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Survivors Return to Destroyed Homes; Helping Oklahomans Move Forward; Red Cross Helps Tornado Victims

Aired May 22, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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

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CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: OK, welcome back to Moore Oklahoma. I'm Chris Cuomo for our continuing coverage here at CNN, as this community tries to recover from a massive tornado that struck here on Monday.

The latest is that officials are now calling this an EF-5 category tornado. What that means is that this tornado is the maximum in damage effect. EF-5, it doesn't get any higher. EF stands for "Enhanced Fujita" scale. It's just a name really to reference this. And what they do is they look at the damage on the ground and then they assess what this tornado was about and that means 200-mile-an- hour sustained winds. That's why the damage was what it was here, in certain areas, they had the worst kind of damage that there was.

We also have numbers from the state now of 24 deceased, including nine children. One life lost is precious, and too many, certainly, for the family who loses a loved one. But it is important to remember, that the government had had higher numbers yesterday. They were expecting more than that. So this adjustment down to this number which they say they believe will not change is welcome news to everyone, obviously.

Now that said, first responders have told us and the fire chief told us this morning who is heading up search and recovery, that they're almost done, by tonight, they will be done with search and rescue for the entire area. They have looked through everything most places twice.

So with that confidence, they believe they won't find more people, of course. We'll get the reporting as it comes. The main story here today is people wanting to recover, wanting to get through, search and rescue, helping people recover, making sure no one is left behind.

We want to bring in Pamela Brown now because you've been on the ground talking to search and rescue folks from the beginning. What are you hearing today?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So many stories, Chris. Everyone has a story to share. I spoke with one resident here in Moore, Oklahoma and he said that as soon as the tornado struck, that he ran to Plaza Towers Elementary School. That's where his nephew went to school. And he ran there hoping to rescue children. When he got there, that is when he found a few of the children that had been killed.

And he talked with me about how traumatic that experience was for him.

CUOMO: So this man was a not a first responder, per se.

BROWN: No.

CUOMO: He was just on the scene first?

BROWN: He was on the scene first. He just -- his instinct was to run there, he said he went there with his dad, grabbed his dad's medical supplies, ran there to the scene. And then that is when he found the children -- in what he said was a shallow underground space. He said he wouldn't classify it as a basement. And he said that there was a lot of the structure that had collapsed in that school we're piled on top of them. Here is what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM BAKER, TORNADO SURVIVOR: The ones that were deceased had bumps, scrapes and they probably would have made it if they weren't pinned. I mean looked like most of them drown and all blue and stuff --

BROWN: How were they pinned?

BAKER: Pinned by different debris -- desks, 2 by 4s, pieces of metal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And he also talked about that he pulled them out, lined them up one by one and he just tried to be as respectful as he could and just tried to do the right thing. But you can imagine how traumatizing that experience was.

CUOMO: Well he sounds it. He sounds it in his voice. He went there hoping to find a relative and he found something much, much worse than he expected. But -- was there any -- was there any sign or indication of what you know, what's a little unclear is how this search went down. Was he looking for his relative? Was he asked to look for other people? Is there something just happen upon, how did he find the kids?

BROWN: I mean it's something he just happened upon. You know like I said he went there in hopes to find his nephew. And then hoping to rescue children and as you said this is a you know a horrible discovery, worse than he had imagined. And he said that at one point, he saw a deceased pregnant woman there not far from where the kids were. And that he just couldn't handle it anymore. And he left and then went into the neighborhood to rescue more people.

So he was certainly very heroic in his actions. And Chris, we also spoke to someone else this morning. Someone who -- whose home was destroyed, he went back to his home for the first time since the tornado and he -- and he talked to me about how he was in the bathtub holding on to his mother for dear life as the tornado went right above him. And he thought he was just going to fly away. And now he says that with no home, he has nowhere to go. Let's take a listen to what he says. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT HILL, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I don't have a house anymore. I don't -- I spent the night at my aunt's house. Then, you know, last night at work. So basically, it's like living day by day. I mean I could be standing on my bed right now. I don't know where I'm going to sleep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And he talks about how you know his mom calls him a hero now because he said he held on to her. And that was his priority, making sure she was OK. And that -- that's what matters even though he's lost everything else. He's OK. His mom's OK. So many stories here -- Chris.

CUOMO: We tell the individual stories, many of which are reflective of so many more people. So many people fall into the category of this man. It sounds unique because he's in a bathtub. His mom's there. It seems, you know, that there would be just one of those. But there are very many.

And it just, we hope, helps to connect to the need that's on the ground here. CNN.com/impact; I keep saying it, I'm going to keep saying it. We all do. If you can go there please do, go to our Web site, that's the page on the Web site where you can find out how to help people here.

As we're seeing every day on the ground, they need so much right now and it's not going to change anytime soon.

