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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Deluge Hits Houston; Tornado Rips Roof Off Houston Apartment Complex; Iraq Launches Effort to Retake Anbar; Memorial Day Flights Threatened; Charter to Announce Time Warner Cable Acquisition. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired May 26, 2015 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:30] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, death toll rising as deadly storms strike Texas and Oklahoma. At least six are dead and a dozen more missing this morning. Houston under water, roads flooded there. A dangerous situation right now in Houston, a disaster declared and more storms and more water on the way.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, breaking news this morning out of Iraq. The Iraqi government says it is launched a new operation to take back this area seized by ISIS. Will this new operation work? We are live in Baghdad with the new details ahead.
ROMANS: Welcome back to EARLY START. It's a very busy Tuesday morning. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: Yes, a lot going on. I'm John Berman. It's 31 minutes past the hour. We do have breaking news out of Texas and Oklahoma this morning. Officials are warning that the storms that have killed at least six people could continue for weeks according to the officials to come.
The likely missing are children and two families that were on vacation for a long weekend. With the ground saturated, forecasters are warning more flash flooding ahead. Texas Governor Greg Abbott added 24 counties to the emergency disaster declaration bringing the total to 37.
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GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT (R) TEXAS: We urge all citizens to get out of harm's way. Don't risk your lives by trying to not evacuate the water that may be rising.
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ROMANS: Overnight Houston inundated. Officials say 5 inches to 8 inches of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours, road ways in Houston under water. The fire department received more than 150 requests for help in a just a couple of hours.
More than 80,000 people without power and the National Weather Service says the situation there continues to be quote, "extremely dangerous and life threatening."
Joining us on the phone right now is Houston's Emergency Management coordinator, Rick Flanagan. I know you've had a very, very busy night. What is the situation right now in Houston, water still on the road? More rain to come.
RICK FLANAGAN, HOUSTON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR (via telephone): We have a lot of requests for rescues, removing people from their homes. We have a lot of vehicles that are starting to be cleared because of the water drainage.
Now they have to be removed from the roadway. We have a lot of requests from people that are still there in high water. And we need to assist them to move their vehicles.
The process or impact doesn't slow down because general citizens have to get the cars fixed and repaired. We know the costs of the situation and how it impacts the budget.
BERMAN: Sir, you are about an hour or so before sunrise? What do you want the citizens of your city as the fourth largest city in America, what do you want people in Houston to do today as they wake up? Should they stay home?
FLANAGAN: Well, I tell you what, if you have a choice, you do not have to go to work. I would request please stay home. If you have general things that happen to be on your list, please stay at home. If the rain starts bad in any capacity, it will recreate what we have.
We lost a lot of power. Signal lights are not working. People have to reroute because of the water still held in the neighborhood roadways. We have a lot of stalled vehicles we are addressing. Some of the roadways are blocked.
We are having a lot of emergency units that cannot access communities because of the amount of water that is there. So that list remains. We have to address the persons crying out for help and get resources to them. Our process is slow right now.
ROMANS: You say you are getting a lot of calls. There are still rescues, people who still need to be rescued from their vehicles and also from their homes. Give us a little sense of those cases.
FLANAGAN: We have several apartment complexes that we have already removed 30 or 40 persons from those complexes and contacted the American Red Cross for shelters.
[05:35:10] They have to go in and assess to make sure they can start things over or address the needs, which they will have in apartment complexes reported taking on water, but we cannot get units if their right now.
We are taking in resources. I talked to the fire emergency response team. They changed the response protocol. They are taking the people they normally send to one location and send them out as best they can, but those numbers are real high right now. BERMAN: We heard record rainfall at Houston International Airport, record rainfall at Houston Hobby. We heard as much as 11 inches in some parts of southwest Harris County. Our friend, Andy Scholes, is from Houston, has been hearing from friends and family. They have never seen flooding like this in Houston. Describe what you have seen and the scope of what you are facing right now.
FLANAGAN: Well, we have a large structure of fire and emergency management. The houses are taking on water at their facilities. The first responders are impacted and they are trying to provide service to the community. You can understand how the process has been, not at a standstill, but slow down.
We cannot get units out. They have to proceed as cautious as they possibly can. We have to maneuver and call back and they make a request for extra resources such as boats. We have to set up temporary shelters. American Red Cross is inundated.
