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Assessing the Damagine from Midwestern Flooding; Extreme Heat in California

Aired June 21, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news is unfolding live on this Saturday, the 21st day of June. Happy summer everybody. I know a lot of you are feeling it today. Good morning I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there I'm T.J. Holmes. They are surrounded by water. Hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed. Take a look at that. We will be live in the middle of all those floodwaters.

NGUYEN: Hot temperatures and even hotter flames. Evacuation orders force some California residents out of their homes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know what FEMA was thinking when it gave away $85 million of taxpayer items. They need to start thinking straighter about this.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Nearly three years late but, hey, it's still worth getting it off the truck. Katrina survivors have some pots and pans and so much more. You're now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: And first up, the worst appears to be over on the Mississippi River. Water levels are falling in many places and in many places the river is still rising. Forecast now predicts crests well below record levels. One reason, the flooding fears are easing downstream is because levee failures upstream have reduced some of the pressure. Did you get all that? Yesterday water went over the top of a levee in Missouri, St. Charles County.

HOLMES: Even though things appear to be getting better, at least they're not getting worse, some of the waters are receding, there are plenty of places that are in fact still under water. CNN's Reynolds Wolf is live in Old Monroe, Missouri, certainly one of those places has been under water and it looks like you're almost under a truck or something there. What's going on Reynolds?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I promise you T.J. I'm not laying down on the job. I promise you that. There's actually a reason why I'm here. I'm here to show you about how high, about a foot and a half would be on a tire like this. You are probably wondering why I a talking about water that high? About 18 inches of water is all you need to actually pick up some of the biggest vehicles, even a big vehicle like this one. Our CNN gulf coast bureau truck. You know that more deaths during flooding take place in vehicles, any kind of vehicle when you happen to drive down a flooded roadway. Did you know that it just takes only about that amount of water, only about 18 inches, to pick up vehicles, push them downstream and those cars become death traps. The reason why that's important to mention at a time like now is because as these flood waters begin to recede, people are desperate to head back home. They're ready to go see what's left as the waters begin to drop. You got to keep in mind many people are leaving very quickly. They grab just a few items and headed out the door. So they're desperate to see in what shape their homes might be and what might be left as those waters continue to rise in some places and drop in others. So people are going to be venturing out in these waters to see what's out there and if they do so in a car and if they do so and they're not careful, the results can certainly be deadly. That's what we've got for you here. Let's send it back to you in the studio.

HOLMES: Reynolds, we've been watching you all morning. Of course a lot of people had to evacuate, had to get out. Have you seen anybody around in all of the live shots and all of your reports this morning, nobody seems to be around. Are you seeing people out trying to see what they can see, maybe salvage anything from their homes? Where is everybody?

WOLF: Everyone is waiting. Everyone is waiting for those floodwaters to drop. That's the big thing. In parts of the river, the water is going to drop over the next couple of hours but in other places it is still going to crest. So you have a little bit of a different effect in different places. I would say there is definitely an underlying current where people are really desperate to see what's left behind. Remember, a lot of these people were here back in 1993 where you had the water spill over the levees. Time in a situation like this, albeit a bit higher then. But still the desperation is the same. You got business owners right here if you look farther off right there you see those bay doors those I've been told are up to 17 feet. The water at the halfway point so I'm guessing that may be at least over 10 feet. So you've got business owners. Farther beyond that you have all kinds of farms, you've got places that people have lived in not just for a few years but we're talking about places that have been home to families for generations. For them to come back and for them to see it is really a desperate prospect for them and for them to have to sit and wait for these waters to drop, that's got to be maddening. Back to you.

HOLMES: So where are they? They are waiting as you say. Reynolds, we appreciate you again this morning.

WOLF: Waiting and watching.

HOLMES: Thanks again, buddy. You can help. A lot of people watching these floodwaters and seeing the devastation there want to find a way they can reach out. Well at cnn.com we have a special page on the Midwestern flooding, plus we have links to aid agencies, it's a chance for you to impact your world and let us help you in that regard.

(WEATHER REPORT) NGUYEN: Firefighters in Northern California they hope to have a fast moving grass fire under control sometime today. They say it's about 50 percent contained. Actually I spoke with a firefighter earlier who told me it's 90 percent contained at this hour. Several homes have been destroyed by the 500-acre fire south of San Jose. The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center for some of the 2,000 people forced out of their homes. Firefighters won't be getting any help though weather wise. Triple digit heat expected today.

