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34 Deaths in Tennessee; President Obama Surveys Alabama Damage; Space Shuttle Endeavour Mission Scrubbed; Encounter With A Tornado; Talk Back Question
Aired April 29, 2011 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: The tornado that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama, brought President Obama to the college town today. Right now, he and Governor Robert Bentley are getting a firsthand look at Tuscaloosa's devastated landscape.
An hour's drive from Tuscaloosa is the town of Forestdale, Alabama. Now, the storm wiped out neighborhoods in this Birmingham suburb, and residents have been left with nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MACOLEE MUHAMMAD, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Most of this is sentimental to me because it's my mother's, and I've had it for 40 years. And I can't get any of it back. I can't get any of it back.
My pictures are gone. All my mother's stuff that she had and she handed down to me is gone. It's just gone.
It's absolutely devastating. I don't know how to do this. I don't have anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So hard to watch.
The tornado outbreak left some 300 people dead across six southern states. More than two-thirds of the fatalities were in Alabama. The others occurred in Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee. The National Weather Service says one tornado that hit Mississippi was an EF-5 with winds at 205 miles an hour.
Our CNN's Susan Candiotti, she is in Tennessee, in the hard-hit town of Apison.
And Susan -- let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Down in one direction you see a house that is slanted down the side of a hill, slipped off its foundation. But then swinging over here to the right a little bit, where you see these trees cut down, beyond that was a double-wide trailer. The storm picked it up, the twister picked it up, sent it swinging down this hill here. And in the background, you can see these metal power lines -- poles, rather -- metal poles. Look at that, twisted and just bent down in two, in half. And at the top of the hill, this is where, according to neighbors, that double-wide trailer was blown to bits.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, took a direct hit from a massive, massive tornado. These eerie images show the storm approaching. It destroyed entire city blocks. President Obama will be leaving Alabama within the hour after surveying the damage.
Our meteorologist, Reynolds Wolf, he is in Tuscaloosa.
Reynolds, first of all, tell us about the president's trip. What does he hope to accomplish? Who did he actually visit with and talk to?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I understand that the president and first lady met with Governor Robert Bentley, and the first lady of Alabama, and some other dignitaries. The idea was basically for the president to get out and see things firsthand.
I mean, we heard the reports, you can see video, but it's something very different to actually see it up close. And that was today's objective. Just plain and simple, that was really it.
And one of the things he's going to see is not only damage, obviously, from some of the strong winds -- in fact, if you look at this house next to me, one person we spoke to earlier said it's like a doll house effect, where on one side, it's perfectly fine, but on the back, everything's open and exposed. You know, some of the damage caused not just by the wind, but by some of the trees.
Hey, Jonathan, get a shot of the stick that I've got here.
The interesting thing about many of the trees you have in this part of Alabama, you've got the Alabama oaks, the great oaks. What happens is, they're very tall, they're very top-heavy, but they have a very shallow root system. So when the winds catch the top of the trees, it's kind of like -- it just knocks over very, very quickly. And when it happens, you see the result, it just pops up and everything falls, a lot of weight, thousands of pounds, tons, in fact, on parts of the house, which causes additional destruction.
Destruction, limited not only to trees, not just only to the side of the house, but this one has got really no roof at all. And then if we cross over on this side of the street, you just see one tiny part, in fact, one room, a closet, if you will, which is one of the reasons why we say you want to find the innermost room in the house to be safe. That's the reason why. Usually it's one of the strongest parts of the house.
But in many situations, what works for one structure won't work for the other. Case in point, this one really doesn't exist at all.
You've got the foundation itself, but the house is completely gone, remnants now scattered in debris just to the east and to the north of the house at this point. It's so mind-numbing to see how you have so much destruction in so many places.
MALVEAUX: And seeing this kind of damage, Reynolds, are they still searching for anyone who they believe is missing or unaccounted for? Do they believe that there are actually people who might have survived and are in the debris, rubble?
WOLF: Well, you know, that's a good question, but unfortunately, I have a mixed answer for you.
Yes, the search is going to continue through places like this kind of debris to find someone, but the problem is, because with every second that passes, with every minute that passes, Carol (sic), we go from having a rescue mission to a recovery mission. I know yesterday they found some people that were missing. Unfortunately, they had passed away. They may find extras that may be scattered not just in parts of Tuscaloosa, but perhaps throughout the countryside.
