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Hurricane Ian Begins Striking Florida; Ian Slams Florida, State Faces "Life-Threatening" Storm Surge; Vice Mayor Nick Pachota (R), Venice, FL Discusses Hurricane Ian; St. Petersburg Feeling Effects Of Hurricane; Keisha Boyd, United Cajun Navy, Discusses Challenges Of Hurricane. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired September 28, 2022 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[13:30:49]
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: We are tracking Hurricane Ian, pounding Florida's west coast right now. This is video recorded in Ft. Myers, Florida. I just spoke to the man who took this footage. It gives us a different angle, a different look at what is happening here.
You can hear the wind blowing fiercely and all of that water flooding the streets. He estimated it was about five feet worth of water. The storm surge is at that level at this point.
And again, the storm surge is expected to be up to 18 feet in some parts of the state.
Winds are just short of being a category 5, meaning Ian could become the worst storm to ever hit the region. We're getting recordings above 100 miles per hour already.
And again, this storm is really just starting to strike. It could make official landfall any moment now but we're already seeing so much devastation.
Let's go to CNN's Derek Van Dam on the ground in Bradenton, in Manatee County, so a bit north of Ft. Myers, between Tampa and Ft. Myers.
Derek, what are you seeing there?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, Ana, you make a really valid point because Ft. Myers is to my south and their wind direction is completely different than what we're experiencing here in Bradenton, just south of Tampa.
And that is important because the Manatee River and the Bradenton harbor, over my left shoulder, has seen a complete reduction of the water within the river area. So the normally water-covered river is a dry riverbed as we speak.
So the northwest winds have been so powerful, it's driven out some of the water from the Manatee River. So that gives you an indication of how powerful this storm actually is. We're talking about something that is on the magnitude of something
never before experienced in this part of the western peninsula shoreline.
And Bradenton, the city of Bradenton actually just tweeting out a couple of hours ago that the wastewater has been compromised. It has the potential of overflowing, so they are asking residents to conserve water.
What are we experiencing? Certain, tropical storm force gusts. It's hard to believe that, in the coming hours, as Hurricane Ian edges closer and closer to our location, that winds here could nearly triple if we get into eyewall, which is looking more likely.
We know that the hurricane winds extend out 80 miles from the center of the storm. That has the potential to push up so much water into the canals, all the little nooks and crannies.
Every couple of moments, we get some of the most intense gusts of wind and we start to see the trees bend behind us. We start getting that very difficult sensation to be able to stand up in these conditions.
We know that it will be a very difficult next six hours. But it is the slow forward movement of this hurricane that will make this so daunting for people in the hours ahead.
That is it going to literally creep its way inland, slow down as it does so, and just add to the misery for so many more hours compared to a fast-moving storm -- Ana?
[13:35:05]
CABRERA: OK, Derek Van Dam, thank you. Stay safe.
I do want to mention Naples has issued an emergency curfew, effective immediately, for all the folks there experiencing, again, storm surge that is already reached record levels in that part of the state.
You've heard it over and over again, life-threatening storm surge. But what does it look like for the people about to face it who are already starting to experience it? We're on it.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay right there.
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[13:40:20]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: I'm John Berman, live in in Tampa, where it is pouring. But south of here, the problem is storm surge, the life- threatening problem.
In Naples, about 150 miles south, we just got these pictures in from the Naples police force. You can see the storm surge, record storm surge already in Naples. Five to seven feet. And it could get even worse. Just devastating, inundating the city of Naples, which is why you can
understand why they have declared a curfew in that city. They want people inside and staying inside for the foreseeable future because the situation is too dangerous as the hurricane begins to make landfall.
The eyewall, now on the land, has to get halfway over before it officially makes landfall. But already, simply wreaking havoc..
I want to go right to Bill Weir who is in Punta Gorda, Florida, right ow.
And, Bill, I know that you are bracing for it as well. As you say, Ian is here.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is really howling now, John. We're sort of peeking out of this parking garage right at the point where the winds are circling around.
I want to give you a sense of the sound. I'm going to ask Arlan, my D.J., to turn up the sound on his mic. And you can hear that freight train hum that people talk about after they have ridden out a storm of this magnitude.
Oh. Can you see? Can you see the power?
