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Six Feet of Snow in Buffalo, and Counting; College Team Stranded on Bus for 24 Hours; Jerusalem Steps Up Security After Attack; Feds Calls For Nationwide Airbag Recall

Aired November 19, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We end in a high note and congratulations from me as well.

NEWSROOM starts now.

Happening now in the NEWSROOM, snow emergency. A literal wall of lake-effect snow blanketing Buffalo. Parts of the city getting an entire year's worth of snow in just days. The big chill and full effect for the rest of the country, too.

Plus nationwide recall. Up to 20 million cars coast to coast targeted by the government. What you need to know, straight ahead.

And terror investigations. Jerusalem on edge this morning. What the FBI is finding out about that synagogue ax attack.

Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(MUSIC)

COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Breaking records in buckle of America's snow belt. This is near Buffalo, New York. Smothered by a staggering amount of snow. Six feet of snow has fallen -- six feet since just yesterday. Five people have died including one motorist found inside a car swallowed by a snow drift up to 15 feet.

Roads are impassable. Just asked these basketball players from Niagara University. They were stranded on a bus for more than 24 hours before state troopers managed to rescue them early this morning.

I'll talk to one of the assistant coaches in just a few minutes.

There is cold comfort even for those huddled at home. The mountains of snow are crashing through doors and windows, straining roofs and toppling power lines.

This winter hearty region is on track to see one year's worth of snow over just a few days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR BYRON BROWN, BUFFALO, NEW YORK: People are saying that some of the conditions that they're seeing in terms of snow worse than what they saw during the blizzard of '77. So the snowfall is that heavy. It's probably heavier than anything that we have seen in over 40 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Unbelievable.

CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray is standing out in the elements and it just looks so cold.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is cold, Carol. Temperatures are in the teens. It feels like the single digits. At least we're not in those blizzard-like conditions like we were earlier this morning. That has all moved past. The sun is now out. It's not going to help as much, though, because temperatures aren't going to get above freezing. So all that you see right here is going to stay right here.

And what they're doing, as you can see across the street, this bulldozer is basically taking the snow and pushing it and then they're making these huge piles that you can see. And we have one right here. And they're as high as the street sign. Once they pile this up, there is nowhere for it to go. They are filling it up in these dump trucks and carrying it off elsewhere to get it out off of the street so they can at least manage this until the next wave comes.

That's going to happen later tonight through tomorrow. Right now we're in a little bit of a break. That band is to the north. And you know this has proven deadly. As you said, we just saw a man who has been helping people in stranded cars all night. He don't want to take time to go on camera, he wanted to get back to the folks. But he said there are still people trapped in their cars and he says it is a mess.

Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRAY (voice-over): Overnight more record-shattering lake-effect snow paralyzing parts of western New York. Buffalo now in a state of emergency as the governor deploys the National Guard for help.

BROWN: This is a very serious storm.

GRAY: Up to six feet of snow and climbing. First responders carrying patients to the hospital on foot. The snow so deep in some places snowmobiles can't operate.

BROWN: It's probably heavier than anything that we have seen in over 40 years.

GRAY: From the sky, a wall of white. On the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is the garage door. GRAY: The snow is piling so high so fast, it comes crashing into this

home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's horrendous. It really is. We're going to make history.

GRAY: The snowfall up to five inches an hour, crippling emergency personnel. At a firehouse in the heart of a storm, a mother delivers her baby girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could not get her to the hospital. She was born. She's safe and she's healthy.

GRAY: Near Buffalo, an 81-year-old man died after first responders were unable to get him to the hospital in time. The man, one of three people dying from cardiac arrest Tuesday while shoveling. The residents scrambling to dig themselves out.

The near white-out conditions already causing one deadly car accident and leaving the Niagara University women's basketball team stranded along the I-90 Corridor. The team finally rescued nearly 24 hours later.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRAY: And Carol, luckily they were rescued. You know, you see the best in people when things like this happen. And we've seen neighbors helping neighbors in this community. We even got stuck yesterday. Our crew, we had four guys come out with shovels. People are helping their neighbors shovel their driveways. You know. And unfortunately, you know, this has proven deadly, but we have seen people just helping everyone out.

And unfortunately this isn't over yet. People here comparing it to the blizzard of '77 and it's still not over.

