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CNN Sunday Morning

Town Ravaged by Tornado; Two Days Until Super Tuesday; Free Plastic Surgery for Teachers

Aired March 04, 2012 - 06:00   ET

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

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's March 4, 2012. Good morning. I'm Gary Tuchman. Welcome to the service men and women watching on the American Forces Network.

Well, we've seen the devastation. Now we're finding out more about the people who lived, and in some cases died after Friday's massive tornado outbreak.

And Washington state's voters have spoken, but will it impact the outcome on Super Tuesday?

And, a helicopter crash is captured on camera. The amazing story of the pilot who walked away, just ahead.

ANNOUNCER: From CNN's world headquarters, brining you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

TUCHMAN: We start with the aftermath of those deadly tornadoes. President Obama is offering federal assistance in the areas battered by the storms. The tornadoes left a wide swath of debris from Indiana to Georgia. At least 37 people are dead. Now the focus has changed to the survivors. Scores of injured people are waking up in hospitals this morning. Their homes and the homes of their neighbors are gone. People are now picking through the rubble to find anything they can salvage.

And officials in West Liberty, Kentucky, say they are thankful the damage wasn't worse, even as the town was devastated by 135-mile- per-hour winds and one recorded death. Our Rob Marciano getting the first look at some of West Liberty's hardest hit areas.

Rob, good morning to you. Tell us what you're seeing today.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Gary, finally today they have been able to clear the main roads enough to where larger vehicles can get through, including trucks carrying power poles, emergency crews, and, yes, even our satellite truck. So, for the first time, we're able to show these pictures to you live. And over my shoulder, that tells you the story. Some well built brick and mortar commercial buildings torn up like really I've never seen it. An EF-3 tornado coming through here with winds up to 140 miles an hour. But you look at that damage and you say, my goodness, it looks strong than that, doesn't it. That bank -- not that building, but the bank's been here for 100 years. That building probably has been here 40 or 50 years. And the town hall, the municipal building, torn up equally. So really, really a horrible situation here in West Liberty, in Morgan County, where you mentioned the surrounding areas here. Four fatalities.

We caught up with a gentleman who works for the police department. He describes what it was like to be just outside of town when the tornado touched down and what it was like when he first saw this mess after.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OFFICER AARON BARKER, WEST LIBERTY, KENTUCKY, POLICE: Scary times. I see it set down on the ground. I hear my mom holler, "there it is, there it is, there it is." At that point, we looked outside and the trees wasn't blowing. Some grace of God or something. It just -- there was no wind. It was on the ground and it was twisting, but there was no wind.

I didn't know how bad the devastation was until I got here yesterday. And I actually got to see it at daylight the next day, this -- yesterday morning. It was a very scary time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Scary to say the least. There's about 12,000 people that live in this town. But this town really feeds the surrounding rural communities. Big agricultural community here. So folks coming in here. I mean everybody's got an account in that bank. Everybody comes into town for medical assistance. Everybody comes into town for the business that they have to do, to get groceries, to get supplies, that kind of thing. So this is the center point of an entire county. And it's been brought to a standstill ever since this tornado came through late in the day on Friday.

Communication's a huge problem here, Gary, and obviously power. So that's a -- they're slowly coming out with portable generators. And now that we've been able to clear some of the roadways, help will begin to arrive shortly. They've been able to fairly competently say they've gone through all the buildings, most of the homes, as far as search and rescue is considered. So today they'll start to let people and residents back in. it's been pretty much on lockdown. Now folks will be able to trickle back in and take stock of what's left of their belongings.

Gary.

TUCHMAN: So sad. Rob Marciano, thank you very much. We'll talk to you later this morning.

Now, there are so many stories from these storms. Stories of survival and loss. We're highlighting some of them today, starting with this report from our national correspondent Susan Candiotti in Henryville, Indiana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the hilltop home Wayne and Lenora Hunter (ph) built to raise their family more than 40 years ago. This is how it looks now. Flattened, blown to bits by a tornado. Those front steps once led to their front door. Now they lead to heartache.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): How would you like your dad to be remembered?

RODNEY HUNTER, FATHER KILLED IN TORNADO: You know, he was a really good guy. He loved nature. He loved people. He loved his family. He loved this community.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Hunter and his wife couldn't resist shooting some video of the twister heading their way. Then ran for cover inside.

