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Tornado Watch Issued For South Florida, Includes Miami; 1/6 Committee Expected To Postpone Tomorrow's Hearing Due To Storm; Video Shows Stone Revealing How "Stop The Steal" Would Work; Mayor Frank Hibbard Discusses About Their Preparation For Hurricane Ian. Aired 3- 3:30p ET

Aired September 27, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: It's important to note though it's not just Florida's west coast that's under threat. You're looking at pictures here from Key West of Florida Keys. Southern parts of the state are actually under a tornado watch. Frankly, all across Florida, people are getting ready boarding up as you can see gassing up, piling up sandbags. And in many areas, officials hope they are heeding the warnings to get out. President Biden also addressing the hurricane's threat just a short time ago at the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just spoke this morning with the areas that are likely to be hit, the mayors of Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater. All of them, all of them are in the storm's path and they're focused on the safety of their communities and they're doing everything they can to get people out of harm's way.

I told each one of them my conversation separately, whatever they need, I mean this sincerely, whatever they need, contact me directly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Joining me now, Jamie Rhome, Acting Director of the National Hurricane Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Jamie, good to have you with us this hour. So we saw in the most recent update, the 2 pm update that the storm was still rapidly intensifying. The major concern at this hour seems to be the storm surge and also just how long this storm could sit. What are the areas that you're most focused on at this hour?

JAMIE RHOME, ACTING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Yes. I think water is going to be the big issue with this storm, both the incredibly heavy rainfall and you can see it already starting to sweep over the southern portions of the Florida peninsula. And then the storm surge near into the east of where center makes landfall. And those two when they combine together just creates a lot of flooding issues.

HILL: And speaking to the mayor of Tampa just in the last hour, she was pointing to the separate saturation that they're already seeing on the ground there. Of course, they had ahead of this storm separate rain issues that they're having with all of that water. The concern, of course, is where does it go?

RHOME: Well, it's not just Tampa we're concerned about, it's points to the south, Fort Myers, Sarasota area as well, because the strongest push of water is going to be near to the south of where the center makes landfall. So this peak storm surges could be down in this area of Fort Myers.

HILL: So closer down to Fort Myers. There's also, as you mentioned, the effects are already being felt in the southern part of the state. There is a tornado watch for southern Florida, including Miami. This storm is so massive. What are the warnings in some of these other areas that may not be hit, may not be taking a direct hit, may not be seeing that storm surge like they are on the west coast of Florida, but so much of the rest of the state can be impacted as well.

RHOME: Yes, this is a great question, thank you for asking it. We've been advertising, that the system would expand as it moved into the eastern Gulf of Mexico and that's unfortunately happened. And so the traditional mental model that people have about a hurricane that the worst conditions are going to be right at landfall is going to break down in this case, because the hazards are going to be spread well far from where the center makes landfall impacting a good chunk of the Florida peninsula.

HILL: So the Florida peninsula, you mentioned, as it moves in and makes landfall moving inland, there's also concerns about obviously, north of Florida. When we look at all the preparations that are being put in place based on what you're seeing is everything going, as much as it can, according to plan to be ready for this storm?

RHOME: Yes. You can see that as the system moves inland over the central Florida peninsula over the next several days. It will begin to spread its hazards all - along - further up, the southeast coast of the United States into Georgia and to South Carolina where tropical storm watches and warnings have been issued.

HILL: When we look at where the storm is at right now, it's not moving very quickly. It's very big. It's sitting there in these warm gulf waters, which of course helps to make it stronger. It's intensifying, as we've said. How much of a concern is the speed of this storm right now?

RHOME: So it's slowing down, you've seen that this morning, and it could continue to slow down a little bit more as it sort of approaches the western coast of the Florida peninsula. Slow storms and slow movement is always a big problem with hurricanes for several reasons, it allows the water or the push from storm surge to just push longer. It allows the rainfall to accumulate longer and it increases the duration of the damaging winds over the impacted area.

So if you just sort of like push this storm in here and just sort of crawl across the Central Florida peninsula, you can envision the duration of this event.

HILL: Yes, we can. Jaime Rhome, appreciate you taking the time to join us. I know you're a busy man these days. Thank you.

Let's get you caught up on what's happening in Cuba. Ian, of course, made landfall there overnight, coming ashore in the southwestern side of the island. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So you hear the voice of the person on that video talking about the rising water levels.

