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"Catastrophic" Hurricane Ian Hammers Florida As Category 1 Storm; Slow-Moving Hurricane Ian Brings Record Storm Surge; NOAA Scientists Rocked By Hurricane Ian During Flight; More Than Two Million Homes, Businesses Without Power In Florida; Some Areas Got 19 Inches Of Rain Causing Inland Floods. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired September 29, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:54]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our views to the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Almost nine hours now since Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida, and this monster storm continues to cause widespread flooding (INAUDIBLE) a storm surge in parts, 12 feet high.

Tornado watches and warnings have been issued statewide. Electricity is out to more than two million homes and businesses and the power grid so badly damaged in parts, there are concerns that may need to be rebuilt.

Ian arrived with sustained winds just shy of a Category 5, since been downgraded to a Category 1 but still remains very dangerous. Authorities warning the worst may yet be to come.

Ian is now slowly moving into Central Florida with winds around 90 miles or 145 kilometers per hour. Time lapse video shows water levels rising on the streets of Fort Meyers, south of where Ian made landfall.

The National Hurricane Center says the storm surge on Florida's West Coast has likely peaked and is now starting to recede, but that will take time and for now, levels remain high. The governor of Florida warned of the dangers ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Overwhelmingly, it's been that surge that has been the biggest issue and the flooding that has resulted as a result of that.

In some areas, we think it's hit 12 feet. This has been a big storm and it's done a lot of damage as it is. It's going to continue to move through the state of Florida. You're going to see hurricane force winds in places in Central Florida perhaps. It's clearly a very strong tropical storm. (END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: CNN's meteorologist Pedram Javaheri will be staying with us in the hours ahead tracking Ian's path, the wind speed, as well as storm surge.

So, Pedram, over to you.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): You know, John, we're watching the storm system that as you noted here, nine hours overland still maintaining Category 1 intensity. An incredible storm system, still very symmetrical, very organized and still producing an incredible amount of rain. And also wind in the central and interior portion of Florida as it gradually shifts across this region. I wouldn't be surprised we have another maybe seven or eight hours before it reemerges back out over the eastern shores there of the state of Florida.

But I want to show you exactly what's in store in the coming hours here because we know of course, the incredible amount of rainfall in store really going to be a primary concern. But the system again not quite over yet.

We do expect this to come ashore possibly back over water as a tropical storm impacting areas of the Carolina-Georgia border as early as Friday morning.

But look at the rainfall it has left behind here as much as 15 to 20 inches. In some cases, widespread and again, the wraparound flow behind the system will produce another round of possibly maybe five to 10 more inches before it's all said and done.

So, just about every single weather office across the heart of Florida underneath flood alerts, a large majority of them here underneath flood warnings meaning flooding is imminent or occurring with this excessive rainfall.

Now, of course, a lot of this happening in the dark because we've lost extensive power across the region as well.

But John, these wind speeds of 120, 130, even 140 miles per hour observed this time yesterday, we were talking about this system making landfall as a Category 4, a low end Category 4 about 130 mile per hour winds.

Once you kind of shift from one scale to another, the exponential increase in damage left behind which is really going to make it devastating appears here in the morning, when we see the sun come back up across some of these areas. A 250 time increase in damage is expected when you increase from one category to the next, from three to four.

So, these increases in wind speed that we saw right at landfall are really going to make it for an entirely devastating scenario on some of these communities as the system moves across. But notice, over two million customers in the dark right now across

the central portion in southwestern area of the state of Florida. And the system again will gradually make its way back to over open waters.

There is some indication that it will try to strengthen. Now, will it make it back up to Category 1 hurricane? It's entirely possible. I don't know if it's going to have enough time to do that. But it is still going to have winds of maybe 55 to 65 miles per hour as it moves back over and makes another landfall across the state of Georgia.

But the concern moving forward here is going to be the excessive rainfall, these gusty winds, the amount of rains that have come down John, when you see these winds that are potentially going to be 50 to maybe 80 miles per hour in a few spots, well away from where it made landfall. A lot of trees, a lot of additional powerlines will come down.

So, if you're still seeing power right now, this is a system here that's certainly can really bring quite a bit of activity towards the region of Eastern Florida once it arrives here.

