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Dozens Reported Missing After Severe Flooding in Virginia; Griner Hearing Concludes Without Verdict, Will Resume Tomorrow; Russian Missiles Kill At Least 22 in Vinnytsia, Including Three Children. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired July 14, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:30:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Just alarming pictures coming up. Right now, rescue crews searching for more than 40 people reported missing after devastating floods swept through a rural Virginia county on Wednesday. Roads blocked by landslides, floodwaters affected more than 100 homes.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Our Nick Valencia is live on the ground in Virginia. Nick, what are you hearing from families, I mean, more than 40 people still missing this morning?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And at last check with the sheriff's office this morning, Jim and Poppy, they say at least 44 people are still missing. The death toll here stands at zero giving hope to some family members that sheriff's officers or sheriff's deputies and rescue crews may just not have made contact with them. In fact, we're joined by Dallas Charles. You said you were on the missing person's list and there's other people here that are alive that are on that list as well.

DALLAS CHARLES, VIRGINIA FLOOD SURVIVOR: Yes. My mom was on it, Ramona Charles, Draymond Stacey, Junior Matt (ph), they are all fine in everything. They come down this morning and they read the list off to me and I think there were maybe ten people in this trailer park that were all fine and they marked them up in the list and everything.

VALENCIA: Talk to us how difficult it is and a task it is for the rescue crews to come in here because this is a really remote area. I mean, you can see the mountains around us.

CHARLES: Yes. I mean, we went out yesterday and we barely got the four-wheeler out of here. And then they have got rescue crews down digging that one lady's car out that was in the storm when she came down (INAUDIBLE), and they were digging her car out and they couldn't get past her. I mean, there was the sheriff's office there telling that they were trying to go through and they didn't know if they would get all the way through that day or not and they were working on it. It's pretty rough to get in and out of here.

VALENCIA: You were showing me pictures. You're joined by your girlfriend, Jessica. Some me some pictures of what happened that day. I mean, this is basically -- this was a river and there're divots, huge divots, chunks of pavement, taken out here. I mean, tell me what happened, what was it like to experience what you went through?

JESSICA NEWMAN, VIRGINIA FLOOD SURVIVOR: It was crazy. Within ten minutes, the water was up knee high. The river --

VALENCIA: Within ten minutes? It was just that fast?

NEWMAN: Yes, within ten minutes.

[10:35:00]

It was crazy. It was like the river -- Dismal River itself was coming through. This road was nice. It was flat. It was easy in and out access.

VALENCIA: And right across on the other side of this trailer park, this is where Dallas' mom lives. And you guys could see her. She is bedridden but you couldn't get to her. There was nothing that you could have done to cross.

NEWMAN: There was no way. The water was moving too swiftly. Our cat was also on the other side. We couldn't get to him. Thankfully, he stayed on the porch but it was awful.

VALENCIA: How long of an event was this? Goldie, I want to hear from you too. How long of an event was this? How long did it last for?

GOLDIE LOONEY, VIRGINIA FLOOD SURVIVOR: It lasted for about, what -- I would say about -- towards about -- a long time.

CHARLES: Hours.

LOONEY: It was hours.

VALENCIA: I mean, even 12 hours, you guys are saying afterwards, there was still water ankle high? What?

CHARLES: Yes, it was a bit. It actually just started going down like just down like it's right here this overnight last night. I mean, yesterday, it was still pretty high.

VALENCIA: Well, this sun is a welcome treat for you guys, help maybe take some of that water.

Last question, what do you guys need right now? I mean, because -- did you have insurance? Did you know this kind of severe weather was going to happen? I mean, does it flood here? I know you're along a river here, but, I mean, this is crazy.

CHARLES: They said it has been over 30 years. There was a couple that lived up here in '77 flood and there were some other people who said they've been here for at least 30 years and they said it's never flooded like this right here. Nobody expected it. Nobody. They didn't have home insurance. We don't have home insurance.

VALENCIA: You all want Fema to come here and help?

CHARLES: Yes, we would like to have FEMA to come in here. And it's like the one lady said, I mean, we need cleaning supplies, just stuff to try to help out. We have got people giving us food. I mean, we would like to thank Raymond Webb of the sheriff's office. They came in here. They brought food to us.

VALENCIA: Well, we'd like thank you guys for taking the time. And we're still trying to -- you're still trying to get your trucks out here. We've seen you working hard and just making sure that you can spare some of the belongings that are left. Thank you guys very much.

