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Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall In Louisiana As Category 4 With 150 mph Winds; New Orleans Braces For Up To 20 Inches Of Rain From Hurricane Ida; President Biden Addresses The Nation From F.E.M.A. Headquarters. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired August 29, 2021 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:00]
JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: Breaking news on a storm of historic proportions. Just a short time ago, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana at near Category 5 strength. We're talking winds of 150 miles per hour among the strongest, Louisiana has seen its history.
Add to that torrential rains, the chance of tornadoes, and a life- threatening storm surge. You can understand why the National Weather Service is warning parts of Louisiana coastline could be uninhabitable for weeks, if not months.
And while we wait to see the full extent of the damage, the timing is eerie coming exactly 16 years to the day that Hurricane Katrina made landfall and forever changed the state.
At this hour, President Biden is at FEMA headquarters getting a briefing on the storm. We have a team of reporters standing by, but we do want to begin with CNN's Jason Carroll who is live in Houma, Louisiana, not too far from where the storm made landfall.
Jason, it looks like it is getting pretty serious where you are. What can you tell us?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, you know, the conditions we've seen them getting progressively worse with each passing hour, as we've been standing out here. It's the severe wind, it's the severe rain that's been coming down steadily, and we're not even really in the thick of it yet.
As bad as some of the conditions are now, if you take a look, and I don't know how much of this actually reads on camera, as you see these wind gusts come through here, but the eyewall of the storm, still two hours away from where we are at this point, Jim.
And Houma, at this point, is still again, I say at this point still in the direct path of the eyewall of Hurricane Ida. So, what we're being told is conditions here are just going to be steadily getting worse over the next few hours.
So, what we're going to be doing is we're going to be bringing you updates, obviously, as we're out here. I've already reached out to emergency officials to gauge what they've been seeing so far. We were able to do a short tour in the immediate area and have already seen power lines and power is already out in the area, Jim.
We've seen debris in the roadways. And again, that's already -- I mean, the worst of what is expected here in Houma hasn't even happened yet. So the city is bracing for what is to come. Most of those people or many of the people, the residents who live here in Houma have evacuated. The City's Sheriff tells me anywhere between 60 to 80 percent of those who live here in the area and in the surrounding area took the warnings and got out.
But still, there are a number of people who are still here in Houma and the emergency officials says at this point, they just have to hunker down in place and his concern are for those who are still here -- Jim.
ACOSTA: Jason, you and your crew is just doing a terrific job out there and we can see things are deteriorating just as you're speaking to us right now. Stay safe. We'll talk to you soon.
Jason Carroll with that update. Thanks so much.
Now, to New Orleans, the city already enduring what is already a second wettest year on record. Let's turn now if we can if we if we have Brian Todd with us right now. Let's go to Brian Todd right now.
We're going to go -- actually we're going to go to Governor Edwards right now. Governor Edwards is holding a press conference here in Louisiana. Let's do that first. We'll check in with Brian Todd in just a moment. Sorry, Brian.
Let's go to the governor.
You know, we don't have audio there of Governor Edwards. Let's go to Brian Todd in New Orleans. Brian, if you're still there. We were just going to the Governor's press conference. Let's get an update from where Brian Todd is.
Sorry to pull you back and forth there. I know it is tough enough where you are, Brian. How are things looking in New Orleans? How are they coping there?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the storm is getting very, very violent here in New Orleans. We are at the corner of Toulouse Street and Decatur Street in the French Quarter about a block away from the Mississippi River. A couple of things that I can show you and tell you about just how violent the storm is getting here in New Orleans.
The flow of the Mississippi River again, which is just about a block away from where we are, basically the flow has reversed on the Mississippi River because the storm surge is so strong.
Now, take a look at what just happened here in New Orleans here in the French Quarter. This canopy, it was part of a roof has just collapsed across this intersection of Decatur and Toulouse Streets. We are not quite clear where this was or where it came from, but you see that the violence of the storm brought down this entire roof. It's got debris from it.
Insulation over here that's been flying all around here down Decatur Street, you can see the wind gust just really streaming toward us here and some of the rain getting more violent as well. So, we've got that to contend with.
Authorities here have just said that they have shut down emergency services, so if people call 9-1-1 now, they are not going to be able to get to you.
Our photojournalist Jake Scheuer and I can walk you over here so you can see some more of the damage. We are faltering around pretty violently here, but Jake, if you can come over here, we can kind of go around this side of it and you can see some more of the damage.
Jake, if you want to just pan down there, you can see some debris that came off of this collapsed roof here in downtown New Orleans.
