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NHC: Hurricane Ian Close To Making Landfall; Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall As Category 4 Storm. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 28, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:01:12]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks for being with us at the top of the hour. I'm Erica Hill. This is CNN special live coverage of Hurricane Ian set to officially make landfall at any moment and when it does, it is expected to be the strongest recorded system to ever hit the west coast of Florida.

John Berman is in Tampa, Florida. John, I know you've been experiencing the wind, the rain and the flooding throughout the day picking up. A little break for you now. That's not going to last I would imagine.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. No, it won't. It's been raining on and off hard all day, a drenching pouring rain. But it's nothing like what they're experiencing about a hundred - 150 miles south of here and we are watching that, I would say, with trepidation and a little bit of dread.

This storm is moving ever closer to the coastline bringing strong winds, 155 miles per hour. In this storm surge, we are already seeing inundating coastal communities, including Naples, Fort Myers Beach, up and down the coast with storm surge in some places expected to reach 18 feet. That is simply a devastating level, a life threatening level and in historic level, as you said.

I want to go right to the National Hurricane Center to get a sense of where things stand at this point. I'm joined by Michael Brennan there, Michael if you can hear me. When do we expect this storm to make landfall officially?

MICHAEL BRENNAN, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Landfall is probably going to occur in the next few minutes here. We can see the center of the eye about to move on shore here near Sanibel, Captiva area here in southwest Florida. Right now our latest update foots the center 20 miles west of Fort Myers and moving northeast at nine miles per hour. So we should expect landfall to happen here in the next few minutes.

BERMAN: Now, we've seen pictures from Naples where the storm surge has already inundated that city. Also Fort Myers Beach, just devastating imagery, how much storm surge are they seeing and for how long could they be experiencing it. BRENNAN: Well, we're expecting to see storm surge inundation as much

as 18 feet above ground level, especially up in these harbors and canals up here in places like Fort Myers, Caloosahatchee River, Charlotte Harbor. And even after Ian's center moves inland, the onshore flow is going to keep water levels elevated in portions of southwest Florida well into the day and through the day tomorrow.

And because we're going to be having very, very heavy rainfall, it's also going to be trying to run off into those same canals and creeks and into the Gulf of Mexico. There's going to just be water all over the place there for quite some time.

BERMAN: Yes. We're experiencing some of that heavy rainfall up here in Tampa and I know it will continue throughout the night. Give us a sense of the path of the storm. Where will it go once it makes the official landfall in the next few minutes?

BRENNAN: Yes. We're expecting a north eastward track of the center of Ian, sort of diagonally across the Florida peninsula. It's going across the I4 corridor around Orlando and then move off shore somewhere between Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville. And that's going to take all the way through tomorrow. We have the center of the storm right near the east Florida coast by tomorrow evening.

And then it's going to turn northward and approach the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. We have tropical storm warning, hurricane watches up there and we're going to see very heavy rainfall storm surge along the east coast of the United States as well as the system moves inland over the weekend.

BERMAN: How long do you expect it to remain a hurricane?

BRENNAN: Well, right now we're expecting it to eventually weaken below hurricane strength sometime overnight tonight or early Thursday morning. So it's going to take some time for that circulation to spin down. But it is very powerful with maximum winds of 155 miles per hour. But generally within about 24 hours of landfall, systems begin to weaken pretty quickly.

[15:05:00]

But it'll still be a strong tropical storm when it reaches the east coast of Florida.

BERMAN: All right. Michael Brennan at the National Hurricane Center, thank you very much.

As I was just saying, the rain is really pouring here right now, expecting 12 to 24 inches here in the next day. Still, that is nothing compared to the devastation they are seeing south appear. As you heard from Michael Brennan, the official landfall probably not for a few minutes, but that's academic.

At this point, Ian has already arrived in some places, including Punta Gorda where our Bill Weir has been in the middle of it all. Bill, if you can hear me, what are you seeing? BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: I can hear you, John.

Yes, we just begged the hotel to open the front door a crack just to let us out, which they're hesitant to do, because they just recorded a 106 mile an hour wind speed at the airport here in Punta Gorda. It's really howling now. I see some of these smaller palms going horizontal, these palm trees.

