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Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall As Strong Cat 4 With 150 MPH Winds; Interview With Rep. Val Demings (D-FL): Orlando's Biggest Concerns About Hurricane Ian. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired September 28, 2022 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: When the early evacuation orders went out for the west coast of Florida, many residents were heading east and trying to make their way to Orlando. You're looking -- this is why people were asked to leave. These are live pictures of north port, Florida. The hurricane, though, is not stopping, of course, at the west coast of Florida.

Is it expected -- it's expected, rather, to bring catastrophic life- threatening flooding across the state, perhaps even into Orlando. CNN's Don Lemon is on the ground there in Orlando. So many people as I mentioned, Don, had left thinking this would be a safer spot, and in fact, now the storm is heading right towards them.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, they left, and they came here to Orlando where we are, and it's -- look, it's a science, but these storms are unpredictable. So, this is supposed to go closer to Tampa and the folks from Tampa all came here to Orlando. They thought they'd be safer here, but they might be right in the middle of it.

We're just starting to get some of the bands, the hurricane is still, you know, southwest about 100 miles, even though it just made landfall. We're just starting to get some of the bands here. We have sporadic rain in and out, in and out. Just over an hour ago, they ordered really everybody off the roads here. Most of the businesses are closed. As you know at home, you've been to Disney, you've been to the amusement parks here, every single one of the amusement parks, everything is pretty much shut down here in anticipation of this storm.

Could get up to 2 feet of rain here, and there's also inland flooding warnings happening. I'm watching the local forecasters. They're all out here talking about what the storm surge is going to do to other parts and the inland flooding, what could happen here. So, everything has pretty much been shut down here.

The airports have canceled about 2,800 -- 22 to 2,800 flights, I believe. Orlando and Tampa airports were hardest hit with the cancellations. They are shut down. The Tampa airport shut down yesterday. The Orlando airport shut down today. There are people still in the airport who are sleeping on benches there. But pretty much we are watching and we are waiting here as some of the outer bands of this storm start to make their way to Orlando. And imagine, Erica, you bring you and your family here. You think

you're going to be safe. You listen to the forecasters and all of a sudden, the storm makes a little bit of a wobble or a jiggle and it comes right towards you. So, we're going to watch and wait to see what happens.

HILL: Absolutely, Don, glad you're on the ground there. Thank you.

Also joining us this hour, Congresswoman Val Demings who of course serves Florida's tenth Congressional district including parts of Orlando. Congresswoman, good to have you with us at this hour. As Don mentioned, I know as you know quite well the storm now headed your way. You have all of these folks who had moved into the Orlando area hoping to find safety there. What's your biggest concern right now as you're watching the path of this storm?

REP. VAL DEMINGS (D-FL): Well, it's good to be with you. I wish it was under different circumstances. But you know, I I'm just getting back from Puerto Rico doing an assessment down there looking at the damage from hurricane Fiona, and here we are in Orlando. You're right, here in central Florida just about every county has -- is under a hurricane warning. It's are pretty much shut down, those who have -- should evacuate, we hope that they have.

As I just heard the theme parks and the airport, everything is shut down so we are hunkering down. We're already feeling the effects of hurricane Ian here with the winds. I can only imagine what they are going through in south Florida -- or southwest Florida.

But look, this is a series storm. It's a major storm. I grew up in Florida. I served almost 30 years as a first responder. I chaired the emergency preparedness and response recovery subcommittee through homeland security. This is a major storm, major winds up to 155 miles per hour. We've talked about the storm surge and flooding our primary concern here is flooding, and we're just trying to do everything we can to make sure we have no loss of life.

HILL: Right, and to those points, the wind speeds alone, we know that this storm officially came ashore as a category 4, but we're talking about 150 miles per hour winds, a cat 5 is 157 miles per hour to put that into perspective for people. Drawing on your experience, right, those three decades of experience, we talk a lot about people who don't heed the warnings to evacuate. How they could be putting first responders at risk. First responders at this point can't get out as we know. What is your message to folks who are hunkered down, who didn't leave, who may need something right now?

