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Floods in South Carolina; Pilot Dies Mid-Flight; Gun Violence. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired October 05, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:03] WOLF BLITZER, CNN: The news continues next on CNN.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN: Wolf Blitzer, thank you so much.

Hello, everyone, I'm Brooke Baldwin, on this Monday.

We have to talk about South Carolina. Breaking news out of that southern state where the record-breaking rain is starting to ease, but the flooding that has now killed nine people may only get worse. The governor sending a warning for folks who live there not to be fooled by the improving weather.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NIKKI HALEY, SOUTH CAROLINA: This is not over. Just because the rain stops does not mean that we are out of the woods. We very much still have a vulnerable situation that's out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Everyone is urged to stay home except for those rescuers who have, officials say, been saving people all day and in the overnight hours. This weather system has, according to the governor, closed 550 roads and bridges, prompted 2,700 calls for help to the Department of Public Safety and sent close to a thousand people to shelters. And the irony here, with flooding at one point neck high. Look at that street sign. Neck high. The most dire need in this state according to the governor is for water. Why? Treatment systems. They've been overwhelmed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: And the main thing that we have seen is everybody is requesting water, especially in the midlands area. They are without water in a lot of places, like I said, 40,000. So we are going to be setting up - I know a lot of people have tried to go to stores and buy it and the stores are closed. We are setting up water distribution sites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This is the third day of rescues now. And as South Carolina braces for what is still to come, let me just show you what the state has endured so far just in the last 48 hours.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BALDWIN (voice-over): In desperate need of rescue, the flood weary in South Carolina are finding help, from swift water rescue teams, National Guardsman, Good Samaritans and their neighbors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our concentration right now obviously is emergency and rescue.

BALDWIN: Even in the dark of night, an extraordinary effort. A human chain was credited to help those stranded, unable to walk because of the waist high waters, proving once again there is strength in numbers.

The Coast Guard came to the aid of this mother and her 15-month-old baby, rescuing them from their flooded out home, air lifting them to safety. A this unbelievable scene, a truck driver, who somehow thought he could still find the roadway despite very high, choppy waters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is crawling out of the truck right now.

BALDWIN: It took a while, but crews were able to pull this man out and get him to higher and safer ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be stupid. I mean, that's the thing. Stay - we keep saying, you know, don't try to drive through flooded areas. You don't know how deep they'll be.

BALDWIN: Over the weekend, hundreds of rescues by helicopter and by boat. This family, trapped inside their flooded home, was evacuated by boat as nearby neighbors looked on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretty much everybody down that hill there has lost everything this morning. Our vehicles, our clothes, our everything. We still have our lives. We still have our lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Still have their lives.

I'm going to go straight to one of the areas really hardest hit there and my colleague, Nick Valencia, in Columbia, South Carolina.

Nick, tell me where you are and, again, this need for water. Where you are it's a boil water advisory.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is still a tremendous potential for danger going forward here. There is a water advisory. In fact, our crew was affected by it. The hotel we were checking in earlier ran out of water, therefore they ran out of food because they didn't have water to clean after making food. So a lot of these places, a lot of these people in this area, thousands still without water. Some have had that water restored. But a lot of damage to the sewage systems here.

And there also is still, Brooke, a potential for further evacuations. We're in Columbia. This is the center of the state. Probably it got the brunt of the damage from what we've seen in our four or five days here in the state. This water has to go somewhere and there's that potential that it will drain into the coast causing further catastrophic damage in places like Charleston and beyond. Governor Nikki Haley spoke about all of this at a press conference earlier this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: What you will see happen is as the water shifts down, we're going to preposition where the roads are closed. So roads are closed now in the upstate. You're going to start to see road closures down from the midlands down to the low country as that water flows. Again, you will see road closures happen that didn't happen before. And that's more because we know water totals that are starting to come in a certain direction. You will see evacuations today in certain places. Those will be announced as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: We have had a brief break in the rain, but just when you think it stops, it picks back up again. Earlier this afternoon, we thought it was all over. We thought it was - we were in the clear. And just a little while ago, right before this live shot, the rain started again.

