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Residents Near Houston Told to "Get Out" as Levee Breaches; 3,400-Plus Rescued from Flooding in Houston; Houston's Rescued Now in Shelters; A Look at Flooding in Beaumont, Texas; Interview with Rep. Randy Weber. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 29, 2017 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Put this together. Holding 130 billion gallons of water but are typically bone dry. It's a catchment. Baseball parts, dog parks, you name it. Scattered across the bottom of this catchment. Down for a closer perspective. Built 70 years ago. A lot of dirt holding it up. Privately owned. No government regulations maintaining them. Tremendous concern because this dam is filled to capacity. Talked about 130 billion gallons of water. It's filled with water. Work your way towards the northern fringe's this wall. This is it. Notice all the neighborhoods behind it? All flooding at this point. The north fringe, about 108 feet high. The water here is about 108.04 inches. Getting directly over this by about a half inch. Water is spilling over, getting down into the buffalo bayou. Of course, the dam is not failing. The concern it's going to begin to take on tremendous amounts of stress from the water. Officials are doing their best to remove all the stress, remove water. Take water out of it, but it's spilling over, going into communities on the southern peripheral of this. The buffalo bayou is responsible for taking on about 500 square miles of land. There's Houston. There's multiple points here across the buffalo bayou. The gauges, all that water from the reservoir is coming downstream. Putting us in record territory. Unfortunately, by just nature of the volume of water, how it moves downstream, Jim, it will take at least a couple of weeks just to get out of the major flood stage essentially into the modern flood stage. Even if the sun comes out in the next couple of days, which we hope it will. This is the water doing its thing. Slow-motion disaster in play right now.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: Pedram, thanks for the update. Appreciate it.

Congressman Randy Weber is on the line, representing the 14th district, south and east of Houston. It has been a very hard-hit area.

Congressman, just talking about this area in Columbia Lakes. The levee there has been breached. What more can you tell us?

REP. RANDY WEBER, (R), TEXAS (via telephone): Well, Jim, our emergency response team had gone out two days ago asking everybody to leave that area, because we knew the floodwater is coming at us, be horrific. And now those who didn't leave, first responders making sure absolutely they know what's happened and are getting out. They're very, very proactive at this point. ACOSTA: Why is it that you think some folks decided to hold on? Just

a few moments ago, talking to a reporter who said there is some undocumented people worried about being picked up because of their immigration status, if they seek relief. I'm told by DHS that's not going to happen. I suppose there's a variety of reasons why people don't want to get -- don't want to leave their homes at this point?

WEBER: Well, absolutely. Texans of resilient, we're used to hurricane and some flooding's this is being called the worst flooding event in American history now, but people want to stay close to home. They think they can ride it out. Texans are very, very resilient but I don't think they anticipated the absolute magnitude of the rainfall. Harvey is now, now it's out done Tropical Storm Allison. I don't think people anticipated that.

ACOSTA: Congressman, we have to ask you this, four years ago you were opposed to federal funding for relief for victims of super storm sandy. Why did you oppose that at that time? And do you think it's hypocritical, some of saying now, for to you be seeking federal assistance for your area? Obviously, the people there need it. Nobody's disputing that, but in hindsight, do you regret opposing that funding for sandy victims?

WEBER: Jim, I was very clear at the time that there was additional measures thrown in to that bill. The Smithsonian Institute. A couple parks. $1 million for upgrades, different parks and whatnot. There was what I would call pork attached to that bill, which I did not believe belonged on that bill. I had a discussion with of leadership at the time. I told them, take that off the bill, I'm good to go.

ACOSTA: What we understand from looking into this this morning, there really wasn't very much pork at all in that bill. There had been a couple of fact-check reports to come out just today saying there wasn't really much of any pork in that legislation. There was some additional spending on other items, but it was very small, with respect to and compared to the vast majority of that funding, which did go to disaster relief. Are you hopeful this time that people don't play politics with this sort of thing?

[13:35:08] WEBER: Absolutely. Look, I've been a proponent from day one, if you looked at my voting record, on omnibuses and continued resolutions but were an exception. Looked to all the embargo in place from '73. I voted against all of those, because I think bills should be stand-alone, appropriations should be passed on their merit and not simply joined with something else to make it palatable.

ACOSTA: Right. In a perfect world, obviously, things are thrown into bills you don't like. In hindsight, though, do you think you should have voted for that sandy legislation, and do you maybe have convincing to do with some colleagues have to look some colleagues in the face from up in the northeast and say, look, I know I voted against this back then but I need your help now?