[15:05:01]

They later told family outside of Cuba: "They didn't expect the hurricane to be this strong." Here's what we know about the strength of this hurricane, 125 mile per hour winds demolished this historic tobacco farm, look at these pictures. The area is expected to get up to 16 inches of rain once the storm is done.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann is in Havana, assessing the damage there. And Patrick, last hour it was clear the storm was not done with you. Ian still has not fully moved on from Cuba at this point it looks like.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No. Cuban meteorologist said that Havana is actually still experiencing tropical storm force winds. That's nothing compared to what Western Cuba went through. But it does speak to the storm's strength that after so long, after it left Cuban territory that you're still getting blown around by the storm that bands of rain are still coming through.

The storm has gone on now for almost a full day for Cubans. You can see across the harbor earlier you could not. But it is concerning that the tide should be going out and it's actually been rising. And that's - some of that storm surge that is now coming back as the storm is leaving, that is the danger of when hurricane leaves. You think you are done with the storm, but it actually just continues and continues and that could lead and has led to some flooding here in Havana.

And, of course, that's the most dangerous part, because that can cause people to be taken out to sea, it destroys homes and people many times don't want to leave their homes because they're afraid their belongings will be taken. They want to protect their homes. And yet when that water comes in, it becomes very dangerous for rescuers to try and come and get them.

At this point in western Cuba, which is really the epicenter of this storm for Cuba, we are starting to hear reports of the first groups of people coming in to restore power, to look at how bad that situation is. But when you see the number of people that have lost the rooms, that have lost crops, that have lost their entire homes, this is going to take a long time for a country that is as frankly as poor as this country is to recover. I mean, a lot of these people have lost everything and it's going to

be very hard for them to come back from this storm. And so it's a region, it's a country that knows hurricanes very well, but this is going to be one that goes down in the record books.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. And not the kind of records that anybody wants to see. Patrick, glad you're safe. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Millions of Florida's coastal residents are scrambling to secure their homes. They're preparing for the historic flooding for the storm surge that we were just talking about. CNN's Carlos Suarez is on the ground in Gulfport. So what are you seeing at this hour, Carlos?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, the folks that live in Pinellas County here, which includes Gulfport, they are slowly running out of time to pick up their things and get out. There are two mandatory evacuations already in effect in Pinellas County and folks have until tonight to get out of here.

Businesses along Gulfport, they've done a pretty good job of getting ready ahead of the storm. The restaurant here behind me, they are still in the process of just pushing some of the sandbags up to the entrance, though they've got their plywood already up. Their neighbors have done a pretty good job of making sure that they've got everything set up here this one shop when we got here this morning. Didn't have a single sheet of plywood up and as you can see here, they've got the door covered. They've got their two windows covered.

And then a little bit further on over here, these folks had been ready since we got here early this morning. They've got their sandbags, they've got a tarp in front of that main door there. Everyone here really is just trying to take the necessary preparations ahead of whatever we may get when it comes Hurricane Ian.

Over in Hillsborough County where Tampa is, that part of the Tampa Bay area folks there have also issued a second mandatory evacuation. Those two evacuation orders bring the total number of folks in Hillsborough County being told that they need to move inland to close to 400,000 people.

Now, we're told that 43 hurricane shelters have opened. They are accepting folks right now. They have not reached capacity, at least at last check. But a number of folks are also making the drive from the Tampa Bay area out into Central Florida. They're heading to the Orlando area.

Overnight, we got to look at some traffic cameras that showed traffic building hour after hour as more people decided to go ahead and heed some of these warnings and just get out of town. Again, here in Pinellas County, they've got a few more hours before, essentially, law enforcement may start asking folks exactly what it is that they're doing out here.

Over in St. Pete, the barrier islands there, you can't even get there unless you live there. Right now, sheriff deputies are asking folks for identification. And even once you get on that barrier island, they're reminding folks whatever you have to do get it done, because they have to get out. Erica?

HILL: Yes. It's so important, Carlos, appreciate the reporting. Thank you.

[15:10:00]

And we do have some news just in to CNN involving the January 6 Committee and those planned hearings for tomorrow. CNN's Manu Raju joining us live now from Capitol Hill. It sounds like the effects of this hurricane being felt all the way in Washington now, Manu.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. We now are told that we can expect that tomorrow's hearing, a highly anticipated hearing before the January 6 Committee will be postponed because of the hurricane. That is the expectation according to two sources on the Committee and that is in part because that - the focus is going to be on everything that's happening in Florida and the fact that Florida will be getting pummeled right around the time of the hearing and committee members are cognizant of the fact that the nation's attention will be on what's happening in Florida and not on the new revelations that they plan to divulge in this hearing.