PAMELA RAWLINGS, FATHER KILLED IN TORNADO: They were in the safest spot in the house. It was the very middle of the house. There's no windows. They shut the doors. And they cover up with a blanket.

CANDIOTTI: But not safe this time. They were found about 30 feet apart. Wayne Hunter was dead. His beloved wife Lenora, still alive.

PERCY HUNTER, UNCLE KILLED IN TORNADO: They went into a back room and just held on to each other, covered each other up and, you know, knowing them, they said a few prayers.

CANDIOTTI: Hunter was a former volunteer firefighter and recently retired emergency room nurse. Those who knew him say he really believed laughter was the best medicine.

RAWLINGS: He'd be able to put a smile on everybody's face right now with all the demolition going on here.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): What do you think he'd make of all this?

RAWLINGS: He'd be taking pictures and posting them on FaceBook.

R. HUNTER: And making a lot of jokes. And making a lot of jokes.

RAWLINGS: Making a lot of jokes.

R. HUNTER: Yes.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Now the hard part -- trying to save pieces of their home, of their life, and trying to understand why.

P. HUNTER: Well, the whole randomness of a tornado is amazing. They hit -- one house is destroyed, one house isn't. one person dies and one doesn't. It's -- I don't think you can understand that.

CANDIOTTI: Yet for family and friends of Wayne Hunter, just because they avoided this twister's path doesn't mean they weren't touched by what it took away. CANDIOTTI (on camera): Mrs. Hunter is expected to make a full recovery. Her family credit neighbors for saving her life.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Henryville, Indiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: One of the more compelling stories was the discovery of a toddler lost in the tornado. The 20-month-old girl is in critical condition at a Louisville, Kentucky, hospital. She's surrounded by her extended family. So, she's not alone, even though her mother, father, and two siblings were killed in the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very hard to imagine that it happened to all of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been through a lot, everything, as anyone can imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: It tears your heart.

We'll have much more on the little girl a little later in our program.

Now, I want to show you some new pictures we have showing the power of the tornadoes.

This one is from i-Reporter Kevin Wells (ph). It was shot in Henryville, Indiana. We just showed you the damage this one caused. It was an EF-4 tornado. And we'll explain what that means in a moment.

Now, check this one out. It was shot from a gas station in Henryville. You can see the tornado churning away on the ground, ripping apart homes and lives. Here's the guy who shot the video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE KAISER, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It just pulled into Shell gas station. My door flew open on the vehicle. They had their doors dead bolted. They weren't letting anybody in. And then their doors flew open. And as soon as going through the glass doors, as can you see on the video, the tornado hit right where we were at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Alexandra Steele joins me now.

Alexandra, from looking at that video, you can really tell how strong of a tornado it is.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, the strength of a tornado is based on the damage estimates that are done after. And, you know, that's what we know now. It is an EF-4 tornado from Henryville, Indiana. One of the strongest ones we've seen.

The National Weather Service has gone in, done damage reports and now confirmed in Henryville there were two tornadoes that moved through within 10 minutes. The first, an EF-4, which we're looking at. One hundred and seventy-five-mile-per-hour winds. On the ground, they say, for 52 miles. And it was 150 yards wide. The second of an unknown strength, but weaker moving through 10 minutes later.

Now, this is the scale. Enhanced Fujita scale. It's a scale based on damage done after the fact between an EF-0, the weakest, and an EF- 5. And look where we stand with some of these. The E-F 4. Well- constructed homes. Brick and mortar homes completely leveled. Cars thrown about. We've seen that. And an EF-3, a little bit weaker, which I'm sure we'll see some of those. Roofs and walls torn off well constructed homes. Trains overturned. Heavy cars even lifted. And so we have seen all of that. And it looks like an EF-4, the worst that we've seen, moving through Henryville, Indiana. One of two.

So, just an incredible, incredible event. And, you know, it really may go down as the worst March tornado outbreak that we've ever seen with over 100 reported tornadoes. So, those numbers may be revised, but, still, has a good likelihood of being that.

TUCHMAN: And, Alexandra, the thing is, April, May and June, the peak of the tornado season.