It's an amazing thing, far and away the most destructive tornado that's ever affected the state of Alabama. We've got a death toll that is in excess of 200 in this state alone, and yes, those numbers may climb.
One last thing to mention, you look up towards the top of the hill -- we showed you this last hour -- you see the DCH Regional Medical Center, spared from this immense tornado. Today, that place is filled with people that were injured during the tornado itself.
Let's send it back to Carol (sic).
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Reynolds. It's Suzanne, and it's a good thing that that hospital was spared. Really appreciate the fact that they are able to survive and move on and help so many people in the recovery efforts.
Thank you, Reynolds.
Happening now at Kennedy Space Center, a final countdown for shuttle Endeavour's last mission. Blastoff happens in about three- and-a-half hours from now.
Our John Zarrella, he is there.
And John, you and I were talking the last go-around about the weather. Do we know, is it all systems go? Is this going to happen today?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't know. I'll tell you what, we just had a gust of wind blow through here that lifted the tent pretty much up off of me.
It's really still very windy here and still pretty cloudy, although the sun is trying to peek through. But the weather folks here insist that they've got a pretty good shot at getting Endeavour off the ground later this afternoon, about 3:47 p.m. Eastern Time.
And the astronauts, just a few minutes ago, led by Commander Mark Kelly, have walked out of the operations and checkout building. They were waving, of course, as they always do, ready to go. They got on the AstroBus, and they should be passing us here in the next five to 10 minutes or so as they make their way out to launch pad 39A, for, again, as you mentioned, the final flight of the shuttle Endeavour, the 25th and final flight for Endeavour.
Now, a lot of people may not know this, but Endeavour was built in the wake of the Challenger accident. President Reagan coming out and saying we'll continue on. And then, a year after Challenger, Congress approved the construction of Endeavour.
So, this is the newest of the shuttle vehicles, but again, it's flown 25 missions, most of them as supply and construction missions to the International Space Station. After this, it's retired to the California Science Center, where lots of folks will be able to get up close and personal and take a look at it.
MALVEAUX: All right. That's great, John. We're going to get back to you live at the bottom of the hour for more on the final launch.
Thank you.
Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. We are just a few hours away from the last launch of space shuttle Endeavour. And after that, there's just one more shuttle launch for the U.S. space program in its entirety.
That brings us to today's question and Carol.
You know, it's about to end. It's all about to end.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I could see John Zarrella was a little sad, too, because he's been covering this kind of stuff for a long time.
MALVEAUX: For years.
COSTELLO: Yes.
So that's the question. I mean, will we miss it as a country?
July 20, 1969, I was a little girl, but I will never forget that day. I was watching it on television with my dad, and there he was, an American hero, Neil Armstrong, stepping on to the surface of the moon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEIL ARMSTRONG, ASTRONAUT: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And with those words, American won. We beat the Soviets on to the moon, just as President Kennedy asked us to do.
Fast forward to today, April 29, 2001. Landing on the moon is old hat. America's president, Barack Obama, is going to Florida to witness the last mission of the space shuttle Endeavour, and it's bittersweet.
But many believe in this tough time, we cannot afford the space shuttle program. NASA has to think of something new.
For commander Mark Kelly, it comes down to this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. MARK KELLY, COMMANDER, STS-134: I know when I get back from STS-134, from this last flight of Endeavour, I'll be thinking the same thing, I can't really give this up. I've got to figure out a way to get back into space again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But will he? Will we?
NASA dreams of landing on Mars, but who knows it if will have enough money to do that? $1.3 billion of its $19 billion budget is earmarked for commercial development. Maybe private companies will bring back some of those jobs lost when the shuttle program ends.
And here's an ironic twist here. Without the space shuttle, NASA astronauts will have to rely on Russian rockets to get to the International Space Station.
So, "Talk Back" today: What will the last space shuttle mission mean for America?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: You're lucky. You remembered the landing on the moon, huh?
COSTELLO: I remember it.
MALVEAUX: Wow.
COSTELLO: My dad was sitting there with his old home film camera, and he was filming it right off the TV. And it was in black and white. It was a special moment for me and my dad, too.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely, yes.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks, Carol. COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's what we've got coming up "On the Rundown" this hour.