[00:05:08]

And notice it's about 70 miles south of Orlando right now. But as you've seen some of our live shots from Orlando, the intensity of the rain and the intensity of the winds will begin to really pick up here in the coming hours as the system moves south of you and into areas of Eastern Florida, John.

VAUSE: Pedram, thank you for that. We're about seven hours away from sunrise. We'll get a better idea of what's happened.

Let's go to Gloria Pazmino live in Tampa where a 100-yearlong streak of hurricane luck continues. But officials there are warning the worst is yet to come, Gloria.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): That's right John. You know people here in Tampa actually talk about the area being somewhat lucky because it has yet to be directly impacted by a hurricane.

Days ago, we thought the hurricane was going to hit hardest right here in Tampa. Now, Tampa seems to have missed the eye of the hurricane. The worst has been missed by the area here as that storm clawed its way towards the west.

And here in Tampa, we are seeing a several thousands of people reporting a power outages, more than 450,000 people remain without power at this hour as Hurricane Ian continues to move across the entire state causing massive destruction and flooding in the area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO (voice over): Hurricane Ian slamming Florida's gulf coast with near Category 5 strength, causing life threatening flooding.

DESANTIS: Overwhelmingly, it's been that surge that has been the biggest issue and the flooding.

PAZMINO: The monster storm making landfall with winds of 150 miles per hour.

KEVIN ANDERSON, MAYOR OF FORT MYERS, FLORIDA: I've been here since the mid-70s, this is actually by far the worst storm I've ever seen. I can tell you, I'm looking at the businesses downtown and they're all flooded, windows blown out.

PAZMINO: Even before the worst of the storm hit, people in Fort Myers already seeing mass flooding.

FRANK LONI, OWNER, LONI ARCHITECTS: the storm surge is very significant. We're actually seeing cars and boats float down the street.

PAZMINO: Hurricane force winds bringing down power lines.

Ahead of the storm, long lines on interstates as residents scramble to evacuate, some choosing to stay behind and ride it out.

DON COLLINS, TRAPPED IN HOME IN FORT MYERS: Well, we're 10-1/2 feet above sea level right now. And the water is coming into our house right now.

PAZMINO: Governor Ron DeSantis submitting a request for a major disaster declaration for all 67 counties, which allows the federal government to send funds for cleanup.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO (on camera): And we're nowhere near beginning the cleanup effort here in Tampa. Even as the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1, that's still carrying 90 miles per hour winds. We've been feeling the effect of the winds here all night.

In fact, we moved up here to higher ground just to get out of the way. Tampa Police warning people about being out on the street. We saw a couple of traffic lights crashing down onto the street.

So, still, very much a dangerous situation out there and public officials asking people to stay put as Hurrican Ian continues its destructive path across the state, John.

VAUSE: Gloria, thank you. Gloria Pazmino live for us in Tampa and you talked about those very strong and powerful winds.

CNN's Randi Kaye was in Punta Gorda Wednesday on the backside of this hurricane as it whip through with incredible ferocity. Here's her report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I am on the first floor of this parking garage, we came downstairs just to show you what it's like out here. I see a stop sign that has been pushed over. I'm hearing myself in my ear, but I'll do my best to describe to you what I'm hearing.

It is incredible what I hear right now, we did have to pass it over and it was very calm, there was no rain. But right now, we are getting worse than we've seen.

If you look down this street, if you can over here, Cherry (PH), look down here, you can see there's a little bit of -- the metal is wrapped around the power line there, there's a tree down.

And then on the other side, there is that stop sign that has completely fallen. But these winds were told are on the other side. They came on the other side of the eye. So, we are experiencing this. We're told this is going to last for several hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In the hours before Ian made landfall in Florida, a team of scientists and meteorologists from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration or NOAA flew into the eye of the storm, gathered crucial information in part to forecast the hurricane's path.

A member of the team posted video on Twitter of what he described as the worst flight into a storm he's ever had.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There goes the signs. There goes the beds. Holy cow. Oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:10:05]

VAUSE: Joining us now is Robert Rogers who was also on that flight. He's a meteorologist -- lead meteorologist with NOAA's Hurricane Research Division. Rob, thanks for being with us.