COSTELLO: I just can't believe that mountain of snow. That's going to take two years to melt. That's just -- it's just incredible.

Jennifer Gray, thank you so much. We'll get back to you a little later in the NEWSROOM.

We told roads were impassable. That doesn't seem to capture it, though, as well as this photo does. That snow tunnel, that's actually Interstate-90. The image comes from the New York state police. Maybe the only people moving for quite some time.

One hundred miles of the roadway was shut down because of white-out conditions, and that snow piling up. One hundred fifty vehicles at least bogged down including, get this, some of the snow plows. They, too, got stuck in the snow.

One of those vehicles that got stuck in the snow a bus load of college basketball players. For much of their 24-hour ordeal, Twitter was their only connection to the outside world. They had come from a game in Pittsburgh. They are trying to get home. They were agonizingly close when they came to a standstill two miles outside of Lackawanna. Might as well been a thousand miles from home, though. Their food and water ran out in the bus but their sense of humor lived on.

Joining us by phone, Corinne Jones, Niagara University's assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

Good morning.

CORINNE JONES, NIAGARA UNIVERSITY'S WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM ASSISTANT COACH (via telephone): Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Have you thawed out?

JONES: Yes, I have. I'm in a -- I'm in a warm home. My husband is home actually because I live a little further down the 90 East. So I haven't made it to my house yet, but the players are safe. And all of us, the head coach is there.

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: Safe and Warm. Getting some sleep and some food.

COSTELLO: We're glad everyone made it out safe. Tell us about the journey, though. You're driving home on the bus and at some point you get stuck on the interstate. How did that happen?

JONES: Yes. We were smooth sailing. The ride was a little windy from Pittsburgh headed back to Buffalo. Myself -- excuse me -- and another sports information director parked at West Seneca so we're on Google maps but really excited to be five miles away from West Seneca. And all of a sudden the whole Highway 90 came to a halt. So that was about 2:00 a.m. and the next time we saw the snow outside was 4:00 a.m. this morning. So we are at a standstill for a good 26 hours. It was a journey.

COSTELLO: So what's it like to be on a bus, trapped in the snow for 26 hours with a whole bunch of other people?

JONES: Yes. It was actually, to put it in perspective, we have some fun with it. Social media kept us going, Twitter, all the different news stations and whatnot. They were trying to contact us through Twitter. And the players were having fun with it. And like I said, to put it into perspective, there were a lot of other people in vehicles alone running out of gas, going to cardiac arrest.

So we were warm. We had a lot of gas. We had a bus driver that was calm and collected, cool, keeping the bus, you know, going and keeping the windshields clean so at any point we were ready to go, he was ready. So, you know, it was fun.

COSTELLO: Well, you were luckier than most to --

JONES: We didn't really start have anxiety and so that was when last night, we were feeling like we were going to be on the bus for 24 hours. And -- but it really -- it was OK. We have a good -- we like each other so that was a bonus. (LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: You know, it's not like you guys aren't used to snow. What's different about this storm in your mind?

JONES: There was a lot of snow in a short amount of time. And it just kept piling up and piling up. There's just no way for us to get through in a bus or for any other cars to get through it as well. And like I said, it was just a lot in a short amount of time.

COSTELLO: Corinne Jones, I'm glad that you're safe and your team is safe. And thank you so much for joining me this morning. And I know you're anxious to get to bed because I would be exhausted.

Thank you so much for talking with us this morning. We appreciate it.

Let's head over to the weather center and Indra Petersons because it's not over yet.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Not even close. And Corinne was just saying, the difference is it's so much snow in a short period of time. The reason for this is the air is so cold. The colder it actually is outside, you'd take water equivalent, and what would give you an inch of rain and you multiply it, instead of, like, 10 in a normal snowstorm, times 15 or even 20. Up to 20 inches of snow for what you would typically get one inch of rain.

That is what is going on. That's what we're talking about totals. They're not just exceeding records for their region. But 76 inches of snow in 24 hours. That's the record for the entire nation for all time. And that is what we could be breaking with just this storm. This is the concern here, as once again it also has to do with the wind direction right over the lake.

