Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Midwest Towns Brace For Floodwaters; Preparing For Battle in Afghanistan; Rocco Mediate Reminisces on Sudden-Death with Tiger Woods

Aired June 17, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Levees are going to overtop. But, you know, they're not all going to break, and they're not all going to overtop. But that's going to happen during this flood, just like it did in 1993.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): So many levees, so much water, so little time, and so little certainty of which city, towns and farms will be spared and which will be the next casualties of the worst Midwestern flooding in 15 years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips, live in New York. CNN's Sean Callebs and Ed Lavandera are watching the rivers. Meteorologist Chad Myers is looking downstream and watching the screens from the CNN Weather Center. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: So, in the southern corner of Iowa, folks are busy shoring up a weak levee, trying to save their city.

And CNN's Sean Callebs joins us now live in Burlington.

Sean, what is the very latest from there?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the images are just horrific.

If you talk to the people here, heartbreaking. Look at the Mississippi River, how it has just jumped its banks, poured into the heart of downtown -- the city here in Iowa, Burlington, a town of about 25,000 people.

If you look out across there, you may be able to see an actual boat going across the river. There have been emergency crews out here. They're concerned about items floating down this river. But, normally, the Mississippi River is well beyond that second tree line. It has just poured into this area.

And you know what? It should actually be a lot worse. However, right across the way, a levee has broken in Illinois. It happened several hours ago. The Mississippi River's just pouring into that area. The redirected water is actually lowering the river level here in our area.

We have a couple of cameras set up. I want to show you exactly what is going on here. If you look at the wall, you can see how the waterline has dropped somewhat significantly over the past several hours, probably close to a foot-and-a-half or so. It may not look like a lot, but it's keeping water out of some of these areas.

There have been pumps operating in this area. This warehouse that I'm looking at actually stores bedding supplies. And you can see, boy, they're fighting a tough battle there, trying to keep the water out of that. And that's just one building here in the downtown. As I look down these streets, the wall of sandbags, basically the Maginot Line, trying to keep the Mississippi out.

But, boy, it has just been a very, very difficult job here.

We talked to one business owner just a short while ago, and he is concerned about what is going to happen and the kind of assistance they're going to get.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAC COFFIN, BUSINESS OWNER: Last night, I wasn't here, but they made the market at about 4:00 in morning, because we were losing everything here. We had water where we're standing. We had water on our shop floor. They couldn't maintain it. Our pumps couldn't keep up in the basement.

And they marked it. And then, all of a sudden, they just saw it start dropping. And when I got here at 5:00 this morning, it was -- it was where the two flanges meet. So, it had dropped like, oh, four inches. Now it's down maybe another foot. So, it's really gone down. But it's probably not going to stay down. But it -- it's a relief, at least for a while.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: Now, what Mac Coffin is talking about is the fact that, because the levee broke across the river, allowing the water to flow there, as soon as that water stabilizes over there, where the flooding has reached its peak, then it's going to start moving back up again here, Don.

And, real quickly, just to the north of us, there's a seven-mile stretch of levee that has just been saturated. Right now, it is boiling through, meaning water is seeping through some areas. There's National Guard troops up there. They have told us they have had to -- quote -- "retreat" just a little bit. But they are worried. If that levee gives way, it's going to flood hundreds of square miles to the north, because, once it breaks, it's flat ground.

And there's nothing, nothing to hold the water back. If there is a difference between the '93 flood here in the Midwest, Don, it's, these levees have gone through tremendous upgrade over the last 15 years. So, you are seeing more localized flooding this time. Boy, last time, in '93, we saw it all the way from the Dakotas, all the way past Memphis, even changed the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers for a while.

Let's hope it doesn't get that bad. But, the people downstream, this is coming. And nothing is going to stop it -- Don.

LEMON: Absolutely, and even with upgrades, so, there's still, Sean, no messing with Mother Nature. If the water wants to come over, it's going to come over.

Thank you. We appreciate your reporting.

We're going to turn now to our Chad Myers, because those floodwaters really don't seem to be showing any mercy. And, of course, people in that area are hoping this water's going to go down. But it may not, sadly.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the levee break over there in Gulfport, Illinois, made a difference.

LEMON: Yes.

MYERS: It made a couple feet difference on what we're expecting.

And Sean kind of touched this last time. And maybe we haven't described it as well as we should have. The 1993 flood happened in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois. And all that water got into the Mississippi.

So, we're talking about many, many more states in that 1993 flood than just the couple of states that we have in this flood. Here's what we're talking about with the levee breach, the break that we have had.

