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Deadly Tornadoes in Mississippi; Oil Rig Leaking; Survivors Describes Escape from Tornado; Tennessee Drafts Rhode Scholar

Aired April 24, 2010 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Breaking news. And here is what is really at the heart of it.

Nine people are dead in Mississippi, two children, all of this because a violent storm system has torn across the southeastern part of the United States. And you need to be alert. Play close attention this hour.

If you're in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee or North Georgia, or any point in between those places because the threat will last overnight. There are dozens of unconfirmed reports tonight of tornadoes stretching from northern Missouri, through Mississippi and perhaps the most destructive one hit in Yazoo City and Mississippi where three people have died.

Now we are talking about a true monster here, almost a mile wide, we're told, obliterating homes, businesses, churches, whatever was in this tornado's path. Rescue crews are searching for any survivors in the rubble right now. Emergency officials do expect the death toll to rise, sadly. And Governor Haley Barbour was at home in Yazoo City, but wasn't there at the time. He arrived shortly afterwards, and was amazed at what he saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR, MISSISSIPPI: We have tornadoes, but the one that hit Yazoo City, Mississippi, and stayed on the ground for about 150 miles was a huge tornado in width and extremely powerful. It went through some very hilly land. We don't have mountains in our state. But it went through a lot of changes in elevation and never got up off the ground for any appreciable length of time. It is a bad -- or it was a bad, bad, devastating tornado.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And you heard it from the governor of Mississippi's mouth, Haley Barbour. They are speaking to us on CNN not long ago. The weather proved most fatal in Choctaw County where five people are dead. The other person died in Homes County, where dozens of homes were damaged there as well. Overall deaths in three counties, but 12 counties are reporting injuries tonight.

For the very latest, let's go to our expert here. She is reporting from the CNN severe weather center -- Jacqui Jeras. A monster of a storm system?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is. And what concerns me most at this hour, Don, is that the severe weather threat remains elevated, it is dark outside and people are going to bed. The threat extends across the Midwest and the Ohio River Valley all the way down to the Florida Panhandle, and this will be going on throughout the night tonight.

Now the threat is lower than this afternoon but still does remain elevated. It is a moderate risk now of seeing additional super cells. And we do have some tornado warnings in effect, this include Coleman County. This is northern parts of Alabama.

We've already seen some tornado damage in this area. And so that threat is out there once again. There you can see the lightning strikes, rotation indicated strongly on Doppler radar. And the wind moan is really showing that at this hour.

Now another area that we are watching across parts of Tennessee on into Kentucky. Here you can see the state line right here, and here is Nashville to put it in perspective. This line while we don't have any warnings on it right now has a history of producing wind damage, and we have seen a few tornado warnings associated with it. As it continues to push eastward we could see more intensification. And also notice some of this back building taking place just north of Murfreesboro. We can watch this begin to intensify in the upcoming hours.

Now let's show you the big area as we head overnight tonight, and into tomorrow. This is the area, Illinois, Indiana, into Ohio, down through Kentucky through much of Tennessee. Western Tennessee, we think you are going to be OK in Memphis. Alabama into northwestern Georgia, and particularly into this dark circle area.

As we head into tomorrow, we'll watch our storm move towards the eastern seaboard. The threat stretches from Pennsylvania, all the way down into South Florida. But conditions tomorrow say by even mid- morning will be less favorable for seeing those rotating thunderstorms, but would likely see some wind damage as the storm moves on through, as well as some hail. It is a very tightly wound system.

And one thing, Don, before I let you go here. We talk about night time, and what you can do to keep yourself safe during severe weather. You need to get yourself a NOAA weather radio. If you don't already have one of this, because if you program this to your county, it will go off, wake you up in the middle of the night and warn you that that tornado is out there so you can seek shelter.

LEMON: Jacqui Jeras stand by. We will be checking back with you throughout the evening here on CNN.

Meantime, let's go to our viewers to the grounds, where CNN is in Yazoo City right now where there is a search for survivors. It is on right now. And our Ed Lavandera is standing by live for us. Ed, you've been there, you've had a chance to survey some of the damage, and I understand you have also spoken to some survivors who have horrific tales to tell.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, it is a horrific scene through many of the neighborhoods that we were able to get a quick glance of this evening before the sun went down. And we know that many of the roads that were directly affected by this tornado have become impassable. But already crews making their way through much of these areas, peeling away the 100-foot tall trees that have been just splintered and laid across these roadways. So they begun that process of cleaning up to get access to this.

