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Hurricane Irene Targets East Coast; Inside Gadhafi's Bunker; New York City Prepares for Storm; Wall Street Rallies After Fed Chairman Speech
Aired August 26, 2011 - 14:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, thanks.
It's all about the hurricane. It is getting closer and closer and closer, literally, every minute. So, they say pay attention, be cautious and take this Hurricane Irene seriously.
Grave warnings are coming from the White House and homeland security chief today as the East Coast is bracing for this storm. This is live pictures now. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina -- just one of the danger zone and perhaps the first to feel this hurricane on U.S. soil.
Irene is on track to come ashore around North Carolina's outer banks either late tonight or tomorrow morning. Chad is going to zero in on that in just a second.
Dozens of states could be inundated with high winds, heavy rain and storm surge. Hurricane warnings in effect from North Carolina to New York City. Irene expected to target the Northeast by Sunday. That's where those major population centers are at risk.
In fact, New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, issuing the city's first ever mandatory evacuation order.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: Also adding a full evacuation of all people living in private homes or apartments in the Rockaways.
In addition, you should know that MTA service, including subways, buses and railroads, will begin to shut down tomorrow at noon. And Jay Walder will describe that and other measures in a moment.
Depending on the effect of the storm, let me just caution you also in regards to the MTA that service may or may not be restored in time for rush hour Monday morning. So I would urge employees checking with their -- to check with their employers regarding business openings on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: CNN's iReporters are showing us some of the stormy surf. This is in Florida, video shot by Shetterly, that's Don Shetterly, off New Smyrna Beach. It's amazing how rough the ocean is there.
Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano telling people not to mess around with this storm. She did brief President Obama by phone earlier today and the White House just announced the president is going to leave Martha's Vineyard a day short and return to Washington from his vacation there. He's urging Americans to prepare for the worst.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now. Don't wait. Don't delay. We all hope for the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: So let's start at the CNN Hurricane Center.
Meteorologist Chad Myers tracking Irene, the latest information, movements.
Timing, Chad, timing is everything at this point as we're getting closer and closer.
(CROSSTALK)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: True. It is. And I think that's what we're truly doing.
When I heard the president speak saying prepare for the worst but hope for the best, I think that's what we're doing. We're trying to prepare you for a worst-case scenario and hope that that doesn't happen in your town. Now, someone is going to get worst-case scenario. Whether it's New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island or Massachusetts, somebody gets the brunt of this storm.
And it's still too early to tell because we're still about 48 hours away. So here we go. When does it get to the first, I guess, landfall? We're 245 miles away from Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. That's the most likely place for this to go.
I would say by the time we get up here, the error is Ocracoke, maybe all the way over to Jensen (ph), maybe. Because we're so close now, because we're only 15 hours away from landfall there, the error in that cone is not very big. So this is pretty much a certainty. That's 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. That's when the eye gets there.
And everyone focuses on the eye. Drew, hey, look at this. Look at what's between the eye and the island. Look at the beach. We have all of these weather cells, all of these outer bands that will come first, one band, another band, another band, another band and then finally an outer eye wall and maybe an inner one right there.
Just because the eye wall gets there in 16 hours, the weather is going to go downhill from here dramatically for the next eight to 10 hours and then be really bad. And then it gets better after tomorrow, probably around afternoon. So I know eye wall, everybody focuses on the middle. But that's not always the worst part. There's going to be a lot of flooding with this too. Don't get caught out trying to drive over something that is too deep.
GRIFFIN: And let me tell you something. Taking precautions is key. But tomorrow, the next day, the next day, we will be talk about knuckle-brains, knuckle-brains who got in trouble.
I want to show you some video, Chad, of some what I would consider to be knuckle-brains. It comes from Florida. Oh, apparently, we're going to show that later. So that's going to be a deep tease.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Well, people got hurt on a pier. And we're going to show that to you.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: Yes, deliberately putting themselves in front of a wave they thought they could hang on to and it didn't work out so well.
MYERS: Right.
GRIFFIN: Listen, evacuations are now in full swing along North Carolina's barrier islands, the Outer Banks, which is right in the middle of this danger zone.
And that is where David Mattingly. He's in Kill Devil Hills. Just bring us up to speed on what you're seeing, because according to our radar and our satellite, the first bands are kind of approaching you, David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Drew.
It's been very gradual, the winds picking up a little bit every hour. The surf pounding just a little bit harder every hour. Some very ominous clouds now starting to roll in from the south. And right now officials are telling everyone who is still here that this is the time to leave.