And 44 people still unaccounted for, but you could tell just because that this is remote area on a good day. It's hard to get a cell signal out of here. We did see some search and rescue crews coming through here a short time ago. They are back no going home to home. They have a big task ahead of them though here, Jim and Poppy.

SCIUTTO: No question, let's hope those people get relief. Nick Valencia in Virginia, thank you.

Just moments ago, a hearing finished in Russia for the WNBA star, Brittney Griner. We are going to update you on what happened in court, next.

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[10:40:00]

SCIUTTO: After seeing the leaked surveillance video from inside Robb Elementary School during the shooting, disturbing video, that raised, well, a whole host of new questions about law enforcement's slow response, victims' families are demanding to know why no action has, as a result, has yet been taken.

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VINCENT SALAZAR, FATHER OF UVALDE SHOOTING VICTIM LAYLA SALAZAR: I think at the bare minimum, they shouldn't even have jobs. I mean, I just don't see how -- I just don't see how, through all of this time, nobody has been fired, nobody has resigned.

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HARLOW: And that was Vincent Salazar whose 11-year-old daughter, Layla, was murdered that day in that school.

SCIUTTO: I remember her picture. I remember when we aired her picture. I can still see her little face.

HARLOW: So well. And can you imagine being those parents wanting accountability and seeing none so far.

Our Rosa Flores has been trying to get answers since the shooting there in Texas, joins us again this morning. We're learning a little bit more, Rosa, about what one officer was doing in that video and it may have been misinterpreted in the edited down clip. Is that right?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, you are absolutely right. And this is one of the other reasons why there's so much outrage about the leak of this video to a news organization because some of the families of the victims are being re-victimized, and that's exactly what happened here.

There was an officer that was in that video, that was seen in the video, and the home screen to his cell phone that he's checking is The Punisher logo. So, that image went viral. This man was vilified. Twitter was mean Twitter. And what happened yesterday was Statehouse Representative Joe Moody stepped in to defend this man.

Now, Joe Moody is also the Texas House Investigative Committee chair. So, that's the organization that's going to release the report on Sunday. They are going to present it to the families. So, Moody stepped in to defend this man and identified him as School Police Officer Ruben Ruiz. And he said this man is the husband of Eva Mireles.

Now, she is one of the teachers who was massacred on that day, and Joe Moody explained that more will be released on Sunday, but he said that this man had been removed from the premises, disarmed because he was trying to intervene to save his wife.

Now, Jim and Poppy, those calls that he was taking, according to Moody, was his wife calling him, telling him that he was shot -- that she was shot, and she was dying. Jim and Poppy?

SCIUTTO: Lord, that poor officer, and I remember the initial outrage to the checking of the phone and now we know the circumstances of it. Anyway, yet one more horrendous detail.

Rosa Flores, good to have you there.

Another story we are following closely, just moments ago in Russia, a sentencing hearing for the WNBA star, Brittney Griner, just concluded though without a verdict.

HARLOW: This was her first appearance in Russian court since pleading guilty last week to drug trafficking charges.

[10:45:01]

Her lawyers are pushing for leniency, they're pushing for time served.

Our Kylie Atwood is, this morning, at the State Department. What do we know about what took place today and I guess what's to come tomorrow?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, Brittney Griner's team in today's hearing had folks who spoke to her character. They were character witnesses. They talked about who Brittney Griner is as a person. This was their effort to really show the Moscow court just the fact that she was someone who was contributing to the Russian society when she was there playing basketball. I want to read to you the statement from her lawyer in Russia who discussed the fact that the director of the basketball club that she was playing on was one of those character witnesses today and what he told the court saying, quote, that he gave a positive description of Brittney Griner during his speech in court, noting her outstanding abilities as a player and personal contribution to strengthening the team spirit, which allowed the team to achieve the highest results in the Russian Basketball Premier League and international competitions for many years.

Now, as you said there was no verdict today. There was no sentencing today, but we do expect that there will be another hearing as part of this ongoing trial as she face these drug charges in Russia tomorrow morning. And we have also heard from Brittney Griner's legal team that they expect this whole trial to conclude sometime around the beginning of August.

But we should note that what she is being charged with here is punishable with up to ten years in prison and there have also been instances just recently where there had been even longer sentences for American folks who had done similar things. So, we'll be closely watching to see what comes next. Guys?

SCIUTTO: Kylie Atwood, thanks so much for following.