BROWN: It's the basics. Batteries, flash lights, we talked about tetanus shots for people who may have stepped on a nail. But it's amazing to see the outpouring of donations. We were at the University of Oklahoma yesterday where they are having some of the survivors come and stay there in the dorms. And they were overloaded with so many donations, really inundated.

CUOMO: Right.

BROWN: And that's what you're seeing throughout Moore, Oklahoma. Not just people who live here. People from all -- all around the world, really.

CUOMO: And the needs are specific. So please go to the Web site CNN.com/impact. Because before you bag up your clothes and just send it down here, take a little time to figure out what's needed the most.

We're going to take a break from our continuing coverage here in Moore, Oklahoma. Stay with us, please.

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CUOMO: Welcome to CNN, viewers. I'm Chris Cuomo here, in Moore, Oklahoma. And you know that when there is a disaster, you're going to see the American Red Cross and for all the right reasons. Jennifer Ramieh, thank you very much for being here.

JENNIFER RAMIEH, SPOKESWOMAN, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Thank you.

CUOMO: I spent so much time on the ground with people from your organization, always doing the good and hard work in disaster situations like this. What are you seeing on the ground here in terms of need?

RAMIEH: Well, it's still immediate needs. It's still food, it's still clothing, it's still shelter. So you know that is our primary concern. And then we will be shifting into providing resources such as clean up kits and other bulk distribution items as people start kind of sorting through what they can and salvaging what they can.

So we've got shelters open. People can come in and out and get a meal. Talk to a health services person if they've got a prescription they need refilled or something like that. And just to get information. So --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Very important point you just made. That they were all important points, but the idea that so many people have prescription medication.

RAMIEH: Right.

CUOMO: Especially as you get older but not necessarily, you know diabetics and other people. The Red Cross can provide that service because where are you going to get them right now?

RAMIEH: Exactly. So we've got doctors and nurses over at the shelters and they can consult with you. Or if you have a small injury from the disaster, from the storm, you know they can look at that and kind of keep an eye on the residents as well at the shelters.

CUOMO: You've seen it all. We were talking before we came back from break about being at Sandy, what Hurricane Sandy was like for people. We keep being told by disaster experts and people who are on the ground. There's something unique about what a tornado can do. There is something -- what do you think it is, in your experience? What happens when a tornado goes through a community that is such a unique signature of tragedy?

RAMIEH: You know, I've got to say, I saw a lot of damage yesterday and what shocked me the most was the amount of debris and how far it stretched and then the randomness of it. One house is still intact and the next house is completely destroyed.

So but you know the great thing about our organization and other organizations that are coming together to help prop this community back up, is we're prepared for anything whether it's a hurricane or a tornado that suddenly pops up and destroys the community. We've got resources. We've got volunteers that are ready to leave their lives and come from other places in the country and -- and help this community. CUOMO: And their staying power with the Red Cross, right? When do you leave a community, are you here days or often weeks and longer?

RAMIEH: Well, we never really leave a community. We always have a presence with our local chapter. They still have daily home fires that they're responding to while we're ramping up for this response. As far as this particular response goes with when we will leave, we leave when the community no longer needs us.

CUOMO: Now how do we help you help these good people? CNN.com/impact, please go to that page. You can see how to help the Red Cross and other organizations that are big and part of the foundation of recovery.

And an important part of your answer, if I may direct it just a second, is what you also don't need. So many people want to come down here and just throw on a hat and help you all do what you do. But give us some perspective about what you need and what is not as helpful.

RAMIEH: Financial donations are always the best way to help any organization. It is incredibly expensive to collect, clean and then sort in a meaningful way, you know, individual clothing items or canned foods. We buy in mass bulk and we distribute in a very meaningful manner. And also very particular to what the community's needs are.

CUOMO: What about taking a few days off work and coming come down here just to help. In this current situation do you need that?

RAMIEH: Well, spontaneous volunteers are always great if they're working with organizations that are already on the ground. That's the best advice we could give. If somebody is looking, say, this weekend to come and help, you know, get involved with an organization like us, like the Southern Baptist Convention, the Salvation Army, who are already doing really great work on the ground and get involved with them rather than kind of doing your own thing.

CUOMO: We're told that in terms of manpower, man and womanpower, they're good here on the ground. It's resources and things to continue to help is the focus of what we're being told, people should try to think about?

RAMIEH: You know, with our network in particular, we have thousands upon thousands of volunteers all over the country that leave and come here. And we've got a number of people that are already on the ground with several hundred more that are going to be coming in and kind of expanding that operation.

So absolutely, resources, monetary donations so we can get the resources that we need to keep feeding people and helping them rebuild. That's what we need.

CUOMO: the need here will certainly last for weeks if not months. Jennifer Ramieh, thank you so much for the good work you're doing --

RAMIEH: Thank you.

CUOMO: -- and for coming on with us.

