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Category 3 Hurricane Ian Intensifies On Path To Florida; Florida Officials Warn Time To Evacuate Is Running Out; Central Vietnam Under Flood Threat As Typhoon Noru Hits. 2-3a ET

Aired September 28, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:33]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all over the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kristie Lu Stout.

Now it is now 2:00 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, almost the entire state of Florida is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Ian. A monster storm stretching 700 miles across and getting stronger. After causing a nationwide blackout in Cuba, Ian is turning in the Gulf of Mexico as a category three hurricane with sustained winds just shy of a category four. And along with life-threatening storm surge Florida is facing catastrophic flooding and powerful winds.

Now conditions will deteriorate throughout the night ahead of the expected landfall in the coming hours. More than 2-1/2 half million people are under some form of evacuation warning. A state authority said the time to leave is quickly running out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): People in southwest Florida, this is going to likely make landfall as a category four hurricane. There will be catastrophic flooding and life threatening storm surge on the Gulf Coast region. And of course the highest risk will be in that Southwest Florida region from Naples up to Sarasota. There's also potential for flash flooding and river flooding with 10 to 20 interest inches across central and Northeast Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri is tracking the storm for us. He joins us now. And Pedram, Hurricane Ian is intensifying at an unprecedented rate. How strong is it? How is it tracking?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: You know, 120 miles an hour, this is a strong category three, Kristie. And what we're expecting is further strengthening, landfall possible as early as the next 12 hours. The track of this system has gradually shifted farther and farther towards the east and the south and based on just how the lay of the land is across the state of Florida. That essentially means this system is coming in a bit sooner.

It is not going to slow down as much and certainly the impacts are going to be a little bit more extensive when it comes to areas south of the Tampa Bay area and you'll notice about 95 miles south of Naples, Florida at this hour as of the 2:00 a.m. at the advisory from the National Hurricane Center. And the forecast guidance will keep this as a category for now at landfall somewhere areas near Port Charlotte just, again, south of Tampa Bay into the early afternoon hours of Wednesday.

Winds that point sustained 130 miles per hour, pushes inland drops down to a tropical storm reemergence over the eastern side there on Thursday into Friday and possibly makes another landfall there across eastern Georgia come Friday into Saturday. But the model guidance that was initially pushing it -- initially pushing it well off shore and then gradually closer to Tampa Bay has now entirely moved in about 75 or so miles south of Tampa Bay.

But Port Charlotte, Fort Myers around the Punta Gorda area, Siesta Key, these are the regions we're watching. And again, notice that variability in the track, we often talk about this, you don't just fall in love with one model, one line and one track, you'd look at guidance within every single model run and every single run wanted to bring this a little farther towards the south. That shifted it in the order of about 75 miles before it was all said and done.

And that is where we stand here with a pretty good handle on where we think the system will end up and the likelihood scenario right now. We're on Port Charlotte Boca Grande, it could be about nine-foot storm surge. That is catastrophic storm surge that is forecast across this region and the grasp and the width of the storm system is an incredible one because the cloud field spans almost 700 miles from its northern end to its southern end.

The tropical storm force winds extend about 140 miles away from the center. So no matter where you are across the state of Florida, just about everyone is going to feel some inclement weather and tropical storm force winds. Certainly power outages will be felt as a result of this as well. And the incredible amount of rainfall associated with the storm system is really what stands out to me because look at our banners, look at the top of the charts there, the white color contours, that's indicative of 20-plus inches.

Mind you places like Seattle get about 40 inches in an entire year. These folks could see about half of that in the next couple of days. And notice where it highlights the white contours from Tampa points all the way eastward and northward towards Orlando and on the eastern side as well where the system tracks. So that is an incredible amount of rainfall that is going to lead to catastrophic flooding.

Certainly the coastal communities will see the storm surge. The localized flooding inland is going to be the big story for this storm system. And again it is far from over because we do believe it's going to strengthen before it makes landfall in the coming hours.

STOUT: Wow this is a huge storm. A strengthening storm and opposes multiple threats.