They have put out a mandatory evacuation order for all the visitors yesterday. Today all the full-time residents have been getting their mandatory evacuation order. That means that if they stay behind, there's not going to be anyone who will be able to help them if they need it. They're warning everyone that if you stay behind, you could be on your own after this storm hits for at least 72 hours with no electricity, with flooded roads, with nowhere to go and no one to help you. They're making sure everyone gets that message. And so far they think that the evacuations seem to be going well. And you will see a handful of people out here on the beach. But it's virtually empty today compared to what it usually is. That's what they had hoped to see.
Now, when this storm comes in, all eyes are going to be on the dunes, because when we have the storm surge, that powerful surf from the Atlantic will rise up and actually punch through the dunes in multiple locations throughout the Outer Banks.
And what they're going to do then is it's going to flood the roads on the other -- and the property on the other side. They also have a problem with something called a reverse storm surge, where the water on the west side of the islands actually gets pulled on shore by the storm as it moves its way up north.
I have seen this happen before. It can completely flood streets and property and it can be just as dangerous as the storm surge coming from the Atlantic. The people who have lived here a long time, I have talked to some of them today. They are boarding up their homes. They are preparing for the worst. Over the years, they have come to learn that you have to respect these storms and one resident tells me that he will be moving to a safer part of the island. But he's going to leave his beach house behind and he's going to be hoping for the best. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY BRAY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: It's not that I take it lightly. I mean, hurricanes are very dangerous situations. And people need to be prepared. I mean, when I hear someone say, oh, a hurricane, I think I want to stay down for it, kind of excited, that tells me they have never been in a hurricane, because, you know, hurricanes are -- up to about 90 miles an hour, it's still a little bit fun.
After 90, it's just -- it's scary. And then you start saying, why did I stay here? What was I thinking? It's very unnerving. The sound of the wind just it's like a siren going through the wires. And, I mean, it gets pretty nervous, pretty scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: A very unnerving scenario, Drew. We're probably going to see that about some time starting around noon tomorrow. We could be seeing hurricane-force winds up and down the Outer Banks, possibly 10, 11, 12 hours of very long and difficult storm for these islands to weather. We're taking a look at that surf right now, the virtual trademark of the Outer Banks here.
So many people come out here, pay a lot of money, spend a lot of time to take a look at it. That surf is going to become very dangerous in the next 24 hours.
GRIFFIN: David, thanks. Let's go right down the coast where we find John Zarrella. He's in North Carolina's Atlantic Beach.
And, John, they have got evacuation orders there as well.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, absolutely, Drew.
And the Tackle Box Tavern there right behind me, they have got the boards ready and they have got the sandbags ready. And they're going to start boarding up just as soon as 8:00 rolls around. Mandatory evacuation time here. The police have said, look -- they came around with the bullhorns and they said, you got to get out. We're not going to allow people on the street. We're not going to allow vehicles on the street. Because this too is an island.
You can see some of the places here already boarded up. And they're ready for the storm as well. And they haven't boarded up the doors here, Drew, they say, because they're double-pane glass, but they have got everything else with the plywood on it.
And interesting here, the ocean, the beach is actually south- facing. The storm, if it comes straight up at us and is a little to the right of us, we would get the left side to the eye wall, but pretty close to the center of the storm.
Just talked to some folks a little while ago from Allstate Insurance who they say they're doing something a little differently this year. They're going around to their customers, as many as they can, in advance of the storm and they're telling them, make sure you have got all of your insurance documentation in a safe place. Keep it with you if you can in case you have to evacuate and certainly in case you have a claim afterwards.
And good advice for folks up and down the East Coast here. Make sure you get pictures taken or video of the outside of your house, all of your personal belongings on the inside of your house. Take those with you as well so you can document exactly what you have got in your house for those claims should you have to make them.
So, again, mandatory curfew here after 8:00. They're telling people off the streets tonight. And they're not going to lift that curfew until they know it's safe. There's a bridge right over here goes over to Morehead City. And that's about the only way on and off this barrier island.
We have had some squalls a little heavier than this during the day. Not much wind yet to speak of. But we know it's coming. And it's coming right from the south straight up here right for us. We're going to be one of the first along with David Mattingly out on the Outer Banks to really feel the effects of Hurricane Irene as it makes its approach and heads up the U.S. Eastern Seaboard -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Yes. John, and with that curfew at 8:00, it's put up or shut up time now as far as evacuating, because you won't be able to do that after 8:00 it sounds like. ZARRELLA: Yes. Yes. And you know, Drew, it's interesting because as many people as we have talked to who say they're leaving, there are just as many people here who are saying, no, we're not leaving. We're staying. We're going to stay. We're going to ride it out. We have been through these things before.
