Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Hurricane Ian Devastates Parts of Florida; Ian Makes Landfall Again on South Carolina; Many People in Florida Left Stranded after Hurricane Ian Knocked Out Bridges; Man Describes How His Home was Destroyed in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Due to Hurricane Ian. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired October 01, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:27]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is Saturday, October 1st. I'm Amara Walker in Atlanta.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Boris Sanchez in Fort Myers, Florida. You are live in the CNN Newsroom. And our top story today, Florida reeling days after hurricane Ian ripped through the state as a powerful category four storm, almost a category five, the highest, most powerful kind of hurricane there is. Sheriffs' deputies in Sarasota County are going door-to-door right now in the Hidden River community warning neighbors about the potential for flooding because of a possible levee break. So days after the storm, the effects still being felt across the sunshine state.

Meantime, more than 1.2 million Floridians are without power as officials say it's unclear when electricity will be restored to the hardest hit areas in the western part of Florida. Ian is being blamed not only for the loss of property that you are seeing on your screen, but also as least 45 fatalities. That number likely to grow as rescue crews gain access to areas that have been blocked by damage.

WALKER: The Coast Guard says it has rescued more than 200 people so far, and volunteers have gone out to save even more. The Cajun Navy, a volunteer group, came to the rescue of a woman in Fort Myers Beach who says she stood on her bed for hours as water rushed into her home. Listen as she is on the phone with a loved one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOPE LABRIOLA: I'm up to my neck in water.

LISBETH WHELAN: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. All right.

LABRIOLA: I am so cold.

WHELAN: Hope, I'm losing you. I can't hear you.

LABRIOLA: I love you. WHELAN: I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Wow, just the heartbreak and sheer terror there.

Ian is tracking north as a post-tropical cyclone. Even though it's been downgraded, officials warn that it still threatens the area with heavy rain, wind, and floods. In South Carolina the storm flooded homes and vehicles along the shoreline. High winds pushing historic storm surge even higher. Two piers, including this one in North Myrtle Beach, partially collapsed and just washed away into the waters there. Officials are now warning residents to avoid leaving their homes and to steer clear of floodwaters that could pose hidden dangers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. JEFFREY BUCHANAN (RET), U.S. ARMY, LED HURRICANE RESPONSE IN PUERTO RICO: The obvious one of the water itself can isolate people, can drown people, but it can also hide downed power lines, obstacles in the water, even contaminants in the water. So the waters themselves are the most dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN is covering the effects of hurricane Ian the way no other network can. We have team coverage this morning. CNN meteorologist Britley Ritz and correspondent Nick Valencia are standing by. But let's start with CNN's Nadia Romero. She's live for us in Arcadia, Florida. Nadia, that is an area not far from where Ian made landfall. Walk us through what you are seeing days after the storm hit that area.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the hardest thing for residents to deal with, Boris, is not only seeing their homes that were damaged by this storm, but it's also being cut off from the rest of the world. So this is Highway 70, and you can see that the Peace River here has made its way, flooded all across this highway, not only blocking the highway, but also blocking two bridges. So that means that if you are on this side of Highway 70, you have to go by boat to get on the other side. So you can see this boat right here is being loaded up with water. We have seen those boats loaded up with medical supplies. We've seen boats loaded up with generators just to get to people who are on the other side of this river.

Now, the locals tell me that normally this is just a canoeing river, only about six to seven feet. But right now, they are estimating it's about 24 feet high. So four times as high as it normally is. I want you to hear from two residents who have lived here for a good chunk of their lives. And they say that there is just the rest of their life on the other side of all this water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAC MARTIN, ARCADIA RESIDENT: Everything is across the river. The only store on this side of the river is underwater right over here right now. You can't get to it.

[10:05:01]

JOAN GODWIN, ARCADIA RESIDENT: Everything I own is over there. My whole life is over there. All my vehicles are over there. My truck is the only thing that's over here, and I've got a dozen cars over there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: We spoke with one man who says he has a newborn baby, a five- year-old daughter. They are still shocked and traumatized from the storm. And just trying to figure out how to get through to get to the rest of their relatives on the other side of this river, that's what we are seeing across the area. Even if you survive the storm, that's the best news. But now how do you get access to food, water, fuel unless you have a boat, unless the sheriff's office comes to help you, unless a good Samaritan lends their hand.