[02:05:00]

Pedram Javaheri, we thank you for your reporting. We'll check in with you again soon. Joining us now is retired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan. He led the U.S. Army response efforts for five major hurricanes and joins us now live. Sir, thank you very much indeed for joining us here on CNN. Hurricane Ian is set to make landfall in just a matter of hours. At this moment, what is your greatest concern?

RET. LT. GEN. JEFFREY BUCHANAN, U.S. ARMY (via telephone): Well, Kristie, the greatest concern is that I have heard the people that maybe not listening or ignoring to the leadership's advice to evac -- everybody can do who has the means to get out of the way of this very deadly storm. So, I urge them to listen to their leaders, the mayors, the governor.

STOUT: OK. Unfortunately, it seems that we lost our connection there. Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan on giving us and giving especially residents in Florida the warning to heed the evacuation order given by the government there to get out while they can. We'll try to reestablish that connection with you as soon as you can. Our apologies for that.

Now, meanwhile, in many parts of Florida, police and fire departments as well as other emergency responders will soon decide conditions are just too dangerous to respond to calls for help. And in Tampa, they're warning residents not to take risks as Hurricane Ian approaches. CNN's Ryan Young has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good. Hey, we're coming by and letting everybody know that you're in a mandatory evacuation situation.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): the Tampa Bay area and its final hours of hurricane preparations. Tampa Bay police making last ditch efforts to warn residents flood risk zones to leave now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a reinforcement to let them know that you're in an area where you need to evacuate.

JANE CASTOR, TAMPA, FLORIDA MAYOR: This is not a drill. This is not the time to stay.

YOUNG: Serious warnings to residents here. This vulnerable area expected to be in the crosshairs of Hurricane Ian as it barrels toward the west coast of Florida.

CASTOR: We have over 120 miles of coastline just in the city of Tampa.

YOUNG: At least 2.5 million Floridians under various evacuation orders. It's a storm that's predicted to cause water damage like none before. KENNETH T. WELCH, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA MAYOR: You're talking about 10 or 15 inches of rain on top of the surge that's unprecedented. No infrastructure is built for that.

YOUNG: With this hurricane. A direct hit isn't necessarily to cause severe flooding. The slow-moving storm is predicted to stall just off the coast of Tampa Bay starting Wednesday evening.

CASTOR: It's going to be in our rivers. It's going to be in our streams. It's going to be in our canals. It's going to be in our stormwater drains and ditches.

YOUNG: Sandbag locations around Tampa close today at 2:00. Residents doing what they can before heading out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're late, we're late. But we are -- we think that if it is a storm surge issue, we will try to seal the openings of the house.

YOUNG: Former Florida Congressman Jim Davis and his wife aren't taking chances. They're prepping their house and getting up.

JIM DAVIS, TAMPA, FLORIDA RESIDENT: I'm not a very good gambler and it's a bit of a gamble if you don't take it seriously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG: The word storm surge is something we heard over and over. City officials are concerned that people will try to drive through water as it starts to rise throughout the city. If you look at the hospital and how they're preparing, you can see those barricades have been put up. That's to stop the water from affecting hospital operations. But again, they are concerned about people who decided not to evacuate and to try to ride this out.

Ryan Young, CNN, Tampa, Florida.

STOUT: OK. We have retired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan on the line. Again, he led the U.S. Army response efforts for five major hurricanes. Sir, thank you again for joining us. Let's continue on that point that you were raising before we were cut off. Florida has issued an evacuation order to millions of people. And for those who still refuse to evacuate in a storm like this. What's your message to them?

BUCHANAN: Please, my message to them, Kristie, is please listen to the leadership, the local leadership. Florida has a great emergency management system and a very experienced set of first responders. They know what they're talking about. And when they're asking you to evacuate -- my message. Storm surge and flooding can be very, very deadly. We -- when we think of hurricane, we think of winds but it's actually the water that that can kill many more victims.

STOUT: It's the storm surge, the flooding, the winds that can threaten lives. And for those who did the right thing and evacuated. What should they be bracing for? You know, what kind of damage what kind of property loss could they be going through?