STEELE: That's right.

TUCHMAN: It's only the beginning of March.

STEELE: Yes, well, you know, it's been so incredibly warm this winter. So temperatures have been warmer, normally, in the south. And it's that clash of those air masses. That warm, moist air that was available in the south coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. This kind of potent cold front coming in. It's just kind of electrifying things. Very strong 150-mile-per-hour jet stream on the upper level. So, kind of all the dynamics and the ingredients coming up for just this event that really will be historic.

TUCHMAN: Alexandra Steele, thank you very much. Those pictures are just incredible.

STEELE: Oh, gruesome.

TUCHMAN: Now to some other stories making news this morning.

Mitt Romney has added to his winning streak by capturing yesterday's Washington state caucus. He won Michigan and Arizona earlier last week. The latest win gives him even more momentum heading into Super Tuesday, which is only two days away. As you can see, Romney captured 38 percent of the vote, Ron Paul was second, Rick Santorum a close third, Newt Gingrich in fourth.

President Obama speaks to the APAC conference today. APAC is the largest Jewish lobbying organization in the United States. The president has come under fire recently for his stance on Middle East peace and on Iran. We'll have much more on APAC and the importance of the president's speech a little later in the program.

Mass executions in Syria. Opposition groups saying the Syrian military executed more than 40 soldiers who were trying to detect. Meanwhile, the bodies of two journalists killed in a Syrian attack arrived in Paris overnight. It took more than a week to recover the bodies of Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik from inside Homs, Syria.

People are voting across Russia today for president of that country. Vladimir Putin is expected to win another term as Russia's leader. A former president and current prime minister has faced increasing pressure inside the country since December's parliamentary elections. Questions over that vote were followed by weeks of anti- Putin protests.

Well, here's a rundown of what's ahead. The biggest day yet in the Republican race for the White House just days away. We've got your guide on where each candidate stands on the big issues.

And conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh saying he's sorry for his attack on a college student.

A chopper filming a TV show crashes to the ground. And what looked to be a tragic disaster is anything but that.

Plus, it's been almost a year since Japan's earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. How the nation is recovering, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: Super Tuesday is just two days away. It's the day voters in 10 states, one-fifth of the United States, will cast a ballot for the GOP presidential candidate of their choice. Millions of people considering right now how they're going to vote. You may be among them. Our Josh Levs is here with an interactive guide to help you decide.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning to you. And good morning, everybody.

Let's take a look at this map here, because I want to set this in context for you. This is our delegate counter that we have at cnn.com. And this looks at the states that have voted so far and had caucuses. And when you take a look at this, it's a reminder that no one, even though Mitt Romney's out in front, no one is even close to getting to the point where they have the kind of delegate count that they would even need to ultimately get the nomination.

So what I want to do is encourage you to spend a little time today on cnnpolitics.com. Now that this huge delegate pile is going to be out there on Tuesday. You might be voting. It's a chance to stop and learn -- think not about the horse race, not about who said what about whom and what comment got flown around, but actual issues and plans. And I'm taking an example of the economy. So take a look here. We're going to take you through just a few examples of what the candidates would actually do on the economy. Here's what Newt Gingrich -- we're going alphabetically for no particular reason. A couple of his proposals. To drop the corporate income tax to 12.5 percent and to move toward an optional flat tax in this country which would be 15 percent.

Let's jump over to Ron Paul now. Ron Paul has a couple of interesting proposal there's. He's talking about eliminating the Fed, the Federal Reserve. He also wants to return to what's called the gold standard.

And Mitt Romney next. He is now calling for -- and this is a recent change -- an across the board 20 percent cut in marginal tax rates, as well as what he's calling a regulatory cap of zero dollars for federal agencies. So, no regulatory spending for them that way.

And, finally, Rick Santorum, talking about lowering tax rates, tripling the deduction for children. And he also wants to lower the corporate flat tax. He wants a flat tax of 17.5 percent.

Now, this is a good example. It's a lot of numbers I'm throwing at you, but it's a good example of why it's a good idea to take a look at cnnpolitics.com, get to know specific plans that these candidates are putting out.