WEBER: Well, we'll have that discussion. I think most of them understand that when you've got someone who votes against something that, for a particular reason, may not agree with the reason, but I'm pretty easy to get along with. I have good relationships. Joe Kennedy called me yesterday. We had a lot of discussions, with our friends across the aisle. And even with Republicans we have a difference with. You got a good reason, explain it, you're nice about it. Let's work on this together. I think, as you know, tweeted out, he intends to support the bill. I think you'll see us come together. As long as someone has a good reason, a logical reason, talking about it, gloating about it, we'll all get together and work on it but I think you'll see us come together on it.

ACOSTA: Congressman Randy Weber, we hope that's the case, and that people put politics aside to help the people in your part of the country there. And all the best to your efforts and those residents down there that you're looking after at this point.

Congressman Weber, appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

WEBER: Thank you.

ACOSTA: And our special coverage of the flooding in the aftermath of Harvey continues right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:17] ACOSTA: Let's get back to Houston now. Rescue crews are working around the clock to help people whose homes are under water.

Brian Todd going out with the crews. We attempted to talk to him at the top of the hour. We re-established that connection. He joins us now from Houston.

Brian, what can you tell us?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, we've been riding along with customs and Border Protection helicopter units from the Air and Marine Operations Unit of the Customs and Border Protection Division. Here's one behind me that stopped briefly for refuels. These missions, Jim, rapid fire. The Black Hawk we rode in recently, rescued three different people in the space of an hour in three different missions. They are really hustling. We'll show you video shot from the air.

The flooding seems to go on forever. We saw some of the worst flooded areas in the entire region. Water was past the windows in many houses up to the roof on many other houses. We rescued several elderly people in one mission.

I talked to an 80-year-old woman named Laura Cox about her rescue. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA COX, RESCUED IN TEXAS: -- I lost everything. I've lost both cars and everything in my House. We've got waist-high water in my hours.

TODD: What happened when these guys came? COX: Rescued me in a boat first and then brought me by helicopter to

here. And sent to the community center and that was going to flood. So they evacuated us by helicopter. So --

TODD: What would you have done if these guys wouldn't have shown up?

COX: Oh, well we would have had to go to the attic. I don't know what would have happened. They're life-savers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And they've rescued hundreds of people over the past couple days. Jim, conditions for these chopper pilots are really, really difficult. Visibility is horrible. Most of the time, you can only see maybe a quarter mile in each direction. Driving rain is a problem for them also. Texas is known for a lot of radio and TV towers, and, again, with that low-hanging cloud cover and the visibility so difficult, you don't see those towers until you're almost right up on them. Got to keep a really close eye in all directions. That's part of the danger they're facing, but they are still flying out. There's a Coast Guard chopper about to take off behind me, but they're still flying out. Rapid fire, one after the other -- Jim?

ACOSTA: Very dangerous conditions, but very brave work.

Brian Todd, what a remarkable story with that lady you just spoke to a few moments ago. If that's your mom or grandma, please, give her a call. She looks worried after that rescue there.

Thank you so much.

Fleeing the flood waters for temporary shelter. When we come back, a look at the Herculean efforts underway to care for thousands of Houston's homeless, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:48:26] ACOSTA: All right, back to the worst humanitarian crisis in Texas. Massive flooding has forcing tens of thousands out of their homes. Many now living in shelters. They're crowded. Red cross alone says they have 17,000 from across the area in shelters now. The mayor of Houston is seeking federal aid so more shelters can be opened up. And 245 miles north in Dallas, the city has opened their doors to help the people affected by the floods.

Rosa Flores is at a shelter in Houston.

And, Rosa Flores, what are the biggest challenges for people there? I see you standing with folks there including a little girl who has to deal with all of this as well.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let me introduces to Danielle here.

Danielle, you just arrived. Share with us how you were rescued.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some guys had caught up and asked where we were. We was waiting for police for, like, 36 hours and they never came. Waiting at the home. Did the white flag and everything. Nobody came. Somebody called upon us. Decided to leave the House, walked to the gas station weekend the kids and they picked up us. We had been there five days with no food, no lights, and nobody came. Like, nobody came.

FLORES: You're with your children. We heard of stories of mothers trying to save their children from the rushing waters. Can you -- can you tell us how that was for you?