HOLMES: Twelve people have been trampled to death at a Mexico City nightclub after a police raid there triggered a panic. Police went to the club last night to investigate reports of drugs and alcohol being sold to teenagers who were there celebrating the end of the school year. They say the crowd panicked after the club's owner announced officers were there to arrest them. 500 people reportedly rushed to the emergency exit. That exit, however, was partially blocked by cases of beer. Three officers, nine young people were killed, at least 13 others injured.

We'll turn back to some of these floodwaters we're keeping an eye on. If floodwaters were headed your way, would you go or would you stay?

NGUYEN: A little bit later in the NEWSROOM we're going to hear from three generations of one family that have decided to ride it out.

HOLMES: Also coming up next, Barack Obama brings up the issue of race. Why and why now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Troop deaths in Afghanistan are on the rise. Five more coalition forces were killed today bringing the total to at least 32 this month. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us now by phone from Kabul, Afghanistan. Nic, what is leading to this uptick in violence?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): I believe there are several reasons. One is that the Taliban tend to have more attacks in the summer than the winter. What we've seen recently is the number of attacks and the lethality of the attacks by the Taliban significantly increase. A car bombing today, an IED going off and killing four soldiers today, another polish soldier dying of wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack the day before. Two soldiers killed in separate incidents yesterday. Two American soldiers killed by a rocket two days ago, another two American soldiers killed the day before that, four British soldiers the day before that. This is unusual in Afghanistan. You definitely have the summer increase in violence, you appear to have a Taliban who appear to be better organized and perhaps more numerous and another contributing factor is that just last weekend there was a jail break in the southern city of Kandahar where 400 what are being described as hardcore Taliban broke out of the jail. They are now fighting with the Taliban again. Many of them have taken to fighting coalition forces. I think it's a number of factors that are playing into it. This is a significant increase in the death toll among coalition international troops here.

NGUYEN: No doubt. 32 deaths just this month alone. When we think about that number, help us understand what it means on the whole especially when we compare Afghanistan to Iraq.

ROBERTSON: This month alone as you say 32 international troop fatality deaths here in Afghanistan. In Iraq this month the number is only 18, significant in itself. However, it has not been statistically the situations have not been like this before. The death toll in Iraq has always been greater by month than the death toll in Afghanistan. Now we're seeing that situation reverse and remember as well that in Iraq there are about 140,000 or more coalition troops. In Afghanistan there are only about 60,000 coalition troops. So the death rate among the troops here is quite significant. And the jump in the number of attacks and the lethality of attacks it can now be measured significantly against Iraq and this is the first time this has happened. If you look at a statistic this time last year, Iraq was a much more deadly place to be for coalition troops.

NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Nic Robertson joining us live on the phone from Kabul, Afghanistan. Nic, we do thank you.

HOLMES: We have a busy week ahead in presidential politics but they will all be busy probably from now until November. For Republican John McCain it's about trying to raise some money. For Barack Obama it's about teaming up with his former rival in the name of party unity. But at a fundraiser in Jacksonville yesterday Obama also warned supporters about what he said they could expect from the republicans. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We know what kind of campaign they're going to run. They're going to try to make you afraid. They're going to try to make you afraid of me. They are going to say you know, he's young and inexperienced and he's got a funny name. And did I mention he's black?

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right, as you can imagine those comments right now are getting a lot of response, a lot of back and forth and a lot on the internet we're seeing about them. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser joins us once again from Washington. Good to see you again. These comments, you know, he's saying that the other side is going to be bringing this up but here it is, he is the one that has brought it up. So has this put him in a position now where if something does come up down the line, the other side will look and say, hey, you started it?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, they could probably try to use that argument. He said something similar too T.J. just a week ago he was at a fundraiser in Chicago. He said that some Republicans may try to portray him and his wife Michelle as scary. We talked about this earlier today. When Barack Obama first jumped into this race for the White House, he didn't want his campaign to be about race. We all know it came up and it came up big-time in the primaries but back then it was democrat versus democrat. Obama never really portrayed or said those that were attacking him were racist. Now it's a little different. It's republican versus democrat, we're in the general election and it looks like the gloves may be coming off on both sides here.

HOLMES: Have we seen any sign, any indication from republicans, from the other side that they are planning on making race an issue at all? I know it's still early in the general election campaign but has there been any indication at all?

