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States of Emergency Declared; Boston Prepares; Secret Service Investigates Drone

Aired January 26, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, I'm Brianna Keilar here in New York, where people are right now under a state of emergency. This city and much of the northeast bracing for a blizzard of historic magnitude. The official word, do not take this blizzard lightly. It's being called potentially life threatening, and it is on the way. Threatening to shut down much of the East Coast from New Jersey all the way up to Maine and Canada. Fifty-eight million people are in the way of this thing, and are expected to be impacted in one way or another.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: This is not a storm to take lightly.

GOV. DANNEL MALLOY (D), CONNECTICUT: If you're without power, you are going to be without power for a period of time. All likely -- in all likelihood, several days. So, and I'll just give you my advice, if you have a fireplace that's usable, have some wood ready.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Starting later this afternoon, you should stay home if you can. You should only go out in the case of an absolute emergency or necessity. And the same goes for all day tomorrow.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK: This literally could be one of the top two or three largest storms in the history of this city, and we need to plan accordingly. So my message to all New Yorkers is prepare for something worse than we have seen before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Boston and New York City, people could see up to three feet of snow by the end of tomorrow, more than 30 inches, and that is really saying something. The history books show the biggest storms in New York City came nowhere close to that, 26.9 inches of snow back in 2006, 25.8 inches in December 1947 and 21 inches in March 1888. And if you were planning on getting in or getting out before it hits, it is probably too late. Airlines canceling flights in and out of the northeast. Thousands already off the boards for today and tomorrow.

We have our reporters following the very latest from across the region. Miguel Marquez here in New York. We have Jennifer Gray live for us in Boston. Ana Cabrera is in east Hampton, Long Island. And we have Ivan Cabrera standing by in the CNN severe weather center with the detailed forecast. I want to go now to Miguel Marquez.

So, Miguel, you have the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, he's saying that he's considering a travel ban here. How else is the city preparing?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the city is preparing by loading up on lots of salt and lots of plows. And we're in one of those areas here in lower Manhattan. I want to give you a little tour of where we are right now.

This is the bike path on lower Manhattan. Down that way we should be able to see downtown. It is complete whiteout right now. This storm is on. In the last 20, 30 minutes or so, it's really come on strong.

If you look up this way, you can see the west side highway here. The traffic is still heavy. People getting out of town, coming downtown. We're even seeing a few runners and bikers on this trail still. That won't be the case. If we get that three feet of snow, it will be up to about right here on me on this trail.

That giant building there, that is filled with salt. The city of New York has stockpiled tens of thousands of tons of salt in order to spread on the streets. They have vehicles, the plows coming and going from here constantly. The garbage trucks as well have been modified with snow plows on the front. All of them have chains on.

I also want to point out, when I got down here a little while ago, you can look across and just see New Jersey across the Hudson. Now complete whiteout.

I also want to show you what this snow looks like a bit, if I could. It's very, very dry and it looks almost like Styrofoam. It is almost like ice right now. It is only going to get colder and pile up higher and get more dangerous out here.

Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, it certainly is. All right, Miguel Marquez, we'll be visiting with you a little later. Thank you.

I want to head now to New England where Boston is also bracing for the worst. It's supposed to get slammed with up to three feet of snow. But check this out. The storm threat not enough to keep Patriot from sending off Tom Brady and the rest of the team to Super Bowl XLIX. Players are headed to much warmer pastures in Arizona. Aren't we jealous of them.

But CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray, she's sticking it out in Boston.

And tell us a little bit about how New England is getting ready, Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, well luckily that sendoff was before it got really bad, but folks in Boston are tough. And I can tell you, this is going to be a storm for the record books, even for people here.

It has been light as far as traffic is concerned around the city. We did see people going to work early this morning. After lunch, we saw people coming back and catching that ferry. Looks like people are heading out of the city early. And good thing because there is a travel ban here in Boston beginning midnight and they're saying if folks are parked on those major roads, they will be towed beginning at 8:00.