BREUER: Well, obviously, if there's a lot of wind damage, just the ability to get back to one home is going to be a challenge because there's likely to be trees and power lines down everywhere.

[02:10:00]

The damage to any sort of structures through winds could be high but also the damage caused by flooding. The good news is that the governor of Florida has asked for help from the federal administration. And President Biden did declare a natural disaster which actually opens up resources for FEMA to be able to respond and -- hit people -- their lives. So the first 72 or 96 hours will be focused on saving lives.

And after that the focus of the state, local and federal officials will be on what we call life-sustaining activities. Getting people, you know, shelter, food, water and those sorts of things.

STOUT: And very quickly, how fast can FEMA and other federal agencies step in to provide help?

BUCHANAN: Well, they're actually already there. Unlike, you know, the military efforts that I led, we typically respond when asked by the federal government to support FEMA (INAUDIBLE) we respond right away. Well, we are -- usually lost. Sometimes that can last up to a couple of months, but FEMA should be there for years.

STOUT: Wow. This could require years of federal assistance. This storm is that big. Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan, we'll have to wrap it up there. Thank you, sir. Indeed for joining us here on the program. You're watching CNN. And up next. Typhoon Noru makes landfall in Vietnam as a sort of major flooding extends well beyond the coastal areas.

Plus, the link between climate change and severe weather. We'll be talking to a climate expert about why storms are becoming stronger and faster than ever.

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[02:16:09]

STOUT: A quick check on our top story this hour. Hurricane Ian and is charging toward Florida after causing a nationwide blackout in Cuba. Major flooding is occurring in Key West as the storm is about 100 miles southwest of Naples, Florida. And U.S. officials say that en is expected to make landfall as an extremely dangerous hurricane. Currently a high-end category three. And across Florida, people are bracing for life threatening storm surge and catastrophic flooding.

And even before the hurricane makes landfall authorities are warning residents to be on alert for tornadoes overnight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN GUTHRIE, DIRECTOR, FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY AND MANAGEMENT: Tropical tornadoes will occur very quickly. They will happen overnight tonight and will occur during heavy rain. You will not be able to see them coming. If you get a weather alert, stay in an interior room, have a secure structure away from windows and doors and protect your head from embody from any debris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: We want to show you these images, they showcase the impact earlier after a tornado hit the North Perry airport causing significant damage to several aircraft and hangars. Right now Vietnam is being pummeled by Typhoon Noru. The storm made landfall earlier. The coastal city of Da Nang bringing heavy rain and strong winds. It's expected to weaken as it moves inland, but parts of central Vietnam, Laos and Thailand could face flooding over the next 48 hours.

And the storm killed at least eight people when it passed through the Philippines. Our CNN's as Paula Hancocks is tracking typhoon Noru from Seoul.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We know that at least 100,000 were evacuated from the coastal areas of Da Nang Hoi An. Just before landfall, the vulnerable in particular, were taken to shelters. And we also know it's a fairly heavy fishing area. So there's more than 11,000 fishermen in the area. Officials banned all of them from going out to sea, and there's concern about whether livelihoods will have been destroyed along there as well.

Now we're waiting for official results as to whether there has been significant damage. At this point what we're seeing on social media is that trees, power lines are down, we are seeing some flooding, roads blocked, but we'll have to wait for a better assessment. It is expected to further weaken as it crosses Vietnam and further into Southeast Asia as well. But this is as you mentioned, the same typhoon, a super typhoon at that point that hit the Philippines.

Now we saw a rapid intensification of that particular typhoon Saturday and to Sunday when it made landfall. And we just heard this Wednesday morning as well an update from officials there saying that they believe eight deaths so far. Five are still missing. But we're waiting to see what kind of impact this has had on Vietnam.

STOUT: And joining us now from Geneva is Mark Howden. Director of the Australian National University's Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions. Mark, welcome to CNN. A question a lot of us, a lot of our viewers are having right now especially as we look at these two monster storms raging in two different corners of the world. Why are hurricanes hitting harder and faster? And what role is climate change playing and all this?