STEINHAUSER: You know, not too many indications yet. But remember, a lot was said during the primaries between Obama and between Clinton and others. Some of that stuff could come up again in the fall election and I wouldn't be surprised if it did. There are a lot of groups out there that are not connected directly to John McCain. Groups that are independent of the Republican Party that may want to jump in and put something up online. We have a long way to go and anything could happen.

HOLMES: Anything probably will in this campaign as we've seen so far. John McCain, let's talk about him for a second. How is he faring right now? Again, it's still early but you know we all love to take polls and look at polls. What's the indication right now of how he's doing or how he's stacking up against Barack Obama?

STEINHAUSER: We have our latest CNN poll of polls. I'm glad you asked, we put it out last night. Right now we take the latest national surveys and averaged them together. Obama is ahead by six points. He's up two points from just a couple days earlier. Again, it's a long way to go. The polls are just a snapshot of what's going on right now. When it comes to the money, that's another way to look at it too, the money race here, the battle for big bucks for campaign cash. You know what, McCain and Obama actually had pretty similar numbers in May. We just got the May numbers. Obama raised $22 million, McCain raised $21 million. Obama has about $42 million to spend right now. McCain only $10 million behind him. It's not that different. But remember this, in May Obama was still battling it out with Hillary Clinton. He had to spend a lot of money on that primary battle. McCain has already wrapped it up. Obama has a good chance. Let's wait until we see the June numbers. He has a good chance to pull ahead again big time because he can easily raise money and a lot of money small time donations online.

HOLMES: We talked about that $21 million. We've been talking for some time, certainly during the primary season that Senator John McCain was having a tough time raising money. Is this a sign we should take it as? We have all known Barack Obama to be the one who can raise money quite easily and to hear that McCain raised about the same amount, is this a sign that at least he's got his finances or donors in order if you will, that he'll be able to raise money?

STEINHAUSER: He'll be able to raise money. He still lags behind Obama. We know that. Obama in May probably wasn't spending as much time raising money and he was spending more time campaigning and trying to grab those delegates he needed away from Hillary Clinton to clinch the nomination. Now that he's done that, now that the battle in the primaries is over, Obama can concentrate 100 percent on raising money and not only for the primaries but for the general election because as we know he jumped out of the public financing which means he can raise as much money as he wants now and spend it and if he raises a heck of a lot more than the $85 million McCain gets in September and October, he'll be at a big advantage over John McCain.

HOLMES: Big advantage. We will see just how much. We saw him shatter all kinds of records during the primary season when it comes to fund-raising. We will see what he's able to do now. Paul Steinhauser, we appreciate you this morning. Always good to see you buddy.

STEINHAUSER: Thanks T.J.

HOLMES: You can get caught up on all the latest developments in the presidential race and you can do that by watching "This Week in Politics." Tom Foreman, that's tonight at 6:00 Eastern only on CNN.

NGUYEN: Gas prices fell a little bit overnight but the national average is still above $4. President Bush used his weekly radio address today to renew his call for offshore drilling. The president argued that drilling along the U.S. coast will reduce gas line prices and he blasted democrats for resisting the idea.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: One obvious solution is for America to increase our domestic oil production. My administration has repeatedly called on congress to open access to new oil exploration here in the United States. Unfortunately democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. Now Americans are paying the price at the pump for this obstruction.

(END OF AUDIO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Democrats argue that offshore drilling could harm the environment and will have little effect on gasoline prices.

HOLMES: We have yet another crane to talk about in New York City. But, however, this one did not collapse. We'll explain.

NGUYEN: Thank goodness.

Well the unused FEMA supplies that have been sitting around for years, find out what it took to finally get them into the hands of those in need.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: After 12 years on death row and a last-minute delay, James Earl Reid was executed last night in South Carolina's electric chair. Reid was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents. The execution was delayed for five hours when a federal judge issued a stay but that stay was then vacated by an appeals court. Those sentenced to death in South Carolina can choose to die in the electric chair or by lethal injection.

NGUYEN: People lit candles and shed tears in Wisconsin last night as they remembered six young people killed in a shooting rampage eight months ago. This morning the home where it all happened was demolished. Police say off-duty sheriff's deputy Tyler Peterson killed his girlfriend and five of her friends last October after accusing her of dating someone else. A seventh person who was shot three times survived by playing dead. Police say Peterson fled and eventually killed himself despite attempts to have him surrender.