ROBERT ROGERS, METEOROLOGIST, NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (on camera): Thanks for having me.

VAUSE: So, you've been chasing storms for a while now. What was your experience like on that flight? And what does that say to you about this storm in particular?

ROGERS: So yes, I've been doing this for about 25 years or so. And this one, you know, every storm is different. They have their own kind of signature to it. And this one, I would certainly agree that's probably one of the rougher flights that I've ever been on.

But to me, what was unique about this storm was just the nature of the turbulence we hit. Normally, you go through an eyewall and you hit up and down drafts which are certainly turbulent.

But this one, in addition to that, we had a lot of side to side motions. So, for me at least, that was very unusual. And so, you know, that makes it rank up there with probably one of the roughest fights I've had.

What it says about the storm itself is that, you know, this was a storm that was obviously -- it is still, it's a monster, you know, made landfall a few hours ago in Florida, and it's causing a lot of damage. And, you know, it's a -- it's a tragedy for sure.

And, you know, we were actually sampling the storm in the hours leading up to its landfall, and we can see that it was definitely getting stronger. You know, basically that eyewall, with the strongest winds were where it was contracting, as we were in -- you know, as we flew into the eyewall and then we were trying to orbit in the eye, and that eyewall was sort of collapsing on us.

And so, you know, it was a little harrowing at times, but, you know, I have the greatest respect for our flight crews at NOAA, they're the best in the world.

And so, it was a -- you know, it was a great mission with a lot of important data that we collect.

VAUSE: And one of your colleague actually posted images of the eye of the storm. These are the photographs, you could see, you know, it was all lit up. This is at 8,000 feet. And the light you're seeing is actually from lightning strikes.

Were you surprised by the amount of lightning in the eye because usually, you know, isn't the eye sort of area of calm?

ROGERS: Well, so the eye itself is an area of calm, but the eyewall around it, that's where the winds are the strongest and the rain is the heaviest.

And so, you do see -- sometimes you'll see lightning in the eyewall. And usually, when you see that, it's an indication that the storm is intensifying.

You know, lightning is just an indication of very strong upward motion. And so, when you get that, you know, again, that's when you tend to get these intensifying storms.

And so, we did see a lot of lightning in this one. To be honest, I wasn't looking a lot out the window, at that point, I was focused on the data we were looking at.

But I could see a lot out of the corner of my eye, I could see a lot of flashes, it was at nighttime. So, it very much lit up, you know, the window next to me. So, again, that's just an indication that the storm was intensifying, which indeed it was.

VAUSE: You and your colleagues launched an experimental research drone, one of the most advanced so far to gather information from the storm.

Basically, how did that work out? And was there any sort of real time information that came in that really caught your attention?

ROGERS: Yes, so we -- my colleagues and I released a drone for the first time this type of drone in particular from the aircraft called an LTS, and it was. It was a great success in terms of the data that it collected. It's a drone that you launched on the plane, and then you actually can control it from the plane that we're on. And we're able to track it as it's flying down and sampling in regions of the storm that really no manned aircraft can safely fly. And I would certainly never do that, especially after today.

But you know, the drone was able to stay airborne for almost two hours and it was flying, essentially it first of all, it flew in the eye itself and did determine the exact position of the center.

And then it went out into the eyewall and was orbiting around the eyewall at different altitudes, first at 5,000 feet, and then it descended to 4,000 feet, I think, and they got down as low as I think 500 feet and maybe even 200 feet.

And it was collecting, you know, wind measurements and you know, information that can really help us get a better understanding of how strong the storm was.

And ultimately, I think it will lead to some tremendous breakthroughs in the research that we can do at this air sea interface and very high winds that again, no manned aircraft can ever go to. So --

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: -- came in?

ROGERS: Yes, so you know, from the drone itself, we were able to see winds of over 200 miles an hour at about 2,000 feet above the surface.

We also, you know, we're getting information in real time from other instruments on the aircraft too which basically was confirming, you know, just the extreme wind speeds that we were seeing in the storm today. And the drone was certainly an important part of that observation.

VAUSE: Well, we wish you all the best for future flights. So, hopefully, they won't be as rough I suspect they may be. Thank you very much for being with us, Robert, we really appreciate it.