MARK HOWDEN, DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY'S INSTITUTE FOR CLIMATE, ENERGY AND DISASTER SOLUTIONS: Good morning, Kristie. So there's two things, big things happening at the moment. First of all, we've got a quite a strong La Nina which piles up warm water in the western Pacific, so around the Philippines up to Vietnam and that's generating the sort of conditions that power cyclones. So cyclones, feed off warm water. And similarly over in the U.S. around Florida. We've got a lot of warm water. And so, we've got that happening and -- but we've also got the underlying climate change which is driving up temperatures.

[02:20:05]

HOWDEN: And of course that driving up the ocean temperatures increases the strength of cyclones. So what we've seen is cyclones of category three, four and five, they're actually a much higher proportion of the number of cyclones we've seen. So they're more damaging cyclones, or typhoons are actually much more frequent these days.

STOUT: Got it. So what we're seeing right now, as a result of climate change, amplified by these warm waters, it's making storms more intense. Is it also causing storms to travel more slowly? Meaning that they can just generate and dump more rain in one place?

HOWDEN: That's actually a tendency we've noticed. So, as the water warms up, it means the cyclone can move more slowly, because it can -- doesn't have to move to more warm water to keep going. And so, it can just move more slowly. And that when it crosses the coast, it dumps rain for several hours instead of just a short period of intense rainfall. And so that generates the increased flooding that we're seeing.

STOUT: Yes.

HOWDEN: And this slowing of cyclones is particularly notable above cities. So cities, because they sort of rough. They actually slow down cyclones, so we get increased intensification of cyclones over cities. And so it's actually not a great picture from the point of view of risk.

STOUT: Yes. And also, what about location? Is climate change affecting where major storms hit, perhaps in areas not used to seeing or dealing with regular hurricanes or typhoons?

HOWDEN: Indeed. And so we're seeing tropical storms, cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes move further north in the northern hemisphere, further south in the southern hemisphere than they have historically experienced. And so places which used not to get affected by these are now getting affected. And that trend is likely to continue in the future. So, one example of this was storm Fiona which hit Newfoundland just last week.

And so, if you actually look at what's happening, there's a massive amount of very hot water, just off Newfoundland and that was why that storm was particularly intense there.

STOUT: Yes. And that's very worrying because we could be talking about areas, you know, not used to having the infrastructure to be prepared for these type of events. Is climate change also affecting when storms hit? Is hurricane season, typhoon season changing?

HOWDEN: Just -- we're seeing a slight increase in that season for typhoons and hurricanes just as we are with fires. And so, climate change is making the bad periods more extended. So they start earlier and finish later. So that's a trend we expect to continue as well.

STOUT: Yes. But then there is a debate and ongoing research about the number of hurricanes and typhoons, you know, does climate change affect the overall tally of storms?

HOWDEN: Yes. There's definitely an, you know, a debate in scientific circles as to whether the absolute number of cyclones or typhoons is going to increase with climate change or stay the same or maybe even decrease. But there's very consistent messages about the proportion of very serious cyclones and hurricanes increasing over time due to climate change. So even if the number doesn't increase, we're going to see more of the really bad ones and the increased damage that they bring.

STOUT: Yes, they're hitting harder, they're hitting faster because of climate change. Mark Howden, we thank you very much indeed for joining us here on the program. You're watching CNN. And keep it here. Up next, we got the very latest on Hurricane Ian. We'll return to the CNN weather center for a live report when we come back.

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[02:28:12]

STOUT: Welcome back. And let's get back to our top story. Parts of Florida are already beginning to feel the impact of Hurricane Ian. Storm surge warnings have been issued for the lower Florida keys. And in a news conference late on Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis warned that impacts from the storm have started with rain, wind, and a severe weather threat from the outer bands of.

The storm is set to make landfall in the state's gulf coast in the coming hours. New Port Charlotte and state officials are telling residents in the hurricane's path that the time to get to safety is now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUTHRIE: This storm will only continue to intensify. If you want to leave as the governor has said, now is your last chance. We cannot send first responders into harm's way because you decided not to leave. You must leave now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Back to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri in Atlanta for more on the storm's path. And Pedram, this is a big dangerous storm and when it makes landfall, it's going to pose multiple threats. What can you tell us?