You're talking about that huge temperature difference across the lake. And now the winds are going to be shifting. So as I zoom in a little bit closer, you see now Buffalo, which actually wasn't being hit the hardest, will now start to get a little bit more of that snow, and even that will start to clear out.

So remember, it's all about that wind direction, where it goes, some places will be seeing sunshine, others could be seeing plenty of snow. Look at the difference alone. Buffalo Airport only six inches. Three miles away. That's it. Forty-two inches of snow. That is how quickly things can change. That's the reason so many people are being caught off guard.

And again it all has to do with this cold air. It is not just something that's affecting the lake. We broke records this morning. Into the southeast, places like Florida shattering the record for the morning lows.

That's the morning lows. OK. What about the afternoon? In the afternoon, we're talking about highs and temperatures that we typically see in January. Not in November. This is the coldest we've been if you factor in the whole nation since the '70s in November. Unbelievable. This is the first wave. Here's the problem when things are calming down. That second wave brings more snow with the Great Lakes and even a third round of cold air comes next week.

COSTELLO: So please tell me the whole winter won't be like this?

PETERSONS: We're hoping. After now right, it's not looking so good.

COSTELLO: Stop it.

PETERSONS: Yes. Sorry.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Indra Petersons, thanks so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Today, there major fears that a deadly synagogue attack in Jerusalem can trigger an all-out religious war between Jews and Muslims. Four Rabbis, three of them U.S. citizens were viciously killed while praying in a Jerusalem synagogue, seven other people were wounded. Israeli police say two Palestinians armed with a gun and meat cleavers are to blame for the massacre, both were killed by police.

One of the victims, Rabbi Kalman Levine is from Kansas. Friends and family remember him as a gentleman with a calling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN BEIN, VICTIM'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: It's beyond horrific for them to live and die in the land in Jerusalem in prayer, his prayer garments, and accouchements (ph). That's the way we all want it to happen. This wasn't a soldier, they took a lamb. He was a very gentle man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a serious response and ordered them to demolish the attacker's homes.

In the meantime, in Gaza, the Palestinians behind the attacker being celebrated. There was actually dancing in the streets.

Let's bring in CNN global affairs analyst and contributing writer for "The Daily Beast", Kimberly Dozier.

Good morning, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Glad to have you here.

You lived in the region before. Up until now, the majority of attacks have been suicide bombings. But this attack was personal. It was inside a synagogue.

Is this a tipping point?

DOZIER: Well, what it could be is an example that other angry Israeli, Arabs and Palestinians can follow. Unfortunately, it is very simple to carry out.

They used kitchen and farming implements and one hand gun. That is hard thing for the Israeli security forces to try to keep from coming out of the West Bank and being used in violence. Just like U.S. counterterrorism officials fear lone wolf attacks in this country. What it does is possibly usher in an era where Israelis constantly have to be on guard.

Now, you mentioned the used bombing campaign. That was about years ago when it was at the second Palestinian up rising. I remember living there, yes, you always have to be on your guard, but you knew certain points to be extra on your guard like going into a shopping mall during the security check points.

Now, Israelis are going to have to look behind their backs all the time.

COSTELLO: The Israeli prime minister, he's urging Israelis not to take matters into their own hands even if your blood is boiling. What's his fear?

DOZIER: Well, his fear is that there will be horrible tit for tat attacks. This particular synagogue attack was blamed in part on the alleged killing of a Palestinian bus driver. Now, Israeli authorities say that that man hanged himself, that he killed himself. But the tensions are such that almost any sort of incident like that can lead to further violence.

Also, on this coming Friday, every Friday from here on out, when Palestinians, Israelis, both go to pray at the old city. You know, the Israelis at the Sacred Wall and the Muslims to the Dome of the Rock, their holy of holiest. They are right next to each other and keep bringing these two sides in proximity and create a flashpoint for tension.

COSTELLO: All right. We're going to talk to a former ambassador in the next hour of newsroom to talk more about this.

Kimberly Dozier, thank you for your insight. We appreciate it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM: is your car too dangerous to drive? Exploding airbags can send shrapnel into a passenger's face. And next, the federal government is now demanding a nationwide recall. Why isn't it being put into place? We'll look into that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The feds are playing hardball with the airbag maker Takata. They're demanding it expands its recall nationwide and explain why Takata allegedly put profits ahead of human lives. The Japanese manufacturer could face a criminal probe.