Of course, school was open today, but it will be closed tomorrow and Wednesday and all the after-school activities also closed this afternoon. Also the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority closed on Tuesday as well. We could see snow up to my waist by tomorrow evening, and we could see snow drifts above my head. We're talking about eight to 10 foot snow drifts because the wind is going to be so strong we could see possible hurricane-force winds, especially right here along the coast. Also, coastal flooding is going to be a major concern.

When you have those winds in the mix, Brianna, we're going to be looking at major power outages. So people could be without power for some days. And we are looking at very, very cold temperatures to stick around for at least the next week.

Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, the cold and the snow is enough, but when you're talking about 65 mile per hour wind gusts, it's really unbelievable. Jennifer Gray for us, thank you so much.

Plowing beginning here in New York City, as you can see. Now in east Hampton, on the eastern tip of Long Island, schools closed early today. They are due to be shut down tomorrow already as this area braces for the storm. That's where we find CNN's Ana Cabrera. She's joining me now live from eastern Long Island.

So I wonder if you're seeing a lot of people out and about there, Ana, or are they heeding the warnings and staying inside?

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just a few hours ago, there were a lot of people out and about getting those last-minute supplies at the grocery store, preparing for what lies ahead. And as you can see, there is a change in the air here with the winds already picking up. You can see just behind me some of the tall grasses kind of bending as we go. The snow moving in, blowing sideways, already accumulating just a little bit here on the ground. Just more of a skip (ph) at the moment, but we're expecting two to three feet of snow here combined with wind gusts of up to 55, 65 miles per hour and that's going to cause some problems down below here on the shoreline where you can already see huge waves whipping and crashing along the beach.

They're anticipating coastal flooding in this area, two to three feet of ocean levels above normal tide. That could cause some problems obviously for the many businesses, hotels, restaurants, in this highly touristy area. And, in fact, we have also learned that they're expecting eight to 12 foot waves that could cause some erosion. So this entire area is kind of hunkering down, building some berms to try to protect the underlying areas in this zone.

Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, and also, Ana, I know there's a concern about maybe some power outages there. You have heavy snow. There's going to be wind. That doesn't mix with trees.

A. CABRERA: This is a problem that they've experienced before. Power outages back in Superstorm Sandy knocked out power for some people up to weeks at a time. And we heard Governor Cuomo earlier addressing that specifically for those Long Islanders, saying that they are better prepared for this storm because of adjustments and some improvements that they made to the power system after Superstorm Sandy, but you never know what Mother Nature is going to give you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, you never know. All right, Ana Cabrera there. Thank you so much.

And this is the question, exactly when will these dangerous weather conditions begin? How hard will they hit? We're already seeing, obviously, some snow starting here, Ivan Cabrera, but as you track the storm, you know a lot more is coming. Tell us about what the latest models and the forecast are telling you.

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, that's what worries me because you look behind you and it looks like a typical New York scene out there and people looking out their windows, ah, just a little light snow falling. The storm has not begun. The storm has not even gotten going here. We are not at the explosive stage of this storm. That is when we're going to be talking about dangerous conditions. That is when we're going to be talking about, well, snowfall rates of two to three inches an hour and wind gusts in excess of 60 miles an hour. That will happen tonight and heading into tomorrow.

So what we're seeing here are just the initial stages of this storm that is going further down to the south, but it won't be until tonight until we get these heavy bands that begin to move into New York and into Boston. And when it's all said and done, this is what we're thinking here. Again, six to eight inches, eight to 10, 10 to 12, 12 to 24, and some areas over two feet. Now, notice the gradient here of the colors. Whoever gets on the western side of this is not going to get much snow.

And it is dangerously close to New York in that we may luck out here. I don't think we will. I think we're still talking about a foot plus in New York and then further to the east, Boston, no question about it, you're looking at a couple feet of snowfall by the time we're done with this storm here. But even if New York doesn't get, say, the snowfall tallies that we've been talking about, 12 to 24 inches, because the wind is going to be at 50 to 60 miles an hour, the snow drifts are going to be enough to be a problem here and we are going to continue to pile up that snow. As you saw Miguel there, the snow very fluffy. It's very cold. It's not going to be that heavy, wet snow. So it is going to be pushed around by the wind as we head through tonight and that's when blizzard conditions will be in effect. In fact, the warnings, of course, from Jersey to New York, all the way to Boston, and into Bangor.