Rocket man. Just hours before Endeavour's last launch, I'm going to talk to the NASA astronaut who holds the record for the most time spent in space.
And an incredible survival story. A father watches helplessly as the tornado drags his son into the air.
And then we're going to take you live to the devastation. Hear from a family whose safe room saved their lives.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Much of the South is reeling today from devastating storms and tornadoes. More than 300 people were killed in six states.
In Forestdale, Alabama, survivors are stunned by the devastation as rescue crews search through the rubble.
Our CNN's Don Lemon reports.
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, since we got here today, we have seen the National Guard patrolling, we have seen members of the search-and-rescue teams, and we've also seen people who live here going through this rubble, looking for their belongings.
We have been calling this a valley of destruction, because that's exactly what it is. That's exactly what it looks like. And it's hard to believe that anyone survived.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): A grim assignment: looking for tornado victims buried in debris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's alive that we found.
LEMON: For survivors, the worst part is not recognizing the place you called home all your life.
(on camera): When you look around at all this, what do you think, Evelyn?
EVELYN ULLMAN, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Whew. You know, I don't even have -- I can't even put that into words. It is unreal. It looks like a third world country. A place that has been strategically hit by war.
LEMON (voice-over): No strategy behind the tornado that ravaged Forestdale, Alabama, just random carnage out of nowhere.
(on camera): How did you get out? VICTORIA RUDOLPH, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Right there. We came out through here. We crawled. We got on those bricks.
He helped me get up there and we crawled out here. How did we get out? I don't know. But we got out.
LEMON (voice-over): Some say it's a wonder anyone survived.
(on camera): What were your saying?
DELLA JOHNSON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Help. Help. But they couldn't hear me. And finally they came to the back and then they called me and I told my -- and they said, she's in the back. And they said watch out because of the gas and the gas was seeping.
LEMON: You were under the stove and the gas was going?
JOHNSON: I was on the steps and all of that was on me.
LEMON: Did you think you were going to make it out?
JOHNSON: You know, I really didn't think. I just asked God, I said, Lord, if it's my time, just let me come home and be with you.
LEMON (voice-over): Macolee Muhammad's house at the top of the hill was one of the first hit.
MACOLEE MUHAMMAD, TORNADO SURVIVOR: And the tornado just came in and it just stopped on top of my house. I was trying to get out but the wind was shaking the bathroom door so bad that I was just praying, and I was just holding on to stay inside.
It's gone. It's destroyed. I came all the way from Colorado to live here. I don't have anything left, sir. Most of this is sentimental to me because it's my mothers and I've had it for 40 years and I can't get any of it back. I can't get any of it back.
My pictures are gone, all of my mother's stuff, and she handed it down to me. It's gone. It's just gone. It's devastating. I don't know how to do this. I don't have anything. This is all I've got.
LEMON: They've got their lives but nowhere to live.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Suzanne, you can really feel and hear the pain in the voices of the people we interviewed, especially that last woman, when she talked about the mementos that were handed down from her mother generation to generation. We've been seeing people going through their things here.
We can hear the sound of hammering. We can also hear chainsaws. We're also being told at this moment, 20 to 30 people still unaccounted for in this area, and sadly, they found two people who didn't make it here -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Don. It's just very, very sad.
To find out how you can help those devastated by the tornadoes, go to CNN.com/impact. You'll find organizations and ways you can help those in need. That is CNN.com/impact.
And we're going to go back to the Kennedy Space Center. I'll talk with an astronaut about today's final launch of Endeavour and the end of the shuttle program this summer.
But next, we'll go across the pond for more royal wedding hoopla with CNN's Zain Verjee.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We have some breaking news. We want to go straight to our John Zarrella. We have new information now about the Endeavour space launch, the shuttle launch.
What can you tell us, John?
ZARRELLA: Suzanne, no joy today here at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch has been scrubbed.
The astrovan was on its way out to the launch pad. It pulled up right here by where they normally stop, at the vehicle assembly building, and they made a turnaround, and they are headed back to the operations and checkout building. There will be no launch today.
The problem is that there are two heaters in one of the three auxiliary power units that are not working. And NASA tried to do some resets, but it is not working.
We do not know how long the turnaround will be on this. It could be 48 hours, perhaps now no earlier than Sunday, depending on what they find in there. It's not an easy fix, from what I'm told.