[14:05:02] More than 900 people in shelters because of flood evacuations, 40,000 people still without water, another 26,000 don't have any access to power. So this is still a desperate and dire situation for the state of South Carolina.

The concern, of course, from local officials is that people will think that it's OK to come out, out of boredom, curiosity or just a sheer sense of adventure to see what's going on around them. That's exactly what they don't want. They don't want any unnecessary evacuations - or, I'm sorry, unnecessary rescues. They had to do more than 100 of those across the state.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Stay home, stay home, stay home. Nick Valencia, thank you so much, there in Columbia.

The governor of South Carolina has described this weather as a thousand-year flood event. Meaning, there is a one in 1,000 chance it could happen. As you're seeing these pictures, it has. In the community of North Charleston, no one has ever seen this much rain at one time.

With me now I have the mayor, Keith Summey, on the phone from North Charleston.

Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for jumping on the line. Let me just first begin with what do conditions look like out your window right now?

MAYOR KEITH SUMMEY, NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (via telephone): Well, we're having misting rain currently. Nothing like we've been having for the last days. But we're seeing the water recede. Of course now we are concerns about what's going to happen with the amount of rain that's been in the upstate. Normally it flows downhill. And we're downhill.

BALDWIN: So how are you all preparing for that?

SUMMEY: Well, we're making sure our people stay alert. We know our flood areas. We know them better now than we ever have because we had areas that flooded that we haven't had flooding in the past. And then some of our areas where we've had no flooding, it was just really bad for our people.

BALDWIN: We're looking at these pictures of these folks, you know, rescued on roads that are rivers now. I understand you were out, Mayor Summey, helping some of these folks evacuate. Can you tell me some stories of what you yourself saw?

SUMMEY: Well, yesterday we were going out doing some damage assessment. Had a few of my folks from city hall, my wife, Debbie, my son, Eliot, who's the chairman of county government, and my daughter, Annie, we all went to (INAUDIBLE) and look and assess damage. We found a neighborhood that we had started evacuating Saturday night. Went back and evacuated some more Sunday morning. But there were a number of people that were still in their homes and the water seemed to be rising. And so we went in the water and got to talking to the folks and talked them all into leaving. People didn't want to leave their houses and I can understand that, but you can't have electricity on in houses when you've got water 12, 16 sometimes 24 inches inside the house. And they didn't want to leave their animals. So we established a location where they could take their animals with them. It's just trying to accommodate these people that are being devastated by what's happening and doing what we should be doing for them.

BALDWIN: Our hearts going out to all of really South Carolina bearing the brunt of this. And, Mr. Mayor, we wish you the best as you deal with potentially even more flooding as it comes down state. Thank you so much, sir, for jumping on the phone. We're keeping our crews in South Carolina. We're going to make sure we tell your stories and get you the help you need.

I do want to mention this now, more breaking news into CNN. An American Airlines pilot died while flying a passenger jet from Phoenix to Boston today. Here's what we know. There were 147 passengers on this plane. A crew of five people on board. The co-pilot took over when the captain fell ill and collapsed. The plane was diverted to Syracuse, New York, where it did land safely.

So let me bring in CNN aviation analyst Les Abend.

And, Les, so you have a pilot die mid-flight. What is - what is protocol? Is there protocol for that?

LES ABEND, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, first of all, let me offer my condolences to the family of a colleague.

BALDWIN: Of course. ABEND: Secondly, the protocol is, this is not something that we necessarily train for. But the co-pilot in that right seat is as qualified - equally as qualified as the captain to fly that airplane. So it's very disconcerting, but once you realize what the situation is, it sounds like he did what he had to do. He got ahold of air traffic control, said that he was unresponsive. At that point, what you're going to do is just try - obviously we can't be physicians at the same time, so if it was me, I'd want to attempt to get the airplane on the ground and try to save this individual. And that's exactly what this co-pilot did. So he's perfectly capable - he or she is perfectively capable of making this happen from the right seat, more than likely.

[14:10:04] My understanding that there was a flight attendant that had some medical background that attempted to help here. So I imagine he was directing himself to just - the operation of the aircraft while this flight attendant attempted to possibly revive what we understand is the captain. So rest assured that that co-pilot knew what he was doing and it sounded like he did a tremendous job and diverted to the closest place to get medical attention, which happened to be Syracuse, New York.