Of course, Boston will get more of the snow because you will be in the snow the longest. And so by the time this storm pushes off to the north and east on Tuesday, look at Boston, still in the snow, and then New York begins to get on the backside of it here. So you still have some time if you have not gotten your supplies, if you don't have all the water you need, if you don't have all the food that you need, plan for a few days without power here because what you're seeing here, coastal watches as far as a flood. That means the wind is going to come in, it's going to push the water in and we could be talking about significant power outages because of the wind and because of the snow. So check your medicine. Check the elderly. Check everything you need to do to get ready for this storm because it's coming and it's coming tonight.

KEILAR: Yes, reach out to a neighbor who perhaps you don't know if they have someone that they can contact. Make sure they're all right as well. Ivan Cabrera, great advice. Thank you so much.

And right now there are officials in these cities, they're making big decisions. Ones that really could break or -- make or break their legacies, really impact public safety for millions. We'll be taking you behind the scenes when I speak with the mayor of Boston.

Plus, airports becoming nightmares as thousands of flights are scrubbed.

And also this, a developing situation at the White House. A drone found on the lawn near the residence of the president and now the Secret Service is talking with a person connected to this situation. This is CNN's special life coverage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Schoolchildren in Boston are getting not just one but two days off this week. The city isn't taking any chances with this storm. Logan Airport also shutting down tonight. For more on how Boston is preparing for the storm, I'm now joined on the phone by Mayor Martin Walsh.

Mayor, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us and get the word out to a lot of our viewers in your area. Tell us about how well your city is prepared for this storm.

MAYOR MARTIN WALSH, BOSTON (via telephone): We feel pretty confident right now as far as being prepared for the storm. It's just really a matter of -- as it comes in waves to stay ahead of it. You know, we've pretty much laid down a lot of the groundwork for tomorrow. We did cancel school for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday, tomorrow because of the travel, and Wednesday because of the anticipation we'll be still removing snow on Wednesday.

We have stated snow emergency bans as far as parking in the city of Boston. So as of tonight, after 6:00, people in the banned area, the large roadways, we're asking people not to park there or they'll be towed after 8:00 tonight. We've done the first treatment of salt in our city to kind of make it easier to move the snow as it moves along. And now we're asking some people to just use common sense, just to, you know, be smart about this. Don't go out. This storm clearly is going to be a big storm. All the weather forecasters indicate it. And you can see -- we can see it now. It's already snowing very lightly, but it's snowing in the city of Boston right now.

KEILAR: And a lot of people, you know, some people think that these things at first may be overblown and then it sort of comes upon them very quickly that they may have to take precautions. What's your advice maybe for people there in the Boston area watching right now who maybe still need to get some supplies and then really think about hunkering down? What can you tell them?

WALSH: I say get it done now. And also, if you have an elderly neighbor on the street or somebody who's disabled or somebody who can't get out, please check on them, make sure they have what they need as well. And err on the side of caution. Rather be safe than sorry. And really, you know, we all feel that way when they talk about 25 to 30 inches of snow. I think everyone goes, oh, it might not happen. I would rather be prepared for it to happen rather than not be prepared and have it hit us.

KEILAR: Yes, certainly right. And if you've stocked up on food, and maybe one of your neighbors hasn't been able to get out, maybe help them out as well. Great advice from the mayor of Boston.

WALSH: You know, and stay connected. Watch the TV. You know, certainly CNN gives a lot of reports and you can see already what's happenings around the country, and it's heading right toward us here in Boston. And, you know, just kind of -- the advice that you've been giving all day has been great advice, making sure that, you know, the batteries are fresh, making sure the flashlights are available, making sure that they have all the important numbers they need to have to call in case of emergency, 911 or the main city hall numbers around the country. That's important.

KEILAR: It certainly is. And conditions and forecasts can change. So, very important to stay on top of those. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, thanks for being with us.

WALSH: Thank you.

KEILAR: Well, this huge storm bearing down on the northeast means that public safety officials are facing a lot of really tough decisions in the coming hours. They've been working on these for days, in fact. Juliette Kayyem has been in the room. She's had to make these tough calls. She served as former Massachusetts Governor Duvall Patrick's homeland security adviser.