We know over two dozen levees are going to be overtopped, unless they are sandbagged, and they're being sandbagged right now. But this is the one right there in Gulfport, Illinois. The water has actually poured over -- well, that's not good -- the water actually has poured over the levee.

And it has actually reduced the amount of water over there on the other side. The blue line -- we have showed you these maps day in and day out for two weeks -- the blue line is what has happened. The green line is what is going to happen.

Well, the Burlington forecast is now significantly lower than it was before that breach. And it's going to be lower in all of those cities downriver, because the water is spreading into Illinois, into mainly farmland around Gulfport, Illinois, but the people in Gulfport are really underwater right now, Don.

LEMON: All right. Chad Myers, thank you for updating us, sir -- Kyra.

MYERS: You're welcome. LEMON: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, at least one levee's already breached in western Illinois, and one bridge to Iowa is actually closed.

CNN producer Bill Kirkos trying to get into Carthage, Illinois.

Now, when we talked to you last, Bill, you were working your way across the bridge to try to get to that area where the levee was breached, and you could see the effects. Did you make it?

BILL KIRKOS, CNN PRODUCER: Kyra, Chad couldn't have set up the scene where I am now any more appropriately.

We did just make it. We are right now we are in rural Carman, Illinois, which is just across the Mississippi River from Burlington, where I started this morning. And just as Chad was saying, the water has gone down drastically while it's gone down over there on the Iowa side. We are now in the middle of a farm standing here seeing the effects of where all that spilled water that's going over the levee is now going. It's taking over all of these farms.

I can see the water moving at a couple -- at about an inch every 10 or 15 minutes as it just overtakes these farms. And about two hours ago, farmer Gary Olson (ph) here with me says, "We're dry."

So, it's pretty dramatic. We are definitely seeing all of that water that on one side is helping the people in Iowa, right now, coming all the way, flooding these farms in Illinois.

And, actually, here I'm standing under an irrigation tract that is obviously, as Gary says, not going to be in use for quite some time, because everything underneath it is flooded. But it's moving pretty rapidly. Like I said, you can see it every -- it's moving several inches now, it seems like, every quarter-hour.

PHILLIPS: So, Bill, so, you and your photographer, you guys are actually sitting right there watching the water rise. Can you tell me what type of farm it is? Have you been able to see if the farmer is still there on the farm, if they have had to evacuate? Any type of response coming into that area?

KIRKOS: Well, the farmers who live on this property that I'm at right now, which is right across from Burlington, evacuated safely. They are gone.

Gary Olson (ph) is a neighboring farmer who lives right near them. He came down here just to take a look at how rapidly this water's moving, because he's convinced -- and, unfortunately, he's afraid, that it's going to reach his farm, which is about half-a-mile further east of here. The water is moving so quickly now from west to east from the Mississippi, after that levee breach, that he's standing by to see how -- how much of his farm is going to be -- going to be affected.

And you can see all kinds of stuff that was obviously in the Mississippi that's now on this farmland. I see a big tire going by right now that, who knows, could have come from Iowa or Minnesota. There's just all kinds of material in this -- in this water, and it's just overtaking the farms, and we're standing pretty much near the epicenter of where it breached.

And...

PHILLIPS: Wow.

KIRKOS: And I started my day in Burlington, at that bridge, and it took me about probably the last five hours to make it all the way down south along the Mississippi to Keokuk, and to come all the way back here, just about a mile away from that bridge, but on the other side of the river.

And now it's just -- the farm is just being taken over. You can actually see this water moving here. We have sent a couple of still photographs. I don't know if they have...

PHILLIPS: Yes, we were able to show those. Yes, we saw the pictures, Bill.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: And we will -- here's another one, actually, we're showing right now. We will continue to check in with you.

Bill Kirkos is one of our CNN producers, actually made his way into Illinois there after a long wait trying to cross that bridge from state to state. He was right there on the -- on the border there. And we're seeing firsthand now the effects of that levee that was breached, bringing back memories, boy, of Katrina and the state of Louisiana. That will be the next step, finding out what condition those levees were in.

But you're seeing the effects right there, farms being devastated.

Bill, we will continue to talk to you. Thanks so much.

The rivers are slowly receding in parts of Iowa, though, and just as slowly, people there are being allowed back into their homes, even in some cases it's only to see what they can salvage.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is there in Cedar Rapids.

Pretty heartbreaking to see that as well, though, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And it has been rather depressing to watch the family members who have been coming back to this particular neighborhood on Bolling (ph) Street on the southern edge of Cedar Rapids.

And imagine here just a few days ago, if you looked back up this hill, about halfway up the street here up on that hill, all of this was underwater just a few days ago. In fact, we were on this street. We shot some video. They were actually launching boats into -- onto this street for people to come back out and check what was going on.