CNN.com/impact, please figure out what you can do to help people like Jennifer help the people here in Moore, Oklahoma.

We're going to take a break. Please stay with us for more continuing coverage of how this community is trying to recover from one of the worst tornadoes on record.

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CUOMO: Welcome back to Moore, Oklahoma. I'm Chris Cuomo.

One of the things that we've been talking about in having dealt with this tornado in this community was the unknown. Not knowing where family were; not knowing where loved ones were. Not knowing if your house was OK.

Rex Pace, the man standing next to me, registered nurse, obviously, today, he's getting ready to do this job. When the tornado hit, your mind wasn't on yourself or your home. It was on your sister. What happened?

REX PACE, CNN IREPORTER: Yes. She works in this, you know, pediatrician's office here on the east side of the hospital. And I knew she was working that day so I tried to get a-hold of her and off course, no calls, texts, e-mails or anything are through.

After I got my kids safe home with my wife, I drove down here as far as I could and just hiked the rest of the way in. On the hike in, I got word from my brother-in-law that he had her and that she was out and that she was OK.

CUOMO: Had you heard anything about the condition of the medical center?

PACE: No, not until -- I knew it had been hit. I didn't know how badly until I got here and saw it.

CUOMO: What did you think when you saw this? What happened to the structure, the cars around it?

PACE: Unreal, devastating. I've never seen anything like it in my life.

CUOMO: You started snapping photos, right?

PACE: Yes.

CUOMO: Now, you know the area, you're in Norman. But you know tornadoes, you know what weather can do. What shocked you about this?

PACE: The sheer force, to get some of these cars piled up that high. And they said there's a car on top of the hospital that we can't see. And then when I got down to ground zero, it's just total destruction. You can't make sense of anything down there.

CUOMO: You knew your sister was OK. You had just spoken to your brother-in-law. But knowing that you have skills specific to the needs in a situation like that, you decided it was time to go to work?

PACE: Yes, I figured since I'd hiked all the way down here, and I'm this close, and they're still trying to get rescue relief efforts in. I figured that I'd just do what I could to --

CUOMO: Thank you. You're still helping.

PACE: I saved you.

CUOMO: You're still helping.

PACE: To help find victims.

CUOMO: And what was it like on the ground that soon after the tornado?

PACE: It was chaos. The rescuers were trying to listen for screams and cries for help and digging through rubble. And the response from just your average citizen and the rescuers was amazing.

CUOMO: Were you able to see people being helped? Were you watching as people were getting pulled out of their houses and stuff like that?

PACE: I saw some people that had already escaped. They're walking around disoriented. Unfortunately, I saw where they had recovered a couple of bodies and they were already covered up and waiting for further disposition.

CUOMO: Were they people who lost their lives in their homes trapped, or were they people who were outside and exposed to the tornado?

PACE: It was just too hard to tell because nothing was recognizable. Everything was scattered everywhere. You just couldn't tell what was what.

CUOMO: That's horrible.

Now you're in the medical profession, obviously, you see a lot of things but it's hard to prepare for seeing it out here outside the confines of work, right?

PACE: I've seen a lot of blood and guts and gore, obviously, it's my job. But I've never seen any destruction to this degree. It was unreal.

CUOMO: How quick was the response on the ground?

PACE: Very quick. And I think that's one advantage that we have here in Oklahoma, unfortunately, we've been hit with so much tragedy like this, we're prepared when stuff like this happens, and our emergency response systems are really quick and efficient. CUOMO: Does this one stand out in your memory, though, we hear about '99, 2003, were you able to experience those, were you in the area at that time?

PACE: I wasn't able to get as close on the '99 tornado, so I can't really compare other than with the photos I've seen. But from what I hear, this is up there with, if not worse.

CUOMO: Boy, oh boy. And your sister, thank God she's OK. Your family, everybody you know, made it through?

PACE: Yes, all my family and friends that I know that live out this way are fine. Some of them have definitely lost houses and property. But everyone I know made it through. And I'm surprised that the death toll isn't higher.

CUOMO: And it's hard to say, right. Because there's a sensitivity issue -- one is too many. But when you look at this devastation, and the government itself was getting the numbers wrong early on which is totally understandable. But there is a little bit of a silver lining that this type of tornado could have done even worse than it did.

PACE: Yes, definitely could have taken more lives. But they do such a good job at alerting us. We knew days in advance that it was going to be bad. Or potentially be bad.

CUOMO: Right. And yet on some level it's very hard to prepare for anything like that.

Rex Pace, thank you very much. I'm glad that your sister is OK. Thank you so much for helping the community.

PACE: Thank you. Appreciate it.

CUOMO: We're going to go break now.

That's all for me. Thank you for joining me for this part of NEWSROOM, our special coverage, our continuing coverage at CNN of the tornado and the aftereffects here in Moore, Oklahoma.

There will be more coverage of what's happening here and how people are recovering after the break.

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