But a lot of folks told us, listen, this could be the worst storm that they have seen here since the 1950s, which was Hurricane Hazel. That's a long time ago. A lot of people probably weren't born in 1950s who are here now who are saying they're going to ride it out. They may not know what to expect and they have no idea what they're going to experience. It could be pretty rough going for the next 24 hours around here -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Well, we will find out soon enough, whether we like it or not.
Thanks, John.
ZARRELLA: Yes.
GRIFFIN: The Red Cross, of course, is ready to respond. We talked to Kate Meier with the American Red Cross yesterday out on the Outer Banks. She's in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
And, Kate, yesterday I think you told us it was about 50/50 between the people staying and going. Did you see more people leaving today?
KATE MEIER, AMERICAN RED CROSS: We did see a few more people packing up and going. And I will say that it's turning into a bit of a ghost town, a few spectators out on the beach wanting to watch the waves. But other than that, houses are boarded up and streets are pretty much empty.
GRIFFIN: The American Red Cross, will it ride out the storm where you are in place or are they positioning outside to come in after this things passes?
MEIER: We have hundreds of volunteers, lots of resources already in place on the outer periphery of the Outer Banks and of course up along the Eastern Seaboard.
My colleague and I are here in the Outer Banks now. But we're getting ready to evacuate. We know that it's the safe thing to do, it's the right thing to do. so we're headed out.
GRIFFIN: And what about shelters? If these people are leaving and they don't have places to go, maybe not a motel or friends anywhere, are there American Red Cross shelters open now?
MEIER: In North Carolina, alone, we have five shelters open. We have got about 175 people in those shelters now. We have an additional 70 shelters on standby ready to open and we think we will open at least half of those today. GRIFFIN: And we are seeing some live pictures of the surf right now. It looks pretty eerie, pretty stormy. And that's only going to get worse.
Kate, thanks so much. We will continue to check in with you as this afternoon goes on and I'm sure as this weekend goes on.
Meanwhile, you know it's going to be all about New York. It hasn't seen a big hurricane in more than 70 years. That is about to change. In fact, Irene could smack right into the Big Apple. We're learning about new evacuations just ordered for New York City and the surrounding area.
CNN's Susan Candiotti standing by on Long Island. We will check in with you, Susan, in just a second. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET NAPOLITANO, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The window for preparation is quickly closing. So if you are in the projected path of this storm, please listen to your state or local officials. Please listen to emergency radio or television. If you are told to evacuate, please do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: The Northeast bracing for Irene as this giant hurricane is churning its way up the East Coast. Today, New York Mayor Bloomberg announced the first mandatory evacuations in the city's history, saying New Yorkers need to get going and soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLOOMBERG: We are today issuing a mandatory, I repeat the word, mandatory, evacuation order for all New Yorkers who live in the low- lying Zone A coastal areas in all five boroughs that are at greatest risk of damage relating to Irene.
And we're adding to that the rest of the Rockaways, some of which are not Zone A, but are Zone B.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Where is that? Take a look at this evacuation map. Maps like this posted all over New York now. The map shows the areas most in danger of flooding. People in the Zone A areas must evacuate, says the mayor, as well as everyone in the Rockaways.
The red dots indicate where evacuation centers are located. Those centers open in a few minutes, 4:00 Eastern. Mayor Bloomberg also announced all metro transit will stop, stop in New York City at noon. Amtrak warning of service disruptions up and down the East Coast through this weekend. And in New Jersey, an exodus is under way there, tens of thousands getting away from the Jersey Shore. The approaching storm even scared Atlantic City casinos into shutting down.
Massachusetts Governor has declared state of emergency. The National Guard has been called in. And utility companies are of course putting together their quick response teams if -- I think more likely when -- the power lines go down.
We just heard Mayor Michael Bloomberg announce mandatory evacuations for part of New York City.
Let's head to Susan Candiotti. She is not far from the Hamptons. She's at Smith Point County Park.
Susan, you are -- where you are, are people being told to evacuate there?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They will be. It's a beautiful day to be out here on the beach on Fire Island, which is a 30-mile-long barrier island on Long Island's south shore.
People are out here at the beach. But things are starting to get serious, because as of this hour, there are mandatory beachside community evacuations being ordered for anyone living on this barrier island.
And starting tomorrow morning about 8:00, officials tell me they're going to call for a mandatory evacuation for people living on the mainland side of this barrier island.