They were rescuing cats from up there. And now the water's way down here. At the end of the street, this is a National Guard checkpoint here, so no one else is allowed back there. But you can see, the homes are still under a great deal of water. You can see a fence propped up against a tree.

You can see a bunch of debris in some backyards down there as well. And so, as these perimeters start shrinking, as the water recedes, it opens up these streets again. And you see the families like this being able to come home and start the clean-out process.

And we have been watching these folks throughout the day cleaning out. They must have had three or four feet of water inside the living room, the basement completely filled with water. They are pulling out everything that they can.

In fact, look at that beautiful record collection right there, vinyls, Kyra, right there on the grass drying out here. So, this has been rather depressing watching all these people. And it's going on and on house, after house after house in this area.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: You're leaving your -- Ed, you're leaving yourself wide open. I have got to know what some of the albums are.

LAVANDERA: Oh, we haven't even checked them out. Hold on a second.

PHILLIPS: Can you make your way over?

LAVANDERA: Yes. Yes. We will check them out. Let me see here.

PHILLIPS: We are going to find something else about this homeowner.

(LAUGHTER)

LAVANDERA: Well, we talked to her a little while ago. Let's see -- you will never walk -- a little Elvis, a little Elvis there.

PHILLIPS: OK.

That was my first album. What else do we have?

(CROSSTALK)

LAVANDERA: Andy Gibb, that's there for you, Kyra. You probably like Andy Gibb, right?

PHILLIPS: Bringing back the Bee Gees, baby.

(LAUGHTER)

LAVANDERA: Yes. Some Willie Nelson. PHILLIPS: Wow.

LAVANDERA: There we go, for those of us...

(CROSSTALK)

LAVANDERA: That's actually a rather eclectic collection.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: No doubt.

But this goes to show that this is -- this is affecting livelihoods. When your house is flooded, you have got scrapbooks. You have got vinyl. You have got all kinds of things that are important to you. And this is the hardest part, not only getting the water out there, but seeing how your life's been affected, your memories and everything else.

LAVANDERA: Hey, I know a lot of people who own vinyl records. And to see them laid out here on the grass has got to be incredibly heart-wrenching for a lot of people.

And you hope that, you know, they still work or they don't get warped or they haven't been completely ruined. And, you know, it's -- you know, you talk to these people over and over again, and it never gets easy, you know, to see them have to go through all of this. And...

PHILLIPS: Yes.

LAVANDERA: ... you know, you just hope they, you know, kind of make it through.

And the problem is, you know, it takes months and months for all of this stuff to settle down, even though -- even after the water's long gone and the attention's died down.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Then you got to deal with the insurance issues.

LAVANDERA: Right.

PHILLIPS: Ed Lavandera, appreciate the insight there.

And, Ed, you might want to get that homeowner to move some of those records out of the sun. They will start warping.

Thanks, Ed.

(LAUGHTER)

LAVANDERA: All right.

PHILLIPS: All right. LEMON: I'm glad you said it, Kyra. That was exactly my thoughts as well, because we know -- those of us who are old enough to remember albums and vinyl, they warp in the sun and the heat. But that's probably the least of their worries, don't you think?

PHILLIPS: Definitely.

LEMON: Yes.

All right, let's talk now about allied troops, Taliban militants gearing up, and they're digging in as well -- an impending battle in Afghanistan. We will bring you a live report right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Preparing for battle, allied troops and Taliban militants are gearing up for a showdown in southern Afghanistan. Afghan troops, supported by NATO, expected to target several villages where militants have already taken over. And it's the same area where some 400 militants busted out of a prison last Friday.

A tribal elder tells CNN the militants are planting mines and blowing up bridges ahead of the expected attack and forcing villagers to fight. NATO meantime has dropped leaflets warning villagers to take cover.

Now, allied troops are gearing up. Taliban militants are digging in, and a showdown in the south -- in the works, rather, in southern Afghanistan. We are going to talk with Barbara Starr at the Pentagon coming up in just a few minutes.

LEMON: Now, they can say "I do." We have seen it all day, hundreds of gay and lesbian couples getting hitched in California, as the state overturns its ban on same-sex marriage. We have got a live report for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Allied troops gearing up, Taliban militants digging, and a showdown in the works in southern Afghanistan as we speak.

Let's get straight to the Pentagon and CNN's Barbara Starr for more.

Barbara, what do you know?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, a lot of confusing signals coming from a lot of places.

We have seen that news agency video, of course, of Taliban villagers on the run, fleeing what they say are Taliban overtaking their villages. They are in fear that combat is about to break out. Earlier, in fact, NATO dropped leaflets into this area north of Kandahar, telling the villagers to, please, not run, to stay put, that the safest place for them was inside their houses in case combat broke out.