More people will probably start to calling in. We will probably get everybody together so that the independent and HIS Houston will make a decision about the schools today. A lot of the decisions today are to finish the master plan and get things orchestrated.
ROMANS: Yes, and you've already just warned. If you don't need to go anywhere today, don't do it. Don't run errands today. The roads are impassable and you guys are doing your best to try to get people who need to be rescued and get cars out of the way as the roads drain a bit. We are seeing that are delays into the airports. Obvious weather delays into the airports. You are asking people stay home if you can today.
FLANAGAN: Yes. Thank you very much.
ROMANS: All right.
BERMAN: Rick, are you still with us?
FLANAGAN: I'm here.
BERMAN: Just one more question, Rick. We are hearing overnight, some 200 plus fans were trapped in the Toyota Center after the Houston Rockets game. Do you have any update?
FLANAGAN: No, I think they made a decision to stay there because the weather was such a heavy impact and rainfall. It was the best thing to do. The stadium accommodated everybody. Some of the players stayed. It is a work in progress. That was one of the better things that happened and that take a few of those cars off the streets. A lot of people left the game and it provided the extra ever process.
BERMAN: It was a choice, but smart choice in your mind for these people to stay inside that stadium.
FLANAGAN: Very much so.
ROMANS: All right, Rick, thanks so much, again, a warning to stay home --
FLANAGAN: Thank you.
ROMANS: -- if you can. They are still doing rescues of apartment buildings and people stranded in their cars, a very long night.
BERMAN: You said the first responders, people who need to be out there fighting these floods, they are having so much water damage and situations at their own headquarters right now, they are having a hard time getting out, a serious situation right now.
ROMANS: No airports and schools and work, everything in the fourth largest city in America really disrupted by all of this, all this rain overnight.
All right, the violent storms also hit Oklahoma where rising flood waters with rescues there. Firefighters evacuated dozens of people in Twin Lakes as the ranging Zimmeran River ate away at the foundations of their homes.
In Broken Bow, Oklahoma, crews races against a swelling river there trying to rescue 13 people stranded in a cabin.
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TROOPER JOE JEFFERSON, OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL: They are not panicked or anything like that. We have been in phone contact with them at all times. They're fine. There is nothing hazardous as far as their safety just yet. Time is of the essence with the water rising.
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ROMANS: Officials say a tornado ripped through the tiny town of Blue in Southern Oklahoma on Monday afternoon killing one woman and destroying several trailer homes.
BERMAN: A confirmed EF-1 tornado hit Southwest Houston on Sunday. This area is just dealing with days of problems right now. The winds at that time were 100 plus miles an hour. The twister tore roofs off several apartment buildings.
These poor people now inundated by the rain since the storms started hitting on Sunday. The health department will help dozens of people displaced, will going to have to find new homes.
[05:40:10] ROMANS: No relief in sight for these residents in the south. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri is tracking the forecast for us.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John and Christine. Let's show you this. The pattern unfortunately is very much same, the upper level disturbance and steering currents and southerly flow across the Gulf of Mexico.
Some of the more humid air across Eastern Texas to the gulf coast and rainfall totals in the last 24 hours absolutely remarkable, upwards of 8 inches, a lot of this right around the Houston metro area. And of course, talking about a major populated city as far as how densely populated it is, this much rainfall is major problems and we know the Houston Rockets had a game on Monday night.
So the folks at the stadium told to stay inside the venue because of the dangers of being outside during this, but the flood watches and warnings stretch across the region for several million people in Eastern Texas, now much of Louisiana, and Arkansas.
In fact, look at the river gates, as of 1:00 a.m. local time, the water level from this particular river across Houston were around seven to 10 feet, skyrocketed up to 36 feet inside a couple of hours, forecast at 40 feet and these are the kind of scenarios that are really going to be very much dangerous when it comes to a life threatening setup.
If any sort of population is around these rivers and you take a look at the severe weather threat. It does extend for 50 million people. The largest populated areas in Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Detroit for some strong thunderstorms by this afternoon, guys.
ROMANS: From Texas all the way to the great lakes. It's going to be a wild weather day.
BERMAN: All right, we have more breaking news this morning. Iraq launches a new operation to take back territory seized by ISIS. Will this work? We are live in Baghdad next.
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[05:45:24]
BERMAN: All right, breaking news this morning from Iraq. A moment many people have been waiting for. The government there announced an operation to retake parts of Anbar Province from ISIS. They will no doubt meet stiff resistance.