But everywhere you look around here, people who were in the direct path of this storm earlier today have horrific tales. We interviewed a short while ago, Rob and Ashley Saxton. They were trying to get into this restaurant that their family owned. Their family was hunkered down inside here in the freezer. They were in their car about 500 feet away. They didn't get there in time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB SAXTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It was unbelievable. It just -- when the wind exploded, it is nothing like anything I have ever experienced. I mean, it was just amazing. It scared us plum to death. All I could think about was just trying to get her and myself to safety.

ASHLEY SAXTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It was terrifying. I mean, it scared me to death. I've never been in anything like this before in my life.

LAVANDERA: And when the windows exploded?

A. SAXTON: I mean, we could have been gone. I mean, it just -- when it exploded, it just went everywhere. I mean, it just -- I promise we're lucky to be alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Don, just a little while ago we met a couple of guys in Yazoo City who have four-wheelers. So, really, the only way to get into some of this hardest hit neighborhoods. We jumped on with them. And they took us, too, there. What we saw were dozens and dozens of homes, a mixture of traditional homes and also mobile homes that have been crushed in many cases.

Coming up in a little bit, we will take you inside these neighborhoods, and we'll go along on that tour that we just wrapped up a little while ago. Don?

LEMON: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you very much. And we will have much more, we will hear much more from that family that Ed just told you about in just a moment here, because our coverage of these powerful storms, really, just getting started. You don't want to miss a thing here. In a moment my conversation with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Yazoo City took a major hit from one of the day's biggest tornadoes that the governor, and it is in the governor's hometown.

And Mississippi hospitals are still dealing with injuries from the storms. I'll talk with an emergency room doctor in Jackson to get an update on the people hurt in these storms.

And a lot of you have been sending me messages on the social networking sites telling me about where you were and what happen as the storm roll through. Make sure you log in now. We want your feedback.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: As you can imagine in the area where the storm hit has really been overwhelming especially for emergency and medical workers. More and more people hurt by the tornado are arriving at the University of Mississippi tonight. The hospital where doctors and nurses are scrambling to meet the need.

The medical center is 45 minutes from Yazoo City, and is at least, the latest word I should say, treating 27 people by the severe -- injured by this severe weather.

Dr. Richard Summers is a chairman of the emergency medicine department there at the hospital. And he joins us by phone.

27 people, how are they doing?

DR. RICHARD SUMMERS, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER (via telephone): Well, we have eight that are in critical condition. A large number of others have minor injuries that we are treating and we are looking at that.

LEMON: We were saying that, you know, people are showing up, and that it has been a very busy night for you. In your years as an emergency professional, how do you qualify this?

SUMMERS: Well, this has been pretty busy. We, of course, went through the Katrina disaster also so we have a little bit of experience in this. But none since this time.

LEMON: You haven't seen anything -- this many people come in from a natural disaster like this since Katrina. Is that what you are saying?

SUMMERS: That's right. We sent a helicopter out to stage in a grocery store parking lot up in Yazoo County, and have sent some medical personnel up there to triage some of the patients and disperse them from the local hospitals into the more serious patients to the trauma center here.

LEMON: Doctor, tell us about the injuries. What type of injuries? SUMMERS: Well, we've had a number of serious fractures and pelvic injuries and a significant eye wound and some other things like that.

LEMON: And again, eight people in critical conditions tonight, and their wounds, I would imagine, there are probably some head injuries?

SUMMERS: Yes. The head injuries in particular for a pediatric patient.

LEMON: Listen, Dr. Richard Summers, chairman of emergency medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. We appreciate it. Listen, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people there, especially those who are treating, and everyone who has been affected by this. Thank you.

SUMMERS: Thank you very much.

LEMON: Well, listen, you know, the president is hundreds of miles from the situation room, but he is staying on top of this disaster. We are told -- our reporter tells us how President Barack Obama is staying in the loop. And we will get reaction from the president and from our very own Ed Henry, our White House correspondent, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Listen, you are watching CNN's extended coverage of the stormy weather that is sweeping across the south tonight including deadly tornadoes that have killed at least nine people in Mississippi.