One of the Committee members is, from Florida, is in the line of fire from the hurricane that is Stephanie Murphy. She represents Orlando, the Orlando area, which could see some effects from the hurricane. I was told earlier today that she was likely to stay back in Florida and it was unclear whether or not she planned to participate in the hearing even virtually.

But this had been an issue that had been debated pretty much all day. This morning, the Committee had planned to go forward with the hearing. They had talked about having the hearing, despite what was happening, but this has been an ongoing discussion throughout the course of the day. And we are told that now they are expected to postpone it, no word yet on the future date, but this was expected to be the final hearing before the November midterms, as members head back home to their districts to campaign before the elections.

Whether this hearing would happen before the midterms, we still are uncertain about that, as elder members have different plans for travel and campaigning during the October session. So it still remains to be seen what will happen with this hearing. But now we're told that tomorrow's hearing expected to be delayed because the hurricane, Erica.

HILL: Once there is a decision, I have no doubt, Manu, that you will know it and you'll bring it to us. Appreciate it as always, my friend, thank you.

RAJU: Thank you.

HILL: A trial - the trial began today for five members of the Oath Keepers. They're charged with seditious conspiracy in the capitol riot. More on that.

Plus, Roger Stone's shocking comments promoting violence in the lead up to the 2020 election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:49]

HILL: In Washington, D.C., jury selection is underway at this hour in the trial of five members of the Oath Keeper's far right militia group. The group's leader, Stewart Rhodes, is among the defendants charged with seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6th insurrection.

CNN has also exclusively obtained new documentary footage of Roger Stone footage that may be used possibly in an upcoming January 6 Committee hearing. Now, in that video, Stone, a longtime Republican operative and ally of former President Trump appears to call for violence before the votes were even counted in the 2020 election. And that clip is one of several the Danish filmmakers shared with the January 6 Committee. Another clip shows Stone discussing the strategy of simply claiming victory no matter who wins. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER STONE, LONGTIME TRUMP CONFIDANT: Let's just hope we're celebrating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

STONE: I suspect it will be - I really do suspect it will still be up in the air. But when that happens, the key thing to do is to claim victory. Possession is nine-tenths the law. No, we won (inaudible) you. Sorry. It's over. We won.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

STONE: You're wrong. (Inaudible) you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Now, in response to that video, Roger Stone responded to CNN with a statement saying, "I challenge the accuracy and the authenticity of these videos and believe they've been manipulated and selectively edited. I also point out the filmmakers do not have a legal right to use them. How ironic that Kim Kardashian and I are both subjected to computer-manipulated videos on the same day. The excerpts you provided below proof nothing, certainly they do not prove I had anything to do with the events of January 6th. That being said, it clearly shows I advocated for lawful, congressional and judicial options."

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig, who's also a former federal prosecutor joins me now. So Elie, this new sound from Roger Stone, what does this tell us? Is it bringing things any closer in terms of a possible link between these extremist groups who are rioting at the Capitol and the White House? ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, America, first of all, I

just saw Roger Stone's denial that you put up on the screen right there. I'm not sure how it's lawful to say, let's get right to the violence. I can't think of any possible lawful justification for that. But you hit on the exact issue, which is: is there a link here?

We know Roger Stone has sort of eagerly aligned himself with Proud Boys with Oath Keepers. We know Roger Stone was a key adviser to Donald Trump, was part of the inner circle. But the question is, can the committee or perhaps eventually DOJ draw a direct link between the White House and people around Donald Trump and those extremist groups through Roger Stone or through some other intermediary. To me, that's one of the biggest questions that remains outstanding.

HILL: So we've got that question. Meantime, we are learning a few other things, right, that I want to get your take on. We know the January 6 Committee does still want to talk with Ginni Thomas. The wife, of course, of the Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Do we know for sure just how significant this testimony could be? And where would you put it in the grand scheme of things?

HONIG: Well, so Ginni Thomas was sort of everywhere in this whole situation. She was present at the rallies on January 6th. She claims she left before violence broke out. There's no reason to doubt that, but she was at those rallies. She helped to hype up the rallies. She was involved in direct communications with Mark Meadows and I think most importantly, she was involved, and there are emails and texts that show this, in direct efforts to try to pressure state legislators particularly in Arizona to throw the election over to Donald Trump.