So joining me now to talk about that, two people who live right over on the mainland, Kevin and Christine Church (ph).
Have you decided whether you will go along with the mandatory evacuation? You going to get out?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to get out. I don't want to take any chances.
CANDIOTTI: I understand, Kevin, you're on the fence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I really don't want to leave the house.
CANDIOTTI: But I'll tell you, this storm is a serious one. Haven't taken a hit here in many, many years. This one, are you taking this more seriously than ones in the past?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're prepared, I guess. We will see what happens.
CANDIOTTI: Want to make the difference. Christine, how are you going to convince him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, boy. I don't know. I will, though. I will convince him. (LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She will. She will get her way if it comes down to it. We will see how it is tomorrow and we will play it by ear. By tomorrow, maybe we will go somewhere.
CANDIOTTI: All right. We will play it by ear. A lot of times, people, Drew, have other relatives that live in other areas or friends they can stay with. That certainly is an option.
We also understand that hospitals here are already evacuating too. So this is a good day to prepare while the sun is still shining -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: And, Susan, let me just ask you about the weather. You're not seeing any signs of a hurricane yet, right?
CANDIOTTI: Not at all. It's a great day to go to the beach. It's also a good day to get to the store and to stock up on all the essentials that you're going to need. So certainly starting tomorrow, I suspect, having been through these and watching the forecast, the weather will probably start to turn tomorrow, possibly in the afternoon, when some of the extreme outer bands start to reach the New York metropolitan area.
GRIFFIN: Yes, it is indeed a beautiful day in New York. We're going to talk with a restaurant owner from Fire Island in the next hour. Susan, thanks a lot. We will continue to follow your progress in the storm as well.
We're not going to stray far from Hurricane Irene, but there are other things going on today, including a fascinating first look inside Moammar Gadhafi's secret tunnels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We don't know what we might encounter in here. And it's very, very dark. But this is Gadhafi's inner sanctum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: The ever intrepid Sara Sidner explores the Libyan dictator's newly discovered system of underground passageways, miles and miles worth under the city of Tripoli. We will show you what she found coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: We of course will continue to follow every movement with Hurricane Irene, but first a quick briefing on Libya.
Moammar Gadhafi still at large, but his hometown of Sirte, some 300 miles from Tripoli, has been attacked by British warplanes. Not clear why. In the Libyan capital, three main pockets of fighting are being reported, one near the port, one south of Gadhafi's former compound and one near the airport, 10 or so miles to the south.
But these pockets of combat appear to be getting smaller and smaller. In other parts of the city, calm enough, traffic has returned. There are even uniformed police. There's some optimism afoot there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am (INAUDIBLE) Libya now. (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When did you come to the street? Today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, yes. Today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today. Today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, yes, today, the first day in the new Libya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Good to see smiling faces, a new Libya.
Today, rebels marked the regime's collapse by toppling a famous sculpture that many of us have seen outside the Gadhafi compound. As you can see, graffiti artists got to it first.
Well, you have heard about that network of tunnels through which Gadhafi may have escaped. Turns out there's an underground bunker there right beneath the Gadhafi compound.
CNN's Sara Sidner takes us through the dictator's final (INAUDIBLE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't know what we might encounter in here and it's very, very dark, but this is Gadhafi's inner sanctum. Let me take off my hat here. There's no reason to have this on because these are really thick walls.
Check out this massive door with this incredibly sturdy lock. You can also see the communications here. I mean this is set up like a survival bunker. And that's exactly, I think, what the plan was.
This is incredible. I mean there is literally a city under here. But you can see -- wow! Obviously NATO bombed just there. You can see that there's a huge hole in the roof. But, actually, if we were to pop our heads out there, there's dirt there.
This is part of the TV studio. He even has professional videotapes there. So you're seeing the professional tapes here. So, obviously, these are where some of his messages are recorded. And there is tons of them. I mean, look, 90-minute ones. This whole place is filled with some of Gadhafi's recordings. It would be interesting to see what's on them. Where we're going now, supposedly, takes us to the house of resistance where you'll see a sign of Gadhafi's fist, like this, right in front of the home. It's a very famous place. Everyone knows it. But the guards are getting spooked that are with us. The opposition says let's get -- let's get out of here.
They believe these tunnels go all the way to the airport and all the way to the Rixos Hotel, they just have not had the time to go all the way through them. Just to get an idea of how big it is, this is a golf cart. And, obviously, it can fit all the way down these corridors. So I'm sure it was used to -- because this place is so big, to get back and forth.