You know, the governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, he called into CNN earlier to help guide us through this. It was perhaps the most emotional and really revealing and transparent conversation that I have seen anyone have with him in quite a while. He was calling from Yazoo City, which is his hometown and one of the hardest hit areas. I started by asking him where he was when the storm hit.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBOUR: We were on the road between Jackson and Yazoo City trying to get to Yazoo City. The storm hit -- the storm hit about ten minutes after 12:00 Central Time, and we got there by 30 minutes later. This is a gigantic storm. This tornado in places appears to be several miles wide. It set down on the ground in Madison Parish, Louisiana and across the river into Mississippi, hit Eagle Lake.

By the time it got to Yazoo City, it had been on the ground about 70 miles, and looks like it was on the ground, at least another 80 miles when it hit Choctaw County, Mississippi. But as you see, skim the edge of town, but had a lot of neighborhoods just outside the city limits, went through a shopping center, absolutely obliterated a church. It's a very, very bad storm, and regrettably we have some fatalities. Reportedly five at this point. That is not official.

But the other side of this is the outpouring of volunteers, and a community who went out in these areas that are on state roads and county roads and some even on dirt roads, rode four wheelers, took a chainsaw to help cut out their neighbor. Was very powerful to see the community come together and people just immediately within the hour were out trying to get roads open and save people from their entrapment.

LEMON: I know you guys do plan for this. When something like this happens, especially during tough economic times, it costs a lot of money. Do you have the resources to deal with this? Are you reaching out to anyone in Washington maybe for some federal funds?

BARBOUR: We do have the resources to deal with it. However, several of these areas, we anticipate will qualify for federal disaster assistance. We will begin in earnest Monday, putting together the figures that require for the federal government to make that determination. We already have people who arrived in Mississippi from FEMA, the federal government.

So right now, we're still on the search and rescue effort. You may not -- your listeners may not know it, but the areas you talked about, many of those counties with the same tornado were in the one line, but then Desoto, Jasper. We have other parts of the state that were hit by other tornadoes. We had a big, big swath of bad weather that went through here and spawned a lot of tornadoes, not only in Mississippi, but probably in Arkansas, Louisiana and Alabama as well.

But, yes, we've got the resources to help our people. We are putting National Guard on the ground tonight for security. There won't be any looting here. And then hopefully some of these people will qualify for the federal programs, because they're very beneficial.

LEMON: So, governor, let's continue real quickly, and talk about the people of Mississippi and beyond. If people are watching, especially in areas that are in the path of this storm, your advice?

BARBOUR: Well, this storm system spun off some powerful, powerful tornadoes. The one that -- we live in a part of the country where we have tornadoes. But the one that hit Yazoo City, Mississippi, and stayed on the ground for about 150 miles was a huge tornado in width and extremely powerful. It went through some very hilly land. We don't have mountains in our state, but it went through a lot of changes in elevation and never got up off the ground for any appreciable length of time. It was a bad, bad, devastating tornado, worse than we are used to.

LEMON: People who are looking for loved ones or information on loved ones, governor?

BARBOUR: The Red Cross is setting up as is Salvation Army. The Red Cross has two centers in the state that they have set up. One in Yazoo City. One in Vicksburg. I suspect there will be others particularly around Choctaw County where there seems to have been an extremely large amount of damage. What we are seeing here, Don, is a lot of damage in non-metropolitan areas, but areas that have healthy populations.

Neighborhoods and lots of people who live on this county road or that county road, and so you're seeing a lot of these areas are hard to get to. Particularly if you've got 100 trees down every mile. And you've got to clear them. And that is the case in many places.

We do have lots of resources that have been applied here, including as I mentioned earlier, tons of volunteers who are just pouring out to help their neighbors.

LEMON: Governor, listen, thank you very much. One quick question before we let you go. You got a lot of people who are homeless, without homes. What are you doing for those folks?

