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American Morning: Wake Up Call
Irene Heads Toward North Carolina; Gadhafi Loyalists Bombard Airport; Getting Out Of Irene's Way; U.N. Releasing $1.5 Billion To Libya
Aired August 26, 2011 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It is Friday, August 26th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Carol Costello, joining you live this morning from New York.
Oh, I wish I could say Hurricane Irene blew out to sea overnight, but sadly, I cannot. It is coming. And I have to ask you this -- are you ready?
The storm is moving away from the Bahamas and it's now making its way towards that North Carolina coast. The outer banks are the welcome mat. Once Irene gets into the house, it could cause all kinds of problems. States of emergency are in if effect from North Carolina all the way to Connecticut. And time is running out to prepare. It could be a very rough weekend.
So, let's head right to Atlanta and check in with meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.
Watches and warnings, new once are popping up all the time. What's you got for us?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They are. They just came in, Carol. And once again, it's a little later than usual, so I'm scrambling to get it all out to you. So bear with me here.
Hurricane watches now posted from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. So, that includes Delaware Bay. That includes Chesapeake Bay. We also have hurricane warnings now in effect from Little River inlet, North Carolina, northward to Sandy Hook, including Pamlico, Albemarle, Currituck Sound, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, south of Smith Point.
OK. So, that includes basically everybody, right, from Long Island on southward. So this is a developing situation.
OK. Second thing that's new here, Carol, that just came in. The intensity of the storm. Category two, look at that number -- 110- mile-an-hour winds. You know, the threshold between the two is between 110 and 111 -- 111 makes it a major hurricane, 110 makes it a think not major hurricane. But we need to right this like a major hurricane.
The reason why it went down a little bit overnight is we're going through an eye wall replacement cycle. So the center of the storm used to be tie, it had this little cluster, a little circle of thunderstorms right around the middle. That's collapsing now and on the outside of it, a new one is developing. And so, what's ultimate going happen is that it mean it could make it a stronger hurricane overall as that second eye wall form starts to close in and intensify that storm.
Our pressure also has been dropping, so that's significant because when your pressure drops, in turn eventually your wind speeds begin to increase, as well.
So we'll watch for Irene, even though it's a little weaker right now. Look at that, there is the forecast track showing it back right up to a three by tomorrow.
This is going to be heading toward the Carolinas. It's going to be slapping them through the day on Saturday with landfall probably later in the day and then heading its way on up towards the Northeast. All of those good computer models now are showing some type of landfall into the Northeast.
Look at the tight cluster that we have on these compared to what we've had the last couple of days. And there you can see in the Northeast, everything is inland. So preparation is key.
We're likely going to see some more evacuations, I think, as we head throughout the day and all those states of emergency which has have been issued, too, from Connecticut down in to the Carolinas -- Carol.
COSTELLO: When you said category two, I was a little up. But then you dashed my hopes.
JERAS: I know.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Jacqui. We'll get back to you. We appreciate.
We're going to head live to North Carolina in just a bit. But let's talk about New York first. Irene could become the most destructive hurricane to hit the New York area in more than 70 years.
CNN's Chad Myers shows us what might happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: If this is over New Jersey the entire time, the storm will lose some power. If it's just offshore, Anderson, this could still be a Cat-2, 2.5, I don't think three, because the water is colder up here. But it would not lose as much energy as it would if it would just run over New Jersey the entire time. And the Piney Woods, I'm talking between Atlantic City and Trenton and Princeton, and just kind of run on up the turnpike. And that would lose a lot of energy, because the eye is not over water.
A Category 4 would completely wash over the southern part of the island up here in to the South Street Seaport, completely all wet. There's nothing -- so this is the threat. This is not the storm. This is not the category 4 end of the world storm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I hope you feel better after that. But it is why city crews are cleaning out storm drains to keep the streets flooding down and why Mayor Bloomberg has ordered patients in low lying areas at health care facilities removed by 8:00 Eastern tonight.
City officials are thinking about evacuating other low-lying areas of Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Islands. But a coastal geology professor says the city has an even bigger challenge than the actual storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your biggest concern?
NICHOLAS K. COCH, QUEENS COLLEGE/CUNY: The New Yorker.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
COCH: Because they don't listen. You can always tell a New Yorker, but you can't tell them very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about North Carolina because North Carolina is Irene's door to the United States. That's where hurricane warnings and some mandatory evacuations are already under way and it's where CNN's Reynolds Wolf is this morning. He joins us live from Kill Devil Hill.