But the Pentagon and other parts of the U.S. military are saying they have had a look around. They don't think there are a lot of Taliban in the region. Earlier today, the Pentagon spokesman addressed the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON: There still is a formidable Taliban opponent that we need to take on in Afghanistan, but any reports which suggest that they have somehow gained a footing around Kandahar and are preparing to take that city are way overblown at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But, of course, what Mr. Morrell is not addressing in that is, I don't think anybody's really saying the Taliban are about to take Kandahar.

It's the question of these several villages to the north in a place called the Arghandab district and whether the Taliban presence there, perhaps not control, but presence is growing, and is becoming a factor of intimidation with the villagers who are living there.

I have to tell you, the leaflets do continue to be dropped. And, in fact, NATO is sending reinforcements to that very area, Canadian forces, as well as some Afghan units and some British forces, to have a closer look around and to be ready just in case -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, we will follow it.

Barbara Starr live from the Pentagon -- thanks, Barbara.

LEMON: Applause, kisses, smiling faces, well, just like any wedding. And for gay couples, tying the knot as soon as California allowed it, that was the point, love and marriage and also equality. That's what they are saying.

And our Ted Rowlands is live in San Francisco with more on that.

Definitely some happy people there, but not everyone agrees with that. Ted, we have been seeing some protesters there as well.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a very divisive issue.

People are very opinionated on this. And most of them are either on one side or another. Today, though, I can tell you, out here, it has been a day of celebration, only a few protesters. I haven't seen much, if any at all, so far today, but a lot of supporters, and a lot of people that have walked out of city hall here in San Francisco, carrying a marriage license valid in the state of -- San Francisco.

And this is a couple that just came out about an hour and some ago. You are now officially married in the state of California.

To Jim, Rodney, and Zeke (ph), 17-month-old son, how does it feel?

JIM WINSTEAD, JUST MARRIED: Oh, it feels amazing. It's been a beautiful day, and we're very excited. We're glad that we were finally able to be legally married.

ROWLANDS: Opponents of same-sex marriage say, what about a civil union? What's the difference? Why do you need to be married?

RODNEY NACCARATO, JUST MARRIED: We feel very strongly that we have the part of our family. And just about being civil union vs. being married now, it's a very, very big part of who we are as individuals. We believe that it's the unity of our family. We believe that -- bless you. We believe that we -- bless you.

Go ahead.

ROWLANDS: Zeke believes that this mike should get away from him very quickly, or he's going to assault it.

You were married in San Francisco in 2004. Any difference? What's the difference?

WINSTEAD: Today, there's a significant difference. We know we have the law behind us. And we know that this is the real deal. This is us legally being married, as opposed to before, where we suspected that something might take that away.

ROWLANDS: OK, opponents, of course, have argued in front of the Supreme Court. We talked to the lawyer that appeared in front of the Supreme Court, and talked to him last week. He says these marriages should have been put on hold until voters had a chance to vote in November, which they will in California.

Let's quickly listen to see why he thinks that this is really a waste of time in his mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLEN LAVY, ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND: For a couple that already had a domestic partnership in California, it really wouldn't make much difference.

So, that raises the question, why should they go ahead and get a marriage license when they know that this issue is up for a vote in November? That raises the issue for a lot of people of whether this whole push to have thousands of same-sex marriage licenses issued right away is simply manipulation of the democratic process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Why not wait until November? WINSTEAD: Well, I think it's imperative that we are moving forward now. It's important for the people of California and for the country to see that we're just a family. We -- we need the same protections as every family in the country for -- and the only way to get that is through marriage rights.

And I don't believe by waiting until November that that's going to change anything. Hopefully, by everyone seeing us getting married, they can come to an understanding of what is actually happening.

ROWLANDS: Let's see the certificate.

There it is, Don. They are handing it out in California starting today in earnest. And they're going to go through about 250 marriages here in San Francisco today. And they are booked for the weeks to come.

People, of course, from across the country could come here and get married. Unlike Massachusetts, their unions will be recognized in the state.

LEMON: Yes.

Hey, Ted, very happy for them.

But, Jim and Rodney, what I want to know, Zeke sure is cute. It appears he may have a cold or just a little sniffle there. The question is, it seems that they have a child, a son. Did they adopt it? Is it one of theirs? Can you ask them that? And how do they feel this marriage might help secure them in terms of parents, if at all?

ROWLANDS: Your son, you adopted the son?

WINSTEAD: Yes.

ROWLANDS: And how does it factor into raising him?

