. But part of it has to do with the fact that when folks go into the polling place in November, to select the next president of the United States, they know that no matter what else happens, the name George W. Bush will not be on the ballot.
(APPLAUSE)
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