Unbelievable.
Sara Sidner, CNN, underneath Tripoli.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: And we are keeping a close eye on Hurricane Irene as it churns in the Atlantic this hour. Many now fearing not only the storm itself, but what it could do the nation's already weak economy.
Up next, a highly anticipated speech today from this man, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke. We will tell you what he said and how the markets reacted.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Here are some of the other top stories we're working right now at this hour. In a speech today, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke declined to tip his hand on the future of the nation's monetary policy.
This time last year, remember, he singled that second round of -- quote -- "quantitative easing," what some call printing more money, to try to spur the economy. Bernanke said today that the Fed will map its course at a two-day meeting next month.
Smoke pouring out of a casino in Mexico, the target of a deadly attack Thursday. At least 52 people killed here. Gunmen burst into the building and set it on fire. And as rescue crews keep searching, that count might increase. Mexican officials believe this attack possibly related to the continuing drug cartel wars going on in Mexico.
At least 18 people killed in Nigeria's capital in a deadly bomb attack. A white SUV drove into the compound and then the vehicle detonated. Nigeria's president and the U.N. secretary-general both condemning this attack.
Well, coming up next, I will speak with the man who led the National Hurricane Center for seven years. He's one of the most trusted voices, especially on hurricanes, in this country. Find out why he's calling Hurricane Irene his nightmare scenario. Plus, Irene is headed right for him on a tiny North Carolina -- but one man says he's not going anywhere. He is going to tell us why next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: OK, hurricane Irene less than a day away now from slamming into North Carolina. Already the effects of the storm are being felt in some coastal areas. This is Atlantic beach, North Carolina. That was this morning, gray overcast, ominous. Irene with wind speeds of 110 miles an hour now could possibly intensify when it hits the coast.
People in Hyde County being told to evacuate and a state of emergency declared for counties east of interstate 95. New Yorkers also bracing for Irene. Bottled water, flashlights flying off shelves as you can imagine. Residents are being told the city's subway system could be flooded.
New York governor's office says the metropolitan transit authority will begin a system wide shutdown Saturday afternoon, joining Philadelphia and New Jersey in suspending service. Strong winds and heavy rains are expected to inundate dozens of states along the eastern seaboard.
Chad Myers following it all. Chad, what is the latest?
MYERS: I don't think that we're paying enough attention to the potential effects of long island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and even Massachusetts, because those places will be on the right side of the potential eye of the storm. We love to focus on the city because people live there. There's business. It's the heart of America. But a lot of people live in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
And I just want you all to be ready for this, because there's a potential large impact to that area to the right of the eye. This is where the tornados could be. This is where the storm surge could truly be. This is where the biggest impact of the unreported so far area of -- maybe I don't want people to get complacent there. I don't want them to say it's hitting New York, it's not going to hit us. I'll tell you what, if it hits New York as a category on, 85 miles per hour storm. It certainly could push a whole lot of water right into Connecticut, right into Rhode Island.
I know it's only 100 mile an hour storm and it's not that category three or category four that it was forecast to be. That is still a big storm. That is still a category two storm, significant enough that you need to worry about it if you are north or south of the line from New Jersey right on over to Cape Hatteras.
So there we go, there's the storm, category two. It drives itself. It's finally made a full turn. This turn actually happened because of the winds pushing it this way. Those winds tore it apart a little bit. That's actually why the storm got down to what it was. It was a little bit of shear, the computer models didn't forecast well. Over the islands, over duck, at 100 miles per hour, and then right along Long Island, all the way from Wildwood right to Long Branch as an 80 to 85 miles per hour storm. And that could tear up a whole lot of people. The amount of money that this thing could damage could really be significant.
GRIFFIN: I want to show you that video I teased up last time, talking about knuckle heads doing dumb things. These are people who are in Boynton Beach. They thought they could hold on to that rail and ride out these waves. I think eight of them were flipped into the water. They couldn't believe the force of the water. And I think a lot of people after this weekend nurturing broken arms and legs or worse will be saying the same thing unfortunately.
Max Mayfield, former national hurricane director, he's with us right now. You have called this, sir, a nightmare scenario, one you thought about for a long time. Why this hurricane? Why this warning?
MAX MAYFIELD, FORMER DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Well, you know, I think that's certainly one of my nightmare scenarios I had when I was at the National Hurricane Center. And one reason is just the population at risk here. A chance -- we don't want to make the mistake that a lot of the media made in Katrina by just focusing on one area, one city like New York City. They did that in New Orleans and the people in the outlying parishes and Louisiana, the Mississippi coast, people felt like nobody was talking to them. This is going to impact a large area from South Carolina all the up into New England.