[15:20:10]

So if I'm on the January 6 Committee or, again, DOJ, I want to ask her about all those things. But to me, the most important aspect of this is her efforts to pressure state and local officials to toss this election improperly, potentially illegally over to Donald Trump.

HILL: In terms of other headlines we're talking about this week, there's also this nine second phone call that came from the White House, still not clear who placed that call. But when we look at that, just the fact that there was a call from the White House that was placed to a person, a person, a rioter who had been at the Capitol, who did leave fairly quickly, but like as we understand it, but had been in the Capitol, how important is that going to be especially getting to the bottom of that and ideally figuring out who placed the call?

HONIG: Well, it would certainly catch my attention, Erica, it is very unusual to see a call from the White House switchboard from the official White House phone lines to a person during the riot, by the way, a person who was at the Capitol and later convicted of a crime for their participation in the rally and in the riot.

And so the first question I would want to know is who did that call come from in the White House. And I think the second question, it's a nine second call, that could be a hang up, that could be inadvertent, but for some reason, that call was placed and you can communicate quite a bit in nine seconds. So there's a lot there that I think should catch the attention of investigators that a lot we still need to know about.

HILL: We were hoping to get some answers hoping to learn a little bit more tomorrow. But our most recent reporting from Manu Raju from two different sources was that this is likely going to be canceled now understandably because of hurricane, because of the hurricane barreling down on Florida at this point. If there is not another hearing before the November midterms, when do you think we get the answers to some of these questions?

HONIG: Well, it's a good question. I mean, ultimately, we will see a formal written report from this committee and I think that will sort of lay out all of their findings. And the committee has to decide, do they need, do they want to hold another hearing. They have to be mindful midterms are coming up now. We're about six weeks out.

On the other hand, it feels like it's been quite a while since they finished their summer hearings, I think they made a really compelling showing in those hearings. So if I'm on the committee, ideally, I would want to get a hearing in as soon as possible, which would serve essentially as my closing argument to the American people. Here's the six or seven pieces that we established, pull it all together at once and make it your closing argument.

HILL: Do you anticipate that there will be a criminal referral based on what you've seen?

HONIG: I get the sense they're not going to do that. There has been some disagreement within the Committee members about whether to do that. Adam Schiff said recently that they need to be unanimous if they're going to do that. It's a symbolic and political gesture and I think what it may do is inject politics into DOJ, at least the perception of politics into DOJ's ultimate decision about whether to charge cases. And I think it may be better for both sides, for Congress and DOJ, if they keep themselves separate on this one.

HILL: Elie Honig, always good to see you. Thank you.

HONIG: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: Florida, of course, bracing for hurricane Ian. The mayor of Clearwater joins me next to give us a better sense of how his city is preparing, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:10]

HILL: As some of the areas on the west coast of Florida wait for the arrival of hurricane Ian, you could already see the effects here. This is Key West. These are live pictures for you in Key West, perhaps, not the brightest move to be standing there based on the weather that's coming through and those waves we're seeing. This just gives you a sense of how big the storm is. Key West is

already feeling this. The storm, as we know, is having a massive impact across the state. And just look, again, at the size of this hurricane. Several airports in the Greater Tampa region already impacted including Clearwater International Airport, which actually ceased operations a couple of hours ago.

Frank Hibbard is the mayor of Clearwater. He spoke earlier today with President Biden about storm preparations. We understand, Mr. Mayor, the concerns here: massive flooding, life threatening storm surges, how is your city preparing at this moment? Do you feel that you are in a good place?

MAYOR FRANK HIBBARD, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: I do. I think our citizens have really taken this storm seriously. It is certainly very threatening. I am always concerned about complacency when it comes to storms, especially with our residents who have been here a long time and see many near misses. They tend to be a little more comfortable. Those who've just moved here, they don't know what to expect, so they're being very cautious.

HILL: It's interesting when you point that out. I've noticed that, too, over the years covering hurricanes. You do talk to people, old timers who've been there whoever forever who say, oh, I've ridden out X, Y, and Z, I'm going to be fine. This storm though is massive. It is slow moving. It is sitting over the warm waters of the Gulf, rapidly intensifying according to the latest 2 pm update. How much of the size of this storm is a concern for you at this hour?

[15:30:00]