DEMINGS: Well, you know, we depend on experts in this particular area, and when they say you need to evacuate, we strongly encourage people to do just that. Because you're absolutely correct, we're very concerned about flooding. If persons are stranded, if they're injured and they're in their homes, it puts first responders at risk who are trying to get to them. And so, we know that every day we have people who are moving into our state that may not be so aware of hurricane season. But we just ask them to listen to the emergency management experts and

others, our first responders who have experience in this area. And when, you know, we say evacuate, please do so. Of course, it's really too late to do that now. We're hoping they have the supplies and resources that they need.

HILL: Looking forward as our chief climate correspondent Bill Weir just pointed out, these storms are getting faster. They're getting stronger. They're getting wetter. What is your biggest concern -- big picture -- not only for Florida but for the country in general as we look at these storms?

DEMINGS: You're right. We are seeing more extreme weather, more extreme storms. The intensity is bigger as we are seeing right here with hurricane Ian. And so, you know, the short-term solution, let's make sure that we have the infrastructure that we need to survive, to weather the storm, but more long-term, we have got to deal with climate change ultimately.

And I serve on the committee on homeland security is one of our priorities, and so we've got to come together. Certainly, at the local, state, and federal level, and do what we need to do to properly address the intensity that we are experiencing on the ground during hurricane season.

HILL: Yes, because they are getting more intense, certainly a wake-up call for so many folks. Congresswoman Val Demings, appreciate you taking the time to join us. We know it's a busy day. Thank you.

DEMINGS: Thank you.

HILL: We have new video into CNN we want to share with you. So, this is video, is this a parking garage. You hear the alarms going off in those cars. This is from a parking garage in Naples, Florida. Jeffrey Kepka, who took that video telling CNN he is safe. So that's important to point out. Doesn't have any power, but just look at the way how high that water is and that gives you a sense of not only what has happened but what will be happening across the state.

We can tell you at this hour just giving you a sense of numbers, 800,000 customers currently without power in Florida. We're going to keep following the storm, you updated. Stay with us, again, the storm, hurricane Ian officially making landfall as a category 4, 150 miles per hour winds. That happened at 3:05 p.m., the very latest on the other side of this break.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN, HOST: You're looking at live pictures of North Port, Florida, right now. This is about 25 miles or so from where hurricane Ian officially made landfall at 3:05 p.m. as a category 4 hurricane with 150 miles per hour winds. You can see how strong it is. You can see the breadth of this causing so much damage, wreaking so much havoc over such a large portion now of southwest Florida. Strong winds, strong storm surge, concerns it could reach 18 feet in

some areas. We've already seen some coastal communities, Naples, Fort Myers Beach inundated with that storm surge, which seems to be working its way up the coast.

I'm up here in Tampa, some 100-plus miles away. It's just been pouring here. There is concern here about fresh water flooding. Much more on that later.

[15:45:00]

First let's go back down south to Punta Gorda, our Bill Weir is there, and Bill, you've been dealing with these just incredibly powerful winds.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: It's awesome to behold. In the most scary way, John. Is it -- is just incredible. As we got a report from the airport here in Punta Gorda within the last hour, gusts up to 106 miles an hour.

And you can see the effects of that. These light poles just dancing around. There's a big one, there's a big one. Wow!

Now, Patrick Fuller is the emergency manager here in Charlotte County, just had a briefing a few moments ago. Said they haven't had any critical calls yet thankfully, but even if they did, there'd be no way for crews to come out in this to try to help people right now. So, his advice is what you're getting from leaders from the governor all the way down, from the president all the way down, which is hunker in place. Get to an interior space away from windows as high as you can within that space. And hug the ones you love and brace for it.

There's about 60,000 people within the red zone here in this part of the storm. He's not sure how many got out. There's no way to know, but this is a town that's very familiar with big storms, as much as they can be in an era when there's so many new Floridians down here.