ROGERS: Thank you very much for having me.

VAUSE: Still to come here on CNN, it's the storm surge. Ian's worse it seems may be caused by storm surge but it will not be until first light to know how bad and how widespread.

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[00:19:10]

VAUSE: They're waiting for the first light in Florida to assess the damage from one of the most powerful hurricanes in the state's history. Ian continues to unleash catastrophic flooding and with powerful gusty winds causing damage across wide areas.

Hurricane Ian was a strong Category 4 when it made landfall Wednesday near Fort Myers. It has since weakened to Category 1 but remains extremely dangerous.

Florida's governor reports storm surges up to 12 feet in parts.

And as Ian slowly pushes inland, flash flood warnings have been issued across southwest Florida. More than two million homes and businesses are without power.

Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is in Bradenton, Florida with more on Hurricanes Ian's devastating impact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): We're getting close to 10 hours of tropical storm force winds. Hurricane Ian has rewritten the history books here across the Southwestern Florida Peninsula as one of the strongest storms to reach this shoreline.

[00:20:01]

I'm in Bradenton and we are part of the nearly two million customers that have been plunged into darkness. That is one of my greatest concerns for people as the storm slowly marches across the states -- the state with its powerful winds and extremely heavy rain and dangerous conditions is that people will have to endure this weather, this onslaught in the darkness of night. Very scary moments for people here to say the least.

As a meteorologist, I witnessed something I've never seen before in my entire career. It is called reverse storm surge. The wind was so intense here earlier this morning that it actually pushed out the water from the river in the Manatee River that's behind me here.

Some of the sailboats were actually sitting on their keels in the Bradenton harbor. Absolutely incredible.

We actually had a moment as well where our communications and our electricity was disrupted because transformers were blowing behind us in the distance, sending sparks well into the sky.

We also drove down some of the city streets here and saw debris getting lofted into the air under some of these heavy violent gusts that continue to move through.

We've got another few hours of some of this intense wind. But then the major threat going forward, of course, is the inland flooding, with some locations already receiving 19 inches of rain. That's two to three months worth of rainfall for these locations. And it's not done yet as the storm emerges off the east coast of the Florida Peninsula.

I'm CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam from Bradenton, Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Thank you, Derek.

Collier County, which includes the city of Naples, just south of we're Ian made landfall, officials say the district was hit with a 12 foot storm surge. Right now, power is out to more than 250,000 homes and businesses.

A mandatory curfew has been in place for more than two hours now since 10:00 p.m. local time, and will be lifted by 6:00 a.m.

Rick Locastro is a commissioner for Collier County. He joins us on the line from Marco Island. Commissioner Castro, thanks for being with us.

RICK LOCASTRO, COMMISSIONER, COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA: Thanks for having me, John. It's been quite a day. And we've got a lot ahead of us.

VAUSE: I can imagine. Is there an early assessment at this point or the extent of damage caused especially by that storm surge?

LOCASTRO: Absolutely, you know, this hurricane was all about storm surge, you know, everybody was sort of focused on where the eye was going to land. But as your previous meteorologists will tell you, a lot of -- a lot of people were reporting that.

Whoever was just south of that, I saw of in that dirty part of the storm was going to get some horrific storm surge and we got every inch of it.

You know, we lived through Irma here in 2017. And a lot of storm surge was predicted. But at the last minute, that storm changed quite a bit and it lessen the storm surge. But it gave people a little bit of a false sense of security that they sort of blamed the meteorologist for kind of overestimating, when that wasn't the case.

Well, this storm did all the -- all the all the wrong things, I guess maybe all the right things that caused all the wrong problems. And this storm came at us and storm surge was catastrophic.

So, although we had gusty winds, and you know, we didn't get the winds that, you know, the folks in Fort Myers and northward got, it was pretty gusty here, but it was all about the water.

You know, Irma, back in 2017, was all about the wind, and we had a lot of -- a lot of damage. But this storm surge was something just like your meteorologist said, unlike anything I've ever seen.

And the flooding here on Marco Island, Naples, you know, a big part of the -- of the district where I'm a commissioner was hit extremely hard, and to levels that we have never seen before.