HOLMES: A crane is being taken apart in downtown New York because inspectors say they found cracks in its structure. This is the same model as two others that collapsed in the city earlier this year killing nine people. In an e-mail to CNN, New York's department of building said it wanted to err on the side of caution in the interest of the public's safety. Meanwhile, the owner of a building heavily damaged by a crane collapse last month has filed a $100 million lawsuit it alleges carelessness and negligence by the crane owner, a contractor and others working on a tower across the street.

NGUYEN: Almost three years after hurricane Katrina and Rita hit, people left homeless in New Orleans are getting some much needed help. Yesterday three truck loads of new supplies arrived. Those items were among $85 million worth of aid that we just found sitting unused in a warehouse for months. And we uncovered it all when a CNN viewer reached out to us for help. Abbie Boudreau reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (voice-over): Three trucks rolled in this afternoon full of brand new household supplies that will at last go to hurricane Katrina victims. The people who should have gotten them years ago.

MARTHA KEGEL, UNITY OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS: This is the stuff that our clients so desperately need to have a chance at putting their lives back together. This is how they'll do it.

BOUDREAU: But it only happened after CNN uncovered FEMA had given away $85 million worth of new supplies. Brand new items that had been sitting in warehouses for two years. FEMA declared the items surplus offering them up to federal and state agencies. But Louisiana said no thanks. A state official there claimed no one had told him the supplies were needed.

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU, (D) LOUISIANA: I don't know what FEMA was thinking when it gave away $85 million of taxpayer items. They need to start thinking straighter about this.

BOUDREAU: It was a situation that sparked outrage from U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu who took immediate action. Her office was able to locate thousands of items in Texas where they had not yet been distributed. In New Orleans it was quite the scene as some of those supplies arrived in trucks. Supplies that Katrina victims like Debra Reed say they still desperately need.

What do you think when you're watching all of these items coming off this truck?

DEBRA REED, KATRINA VICTIM: I think I'm going to get a new pot set. It's a blessing in disguise. Thank God. It's going to help not just me being a homeless person but other homeless in the city of New Orleans that Unity and Volunteers of America are trying to help.

BOUDREAU: Reed was homeless after Katrina.

REED: That little bitty tent right there, that's my tent.

BOUDREAU: This one right there.

REED: The little bitty one.

BOUDREAU: She ended up living in a tent under this bridge for eight months. This is what you lived in for eight months? Then with the help of Unity of Greater New Orleans she moved into an apartment, a new home, but no new supplies, other than a couple of pots and pans. A story all too common for Unity's director Martha Kegel.

KEGEL: These supplies represent hope for people who have completely lost hope. These supplies represent the way in which people will get their lives back together. People who are disabled and people who are elderly, the most vulnerable people who have lost everything in the storm.

BOUDREAU: Senator Landrieu and Louisiana recovery authority executive director Paul Rainwater now promise policies will change, saying it's time FEMA be held accountable.

LANDRIEU: It's just a shame that this link collapsed in this chain of help but we have seen this over and over again with FEMA. They are improving but not fast enough.

PAUL RAINWATER, LOUISIANA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY: It's about people like Debra Reed. It's about people who need goods and supplies to help bring their lives back together. So what the governor has asked me to do in the last six months is cut through the red tape. There's got to be a better way to do this. That's what we're going to work towards. We're going to put protocols in place so that people like Ms. Reed don't have to go to CNN and say please find us something. So CNN thank you what you did as well.

BOUDREAU: Abbie Boudreau, CNN, New Orleans.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Staying dry in Winfield, Missouri, not really easy these days. You can see why in this picture. Meet one family that's gotten pretty lucky so far.

NGUYEN: Real estate is a tough sell in some places. Does it really take a swimsuit optional pool to close the deal? Yikes.

HOLMES: I'm looking for a new place.

NGUYEN: I bet you are.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: 30 past the hour and here's what's happening right now across the country. Water levels are falling now along many parts of the Mississippi River. The flood of '08 is leaving plenty of destruction in its wake. Iowa's secretary of agriculture says, listen to this, it has caused up to $3 billion in crop damage in his state alone.