This will be the first hurricane for lots of people and, boy, it's not a gentle way to figure this stuff out. I can see over there across the parking lot. It's like a structure around that dumpster and those steel doors look like they're about to come off those hinges at any second now.

And that's the thing, I mean, we've been talking about storm surge as the star, wind speed is the supporting actor in this disaster, but this -- that really, moments like this diminishes the sheer danger of flying debris. It's so violent, John, here right now. So violent, the wind is just heaving around. We're not sure if we'll even see the eye here. We may be stuck in the eye wall in Punta Gorda for the foreseeable few hours.

I don't know, we'll see, but if you are one of those new Floridians and haven't been through one of these, I'm sure you've heard it from the officials, don't be tempted to go outside and have your hurricane eye wall party just because you see a little bit of blue sky because the back end of that storm comes in, it can be even more nasty than this one here, John.

BERMAN: Yes, no, stay where you are at this point up and down the southwestern coast of Florida right now, and Bill, as you say with wind speeds north of 100 miles per hour, that doesn't feel like a supporting role, very much a featured player I think we could say at this point. You and your team stay safe, we'll come back to you.

All right, I think we lost Bill there again. We'll get back to Bill Weir because he really is in the middle of it all. He's our eyes and ears on the ground in some of the worst conditions of this storm. Much more of CNN's special live coverage of hurricane Ian right after this.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right, live pictures from North Port, Florida right now, about 25 miles or so from where hurricane Ian officially made landfall about 45 minutes ago as a category four storm with 150 mile per hour winds. We're getting reports of storm surge, severe flooding in cities Southwest of here. We're keeping a very close eye on that. This storm though a state wide phenomena, drenching rain here in Tampa. We were hearing thunder moments ago. They could get up to two feet of rain in the Tampa, St. Petersburg area.

I'm joined now by to officials who cover this broad wide-ranging area. Bonnie Wise, executive from Hillsborough County. And across Tampa Bay, Amber Boulding from St. Petersburg. Thank you for being with us both of you. Bonnie, as we are watching as I'm in the rain right now in this area. What are your major concerns.

BONNIE WISE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR: Hello, thanks for having me today. Our biggest concern right now is going to be the major flooding that's going to be caused. We also know that there's going to be major power outages. So, we've prepared as best as we can. And we'll assess the damage afterwards. But we really want to urge residents to be very careful of the flooding. Not to go in any standing water. And to wait until we give them the all clear before they move about.

Yes, and that flooding could last some time. Again, 12 to 20 inches of rain, drenching rain, freshwater flooding. Which means that the rivers and streams will flow the opposite direction from the storm surge -- if there's storm surge in this area. And the flooding may be delayed by a half a day or so.

Amber, to you across the bay in St. Petersburg. We've been watching the conditions there. They've been rough all day with winds. And I know it's taxing the systems where you are.

AMBER BOULDING. EMERGENCY MANAGER, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA: It is. And you know, we were fortunate that we were able to avoid the worst of the surge that we were looking for -- we were waiting for. But you know, with the rains and we're already saturated.

[15:55:00] And with the consistent wind and long ride we're in for with the wind, we're getting a lot of trees down, which is bringing down those power lines. So, we're having a lot of hazards outside with live wires down and widespread power outages throughout St. Pete.

BERMAN: Amber, just quickly, 800,000 customers in Florida without power. What are you expecting over the next several hours?

BOULDING: You know, again, we're in this one for the long haul. It's not a fast moving storm. So, we're looking at -- we are not seeing the strongest winds yet. So, those consistent tropical storm force winds with those higher gusts that we are expecting throughout the night is just really going to, you know, exacerbate that problem. And we expect to see those power outages wider.

We want to encourage citizens to stay home and stay inside, shelter in place. We're starting to see folks wanting to come out and, you know, look around and, you know, witness the storm. But the hazard is there. Just because he would didn't get the eyeball of the storm, doesn't mean we're not seeing hazards. So, we want everybody to really take caution and stay inside.