BALDWIN: So as all of this is happening in the cockpit, Les, the next question is how - how open would you be with the passengers on board this plane? Do you say medical emergency, we need to get this, you know, bird down on the ground or do you explain what exactly is happening?

ABEND: It's a - that's a great question and it's going to depend upon the individual. Obviously, you're going to have to tell the passengers something. And most likely, I'm not going to speak or speculate for this co-pilot, but if it was me in that situation, I'd be completely honest with the passengers and let them know what exactly was happening. And I think, to use a bad pun at this point, but everybody would be on board with this and certainly want to get this captain medical attention or this pilot medical attention. So -

BALDWIN: Yes.

ABEND: Definitely.

BALDWIN: I was on a plane once and something had happened to the pilot's son and they were entirely transparent with us and your heart just went out to them as we had to get him off that plane. Les Abend, thank you so much.

Coming up next, CNN speaks with the woman who played dead inside of that classroom where a gunman opened fire in Oregon. What she says happened from the first moment he walked in the door.

Plus, collateral damage or war crime? Anger brawling after the U.S. says it accidentally bombed a hospital. An attack that killed children and doctors. What is behind that?

And Hillary Clinton, more fired up today than she has been on the campaign trail this year. Hear the interview question that sparked everything.

You're watching CNN.

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[14:16:14] BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The campus of the Umpqua Community College has reopened after last Thursday's massacre, but classes remain cancelled for the week. And some of the shooting survivors, they are finding the courage to talk about what they saw, what they heard, what happened. CNN's Sara Sidner talked exclusively with one student who was shot in the hand. Tracy Heu said she played dead to keep the gunman from killing her. So as she lay covered with blood from one of the victims, she remembered the gunman looking, quote, "like he wants to do it for fun."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRACY HEU, OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: He had a - guns with him and he was armed. He had a bullet proof vest on. And he didn't seem like - like he was like anxious or anything. He just seemed like he - he wanted to do that. And he seemed happy about it. He didn't seem stressed. He didn't seem nervous. But when he came in, he told everybody to get on the ground. So everybody tried to huddle to the ground and then the girl in the wheelchair tried to get - she tried - she got off and tried to get - tried to get down to the ground.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wait, there was a woman in a wheelchair during all this as well?

HEU: Yes, and she had a dog with her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: CNN also spoke exclusively with the mother of another survivor. Summer Smith says her son's life was intentionally spared because the shooter needed him to deliver an envelope to police. Now, at the time, Smith says her son saw students all around him being shot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUMMER SMITH, MOTHER OF OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: The shooter asked him to give the police a - something and that if he did, he would live. Matthew said at that point he didn't quite get what the shooter said. He thought he was standing up to die. And that when the shooter gave him what he was told to give to police, he was then sent to sit in the back of the room, facing the room, and to watch what was going on. Matthew said that he froze. He didn't make a single move. He was afraid to look away. That if he made anything - did anything to make the shooter notice him, that he would be shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Twenty-six-year-old shooter called Smith's son the lucky one. Investigators have not revealed the contents of that envelope. They're reviewing writings from the gunmen that reportedly revealed he studied mass shootings from the past.

And with all of this, part of the national conversation, I sat down with 40 phenomenal people, 40 people, mothers, daughters, sons, aunt, uncles, all somehow touched by gun violence, representing Sandy Hook and Aurora and Charleston and Virginia Tech and so many others. And these still grieving survivors shared with me the stories of their lost loved ones, victims of massacres just like Oregon, and they've united now under the organization, it's called Everytown for Gun Safety, hoping to keep others from suffering the same plight.

And today they are turning their attention to the White House. They have recommended five steps the president could take without congressional approval to help keep guns out of the hands of shooters.

And I am joined by one of those family members who was with me in Washington just a couple of weeks ago. She is Reverend Sharon Risher, who lost three of her loved ones in that Charleston church shooting, including her own mother.

Sharon, thank you so much for coming on today. I really appreciate it.