So, it looks peaceful now, but --
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. What's interesting about this area is this truly is a barrier island. It's one that basically is a ribbon of sand, some 200 miles long in its widest point. It's roughly about three miles. It's one big concern, that you have this enormous strip, very, very strip jutting out in to the Atlantic Ocean.
I know the big concern happens to be the elevation where you have actually points on this ribbon of sand that range anywhere from seven to 11 feet. So, in places that are so narrow at some points, Carol, you can actually stand up, look across on one side, you can see Pamlico Sound and the other, the Atlantic Ocean, which means when you have a storm, when you have a tropical system, when you have even a depression that makes its way up the Eastern Seaboard, you have the potential of really being lashed not only by the strong wind, but by a great deal of water on both sides. One side of the Atlantic and, of course, the other is Pamlico Sound.
It's always vacation destination for millions of people -- I mean, just beautiful beaches. You see the water coming in for the time being, obviously, very dark, obviously not a lot of people. There were some widespread evacuations. The official evacuation gets understand under way at 8:00 this morning. People have been told plain and simple: get out. Get out. And a lot of people, of course, have had to limit their vacations.
Yesterday we talked with Judy Potts, who's here, actually visiting some relatives. And she has a bit of fatalistic approach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDY POTTS, TOURIST: I'm upset, but, you know, I guess hopefully there will be other vacations. I'm concerned because all the storms have been much worse than anybody expected. So that's why I'm scared about this one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: I got to tell you, they are prepared here as best they possibly can. We spoke to members of the Dare County Emergency Management Office. They seem to be same couldn't of approach, kind of a fatalistic sort of thing.
They've had a great deal of experience with these systems. One of the big storms that affect them years ago was actually back in 2003, that was Hurricane Isabel. It actually cut a swathe through part of the outer banks, some 200 feet wide and about 15 feet deep.
Let's send it back to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Reynolds, are people -- do you think people actually leave? I know that -- you know, I saw pictures last night of a massive amount of people leaving the outer banks of North Carolina, but once this starts up at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, more evacuations. Do you think people will heed the warnings and go?
WOLF: I think the majority of the people will leave. But there are always going to be some holdouts that are going to stay on the outer banks. And it's interesting, we spoke with an emergency management official just yesterday and his words were that once you make the decision to stay on the islands, once this thing comes calling, there will not be rescues. Once the winds reach a certain peak, once that rain starts coming and once the storm surge really starts enveloping parts of the outer banks, if you're on the islands, that's exact will I where you're going to stay for the duration.
COSTELLO: Reynolds Wolf, we'll get back to you. Thanks so much.
After barreling through North Carolina, Irene is aimed at Virginia. Governor Bob McDonnell spoke to Piers Morgan about the 1 million people in the direct path of the storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BOB MCDONNELL (R), VIRGINIA: No matter what the government does, people have to on take precautions with everything from their pets to their backup power systems to all the things that they need to do to protect themselves. And if they're in a low lying area, we're telling them try to get out thousand because within 36 hours or so, we might be closing roads and bridges and tunnels in Virginia because of the danger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: National Guard troops are getting into position right now. The city of Norfolk issued a mandatory evacuation for residents in low-lying areas, starting tomorrow morning. The U.S. Navy sent three submarines and 27 ships out to sea so they could ride out Irene.
Irene is also, of course, set to hit Maryland on Sunday afternoon. Residents of low-lying there, too, are being asked to evacuate. People in Ocean City are being ordered to leave. People are getting sand bags for their homes and businesses.
The governor says people need to be prepared for their power and water to be out for up on three days.
He spoke with CNN's Candy Crowley about the threat to the coast and to the Chesapeake Bay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY (D), MARYLAND: Predicting the title surge in the bay is a very, very tricky business. It's a bit of a shallow bathtub. So as this hurricane comes up and pushes water up the bay, a lot of low-lying areas, especially in Somerset, Dorchester, even Annapolis potentially and the city of Baltimore are going to be very vulnerable to that tidal surge that comes from this hurricane, along with the winds and the felled power lines and everything else. So, this is a very serious and potentially deadly storm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, let's head to Delaware where this storm is slated on to hit midday on Sunday. Right now, there is a mandatory evacuation of all visitors in coastal areas. The governor says there will likely be mandatory evacuations for residents in some areas, as well. Residents are being told to have enough food and water for at least three days. You know, I sound like a broken record, but this is what they're telling us.