[15:05:18]
TODD: So emergency services, Jim, have been suspended for now. They cannot get to people who are going to call 9-1-1. They have said, though, that we've talked to officials from the Southeast Louisiana flood protection authority a short time ago. They are very confident that the levees and the floodgates here are going to hold. This is a much, much different, much, much more fortified system than existed right before Hurricane Katrina.
Storm surge they believe they can handle, but again, the rainfall as you can see, it is getting very, very heavy down here. It could get 15 to 20 inches of rain. New Orleans averages 62 inches of rain a year. They've already had 65 inches and we're not even through August yet.
This storm is going to do a lot to set records of rainfall here in New Orleans. Can they take 15 to 20 inches of rain? And can they withstand the flooding that is almost certainly going to occur in some of these streets, Jim?
We're just getting into the heavy part of this now. And as you can see, again, some areas in downtown New Orleans heavily damaged already.
ACOSTA: It looks bad where you are, Brian. Thanks for that report, and thanks for all that great work. We'll get back to you just as soon as we can.
Let's go live now to Baton Rouge where Governor John Bel Edwards is holding a briefing on the storm. Let's listen and get the latest from the governor.
GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D-LA): You should know that the entirety of the Louisiana National Guard has been activated, and currently, more than 4,900 guardsmen are out in support of current operations. Just on the search and rescue assets of the National Guard, they are
staged across 14 parishes. They have 195 high water vehicles, 73 boats, and 34 helicopters ready to support and assist the citizens of Louisiana.
There remain 169 wildlife and fishery agents with trucks and boats in the same number in order to do search and rescue, and the most robust search and rescue effort that we have consists of more than 900 individuals making up 21 teams that are represented by 16 different states, and the numbers that I just gave you include the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office and their boats.
The Department of Transportation has assembled 164 coaches, and 20 paratransit vehicles, 185 coaches will be available by tomorrow morning.
The Department of Corrections, our prisons have produced more than 34,000 sandbags for communities across South Louisiana. They've also completed the evacuation of 2,500 inmates from seven local jails those being Acadia, Orleans, Plaquemines, St Mary, St. Bernard, Vermillion and Terrebonne Parishes.
The CPRA continues to monitor gates across the coastal zone. As of a little earlier today, a total of 459 gates out of 692 are closed. That's up 246 since the briefing yesterday.
All of our hurricane protection systems have been fully -- I'm sorry -- have been completely closed and all structures are fully operational at this time.
As late as this morning, additional protection measures were being undertaken by levee districts such as the South Lafourche Levee District. They actually completed sheet pile and sandbagging operations to address low areas ahead of the storm.
Based on the hurricane track, and the wind, rain and surge forecast for the remainder of the hurricane, the CPRA is anticipating some overtopping of the southeast portions of the Larose to Golden Meadow Levee System, non-Federal back levees around Middle Grove and Alliance in Plaquemines Parish, and non-Federal levees in Lower St. Bernard Parish as well.
And obviously overtopping, it is concerning, but I want to make sure that everybody understands, overtopping and levee failure are not the same thing. A levee failure can be much more catastrophic, and so they are not the same thing.
Obviously, we're going to continue to monitor this flood protection system. I can tell you right now, we do not anticipate any overtopping of the Mississippi River level levees or overtopping of the levees in the hurricane risk reduction system around the Greater New Orleans area.
Clearly, you've seen the reports and up until a short while ago, I was able to look at live video feeds. There are very significant storm surge impacts around Port Fourchon and Grand Isle, as well as in Plaquemines Parish near Pointe A La Hache and Braithwaite.
[15:10:06]
EDWARDS: CPRA has pre-staged pumps throughout Southeast Louisiana and will deploy flood fighting assets to coastal parishes in need of dewatering as soon as it is safe to do so.
This is obviously a very fluid situation, it is rapidly changing, and that's why everyone needs to stay abreast by listening to news and following the guidance from your local officials.
Really, nobody in South East Louisiana should be out on the roads, but if travel becomes absolutely necessary after the storm, please proceed with extreme caution. There will be hazards out there that you may experience before any law enforcement or DOTD personnel or anybody else may be able to get to you first and warn you about it. This is especially true of debris, downed power lines and standing water.
Please check 511LA.org for road closures, and please don't drive through standing water. That's how we lose an awful lot of people after storms.
Many parishes are announcing curfews as we speak. So, all Louisianans should follow the directives of their local leaders, which are obviously designed to keep us all safe.
And the conditions vary by parish and they have different considerations in mind. And so please, honor these curfews and avoid needless risk to your own safety and that of your family. And please, again, keep streets clear for emergency responders.
If you have evacuated, don't be tempted tomorrow to return before you know, it is okay for you to do so please contact your Office of Emergency Preparedness or monitoring any announcements that they have as to whether it is the right time for you to return.