And just across the street, we understand that a big travel trailer has already been flipped over. We can't get out there to actually get a shot of it right now. But this is the wind part of this, as we've been saying again and again, that is sort of the supporting actor of this whole disaster movie. It's the storm surge that we're most worried about.

This area we're in is projected to have nine feet of storm level - a storm surge. We don't even know how to think about that in those terms. That would lift these cars up, it would fill the lobby of the hotel, we're not sure. We're hopeful that those numbers are excessive. But right now you can just get a little taste. And this brings back, John, so many memories of Katrina, and Irma and Michael up in Mexico beach.

And just the sheer power of nature, again and again I've been trying to mention that this is the result of a warmer planet. Scientists have warned us for a long time that storms won't get necessarily more hurricanes out of climate change, but the ones we do get will be bigger, and faster and wetter. And here is your exhibit A, Hurricane Ian.

Sorry, it takes your breath away every now and then. But this place is well-prepared. As well prepared as anyplace really in Florida, because after Hurricane Charley, they all signed in and local officials here bought into climate change coastal adaptation mitigation plan. But we'll see how good that plan holds up to these unprecedented events here as well.

And then, of course, after the physical storm, there's the financial storm, and there was a study done this year, but just in 2022 over 3 million workdays will be lost to flooding. And meanwhile, the big reinsurance company, Munich Re, says it's wind-driven rain was the number one cause of insurance claims in 2022.

Storm Surge may impact that, but those 3 million lost workdays are purely from flooding, as we're seeing more sunny day floods, king tides in Miami and places like that. But all of these low lying areas are so vulnerable to this new reality. Past, unfortunately, is not prologue when we think about these storms. These are not your grandpa's hurricanes anymore. Not only are they stronger, and wetter and fast, but there's so many more people and so much more wealth in the path of the storms now.

The population of Florida goes up, I think 900 people a day, something like that, a lot of people this will be their first storm. And so the best we can do is hope for the best. Hope that as many people as possible evacuated or safe right now. But we can't help but hear the howl and think about kids who are going through this for the first time. (Inaudible) go to about half of the population are retirees, more than half.

So many vulnerable folks in this situation. The power is out here. We're lucky enough to have a generator at this hotel. But you got to imagine that the average high tension line can't survive this sort of thing. So we don't know what comes next, but we're here for you. I will keep you posted as best we can.

BERMAN: Bill, it's great to have you there. We're lucky to have you there. To you and your team, though, please do whatever you do, do whatever you need to do to stay safe. You say Punta Gorda is well prepared, but there's no way to prepare for a nine to 10 foot storm surge. Sandbag can't do anything against that, so get where you need to go to stay safe. Thank you for explaining what you're seeing and feeling there.

[15:10:00]

That's just one of the cities and towns experiencing this devastating historic hurricane, as it begins very soon, any minute to make official landfall on the southwest coast. The impact being felt all the way from where Bill is 150 miles or so from where I am to the Tampa, St. Pete area.

I want to go to Brian Todd across Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg. Brian, here it's just been pouring, drenching rain for a long, long time now. I know you're feeling the wind too.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. Don't tell people that this hasn't officially made landfall yet, because we're just getting slammed with another band of rain, kind of hitting us from the side. I hear you talking to Bill about what it feels like out here and you know it as well as I do, you've been doing this for a long time.

When the rain starts to hit you horizontally, you know you're getting an intense band of rain and that's what we were just feeling here. And the storm surge, and the power and the energy of the water is at once powerful and also a little bit deceptive. Now, look at the storm surge here and the power of these waves slamming up against the seawall here kind of hitting us with some of the remnants of it here.

And as you - we just observed over the last couple of minutes visibility here is really dropping now as we're - I'm getting just slammed here by another really intense band of rain. Now, our photojournalist, Mike Love (ph), is going to pan to your left.

What's deceptive here, John, is that we've talked about negative storm surge. Now, negative storm surge is pulling some of the tides and the water levels are dropping here. If you see that - again, visibility is kind of compromised here, but if you can see that point of land out there that I'm pointing at right there, it's a large sandbar that was completely underwater less than an hour ago.

We were out here earlier. That was (inaudible) these water levels. We've talked to people out here. They've never seen them this low. But again, that water is all coming back. It just depends on when and how intense it comes back and we'll see how the water levels are, we're going to see about flooding, this kind of rainfall is going to flood some areas in this town. That's what they're really concerned about.