NACCARATO: Well, it will help him as far as having a family structure. I mean, we were already a family before we were married. But now he has no difference than any of his friends that -- where their parents are legally married as well. So, he will be able to experience the same things, and the experiences that they do.

WINSTEAD: Also -- it also protects us under the guidelines of marriage as well, that -- for his protection, as well as ours together as a family unit.

ROWLANDS: Of course, those protections, Don, don't translate to the federal level at this time, the Defense of Marriage Act signed by President Clinton back in 1996. But, in the California, for now, they are recognized.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes. Yes, it only affects them at the state level. Hey, Ted Rowlands, great job there. And thanks to Jim, Rodney, and Zeke as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead: an unspeakable disaster through the eyes of the people living it. We will have your I-Reports from the flood zone straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live in New York.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta where we are following developing news on Midwest flooding.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: And it's 3:31 Eastern Time. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Sandbag after sandbag after sandbag. People along the mighty Mississippi River are desperately trying to shore up the levees there to prevent more disastrous flooding. It's feared that more than two dozen levees in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois could overflow if they're not bolstered properly.

And an impending battle in southern Afghanistan where Taliban militants have seized several villages. Afghan and allied troops are apparently gearing up to take on the militants. NATO has dropped hundreds of leaflets warning people to stay inside.

And tough questions about tough interrogations. Right now a Senate panel holding an emotionally-charged hearing. It comes amid accusations that the Pentagon pursued harsh interrogation techniques in Iraq, Afghanistan and Gitmo despite objections by military lawyers.

LEMON: One billion dollars worth of crop damage in Iowa alone. Just part of the toll that Midwest floods have take on farmland. That means your already high grocery bill could go even higher no matter where you live.

Now let's go straight to CNN's senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff. He joins us now from Lone Tree, Iowa.

We'll talk about the ripple effect of all this, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Don, you might see ripples behind me in this -- lake? It is not. Believe it or not, all of this, absolutely all of this is a cornfield. And if you were to fly over the State of Iowa right now, you would see lake after lake after lake just like that, except they're not really lakes. They're cornfields, soybean fields. This has changed the entire topography of this state as you said, absolutely devastated, the corn crop here, the soybean crop, the estimate from the Iowa Farm Bureau is that about 20 percent, as much as 20 percent of the crop, may be lost.

Let's talk to one of the farmers from right over here and find out about it. Jerry Morgan, tell me, what is it like to look at a lake that used to be a cornfield?

JERRY MORGAN, FARMER: Well, it's kind of heartbreaking. A few days ago, this was a pretty good-looking field of corn. And now, it's pretty well all gone.

CHERNOFF: Unbelievable how Mother Nature can operate.

MORGAN: That's true. And it's pretty much done for the year. We only get one shot at this ...

CHERNOFF: No chance for this one. But what about in some areas? Is there some hope to at least replant?

MORGAN: There's a possibility of going to some soybeans if we can get in within the next week or so, maybe week and a half. There's a possibility of putting soybeans in, but this water has to go down, and these fields have to dry up before we can even think about that.

CHERNOFF: Now, what does it mean for big city folk like myself, living back in the New York region, I'm going to end up paying for this, right?

MORGAN: Well ...

CHERNOFF: Me and a lot of other people.

MORGAN: I sure wish I had some corn to sell. But, there's definitely going to be a shortage I'm afraid. Hopefully we can grow a good crop next year and get the corn back on the market again.

CHERNOFF: OK.

And, Don, of course, this affects just so many products. I mean, these corn stalks over here, if they do grow as high as they should, above me, obviously, that corn goes not only to feed livestock, it's used for your table and, of course, with so many other products, corn sweetener, almost everything that's sweet has got some corn in it. Soda, whatever, you name it. So, Don, the effects are very, very far- reaching.

LEMON: Absolutely, Allan, and with the economy the way it is, this couldn't have happened at a worst time.

Allan Chernoff reporting for us.

We appreciate that reporting, Allan.

And CNN is taking all over the flood zone, but we can't be everywhere at once. That's why your i-Reports are so important to us. And believe me, they have been pouring in today and throughout the time we've been covering this.

Let's talk to Jacqui Jeras, joining us now from our i-Report desk to fill us in -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Don. Well, we have Ed Lavandera in Cedar Rapids. He's giving great reports and great visuals from that area. But what about just upstream in Palo, Iowa? Well, our i-Reporters have incredible pictures from that small town. Dan Gottschalk took these photos. There you can see in the foreground, one of the flooded farm fields. And way in the back there, that is the town. About 900 people live in this area, all of them have had to be evacuated. Want to zoom in on the next one. There you can see the road that just leads to nowhere and all of those farm buildings that are surrounded by water as well.