Right behind me, there is a statue of a bent palm tree. That is the memorial for Hurricane Charlie, who ripped on this almost exact path 18 years ago, took 15 lives, cost $3 billion in this county, destroyed 11,000 homes and 300 businesses.
As a result, there will never be another hurricane named Charlie. They retired had name. With what we're about to see here, I will bet you a dollar, John Berman, there will never be another hurricane named Ian.
I'm so worried for the people who either couldn't leave or wouldn't leave because, yes, the wind makes for dramatic pictures. But it is the blowing water that will make the most difference to these people's lives for the next foreseeable future.
When this wind dies, the sun comes out, the nightmare is just beginning for a lot of these folk. Then comes the flooding water and the mold problems and the lost days of work.
This storm is going to hurt, John. All you can to is just hope for minimum, minimum blood, sweat and tears.
Oh.
BERMAN: Bill Weir for us --
WEIR: I'm having trouble standing up.
BERMAN: Yes.
WEIR: I can't tell whether you are talking to me or not. BERMAN: Bill, if you can hear me right now, is the water already a
problem?
(CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: I don't know if you have a sense of what is going on?
All right. Bill Weir, in Punta Gorda, Florida.
You can get a sense of the power of this storm right now. Bill witness the wind, witnessing the strength of it.
And it is really just the front edge of Ian as it begins to make landfall. Wind gusts measuring upwards of 100 miles per hour or more. And it could get worse than that, 150 miles per hour.
To Bill and his team, please stay safe.
Joining me now is Nick Pachota, who is the vice mayor of Venice, Florida, not terribly far from where Bill is.
If you can hear me, Mr. Vice Mayor, what are you seeing?
VICE MAYOR NICK PACHOTA (R-VENICE, FL) (via telephone): Basically, we're seeing pretty strong gusts right now. A lot of up rooted trees. Power is out on our barrier islands. We just lost power here on the northeast side of town.
We've been trying to get everybody to shelters and we're pretty much at that point now where everyone is sheltering in place. And we're just kind of hunkered down, ready to go for the storm.
We've got a great, great public safety team. Our Public Works Department is ready to go. As soon as the storm passes, we'll be out en masse to clear the roads and get our city back up and running.
We do have tactical teams ready to go. And so we've done everything that we can to prepare for it. And now it's just time to sit and pray and hope that we all come out of it in good shape.
BERMAN: We're getting word from Naples, south of you, of storm surge already around seven feet. How much of that are you seeing at this point?
PACHOTA: We're definitely seeing some inland flooding. Kind of haven't seen much of a surge yet. We're seeing a lot of the reverse, where the water has been pulling back. So I imagine, at some point, we'll start seeing the surge.
[13:45:09]
We have all of the crews locked down because of the wind gusts. So I'm sure we'll be seeing some more here in a little bit once we get crews out in the field.
BERMAN: And your message for the people of Venice right now? PACHOTA: Most importantly, just be safe. Don't take any chances with
your lives. If you are sheltering, stay sheltered in place. Hunker down. Don't go out into the storm.
I think, as one of the reporters said, it makes great pictures. Well, the pictures aren't worth your life. So please make public safety's job easier by staying where you are.
Especially -- once the eyewall gets to us, you will feel this ability to go out see what is going on. Stay inside because it is not over.
BERMAN: It won't be over for some time. Listen to local officials.
Vice Mayor Nick Pachota, thank you so much for being with us. To you and your team, please stay safe as well.
PACHOTA: Thank you.
BERMAN: And you can get a sense of how awful this is going to be. Our Bill Weir feeling the power of Hurricane Ian as it begins to make landfall.
CNN's special live coverage continues right after this.
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[13:51:13]
BERMAN: I'm John Berman, live in Tampa, Florida: This is CNN's special live coverage of Hurricane Ian.
The eyewall beginning to make landfall about 100 miles south of here. As that happens, the bands pass through here in Tampa, in Tampa Bay and across Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg.
That's where CNN's Brian Todd has been all morning and into the afternoon.
And, Brian, I do understand it is getting windy there.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, John. And right just as you talk to me, the wind is picking up again. We have had reports of downed powerlines, trees uprooted, and knocking out power in some areas. That's according to the emergency management people.
We've got some debris over here on this part. And you can see the wind kicking up in these trees. Debris really starting to come out of the trees and, in earnest, start to affect things.