Now, what the issue is, is that they have to have those APUs working, because those APUs are what control the elevons and the steering on the space shuttle. And whenever the APUs are on, the hydrazine in there, it's super cold, and it would freeze up if you didn't have the heaters working.
And that's the fuel, the propellant that allows them to steer and to use the rudder controls, et cetera. So, they have to have those working.
There are redundancies, but they do not fly without those APUs. So, right now, it appears as if we are in a scrub situation here at the Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour will not be lifting off this afternoon -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: So, John, what does this mean? What happens? The astronauts, they return back to their building and they take off their suits and the diplomats go home?
ZARRELLA: Correct. MALVEAUX: How does this all kind of unfold today?
ZARRELLA: Well, what will happen now is they have to drain the vehicle. They've got all that 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen in the tank. They've got to get all that drained back out of the tank, and then they'll be able to go and start troubleshooting whatever it is that is causing these heaters to malfunction. And once they get in there and do that, then they'll be able to determine exactly how long of a delay.
I had heard from some folks that it's probably no earlier than a 48-hour delay, unless somehow or other they find that it's something very simple. But it is not, from what I understand, an easy fix.
So, the astronauts will go back, and they'll just go back to the operations and checkout building, and they will wait to see how long a delay this is. If it stretches out beyond a few days, then, obviously, they would go ahead and return back to Houston until the shuttle is ready to fly.
But again, they're not going to be able to do anything until they actually drain that tank, and that takes several hours to do that, before they can actually get in there, the troubleshooters, to see what exactly the problem is with these two heaters on APU-1. And again, there's three APUs, but one of them, there are malfunctioning heaters, and that has forced the scrub of today's Endeavour launch -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And John, this is more of a complicated situation because you had, literally, the president of the United States, the first lady that was coming there to watch this launch. You also have Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who only had a 48-hour window in which she was allowed to leave the rehab and the hospital where she has been getting treatment to attend this launch.
Do we have any sense of how that is going to play out?
ZARRELLA: You know, my understanding is that a couple of her doctors actually were flying in today for the launch. So, it may be that if her doctors are here, that if we find out that this launch is only going to be 48, 72 hours, that perhaps they'll be able to stretch that window a bit for her, if it looks that way.
Of course, we're just -- I'm just speculating here. We don't know that for a fact. And again, it might be that they try tomorrow, although I think that's pretty unlikely.
And, of course, the president now, obviously, he's been in Alabama. I'm quite certain he won't be continuing on down here to Florida. That would seem certainly pointless at this point, other than the fact that he does have to go down south tonight for a commencement in Miami at a college in Miami.
So, you know, at this point, it appears that -- you know, NASA has always said, look, we are not launching unless the vehicle is safe and ready. That's been the mantra certainly since Challenger, certainly since the Columbia accident. So, it doesn't matter who is here. The vehicle is not going if there are issues that NASA is dealing with.
I think we're going to get astronaut Mike Foale -- Mike Foale is going to step in here, a veteran astronaut, Suzanne, and we can grab him. We're just putting a microphone on him as we speak, so we might be able to ask him a couple questions as well here.
Let me move these things off for Mike to sit down -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Sure. And John, I would like to --
(CROSSTALK)
ZARRELLA: But if you have any questions for him, I can --
MALVEAUX: Yes, I certainly would like to ask why it is that, you know, we're just talking -- we're looking at the countdown clock, it's like 2 hours, 26 minutes away. Why are we just learning about this problem now, about these two heaters not working?
Is that an unusual situation?
ZARRELLA: The question is -- first, certainly -- welcome, first, Mike.
Is it unusual to just find out now about these heaters, something that NASA's been working on? I assume it's because they're trying to work through the issue before they come out and say, oh, gee, we're not going.
MICHAEL FOALE, ASTRONAUT: Well, that's correct. I'm not fully conversant with the issue, but with the APU, it's a hydrazine fuel.
ZARRELLA: Yes.
FOALE: And it's basically passed over a catalyst that is heated up to 500 degrees. And that then turns into a hot gas that decomposes and produces the thrusts around the turbine that produces the hydraulic power for the elevons.
That fuel system has to be not too hot and not too cold. And in this case, the heaters are required to stop it from freezing.
