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All of New Orleans without Power after Ida; Ida Weakens to Tropical Storm; Clyde Cain is Interviewed about the Cajun Navy's Rescue Efforts; Houma, Louisiana, Hit Hard by Ida; Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome is Interviewed about the Storm Damage; House Select Committee Seeks to Preserve Phone Records. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired August 30, 2021 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Accessing the damage this morning in Louisiana. The death toll right now stands at one person dead, more than a million people without power this morning after Hurricane Ida tore through the state over the past 24 hours.

And here's where things stand right now. Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm this morning after slamming southern Louisiana as a category four storm, packing 150-mile-per-hour winds. Today the storm is crawling through parts of the state, dumping several inches of rain as it does. The biggest hazard now is dangerous flash flooding. Officials are warning of extreme danger due to storm surge, high winds and tornadoes as well.

Take a look at these pictures. This morning, this is what residents are waking up to. This is New Orleans. Many homes are flooded. Roofs have been torn off. We're hearing reports that some people are still trapped in their homes as waters rise.

Governor John Bel Edwards urged residents to stay where they are.

All of this as we're hearing that levees across the state are strained. Some have been overtopped. At least one has failed. Thankfully, many around New Orleans have withstood the rising waters. Right now all of New Orleans, however, is without power.

CNN's Nadia Romero on the ground there.

Nadia, tell us the damage you're seeing and how are those levees holding?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Jim, this area right here is Expinod (ph), the street here. To my right is the French Quarter. And we're finally getting an idea of what happened. The aftermath of Hurricane Ida. And you can see the destruction behind me.

Let's take a walk as we go down this street, which is normally a very nice neighborhood, but it's just been trashed by all of these trees. And this here, you can see this lamp here that's slanted over on top of this car. You can also see these power lines. This is the reason why we have more than a million people without power all across Louisiana. And it's also why many of them will remain without power for at least a couple of days, if not weeks, because there is an order of how they have to do things.

So, first, you have to wait for the storm to pass. We've made it to that mark. Now, day two is going out and assessing the damage. And then you have to clear the debris.

So, what will it take? What kind of equipment will you need to move these power lines, move this car out of the way, move these big trees, these palm trees, that are on the ground?

I'm going to duck under these power lines. We're assuming all of them are dead. But just to be safe.

You have all of these palm trees now that are blocking the road for people who are trying to get in and out of their house. And that includes emergency crews. So we know that New Orleans EMS is down right now. Their service was down during the height of the storm because it was too dangerous.

Imagine an emergency vehicle going up and down this street. And the lamp pole falling on a car or one of these trees falling on stop of someone. It's the reason why their services were down during the storm and also people were told to evacuate or find shelter because this is how someone died. We know at least one person died from a tree falling on top of them.

Now, we have no cell phone service really throughout the city of New Orleans. Communications are down. Wi-Fi is sketchy. The power is out. All of the above is happening because of Hurricane Ida. No timeline on when we might get power.

But this is what people are waking up to. Many of these homes, all of them really in New Orleans, unless they have their own generator, without power this morning. So they had to wait until the sunrise. People are coming out of their homes and seeing what is really destruction left after a category four storm came through this city.

Jim.

SCIUTTO: Shows you the power of those storms, no question.

Nadia Romero, there in New Orleans, thank you.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers, he's also been covering this.

A lot of concerns as this came in. It has weakened, thankfully, but it's sitting there. You always talk about all that rain and the danger that that poses.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: This is a tropical system. If you've ever been in the tropics and it rains like at 2:00 in the afternoon, you think, how can this much water be falling out of the sky.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

MYERS: Well, that's what we have here, in a wide area. How much water can fall out of the sky in one hour? And it's been one or two hours -- one or two hours and two inches an hour. So it doesn't take long to get to four inches right at that point in time.

Something else we have going on, too, all these flash flood warnings. I counted them a little earlier, 17 different flash flood warnings, some being flash flood emergencies, which means it's going on right now and people are in danger. And that's still going on, because it's still raining.

And we also have the threat of tornadoes today. Now this one's over here from Biloxi. That cell kind of went between Biloxi and Gulfport. But there's another just to the south of Pascagoula. If you're in Pascagoula, get ready for that one. It's rotating. It could possibly be a waterspout that could come onshore. That's what we're looking at today.

You know, I mean, looking back, and this wasn't what Katrina was, because Katrina was such a wider storm. It know it had lower middle wind speeds, but Katrina had 59 tornados with it.