The last count that I had shortly before coming over here is we have 1,542 individuals being sheltered across the state, that is in at least 23 different shelters, the vast majority of those are being operated by parishes.
Obviously, we expect this number to increase throughout the day and potentially in the days to come as people discover that their homes are no longer habitable.
For the latest shelter information, text LA Shelter, to 898-211 or you can call 2-1-1.
Heed the guidance of local officials. Local officials will have the most up-to-date shelter information for a specific area or parish.
As we have mentioned several times before, if you lose electricity, and you decide to use a generator, it is imperative that you follow the instructions from the manufacturer. Please make sure that generator is well away from your home in a well ventilated area, it should not be inside, IT shouldn't be in a garage or a crawlspace, under a window or a vent.
And on occasion, you'll need to refuel the generator, please make sure that you allow it to cool off for at least 20 minutes before doing so.
In closing, and before I take some questions, there is no doubt that the coming days and weeks are going to be extremely difficult for our state. And many, many people are going to be tested in ways that we can only imagine today.
But I can also tell you that as a state, we've never been more prepared. Again, all the models that we've seen from the Army Corps of Engineers and from our own CPRA show that the Hurricane Storm Damage risk Reduction System will hold and perform as intended.
Will it be tested? Yes. But it was built for this moment.
I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the team that we've assembled at the state level. All the local officials and first responders and our Federal partners, AND by the way, I want to thank F.E.M.A. Regional Administrator, Tony Robinson, from coming out of Texas to embed with us here, and I can take it, a short while ago, I had a call with Administrator Criswell of F.E.M.A. in Washington and she is very closely watching what's happening here, coordinating with us, and already has various things en route so that we can employ them just as soon as possible, things like generators and so forth.
So, I have a tremendous amount of confidence in our team, all the state and local officials and our Federal partners -- but I want you to know, I also have confidence in the people of Louisiana. They always can continue to inspire me with their goodness and their decency and their generosity, and I know that they're going to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families and their neighbors, especially those who may have special needs.
[15:15:20]
EDWARDS: Maybe, they are elderly, and so forth. Please make sure that you check on them, and stay safe.
And I know it may not seem this way right now for many people out there across our state, but there is always light after darkness. And I can assure you, we're going to get through this. And I do invite everyone to offer up a prayer for our state, for the people of our state, that we get through this as soon as possible and in the best possible shape with the least loss of life.
You know, property is replaceable, lives are not. So, that is obviously our first order of priority.
So I'm going to stop there and take a few questions, and please feel free to direct your questions to any of the people that we have assembled here. And depending on what you ask me, I may ask them to come up and answer the question anyway.
Yes.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
EDWARDS: Yes. It's weather dependent. And quite frankly, before the weather gets good enough for us to respond, it's going to also be dark. So, what I can tell you is our expectation is that we will be ready at first light tomorrow morning to go out to those areas that we know already have received the most damaging impacts from the storm, principally wind and storm surge.
You mentioned Grand Isle, I can tell you that the video that I've seen, the reports that I've received are just tremendous amounts of storm surge there and wind damage. The good news is, you know, I hesitate to give you a figure, but something like 98 percent of Grand Isle evacuated, and the people who are there, I believe stayed back in structures that are specifically designed and built to withstand these types of forces.
But I have no doubt we're going to see extreme devastation at Grand Isle and elsewhere, but we will likely be sometime after first light tomorrow morning, before we can get up in the air and get vehicles down there.
And of course, you know, you've got to travel at LA1. I don't know if you saw that video, but LA1 was not in good shape in the Louisville area early -- earlier. So, we will be working that just as quickly as we possibly can and in all likelihood, traveling to Grand Isle and elsewhere in that vicinity via helicopter.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
EDWARDS: Okay, so I can tell you, no tier one hospitals have been evacuated. Now, tier one hospital is what we commonly think of as the hospital. By definition, we have some rehab hospitals, we have some behavioral health hospitals, and these are typically much smaller, and the patients' needs are not quite as acute and we have evacuated four such hospitals.
And since I'm on it, I'll tell you, we've evacuated 22 nursing homes, 18 assisted living facilities, and 61 intermediate care facilities as well. No hospitals have been evacuated, the tier one hospitals, because quite simply put, there's nowhere to bring those individuals. They're in a hospital because they need that setting and we don't have the capacity elsewhere.
I mentioned yesterday that over the previous 11 days or so, we've been able to achieve a 20 percent reduction in our COVID inpatient census across the State of Louisiana. The good news is, almost all of that happened in Southeast Louisiana.