And there you can see in our next picture, that community, there you can see some very nice, newer-built homes that you can't access either. The river has crested there now in Palo, but it's going to continue to stay above flood stage. We want to take our Google Earth now and give you a look at where this area is. Here you can see it. We'll zoom in and just north of Cedar Rapids.

There you can see the town of Palo. There's no flood gauge there, but if we go downstream we'll check in on what's going on in Cedar Rapids, because it's very close. And we'll show you the river stage gauges in this area, and it shows you the river has crested. It's continuing to go down. But look at this, it's not going to go back down below flood stage until the end of this graph, and that's coming into play on Sunday and into Monday.

Well, we talk a lot about Iowa and Illinois and Missouri and the historic flooding there. What about Wisconsin? There's incredible flooding taking place in the south central part of the state. And our i-Reporter Jesse McNeil sends us these photos from Janesville, Wisconsin, along the Rock River. This is Traxler Park (ph) where they normally do the Fourth of July fireworks celebrations here. City officials say they will likely have to relocate that because of all the flooding there.

This picture you see here, this picture is along River Road, the Rock River has never been this high. Look at how deep the water there is there back in the background. It almost looks like a river itself, doesn't it?

And this photo that Jesse sends us, well, that sign tells it all, high water is everywhere. We're talking about a good week unfortunately for these folks that are still going to be looking at that standing water all over the place. Don?

LEMON: Oh, so sad. So sad, Jacqui.

OK, thank you very much.

And, of course, we want you to be safe, but we would love to see your pictures and your videos. Of course, we want you to go to our Web site and click on the "i-Report" logo or simply go to ireport.com -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, why would anyone want to sit there and watch the water rise? Well, our producers Bill Kirkos, of course, and our producer Kevin Myers, they have been working all afternoon to get from state to state to show you the effects of the breaches of these levees.

And now, Bill, I understand you were been able to get a live shot. We've talked to you on the phone. And you've got it up and running thanks to Kevin there. I just want to know exactly where you are, is it safe where you are, and are you still next to that farm where you were watching the water rise?

KIRKOS: Well, Kyra, we were safe when we showed up here about 30 minutes ago, but in the time since we've been here, we're -- we've almost set ourselves up for a little trap. The water is moving so rapidly right now. That it's beginning to -- it's taking over the farm where we first showed up. And I can see the road where we entered right now, started to get covered with water.

We're still on a little bit of a dry patch here. But behind me you can see the effects of that. The water is coming through. First it was Wisconsin, then it was Iowa, now it's definitely Illinois' turn to suffer the effects of all this rain. I can see the water moving so quickly right now, it has taken over the farm behind us and other farmers are just coming over here to take a look at how rapidly it's moving, because they're concerned it's going to keep flowing east. It's moving very quickly here.

PHILLIPS: So, Bill, has everyone evacuated the area there?

KIRKOS: From what I can tell, yes. The farm right behind me right now, you can see it off in the distance, the residents of that farm -- and that farm is one of the closest farms to the Mississippi on the Illinois side. They had people living in it. They got out safely.

I don't think they needed to be evacuated, from what other farmers, their neighbors just told me. They got out on their own, about a couple of hours ago. About two hours ago, none of the water you see behind me was here. It was all dry. When we pulled up half an hour ago here and we're in rural Carman, Illinois, right across from Burlington.

We're very near the epicenter where this levee busted. And where the water was starting to come over it. And none of that water behind me was here just a couple of hours ago. So, looking off to the field here, it's definitely moved quickly. I see lots of gear out here in the field.

PHILLIPS: Can we move the camera, or will we lose the signal, Bill?

KIRKOS: ... tires and other materials.

PHILLIPS: Can you show us ...

KIRKOS: Because of the technology that Kevin Myers is using here, we'll lose it.

PHILLIPS: We've got your description, though.

KIRKOS: I'll stand out of the way for a second. But take a look at the water right behind me.

PHILLIPS: You can actually see ...

KIRKOS: Kevin's trying to zoom into a little bit on the ...

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, Bill.

KIRKOS: On the water. If you see all the water under the irrigation piping above. Probably estimating here in the last half hour, that water has moved toward us about 50 yards. And I can stay here a little while longer with Kevin. But now because of the slope run, it's passing us on the right and overtaking the road behind us that we came up. So, I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to stay here. We probably will have to move behind us because the water is basically chasing us.