[09:05:04]

SCIUTTO: Wow.

MYERS: So, you know, tornadoes today are certainly possible. There may not be 59 but they'll be there.

Then this is the rain that spreads to the north. It spreads into Pennsylvania, even toward D.C. Some of these areas, four to six inches. That's a lot of rain. Think about what happened around just west of Nashville with the rain from -- that's all still there. It's still saturated. The ground is not going to soak any of this rain in.

So, here it goes. There's the storm system. And 1.1 million customers without power, Jim. And I think that's a big distinction. Not 1.1 million people. You know, a customer is a house, a building, you know, a hospital, whatever.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

MYERS: So you have to multiply that by at least two or three to get to the people that are actually affected.

SCIUTTO: Yes. That's a great point. There's a multiplier there, no question.

Chad Myers, thanks so much.

MYERS: You bet.

SCIUTTO: As we noted there, a million customers without power in the state of Louisiana. With phone lines down, and the very real threat of rising floodwaters this morning, a group of volunteers, you've probably heard of them, the Cajun Navy, is already assisting with water rescues of those trapped in their homes.

And here with me now is Clyde Cain, he's the founder and northshore captain for the Louisiana Cajun Navy.

Clyde, great to have you on.

You guys always do such great work in the midst of these storms. In a way, no one does it better than you.

How many people are you hearing from right now that are still in danger?

CLYDE CAIN, FOUNDER AND NORTHSHORE CAPTAIN, LOUISIANA CAJUN NAVY: Well, we're hearing all through the night on our open Zello channel. We were -- they gave out our number, and especially my business number.

And we were hearing almost back to back calls, LaPlace, all the different areas down there with people in their -- families, entire families from children all the way to elderly trapped in their attics with water rising. We've got teams down -- heading down that way and are down that way right now and started at dawn, as soon as the winds died down and we could get out into those areas and start helping everyone.

SCIUTTO: Yes. When I hear people fleeing to their attics as the water rises, it brings back bad memories from Katrina, where we saw so much of that.

With coms down, though, I wonder, cell towers down and so on, how are people getting in touch with you?

CAIN: Well, that was the key was to get all that information in as quickly as possible while we had coms up. So we were working on our Zello channel, our open Zello channel, official Louisiana Cajun Navy channel, and also, you know, taking all of the messages that were coming in from FaceBook and, of course, my business line. I was 911 for about six or seven hours.

And just routing everybody to one simple location to where immediately when we started doing rescues and deployed to their area, we would have an active list and we could coordinate with other groups as to -- once we got there, who had been rescued, who had not been rescued.

SCIUTTO: Can you give us a sense of some of the folks you've been able to get to safety?

CAIN: I don't have any real reports out at this moment. It just -- everyone just got out, our teams. And I haven't gotten a solid report of -- you know, I mean there were so many -- so many people from apartment buildings with blown-off roofs to, like I said, right down LaPlace and a lot of areas right there besides down to Houma. Where, obviously, that was all devastated. Just getting in those calls and getting them out. So we're really

having everyone active right now. They're not going to have time to get on a line or anything. So that's why I have the majority of the fleet captain, he's out there running the boats and I'm about to do wellness checks around here and make sure roads are clear in where I live in Hammond, Louisiana.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

CAIN: And before I head out.

SCIUTTO: You know, I'm always very careful with these storms because oftentimes there's a lag time, right, in terms of how bad the damage is, how many people are in danger.

Do you have any sense -- you've got a lot of experience in the midst of hurricanes like this one - of just how bad this was?

CAIN: Well, you can count on a lot of impassable roads, of course, low-lying areas, roads flooded. We have to, first, get out there and, you know, make sure that we have our crews in front of us that have chainsaws and ATV vehicles and whatnot to make sure we can clear paths to get there. Of course, that's the biggest part is routing everybody in safely.

We've done it out in the nighttime before and stuff. And, you know, places like Houston and all, you don't have a bunch of trees in downtown Houston and those areas that we had to deal with. But having to deal with the downed -- all the destruction, the devastation that -- the debris that's blowing around, as well as trees and power lines, you can't just go and cut a tree that's on a road.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

CAIN: So there's a lot of -- there's a lot of navigation we've got to do there. But, fortunately, LaPlace is right off of I-10 and our teams were set up at different ends there to shelter in place to be able to go right in. And they're there on the ground. There are boots on the ground right now.