Next to Pennsylvania where landfall is expected on Sunday afternoon, tidal flooding along the Delaware River is possible. People living in flood-prone areas should make arrangements to stay with family in safer areas. And be sure to sign up for text or e-mail alerts on Pennsylvania's emergency management agency's Web site.
Irene set to make landfall in New Jersey on Sunday. New Jersey is also under a state of emergency. Tolls are going to be suspended starting at 8:00 a.m. Eastern this morning for parts of the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City expressway. Starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern, Atlantic City and the surrounding barrier island are under a mandatory evacuation. Preparations, evacuations, cancellations -- hurricane Irene is disrupting weekend plans all along the Eastern Seaboard, including afternoon anticipated dedication honoring a civil rights legend.
But first, here is today's quote of the day. "We can always rebuild, but we cannot replace lost lives." Powerful words from Governor Beverly Purdue as she announced that a hurricane warning was in effect for her state the entire state of North Carolina.
It's 11 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: If you're in Hurricane Irene's path and right now that's nearly everybody along the Eastern Seaboard, from North Carolina on up, FEMA wants to you check out Web site ready.gov. There's all kind of information on that Web site on how to prepare.
CNN's Candy Crowley talked with a FEMA administrator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: What worries you the most?
CRAIG FUGATE, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Well, I think again I'm breaking it down into the phase of what we're going to see first. And that's going to be the impacts on coastal areas to the evacuations and how many people comply with that. That's going to be key to reducing the loss of life and minimizing the impacts there.
But then again, it's going to be how far in-land do the winds go, how strong are they, and how much rain we get. We're very concerned. This area, particularly in the Northeast, has had so much rain recently. Even today, we've had severe weather and flash flood advisories in the D.C. metro area.
So, if more storms impact this area, we're afraid of a lot of flooding, a lot of tree damage, a lot of power outages. Pretty much anywhere on this I-95 corridor, from as far south as the Carolinas, all way north up through Boston and on into Maine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Irene has cities and states up and down the East Coast getting ready as I've told. The nation's capital is no exception. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray is letting residents though sand bags are available and alerting them to emergency routes out of the city, as well as Washington's preparation guide.
Amtrak has shut down service in D.C., but only the southbound trains. I think the northbound trains are still running. Is that correct?
I'm asking my producers in Atlanta.
Yes, the northbound trains are still running. But south from D.C., Amtrak has canceled Amtrak train service.
The approaching storm brings us to our Political Ticker with Tim Farley, who is host of "The Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTUS. He's live in Washington this morning.
So, first the big earthquake and now the hurricane is coming.
TIM FARLEY, SIRIUS POTUS: Yes, indeed. And it's been fascinating to watch this week what has been transpiring. Number one is clearly the emergency aid, really it's a state kind of thing, Carol, as you know. It's more of where state as opposed to federal government coordinates events -- although in D.C., it's a different situation because the federal government is kind of in charge of Washington, D.C.
But here's a couple things people should know. The National Martin Luther King celebration on Sunday, the dedication of the new monument, has been postponed. They made the decision last night, a wise one probably, because we were expecting somewhere around 250,000, 300,000 people here for the ceremony on Sunday.
In a way, it might be a good thing that it's been postponed, and there is no date yet for the rescheduling, because the National Cathedral was also scheduled to be a part of the celebration this weekend and that has been closed because of the earthquake that you just mentioned, they had some damage there. So, this has been a fairly rough week for events specifically surrounding that.
And I imagine the people who live in this area.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding. Some are saying, "Oh, my goodness, it's the sign of the apocalypse." Every time you say things happened, they say that.
The interesting thing, I think, is that Democrat -- after all of this is over, they're going to point to FEMA and say, hey, see, government works.
FARLEY: Yes. You make an excellent work. And interesting to mote that the House Majority Leader Eric Cantor who was in Mineral, Virginia, he is from Virginia, was pointing out that, you know, the federal government will provide the money if necessary, but there will have to be some cuts made if that money is to be provided. So, that's a battle yet to be fought.
I should note, also, that Monday is the sixth anniversary of Katrina. And this administration is being very careful because they realize that any disaster since then has been viewed through of lens of Katrina. You remember last year, the Gulf Coast, and the oil spill. Well, this time, I have a memo from the White House many, many pages long about the tick tock this eek as they call it -- all the different things the administration has done to keep in touch with what's been going on in D.C. and up and down the East Coast and how the president has been brief.