More now from our local affiliate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANK DIDIER, ATTORNEY: Honestly, I just kept saying I can't believe how much force came out of this bag.

ERIC SANDOVAL, WKMG REPORTER: Attorney Hank Didier says he saw the autopsy report of his client Hien Tran for the first time today. What it revealed shocked him. Tran died in October, a couple days after her air bag exploded during an accident at this intersection in Orlando.

DIDIER: I didn't know it transected her esophagus or trachea and fractured three bones in the back of her neck. It just goes to the amount of force and energy that is going through the bags. The shrapnel is being propelled at a driver.

SANDOVAL: Similar incidents have happened across the nation. And now, federal safety regulators want the airbag's maker Takata to expand the recall nationwide. They could target 20 million vehicles. Even though lives may be at stake, they don't want to do it.

DAVID FRIEDMAN, NHTSA: Takata's initial response, unwilling to move forward. And frankly, that is one of the reasons why we are talking to all of you today, because I believe that everyone needs to understand that Takata needs to act.

DIDIER: I think anyone who's getting a recall notice related to the airbags needs to get their car into a dealership the next day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That was reporter Eric Sandoval from WKMG.

I want to bring in now, Jason Vines. He's a former adviser for Takata, and now as a consultant specializing in crisis management. He is the author of "What Did Jesus Drive: Crisis, PR, and Cars, Computers, and Christianity".

Welcome back. I am glad you are here.

JASON VINES, FORMER ADVISER TO TAKATA: I'm glad to be back with you, Carol. Thank you.

COSTELLO: OK, simple question. Why won't Takata expand this recall? People are dying. At least five people have died as a result of the air bags.

VINES: Well, the key is surviving a crisis is to put your customer safety and satisfaction first ahead of financial and legal implications, and they are obviously not doing that. That's very sad. If they have done the things that are alleged including destroying documents, I think the company is going down. That's sad because this company saved a lot of lives with their seatbelts. They were pioneers in seatbelts.

But they are behaving badly right now, and they're behaving badly not only for consumers. They're behaving badly for the automakers that have bought their products. And this will, eventually, if they keep up with this, bring them down.

COSTELLO: There's going to be a congressional hearing tomorrow. Senator Claire McCaskill wants to know what exactly Takata is hiding. Should we expect to hear a lot of "I plead the Fifth"?

VINES: That would be suicide. Hopefully, they'll go there and be honest. But from what I have seen over the last few weeks, they will do a song and dance that is sad for the automakers and their customers, the driving public.

COSTELLO: Takata right now is saying that the airbags only malfunction in warm weather states, but, of course, people drive to cold locations and it is winter time. How can they think consumers will accept that kind of argument?

VINES: Well, to be honest, I take a different play on it. I think NHTSA, the National Highway Safety Administration is acting strangely. Sure, all airbags that are affected by this should be replaced, but we should let the automakers, predominantly Honda, who has the majority of the cars the air bags, let them do triage and get those customers who are in harm's way, get them to fix first.

So, if that's in the southern United States, we should send the parts down first. We don't need to fix the vehicles in Fargo or North Dakota, or Minnesota. Eventually, yes, but do the triage and get those vehicles most impacted by this fixed first.

COSTELLO: Yes. Because we are talking about a lot of cars because it affects, what, Ford, Honda, Chrysler, Mazda and BMW. So, lots and lots of cars are affected by this, and if you recall them all at the same time, I guess that would cause problems because there so many cars involved. Is that what you are saying?

VINES: I'm saying, somebody in Phoenix may have to wait longer for a replacement part, because somebody in Fargo gets a replacement. Let's do it smart. Let's take care of the customers and put safety paramount, period.

COSTELLO: All right. Jason Vines, thanks for your insight. I appreciate it.

And also, here's what you need to do if your vehicle is involved in the recall. Go to the Fed's Web site, NHTSA.gov. Enter your vehicle's identification number, or VIN number. The site will then tell you if the recalled vehicle still needs to be prepared. It might take you a while to get on, because so many people are checking it out, but keep on trying because it's important information.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM: can you tell what this is? It's buried under six feet of snow. We'll uncover it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)