SCIUTTO: Listen, I know that our viewers, when they watch people like you doing your best to help, they often want to know how best they can help.

[09:10:05]

Is there -- is there a way you recommend that people help you guys, help the Cajun Navy? And are you getting all the resources you need?

CAIN: Yes, sir.

Well, at this point, you know, we're known for what we do. So a lot of, you know, a lot of people, they key in early. So we have this kind of onion layers. We have the people out there that have been collecting donations, that have done it before and have had the right experience with us, with our group. So they connect with us. And then we vet them and shuttle them over to maybe another

organization, sharing staging (ph), you know, where we're staging areas a points of contact, stuff like that. So the response is overwhelming. Everyone -- you know, because we've been out there helping everyone else. So, you know, they've all come to our aid. We've had a tremendous response there. And, like I said, there's just people with semitrucks and gas, fuel, and everything ready to come in.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

CAIN: Again, it's all about having passable roads.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, one bit of good news, at least so far, seems to be that the levees in and around New Orleans seemed to have held. That all that work and money put into them post-Katrina may have made a difference here. Is that what you're seeing?

CAIN: Yes, sir, it seems to be that way. Of course, you know, some of the levees topped because of the amount of water but -- and we did have one levee failure. Not sure if that was one that was -- I'm sure it wasn't one that had been repaired. Maybe needs to. And one of those areas. But that's all the information that's on our Zello channel that was, you know, back and forth being confirmed.

But, you know, heard -- we heard there were 22 barges -- you know, you hear a lot of stuff, lot of people reporting out there sensationalizing things. But right at this point we've only -- I've only heard of one levee failure. You know, some breeches and stuff like that, but, yes, the levees seemed to have held up great.

SCIUTTO: Well, that would be a relief.

Listen, Clyde Cain, thanks to you and all of the folks working hard in the Cajun Navy. You guys do great work and I'm sure you're going to go out there and save some lives today.

CAIN: Well, for us, at Louisiana Cajun Navy, we appreciate you all getting the word out there and sending us the help and giving us the exposure we need.

SCIUTTO: All right, well, good luck to you.

CAIN: All right, thank you, brother.

SCIUTTO: Our live special coverage of the storm continues just ahead. We're going to speak to emergency officials across the Louisiana coast as some people still wait to be rescued from their flooded homes.

Plus, a CNN exclusive. The January 6th Select Committee is now looking to preserve the phone records of some lawmakers who participated in the stop the steal rally. Find out which Trump family members also made the list.

And the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan is now claiming responsibility for a series of rockets fired overnight in Kabul as the U.S. has just one day left before it leaves. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:17:18]

SCIUTTO: Houma, Louisiana, in the southern part of that state, was one of the areas hardest hit when Hurricane Ida made landfall overnight.

CNN's Derek Van Dam was there all night.

Derek, tell us what it looks like this morning?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: First few hours of daylight here in Houma, Louisiana, and we're getting a glimpse into what our team and the residents who decided to stick around for Hurricane Ida had to endure. Relentless, nonstop, hours long category four hurricane. It's equivalent to an EF-3 tornado, 50 miles wide, just smashing into this area.

Look what it did to the hotel that we rode out the storm in. It actually took the sign from the Courtyard Marriott. This is where a lot of evacuees have come to seek shelter because of its reinforced, sturdy structure.

This sign splintered this air conditioning unit and also broke in half, separating few of the letters from the word Courtyard. You can see directly behind me, that's the r. The d is in shatters over here.

Incredible amount of power behind that force of wind, 130 miles per hour in and around this area. We saw complete whiteout conditions. Electricity, obviously, out. But the temperatures rising in the days to come. That is going to be gruesome for individuals seeking relief from heat.

We have had word that there were some local hospitals in the Terrebonne Parish that received damage to their roofs. Now they have to transport some of their patients to other area hospitals.

I want you to see this tree directly behind me and notice the water that's inundated at the root structure of this tree. It just gives you an idea of how saturated the ground is. We've had a lot of rain. Some of the wettest start to the year across southeastern Louisiana. And that has added to the potential of catastrophic tree damage, as well as property damage, throughout the region.

I'm CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam from Houma, Louisiana.

Jim, back to you.

SCIUTTO: Derek Van Dam right there, in the middle of it all.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, search and rescue crews are out looking for any residents who may need help now. Officials asking them to stay in place so those crews can clear away safety hazards, including power lines in the water.