We just talked to some people who are over here in this area. As you see the rain, look, you get a wide shot of downtown St. Petersburg here and you can see just kind of the rain. And some of it you can see just kind of moving sideways. That is, again, mark of intensifying hurricane winds here.

But we talked to some people who are frantically trying to clear a drain over there, a drain that was coming from this (inaudible) hotel over here into the water because water levels have never been this low and they were - they had the opportunity to clear a drain of some shells and other things that were blocking it.

Again, these are the kinds of efforts that you see when you've got possibly intense flooding that's going to be going on in these buildings here, very low lying. Also, again, local authorities telling people try to conserve water now while the storm is at its height, because they've had sewage problems here.

They're telling people don't use your washing machines. Don't use your dishwashers right now. Try to limit your flushing and your showering right now while this is at its height, because at least in St. Petersburg problems with the sewage system have been a huge issue in the last six or so years. They've tried to renovate it. They've started a project to renovate it late last year. This is a big test to see if that renovation is going to work, John.

BERMAN: All right. Brian Todd in St. Petersburg, thank you very much. Please standby.

We do have breaking news, Hurricane Ian has now officially made landfall 3:05 pm as a category four storm, I believe around the area of Sanibel Island. Hurricane Ian has officially made landfall. What that means is that the center of the eye has crossed onto land, although they've been feeling the major impact from Ian for some time in that area, as it moves into the southwestern part of this state as a category four storm, we had heard winds of 155 miles per hour, one of if not the most powerful storm ever to make landfall on the western coast of Florida. Truly a historic and potentially catastrophic day for much of this state.

Six hundred and fifty thousand customers, I'm told, at this point now without power in Florida. Six hundred and fifty thousand customers, that number will rise. It will go up by a lot over the next several hours. All kinds of crews working as quickly as they can to get customers back online, but that will take some time.

I want to go now if we can to Ryan Lamb, who's the Fire Chief and the Emergency Management Director in Cape Coral, Florida, which I know is where the brunt of this storm could be very soon if not already. Sir, if you can hear me, what are you seeing?

RYAN LAMB, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR & FIRE CHIEF, CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA: Hi, John. Yes, we are right now very much experiencing the height of the impact of the storm in our area. We've had pressure drops, we've felt it in our ears here locally as we see part of that eye move in our area.

[15:15:00]

We're now seeing the winds turn in their direction and flow. And we are getting reports of significant structural damage across our city as well as significant rain. The next part that we're cautiously watching is now as those winds shift, if we're going to start seeing any of that storm surge is that flow now pushes towards our inland.

BERMAN: Yes. We see devastating pictures from Naples, Fort Myers Beach. As of now, you haven't witnessed or experienced the storm surge?

LAMB: We've seen some of it as it pushed the opposite direction to a limited degree. Now, we're kind of bracing as it potentially pushes towards a lot of our population mass as that flow now pushes up on our rivers and canals system here in our city. Our significant calls right now have been individuals in their home that have experienced some type of roof failure or window or door failure that are still in those structures.

Out of a population of about 210,000 people here in the city, we called for the evacuation of about 165,000 people and sadly, the uptake into our shelters were pretty low. We have an expectation ...

BERMAN: Right. And you mentioned structure ...

LAMB: ... that there's going to be a large number of people in - still in their properties.

BERMAN: ... a large number of people were restoring their property if they're left with any property after this. What reports are you getting of structural damage?

LAMB: Roofs, doors, windows, again, our concern now is that out of those people that we asked to evacuate, a lot of them did not and so there are fears that there's a number of people still staying in those damaged structures, which is going to be a high priority for us as soon as these winds drop below 45 miles an hour sustained. Our public works crews with front end loaders will be going out and clearing the roadway so that the fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles can get out to anybody that we've had a 911 call that we've not been able to respond to during the duration of this storm.

BERMAN: Yes. And your message to the people right now?

LAMB: At this point, the storm is here. Do your best to stay safe, stay informed, be calm and as soon as the storm is out take caution and if you call for emergency services, we are coming.

BERMAN: All right. Ryan Lamb at Cape Coral, thank you so much for being with us. Stay safe. Please let us know if there's anything that we can do.