But there's still 2,450 COVID patients in our hospitals across the state in addition to all the other patients that remain in our hospitals and that is a much higher number than we ever experienced in the first three surges, and so, it's still a very daunting situation and quite frankly, we're concerned as we have been for a long time about staffing.
But you know, the storms have an impact on staffing, too, in terms of, do they have to evacuate with their family for some reason? Does their home remain habitable so that they can live at home and go to work?
And so we've got an awful lot of work to do, but we will have no higher priority than to make sure that our hospitals can remain in operation and functional, and that's going to be a challenge because we expect widespread power outage for some time. But we know that they have generators, we know that they have stocked up on fuel and water and food, and on pharmaceuticals, things like oxygen and so forth.
[15:20:20]
EDWARDS: But quite frankly, we know that the longer the power stays out, the more challenging this is going to be. And the more devastation in an area, the harder it is going to be for them to have the staffing that they need.
And, you know, one of the challenges that we're having is we actually had staff -- additional staff coming in from out of state yesterday, pursuant to contracts that we have executed. And the staff was unable to get in because they didn't have any place to stay. There wasn't a hotel room open anywhere. And so that was a real challenge.
And so, I guess, I say those things just to point out that challenges are going to manifest themselves in ways that we can't even imagine now. But we have a great team here and across the state locally. And we're going to do everything that we can to prepare for every contingency that we can come up with right now.
But this is going to be a very, very challenging situation.
Yes, ma'am.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
ACOSTA: And we want to break away from that press conference being held by the Governor of Louisiana. We're going to go straight now to the National Response Coordination Center at F.E.M.A. Headquarters.
President Biden is going to be making some remarks about how the Federal government is responding to Hurricane Ida as it is raging across Louisiana and parts of that part of the country.
Let's go to the President here in just a few moments. He's being introduced now by the Administrator of F.E.M.A. and we will hear from the President in just a few moments.
We do know, from just a few moments ago, reporters with the President were told about some of the supplies -- Federal supplies -- being sent down to the hurricane zone. I imagine the President talk about that.
And here's President Biden.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You've got your hands full, but you've done an incredible job so far in prepping for this.
Yes. Jill and I are just getting back from Dover Air Force Base from my home state where we met with the families of the 13 fallen heroes in Afghanistan. They lost their lives in the service of our country and while we're praying for the best in Louisiana, let's keep them in our prayers as well.
I've just been briefed by F.E.M.A. leadership, and we have real leadership on Hurricane Ida and the preparations for rescue and response. And the storm has made, as you know, better than anyone, but I'm speaking to the public at large here, the storm made landfall a few hours ago, and it continues to rage and ravage everything that comes in contact with.
The storm is a life-threatening storm. Governor Edwards, an old friend has characterized it as one of the strongest hurricanes -- the strongest in Louisiana history since 1850. And as devastation is likely to be immense, we shouldn't kid ourselves.
And so the most important thing I can say right now is that everyone -- everyone should listen to the instructions from local and state officials on just how dangerous this is and take it seriously. It's not just the coast, it's not just New Orleans, it is north as well. The rainfall is expected to be exceedingly high.
And to the people the Gulf Coast, I want you to know that we are praying for the best and planning and prepared for the worst.
As soon as the storm passes, we're going to put this -- we're going to put the country's full might behind the rescue and recovery, and I mean that. I've been around for a lot of hurricanes. I'm no expert, but I've been around for a lot of hurricanes and I don't think we've ever had as much preparation.
Long term preparation with a levee system and preparation here, thanks to the administrator's leadership, and the hard work of the F.E.M.A. team, all of whom are gathered behind -- many of whom are gathered behind me.
We've already pre-positioned resources that we know are going to be needed, and equipment and response teams in the region.
This includes 2.5 million meals, three million liters of water. We've got generators in place and we're in close touch with the power providers to get and restore power as soon as possible because a lot of it -- a lot of it is going to go out and we should be prepared, but it can take a long time no matter how much we've pre-positioned, which we have, that it's going to take a long time for a lot of it to get back up, it could take a matter of weeks for some places.
[15:25:12]
BIDEN: We have got 13 Urban Search and Rescue teams. For those of you who aren't familiar with that, these teams make up about 70 people and experts in each of these teams and they can do real serious recovery work.
More than 100 ambulances and emergency medical teams have been activated and we are working with the Red Cross and local partners to open dozens and dozens of shelters with cots and blankets and meals to support those we need to evacuate. That will happen mostly in the northern part of the state and maybe in parts of Mississippi.
And I've already signed an Emergency Declaration for both Louisiana, as well as Mississippi and I want to make sure that we're ready to surge all the response capacity capability that we have to deal with whatever comes next, and a lots going to be coming.