MALVEAUX: Michael, I want to ask you another --
ZARRELLA: And Suzanne, I was just going to say, this is --
MALVEAUX: Sure.
ZARRELLA: I was just going to say, Suzanne, it's pretty unusual that they actually get out here and then turn around and go back. That's pretty strange.
FOALE: Well that was only odd because the decision to scrub the launch occurred about the same time as the crew were going out to the launch pad. Normally, that silver crew bus, we go past the launch control center here and then going out to the pad.
We let off the chief of the office. In this case, it would have been Peggy Whitson (ph). And they probably heard right there that the launch was scrubbed, so they decided to pull into the LCC.
ZARRELLA: Suzanne, go ahead.
MALVEAUX: And John, I'd like to ask Michael -- yes. I mean, you've been in that situation, you've been flying many times here.
What is that like? You know, you're about to -- you're two hours, two-and-a-half hours away from getting into the shuttle, taking off. I mean, you must have a lot of mental preparation that goes into this, and then you're just told just like that, it's scrubbed?
What do you feel? What do you think?
ZARRELLA: Suzanne is asking, you know, two-and-a-half hours before, you're headed out to the pad -- you've been in this situation where, you know, what is it like? And then all of a sudden, it's like, sorry, you're not going today.
FOALE: Well, unfortunately, I've experienced it many times. Now, this crew's experienced, so they know -- certainly, I'm not sure if they've experienced it, but you basically have been training for this mission for so long, so many --
ZARRELLA: We're putting an earpiece in your ear so Suzanne can ask you directly.
FOALE: So, they'll go back and say, hey, another day in Florida. And it's a good deal. Being in training is always a good deal.
Actually, the saddest time is when the mission is over. So, this is just prolonging their enjoyment for one more day.
ZARRELLA: Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: So, you're trained for these kinds of quick turns, twists and turns, on the mission. Do you have a sense of sadness, of regret, loss, that we are really just seeing -- this is the last two missions that we're going to see of the shuttle program.
FOALE: Yes, there is a sense of nostalgia. I don't believe it's loss. I recognize this is a change that should happen.
I think it will allow -- when you have more than one company trying to provide launch services to space, in the end America will be stronger and we'll have more people able to experience the incredible excitement of going into space. Right now, the space shuttle is our nation's way of taking astronauts to space. It's served us for 30 years.
I've flown five times on the space shuttle, one time on a Russian rocket. It's been an extraordinary spaceship, and it's allowed two generations of American scientists and engineers to learn about how to do a space program. That legacy is what's enabling now the new space entrepreneurism to develop different approaches to taking crew up to the International Space Station and other destinations, be they in low-earth orbit or beyond.
So, I know it's very painful for us and it's painful for me. I saw Atlantis yesterday in the orbiter processing facility. It's the spaceship I flew on twice. My first flight was on Atlantis.
And I felt sad and slightly tearing, thinking that it was the last time that I'll see it in that condition. But the fact is, I believe more than anything else that more people should experience space flight than just government astronauts.
FOALE: -- that condition. But the fact is, I believe more than anything else that more people should experience space flight than just the government astronauts. And I think the movement ahead and the incentives to commercial space to try and provide the services that to date the government has is the right way to go for America because more people, more children, more of my colleagues will have the idea that their dreams will focus around the idea of going into space in their careers.
One thing that's always been frustrating for me as an astronaut is I've always wanted to be able to share what I have seen in space. And the trouble is, you want to take someone with you, and the more we can do that in the future, the better it will be.
MALVEUAX: All right. Michael Foale, thank you for your perspective. And John, you as well.
I also want to let you know that our medical team is reaching out to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, to her folks and her office to see whether or not that 48-hour window in which she is allowed to be there and to watch her husband go into space, whether or not that can actually be extended in any way so that she can stay there and that this will all work out for their family and that she can appreciate this moment as well. So, thanks again.
We're going to have more of that after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEUAX: We've been covering the breaking news. We had just learned that shuttle Endeavour, space shuttle -- the launch has been scrubbed for now due to a problem involving two heaters that are not working properly. NASA officials and engineers are trying to get to those heaters to figure out what is actually wrong, but they do not feel that it's safe to actually go ahead with the launch until that has been resolved. We do not know how much time that will take, but there are a lot of questions around. This would be the last launch of space shuttle Endeavour.