BARBOUR: We have Red Cross shelters that are set up. I will be very surprised if tonight in many areas of Mississippi who don't have many families who are taking in, family members or people who go to their church or people whose kids go to school with their kids, whose kids play little league with their kids. This is a very, very giving state. Our people, particularly because of Katrina, bend over backwards to help their neighbors and even to help people they don't know as was the case so often today in Mississippi. So I don't think we're going to be finding people that don't have a place to be tonight. We will have a lot of people tonight who are not where they slept last night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And that was the governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, talking about the nine people who died in his state and how the state is really picking up the pieces after this devastating tragedy.

Guess what, the White House is keeping abreast of this. President Barack Obama keeping abreast of the situation of what is happening there. We will have a live report from our reporter who is traveling with the president in North Carolina tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Listen, breaking news into CNN. You are watching our extended coverage here. We want to tell you, sadly, we have some new information regarding the death toll from Mississippi, including some heartbreaking information about one of the victims.

Joining me right now is Jeff Rent. He is from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

What can you report to us, sir?

JEFF RENT, MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Well, right now our death toll is up to ten people, officially. You know, those ten fatalities were reported to the State Emergency Operation Center in Pearl. Tragically, the youngest victim has been reported to be 3 months old, and that was in Choctaw County from that same super cell thunderstorm that moved all the way across the state, really from Louisiana, moved across the Mississippi River, and that same storm system pushed well off to the east.

Major impacts in probably six of our counties. We've had damages reported in 12 or 13 of our counties. Warren County, which is to the west right along the river, they reported as many as 30 homes with heavy damage. And then Yazoo County where many of the reports are coming. The damage is so widespread right now, and we are in a response mode. We haven't been able to even come up with any damage estimates yet. We have three -- I'm sorry, four fatalities which were reported from Yazoo County, and another fatality reported in Holmes County.

This is, again, that same super cell thunderstorm that spawned that tornado. There had been eyewitness accounts of the storm on the ground. Some photographic evidence and trained storm spotters saw the storm. There's a large wedge-shaped tornado, and it was estimated to be anywhere from about 3/4 of a mile wide to even up to a mile wide. So a devastating storm.

You know, many people in Mississippi tonight are mourning the loss of these souls, but really pulling together and working on the response and recovery right now.

Search and rescue operations are also underway. We are still looking for any unaccounted people right now. And we have first responders on the ground and all the affected communities. And those first responders, of course, doing their best to make sure that everybody is provided for. Two shelters have opened so that people who are homeless this evening will not have to do without shelter. And those shelters will remain open until needed.

LEMON: Hey, Jeff, we want to let you get back to your work, because we know that you're very busy.

Jeff Rent is with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. And sadly as Jeff has said, the death toll now has risen to ten, and a 3-month-old, among the fatalities there in Mississippi.

This area is very, very badly damaged. Folks are going to need some help. Who knows when the sun comes up what morning will bring. But we will be here on CNN, reporting it to you.

And, again, we're going to check in throughout the evening with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, and whomever we have to check with to get you the information that you need here.

So, listen, let's move on now as Mississippi authorities try to get a grip on the damage left behind by the storm. The White House is also keeping tabs on the aftermath. President Barack Obama following the events from Asheville, North Carolina tonight, where he is on vacation.

And joining us now is CNN's Ed Henry from Asheville, North Carolina. Tonight, Ed, update us on what the president -- how the president is being updated. ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, you're right. The president and first lady just wrapped up a dinner here in Asheville. They are in for the night. But I spoke, a short time ago, to White House spokesman Bill Burton, who told me that the president has been briefed on the situation in Mississippi and at that the White House is closely monitoring it to see, because as you are noting this tragedy still unfolding. Still more loss of life.

Also, of course, the Federal Emergency Management Agency keeping a close eye on this to see whether or not they will have to jump on the scene, where they will have to send emergency funds. As you were talking to Haley Barbour in Mississippi about, we got a quote from a FEMA spokesman in Washington telling CNN, quote, FEMA continues to closely monitor the tornado activity, in and across to southern United States. FEMA is in contact and coordination with our state and local partners and stand ready to help if a request is made. That from Brad Carroll, a FEMA spokesman.

As Governor Barbour told you, they have not made a specific request from the federal government yet. They are still, of course, assessing the situation. They expect that request to come as early as Monday as they get on the ground tomorrow, when light comes back on Sunday and fully assess the situation.