JAVAHERI: You know, multiple threats is really the best way to put it here because we're talking about 20-plus inches of rainfall, storm surge of up to almost 10 feet and a category four hurricane pushing ashore here within the next 12 or so hours. And again, hurricane warnings have been prompted across portions of the western part of the state of Florida. You look at this system. The cloud field spans some 500 plus miles from its northern end to its southern periphery, very symmetrical, very organized and becoming better organized as it approaches land here in the coming hours.

And landfall possibly as early as maybe 1:00, 2:00 p.m. Wednesday and notice it goes from category three again to category four at landfall across portions of the Port Charlotte area which is about 75, 80 miles south of the Tampa Bay region. And that's the biggest concern here. The shift of the track is kind have migrated a little farther towards the south. That means it comes in a little bit stronger.

[02:30:00]

It comes in certainly quicker as well as opposed to taking the northern track and making landfall later on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. And notice the impact will be felt really across the entirety of the State of Florida, especially the northern and eastern side where tropical storm conditions are going to be felt.

And certainly, when you look at the wraparound flow with the storm like, they're going to get storm surge across the coastal region of the Carolinas as well. And this comes as a set up with the model guidance. We've seen this gradually really tighten up here in portions of Tampa that were initially in the forecast zone and now shifted a little farther south for them and it brings the storm system across this region into the early afternoon hours.

And I want to break down the storm surge potential because when you take a look at the threat here for portions of Florida, we know one of the largest most prone regions to storm surge is right here along western Florida. Near the Florida Shelf spans about 150 miles, there's a depth of about 300 feet across this entire region.

So, when you see a system of this magnitude that's part over this continental shelf, it allows the shallow waters to really allow that water to funnel and pile right into this water ways, to these inlets, and that's the concern here with significant threat for storm surge as high as nine feet for areas of Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, around (INAUDIBLE) Key region as well, Kristie.

STOUT: The threats are many and the threat is imminent. Pedram Javaheri, thank you so much for your reporting.

You are watching CNN Newsroom. And still to come, Russia has staged referendums in four partially occupied regions of Ukraine. What could come next as Moscow continues to try and lay claim to its neighbor's territory. And then Nord Stream gas pipeline suffer unprecedented damage and our European leaders say that they suspect sabotage. We got the details, next.

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[02:35:00]

STOUT: In referendums that the west is calling a sham, a farce, and a blatant violation of international law. Pro-Moscow authorities say four partially occupied regions of Ukraine voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia. Now, the hastily arranged referendums took place over five days in the regions of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson which make up about 18 percent of Ukrainian territory.

Russian state media say partial results show about 97 percent of voters are in favor of joining Russia. Although, there are reports of officials going house to house, collecting votes, sometimes, accompanied by soldiers. The U.S. is blasting the vote and has introduced a resolution at the U.N. Security Council calling on member states not to recognize any change to Ukraine's borders.

European leaders say that they suspect sabotage is to blame for sudden mysterious leaks in two Nord Stream gas pipelines. Methane bubbles were seen rising to the surface of the Baltic Sea near the pipelines. Seismologists say that there were explosions in the area on Monday. It's not clear if that caused the leaks or who is behind it. Now, Russia cut off the flow of natural gas in one pipeline to Europe last month amid tensions over its war in Ukraine, and the other was not operating commercially yet.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me now from London with more. And, Clare, Europe is investigating the gas lakes and suspicion is falling on Russia.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kristie, I think when you have three leaks in two neighboring gas pipelines that appeared really in the space of a day in themselves, very rare events. And two seismologists from two different countries registering events on the Richter scale consistent with explosions. Then you do have European leaders who are really not shying away from the topic that this could have been sabotage.