I've been in touch with the Governors of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana and my team at the White House has been in touch with other state, local, and Federal officials in the region. And they know, they know, they will be with the full resources and support of the Federal government.
So I want to emphasize again, this is going to be a devastating -- a devastating hurricane, a life-threatening storm. So please, all you folks in Mississippi and in Louisiana -- Mississippi and God knows maybe even further east, take precautions.
Listen, take it seriously, really very seriously.
And you know, the whole of government effort is ready to get to work. I can't think of any time where the Federal, state, and local folks have worked together more closely and in advance of an obvious significant natural disaster.
And folks, we're going to be here. We are going to be here to help the Gulf region get back on his feet as quickly as possible, as long as it takes -- as long as it takes.
So thank you, and may God protect those in the path of the storm, and God willing, we'll get through this sooner than later.
But don't kid yourself, this is going to take a lot of resources a little bit of luck, and as my grandfather would say, the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbors, and by the way, look out for your neighbors if you're in the region, look out for your neighbors.
So thank you very much. And thank you, Commissioner. I really think it all works. I'm not -- I'm not supposed to take any questions. But go ahead.
QUESTION: Mr. President on Afghanistan --
BIDEN: I am not going to answer Afghanistan now.
ACOSTA: It looks like President Biden may be making a couple more marks --
BIDEN: ... how dangerous is more than you guys, and I know you will. You have done everything he can to help prepare these folks. But I tell you what, it's -- I think we're going to be certain we take a look at additional levee systems.
ACOSTA: All right, and that was President Biden at F.E.M.A. headquarters. It's always good to listen to the President of the United States just as long as the cameras are rolling when he is in the room, the President pledging the Federal government's full support to Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Gulf region as it grapples with Hurricane Ida and its aftermath.
Just a few moments ago, you heard the President warning people in that area to take cover and to take this storm seriously. Just before we had President Biden's remarks there, we were hearing from Governor Edwards in Louisiana who had the same message.
But before we get back to the situation in Louisiana, I want to turn to Jeremy Diamond, our White House correspondent to give us any thoughts he might have on what we just heard from the President a few moments ago. What stood out to you, Jeremy?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, I think it was clear that the President wanted to send a message to the people in the path of this storm saying that this is a life threatening storm. He urged people to listen to instructions from state and local officials.
And he also talked about the recovery process, even as this storm is beginning to make landfall, the President saying that the Federal government is mobilized and is going to help to try and get this region back on its feet as quickly as possible.
He also urged people to look out for their neighbors, and we heard him at the end there speaking to F.E.M.A. staff, encouraging them on over what is going to be I'm sure a grueling next couple of days for that staff.
Interestingly, the President at the end there decided to take some questions, but once the questions were on the subject of Afghanistan, the President decided he did not want to engage with those questions.
So clearly, the President trying to shift the focus away from that and show that he's focused on this storm at the moment.
[15:30:09]
DIAMOND: Of course, earlier today, the President did attend that dignified transfer of those 13 service members who died in that terrorist attack in Kabul. So Afghanistan, certainly part of the President's scheduling on his mind, but not something that he wanted to discuss further while he was at F.E.M.A. headquarters just moments ago.
ACOSTA: All right, Jeremy, thanks so much.
And we should note, a female spokesperson before the President was speaking did say that F.E.M.A. is sending 200 ambulances, 139,000 tarps, 3.5 million meals and 2.5 million liters of water to the Gulf region for people who are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
Of course, it's still wreaking havoc across the region. We're going to reset our coverage, take a quick break and then come back and see how things are developing with the storm after just a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:35:13]
ACOSTA: Hurricane Ida now thrashing Louisiana and other Gulf Coast States after making landfall as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm with winds of 150 miles per hour.
This is only the third time ever that a hurricane of this magnitude has hit Louisiana. CNN's Nadia Romero is in New Orleans, the very city devastated by Hurricane Katrina 16 years ago, to the day.
Nadia, the mayor is urging residents to stay inside, hunker down for the remainder of the day. We heard the Governor just a short time ago saying if you're hunkering down, you may have to be prepared to wait it out for 72 hours before rescuers could potentially get to you.
What are the conditions like where you are right now? And are you anticipating a situation where things are going to get worse?
NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, I can see exactly why the Governor says it's going to take at least 72 hours because we're waiting for Hurricane Ida to show up. Now, she is here and she is wreaking a lot of havoc.
And we know that we have those downed power lines, more than 200,000 customers throughout Louisiana without power. Take a look. This is Canal Street. This is a major thoroughfare right through the City of New Orleans and look at the damage the storm has already done.