Joining me now is the mayor of Baton Rouge, Sharon Weston Broome. Mayor, good to have you on because we know you've got a lot on your

plate this morning.

I wonder if you and those search and rescue teams have a handle now on how many residents are in need of help.

MAYOR SHARON WESTON BROOME, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Well, actually, we believe that Baton Rouge was primarily spared, and we don't see a large number of folks who were involved in search and rescue, but we are assessing the situation this morning.

[09:20:01]

And we have our search and rescue teams are out, as well as our other departments that are assessing all of the damage.

But the truth is that we are really sending a lot of our resources, including our search and rescue teams, out to our neighbors in the surrounding parishes, recognizing that they received more devastation than our parish did.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, good for you for sharing those resources. They're precious in times like this.

So where are you hearing what was hardest hit, where the people are in the most danger right now?

BROOME: We're hearing places between New Orleans and LaPlace specifically, St. John Parish, St. James Parish. And so we are sending our members out there. And we want to be helpful to our neighbors who really received horrific devastation as a result of this storm.

We're assessing our damages this morning. We will have a unified command meeting to discuss it. But we really want to assist because we were spared and we were extremely grateful.

SCIUTTO: Of course, you and everyone was conscious about the importance of this anniversary, this happening 16 years after just the devastation seen in the wake of Katrina.

Some good news, and we were discussing this just a few minutes ago, is that the levees built and reinforced post-Katrina seemed to have held this time around. And I wonder if that's what you're seeing and what difference you believe that made.

BROOME: Absolutely. In the New Orleans area, the levees did accomplish what they were supposed to. Here in east Baton Rouge Parish, since the 1,000-year great flood that we experienced in (INAUDIBLE), we have been improving, assessing our water management here in our city and parish. We've done a storm water master plan, which was historic to find out data so we can effectively and efficiently manage our drainage system here and other initiatives as well.

So all of these experiences that we dealt with have made us stronger. We've learned. We've built. And we will continue to improve.

SCIUTTO: It's good to hear.

Listen, this is an opportunity to speak to folks out there, particularly in affected areas, who might be watching this. What is your message to people in the area of Baton Rouge today that need help? What should they be doing right now?

BROOME: For those people that need help in Baton Rouge, we are encouraging them to call us at 211. For our neighbors in the surrounding area, we want you to know there is help on the way. That your neighbors here in East Baton Rouge Parish are ready to serve. Not only are we ready, but we're on our way to help you.

SCIUTTO: 211, you heard that number there.

Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, thanks so much for all the work you're doing.

BROOME: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, still ahead this hour, a breaking news exclusive to CNN. CNN is learning that the congressional committee investigating the January 6th insurrection is now seeking to preserve the phone records of key Republican lawmakers and the Trump family on that day and the days leading up to it. We're going to have the breaking details of this exclusive, next.

And we're moments away from the opening bell on Wall Street. Futures are slightly higher this morning. Stocks looking to hit new records yet again to start the week, the last trading days of August. Investors will be paying attention to oil prices as the storm moves through Louisiana. We're going to stay on top of it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:28:35]

SCIUTTO: A CNN exclusive this morning.

The January 6th Select Committee is attempting to preserve phone records of several Republican lawmakers who played a role in the stop the steal rally. The committee is also seeking the records of several Trump family members.

CNN congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles is on Capitol Hill this morning.

Ryan, tell us exactly, to our knowledge, who is on this list.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Jim. And it's important to also point out that the committee had initially decided not to release the names of these members of Congress that they decided to ask telecom companies to preserve the records of.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

NOBLES: But CNN was able to obtain this information. And it really reads as a who's who of the most die-hard supporters of the former president, Donald Trump, in the United States Congress.

This list, we're told, could evolve over time but it includes names like Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Florida. Jody Hice of Georgia. These are all individuals who participated in some way, shape or form in that stop the steal rally that took place on the ellipse that was the prelude to the insurrection. It was the event that drew so many of those Trump supporters here to Washington, D.C., on that day. And many of them ended up participating in the insurrection.

Now, it's not just members of Congress that we're told that the committee is targeting.

[09:29:55]

It also includes members of the Trump family, including the former president himself, his children, Ivanka, Eric, and Don Jr., as well as Don Jr.'s girlfriend and a member of the Trump campaign, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Lara Trump.