VAUSE: And we've just been looking at some images coming from Naples, Florida, we can see even the fire department where the ambulance services, they've been flooded as well, just an idea of how extensive the flooding from the storm surge has been. But the county did issue a mandatory evacuation order for some coastal

areas. Is there any idea of how many residents did not follow that? How many decided to ride out the storm? And given that storm surge, are there concerns for their safety?

LOCASTRO: Well, you know, folks around here know that when we issue a mandatory evacuation, they take it seriously. But also you have a lot of seasonal people.

You have people here -- I mean, I'm sure you saw some of the -- some of the video footage where you know, people are partying down on key west as the waves are crashing over the top and they think it's sort of funny.

You know, we get a lot of those seasonal folks here that have never lived through a hurricane. And maybe initially it doesn't seem that bad. So they think they're going to ride it out with a hurricane party or whatnot.

I will say, John, that's the exception and not the rule. But those exceptions are what our first responders have to respond to when those folks realize that they're in over their heads. And we had a lot of heroic actions today in Collier County by our first responders.

And also, we were helping Lee County as may have been reported, you know, by your staff, because when they started to become overwhelmed, and you know, we had the staff because we had a significant evacuation here. We were helping out our sister county with a lot of -- a lot of rescues and helping a lot of folks that stayed behind and probably shouldn't have.

VAUSE: Yes, it's that time where everyone has to pull together.

[00:25:03]

One of the biggest problems, it seems right now is the power. More than 250,000 residents there in Collier County are in the dark, including yourself, right?

LOCASTRO: Yes. Well, I mean, that's not unlike what happens here a lot of times. What I would tell you is, since we had such an aggressive evacuation here, yes, there's a lot of people without power, they just don't know it yet, because they've evacuated.

So it's getting a handle on bringing power back to places that are priority, you know, are hospitals and, you know, places where we have a high population of people who maybe didn't evacuate, or they wanted in an area that had to evacuate.

So, you know, we really want to know the extent of the number and the time it's going to take probably till tomorrow, or, you know, maybe even a couple of days.

I mean, I am literally landlocked here in Marco Island because the water is so high. There are no passable roads here on Marco, the storm surge did such damage here, and the water is still standing. And it's sea water.

So, it wasn't rain. But it was, you know, wind combined with a very, very unique aggressive storm surge. So, we can't even get out on the road safely to assess, and neither can you know, our utility companies and our accounting staff.

So, you know, it's going to take a bit to analyze what exactly we need to do and the extent of the damage.

VAUSE: I guess that's the point because it's going to be well before Ian is safe to venture out. It's dark right now so you can't do anything anyway.

So, this is going to be a much longer process in assessment, recovery and rebuilding that we've seen in the past. At least it seems that way to me.

LOCASTRO: Absolutely. And you know, John, like water does so much incredible, horrific damage. It's much like if you have a fire or a tornado, it's just, you know, when we've had hurricanes here, yes, wind does incredible damage as well.

But, you know, you have rubes (PH) and things like that. And, you know, that's not something to be taken lightly.

But water is something that, you know, we've got utilities all over the county, and when you know, we have a 12 foot storm surge and electrical boxes are sitting in water, it just the extent of the damage, because of standing water, and especially sea water from the Gulf.

You know, the level of the damage and those are things that can't be repaired. We have a lot of replacement that I believe is ahead of us and you know, a lot of expense because of the damage from the storm surge.

VAUSE: Commissioner Rick Locastro, I should mention, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel as well. So, sir, thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

LOCASTRO: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. We got a lot to do and we'll do it.

VAUSE: Good luck.

LOCASTRO: Take care.

VAUSE: Thank you.

Still to come, a lot more on our breaking news coverage of Hurricane Ian after a very short break. You're watching CNN.

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VAUSE: Coming up to 32 minutes past the hour. Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause at the CNN Center.

[00:32:14]

Hurricane Ian continues to move slowly across Florida with gusty, powerful winds and heavy rain, wreaking havoc across the state: downing trees, flooding homes and businesses.

Florida's governor says the storm surge hit 12 feet in places, but forecasters now say surge levels have likely peaked in Western Florida and are starting to recede. Officials there are urging people to remain cautious as water levels remain high.

Police report receiving calls for help from residents trapped in their homes by rising water.