The National Guard is in this area helping as much as they can. The locals here in DeSoto County say they want people to come to the amphitheater to drop off supplies if they can so that they can be distributed. If you take a look around on this side of the bend, you can see air boats like this one that have been helping to get supplies across. We were told by locals that there is a hospital on the other side of the river. Usually, it would take about five minutes to drive through, but if you have to go all the way around, you're talking about over an hour to take that detour around flooded waters just to get that five-minute drive to the hospital.

So they've had to load up people who were injured in the storm on these airboats, generators are loading up right now, just to get on the other side of this water to get to the hospital. This is what people are dealing with, trying to get around, trying to find their way to simple resources that they would have had access to. Boris, one woman told me that when she was riding at this storm, she heard hurricane Ian, she said he sounded alive, that the storm growled and moaned and just hung out on top of them for what felt like forever.

SANCHEZ: Yes, Nadia Romero coming to us live from Arcadia, Florida. I think the important context for our viewers, Amara, that we can't just fit into the pictures that we are seeing is that this part of southwest Florida is near or at sea level, and there are literally thousands of islands that make up this community. And so when a storm like this comes around, it's very easy to lose access to those communities like Sanibel Island, like Pine Island, because bridges just get washed out, and then you wind up with folks having to rely on boats, many of them, as we've seen, have been strung across this community to try to regain access to those areas, not only to see their property, not only to see what's left, but potentially also to rescue people, who as we heard from the president of the Cajun Navy this morning are still out there. Some of them, he says, they have rescued still stranded on their roofs days after this hurricane swept through the area.

WALKER: Gosh, just such a difficult situation made even more difficult. And of course, the vulnerability with these communities and islands at sea level just staggering, especially with these storms getting bigger in scale and frequency.

Let's turn it over now to Nick Valencia, who is in North Myrtle Beach. Very different scene there in South Carolina. You were there as Ian made a second landfall, but now things look a little different, but of course we want to know about the damage and the aftermath, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's almost night and day here when you compare it to what happened in Florida. But there is some significant damage, and this is probably the most significant behind me. This is Cherry Grove Pier, which has been here since the 1950s and has suffered hurricane damage before, we understand during Hugo, during hurricane Floyd, and now during hurricane Ian. And just to give a sense of how strong these winds were and how strong that rain was coming through North Myrtle Beach, this is a chunk of the pier. Parts of the pier have washed into the Atlanta Ocean and then other parts have washed here up onshore. Crews are out this morning clearing up debris, assessing the damage. There are still people without power. I just spoke to the emergency management here. They said they really feel like they dodged a bullet.

But another thing happening here that you can't really see on camera is how many people are out on the beach right now just curious to see the damage. I say this, I want to pan over here, Jonathan, as they are clearing this debris as we are on the air right now. There's tractors clearing portions of the pier, getting it out of the way here. And now you can see all the people that are on the beach.

Pamela, come on in here. I want to talk to a resident who has been here for 12 years. This is sort of your favorite area in North Myrtle Beach. Tell me about this pier and what it means to the community.

PAMELA TRAFZER, NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: It means a lot. You see a lot of people. It's always, always packed, full of people fishing or just out there walking around, viewing the ocean from out there. It just really means a lot to people, all of our piers to.

VALENCIA: I spoke to someone this morning who said it's kind of silly for them to be so sad about an inanimate object when so many people in Florida lost lives, they lost so much more. But this means a lot to the community here as well, though, right?

TRAFZER: Right, right. All of our piers do. It's not the only one. We lost a couple other piers.

[10:10:02]

VALENCIA: Four in all, but this is the most significant?

TRAFZER: Yes. It looks like it has got the most damage.

VALENCIA: And tell us about your experience through the storm. Your home is OK? Are you all right?

TRAFZER: We lost power for like about an hour, a little over an hour. Everything is OK. There was a couple of trees down across the roads, but everything was fine where I'm at.

VALENCIA: You have got to feel pretty lucky here?

TRAFZER: Yes, very blessed.

VALENCIA: It's not your first hurricane, though? You are from Ohio?

TRAFZER: No, not my first hurricane here, not my first. I didn't have any hurricanes in Ohio. Lots of tornados there.

VALENCIA: We really appreciate you taking time this morning to give us context about this community and this area and what it means.