He'll be back in town tomorrow and I expect at some, probably in the next couple of days, you'll be seeing him on TV at the very least, some pictures, as the president is engage in what is taking place now.
COSTELLO: Right now, of course, he's still hunkered down in Martha's Vineyard. Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM POTUS -- thanks so much for joining us this morning.
New message from Moammar Gadhafi telling loyalists not to leave Tripoli to the rats. The city still a battlefield as the manhunt for the fugitive leader intensifies.
We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Twenty-one minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Here are three things to put on your radar:
At 7:00 a.m. Eastern, officials with the New York City Office of Emergency Management will hold a news conference in preparation -- and the subject will be preparations for Hurricane Irene.
An hour later, the National Hurricane Center issue as new storm advisory and this report will update us on the hurricane's location, speed and projected path.
And then at 10:00 a.m. Eastern in Washington, the head of FEMA, Craig Fugate, will update us on how the federal government is coordinating with states and local agencies to deal with the storm.
The United Nations preparing to go release $1.5 billion to Libya. It's money seized by the United States last spring and soon officials say it will be used to build a post-Moammar Gadhafi Libya. But Gadhafi is still missing, the manhunt intensifying. And the strongman is not going down quietly.
In a new audiotape, he apparently tells loyalists not to leave Tripoli for the rats.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
COSTELLO: So, that obviously was not the audiotape, but it is the fighting, and the fighting does go on. Rebels trying to squash stubborn loyalist pockets throughout the city.
Here's Arwa Damon at the airport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're up in the control tower on the tarmac of the Tripoli international airport. We have to stay a bit low because the rebels say there's a sniper who's been shooting at them.
But we wanted to show you this, that smoldering airplane. This airport complex has been bombarded relentlessly by Gadhafi loyalists using various kinds of artillery and Grad rockets.
And if we come over to this side, we can actually still hear the sounds of explosions of gunfire. But if we move around, we can see even more of the wreckage that has been caused by the Gadhafi loyalists' assault on this airport complex.
Now, if we come over to the other side of the air control tower, you can see the wreckage of an aircraft that was hit overnight.
And the rebels say that the assault on this airport complex is so intense for a number of reasons. First of all, the senior commanders here believe that Gadhafi loyalists are trying to keep huge swaths of land that rebels don't control free so that they can perhaps try to sneak Gadhafi himself through them.
But, also, the rebels believe that Gadhafi loyalists are employing a scorched earth policy. They want to demolish anything that they possibly can. They're still facing a fierce and intense battle at this airport complex from Gadhafi loyalists.
Arwa Damon, CNN, at the Tripoli International Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Irene is ready to make U.S. landfall tomorrow in North Carolina. But this is a monstrous storm. Tens of million of Americans may be in its path. We're getting the latest for you. That will be just ahead.
It's 24 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Friday, August 26th, this is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Carol Costello, live from New York. It's 28 minutes after the hour.
Hurricane Irene is now a monster category three storm. I think Jacqui said it was a category two, but it's soon to rise again. It's brewing just off on the Atlantic coast and taking aim at the eastern United States.
To give you some perspective, the storm is bigger than the state of Texas. And 50 million Americans could feel the impact this weekend.
Jacqui Jeras is tracking Irene.
Jacqui, did you say it fell to a cat-2?
JERAS: Yes. Cat-2, 110 mile per hour winds, but just one mile per hour that's it. Major is cat-3 at 111. So, we are just shy at that.
Take a look at this map here and this will really show what I'm talking about in terms of the size of this thing. Look at that whole bend area. You mentioned the state of Texas -- well, this storm about if you just talk about the cloud shield, just the cloud cover, it's about 1,000 miles wide.
If we're talking about how far out those tropical storm force winds extended out, they're about 290 miles from the center of the storm. So, the storm is not always symmetrical, but if you do the math, you can kind of estimate and say, you know, it's somewhat pushing 600 miles in terms of those strong winds. So just incredible.
And size really matters, Carol, too, because storm surge is one of the biggest concerns with this thing as it heads up the coast. And the bigger the storm, not necessarily the more intense, although, of course, that makes a differences, too, but the bigger the size of the storm, the greater the storm surge tends to be. And that's why they took that storm surge estimate out of the Saffir-Simpson Scale. They just did that last year.