GRIFFIN: Max, let's talk about freshwater flooding, one of your worst scenarios. This could put down six, 10 inches of rainfall in New York that has had the wettest August of all-time. Trees are going to come down with the wind. Talk about freshwater flooding and the danger.
MAYFIELD: Well, there's often large loss of life with hurricanes and the freshwater flooding even well and away of the coast. Just that turn around, don't drown program from the National Weather Service is good. If you can't see that road, don't drive there.
But we don't want to minimize those coastal -- the storm surge wave impacts. Even though Chad mentioned the strong winds will be on the east side, we don't know exactly if that's going to go over long island or east of there. Even in the strongest winds and the hurricane are, let's say, east of the New York City area, this is such a large circulation. In fact, you can see it here. They storm forces extend out to the center almost 300 miles. That's about double the typical size of a hurricane.
So even if those -- the core is to the east, that strong -- that large strong circulation, that's going to twist storm waves into the entire coastal area from North Carolina upward into New England.
GRIFFIN: Is it also a nightmare - let's be honest, a lot of people in the tri-state area have very, very little experience riding out, riding through, preparing for a hurricane. Many of them may take a macho approach that this is going to be another storm. Is that another problem that we have to deal with?
MAYFIELD: Absolutely. Down here in Florida, we've had enough hurricanes. We don't have an excuse not to have a hurricane plan and hurricane supplies and know what to do. And it's understandable that folks in the northeast really don't have that hurricane experience.
I really like the way FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said this today. If you want to change the outcome, we can't change it from the damage. Some of this damage is going to occur no matter what. You can change the outcome and help prevent loss of life in people will just heed the advice of local officials. The emergency managers, they've written these emergency plans, they know the timelines. But if individuals don't take that personal responsibility and follow through and do what they're told to do, we will have lost loss of life.
MYERS: Max, what about the high-rises in New York City, the windows and such and the people that live there?
MAYFIELD: Well, the high-rises are a concern. The higher up you go, the storm, the wind, yes. If you have a category 1 hurricane down on the surface, by the time you get, say, 30 stories or so up in a high-rise, you could have a category stronger. It really depends on where the strong winds are. And if the strongest winds are really to the east, there is some hope. But the winds are still going to be strong enough to give the windows a real test.
MYERS: Drew?
GRIFFIN: Max Mayfield, thank you. Understated, calm as usual. But telling us to be prepared for this one, I think.
MYERS: I love that voice.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: I know Max, I really do love that voice.
MAYFIELD: Thank you.
GRIFFIN: Really appreciate it. Thanks, Chad.
Not everybody is leaving the hurricane zone. Yesterday we introduced you to Byron Miller, the owner of the Ocracoke Harbor Inn. He's ignoring evacuation warnings, staying put on the Ocracoke Island, which is only accessible by ferry, boat or plane. Byron Miller joins me by phone. Are you still in the same situation, Byron? You're not having second thoughts about your decision?
BYRON MILLER, OWNER, OCRACOKE HARBOR INN, (via telephone): I'm totally, totally happy with my decision. We've pretty much finished the preparations. Now it's a wait and see.
GRIFFIN: I assume you still have power and that the surf doesn't appear to be that bad. When do you expect to lose power, and when you say we've made all our preparations, I'm assuming preparations for how you're going to eat over the next few days.
MILLER: Yes. I would imagine we'll have power through most of the night, if not into early tomorrow morning. We've got plenty of canned fish and bottled water and sandwich makings and all that. We do have a generator that we can use after the storm for power, refrigerators and stuff like that.
GRIFFIN: And how many fellow islanders do you estimate are out there with you?
MILLER: I'd say probably about 300 out of a thousand.
GRIFFIN: So a good third decided to stay. Do you check on each other? Are you working with each other to make sure if anybody does need help that you might be able to help them? Because at this point, I don't think emergency crews are going to help you guys.
MILLER: Correct. It's such a small community that a lot of people help other people board stuff up and do things. Everybody is pretty much kind of aware of like who stayed and where they are and what not. You know, if something were to happen and there's always somebody around to help.
GRIFFIN: Byron, we'll continue to watch your progress over there and the Orcacoke Harbor in as long as technology allows it. And certainly after this storm we'll be checking in with you. Thanks a lot.