I can tell you, here in North Carolina, I just ran into an off- duty police officer here in Asheville who was telling me that they are expecting -- there is rain behind me now, and they are expecting high winds tonight and he said he's been getting some unconfirmed reports of the possibility, and I stress the possibility of tornadoes in western North Carolina as well. So as you have been noting throughout the south tonight, some heavy storms. A lot of people keeping a close eye on it, including the president of the United States -- Don?

LEMON: And Ed Henry, you're exactly correct. The governor said that they wanted to try to rescue as many people as possible, find out what the damage is, and then by Monday, he hoped that whomever in the counties where he saw fit would submit the paperwork, so that if there was a state of emergency of any type, or if you needed to get FEMA out there that would happen. And I'm sure the White House is aware of that as well.

HENRY: They are. And, of course, the federal government in this kind of situation, the White House, last thing they wanted to do is interfere, you know, hurt the state agencies as they try to assess the situation, rescue people, save people's lives. But as soon as the governor makes that call, as you noted Don, the White House is ready to act.

LEMON: Ed Henry, our White House correspondent, traveling with the president tonight, Asheville, North Carolina, where the president is on vacation.

Thank you so much, Ed Henry.

Well, the storm threat is really far from over in the south, far from over in the south. At 7:00 we told you that it was seven people who had died. That went up to nine. Now it has gone up to ten just within this broadcast. We have been on the air for about 30 minutes. We're going to tell you what might be heading your way tonight and then to tomorrow.

CNN's meteorologist, who is on duty right now, Jacqui Jeras will update us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Breaking news as we track deadly weather throughout the south tonight. So far, ten people have died, and sadly among them a 3-month-old.

Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, joins us now.

Jacqui, this was a pretty big tornado, almost a mile wide, we are hearing, and it took a very long track across a couple of states.

Where is it now? Where do we stand?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, that particular cell itself is now dissipated and it's out of there, and the risk is gone across the State of Mississippi, but still extends from Missouri stretching down into the Panhandle of Florida. I want to show you what the radar image looked like when we got the first report of the touchdown in northeastern parts of Louisiana.

This is the cell right here. I'm going to advance this, and you can watch this thing track across central Mississippi all the way up into the northeastern part of the state, and then move into Alabama. It stopped producing a tornado on the ground. Some are right in this neighborhood, but was still producing some heavy downpours as well as some wind damage as it moved into parts of Alabama.

So this is what we call those long-tracked, long-lived violent tornadoes. When we talk about a high-risk day, this is exactly what we are talking about. And we want to take you through the steps of this tornado, as it was that one parent cell, but that one parent cell likely put down a tornado from time to time.

The overall path was between 150 to 200 miles long, but it wasn't necessarily on the ground the entire time. We probably saw a few hops and skips and jumps.

So we start out here. And this is in Omega, Louisiana. There was some damage here to an industrial plant. A couple of injuries reported here, and a small chemical spill as a result.

Moved over the Mississippi River, pushed into the State of Mississippi. And then we have that touchdown, the big ones that we have been talking about all night in Yazoo City, where up to five fatalities now confirmed with this one, 15 people injured, and there is potential that we could get a little bit higher numbers before all is said and done. We still haven't gotten word on everything coming out of Yazoo City just yet. Then it moves over to Holmes County, at the town of Ebenezer. Fifty homes sustained some damage here. Across I-55, numerous cars were reported blown off the road and a few injuries, headed over towards French camp. Extensive damage to buildings in this area, and we're hearing several fatalities there, and then it continued on towards Sturgis and into the northeast. The last touchdown. Some trees down into Clay County. So we are talking 150 to 200 miles. Started at 11:00 Central Time, ended about 3:30 or so with that one tornado. And then we had a little bit of what we called back building, Don, which is when we get thunderstorms that develop on the tail end of that line, and so they moved over the same areas so some of these towns got hit more than once tonight.

LEMON: Jacqui, thank you very much. Again, we will check back with our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras. She's been tracking this all day for us here on CNN.

Our viewers are sending us video of the storms rumbling across the south as well.

IReporter Cameron Scoot send us these pictures. This is from Olive Branch, Mississippi. Look at that. That's in the northern part of the state. He took this video, right outside of his house. Cameron told us the storm lasted about ten to 15 minutes with strong wind gusts and driving sheets of rain. A few hours later, the skies were blue and the sun was, well, it was out, again.