More than 2 million homes and businesses remain without electricity, and the state governors in the Southeastern United States declared states of emergency ahead of Ian's arrival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA HEITMANN, NAPLES, FLORIDA MAYOR: We still have water on the streets. We have downed power lines, and it's a dangerous situation. We have already had several citizens that have just had to be retrieved. And right now, we just need people to stay inside. We'll let know when it's safe to go back out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: All flights at Jacksonville airport in Florida are now canceled on Thursday because of Hurricane Ian.

Let's go back now to CNN's Pedram Javaheri with more on where Ian is right now. It's still a Category 1, right? Or has it been downgraded yet again?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is still Category 1, John. You know, it's maintained that intensity for almost ten hours over land, and we think that there may be 6, 7 hours before it reemerges back over the Atlantic Ocean.

And of course, it made landfall as a Category 4, 150 miles per hour sustained winds, with at one point up to 155 miles per hour sustained winds, making it the strongest storm to impact the Western Peninsula of Florida since Charlie back in 2004, with the same wind speed. But this system far larger in its scope.

And there it goes, John, sitting about 85 or so miles South of Orlando. And the areas of concern right now, Melbourne, Winter Haven. You're kind of feeling the brunt of this system as it cruises right past you here, producing gusts that are up to 150 miles per hour, only moving at eight miles per hour.

Typically, these tropical systems, you'll see them move at about 15 or so miles per hour. Those are getting across the state in a pretty speedy fashion. But this particular one really going to leave its mark behind here, when it comes to what it's going to cause as far as wind damage and, of course, the incredible amount of rainfall in store.

And notice, already, nearly 2 million customers, and of course, customers typically account for three to four people. So you can essentially multiply that number by three or four to get a gauge of how many people are in the dark tonight across a large area of the state of Florida.

But enhancing the models and taking you through the early morning hours. There is the center of the storm. We do believe it will reemerge over the Atlantic sometime as early as 8 in the morning across the East Coast of Florida, near the Space Coast.

And depending on where it crosses land, if it takes a more of a Southern trajectory, it will have more time over water before it could possibly restrengthen and come back ashore. But it takes a more Northern trajectory, certainly, it would limit its ability to strengthen back up to a hurricane.

[00:35:00]

Some models do show that it has the potential to try to spin up and get very close to hurricane-force before it makes another landfall there across portions of Georgia and also South Carolina border, not far from Savannah, Georgia on Friday morning.

But there it goes. The guidance brings it up to 65 miles an hour, and just about nine miles shy of a Category 1 hurricane, and brings it ashore across South Carolina.

And as a result, as many as 17 million people from parts of Florida, stretching all the way into parts of the Carolinas, underneath hurricane watches, hurricane warnings in advance of this system, because it's far from over when it comes to the next round of impacts across the East Coast of Florida.

That said, look at this. The last 24 hours, upwards of 7,000-plus flights have been impacted across the U.S., as a result of kind of the domino effect that what's been happening across portions of Southwest Florida.

And the amount of rainfall this system has left behind is pretty remarkable, as well, John. The color contours here, just in the past 24 hours, it's about 140-mile stretch of land and water that has seen ten plus inches; some areas closing in on 20 inches of rainfall.

And again, the system is about a little more than a halfway across the state of Florida. So additional rounds of rainfall are expected before it's all said and done with.

And that's really going to be the biggest concern here. with a significant area of Florida underneath flood alerts because of this system.

VAUSE: It ain't over yet. Pedram, thank you. Pedram Javaheri with the very latest. We appreciate it. Thank you.

Well, ahead of the huge storm surge, Ian seemed more like a tsunami, sucking huge amounts of water from beaches and shorelines, leaving Tampa Bay, in particular, almost dry before the water came surging back.

CNN's Carlos Suarez reports now from Tampa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rain and wind out here in Tampa has not let up, and this is how the Hillsborough Bay has looked for a good part of the day. You can see just how much of a river bed is exposed.

Hurricane Ian has been pulling water from the bay and a nearby river out into the Gulf of Mexico. Our meteorologists tell us that even during high tide, the water was going out, emergency officials are worried that when all of that water comes back in, well, the forecast is calling for a storm surge of anywhere between 4 to 6 feet and 12 to 15 inches of rain.