President Obama and the first family, they were scheduled to arrive to see the launch. That is no longer taking place. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is there on a special 48-hour window from her own rehabilitation program to see her husband, the commander, Mark Kelly, launch that shuttle into space, it is questionable whether or not she will be able to actually take part and see that because of this delay. Our medical team is checking on that detail. We'll follow that breaking news as it develops.
You've heard about the advice about what to do when a tornado approaches: take shelter in the basement or the lowest level of the house. But for an Alabama family, it was a specially designed room that protected them from the storm. They emerged from their tornado safe room to find the rest of the house gone.
Our CNN's John King talked with Sarahbeth Harrison about her family's ordeal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARABETH HARRISON, TORNADO SURVIVOR (on the phone): I mean, we had just come out of the room right there and that was our first -- we were looking at what was left, which was nothing. So yes --
(CROSSTALK)
JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "JKUSA": And I'm watching you and your husband. I can't imagine how tightly you're holding your children there.
HARRISON: Yes, we were very grateful for that room. It saved our lives. I mean, if we weren't there, we would have been gone.
KING: And so take us inside the safe room. Describe your feelings in there. Can you have any idea how bad it is outside?
HARRISON: No. I mean, we -- we go in our room. And then the tornado comes. You just hear the wind really, really loud, just like they say a train. You hear the hail. And then -- and then you just hear the boom, boom, boom, boom, like when the walls were falling down.
And then, your ears are popping, and then it's over and then we're like -- we -- we don't know what happened outside. So, yes, it was pretty scary. I mean, it was fast, but it felt like it took forever.
KING: You say it was fast, but it seemed like it took forever. We're watching this picture of your daughter standing outside on the wreckage and we're seeing these photos. It's just -- the devastation is remarkable. What were you saying to the children while you were inside?
HARRISON: We were trying to keep them calm. I mean, I didn't want them to get scared. We were just like, it's OK, it's OK. And I was making sure their ears weren't going to pop or anything, and just trying to keep them calm.
We were like hunkered over them. I had my daughter and my husband had my son in case -- in case the room did fall. I mean, you never know if they'll hold up. We were hoping it did and it did hold up. But we were just holding them and saying, it's OK, it's OK. They were scared. And so were we. So -- but they -- they were OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: To find out how you can help those devastated by the tornadoes, go to CNN.com/impact. You'll find organizations and ways that you can help those who are in need. That is CNN.com/impact.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: It's official! Prince William and Catherine Middleton are now husband and wife. Here she is in her white lace gown. No one tripped. Everyone said the right lines. The two exchanged vows, saying "I will" instead of "I do" in the Anglican Church tradition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: I, William Arthur Phillip Louis --
WILLIAMS: -- take thee Catherine Elizabeth --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- take thee Catherine Elizabeth --
WILLIAMS: -- to be my wedded wife --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to be my wedded wife --
WILLIAMS: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
WILLIAMS: -- for better or worse --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- for better or worse --
WILLIAMS: -- for richer or for poorer --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- for richer or for poorer --
WILLIAMS: -- in sickness and in health --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: In sickness and in health.
WILLIAMS: To love and to cherish. HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: To love and to cherish.
WILLIAMS: -- til death do us part.
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- til death do us part.
WILLIAMS: According to God's holy law.
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: According to God's holy law.
WILLIAMS: And thereto I give thee my trust.
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: And thereto I give thee my trust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, for the best moments of the ceremony, our CNN's Zain Verjee, she's hanging out with the crowds outside of London's Buckingham palace with all of the wedding headlines. Zain, it looked to me like they were kind of flirting with each other during those vows. What was your favorite moment, do you think?
VERJEE: Yes, you know, they really were. The whole ceremony was magical. The whole day has been quite electric and spectacular.
I just want to share some of my favorite moments with you. I really liked this. Take a look at this video. This is when Kate comes into the carriage and the bells at Westminster Abbey are ringing. She mouths over to Prince William, "I am so happy." that is what the lip-readers assure me, anyway. And he holds the bouquet, and they have a nice little exchange there. I thought that was really nice, Suzanne.
And then, of course, this, the kiss, or the kisses. We didn't get just one, but we got two. Listen to the crowd. They were just thrilled. I mean, it was unprecedented. Two kisses. They kept chanting, kiss again, kiss again! They were going for three, but they didn't get that. And it was also a nice moment when Kate actually walked out and saw the crowds. She mouthed, "Oh, wow."