A wildfire that closed a six-mile stretch of California's scenic highway 1 is 50 percent contained. Actually some firefighters say it's 90 percent contained. The blaze near Watsonville and Santa Cruz forced 2,000 people to evacuate.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Now I want to head back to the story about the Midwest flooding. Many of the people who live along the Mississippi River have been through this kind of thing before. In the show-me state of Missouri CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman found a farmer who is not so easily moved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the Mississippi River pouring out of breached levees in Lincoln County, Missouri, some unusual scenarios have developed. Like this one, three homes and a farm have literally become an island. All roads have been cut off. When we saw people on the island from a distance, our curiosity was peaked. Why are they still there? So I put on my waders and started walking about a quarter mile to the house. What I found were a boy, his dad and his grandfather. Three generations that woke up today to all this water but are convinced their island will not end up like Atlantis. How come you haven't left just to play it careful?

HENRY DIEDERICH, SURROUNDED BY WATER: I like it here. I would have to sleep in somebody's house and I wouldn't care for that at all.

TUCHMAN: County officials have recommended that Henry Diederich evacuate but he has no plans to do so. You're living on an island.

DIEDERICH: Yes. I always wanted to live on an island.

TUCHMAN: So for now when the 63 year old wants to travel on the road, he does it on a motor boat. He says because his land is on a relatively high point other people have left him their vehicles for safe keeping. His son and grandson actually live elsewhere and are just visiting.

Do you think it's ok for your dad to stay here?

SCOTT DIEDERICH, SURROUNDED BY WATER: Yes, he ain't going nowhere. It isn't going to hurt him. Hasn't hurt him yet.

TUCHMAN (on camera): 15 years ago during the great Mississippi River floods of 1993 Henry Diederich says his farm was almost completely submerged by water and he didn't leave that time either. (Voice-over): Home is just a short distance away from Henry's have now been devoured by the waters. And the floodwaters are not believed to have peaked yet. Henry has lost almost all of his crops but he is proudly stubborn. What would it take for you to get out of here and evacuate?

H. DIEDERICH: Probably the sheriff would have a little influence on me.

TUCHMAN: As of now Henry Diederich has not heard from the sheriff. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Winfield, Missouri.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: How would you protect your family from a flood or some other natural disaster? The commander of the Katrina joint task force, Lieutenant General Russel Honore will join us during the next hour of NEWSROOM. He's going to explain how to put together a survival kit.

HOLMES: The military is taking its sales pitch to Capitol Hill.

NGUYEN: Lots of firepower costs a whole lot of money. So where should the U.S. be spending its defense dollars?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The military is making a major push in Washington for new weapons and showing off prototypes of what's on its wish list.

NGUYEN: Ok, but the big question is are these new higher tech weapons really worth it? Here's Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the shadow of the U.S. Capital last week the army mounted a rear guard action, assembling a strike force of future weapons in a shameless bid to impress the likes of Texas democrat Sylvester Reyes. With congress struggling to fund the current wars, the army is lobbying furiously to save its future wish list.

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: This vehicle behind me has a crew of two and can fire rounds a minute very precisely.

MCINTYRE: The army's prototype line of sight cannon is a high grid marvel who's on board diesel generator produces enough electricity to power nine city blocks. Thanks to the latest GPS technology it can put a 155 millimeter artillery round on a specific building from miles away.

CASEY: I can see the power in the utility of systems like the ones you see around you here today in the hands of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. MCINTYRE: Not so fast warns defense secretary Robert Gates who recently singled out the army's future combat system which includes the non line of sight cannon as a cold war concept the pentagon may not really need. Making the case for the army falls to Major General Charlie Cartwright.

I get that this is the best (INAUDIBLE) money can buy but $10 million is it worth it when you look at all the other things you have to buy?

MAJ. GEN. CHARLIE CARTWRIGHT, FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEM PROGRAM MGR.: I guess I would ask you when I only put two soldiers in harm's way and double survivability versus five soldiers in harm's way, that's a pretty good option for the American public.

MCINTYRE: But the question is, are there better, cheaper technologies to hit over the horizon targets than a 27 ton tracked vehicle the size of a tank? Why not more unmanned attack planes? They put no one at risk and are several million dollars cheaper. Right now could they just call in an air strike on that target?

CARTWRIGHT: They can do the same thing with the air strike. What this gives them is the organic piece to that squad and platoon that's down there in the fight.

MCINTYRE (on camera): While Defense Secretary Gates clearly has the army's future combat system in his crosshairs, he won't be here when the money is dolled out. Whether it stays or goes or is pared back, will be another one of those decisions up to the next administration. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Let's talk about not only your money but how about the environment. It sure isn't easy going green.