Now, you talk about the power of the wind. I've heard you guys earlier talking about the wind being so strong that it pulls out some of the storm surge and some of the tide. That has happened here in St. Petersburg.
Check it out here. You've got this sailboat that's tilted over to its side. This is because of the negative storm surge. The storm surge has pulled the water out from its normal levels at the sea wall here.
Then behind me, this catamaran, this yellow catamaran, right over there, that's up on some ground there. All of this was covered with water and that's what these boats were floating on.
But that storm surge has been pulled out. Now it is coming back in. Of course, the tide's coming back in later this afternoon.
And we are hearing from the city officials that they are still telling people, look, do not venture out in this stuff. This is the real period of danger.
This window of time between now and later this afternoon and this evening. This is going to be the most dangerous time to be out in this stuff.
We did talk to city officials who said that first responders are starting to be pulled back in because it's getting too dangerous for them to be out.
And they were trying to pass the message to people to heed these warnings of you know, if you get stranded or if you're in distress, first responders aren't going to get to you for some hours until that storm passes. And that situation could last into maybe tomorrow morning sometime.
So again, the hour of peril is really at hand here in St. Petersburg as the wind kicks up. We had very intense rain a few minutes ago. You could see 14 to 18 inches of rain falling in this city in the coming hours, John.
So again, city officials telling people do not venture out, it's getting very dangerous.
BERMAN: Yes, it's going to be a long afternoon, a long evening.
Brian Todd, our thanks to you. Please stay safe.
Just beginning to get bad here, Ana. And as I said, this is going to last well into the morning at this point.
CABRERA: OK, we'll check back. Thank you for your ongoing coverage there on scene.
Ian's already producing record water levels from the storm surge. And it's the storm surge that poses the deadliest right threat now.
According to the National Hurricane Center, 88 percent of U.S. deaths from hurricanes, from 1963 to 2012, were not from the wind, but from water. We're talking about the surge, the flooding, the surf, the offshore. Add that together, 88 percent of deaths from hurricanes.
We have a simple graphic to explain how this works.
Here is where the normal high tide level is. But when you have the hurricane winds, they're so strong, all that momentum pushes on the water, creating that surge effect. Add in the waves and pretty soon that surge is sweeping the homes away.
I want to bring in Keisha Boyd with the United Cajun Navy. That's a volunteer group that helps organize and carry out search-and-rescue efforts.
Keisha, thank you for your work. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
The Cajun Navy responds to so many disasters. What concerns you most about this storm?
[13:55:06]
KEISHA BOYD, UNITED CAJUN NAVY: I would say the safety for not only ourselves, our volunteers, our team, but everybody on the ground and everybody we may be rescuing.
CABRERA: We talk about the historic nature of this storm. This could be the strongest on record to ever hit Florida's west coast.
Given that, given the increased danger, are you doing anything different in your own preparations and response?
BOYD: We have a team staged in Brandon right now. We are behind cover in a central location so we are safe. And we're here to be here for the evacuations that need to occur.
CABRERA: What do you anticipate being the biggest challenge?
BOYD: Communications because the cell phone towers are going to go down. So just staying in communication with our volunteers on the ground and storm chasers in the area.
CABRERA: What type of equipment does that require? And how are you coordinating with local state officials in terms of response to make sure everybody is working in a coordinated way in order to make sure you get to the most people who need help?
BOYD: So we have a few apps we're using. Zello is one of the main ones that we're using for the walkie app. But we're in communication in other ways throughout -- we have people in other states that have more equipment for us and the locations of everybody in our organization.
So we do have location. And we're just trying to use all the apps that we can to further assist everybody.
CABRERA: Keisha, why do you do this? I know it's worth it as a volunteer for you and you put yourself in harm's way. Why?
BOYD: I'm a people person. I love helping people. It's in my heart. I wear my heart on my sleeve. And what am I doing here is to help the people in need and that's what I'm doing.
CABRERA: Keisha Boyd, we wish you, your safety, and best of luck as you embark on those efforts. I know there are going to be lot of people who need your help. Thank you so much for joining us.
That does it for me today. Stay with CNN for all the breaking news on this dangerous hurricane hitting Florida right now.
Our coverage continues right after a quick break.
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[14:00:03]
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Thanks for joining us this hour. I'm Erica Hill. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. Alisyn and Victor are off.