Here's your forecast track. There you can see the storm is pulling out of the Bahamas now so it's got nothing but intensification really expected because the winds are light and also the water temperatures are very warm. So, landfall will be likely sometime on Saturday, scraping up the coast all the way through Sunday. Pretty much all the models are keeping this thing near the coast or on the coast, and it's one of the worst case scenarios, really, because this -- you know, this is a megalopolis, Carol.
This is where the chunk of our country lives, and millions of people are going to be impacted by the storm with flooding and power outages. They're just going to be incredible. And we're so worried about that water getting out in the parts of the northeast including New York City. So, stay tune for the latest.
COSTELLO: I know.
JERAS: Best thing we can say is that we do think it will weaken after it moves past North Carolina.
COSTELLO: You know, I'm praying for the folks in North Carolina. It's just hard for me to believe that New York will get hit that hard, and there'll be like, you know, massive flooding inside the city. It's just so hard to imagine.
JERAS: Yes. Both the tunnels. You know, Wall Street could be flooded. Battery Park will likely be flooded. You think about the subway system which would potentially have water in it. There's a lot of different element. And all the people that live in high rises, right? You got (ph) an elevation, and the winds are stronger.
So if you live in the top floor of the building, it could potentially be more like a Category 2 as opposed to a Category 1 for you, and we're worried about glass breaking in all those building, and that's going to be a real hazard.
COSTELLO: I know. And the buildings sway, anyway because, they have to or they fall down immediately, right, in a strong gust of wind, but they'll really sway with those strong gusts of winds and that will be really freaky. OK. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Jacqui, we'll get back to you.
Let's head to North Carolina, to the North Carolina coast, because it is now under a hurricane warning. The state's governor says she is praying for the best but preparing for the worst. Part of that preparation means evacuation orders. A steady stream of tourists leaving the coast ahead of the storm and North Carolina isn't alone, of course. States of emergency have also been declared in Virginia, in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and in Connecticut.
If you're planning on traveling to the east coast this weekend, fair warning, you're going to want to double check the status of your flights, and of course, trains, too. Hundreds of weekend flights into and out of major east coast cities have already been canceled, but if you've already booked, a bit of brighter news. A lot of big airlines are dropping the ticket change fee.
As far as rail service goes, Amtrak has canceled most service south of Washington, D.C. through Sunday. Trains running on the northeast corridor are not affected, not yet, but a spokesperson says that could change as Irene moves. But for now, North Carolina is first up in Irene's path, at least, in the United States. The hurricane expected to make landfall sometime tomorrow. So, state leaders are telling people along the coast to board up and get out while the getting out is good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BEV PERDUE, NORTH CAROLINA: This is a first hit for all of us, you know, in this generation of folks, and there are a lot of newcomers who've moved to the coast of North Carolina who really have never seen a hurricane before. I hope people heed the warnings. I know it's really hard for folks who have small businesses to leave, but everybody should take this very seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Reynolds Wolf is live in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Reynolds, most people heeding the governor's warning?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You know, it's interesting hearing your report when you're talking about just moments ago. You know, outer banks of North Carolina, one thing it's famous for, not only the beaches, not only the ocean, but for its southern hospitality, welcoming people, but, you're right, it's just the opposite of what they're getting right now. It's not welcome. It's get out as fast as you possibly can.
Yesterday, they had about -- they had mostly evacuations for the people visiting. They average roughly during the summer months about 150,000 people. However, when it comes to residents, year-round residents, there's about 35,000. They're expected -- that evacuation for the residents will begin today at eight o'clock.
It's going to be really an interesting situation getting all these people across this causes way back to the mainland, back to the safer area, and we spoke yesterday with Bobby Outten, the Dare County management official, and he told us that he wants everyone, whether they plan on staying or leaving, to be prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY OUTTEN, DARE COUNTY, NC MANAGER: Mandatory evacuation is us telling people they need to leave. This is a big storm, and they need to go. We're not going to be dragging people out of their homes or anything. We can't do that, but it is important that they leave. It's not something where they need to sit around and decide whether they want to go or not want to go. This is something that they need to evacuate, and we're making them leave as best we can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: You know, what's interesting about this, when you think about a storm of this magnitude, something this big, it's chugging its way right at the eastern seaboard with this area, the outer banks right in its range, you have to remember what these islands happen to be made of. This is not like a coral re-foundation of what you'll find in parts of the Florida Keys.