Those bus stops out here have had the glass blown out of them from the wind. The palm trees are barely hanging on. But there is a good sight here, Jim, we're seeing some emergency crew workers that are out here that are with the electrical company, they're waiting for their orders, and they're really waiting for the storm to end, to wrap up.
These guys are coming from all different states to the City of New Orleans, you can see their trucks are lined up all along Canal Street and they will get in those cars and go out to try to get the power back on but, it's going to take some time.
First, they have to wait for the storm to end, to be done, then you have to go out and do damage assessments. And then after that, that's when they'll get their marching orders to go out and try to help to get the power restored.
So Jim, you talked about the conditions. We just learned over the Mississippi River not far from here, that the flow has partially been reversed because of the fury of Hurricane Ida, and that's what we are experiencing.
I want you to take a look though at why it is so dangerous out here right now. We're waiting for this light fixture to finish toppling over, different pieces have been broken off because of all of the wind of Hurricane Ida.
We've gotten a lot of questions, especially on social media about our crew and if we're staying as safe as possible. We've all switched over to a more appropriate gear for safety. We're wearing goggles. We switched over to bull caps that actually have a hardhat on the inside in case there's any debris that may come on our way, so we are being as safe as possible as we're out here in the street.
So we are seeing our folks who have come in to help clean up after the storm. We're not seeing a lot of residents. Most of them are inside of their house hunkering down, but they have to have enough water and supplies for two weeks. That was the warning before the storm in case they have to be in their house without power -- Jim.
ACOSTA: All right, Nadia Romero, great reporting there as the winds are picking up in New Orleans. We'll get back to you. Thanks so much.
Take cover. Stay safe.
Let's get you to F.E.M.A. headquarters in Washington. We just saw the President there a few moments ago. David Bibo is joining us now. He's the Acting Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery. David, thanks so much for talking to us. From where you are at the Command Center. What's your primary concern at this point? What are the areas you're really focused on right now?
We just saw our Nadia Romero in New Orleans. You could really tell the winds are picking up there. But as she was saying, they are still waiting on the full brunt of that storm to blow through.
DAVID BIBO, ACTING ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESPONSE AND RECOVERY, F.E.M.A. : Well, Jim, that's right. Our primary concern right now is life safety. Hurricane Ida made landfall just a couple of hours ago as a ferocious Category 4 storm with 150 mile per hour winds, and it is proceeding into southeastern Louisiana and folks throughout southeastern Louisiana, and Southwestern Mississippi need to take this storm seriously.
They need to be in their safe place now, hunkered down. They've still got power. We want them to plug in their devices so they can get a full charge in case they do lose power. Fill up that bathtub with water and make sure that you're in a safe place. This is a very dangerous storm, and we want to reinforce what Mayor Cantrell and Governor Edwards and the entire team down there have been saying, which is get to your safe place now.
ACOSTA: And we just heard from President Biden at F.E.M.A. headquarters a short time ago. What was his message to all of you when the cameras were not rolling there? They were rolling there just for a brief moment and then the pool of reporters was ushered out.
It sounded like he was really trying to rally the troops there at F.E.M.A. headquarters for just a few moments.
[15:40:06]
BIBO: Yes, the President's message was clear as a bell to the F.E.M.A. team, which is lean forward and do everything you can to support the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, and anybody else that is going to be affected by Hurricane Ida. We've been pre-positioning now for days throughout the projected area
of impact. With great forecasts from the National Hurricane Center, we were able to position west and east of the track with meals, water, tarps, personnel like Incident Management Assistance Teams, and Search and Rescue Teams from around the country, state and local firefighters, EMS and rescue personnel, the joint specialized teams and deploy when their country needs them now stage to get ready to help Louisianans and Mississippians should they be needed.
We've got Coast Guard from California, from the Great Lakes and all the way to Cape Cod that are pre-staged and ready to support life- saving, life-sustaining missions as soon as the storm passes, and it's safe to do so.
ACOSTA: And 2,400 F.E.M.A. personnel have been deployed. Give us a breakdown of what some of these workers will be doing, if that number could go up in the coming hours. I suppose you have the capacity to ramp up even more, depending on what the storm does.
BIBO: Well, that's right. And you see the folks seated behind me here in the National Response Coordination Center, we're getting resource requests and making sure that we can get resources pre-positioned. So, there are folks like those that you see behind me.
There are also folks who will be first out on the ground to get information out to disaster survivors about how they can get assistance, make sure that we can get that set of meals and water, tarps, cots deployed to where they need to go from our staging bases out to the points of distribution that will end up supporting the State of Louisiana, and perhaps the State of Mississippi within the days ahead.