I can see the bridge, the I-64 bridge, about a mile away from me, when we left Burlington to make it over here, and six hours later I'm only a mile away from it. And the hotel we stayed at, I don't know how we're going to get back over there, because it sounds like all the bridges are now shut down, including Keokuk (ph) where we crossed. Specifically now just for emergency purposes at that bridge.

PHILLIPS: Well, let me tell you, Bill, Chad Myers is ...

KIRKOS: One other interesting note here, Kyra ...

PHILLIPS: Yes.

KIRKOS: Yes, the farmer I did talk to here, when I asked him, how does this compare to '93, he laughed at me and said this is the worst he's seen since '65, because this levee, he said, didn't break in '93. They haven't seen this before, not since 1965 when that farmer was a kid.

PHILLIPS: Well, the mighty Mississippi is a pretty powerful body of water. We're seeing the effect right now. Bill, Chad Myers is saying you better get an exit plan, my friend. It's not going to get any better. So I ask that you and Kevin pack up. You've given a great inside look at how the breach in the levee has affected the farm area there in Carman, Illinois, just one of the areas being devastated by the rising water.

Our Bill Kirkos for us bringing us those live pictures via broadband.

Thanks so much -- Don.

LEMON: All right. The underdog, that's who he is, who faced Tiger and gave us all, well, a golf play-off for the ages. If you didn't see it. It was amazing. We'll talk with Rocco Mediate in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, everyone loves the underdog, especially when he's 14 years older than the number one golfer in the world, has a bad back and exchanges golf lessons for poker lessons. Now, I'll get to the poker in just a minute. But, first, it was a heartbreaking putt that handed Tiger Woods his 13th U.S. Open championship and his 14th major title.

The heartbreaking putt of course by Rocco Mediate. His sudden death loss made history in a way, though, and it made Tiger Woods crazy, which was even better. Giving golf's top-ranked player a run for his money. Rocco joins us live from Los Angeles.

Great to see you, Rocco.

ROCCO MEDIATE, GOLFER: Great to see you, too, dear.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, let's talk about 91 holes later. It's pretty amazing when we think about 91 holes. You may not have won, but I tell you what, you came out the hero in this battle. What was going through your mind when you woke up this morning?

MEDIATE: I didn't sleep, so I think we fell asleep -- I think I fell asleep just a few minutes. It's just an unbelievable week. An unbelievable week. It was my favorite event and it's at a golf course that we all played many types, but not in open conditions. And I couldn't have dreamed anything like this.

It's something you always dream of and it happened to me, which is really, really cool so -- I don't know what to think. I still don't know what the heck I did to tell you the truth. I know I didn't win, but something else happened and I haven't figured it out yet.

PHILLIPS: I love the quote. I don't know what I did. I'm still trying to figure it out. "But I tell you one thing, I didn't get my butt handed to me." I love that quote.

MEDIATE: I think I used another word that they bleeped. We won't say that on this station.

PHILLIPS: It's cable.

MEDIATE: That's true. Good point. But he didn't really, you know, it was just a pleasure and an honor to play him and be with him that day and be -- you know, he made the putt to get in, and it was great. It was perfect theater. And I knew he was going to make it. He knew he was going to make it. Everyone knew he was going to make it. And to play him on Monday, heads up, a little poker term there, in front of the world. You know, U.S. Open golf course, I don't know what else you could ask for as a player.

I don't care how old you or how much better he is, or how much higher ranked he is. It was just a thrill of a lifetime. And I really thought I was going to win the golf tournament. I really did. I never went in there thinking I am going to get my butt handed to me. I didn't want that to happen. Like I've been saying most of the day, he can kill you quick and if you get behind, you are going to get stepped on. I got behind, but somehow I got there a little bit. He made a couple of mistakes and I didn't. And then we're even. And then I was one up and then we're even again and then it was over. It was unbelievable. It was just forever.

PHILLIPS: When it was over, Rocco, I think that's one thing that struck me. You were so humble. You said, look, I played the best that I could and the best thing for me was that I went up against the number one golfer in the world and I almost got him. But at the same time I was reading a quote, Tiger actually said, paid a huge compliment to you, he said, it's probably the greatest tournament that he ever had, and it was a great battle. I mean, you can't sell yourself short. I don't think you have.

MEDIATE: No. I think he, you know, the things he said about me yesterday and some of the stuff I've read and talking to him out there on the green with the trophy presentation himself and talking to him a little bit during the day, but not as much, I know, just amazing that -- I don't know how to explain it, but I wanted to -- obviously I wanted to win. I wasn't trying to get out there and give him a good match.

So it was more -- I wanted to win the golf tournament. And in the process, it was an unbelievable, an unbelievable match, between the two of us. He was two up. One up at one time. I went one up. He went to one up. And then one down. And then to three. It was insane.