BERMAN: And Bonnie, same message from you? I mean, this is really just getting going here. Do you want people to remain inside now for the duration?

WISE: Absolutely. We want people to shelter in place. It's going to be a long night. This is going to be here with us through tomorrow. Our ground is already quite saturated. And so, we are very much concerned about that flooding. So, we want people to be safe, be careful. It is why we opened over 45 shelters for our folks. And we've had over 7,000 people in our shelters. And lots of pets as well. So, just stay in place. Don't move about. Wait until we tell you it's OK to do so.

BERMAN: Yes, just sit back, stand by. It's going to be a long night. Wait until you hear from officials. Our thanks to both of you. I know you have a long day and long night ahead of both of you.

All right, Erica, I'm not even an hour since hurricane Ian officially made landfall. I think a lot of this story yet to be written.

HILL: Yes, I think you are right. I mean, you've been -- as you pointed out, throughout the day, John and I have been watching you since I got up this morning, and I know a lot of folks have as well. As you have seen the progression, the fact that this really in many areas, just beginning, the real brunt of it, in addition to what we're going to see afterwards.

And that's one of the major concerns. And certainly, you were hearing it from officials that you were speaking with. All these pictures that we are seeing. We are seeing water in the streets. We're seen what Bill was showing us with the doors surrounding the dumpster, the way the light poles were moving, the force of the storm, the damage that could be left behind, John, is a major concern. For folks in that area

BERMAN: Yes, and it's just going to creep. It's going to creep up the Florida Peninsula now that it has made landfall officially. There's so much damage that could still happen. And we still don't know the full extent of this storm surge. We've seen pictures, devastating pictures from Naples and Ft. Myers Beach. But some of the worst of that could still be to come as well.

HILL: Absolutely, you talk about slow moving it is. It's also the size of this is we've been talking about from the beginning. NASA just released a new video. I hope that we can show it to the folks at home who are watching, just to give you a sense of the size, the scope of this storm. If we have that video of hurricane Ian. Here you go.

This is Ian seen from space. And John, I know it's hard to see some of these pictures right now. It is massive, the area that it is covering. The first picture we're showing, it barely fits in the screen it feels like. And when we look at the size of even the radar map over Florida, to your point, it's so slow moving, even as it's making its way northeast toward Orlando, that is hours and hours away.

BERMAN: Yes, that's a more peaceful view than Bill Weir and Randi Kaye have in Punta Gorda, as they're in the middle of 100 plus mile an hour winds. You know, the storm surge, the concerns, the forecasts for up to 18 feet in some areas. It's hard to even imagine what 18 feet of water, a wall of water like that could really do as it just covers houses, perhaps, up to the eves, even higher in some houses. What that water will cover and what that water will wash away, we may not know until dawn, tomorrow morning.

HILL: And some of the areas, right, one of the major concerns, you know, it's so low lying in some areas. It's so many barrier islands as well, being able to get to them. What this could do to some of those bridges and some of those homes. To your point, this could above those roofs, I mean 18 feet. We're talking about -- that's almost two stories. And so, if you think about that massive wall of water and the damage that that can do, it is frightening for obvious reasons -- John.

BERMAN: Yes, and I know we sound like a broken record. But there are three threats to the storm. The wind that you are seeing Bill Weir get rocked around in. And the storm surge, which we're only beginning to get a sense of. And then the rain, which has only just started, 12 to 20 inches that will go well inland and north of here.

[16:00:00]

And that could be its own series of problems in Orlando, here in Tampa and as you move north and east of here, that freshwater flooding in a state that's been soaked over the last several days. This is like 40 percent of the rainfall they normally get in a year could fall over a three-day period. So, that's going to be very difficult to deal with.

HILL: It is. I know you have a long night ahead of you, my friend. Stay safe. Stay dry if you can. I know you will continue to keep us updated. Stay with us. Our breaking news coverage of hurricane in making landfall continues with "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper that starts right now.