This is just the start of the day of the cleanup, Boris, trying to get things back to normal. They've closed the emergency operation center as of 7:30, and now picking up the pieces here in North Myrtle Beach. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Yes, impressive to see that pier behind you, just a chunk of it ripped out. Nick Valencia from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, thanks so much, Nick.

Let's get a clearer picture of where this storm is right now and bring in CNN meteorologist Britley Ritz. Britley, Ian is tracking north. It's obviously a post-tropical cyclone now. It still presents a lot of water and wind for the northeast.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, Boris. We have weakening because it's hit the friction of the land, so that's a good situation to be in. The problems is there is still concern for flooding, and just as Boris said, the winds one of the bigger concerns, too. You see the weakening of the system, the friction tore it apart. Winds at 35 miles per hour, gusts of 45 miles per hour. Heaviest rain now across parts of the Virginias and still holding on to a few showers in Raleigh and Norfolk, but most of the rain starting to taper back there for now.

A lot of rain back up into Atlantic, a few thunderstorms south there in that direction, but scattered showers and thunderstorms as a possibility from Philly on up into New York. Heaviest rainfall totals, that happened last. Over the past 48 hours from Charleston to Wilmington we picked up four to six inches of rain. Many still under some sort of flood alert, 3 million, to be exact. Flood watches where the rain is falling across parts of the Virginias, but costal flood advisories and warnings in effect, that's not just where the rain has fallen but where the wind has pushed that water up onto shore. And of course, one to two feet of water a possibility there.

I want to reiterate not to drive through water. All it takes is 12 inches of water to lift your vehicle off the ground. So turn around, don't drown. It's a funny saying, but it's something that we really have to keep it in mind because it will save your life.

We're seeing yellows, that's where we are a little more vulnerable for flooding. We can expect the winds to continue on as well. SANCHEZ: Britley Ritz, thank you so much. Sorry about. There was a

hornet that got in my way. Thanks so much, Britney -- Britley, I should say.

So as much of southwest Florida struggles to recover this morning, perhaps no place has had it harder than Fort Myers Beach. Chunks of it have been inaccessible. Governor Ron DeSantis labeling it ground zero after fierce wind and powerful storm surge flattened most of the island. There was one resident whose home was destroyed by the storm who witnessed some of the worst conditions you could imagine, and he shared his experience with CNN's John Berman. It is harrowing and heartbreaking. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN BEHEN, HOME WAS DESTROYED IN FORT MYERS BEACH: I was thinking, I tell you what, I made the biggest mistake of my life, to be honest with. I was able to get into a solid building. I got out of my place, because I knew something was going to go wrong. And my -- a guy that I lease from, his name is Jesse (ph), he stayed in the house. And this guy, the house collapsed and he ended up riding on the roof of his house with his dog. It was going toward the back and it crashed into the house and he jumped on a tree.

I had a friend there in a house, and he was with his wife and there was another couple, and the storm surge came all the way up. And they had to -- the windows were sucked out. These guys pushed their wives out the windows to where a tree was, and they were looking at it. And guys were holding on, and they just looked at their wives and they said, we can't hold that on anymore, we love you, bye, and that was it.

The horror stories are just incredible. A friend of mine was in a house and people that -- we all know each other on the island. It's a small community. Everybody is freaked out. And I am just here just to talk to everybody and just make sure everybody's -- if they need to talk. He was holding on to his best friend's hair, and the surge was like 25 feet, and his best friend said, you've got to let go. He said, no, he is my best friend. Let go. And he goes, no. And it almost took him out, but he finally let go and that was it. This is what happened here.

[10:15:00]

I mean, it was like you couldn't see any buildings. It was -- I don't think we are ever going to see a storm like this this again ever. And I would say, I had to run up to the third floor. I was on the second floor, and it kept rising up. And we ran out the door and went up to the third floor. And I'm thinking if this comes up any higher, we are going to be on the roof.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Just listening to that story, Amara, among so many others like it, it's painful to listen to. As a Floridian myself, we are accustomed to these kinds of storms, but I think the way that this storm intensified so quickly, it went from a category three to nearly a category five seemingly in a matter of hours, and then it shifted as well slightly eastward. It caught a lot of people off guard, even in communities that are used to these kinds of storms. And when you look at those pictures, it's hard to think about how long it's going to take to rebuild and how so many lost so much.