There is also another man I want to talk about right now who was part of the 1.5 million people out on the streets today, Suzanne, and this is Guy Charles Jones. You had a good time out there. What was your favorite moment?
CAPT. CHARLES JONES, WELSH GUARD: My favorite moment had to be being passed by the carriage with the new royal couple.
VERJEE: What was it like? What did you see?
JONES: It was very fast and furious. The horses came past first, lots of smell of horse and jingling of the metal they've got on the beasts there.
VERJEE: And the wheels didn't come off the carriage. They were worried about that.
JONES: No. No, thankfully, it stayed firmly put. It was a very special day.
VERJEE: What about the crowds? What was it like to be around them?
JONES: The crowds were fantastic. We've had a great crowd here today. They've been very supportive, not only of the royal family but also of the British troops who have been out all day in the heat and street lining.
VERJEE: Do you think that today's been a boost for the monarchy?
JONES: Absolutely, yes, absolutely. I think --
VERJEE: Are you proud to be British?
JONES: Oh, yes. If you were out here today and you didn't feel the hairs on the back of your neck raise, then there's something wrong with you.
VERJEE: Do you ever get hot in this outfit and this hat?
JONES: I'm roasting right now. I do.
VERJEE: Yes, right. We always wondered that. Do you ever get bored standing outside of Buckingham Palace?
JONES: No. No, I don't think you do. It's a great honor and a fantastic thing to do.
VERJEE: All right. Many, many hours. Thank you so much, Guy, appreciate that.
Suzanne, the crowds are still here. Even a small movement at the palace, everyone runs over, but they're just teeing (ph) up now.
MALVEAUX: Oh, OK. I don't think anybody was bored today. I'm jealous of your assignment, quite frankly. I wish I was where you are today! But Zain, thank you so much. Great reporting.
Well, from the kiss to the cake. If you missed any of the royal wedding moments, Piers Morgan has them all for you on a special time tonight on CNN at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Every single person who lived through this week's tornado outbreak has a story to tell. But none of them can possibly be as breathtaking as Reginald Eppes. He's a firefighter in northern Alabama. He joins us by phone from a hospital in Tuscaloosa. And, Mr. Eppes, thank you very much, first of all, for telling your story. Can you give us a sense, and our viewers a sense, of what happened when you had your nine-year-old son in your arms and that tornado hit?
REGINALD EPPES, TORNADO VICTIM (via telephone): Well, it started that morning at 5:00. We got up that morning. My wife got up to pray (ph) that morning at 5:00. And I lay in the bed till about 5:07. I heard a little thunder from a distance, so I grabbed my iPhone and I looked at my iPhone. I saw it said a -- I saw it said a line of storms was in Tuscaloosa. I live 12 miles east of Tuscaloosa. So I got up that morning, I said, well, today I'll just stay in a little bit and I won't go to work for another hour or so just to see how the storm ways (ph). And I didn't think it would be bad.
And so I walked into the kitchen. I said, babe, I said where's the flashlights? So I walk into the toy room. I grabbed the flashlights. And I come back out and I give it to her and she said, well, she said, do you want to get the boys up? And we could hear the wind kind of whistling a little bit. And I said, ah, I said, well. And by the time I said "well," the lights went out and the windows popped. So we run to the boys' room and I grabbed my -- I grabbed my -- it's eight, six and four year old is what the ages are. And I grabbed my six-year-old at the bottom bunk and I said, James, I said, get up, buddy! And my wife started grabbing my baby boy. And right when I grabbed my oldest son, I was getting ready to grab him, the walls went and he went with it.
And when that happened, I just -- I just held on to what I had and I dropped down and I just started praying over my -- over my -- over James' feet, over my six-year-old. And I could hear my wife praying to my left. I couldn't see her, but I could hear her. And I -- when the lightning flashed, I saw my baby's face here and I said, James, it's going to be OK. I said, Daddy's got you. It's OK. And we kept praying and she -- my wife yells out, she say, do you have R.J.? And I said, no, I don't. And she got louder and I kept praying and all of a sudden, you know, you can kind of see a little shadow and he's walking through the rubble. He was coming back -- coming back to us through the rubble.