PHILLIPS: You know what, let's take a look. You are talking about it being insane. That putt you missed on 17.

Let's watch this for a sec.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rocco is on the -- putt actually went left of the hole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Wow, and the crowd went crazy. And like you said, the sportscasters were saying, this is theater. This is "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

MEDIATE: Right.

PHILLIPS: What was it like hearing all those people cheering for you at that moment?

MEDIATE: It was just -- I've never seen anything like it ever in anything I've -- in any tournament we've ever played for 23 years. It's just been -- I couldn't believe it. And they were great for everybody. But they were so loud walking between the holes. It was, you know, like walking down a hallway. And it just was deafening and it was great.

They were -- they were -- there was -- they were very -- it was just great. I mean, and the U.S. Open and the weather was perfect pretty much. And, you know, yesterday's just us two. There was 25,000, 30,000 people following us. It was just unbelievable. And then to turn that thing around ...

PHILLIPS: Yes. No, no, no go ahead.

MEDIATE: To turn that thing around, it was -- it was unbelievable. I didn't realize what happened. It happened so quickly. When I walked off the 15th green, I am going to win this golf tournament. I've got this golf tournament exactly where I want it. Everyone else is going what the heck did he just do, you know, because it's not supposed to happen.

That's what I'm most proud of. I gave him -- I gave him a challenge and he rose to it both days and he won the golf tournament. But that's all I can do. I thought I had him twice. I really did. And obviously I didn't, but I didn't want to go down. I didn't want to go down easy. And I was three down and concerned after 10. Very concerned.

PHILLIPS: So, then, let me ask you, when the concern came into play, this is something that people may not know about you. You have a special relationship with Greg Raymer, the "Fossilman," known for his poker skills. I know you swapped poker lessons to golf lessons. Now, you put a scare into Woods, my friends.

Was it the anti-poker face that you gave him?

MEDIATE: No, all's I -- when I hit that pitch on ten which was absolutely so pathetic. It made me so mad. I was so angry at myself. I wasn't feeling sorry for myself or, oh, my God, I'm dead and he's going to kill me. I'm two down. I can't come back. I'm three down. I was angry. He made a little mistake off the tee and it opened me up a little bit.

And I hit a good shot and he made bogey. The next hole, the same thing happened. I tried to hit the fairway. Hit the fairway with a three wood, a Callaway hybrid club on the green. Made par. He made bogey. Now I'm only one down with six to play and the game's on. And it was just amazing how it turned. Amazing.

PHILLIPS: I tell you what, it was an amazing, amazing 91 holes to watch. Especially at the end. You had everyone glued to the tube. All of your fans were waiting for you to bring home the green jacket. Can you make that your next goal?

MEDIATE: I get to play there next year. I have a little vendetta to settle with that place. I'm looking forward to Augusta National big time.

PHILLIPS: You know we'll be following it. Hopefully I can talk to you while you're putting that jacket on.

Rocco Mediate, great talking to you, today, great playing.

MEDIATE: Any time. Thank you, dear. LEMON: When a plane lands on the highway. How do you get it out there? Not a riddle. But reality. And amazing pictures coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, new video in to the CNN NEWSROOM. This is great. Look at this. This plane landed, had to make an emergency landing right there on the highway. They moved it over to the median. This was earlier in Florida. You see the rest of the traffic went by. They blocked traffic off, and when a plane makes an emergency landing on a highway, here's how you get it off. You use that very same highway as a runway.

So, there you go. They blocked off that lane of traffic. They let that plane go. And the reason we can sort of joke about this is that luckily no one was hurt. We are told it was a student, and when they had engine trouble they had to make an emergency landing right there on the interstate. Happened near Ormond Beach which is near Daytona Beach, Florida, and that is Interstate 95. All is well. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. I am told I have to be really quick.

You and I can't do anything quickly.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I know. You have to be quick here. This is CNN. Stand by, guys.

Coming up at the top of the hour, John McCain, an about-face? He's changing positions about drilling offshore. Will that help him politically and will that idea help you pay less for gas. I'll pose that question and more to the CEO of one of the big oil companies here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Barack Obama talks about fighting terrorists and the McCain camp pounces saying Obama has a naive and dangerous approach toward terror. You're going to find out what Obama said and how his supporters are responding to the latest attacks.

And voters in two critical swing states are surely listening to both candidates. How might they decide? I'll be speaking with the governors of Pennsylvania and Minnesota. All that, and a lot more, coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, that does it here for us in the NEWSROOM -- Don.

LEMON: Absolutely, Kyra.

Now it's time to turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Mr. Wolf Blitzer.

Take it away, Wolf.