The Swedish prime minister said this probably a deliberate act. The foreign minister from Sweden went even further saying, we need to be prepared for Putin to act irrationally. The Polish prime minister said this was an act of sabotage that likely means a further escalation in the war in Ukraine.

And the European Commissioner Chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said that any disruption of active European energy infrastructure will lead to the strongest possible response. Beside it, even Russia is not shying away from the topic, refusing to rule out any possibility when asked about the possibility that this was sabotaged.

But the key thing for Europe, Kristie, is that this now means that Nord Stream 1, which up until, sort of, the late spring this year was really the biggest artery pumping gas to Europe. That is now very likely not coming back online this winter. The operator of the pipeline, Nard Stream AG said that it was not currently possible to estimate a timeframe for restoring the gas transport infrastructure.

That means for Europe, the urgency of diversifying supply away from Russia which it has already been doing and continues to do successfully. The urgency of saving energy, which it's already doing, all of that becomes more urgent. Because they're now facing, not only a situation where Russia can turn off the taps at any point but where there is now the possibility of actual physical kinetic attacks potentially. No one saying attacks yet. But that is now a potential that they have to look at on energy infrastructure. So, this is a critical moment for Europe ahead of winter which is just around the corner.

STOUT: Yes, and the status of these pipelines, part of the wider confrontation between Russia and Europe, right now. And Clare, four days of this stage referendums wrapped up yesterday. These votes have been wildly condemned. But isn't it inevitable that Putin will go ahead and annex these territories?

[02:40:00]

SEBASTIAN: You know, he pretty much said he would. He said in his big speech last Wednesday, announcing the partial mobilization in Russia that he would be willing to support the decision that these territories made. As for what the next steps will be, well we expect that he will make a speech to a joint session of parliament in Russia Friday.

The U.K. defense ministry has said that there is a realistic possibility that he will formally announce the annexation of these territories. They will call it the accession of these territories into Russia in that speech. The speaker of the upper house of parliament in Russia, the Federation Council, has also said they will look at this next week. Kristie.

STOUT: Clare Sebastian in London, thank you. And thank you for joining us. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. For international viewers, World Sport is up next, and for everyone else I'll be back with more news after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:00]

STOUT: Calls for evacuation are growing louder and more urgent as Hurricane Ian barrels down on Florida. The category three storm has already slammed into Cuba, leaving a path of destruction on the western side of the island. It has caused a nationwide blackout, with more than 11 million people left in the dark.

Ian is expected to make landfall in Florida in the coming hours between Sarasota and Port Charlotte as a category three or four hurricane. And storm surge warnings have already been issued for the lower Florida Keys. A government forecaster explained earlier why this storm is so dangerous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE RHOME, ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: If you're along and north of the projected path, heavy rain and damaging winds. And if those soils are saturated, those winds are going to bring down trees, bring down power lines, and possibly block roads.

So, think about -- you need to be where you're going to be to ride this one out and basically stay there. And then if you're along and south of the track, storm surge at the coastline, significant storm surge at the coastline, especially down here around Fort Myers area. And then, damaging winds and rain as well. So, three hazards, damaging rain -- damaging winds, rain, storm surge, along and south. And then damaging winds and rain to the north.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Ian's outer bounds are already lashing the Florida Keys and along the Gulf Coast. Residents are being warned to take this storm very seriously. Randi Kaye has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): This is a type of storm surge that is life- threatening.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): With Hurricane Ian barreling toward Florida, many here aren't taking any chances. Guadeloupe Gomez (ph) has been boarding up his home for days.

GUADELOUPE GOMEZ (PH), FLORIDA RESIDENT: We say -- prepare for us.

KAYE (voiceover): He says at least 12 of his family members will take shelter here. The concern with Hurricane Ian is not just the wind, it's also the rain and storm surge. Nearly 7 million people along Florida's West Coast between Fort Myers and Clearwater, including all of the Tampa Bay area, are under a storm surge warning.

PATRICK FULLER, CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR: Storm surge is always one of our largest concerns here in Southwest Florida. You know, 90 percent of fatalities occur due to water.