It's not something that's made on bedrock. It's sand. It's simply sand. That's all it is. And because it is simply sand, it is prone to all kinds of erosion when you have these tropical systems that come calling.
It is going to be one of the situations where there's really not going to be a whole lot of shelter up here. Of course, there are buildings that are built here, some very strong structures, but when you think about the elevation, Carol, being very low in some places of the island, anywhere from like 12 to even seven feet above sea level, with the storm surge even around 12 feet, you can see what a difference it's going to make as that storm edges closer.
COSTELLO: Reynolds, just a question about the evacuation. I just have visions in my mind of people evacuating New Orleans, and remember what an absolute nightmare that was. I'm sure North Carolina officials have some plan into place to ease the traffic flow.
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, this is something that they think about year round. Even though it happens just a few times a year where they have the idea of even thinking about evacuation or putting those orders into effect, they have this planned out pretty well. When we spoke with Mr. Outten just yesterday about it, he said that there really no issues at all.
It was very orderly. Everything worked very, very well. They expect the same to be the case today for the residents who live here. Again, year rounds, they have a better idea of when and how to take these things seriously.
COSTELLO: Reynolds Wolf, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.
Remember, some of the best storm pictures and the video is on CNN.com, and it's coming from you. We, of course, will be watching for your eyewitness accounts of Hurricane Irene, so please, send them to iReport.com.
Time for today's smart question of the day. Can you name the costliest storm to strike the United States since 1900? Is it A. Hurricane Andrew, which hit South Florida in 1992? Is it B. Hurricane Katrina, which, of course, as you know, hit parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida in 2005? Or letter C. Hurricane Ike, which struck Texas and Louisiana in 2008. The answer coming your way next. It's 37 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 40 past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. Today's "Get Smart" question, we're asking you to name the costliest storm to strike the United States since 1900. Is it A. Hurricane Andrew which, of course, hit Florida, South Florida that is in 1992, B. Hurricane Katrina, which hit parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida in 2005, or was it C. Hurricane Ike which struck Texas and Louisiana in 2008?
The answer is B, Hurricane Katrina with at least $108 billion in property damage. The other hurricanes and the damage, they caused doesn't even come close.
Irene is on track to plow up the Atlantic coast over the weekend, but its exact path still not quite certain. The spaghetti string projections show the possible turns Irene could take as it treks northward, but Max Mayfield, the former director of the National Hurricane Center says we should focus on the big picture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAX MAYFIELD, FMR. DIRECTOR OF NATL. HURRICANE CENTER: This is a large hurricane, and you really don't want to focus on that little skinny line, because hurricane is not a point, it's a very large circulation, in this case, and even if that inner core weakens a little bit as it moves over Eastern North Carolina and over the water (ph) of north, that large circulation is not going to disappear. So, they're (INAUDIBLE) the storm surge, the large waves, and top of that surge, the wind and rainfall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: There you have it. Today's money news is, of course, connected to our big story this morning. That would be Hurricane Irene. Let's go to Ali Velshi who's live here in New York with me. I find it interesting they're going to send you out in to the storm, Ali, Monday, because I figure it's because you have no hair, so --
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly why it is.
COSTELLO: You're storm ready.
VELSHI: I am storm ready. I was built storm ready. You know, one of the things that people are -- we look at the storm from a money perspective from a few angles, one is whether you're invested in stocks that are in these insurance companies. And I think if you're not invested in them, you're curious about whether your insurance company is going to be able to pay it out and, you know, how financially sound they are.
Take a look at what these estimates are. Once this storm, if this storm gets to New York, when you look at coastal area in New York, there is $2.3 trillion worth of insured coastal area in New York. All those other states, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, only add up to $2 trillion.
So, it's a big financial difference if it gets to New York and part of the problem is that that's going to be a very, very costly endeavor. We know it happens here particularly in New York City. The power lines are underground, and obviously, subways and tunnels are underground. So, the flooding is of more serious problem. The lack of power will be a big problem. These insurance companies, the most exposed insurers to this right now are state farm, nationwide, all state and travelers.
And they have had a rough, rough year, Carol, because of those tornadoes, it's actually been one of the most expensive years, so far. It's not the most expensive, but this could help put it over the top. But bottom line is, we've been talking to analysts who say, Carol, they're safe, these insurers have a lot of money. They have seen their stocks drop a lot this year.