WALKER: Yes, and terrifying to hear from the gentleman's voice about how fast the water was rising, running up to the second floor, thinking he would have to go on the roof, just really frightening stories to hear.

Boris, you have been doing an amazing job this morning. Thank you for all of your perspective. We're going to take a quick break from here. When we come back, already reeling from the last major hurricanes, Florida's homeowners insurance industry is about to get worse for not only those impacted by Ian but also others across the state. We're going to take a closer look.

And a Florida judge says former President Trump won't have to back up claims in court that the FBI planted evidence during that search of Mar-a-Lago. The latest on the special master investigation ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:57]

WALKER: Homeowners in Florida are facing a nightmare scenario after hurricane Ian tore a path across the state. According to the latest estimates, hurricane Ian may have caused as much as $47 billion in damage. Now people forced to rebuild their lives have to overcome rising construction costs, skyrocketing interest rates, and soaring insurance premiums.

Homeowners were already paying nearly triple the national average for insurance there, $4,231 a year per policy compared to the U.S. average at about $1,500. And most of the homes damaged by Ian are not covered by flood insurance.

Joining me now is Amy Boggs, head of the property insurance division of the Florida Trial Lawyers Association. Good morning to you, Amy. I am sure a lot of people are listening up and want to know what they can do in this situation. But first off, talk us to about how Ian is going to exacerbate this insurance crisis that we have been seeing, especially in Florida.

AMY BOGGS, FLORIDA TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, PROPERTY INSURANCE DIVISION: Good morning. Yes, so we are facing an unprecedented situation in the state of Florida. We already have an insurance product that is so expensive. In addition to the increasing costs, it is very difficult to even get insurance. And then when you do, we've had year over year a diminishing returns product, meaning you think you are fully covered, and then you realize that your screening closure isn't or your roof isn't fully covered. So we're in a situation in Florida where folks are going to be very challenged to rebuild. And that's the biggest hurdle to getting these communities back. WALKER: So how do we get to this point? Obviously, it's clear that the

risk is high in Florida, right, where storms are frequent, and to know that most Floridians don't even have insurance because flooding and these water events are not covered by a simple homeowner's policy. And I also read that at least six insurance companies have already left Florida this year. How did things get so bad?

BOGGS: Absolutely. The problem in the state of Florida really is that we have had lax oversight, and the insurance companies have been mismanaged to an extent. The insurance companies say, well we're getting sued for claims and things of that nature. Homeowners are saying, listen, my house got wiped off the map. I just want you to pay me for my claim so I can rebuild. I have got hurricane Michael victims four years post-storm still living in trailers in front of their home waiting to settle their claim.

So one of the biggest problems that we have in the state of Florida is that insurance companies are not made to fully and timely pay their claims. And that's the barrier to rebuilding. It also can lead to a foreclosure crisis. So you have folks that just throw up their hands and say we are just going to leave the property. It's not worth fighting about, et cetera. And so we're in a really difficult time here in the state of Florida. We have blue tarps still in the panhandle. We are now going to have that block through the middle of the state.

WALKER: What do you say, though, regarding the insurance industry's arguments blaming, like you mentioned, Florida's tort laws which help drive up costs, right because it encourages more lawsuits against insurers than other states. But also there have been a lot of fraudulent claims as well where insurers have been forced to settle in addition, correct?

BOGGS: Yes, so that's a more intricate debate, and I would be happy to get into some of the statistics with that. First of all, one thing to know about your insurance policy is that it's a contract. This isn't tort. This isn't personal injury, someone saying, hey, listen, I got hit by a car.

[10:25:03]

It really is a contract where on the happening of a certain event like a hurricane your insurance company is supposed to answer the call. And the fraudulent claims, we agree, as the trial lawyers, that you need to stamp that out. And we are willing to work with the insurance companies to get that out. That's not good for anybody. It's not good for homeowners.

WALKER: Right, right. All around, there are so many factors that need to be addressed in terms of regulation and making sure that these insurance companies are actually giving adequate coverage when people are paying up. But what about in terms of, if I'm a Floridian who has just been through a horrendous storm. You have insurance, you think, OK, well, at least my insurance will cover it. But what can they expect in terms of what kind of coverage they are going to get and their premiums going up? Is that guaranteed? BOGGS: So the premiums are going up regardless, even if you didn't

have a storm event at your own personal home. Yes, your premiums are going up. And what is covered again has diminished in the past several years. The insurance regulator for the state of Florida has had the ability to reduce and reduce and reduce roof coverage. There are sub limits on water damage, and so on and so forth. And so people are buying this product because they have to, right, and it's covering very little. And then when they do have a claim in their time of most need, we have a problem in the state of Florida with insurance companies not paying their claims.