ISIS has been sending in reinforcements to try to reinforce the city of Ramadi, which it took from Iraq just a week ago. Let's get the latest from CNN international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, live in Baghdad this morning. Nick, any reports back yet, from those front lines?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At this stage, no. We are just hearing those announcements from the Iraqi officials, which they are clear the wide ranging operation will be underway. Of course, whether that translates to hard action on the ground is key.
John, you get an idea of the some of the complexity of the challenge ahead of Iraq and reclaiming the vital city. You see how the announcement came out, Iraqi state television said something was going to be underway shortly.
It left to the Shi'a militia backed by Iran to give the first press conference saying they were moving forward with the Iraqi Security Forces and what they said of the citizens of the places where the fighting is going to happen, which could be a Sunni part of the Iraq makeup here.
They said that operation will be under way to cut a supply route to north of Anbar. We heard on state television and statements according to state TV from the Prime Minister Office and ministry of defense echoing that saying, they hope soon Anbar would be liberated and may be victories in the supply route area, which is a key oil refining area as well.
A massive task ahead of Iraq here, but it seems Shi'a-backed militia with Iran who may be the spearhead of this. They gave the name of the operation and that is extraordinarily similar to the Shi'a culture here on the divide which is so fractious here in Iraq.
The saying being the son of Ali (inaudible) so a lot here that could potentially alienate Sunnis from getting involved in the fight. The rhetoric at the stage is a wide ranging operation with Sunni tribes' people, Iraqi police, and Iraqi military, but of course, the front end is the Shi'a militia backed by Iran.
That operation announced, but does that translate to violence on the ground? ISIS being pushed back, we have to wait and see -- John.
BERMAN: All right, Nick Paton Walsh reporting from Baghdad. A lot more information still to learn from that region. Thanks so much, Nick.
ROMANS: All right, the FBI investigating a series of threats targeting passenger planes over the weekend. What we are learning new this morning next.
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[05:51:52]
ROMANS: At least ten phone threats against airline flights had officials scrambling on Memorial Day. Authorities forced to search planes in Newark, Buffalo, Atlanta, and New York. NORAD even had to scramble two F-15 fighter jets over the Atlantic to escort an Air France flight back into JFK.
Listen to New York's Port Authority Police questioning the French crew during the flight.
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UNIDENTIFIED PORT AUTHORITY POLICE: Do you have anyone air or sick on the aircraft?
UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: No.
UNIDENTIFIED PORT AUTHORITY POLICE: You haven't had anybody ill or sick on the flight?
UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: Correct. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's when we landed and they stopped us, this is when we know that something is wrong.
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ROMANS: The Air France flight evacuated and searched. Police found nothing suspicious or hazardous. The FBI is investigating.
BERMAN: There was a spike in murders and gun violence in Baltimore over the weekend. Police say at least 28 people were shot and seven of them died. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake calls the up surge in violence disheartening.
The city's murder rate is at 47 percent this year. This is the first time in 15 years that Baltimore has had more than 33 homicides in a single the month.
ROMANS: All right, it's 52 minutes past the hour. Parents, do have a kid graduating college? I will tell you the most affordable cities when it comes to paying the rent, that's next.
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[05:57:08]
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an EARLY START on your money. European stocks down right now. Growing concerns Greece will default on its debts. U.S. stock futures are lower too.
Time Warner Cable shares are surging right now on news of a $55 billion deal with Charter Communications. Now Charter is the third biggest cable provider in the country. Time Warner Cable is the second largest provider. That means one in six households affected by the deal so watch that space today.
If your child just graduated, the most affordable place for apartment rental is in St. Louis. New grads can afford almost 20 percent of rental units there. The median rent is $870.
Dallas is number two followed by Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix. Which cities should new grads avoid if you don't have pocket change for rent? Portland came in last place for affordable rent.
BERMAN: I like how you warned parents of college grads. If you said you just finished paying tuition and now you have to pay their rent so this is where it's cheap.
ROMANS: Make sure they can get a job some place they can afford the rent.
BERMAN: Looking out for parents.
Serious breaking news overnight, deadly storms hitting Texas and Oklahoma. Houston this morning is flooded. We spoke to an emergency official who told people to stay home. "NEW DAY" picks it up right now.