There's also something else that we link you to that I just want to show you real quickly called Project Vote Smart, which does a similar thing, drills down on where the candidates stand on various issues. I've linked it for you, and everything I just showed you up at my pages, at FaceBook and Twitter, Joshlevscnn, and the blog, cnn.com/josh. You can always reach me there. Obviously this is the weekend, Gary, for millions of people around the country to educate themselves on where these candidates stand on the issues most important to you.

TUCHMAN: Josh, good information. We're going to quiz all our viewers later today to make sure they remember.

LEVS: Yes, did you get all that?

TUCHMAN: Thank you, Josh.

LEVS: Thanks a lot. You got it.

TUCHMAN: Well, Rush Limbaugh is apologizing to a Georgetown law student saying he did not mean to attack her personally. At a congressional hearing this past week, Sandra Fluke expressed support for an Obama administration policy requiring employers to provide free contraception coverage. Limbaugh seized on her comments saying this on his radio talk show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, "THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW": What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke who goes before congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Well, those remarks drew sharp criticism from the left and from the right, with President Obama calling Fluke to offer his support. In a statement Limbaugh said he still disagreed with the policy but acknowledged the controversy saying, quote, "my choice of words was not the best and, in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

A robber takes off with the Girl Scouts' cookie money, but he probably never expected what was coming next. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: Checking stories cross-country.

We'll start in Arizona, where it's hard to believe anyone walked away from this. But they did. And as you see, it was all caught on videotape. A retired military cobra helicopter was filming a chase scene for the Korean version of a popular car show "Top Gear" when it plunged to the ground. The pilot and co-pilot are OK. They say the chopper's thick exterior saved them.

In Texas, some guys did the unthinkable. They stole $200 from some Girl Scouts who were selling cookies outside a Wal-Mart. The girls, though, did not give up without a fight. One pursued one of the robbers and slugged him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL JOHNSON, GIRL SCOUT: I started hitting the boy that was in the passenger seat. So, I think he got a -- you know, to learn his lesson a little bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: That's right. Another girl scouts did get slightly hurt when she tried to hold on to the robber's car to keep it from getting away. Police are now investigating. Hats off to the Girl Scouts of America. Great organization.

A big welcome back in Oklahoma City for 127 National Guard troops returning home from Afghanistan. Overjoyed family members greeted members of the 45th infantry brigade support battalion. They had been in Afghanistan since last summer.

Saving the beauty of the ocean. One veteran diver has seen a major change underwater, so he's trying to fix the problem. And that's what's made him this week's CNN Hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KEN NEDIMYER: I grew up diving in the Florida Keys, and it was just the most magical place. The coral reefs were so pretty. And I decided, that's what I wanted to do for a living is dive on coral reefs.

In an area where there's live corral, there's always more fish. Reefs provide protection for our coastal areas and recreational opportunities for millions of people.

I was diving for 40 years and, over time, I saw those coral reefs start to die. Coral reefs worldwide are in decline. If coral reefs die completely, coastal communities would be bankrupt, tourism would be virtually gone. The billion people in the world will be impacted. I started thinking, you know, how can we fix this problem.

My name is Ken Nedimyer. My goal, protect and restore coral reefs.

We've developed a system that's simple and something that we can train others to do.

We start with a piece of coral this big, and we hang it out on trees (ph). And after about a year or two, it becomes this big. And then we cut the branches back and we do it again.

BILL STOSSEY (ph): Ken's coral nursery is one of the largest in the wider Caribbean. It's ten times larger than the others that are in existence.

NEDIMYER: It's (INAUDIBLE) three. We originally planted six corrals here, but now there's over 3,000 growing in this area alone.

Before I felt helpless watching it die. Now I think there's hope. It's not too late. Everybody can help. And I see all those corrals and all those fish, so it's like this whole reef is coming back to life and making a difference is exciting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: He's a good man.

Still to come, residents across the Midwest and South come together and vow to rebuild. We'll travel to one of the hardest hit areas.

Plus, there are perks to being a teacher in Buffalo, New York, like free plastic surgery. That's right, on the taxpayers' dime. Everything from lipo to nose jobs. The full story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: Free plastic surgery for teachers. Sounds bizarre, right? Well, not if you live in Buffalo, New York. Last year the district spent almost $6 million of taxpayer money on facelifts, breast implants, you name it. Meanwhile, the school district is about $42 million in debt. I went there to get the full story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN (voice-over): This Buffalo plastic surgeon has a lot of happy patients. VALERIE AKAUOLA, BUFFALO, N.Y. TEACHER: Let's just suppose that I was a woman who weighed over 300 pounds and I lost maybe 150 or 160 pounds.