We want to show you some new pictures we're getting of an Amtrak derailment. This happened way out in Nebraska. The southwestern part of the state this morning, about 8:00, 178 people on board, three people with nonlife-threatening injuries were taken to a hospital. Everybody else is OK. But you're looking at the first video that we have received of the wreckage. The train hit farm equipment on the tracks and derailed some of the 10 cars of that train there.
And of course, we are tracking hurricane Irene hour by hour as it moves closer towards the eastern seaboard. One spot we're watching in particular, extremely low-lying areas around Annapolis, Maryland. Even the slightest bit of rain can cause flooding. CNN's Athena Jones is there now. I've been watching all afternoon. It looks like a beautiful day, Athena, but I guess there's a race for the sandbags, which is what this is all about. We're going to talk to you about that right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the first mandatory evacuation this is New York's history, telling New Yorkers to get ready. Irene is on the way. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: You only have to look at the weather maps to understand just how big this storm is and how unique it is, and it's heading basically directly for us. (END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Take a look at this city evacuation map. They're posted across New York now. The map shows the areas most in danger of flooding. All of zone A, if you can look at it, must evacuate. Also under mandatory evacuation orders, the Rockaways. The red dots indicate evacuation centers. They should open within a few minutes.
Bloomberg also announced all metro transit is going to stop in New York City tomorrow at noon. Amtrak is warning of service disruptions up and down the east coast through the weekend.
And in New Jersey, an exodus under way. Tens of thousands are fleeing the Jersey shore. You can see the backup there. The approaching storm even scared Atlantic City casinos into shutting down.
And in Maryland people are told, if they stay put, be prepared to be without services like electricity or even clean water for days. CNN's Athena Jones is in Annapolis, Maryland, the capital, and one of the waterfront cities. Athena, it still looks beautiful, but that's probably going to change pretty quick.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, exactly. It's a really beautiful day here today. People are out and about, many of them trying to enjoy the day while also preparing for tomorrow. We've heard from city officials they're expecting about a three-foot storm surge, maybe 60 miles per hour wind by Saturday afternoon. And so this time tomorrow we expect to look very, very different.
And the main message from the mayor who we spoke to this morning has been for people to take this seriously and to not take chances. So they've been handing out sandbags off and on all day. We talked to residents here, people who work for companies about what they're doing to prepare, and they say that they've learned their lesson from the last hurricane, hurricane Isabel. Many of them saw several feet of water in their establishments. And so some have said this time I'm going to have to get more sandbags, raise them higher. Let's listen to what one man we spoke with earlier had to say about the sandbag situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK BASIL, ANNAPOLIS RESTAURATEUR: Everybody learned their lesson. It's recent enough history. And we got bit not too long ago. So everybody is driving every sandbag they can. It's like the pinata breaks and the candy is on the ground. As soon as the truck shows up, they're gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So we were out there earlier talking to Chuck Basil and to several people gathering sandbags. Early in the day, this delivery started happening early this morning, you saw trucks every 20 minutes or so early on. Then there was a lull, maybe 40 minutes. Then a two- hour lull. They went through the 1,600 sandbags the city was providing. And so just a little while ago, they came back in with another 800 sandbags. And so people are scrambling to get them and protect their homes and their businesses.
As you mentioned, this is a very low-lying area. Sometimes it can flood and this area where I'm standing, even when high tide comes in. That's about a foot in Annapolis. So a three-foot storm surge is significant and people want to be prepared. Drew?
GRIFFIN: All right, Athena, we'll continue to watch that, one of the many areas we'll be watching as hurricane Irene moves north. New York hasn't seen a hurricane in more than 70 years. Sunday that's going to change most likely because forecasters say Irene really could smack right into the big apple. If that happens, well, it could be catastrophic. Some of the possible scenarios coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: It's hard to imagine a hurricane this size slamming into New York City, but experts are warning even if Irene turns and Manhattan is spared a direct hit, the storm surge could cause a lot of damage. CNN's John Zarrella has been covering hurricanes in the southeast for years. He lives in hurricane country down in Florida. He knows the drill. That's why he headed to New York to see how Manhattan is preparing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Steve and Debbie O'Sullivan and their three children live in Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, a tranquil setting, beautiful wide shoreline. They never used to worry about hurricanes.
STEVE O'SULLIVAN, RESIDENT: We never really understood the greater impact of it. We never had a great fear of them. We used to play out in them.
ZARRELLA (on camera): What's changed?
STEVE O'SULLIVAN: Katrina.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): The O'Sullivan's, whose house sits one block from the ocean, are thinking about stocking up on hurricane supplies.