HOLMES: It's not. People are trying their best to be environmentally friendly and environmentally green drivers even but you know, it's not that easy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We have some good news about gas prices. Brace yourselves. AAA reports a slight drop in what we're all paying at the pump. But on average we're still having to shell out more than $4.07 for a gallon of regular unleaded. That is down two tenths of a cent from yesterday.

NGUYEN: Rising gas prices are driving up the demand for hybrid cars but it's not easy driving green. CNN's Deborah Feyerick explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Allan Machado handles internet car sales for Lohman Ford in Woodbridge, New Jersey. When a customer came in looking to trade his Toyota Prius hybrid, Machado posted it on eBay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I started the bid at 15,000.

FEYERICK: The car with 30,000 miles and a small dent in the hood it sold for nearly $24,000.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the lot less than a week.

FEYERICK: Really, is that a quick turnaround for a car?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very quick turnaround, yes.

FEYERICK: Joe Abutel who owns a Manhattan auto shop made the winning bid.

JOE ABUTEL, PRIUS OWNER: I got three other emails from guys that had lost asking if I was willing to sell it to them for a little bit over what I had won it for.

FEYERICK: Abutel who says he spent about $2,400 on gas last month to fuel his hummer says he turned to eBay after he had no luck trying to buy a new Prius.

(On camera): A year ago you could get a deal on a Prius. Not anymore. The demand is so high expect to pay full sticker price and wait three to four months for delivery.

(Voice-over): Toyota dealer Frank Caputo has a wait list more than 100 people with a deposit on a Prius hybrid.

Have you seen a list like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not on one particular line of cars, no.

FEYERICK: And that's just in the last two months as gas prices have spiked. The problem is Toyota maxed out on the number of batteries it can make for its hybrid some of which run 50 miles to the gallon. Honda makes a hybrid and has also developed a limited number of natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell cars. The problem there, you have to drive miles to find a fuel pump.

CHRIS NAUGHTON, AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.: Infrastructure has to be developed so that you have a place to fuel the car and also the supply network.

FEYERICK: Which means driving green may require a bigger commitment than just saving green though admittedly new Prius owner Joe Abutel says he's coming around.

ABUTEL: Leaving a little bit of an ozone layer isn't such a bad thing either.

FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Now Fredricka is here. We've been learning a lot about our dear friend.

NGUYEN: Yes, we have.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: She's bad.

HOLMES: No, no, no.

NGUYEN: Not at all.

WHITFIELD: You asked me about music and I'm like, ah? Ok. I like to listen to it, don't ask me what's new and hip and happening.

NGUYEN: You are busy doing your day job right?

WHITFIELD: Yeah, that's it.

HOLMES: Getting ready for your show.

WHITFIELD: That's right coming up noon hour we have a lot on tap. We're keeping tabs on the levees, the flooding and here's a question. Would we as a country do better without some of the levees? I mean there are some 2,000 built across the country and just in recent years we've been seeing a lot of breaching of levees. And still on the issue of natural disasters, would you know what to do if you were faced with natural disaster in your community? The face of hurricane Katrina in terms of the response Lieutenant General Russel Honore you'll recall him, well last weekend he was with us to talk about the American Red Cross survival kit that everyone can purchase and keep in your home. Well he's back this weekend to tell us how you can do it more economically, create your own survival kit and have it at home in a safe place so when and if natural disaster strikes you have the essentials. He's with us.

NGUYEN: You don't want to get stuck without it when you absolutely need it.

WHITFIELD: And usually that's the case.

NGUYEN: It is. I just recently got a weather radio.

WHITFIELD: Me too, thanks to General Honore.

NGUYEN: Exactly. Had it not been for him I probably --

HOLMES: Sorry.

NGUYEN: He'll get one today.

HOLMES: I will.

NGUYEN: I would let you borrow mine but I kind of need it.

WHITFIELD: That's the exchange we have going here. NGUYEN: Yeah we have teamwork going on.

WHITFIELD: We'll hook you up.

HOLMES: We'll see you here in a minute.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HOLMES: We're talking about these record high floodwaters and the breech of levees forcing thousands from their homes and businesses. Well this week's CNN hero was on the scene to help out.

NGUYEN: That's really no surprise. In fact, when disasters of any kind hit cities and towns all across America, Tad is ready to roll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

20 reports of tornadoes.

Eight people were killed after severe weather.

There it goes.