Hurricane Ian is here. You heard him say it officially making landfall at 3:05 pm as a category four storm, really just beginning, Erica, as you look up and down the southwest coast of Florida right now impact - devastating impact could be felt for hours to come.

HILL: Yes. And when we see, when we're able to put up on the screen, John, which I know you've been looking at all day, we put up that radar and you see just how large it is. It really gives you a sense of why folks are so concerned about how long this is going to last. Stay with us.

We're going to stay on this hurricane and the developments. As John just pointed out, it'd officially made landfall as a category four at 3:05 pm. But folks there on the ground, including all of our teams have been feeling it for quite some time. We'll bring you the very latest, stay with us.

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[15:22:42]

BERMAN: Right. I'm John Berman live in Tampa, Florida. It is pouring here, expecting 12 to 24 inches of rain. We do have live pictures to show you in Punta Gorda, Florida right now. Hurricane Ian has made landfall officially at 3:05 pm in Cayo Costa Florida at near 150 miles per hour. That is a category four storm. Again, though, you're looking at live pictures from Punta Gorda, Florida. Our Randi Kaye is there. Randi, can you hear me?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I hear you, John. We're about 22 miles from where Hurricane Ian made landfall, so - here in downtown Punta Gorda. Let me just show you what's happening here. We've been on this side of the parking garage for safety. But if you look outside here, we can - you can see, whoa, just how strong these winds are. You can understand why we are staying inside.

That water is just whipping around on the streets. Last time we were on air, which wasn't that long ago. There was - not any water on the street and now it's already starting to gather. And if you look on this side, there's the gas station there, which obviously isn't doing any business today. But that's the area - that's the direction, I should say, of Charlotte Harbor, which is where likely is going to overflow from the storm surge where they were expecting 12 to 18 foot storm surge here in Punta Gorda.

But you can see just - I mean it's remarkable when you look at the trees there. You can see some of those trees have already broken over. Yet the screens somehow miraculously are still on that house there. We've also been watching very closely there are these transformers around the (inaudible) those poles have been shaking. Certainly a lot of concern about that, because of the power outages that people are expecting here not only in this area, but all up and down the west coast of Florida and elsewhere.

They do have, of course, power crews on standby, and high water vehicles on standby and search and rescue teams on standby, but we are definitely in the thick of it here, John, feeling the effects. I mean, I'm inside somewhat and I'm getting blown around. So you can imagine people who have never been through a hurricane before, have never experienced anything like what we're seeing and feel here, those first time Floridians who maybe just moved here recently maybe after the pandemic they are probably really a bit surprised by what they're experiencing, John.

[15:25:11]

BERMAN: Yes. Randi, to be, fair few people have ever experienced anything like this before, because this is one of the most powerful storms to make landfall in the United States. The most powerful to make landfall on the west coast of Florida where you are. As you say, people without power there, that's the least of it. Six hundred and fifty thousand customers without power in Florida, that number will go up and I fear the situation where you are will get even worse. To you and your team, please stay safe. I think the worst of it still to come in Punta Gorda.

Let's get to Jennifer Gray at the Weather Center now to get a sense of where the storm made landfall at Cayo Costa and where Randi is maybe if you can show us, Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. So the storm made landfall, as you mentioned, about 30 minutes ago in Cayo Costa, which is right here. It's just to the north of Captiva - in between Captiva and Boca Grande.

Now here's Punta Gorda right here where Randi Kaye is and she has been getting more than 100 mile per hour winds for more than an hour. So she has been well within that eye wall for a very long time. If this storm can just jog a little bit more to the north and east, she will finally get a break and be within the eye of the storm, which should lessen her winds just a little bit.

But as we talk about with all of these storms, the backside of this eye is going to come her way as well. So those winds are going to pick right back up and she will likely get those 100 plus winds once again, John. So we have a long way to go, even though the storm has just made landfall.

BERMAN: A long way to go. It will keep its hurricane force for some time as it moves up the peninsula. Jennifer Gray, we'll come back to you in a little bit to get a better sense of where it might be headed. Thank you so much.

As you can see up here in Tampa, too, raining hard all Florida will feel the impact practically of this storm. CNN special live coverage continues right after this.

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