MALVEAUX: The wind literally picked him up -- the tornado picked him up, flew him out with the wall --
EPPES: Yes.
MALVEAUX: And then you saw him moments later, he walked back into the home?
EPPES: Yes, ma'am, he did. We -- I asked him when we got back to the ER, we got to the ER and the nurses -- I was joking with the docs, said, man you're such a great (INAUDIBLE). I have my life. I said, I've got my kids, I've got my wife and they said, did they tell you what happened with your boy? And I said, no, my little boy said -- he said, well, I was awake and he said I floated up and he said I floated back to the ground. And he said, I saw the lights over in the pile (ph) and I started walking back to -- to those lights. MALVEAUX: It's just an unbelievable story of survival, how your son was picked up by the winds in the tornado and put back down right in your arms. We appreciate your story and we wish you the very best, your family.
I want to bring our viewers to -- we are now looking at pictures, live pictures, of President Obama. He is in Alabama. He's getting ready to leave. He's shaking hands. He's talked with local officials, the governor, as well as families who have been directly impacted by those tornadoes. And he is there to offer his assistance, his comfort, federal dollars as well, and anything that the government can do at this time of need for so many families.
We're going to have more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Just this hour, the launch of space shuttle Endeavour was scrubbed. It's been delayed for at least 48 hours now. Once it launches, there's going to be just one more shuttle launch that is after that. I want to bring in our Carol Costello with more on the responses to today's "Talk Back" question.
So I guess this just prolongs it a little bit. A couple of days.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, prolongs the agony for some, because there are many who will miss the space program as it exists today. The "Talk Back" question, what will the last space shuttle mission mean for America?
This from Krishan. "The shuttle program shows the spirit of America. It shows how when we can come together, we can achieve anything. It proves our innovative and determined spirit. We must find a way to continue this important part of American identity."
This from Tom. "Maybe this will give NASA a chance to evaluate all of their programs and cut the ones that do nothing, redirect funds and boost others, also give our national debt a break until we are organized enough to accomplish major things in space."
This from Dan. "It's time for the commercialization of space. Competition between competing research and development departments will bring the mind-boggling cost of space travel down."
And this from Scott, "Cutting funding to the space program is a huge mistake. Have people forgotten how many wonderful things have come from the space program? Do they even know? There is all of this talk of creating jobs. The economy and money. How many taxpayers are going to be out of jobs with the shutdown of the space program?"
And they're certainly feeling that in Florida, which was part of the reason why President Obama was going to go watch this last space shuttle Endeavour mission. I mean he was going to see Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
MALVEAUX: Right. COSTELLO: But he was also there because, politically, you know, he's sort of fallen in Florida because jobs are going to be lost.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
And, Carol, I want to go directly to our own Dan Lothian. White House correspondent Dan Lothian, who's at the Kennedy Space Center, to give us a sense of what (ph) now (ph) the president's schedule has changed and how this will impact his schedule.
Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I just heard from a senior administration official who told me that the president is still planning to come here to NASA. It is unclear what his schedule will be like in terms of what he'll be doing. He was scheduled to do -- to tour some of the facilities here, along with the first family. Most likely will greet the crew. But the president's trip is still on, I'm told. There was some question as to whether or not the president would continue on here to the Titusville area for this visit. But you might remember that the president is also headed down further to south Florida for a commencement speech at a community college there, Dade Community College. And so the president's trip is still on.
This is a very important trip, nonetheless, for the president, even though the mission will not be taking off, the shuttle will not be taking off for at least another 48 or so hours. But nonetheless, the president coming here, a symbol to the space shuttle program. A lot of controversy surrounding it because, as you know, this is the second to the last shuttle mission and there are a lot of questions about what will happen going forward in terms of the U.S. mission in outer space. And so this is very critical for the president, still planning to come here to at least visit but not witness the lift-off.
MALVEAUX: All right, Dan Lothian, thank you.
We're going to have more after the break.
MALVEAUX: Prince William and his new bride, Kate, are now husband and wife, the duke and duchess of Cambridge. The two exchanged vows in an elegant ceremony at Westminster Abbey this morning. Here are the best moments from the royal wedding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE WILLIAM: With this ring, I thee wed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: That's lovely.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right with Randi Kaye, who's in for Ali Velshi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne. Thank you.