Crews are fighting fires on several fronts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most critical phase of a disaster is the first few days. That's when you have to find the people that are in desperate need of medical attention, food, water. But you pull up and there's a building lying in the middle of the road or if 20 miles is under water, how do you get all of those resources to those people? I got this crazy idea to use one of my cranes and to respond to a disaster and to just open up roads so that the real heroes have the resources they need to continue to serve. My name is Tad. I provide help and hope to those in their greatest hour of need.

There are people on life support, there are people on oxygen. They're people that are going to die if we don't get there.

I put together a crew that stays on the road 12 months out of the year and responds to disasters all over America free of charge.

Here is what I'm thinking. If we get on 65 we're right there.

As soon as we see a threat striking anywhere in the United States, if we feel it's severe enough, we leave immediately.

Do you know where we can be of some help? We see a lot of death and a lot of destruction but there is something beautiful about looking at a disaster and seeing what good can come out of it. Often times I am asked why I do this. I can't help but think why aren't more people doing this?

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: It was a CNN viewer like you that told us about our guy Tad there. In fact, this year all of our CNN heroes are extraordinary people you've nominated on our website. Go to cnn.com/heroes right now if you know someone who deserves to be a CNN hero and tell us about them. You never know. You could see your hero right here on CNN.

NGUYEN: We've been talking a lot about the mortgage meltdown and the credit crunch and all these economic problems. So what's the best way to sell a condo in a slow moving real estate market?

HOLMES: Here's an idea.

NGUYEN: That's not the right video. There it is. What?

HOLMES: It's worth going to the open house at least. We have the bare facts ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: What's going on here? A salute to the man on the flagpole there Betty. It's Steeple Jack. He's painting a flagpole 690 feet above the ground. That's interesting work I guess if you can get it to our guy there on the flagpole. Interesting line of work there.

NGUYEN: You definitely don't want to be afraid of heights for that. I can't even ride a roller coaster. There's no way you can get me up on that thing without a doubt.

HOLMES: I'm sure he's paid well. I wonder if he checks his blackberry from up there.

NGUYEN: Speaking of getting paid, no clothes, no problem. How would you like to live in a place like that where clothing is actually optional? We're talking about how people are trying to sell their real estate. That's how they're getting paid. Let's not be misunderstood here.

HOLMES: Well some Florida developers view clothing optional as an incentive for buyers. Keith Morrelli from affiliate WFLA takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH MORRELLI, WFLA (voice-over): On the edge of busy Hillsboro Avenue, the Arbors at Branch Creek are a nice apartment complex but nothing out of the ordinary. A website revealing new plans for the soon to be condo complex are unique. It shows models lounging around a pool and says residents are welcome to shed more than their inhibitions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are unaware of that.

MORRELLI (on camera): There have been residents we've spoke with here today told us that managers here have revealed nothing to them about turning this into a clothing optional condo complex.

JUSTIN GRALNICK, RESIDENT: I think that's something they probably should let us know.

MORRELLI: They're going to have a European style clothing optional pool.

LESLIE HILL, RESIDENT: No, that's not appropriate for the family lifestyle that lives here.

MORRELLI: Clothing optional resorts are nothing new in Pasco County, where Paradise Lakes and the newer upscale Caliente resorts are thriving.

ANGIE FOX, RESIDENT: Clothing optional people in and of themselves are very friendly and open-minded people.

MORRELLI: Caliente is not affiliated in any way with the plans for the clothing optional condos. The Caliente spokesperson Angie Fox says the clothing optional lifestyle is nothing to be afraid of.

FOX: The empowerment is in the fact that nature is a very natural part of being a human.

MORRELLI: And while the real estate market in Florida suffers, Caliente is doing well. There are 351 home sites here from small villas to million dollar homes.

FOX: What's interesting about real estate as it relates to clothing optional resorts is there's a greater demand than there is supply for property.

MORRELLI: Which may be why this apartment complex has plans to offer a clothing optional pool. Managers say residents will not be walking around the property naked. Only at the pool. That's more than some are willing to accept.

HILL: We'll be definitely moving.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: No clothes, apparently no problem.

HOLMES: Well a clothed Fredricka Whitfield is going to pick up things now for us this next hour.

WHITFIELD: Good lord. You know, we always want people to be tuning in but for the words. Right?

HOLMES: Yes, for the information.

WHITFIELD: All right you guys, well you all have a great day.