[13:49:56] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four feet of water to get them food on the first day. Yes. That's a lot of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) also here, like that's not the smartest thing to do. Like people are really breaking down. And just sitting here with cameras and microphones trying to ask us what the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is wrong with us. And you really trying to understand with the microphone still in my face when he's shivering cold, and you still putting the microphone in my face.

FLORES: Sorry, sorry.

ACOSTA: Rosa Flores, it sounds like you've got a very upset family there.

We're going to take a break from that and we'll get back to you later on.

Rose Flores, in Houston for us, thank you.

Along the Texas/Louisiana border, scenes like this as hundreds of residents are rescued from their flooded out homes and brought to safety. A live report when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BRAK)

[12:55:12] ACOSTA: I want to go back to Rosa Flores at that shelter in Houston.

Rosa, that situation you were taking us to a few moments ago where that woman and her daughter were talking to you and the woman there really, you could tell, she was at the breaking point. I think it just -- it symbolizes what we see so many times from people who are hard hit. I was in Katrina 12 years ago and we see people at their breaking points. Tell us about that.

FLORES: You know, we've seen a lot of pain, a lot of trauma, a lot of shock here, and that's exactly what that woman is going through. It's a very painful time. I mean, I've talked to other people here who have described being on a boat, getting rescued, but seeing other people hanging on to branches, trying to swim and take care of their children and seeing people perish in the waters and people screaming, asking for help, and because their boat is full, they can't help them. So, there's a lot of trauma. And I know that we talk about this whenever we cover disasters is, you know, saving lives involves a lot of trauma, first of all, for first responders. The people that are getting saved experience a lot of trauma as well, and so you know, that's exactly what that woman is going through. And as she mentioned, she went through all of that with her children. So just imagine, any parent can relate to that. Imagine having to jump on a boat with your children, not knowing if you're going to make it alive.

So, yes, I mean, it's -- it's really, really tough for all of these people, and they're going through a lot of trauma, and like you mentioned, a lot of them at their breaking point.

ACOSTA: Rosa Flores with a very human moment. If you see that nice lady again, please give her our best. And tell her that we're thinking about her and thanks for sharing that with us.

We appreciate it, thank you.

Communities in southeastern Texas are dealing with the effects of Tropical Storm Harvey. Wind damage and heavy flooding have forced people out of their homes.

Drew Griffin is in Beaumont, Texas, right now with our first look at that city.

And, Drew, it seems no matter how far you're going outside of Houston, into the Houston metropolitan area, other even nearby cities, you are seeing a lot of devastation.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and this is real life, Jim. This is happening right now. A family that has just been brought in. This is 60 miles east of Houston. And this is a family that has just come in. They've obviously got a small child getting off of this rescue boat. And this has been going on here for two days now, just boats going into these neighborhoods, which are getting higher and higher as the storm keeps progressing.

And you see behind me, just a flotilla of volunteer boaters who are trying to penetrate some of these areas and the biggest problem they're having, Jim, is that not everywhere is water. So they will run down trying to get to a neighborhood and suddenly their boats will be dry. So it's been a series of trying to get these boats in the right spots at the right time. No shortage of volunteer boaters here. The problem is navigating in a county that is becoming really a sea of islands.

There's no information, Jim, as to actually how many rescues are going on because so many of them are just volunteers, neighbors helping neighbors. We've seen people coming in from other states with their boats just trying to help.

ACOSTA: Drew, we have just a little bit of time left but it almost looks like behind you that is another road that is becoming a river. More boats than cars almost, and is there anything you can tell us about that family that was coming in or just that this is one of many families we're seeing being rescued at this moment.

GRIFFIN: You know, we've been watching them all morning long. These are basically people who thought yesterday they could hunker down in place. And today, they called back and wanted to get out. The sheriff has said that's been the biggest problem. They tried to get all these people out yesterday but the water didn't rise that much. Now the water continues to rise. And now people realize they've got to get out. Several of them have gone back, trying to get their pets. So you have all kinds of situations going on where you need to have rescues. And the boaters are here, but as I said, Jim, it's a hopscotch of islands that these boaters can't -- you can't just drive to one part of the county and suddenly navigate your boat all over the place. It doesn't work that way. You have, you know, isolated pockets, and then just water after water after water. It's very tough right now.

ACOSTA: All right, Drew Griffin, thank you very much.

That's it for me. Our coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey continues with all of our brave teams on the ground. Stay with us.

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