They dropped again on these insurable events, but they're safe. You should get paid out. You know after the tornadoes we've had, you saw them set up shop really well. They're very fast about doing that and trying to get these claims carried out quickly.
COSTELLO: I hope, because I suspect they'll have plenty. You know, I live in Baltimore, and I'm really worried about my house as many other people in Baltimore are because so many people live so close to the harbor.
VELSHI: That's right.
COSTELLO: So, that's good to hear. And the other problem is a lot of people probably don't have insurance like that or that would cover damage like this. Because you remember all the problems with the storm surge, and whether it was --
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: A lot of them can't get it. Some people have tried to get it, and they can't get it. Others don't have it because it's expensive. So, at this point, you get as prepared as you can and hope for the best.
COSTELLO: We'll keep our fingers and our toes crossed. Ali Velshi, I'll see you in just a bit.
In other news this morning, the United Nations preparing to go release $1.5 billion to Libya. It's money cease by the U.S. last spring, and soon, officials say, it will be used to build a post- Moammar Gadhafi Libya.
Of course, as you know, GADHAFI is still missing. The manhunt intensifying with rebel forces going door-to-door searching for him. And check this out, rebels say this is Moammar Gadhafi's RV. And they claim he may have been hiding out in it very recently. But wherever he is, the strong man is not going down quietly. This is, apparently, his voice on an audiotape released just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Do not leave Tripoli for the rats. Do not leave them. Fight them. Destroy them. You are the overwhelming majority. You have marched in millions. March with the same millions, but fight this time. Fill the streets and the fields.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Right now, most of Tripoli is quiet, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is calling on rebel leadership to move quickly to build a government.
We'll get back on track with Hurricane Irene after a break. It's coming. It could be getting stronger. It's 45 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Friday. August 26th. This is your A.M WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining us this morning. We're live from New York. It's 48 minutes past the hour.
Big, bad Irene. The storm we've been watching for several days has left the Bahamas. It's now heading toward the United States. If you live along the east coast from North Carolina all the way to Maine, Irene is going to be part of your life over the next few days. So, let's head to the weather center and Jacqui Jeras and -- is it possible this thing could get out (ph) some way?
JERAS: Well, it will get weaker, Carol, as it moves up the coast and as it interacts with land and it moves into the cooler water and starts to, you know, interact with some drier air. It will weaken as it heads into the northeast, and that's really the best thing that we can tell you about the storm. You know, but everybody from North Carolina on northward needs to be on high alert. This is a very dangerous situation because the size of the storm just means millions of people are going to be impacted by this.
And there's going to be a whole lot of devastation and a whole lot of flooding as a result of this, too. All right. I want to update you. This was just at the top of hour in case you missed it on the watches and the warnings which have been issued, and this happened at five o'clock eastern time. So, the hurricane centers now have a hurricane warning in effect from North Carolina all the way up to Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
And then, north of there is a hurricane watch which extends on (INAUDIBLE). Now, what it means (ph), hurricane conditions are expected in the next 36 hours, and we're expecting to see that tropical storm force winds, anyway, in the North Carolina by later on this afternoon. So, you need to rush to your final preparations, and before that sun goes down, if you've been told to evacuate, you've got to be out of there.
And if you're thinking about leaving, now is the time. There's no time to wait anymore in the Carolinas. Now, the storm did weaken a little bit. So, it's good it to see even a little bit of weakening into Category 2, 110-mile-per-hour maximum sustained winds, but you only got to nudge up one more to be a major hurricane.
We're going through what we call that eye wall replacement cycle, so a little weakening happens first, and then, ultimately, it can end up being a stronger storm. There's nowhere to go but north on this thing, so it is making a B-line towards the outer banks, and we're likely going to see the storm moving in after the day tomorrow.
After that, it's going to be scraping up and moving up through the northeastern coastline, and all the computer models are really keeping it close to the shore or on the shore so that missed situation where it stays offshore looks less and less likely at this time. So, anyway you slice it, we are going to be talking about likely a major flood threat even if it did get that best case scenario.
Here's a little forecast for you, Carol, showing you how much rain we're expecting between now and Monday morning. It's that dark purple area where we're talking about six to 10 inches of rain with some locally heavier amounts. There's going to be a lot of water from the inland flooding as well as the storm surge because of the size of this storm.
COSTELLO: So, let me ask you this question, Jacqui. Let's say, it stays a Category 2, which I guess would be better, but really, we're worried about the storm surge, maybe not necessarily about, you know, what category the storm is.