REV. SHARON RISHER, MOTHER, 2 COUSINS KILLED AT CHARLESTON CHURCH: Thank you for having me, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I just want to remind folks if - for those who did not watch, just a little piece of what you shared with us as part of that town hall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: In that Charleston church you lost your mother and two cousins.

RISHER: Yes. Yes. I was at work when my nephew called and said, aunty, there was a shooting at the church. And I said, what church? And he said, granny's church. And nobody had heard nothing. I kept - I called my mama's phone. I did everything I could. No answer. So - but I knew she was gone because there would have been no other place in the world she would have been. As far as the question of peace, it will only be three months, so I am raw, I am new to this cause. Peace will come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:20:40] BALDWIN: So I wanted to ask you today, Sharon, with Charleston, now Oregon, are you any closer to finding that peace?

RISHER: Brooke, I can't seem to get there because here again we have Oregon with people losing their lives because of guns and what this does is throw you right back into a state because you could feel what those people in Oregon was going through. And every time you feel like you're having good days in a row, something happens and it throws you right back into the throws of grief and doubt and anger. And I - that day, I just didn't know what to do. I was just numb. I keep trying to go on, but how can I go on? How can I continue to try to be strong when this continues to happen? BALDWIN: Sharon, I know you find strength in your faith. You're a

reverend. You lost your mother and cousins in a church. How are pastors handling this on Sundays? How much trouble are they having comforting their congregations? I've been wondering.

RISHER: OK, so I believe our pastors and clergy people are trying to get their congregations to understand. I believe that, you know, people use their Christian label to give them some kind of authenticity of who they are and the way that they act. But pastors are telling congregations that, you're going to have to believe in what you believe in and stand on your convictions and I'm saying to myself, if I had been in that room and he had asked me about my religious affiliation or if I believed in Jesus, my head told me that I would have died that die. So as Christians and clergy people, we have to let our congregations know that if we go by the love that God has mandated us and to love our neighbors as ourselves, then all of these things about guns and violence and domestic violence, all of these things, I believe, would be different if we be the group of people who we claim to be.

BALDWIN: On that and on guns, Sharon, I mean we have now also heard from this Oregon gunman's father who, again, this gunman had 13, 14 guns that he had gotten legally over the course of a couple of years and his father said that the guns are the killers. Do you agree with him?

RISHER: Well, we know that a gun cannot possibly fire itself unless it misfires or something. But you know what I mean. Guns are the problem. I read that he had accumulated his arsenal, obtaining his guns legally by buying them and getting them from family members. My brains tell me, why would a family member want to buy someone a gun? I don't understand that. Yes, bullets have no regards for race, religion, creed or anything. The person behind the gun makes the bullet deadly. There has to be - there has to be gun control. And even when you're getting guns legally, are you responsible enough, are you morally able to say that my - I have my Second Amendment right but comes the responsibility with that.

BALDWIN: On the responsibility, you know, this is obviously an issue that some of the presidential candidates have taken on. I know Hillary Clinton held an entire town hall addressing precisely this today in New Hampshire.

[14:25:02] A couple of days ago, in South Carolina, Sharon, Jeb Bush was asked about gun laws and he said, you know, essentially, paraphrasing, more government isn't the answer. You know, he said, yes, it is sad to see this happen, but then he said stuff happens. I'm quoting now, "stuff happens, there's always a crisis, impulse is always to do something that's not necessarily the right thing to do." Your reaction to that?

RISHER: You know what, I don't - Jeb Bush does not live in the everyday world. I don't think he realizes what regular people have to live through. If that was his family, would he have said that? I don't think he would have. I ask Jeb Bush to walk in our shoes and then come back and tell me if just things just happen. BALDWIN: Reverend Sharon Risher, thank you so much for joining me

again. And, again, my condolences to - for your mother and your cousins. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

RISHER: Thank you. Thank you, Brooke. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. God bless you.

BALDWIN: You got it. Thank you, you too.

Coming up next, the images are very disturbing. A humanitarian aid hospital in Afghanistan mistakenly bombed in a U.S. air strike. Up next, we'll speak with someone from Human Rights Watch. Collateral damage or something worse. Back in a moment.

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