But our job is to get into position as best we can and be ready to support those requests. But right now, really, really important that folks in southeastern Louisiana and inland -- and inland -- this is a storm that is going to have effects far inland. It's not just the wind. It's not just the storm surge on the coast, it's the rain, 10 to 15 inches of rainfall, isolated areas of 20 inches. That means flash flooding and flash flooding can come on real quick, out of nowhere.
So, it's critical that folks download the F.E.M.A. app, put their zip code in so they can get real time weather alerts to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
This storm is far from over and folks need to take the warnings of their state and local officials very seriously.
ACOSTA: That's interesting that you can just get onto an app and get that kind of information out. Let me ask you one other thing. As you know, the states in the hurricane's path, we're already experiencing a shortage of ICU beds due to COVID. How is F.E.M.A. grappling with that? How is it handling that situation?
Because you could -- I mean, we heard from the Governor yesterday saying that maybe, you have 450 hospital beds in the whole state because of the situation with COVID right now, those numbers may be a little different today. But obviously that is something you may have to deal with. How is F.E.M.A. looking at that right now?
BIBO: So, a couple things. First, COVID makes everything more difficult in the context of disasters. That's why we're encouraging people to get one of the safe and effective COVID vaccines that's available, and also encouraging people to think about their family preparedness kit. You know, if you've got young kids like I do, make sure you've got masks ready to go in case you have to evacuate and go to a shelter and get yourself ready.
As it relates to our response, we have been supporting the State of Louisiana with additional teams of Federal personnel to help decompress and support the hospital workers who have been heroes on the front lines. For the past several weeks, we've been doing that and we're going to continue to provide that support in the days ahead as Louisiana deals with the confluence of COVID and the effects from Hurricane Ida.
ACOSTA: Okay, some great information there. F.E.M.A. Acting Associate Administrator David Bibo, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.
Now, we have some long hours ahead for you and your team, but we appreciate your hard work. Thanks so much.
BIBO: Thank you.
ACOSTA: And we'll be right back in just a few moments. Stay with us.
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[15:48:32]
ACOSTA: Hurricane Ida is battering Louisiana right now. You're looking at the latest pictures coming in from Grand Isle, Louisiana. Across the state, more than 285,000 customers are without power, and in some areas, emergency services have been completely suspended. It is simply too dangerous for many even trained emergency crews to venture out.
CNN's Derek Van Dam is on the scene in Houma, Louisiana just northwest of where Ida made landfall. Derek, you can tell, I mean, that situation is deteriorating, where you are. What can you tell us right now?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Jim, these winds are hellacious, it's a real life acupuncture to the face. This is what a monster Category 4 hurricane feels like. It is pins and needles on every exposed part of your body. It feels like a jet engine spraying at you at a hundred miles per hour.
What you see behind me, if I was to step 20 feet backwards, I would not be able to stand. We are approaching the inner eyewall of major Hurricane Ida.
This is a significant storm and the National Weather Service verifies that because they have issued what is called an Extreme Wind Warning. Our phones have been lighting up, left, right, and center with these alerts.
And I keep talking about that because it's reserved for only the most dangerous of situations. Sustained 150 mile per hour winds. There goes the camera lens from our particular camera equipment.
[15:50:10]
VAN DAM: All right guys, you are going to have to bear with us. We are in the middle of a hurricane clearly, and conditions change very rapidly.
And I want our viewers to understand at home, that we have the ability to duck in for cover when we need to.
I am in a safe of a position as I can potentially be in with a building that was built post Katrina. We have had reinforced concrete walls. We have windows here that can withstand Category 3 and Category 4 hurricane winds.
This storm is an absolute monster, and every time we hear that all too familiar sound of the train whistle of the winds within this area, it reminds me of hurricanes in the past and it sends shivers down my back -- Jim.
ACOSTA: Derek, I can tell you right now, I know you're just hanging on the best that you can. Everything you guys are doing is perfect. The shot looks -- it is rough, but those are the conditions that you're in right now. But you're holding up just fine.
Let me ask you, though, based on what you can see right now, can you give us any sense of the damage in the area where you are right now? Are you expecting more damage as the hours go on?
VAN DAM: So, I've just done a bit of a reconnaissance around our hotel peeking out the windows of the side doors, there are trees that have toppled over on the vehicles in the parking lots here, and there are trees bending over literally.
Behind us, you can see just a small window of what we're experiencing. From my balcony, you get a whole 360 degree perspective of the destruction that's unfolding here in Houma, Louisiana. And it is going to be a very rough next few hours as the eye approaches this particular region.