It's why residents closest to the bay have been evacuated. Folks have been out here the entire day, taking photos and recording videos of that rare sight. That is something that emergency officials are trying to discourage.

The city does expect some of that serious flooding to take place as Hurricane Ian moves through.

Carlos Suarez, CNN, Tampa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: When we come back, Western leaders growing increasingly suspicious about leaks in the natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. They say not only is it sabotage, but many are looking seriously at Russia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:42:03]

VAUSE: Welcome back. Right now, Hurricane Ian is hammering Florida with destructive winds, torrential rain, and record-breaking storm surges. It's now a Category 1 storm as it moves inland.

The rising floodwaters have left some residents trapped in their homes.

Storm warnings are now extended up the East Coast, covering Georgia as well as the Carolinas.

This time-lapse video shows flooding on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida. The intersection completely submerged within 30 minutes.

Now to CNN's Brian Todd near St. Petersburg, where flooding and wind damage are not the only concerns for some homeowners.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Largo, Florida, just north of St. Petersburg, we got a tip that there was a house that suffered significant damage in a fire.

We pulled up to this house. In the front, we observed that most of the structure looked, actually, kind of intact in the front, with the exception of a blown-out window.

But then I walked around to the side and to back, and this is what we found. This house damaged in a fire Wednesday morning or afternoon, just devastation throughout the house.

You see the pool back there. But just in the foreground here, just look at the extent of this devastation.

We can kind of bring you over this way. Photojournalist Wayne Cross (ph) and I will take you through the rooms here, through this window. Look at that. Just complete devastation from this fire.

One of the neighbors who sent us video of the fire while it was burning, very dramatic video, said that the fire started when a power line snapped off of a transformer across the street. And it was just a devastating fire at the height of this storm.

We did talk to the owner. This house has been in the family for about 50 years. The owner just inherited it it. He came back here to try to renovate the house, and then this happens.

He says it's fully insured, but again, how much of this is recoverable, you know, that's anyone's guess at this point.

We also traveled around to other areas around St. Petersburg. And here in the town of Largo, we want to a neighborhood of manufactured homes, saw the roofs ripped off of two houses in that neighborhood.

So just fanning out and getting a sense of the devastation here in the St. Petersburg area. I mean, this is just the beginning of that kind of an assessment.

Brian Todd, CNN, Largo, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: The U.S. embassy in Moscow is urging Americans to leave Russia mediately, while there are still options to do so. This security alert comes after President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of Russian men to fight in Ukraine.

The alert warns that Russian authorities have arrested U.S. citizens who have participated in demonstrations and may conscript dual nationals for military service.

Meantime, the lines of men trying to flee Russia are growing by the day. The Finnish border guard says more than 50,000 Russians have entered Finland through the land borders since the partial mobilization was announced a week ago.

Russian state media warn that draft papers will be handed to all eligible men trying to leave Russia for Georgia. CNN's Melissa Bell has the details.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the safety of Georgia, they have walked, or cycled, carrying what they can in their tens of thousands.

Not Ukrainians fleeing the war but Russians fleeing the draft.

"I came because we don't know what to expect," says Denis (ph). "The country has no plan, and we can see that. The feeling of uncertainty is our biggest fear."

Denis (ph) says he walked for six days to get to the Lars (ph) crossing. Others are stuck in their cars on the other side. The line of traffic at a virtual standstill and getting longer every day, many abandoning their cars altogether, like this man who walked the final 20 kilometers to get across the border.

He won't show his face because of the wife and three children he had to leave behind. The war in Ukraine, he says, is not black and white, but the draft is.

"If it doesn't concern us today, it will tomorrow," he says. "On TV, they tell us this is being done to defend our country, but on the other hand, it turns out we just grabbed someone else's land."

They are students, math teachers, marketing managers, many not even eligible for the draft of 300,000 men with military experience, but fearful of where it will lead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All because we can't trust our government no more, because they speak a lot of lies every time. And we already hear there will not -- there will not be any mobilization at all. But six months later, it will be here. And what will be going on another six months, I don't know. And I don't want to try it out.

BELL: George's (ph) first few steps into Georgia, determined but also filled with sadness, and the fear he says that he may be walking away from his motherland for good.