And, Juliette, I just want to talk with you a little bit about the deployment of federal, state, and local resources. How does this work? Who's calling the shots? And, you know, how much autonomy does the local government versus the state government versus even local school districts have when they're trying to call states of emergency and so on? JULIETTE KAYYEM, FORMER MASSACHUSETTS HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: So we

are a, you know, sort of federal democracy, so power belongs at the most local level. So as you saw my mayor, Mayor Marty Walsh, they declare things like school days because they oversee the public school system. But it's not very antagonistic in a storm like this. In other words, once it was clear that something big was going to happen, federal, state and local authorities and first responders are all working together in their emergency management bunkers, whether on the state side or the local side, trying to make the most rationale, prepared assessments. And as the mayor said, it may be that - that it's not as bad as we -- as it's being advertised right now. It doesn't matter. At this stage, the most important thing is to give sort of thoughtful, direct advice to the public through a mayor, through a governor, and the federal apparatus such as FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is ready to deploy resources should they - should it be needed by any state. And that's why you've seen almost all the New England governors declare already a state of emergency. What that does is it allows the federal resources to sort of advance, pull forward so if they're needed by a locality or state, they'll be there.

KEILAR: You wrote an excellent column for cnn.com, Juliette, and in it you said that calling a snow day is an art, it's not a science. Explain what that means.

KAYYEM: Right. Well, this snowstorm is pretty obvious. I mean just given the numbers and the consistent numbers coming from the National Weather Service, any rational person would have said, everyone stay home, everyone off the road and, you know, just be smart, right? But in most instances, it's a very difficult call. And I've been in that room where, you know, the weather isn't as clearly bad as it is sort of today and you're making judgment calls based on the safety of the population, but also worried that if you cry wolf too often, people won't respond.

This is an easy call. Every governor, every mayor is consistent in this. Lives will be saved if you stay home. Don't be stupid. Don't be smart. Don't be brave. You can wait. About 24 hours from now, this will be over. But right now, the judgment call has been made relatively easily to just stay home and that's essentially what everyone should do.

KEILAR: I know - and I know that you've been in that position where you've said, based on forecasts, that there's going to be bad weather in the afternoon commute and it doesn't pan out and you're sitting there with blue skies, but at least you err on the side of public safety there.

Now, and this one is sort of a no brainer in a way, but does it help that you're talking about so much of the snowfall coming from the evening and overnight? It's different than something that maybe comes in around noon when everyone's already at work, even though granted a lot of people will be headed home early today. They're dealing really with the brunt of this later tonight, right?

KAYYEM: That's exactly right. So, you know, so snow days are generally called by some combination of what's the weather, what's the precipitation, and when is it hitting? So you want to let people out early, if, for example, the worst of the storm is coming at 5:00 because you don't want people having a six-hour commute. And one of the blessings of what's about to happen to us is that it's coming overnight and people have already been told to stay home tomorrow, so there will be no commute tomorrow. That essentially gives 24 hours for this to come down and be cleaned up.

And, you know, tremendous resources in cities like Boston, tremendous leadership to sort of deploy the first responders out. The streets will be empty. As the mayor said, there's to parked cars, so it's easy to maneuver streets. Get the snow off and then get people back to work either Wednesday, as the case may be in some instances, and definitely by Thursday. But these are judgment calls and weather doesn't always behave as much as we want it to. We want it to be sort of more exact than it often is.

But in this instance, it is a blessing that it's coming over a period where people have plenty of time to get home and essentially shelter in place. And so that, you know, so that public safety resources can be saved on those who don't have homes. Those who need government services and those who might be stranded for, you know -- not because of their own sort of culpability.

KEILAR: (INAUDIBLE). Yes. So people shouldn't be a problem so that all of the first responders can be concentrating on serious emergencies.

All right, Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much.

And just ahead, I'll be speaking live with the head of the National Weather Service about their forecast models, who's really in the bull's-eye here?

Plus, a small drone crash lands on the White House lawn, and now the Secret Service is questioning a person linked to the device. Was anyone at risk? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)