KAYE (voiceover): Charlotte Harbor and the cities of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda are expecting the highest storm surge, with eight to 12 feet possible. Around Tampa, a record storm surge is expected.

MAYOR JANE CASTOR, TAMPA, FLORIDA: A storm that slows down for 24 to 48 hours, and just continuously dumps rain into the Tampa Bay area is devastating.

KAYE (voiceover): Hurricane Ian is expected to dump at least two to three months-worth of rainfall by Friday. Possibly as much as 24 inches of rain in Tampa and West Central Florida.

FULLER: It only takes 18 inches of water to be a life-threatening situation.

KAYE (voiceover): Tampa's airport taking no chances.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At 5:00 p.m. today, no more commercial flights.

KAYE (voiceover): Evacuation orders expanding since Monday, with shelters open for those without other options to wait out the storm.

CONNIE GOSSEILIN, PORT CHARLOTTE RESIDENT: I've never been in a hurricane. This is my first time. My first time at a shelter. But I feel better here than if I would be alone at home.

KAYE (voiceover): Those riding out the storm racing to get sandbags, facing lines for gas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're out of water folks. No water.

KAYE (voiceover): And the familiar scramble to stock up on food and water. Then, hurry up and wait. Randi Kaye, CNN, Punta Gorda, Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, more than 30,000 utility workers are on standby to help restore power after Hurricane Ian moves through Florida. The crews come from at least 23 States are across the U.S. Florida's largest utility company, Florida Power and Light, says it has thousands of personnel and equipment ready across the State to respond to outages once it is safe to do so.

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection has postponed Wednesday's hearing because of Hurricane Ian. A new date for the hearing, which is likely to be the last, should be announced soon. And it is expected to focus on how allies of former President Donald Trump sought to declare victory in the 2020 election, regardless of the outcome.

Meanwhile, jury selection is underway in a federal trial that could pose a major test to the Justice Department's prosecution of January 6th rioters. Five leaders of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, are charged with seditious conspiracy in the Capitol attack.

[02:50:00]

It is the first time in over a decade that the Justice Department will argue a group of Americans plotted to violently oppose a U.S. government. All five defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Now, in the swiftly approaching U.S. midterms, Republicans in a number of tough races across the country are trying to tie Democrats to a surge in crime in major cities. Democrat John Fetterman, in the closely watched Pennsylvania Senate race released a new ad fighting back against his opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is calling him "Dangerously liberal on crime".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF SEAN KILKENNY, MONGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: I'm a county sheriff, veteran, and Pennsylvanian. I'm sick of Oz talking about John Fetterman and crime. Here's the truth, John gave a second chance to those who deserved it. Non-violent offenders, marijuana users.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, this comes as our David Culver talks to first gun owners. They leaned left, and they say they don't feel safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): While, Brandi Joseph readies her classroom, and safety waivers get signed, we'll set the scene for you. These women, now in their early 50s are childhood friends from Los Angeles.

BRANDI JOSEPH, FORTUNE FIREARMS: And your caliber is right here. It is a 22 caliber.

CULVER (voiceover): Their Saturday social? Firearms 101. Perhaps surprising, considering most of these women politically lean left.

CULVER (on camera): Do you have some friends who will be totally turned off by this?

CHARLEAN WARD, TAKING GUN TRAINING: Absolutely.

CULVER (on camera): They won't be happy?

WARD: Not at all.

CULVER (on camera): How do you deal with that?

WARD: Not my problem. That's their choice. I'm exercising my choice.

JOSEPH: You push down, and not in.

CULVER (voiceover): After a thorough intro, they're off to the firing line.

JOSEPH (PH): Phones, I don't want to see them out. I need you to be paying attention to what we're about to do.

CULVER (voiceover): We notice Jamie Beverly paying attention, but seemingly uneasy.

CULVER (on camera): How are you feeling?

JAMIE BEVERLY, TAKING GUN TRAINING: Seeing all the guns on the table, I was like --

CULVER (on camera): Do you think it's going to make you feel safer?

BEVERLY: Yes, I think -- you know, when you have knowledge of stuff, it -- you know, makes you safer.