TUCHMAN: Indeed, that's what happened to Buffalo schoolteacher Valerie Akauola. But it's not just the results that make her happy. It's the sweet deal that she gets.

The sweet deal that all the 3,400 teachers in Buffalo are eligible to get. Under one of their insurance plans options, they're billed nothing for any plastic surgery procedure, such as Botox, liposuction, tummy tucks. And there is no deductible.

Linda Tokarz teaches second grade and says she gets regular treatments.

LINDA TOKARZ, BUFFALO, N.Y. TEACHER: I think it's great for us. I wouldn't want to see it taken away.

TUCHMAN: Dr. Kulwant Bhangoo has been a plastic surgeon in Buffalo for about 40 years.

DR. KULWANT S. BHANGOO, PLASTIC SURGEON: I feel that the teachers have paid their dues, and I think it would be wrong to take it away from them.

TUCHMAN: While he does have plenty of non-teacher patients, Dr. Bhangoo does say three out of every 10 are Buffalo teachers. And the school district insurance covers every single penny.

BHANGOO: They will come in for, like, hair removal on their lips, face.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Do they also come in for liposuction?

BHANGOO: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Breast enhancement?

BHANGOO: Yes, they do.

TUCHMAN: Facelift?

BHANGOO: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Rhinoplasty?

BHANGOO: Yes.

TUCHMAN: So it's busy?

BHANGOO: Yes. TUCHMAN (voice-over): Dr. Bhangoo is one of many plastic surgeons who advertise in, where else, the teachers union newsletter. Last year Buffalo schools spent $5.9 million in plastic surgery, which is also known as a cosmetic rider. The Buffalo teachers have had this rider for nearly four decades.

LOUIS PETRUCCI, PRESIDENT, BUFFALO, N.Y. BOARD OF EDUCATION: I've been unable to identify another district that has cosmetic riders for teachers.

TUCHMAN: Now, you might think Buffalo's school district must be flush with cash to be offering perks like free plastic surgery, right? Wrong. Louis Petrucci, the president of the Buffalo board of education, says he's projecting a $42 million deficit in next year's budget.

PETRUCCI: If you had this $5.9 million that wasn't being spent on plastic surgery, what would you be doing with it now?

TUCHMAN: Hiring about 240 teachers.

TUCHMAN (on camera): You don't have to be a brain surgeon to know that a plastic surgeon or a teacher would like this policy more than the typical taxpayer, but the teachers will tell you there's a lot more to this story. They say their contract with the city expired nearly a decade ago. That negotiations have failed.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): And they add they are woefully underpaid. It's quite interesting to hear what the president of the teachers union says about the plastic surgery benefit.

PHILIP RUMORE, PRES., BUFFALO, N.Y., TEACHERS FEDERATION: We've told the district, you know, from the beginning of negotiations six or eight years ago that we're willing to give it up and as long as the district comes back to the table with us and negotiates, it's gone.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you feel that as a gesture of good faith the union should say, teachers, no more free plastic surgery?

PETRUCCI: It would be a wonderful gesture of good faith.

RUMORE: We're willing to give it up. All the district has to do is come to the table and negotiate it with us.

TUCHMAN: But you're not willing to do it unilaterally?

RUMORE: No.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The fact is that police and firefighters in Buffalo have similar plastic surgery programs. But those departments are not dealing with the same financial problems as the economically challenged school system.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody works for a living. They should pay their ties and offerings like everybody else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's right that the taxpayer has to pay for that. Not for free anyway.

TUCHMAN: But at least for now the policy remains, in a school district with a unique mix of brain and beauty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: Well, we want to hear from you about this story. Should school teachers get free plastic surgery paid for by taxpayers? Send me your thoughts. Tweet it @garytuchmancnn and we'll read some of them on the air.

Stories of survival from those deadly tornadoes. One little girl loses her entire family, but she's found in a field, alive. The latest on her condition just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)