Listen, we want to see your pictures as well, or any video you might have from this devastating storm. Make sure you send them to iReport.com.

Our top stories making news tonight, other top stories, I should say. A deadly accident is turning into an environmental disaster.

That oil rig that sank off Louisiana is leaking, big time. An uproar over a new immigration law. Why the fight when some say it is something Washington should have done a long time ago. Those stories and more, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going to follow our breaking news in just a moment. But first, I want to update you on some other stories here on CNN.

That oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, Tuesday, is continuing to cause some serious problems. The Coast Guard says the sunken rig is leaking about 1,000 barrels of oil each day, and a 20- square-mile section of water has been affected by the oil. 11 people are believed to have been killed by the blast. Authorities are investigating what caused the explosion which happened about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana.

A white Supremacist leader has been found killed inside his Mississippi home and a neighbor charged with his murder. Authorities say Richard Barrett was stabbed to death on Thursday. Residents reported smoke coming from Barrett's house outside of Jackson.

The sheriff says a 22-year-old neighbor who had done yard work for Barrett has been charged. No motive given. Barrett was a lawyer and founder of the supremacist movement called The National Movement.

I want you to take a look at this. This surveillance video tells an incredible story. It is out of Queens, New York. You see a woman being approached by an attacker and then a man stepping in to help her. The woman was able to get away, but the Good Samaritan was stabbed, multiple times, and feel bleeding on the sidewalk. Incredibly while many people looked at the man, they didn't do anything to help him as he lay there dying. It was more than an hour before firefighters arrived on the scene and found the body. No arrests have been made.

Four people were killed and ten wounded in another deadly ambush in Mexico just today. Gunmen used assault rifles and grenades to attacked a convoy, carrying a top security official in the Western State of Michoacan. She survived the ambush and is expected to recover. Two of her body guards and two bystanders were killed. This follows Friday's ambush in the border city of Juarez, where seven people were killed in a noon shootout. Six of them police officers.

Seeing the aftermath, you know, is one thing, but it can't compare to being in the middle of it when it hit. That is what one couple faced as they were trying to escape this storm.

And some of the most vulnerable patients in the hospital can be found in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Having a sick baby is a tremendous emotional strain. We will update you on that story. Our CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I entered the E.R. from a severe cold. I was 24 weeks pregnant. I had H1N1.

They put me in a coma to stabilize me. I was in a coma for roughly six weeks.

When I woke up, my husband said we had to take out the baby. And I immediately clenched my stomach, but he settled me down and was like, "No, no, he's OK. He's down in the NICU.

DR. SEAN DANESHMAND, CNN HERO: My daughter was born prematurely. And to see people hearing there's something wrong with their baby, and then to have to worry about everything else around them, I mean, life doesn't stop.

I'm Dr. Sean Daneshmand. I started an organization that provides assistance to families with babies in the NICU. I wanted to take some of the suffering that these women go through away from them so they can really focus on their baby.

It's emotionally draining. And the way the economy now is, people are suffering.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't think this was going to be as hard. She's going to do it. She's going to be OK. DANESHMAND: They need extra money for clothing, diapers, medical expenses, rent. These are families that, all of a sudden, in a time of crisis, now need extra help. And that's what we're about.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They helped us with our mortgage, with gas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something as simple as gas cards to be able to make it to the NICU every day just helped tremendously.

DANESHMAND: I can't think of any other time in one's life where you need someone to be there for you.

You're good? You've got to stay strong right now.

I've got a very special rule in life. I never thought I'd be here. And, my God, I'm having a great time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A deadly day in Mississippi and potentially dangerous night ahead for much of the south. Ten people are dead in Mississippi, four of them in Yazoo County alone. And that is where we find CNN's Ed Lavandera.

Ed, you have had a chance, really, to talk to some people, and who have had a very close call. What are you seeing?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, as you drive around town here tonight in Yazoo City, Don, you really get the sense that people have been stunned by what has transpired here today as we pulled into Yazoo City just a few hours ago. Some of the first people we met was a couple by named of Rob and Ashley Saxton. They were trying to race into this restaurant. Their family owns it. They wanted to hide in the freezer here. But they didn't make it in time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: I get the sense from what you, guys, were describing to me that you were right in the middle of it. It was on top of you?