Melissa Bell, CNN, on the Georgian-Russian border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: European security officials say Russian navy ships are -- which were in the vicinity of leaks in the Nord Stream Pipeline. That's according to two Western intelligence officials. It's unclear if the ships had anything to do with two explosions believed responsible for leaks in the Nord Stream Pipeline.

Last week, Russian submarines were also not seen from the area. This also according to that same source.

Denmark says an investigation could take a few weeks into what caused the explosion. But multiple Western leaders say sabotage is the most likely scenario.

A former CIA director is going one step further, saying Russia is the probable culprit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: Well, I think all the signs point to some type of sabotage. These pipelines are only in about 200 feet or so of water. And Russia does have an undersea capability to -- that would easily lay explosive devices by those pipelines. And I do think it's a signal to Europe that Russia can reach beyond Ukraine's borders.

So who knows what he might be planning next. But I think this is clearly an act of sabotage of some sort, and Russia is certainly the most likely suspect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Two sources now tell CNN the U.S. warned the Europeans over the summer their gas pipelines could be targeted. The Kremlin dismissing any accusations as, quote, "stupid and absurd."

Neither pipeline was in operation at the time, although they still have natural, pressurized gas.

Our coverage of Hurricane Ian will continue after a short break. An update is just ahead. Plus, we'll tell you how the Biden administration is responding to the disaster.

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VAUSE: Grammy-winning rapper and actor Coolio, known for his '90s hits "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage," has died, age 59, according to his friend and manager.

So far, no cause of death.

Coolio was born Artis Ivey Jr. He rose to fame in the Los Angeles rap scene. His chart-topping hits were staples on '90s radio, as well as MTV, when they played music.

"Gangsta's Paradise" became one of the most popular rap songs of all time, No. 1 single in the U.S. in 1995.

This past July, the song reached a milestone: one billion views on YouTube.

Authorities in Florida are waiting until daylight to assess the impact from one of the most powerful hurricanes in the state's history, which continues to unleash catastrophic flooding and cause wind damage across wide areas.

Hurricane Ian was a strong Category 4 when it made landfall Wednesday near Fort Myers. It has since weakened to a Category 1, but remains extremely dangerous.

Florida's governor reports storm surges up to 12 feet in some parts. As Ian slowly pushes inward, flash-flood warnings have been issued across Southwest Florida. More than 2 million homes and businesses have lost power.

As Florida takes a pounding from Ian, the White House is preparing to help. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden spoke with the mayor of Fort Myers, which is near the area where the storm made landfall, and pledged some support.

This as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is urging Mr. Biden to expand an emergency declaration the president signed ahead of Ian. CNN's Phil Mattingly has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: White House officials are keenly aware the scale of the disaster that they were confronting in Florida required a significant amount of federal government support. It's something they've dealt with over the course of President Biden's 19 months in office.

And this situation would be no different, no matter how catastrophic it appeared it was going to be.

The president signing an emergency disaster declaration on Saturday, unlocking tens of thousands of gallons of fuel, of propane, of water, pre-staging millions of meals throughout Florida, and even in Alabama, waiting for what was coming.

[00:55:05]

The president, in the morning before the storm even arrived on the shores, saying this.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My message has been absolutely clear. It's that we are on alert and in action. We've approved every request Florida has made for temporary assistance, emergency assistance, long-term assistance that I've received.

MATTINGLY: Now, it's not just resources. It's also personnel. One of the top FEMA representatives already embedded with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's team.

The president has been on the phone with the governor, with mayors throughout the state that were targeted by this hurricane that looked like they were going to get hit by the hurricane, that did eventually get hit by the hurricane.

More than 1,300 federal emergency personnel were already on the ground. Hundreds more could arrive. There are search-and-rescue teams waiting.

A long of saying this, to some degree, is the federal government is probably the best positioned to handle storms and crises of this scale. The Biden administration, at least in the lead-up to the hurricane, knowing full well what was developing. Did their best to try and get in front of that.

How they respond in the next couple of days, though, will be critical, something White House officials are very clear they understand and know quite well.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. I'll be back more with more of our breaking news coverage of Hurricane Ian after a very short break.

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