DEBBIE O'SULLIVAN, RESIDENT: I really am seriously considering getting more supplies of water and dry goods. It is a worry for me. He's not as worried as I am.
ZARRELLA: There may be reason for concern. New York City hasn't experienced a big hurricane since 1938. With the increase in hurricane activity combined with the law of averages, many experts believe another major storm may be coming, and soon.
(on camera) Is it going to be a slow rise?
NICHOLAS K. COCH, QUEEN COLLEGE, CUNY: Yes, yes. It's going to come up slowly, about the rite rate that you fill a bathtub. ZARRELLA: Coastal geologist Nick Coch, himself a New Yorker, believes if a major hurricane hits, it could be catastrophic. Deaths might surpass Katrina.
COCH: Because the most dangerous thing in New York is the New Yorker. And the New Yorker thinks they've been tested by everything, but very few New Yorkers have been in the eye of a hurricane and know how uncontrollable the energy is.
ZARRELLA: National Hurricane Center computer models and comprehensive studies are chilling. The water is pushed into lower Manhattan, steadily rising. Seawater pours through the Holland and Brooklyn battery tunnels. JFK goes under an astounding 20 feet of water. Water in the Wall Street district could be seven feet deep. The subway is knocked down.
COCH: And there's going to be glass all over the street, glass flying through the air.
ZARRELLA: One study put economic loss from a category three hurricane at $100 billion.
JEANNE SALVATORE, INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE: Metropolitan areas have high population areas and very expensive properties. So you throw a hurricane into that scenario and the results can be catastrophic.
ZARRELLA: There is a plan in place if necessary to move 2.3 million people out of coastal zones. But how many will go? Delores Orr heads the completely board in Rockaway.
DOLORES ORR, COMMUNITY BOARD CHAIRMAN: For those that were raised here, I hear them today talking that they're not going anywhere. And that's a concern.
ZARRELLA: For the O'Sullivans, being prepared just makes sense, even here in New York where the hurricanes are as unheard of as the Yankees not making the playoffs.
John Zarrella, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: So what if hurricane Irene does wallop Wall Street? Some traders are already planning ahead. Alison Kosik is standing by the New York Stock Exchange with details on that. We'll be right back to ask you those questions, Alison.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: On Wall Street, even more anticipated than hurricane Irene was this big speech we're expecting from Ben Bernanke today at a conference out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It turned out to be a big tease. Alison Kosik has that story. Alison, I guess what didn't the Fed chief say is what was taken notice there on Wall Street. ALISON KOSIK, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. And you know what, wall street didn't react too badly to the big tease. But what Ben Bernanke didn't say what he was going to offer a new stimulus. As I said, Wall Street seems to be OK with that. What Bernanke did do is he left the door open to something. Now, he wasn't specific. Instead he used some Fed speak, saying that the fed has a range of tools that could be used to support the economy. And Bernanke said the Fed will continue to discuss those tools at its next meeting in September.
What Bernanke did do was he did say that the Fed is going to do all it can. But what he did was he put the onus on the White House and Congress, that they have to do something to spur the economy. In fact he kind of waved a finger at Congress saying you've got to not mess this up like you did the debt ceiling debate. Remember that? How can we all forget? Drew?
GRIFFIN: Alison, right when he was finished speaking, the Dow kind of took a dive, but it came right back pretty strong today, right?
KOSIK: It did. I think you saw was Wall Street processing what he was saying. Initially there was disappointment about the fact that there was no stimulus package coming out of this meeting. But I think what they also are focusing on is this sort of door that he left open in September. And also you have to remember President Obama is giving a big jobs speech in September. So there is some expectation that something will come out of that as well.
GRIFFIN: Let me ask you about hurricane Irene and all these dire predictions for New York. Are there plans in place to keep the markets open Monday should there be big flooding or problems?
Well, the expectation is that the New York Stock Exchange will be open. But you have to remember where Wall Street is. Wall Street is basically at the southernmost part of Manhattan. So even when the city here gets heavy rain, we see a lot of flooding down here. So what we did see happening today, there are sandbags being placed outside of the exchange.
Once again, you know, the idea is to keep trading open, but they do have contingency plans in place. And a lot of the firms down here that trade down here, they put their employees up in hotels for the weekend, so hopefully they can show up for work. But you have to remember, Drew, even if the physical trading floor here behind me does have to close down, the electronic trading, that can continue. Drew?
GRIFFIN: Absolutely. They're ringing the bell to close this week. How are the numbers?
(RINGING)
KOSIK: We're looking good to end the week. A good way to start a very difficult weekend here in New York -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Alison, thanks.