JERAS: Right. Well, the greater the category the storm, the greater the surge will be. And the greater the size of the storm, the greater the surge will be. There will be some difference between a 1 and a 2, and you know, obviously, you're going to be hoping for the 1, but I think even with a 1, we are going to be getting some surge flooding. Now, the latest predictions, this also just came in at the top of the hour, for surge, for North Carolina coastline is somewhere between six and 11 feet on the coastline.
That's above the average tide. So, tides are also going to play a factor on how high that water goes. Four to eight feet for the Chesapeake Bay and the Delmarva Area. That's Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, if you're not familiar with that abbreviation there. And then, for the Jersey shore, we're talking about three to six feet, potentially, of water.
So, it does go down the further north you go, part of that has to do with the weakening o f the storm, but of course, elevation in the coastline and the shape of the coast itself. Keep in mind, this is going to be funneling up the rivers. We're going to be watching the east river and the Hudson River. That could actually flow backwards a little bit for a couple of blocks, because those winds are going to be pushing in there so strong.
COSTELLO: So weird. Thank you for explaining, Jacqui. We appreciate it.
Irene could become the most destructive hurricane to hit the New York City area in more than 70 years. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered patients who are in hospitals in low-lying areas to be moved out of those facilities by eight o'clock eastern tonight. As far as other evacuations go, city officials, well, they're thinking about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: There are different ways to evacuate. One is to suggest that people move. Another thing is the mayor, apparently, has the power to issue an executive order and to force people to move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: There you have it. Mary Snow is live in New York City right now. It's just hard to believe that the streets Of New York city could be flooded.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is, Carol, but you know, also, the MTA is considering shutting down the mass transit system. So, imagine, all of the city subways, millions of people take them each day, coming to a screeching halt. This is so rare for New York City, but you know, experts have long warned that it would not take a major hurricane to cause significant damage in New York City because it's so vulnerable to low-lying areas like where we are here in Lower Manhattan that it could trigger flooding pretty easily.
And some worst case scenarios have been accumulated over the years. Consider this one from NOAA. They came up with a worst case scenario for what a Category 2 storm would look like flooding the Brooklyn Battery tunnel which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. The army corps of engineers also came up with some worst case scenarios. For instance, a Category 1 has the potential, they say, of flooding lower Manhattan subway station with 3 1/2 feet of water.
Worst case scenario for a Category 2, they say, could put JFK Airport under more than five feet of water. This, of course, all worst case scenarios, but it has been out there, because it is so rare in New York City. And you know, one person that has really been studying this is a professor at Queens College. His name is Nicholas Coch, and he says he's not so much worried now about a hurricane, but the people. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: What's your biggest concern?
NICHOLAS K. COCH, QUEENS COLLEGE/CUNY: The New Yorker.
SNOW: Why?
COCH: Because they don't listen. You can always tell a New Yorker, but you can't tell them very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And Carol, you know, he has a point. New Yorkers don't take directions all that easily. So -- and because they haven't really been through this many times, they reconsider. But, the mayor says he, at this point, will make a decision Saturday.
COSTELLO: But it's so true, right?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I think they're going to listen this time, because the local stations are going crazy and put the fear of God into people. Let's hope they listen. Mary Snow live in New York City. Thanks so much.
SNOW: But they venture (ph) so much, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Thanks, Mary.
Let's take a look at the word of the day now, shall we? It has to be storm surge. Find out what it means and why you need to know about it right after this short break. It's 55 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We are just about to hit the top of the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. Time now for today's word of the day. That has to be storm surge. Here's what it means. It's an abnormal rise in sea level or simply water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of winds swirling around the storm. This is one of the biggest hazards when a hurricane strikes because the rise in water level can cause severe flooding in coastal areas. That's what we're all afraid of here.
Here are three things to put on your radar today.
At 7:00 a.m. eastern, officials with the New York City Office of Emergency Management will hold a news conference. They're going to tell you about the preparations for Hurricane Irene.
An hour later, the National Hurricane Center issues a new storm advisory. This report will update all of us on the hurricane's location, its speed and it projected path.
And then at 10:00 a.m. eastern in Washington, D.C., the head of FEMA, Craig Fugate, will update us on how the federal government is coordinating with states and local agencies to deal with this monster storm.
"AMERICAN MORNING" continues right now.