ROB SAXTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It was. It was glass, debris flying. When I got out of the car, I thought thinking she was going to get out behind me. I looked back, and she wouldn't even get out of the car. She was so scared. And I was standing up against the building. Debris was just flying by me. And it was hitting my legs. Glass was flying. I said, debris could kill me. I dove back in the car and told her, come on, we've got to go, we've got to go.

LAVANDERA: What was it like for you?

ASHLEY SAXTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It was terrifying. I mean, it scared me to death. I've never been in anything like this before in my life. LAVANDERA: The road that brings you into the hardest hit part of Yazoo City, which is called Old Highway 16 is mostly impassable. Hundreds of these trees snapped along the way, and in the last few hours, they have been able to clear the roadway to a pretty decent extent, but we had to find a couple of guys here, who are kind enough to bring us in on four-wheelers to navigate through most of this area, try to see the extent of the damage and to talk to people who survived this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY DAVIS, TORNADO SURVIVOR: We've been here 15 years. My wife and I have been in the house for five years. Believe it or not, it was pretty at one time. Me and my wife and my daughter was out the front yard, and we sat out there and the weather kept getting bad. I thought I heard something back over here. My wife heard something coming out from the southwest. And it sounded like a freight train whistle. My wife and my daughter and I were down here, and we were just balled up. And you could, being in the house, we felt the ground, you could just -- the wind was like trying to suck you out from under the house.

LAVANDERA: This blue truck you see right here along the road we're told was driven by a man who's named is Ricky Shivers. He was in that car when it nipped and rolled threes times. He was able to get out of the car, but we understand, right now, he is one of the injured in the hospital.

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LAVANDERA: Don, it really was a stunning scene as we took that ride on that four-wheeler into this neighborhood. Really made up a lot of traditional homes as well as -- mobile homes as well. So the extent of the damage we heard over and over about some homes that had been moved dozens of feet or great distance. And that cleanup process has begun here tonight. Although, it is pitch black out in the darkness, where many of these homes are. Hundreds of people essentially left homeless as they scramble to find a place to find shelter tonight. Don?

LEMON: It is amazing just to see the pictures that you captured on tape. Ed, great work. Continue the great work. Be safe. And, again, our hearts go out to the folks there. Thanks, again, Ed.

A witness to the storm. You saw some of them there as our Ed Lavandera talked about it in Yazoo City.

We are going to talk to a woman who saw the tornado that struck Yazoo City today on its path of destruction. Don't go anywhere.

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LEMON: So gather around and listen to this, because we are really hearing some amazing stories from people who survived today's tornadoes in Mississippi.

Joining me tonight from Yazoo City is Stacy Walker. She saw the funnel cloud earlier today.

And, Stacey, I just heard from that sadly you lost one of your good friends in this storm.

STACEY WALKER, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Yes, I did.

LEMON: Who is your friend, and how did you know her.

WALKER: Her name is Nikki Bradshaw. We went to high school together. She died today protecting her children in this storm.

LEMON: What did you witness? Because we understand that you saw it, and again that you survived it. Tell us about your experience.

WALKER: I work at a salon that is right behind where we are speaking at right now. And I have been there working since about 8:00 this morning. We knew that it was kind of a bad day. But about 12:00, we heard reports that there was a tornado spotted in a county next to us. And I called my mom to go and get my daughter from my home and take her somewhere safe. And we were told that it was going to hit within 15 to 20 minutes. We were all standing outside, just kind of trying to play it by ear as to whether we should leave and try to go home, or if it was going to miss us.

Unfortunately, we were standing outside and within minutes, we saw the funnel appear and then debris started flying. Our ears were all popping and everyone just ran and took cover. And as you had someone else describe it, it did, it sounded like a freight train coming through. And it felt like minutes and minutes. But I'm sure that it was just seconds. The time that it lasted.

We had children in the salon. We hustled them to the ground. And as I was telling someone else, it was elementary education came into play. And you automatically put your hands over your head, and cover your extremities, and do what you can do to block your face. And we just laid there. And you can just feel the glass and debris flying in and cutting you. I mean, it felt like minutes, but it literally was over probably within 30 seconds of time. But it hit so fast we didn't know what was coming.