Coming up next, we are in Ukraine where the death toll is now at least 21 people, including children killed this morning when Russian missiles hit a town in the central part of the country, hundreds of miles away from the frontlines. We're going to take you there live. Shocking pictures, that's coming up.

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[10:50:00]

HARLOW: You're looking at images from moments ago, a ceremonial arrival at the U.S. Capitol, for American Veteran Woody Williams, the last Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. He will lie in honor at the Capitol.

SCIUTTO: He was an incredible man with an incredible story.

CNN's Manu Raju joins us now live from the Capitol. What do we expect to see there today? Manu, just asking what the events are going to look like today for Woody Williams? Can you hear us there, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm having a hard time hearing you, Poppy. But what this -- but today's ceremony is going to focus on the service of Woody Williams not just for what he did in World War II but for the 75 years of his work afterwards as well. We're going to hear his life and dedication to veterans, gold star families, building monuments for these gold star families, his foundation did, for decades after he served in World War II.

And this will be a bipartisan ceremony as well. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both expected to speak here today. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony afterwards by Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in the House. The Senate wreath presentation, Shelley Moore Capito, the West Virginia Republican, will present, lay a wreath, and then Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat.

He's the first West Virginian to lie in honor in the Capitol and just the seventh American to lie in honor as well. Typically, these are designated heads of state to politicians who lie in state, a different designation, but lying in honor here, something given to someone of this magnitude, Woody Williams, and we'll see the ceremony kick off here in just a matter of minutes. Poppy?

HARLOW: Incredibly meaningful and what a man, as you both said. Manu, thank you very much.

Meantime, Russian missiles hit civilian targets in the central Ukrainian town of Vinnytsia. It killed at least 22 people, and we know that includes at least three children.

SCIUTTO: Now, these are guided missiles. So, this would mean this was a chosen target. They hit mid-morning when the streets were full of people.

Just this morning, Ukrainian officials said now 1,000 children in total have been injured since the Russian invasion began.

CNN's Scott Mclean, he is in Vinnytsia. Scott, some of the pictures coming out of there, they're just alarming, including what appears to be a mother and child killed. What are you seeing there?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Jim, Poppy. Yes, we just got on scene about half an hour ago, and it's pretty grim just about everywhere you look.

So, this building here is called the house of officers. It sounds like a military name but it's actually a Soviet-era concert hall. There was a concert scheduled for tonight. And this building, we are told, by emergency officials here on site, took a direct hit.

[10:55:00]

And you can see from the destruction just how much damage there was.

Now, thankfully, the air raid sirens had gone off so people would have gotten warning to get underground, if they possibly could. But still, I'll tell you where we are not and that is anywhere near the frontline. And so a lot of people have sort of become numb to these air raid sirens and don't often pay that much attention to them.

So, the people here are the members of the territorial defense, the military, some police officers. I just want to take you over here to show you the rest of the scene. You can see one of the other missiles, I'll show you where it landed, but, obviously, these cars are burnt out beyond recognition. The bomb would have fallen here just before noon now, so six hours ago perhaps, and this crater here, this is the actual -- the second place where the missile actually detonated. You can see this is a concrete parking lot and you can see what kind of damage this actually left. You can see bits of debris. Earlier, they were looking at pieces of -- they were actually looking at pieces of the missile itself.

I'll just take you over here, if I can. You can see another view of the building. I just want to show you, this is an office tower. It would have been filled with people, And no matter what floor you would have been on, you would have felt the impact of this in one way or another. Every single window on this building is blown out. There was a fire that obviously started on this lower corner closest to the missile strike.

What's odd here is that we basically have been given free rein to go wherever we want, and, surely, this is by design. This is a place that the Ukrainians want the world to see. They want to seep the destruction. They want them to see that this is not a military target. It's not a military barracks. It's certainly not a place you could have any heavy weapons. And, as I said, we are nowhere close to the frontlines. And you can look at the destruction.

It is remarkable, to be honest with you, that the death toll isn't even higher, 22 dead. But one other thing that I want to point out, and that is that they've only managed to I.D. six of the bodies, and so that gives you a sense of just how badly damaged these bodies were beyond any kind of recognition. It gives you a sense of just how awful this would have been a couple hours ago.

HARLOW: Three children. Scott McLean, we appreciate your reporting on the ground very much.

And thanks to all of you for being with us today. We'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

At This Hour with Kate Bolduan will start right after a quick break.

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