CULVER (on camera): Would you ever want to carry?

BEVERLY: I don't think so.

JOSEPH: Rack your slide one time to get your cartridge back.

Perfect.

Any questions? No, guns down.

CULVER (voiceover): Larania Day (ph) organized this friend's outing with a personal purpose.

LARANIA DAY (PH), TAKING GUN TRAINING: With our society and our climate is changing, it's just better to be prepared for your own safety in protection. That's how we feel.

CULVER (voiceover): They are not alone. At Burrough Canyon Shooting Park, just east of L.A., we met Yessica Mendez.

YESSICA MENDEZ, NEW GUN OWNER: I'm a Mexican woman in a same-sex relationship. I need to feel safe. I need to feel protected.

CULVER (voiceover): Her wife, Crisia Regalado, at first wanted nothing to do with guns.

CULVER (on camera): Your first experience hearing what we're hearing right now, gunshots, you were not taking it very well.

CRISIA REGALADO, NEW GUN OWNER: Yes, just the sound, the vibrations of the -- of each impact, it made me feel very scared.

TOM NGUYEN, L.A. PROGRESSIVE SHOOTERS: Be as mechanical as the gun is.

CULVER (voiceover): Tom Nguyen began training the couple last year, with the focus on self-protection.

NGUYEN: The more I educate folks who are formally anti-gun, the more they actually realize that there is more nuance to it.

CULVER (on camera): Do you see an opening here that perhaps on a national level, dialogue can happen?

NGUYEN: I hope so. And I think the tide is turning. It's absolutely turning. Because the past two years, it's an -- it's been unprecedented. The types of folks that are buying guns.

CULVER (voiceover): While white men have the highest rates of gun ownership in the U.S., one survey show that in the first half of 2021, roughly 90 percent of retailers saw a surge in gun sales to African Americans. And about 80 percent of retailers reported an increase in firearm purchases by Hispanic and Asian Americans.

NGUYEN: There you go.

CULVER (voiceover): Living in California, a State with some of the toughest gun laws, Yessica tells me she's more comfortable talking about her relationship than about her guns.

MENDEZ: I definitely am more closeted in being a gun owner --

CULVER (on camera): Really?

MENDEZ: -- for fear of retaliation.

CULVER (on camera): Do you worry that you're glamorizing or glorifying gun ownership? MENDEZ: It's something that I really, really try not to do it. Even just, like, wearing shirts that have, like, guns on them, I do not do that. Because I don't want people to think that it's just like an accessory.

CULVER (voiceover): Back on the Fortune Firearms Ranch --

JOSEPH: And I love what I do.

CULVER (voiceover): Firearms instructor and dealer, Brandi Joseph, noticing the change in clientele.

JOSEPH: There is a huge uptick and female owners. Women are getting trained. Women are carrying.

CULVER (on camera): Liberal and conservative?

JOSEPH: Liberal and conservative.

CULVER (voiceover): Data from Harvard found that more than half of new gun owners are likely to be women.

JOSEPH: Prepare to go up, pull your trigger, boom, back to your frame.

CULVER (voiceover): Nearly two hours into their training, these women ready to pull the trigger.

JOSEPH: Slowly pull your trigger. Perfect.

[02:55:00]

CULVER (voiceover): After class, the group is seemingly more comfortable.

CULVER (on camera): Is it strange to think for some of you that you know how to load and handle those weapons?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CULVER (voiceover): Jamie Beverly --

BEVERLY: Yes, I'm still -- really, I don't think I would purchase.

CULVER (voiceover): The others. ready to be armed.

WARD: I just feel liberated.

CULVER (on camera): Would you think you'll feel safer if you're carrying?

DAY (PH): Oh, definitely.

CULVER (on camera): Yes. DAY (PH): Yes, with all the things you see on the news, like things are happening more in so many public areas, movie theaters, Walmarts, grocery stores, it's like there's no limit now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: And that was CNN's David Culver reporting. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. And my colleague Paula Newton picks up coverage of Hurricane Ian after the break. Keep watching CNN.

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