LEMON: There was something -- tell us about the school bus. What you witnessed with the school bus.

WALKER: As we have been out here throughout the day, we did notice there were three public school buses from the county adjacent to us that are coming. And as we were watching, we noticed they had put up white curtains throughout the bus. And it sat here for a couple of hours and then finally they all pulled out. And one pulled across the street behind us into the makeshift triage. They had -- and our understanding that it was a makeshift morgue to help transport those that were killed.

LEMON: And Stacey Walker, listen, thank you so much. We know what you are dealing with. We can only empathize. Don't know exactly. Sorry about your friend. Nikki Bradshaw. She was Nikki Carpenter when you knew her in high school. Take care of yourself. Thank you.

WALKER: Thank you.

LEMON: We're back in a moment.

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LEMON: We are going to turn the corner here, and try to end the evening on a high note with a little bit of good news. This year, just 255 athletes were drafted by the national football league. Only 32 college students win Rhodes scholarships each year. Only 32. Doing both makes winning power ball look like a piece of cake, we should say. Myron Rolle is both a Tennessee Titan now, and a Rhode scholar. He joins us by phone from Atlantic City just hours after hearing his name called in New York.

Hello, sir, congratulations to you.

Thank you very much, Don. I appreciate it.

LEMON: Do you think that, listen, real quickly, before we talk -- I want to talk about education. Skipping the last year's draft, do you think that cost you millions or cost you a higher spot in the draft?

MYRON ROLLE, ATHLETE/SCHOLAR (via telephone): It certainly did, I believe. I think taking a year off raised questions about my commitment to football. It raised questions about my sharpness, you know, when I get back to the field, how I will be able to perform. So last year, I was projected in the first or second round pick. This year I went in the sixth round to Tennessee. So I think it caused a bit, but you know, I'm just excited to have the opportunity to play.

LEMON: Listen, I want to read this quote. I want to get it right. And this is from Roger Goodell, who was commissioner of the NFL. He says, "Myron Rolle is a modern example of what is right with NFL players."

What do you think of that?

ROLLE: It is an incredible honor to hear that from the commissioner of football. You know, probably the most powerful man in sports. You know, he thinks highly of me, and I appreciate that. I just want to, you know, be the man I was going into Florida State. A strong character kind of guy who does the right things, with the right spot on the field and off the field. And I think we'll see more of that in the NFL.

LEMON: Listen, there are a number of drafts, early draft picks who have gotten their education. One of them is right here in Atlanta at Morehouse. There are others. And it appears, and maybe, you know, what you're seeing is, it appears that the NFL may be putting more emphasize on education. Is that correct or no?

ROLLE: You know, I would think that being an educated player would be something that the NFL teams would look for. You have a lot to digest in the playbook, you have a lot to digest as far as assimilating to a locker room culture, and if you are studying and be able to prioritize and discipline to be a strong student and get good grades, you know, you are doing the right things off the field to position yourself that way. So there are a lot of lessons to go with being a strong student. And I encourage anyone who is interested in being an NFL football player to really try hard in school because it can benefit you.

LEMON: And, Myron, you sat right here next to me, because you have been on the show a number of times as a pundit, as they say. So we have to get out of here.

Real quickly, yes or no, which is harder, or one or the other, being a road scholar or getting drafted in the NFL?

ROLLE: Tough question. Tough question. I'd say getting drafted in the NFL.

LEMON: All right.

ROLLE: Yes, that's it.

LEMON: Myron Rolle, congratulations. Make sure you tell mom I said, hi, OK? I'm sure she is very proud of you.

ROLLE: I will. I'll certainly will. Thank you, Don.

LEMON: All right, thank you, Myron Rolle.

Listen, we have been covering some breaking news here on CNN. We are being told at least ten people have died because of a tornado that tore really through Mississippi and other southern states. Ten people, sadly among them, a 3-month-old child. And according to our Jacqui Jeras, our meteorologist, it is not over yet. So make sure you stay tune. If it warrants it, we will break in live here on CNN, and bring you the very latest.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here tomorrow evening. Be careful. Thanks for watching. Good night.