We know that the inner eye wall, we keep talking about it, that is the area where the winds will be at strongest. And then what will happen is winds will go calm in this area, the sun may come out, and birds will fly around and the destruction that is unfolding behind me will lay flat on the ground, but then be picked right back up again on the backside of the hurricane.
And what makes it particularly dangerous, Jim, is that people come out doors because they think the storm has ended. That is not the time you want to be outdoors to check out your property and your belongings because the backside of the storm can often be more dangerous. It'll take that shrapnel, it'll take that debris, and it will projectile it across the air and make it very difficult and it will come from a different direction as well. You have to be prepared for that.
ACOSTA: All right, well, Derek, that is a very good point that you're making right now that you're on the front side of this eyewall and that things may calm down where you're at. People may be tempted to go outside and so if anybody is watching or listening to this right now, do not go outside when things are clear when you're in the middle of that eye because as you were just saying, the other side of that eye wall is going to slam into the area where you are and send things flying.
Derek, hang on. We're going to go to another expert and get back to you shortly. Thanks so much. Get back inside. Stay safe. Appreciate that report.
Hurricane Ida is hitting Louisiana as it deals with a surge in COVID infections and hospitalizations. Dr. Mark Kline is the Physician-in- Chief at Children's Hospital in New Orleans. He's in the thick of the storm right now.
Doctor, we just learned your hospital has lost power, maybe it is back on. You look okay from our vantage point. How are things where you are? Tell us how things are going where you are.
DR. MARK KLINE, PHYSICIAN-IN-CHIEF AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN NEW ORLEANS: Jim, conditions outside are pretty rough. I'm sitting here talking to you just with natural light. We are on emergency generators. The city power has been lost, but all of the patient care areas have power through emergency generation.
The conditions outside are rough and to my eye looking out the window are getting rougher. But inside, we've got everything under control. We have a ride out team of health professionals that have been here locked down in the building since before seven o'clock this morning and we are here for the duration and we plan to take good care of all of the patients and the families that are here in the hospital and make sure that everyone comes through this in good shape.
ACOSTA: And before Hurricane Ida, this is so important. Your Children's Hospital is already facing the devastating impact of the pandemic. Your ICUs were treating so many children, and then this month the Federal surge team of emergency responders was called in to help. That was before Ida. Are you ready for this? If you have to have more patients coming in, more children coming in who need treatment at this point.
KLINE: We're ready. We do have bed capacity. We have the staff that we need to take care of additional children and, and so we'll do what we have to do. Our commitment is never to turn a child away and to take care of any child or family that needs us and about the last thing in the world we wanted at this point in time was a Category 4 hurricane, but here it is, and we just have to deal with it.
[15:55:26]
ACOSTA: And how maxed out is the hospital right now? Can you handle another surge of patients? It sounds like from what you're saying, you know, you'll just have to do, you'll make do, you'll make room for patients who come in. But give the viewers a sense of how maxed out things are right now and what COVID has done?
We've seen so many heartbreaking stories in the news in recent days. "The New York Times" just had one this morning of children suffering from this delta variant. What has that been like on your end of things?
KLINE: Jim, it has hit us really hard, it's been a gut punch to be honest with you. We have not seen anything like this in the earlier surges of COVID-19, and the delta is just a whole other animal when it comes to children, a lot of them getting really sick. We've had some really desperately ill children across the age range from early infancy to teenagers in our ICU.
And the remarkable thing is that the nurses and the doctors have been taking care of those patients and really literally working themselves to exhaustion. Doing so are the very same people who are locked down in the building right now taking care of patients over the course of this hurricane and it's just been an extraordinary and frankly an inspiring thing for me as an older physician to see these young physicians who are just working so hard and giving it all they've got every single day and it gives me confidence that if another surge comes, we'll manage through it.
But we're beginning to see some progress.
ACOSTA: And the kids are doing okay? They're coping okay? I have to go very quickly. But the kids are coping okay with the storm right now?
KLINE: Yes, inside the building, you wouldn't know that there was a storm going on outside. We've got everything under control.
ACOSTA: All right, Dr. Mark Kline, at least that is of some comfort to us. We appreciate it. We'll try to check back with you and see how things are going, but let us know if things start heading downhill there on your end. We appreciate your time. Thanks so much.
KLINE: Thank you.
ACOSTA: Again, the storm surge alone from Hurricane Ida is expected to be impossible to survive in some places. Our special coverage continues next.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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ACOSTA: You are live in the CNN Newsroom. I am Jim Acosta in Washington. We are following breaking news, Hurricane Ida is pummeling Louisiana right now after making landfall near Port Fourchon a short time ago. It is now officially time for the strongest storm ever to hit the state with 150 mile per hour winds.
[16:00:14]