When you have -- and that leads to, right, that lack of oversight, is what we also see when we have six insurance companies going belly up. Who is watching that? Somebody should be looking at those financials year over year. Most recently -- yes, with these -- with the carriers going belly up, the last forensic that was done about a carrier that went into foreclosure, or excuse me, into receivership, was done back in like 2017.

WALKER: Yes, we're out of time, Amy. We appreciate your perspective on this. It's a very important conversation because, as we know, the climate is warming, and that means more and more people are going to be displaced not in just this country or in Florida, but really around the world, and this is just a major intractable issue that needs to be dealt with now. Amy Boggs, thank you very much.

BOGGS: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: We are continuing to report live from southwest Florida in the wake of hurricane Ian. Up next, we're going to get an update from someone in one of the hardest hit areas of south Florida, Sanibel Island. Take a look at the difference before and after the storm swept through the area. Stay with CNN. We're back in moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:32:28]

SANCHEZ: I'm Boris Sanchez coming to you live from Fort Myers as cleanup and recovery efforts get underway all across the state of Florida, specifically in the southwest part. This is new video just into CNN out of the Fort Myers area. You can see water and MREs, essentially ready-to-eat meals being handed out to residents who are filing into line. We learned this morning that officials have actually adjusted the overnight curfew. The original curfew was set on Wednesday, and it was set to expire after 48 hours. The curfew is now set from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. until further notice.

They are asking people to stay out of the hardest hit areas, and they shouldn't go out into the street past 9:00 p.m., only on official business or in the case of an energy just to make things easier for the crews. As we take a look at the headline from the "Tampa Bay Times" that says it all, "Florida brought to its knees." Of course, as far south as Fort Myers Beach to Sanibel, to Naples, flooding felt as far north as Orlando, all of Florida has been devastated. And among the hardest hit areas by hurricane Ian, Lee County has borne the brunt of this storm.

There is aerial footage that shows the catastrophic damage left behind here. Entire towns like Sanibel Island pulverized by wind and then washed away by the historic storm surge. Large parts of the county still remain without power, and there is a fear that as the death toll stands at 45 fatalities, that number will likely increase amid ongoing search and rescue efforts.

Let's talk right now to Lee County commissioner and a former mayor of Sanibel Island, Kevin Ruane. Sir, we're grateful to have you this morning. I'm wondering how you are holding up. You were able to fly over Sanibel Island. You met with residents there. How are you doing and, what have you heard from the residents?

KEVIN RUANE, COMMISSIONER, LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA: Listen, first and foremost, it's a little loud here. I am at the Lee County Emergency Management Center. It's where state, federal, and local people come together, obviously. So flying over Sanibel, obviously, the devastation I can't even put into words. Buildings, houses, commercial establishments completely gone. Many breaches in the bridge. I've governed there for 14 careers years, was mayor for 11. I know people on a first name basis, talking to them.

[10:35:02]

We are doing everything we can with search and rescue. We have ferry service to get people that obviously stayed that didn't need to be search and rescued to get them off the island. It's been a real emotional rollercoaster to say the least.

SANCHEZ: And Kevin, what are some of the biggest challenges that crews are facing right now to access these areas? Because we know certain bridges have been washed away, some areas are hard to access, there are all kinds of dangers that get in the way of the search and rescue operations. So if you could walk us through the challenges that rescue crews are facing, our viewers could get a better picture of the challenges this morning.

RUANE: So let me just start from the top. So infrastructure-wise, what's damaged are roads, sewer, water, power, and, obviously, Wi-Fi. So the challenges, obviously, and thank God we as local people were able to deal with regional people at the state, the federal. It's all hands on deck. It's where the United States should be. It's how we all are coming together as one. We have been able to coordinate with the Coast Guard. We've been able to coordinate with the military, having appropriate helicopters over there. We've created a barge service to bring stuff over there, obviously, bring people back, a ferry service.

So we have been coordinating on all the Barrier Islands. My district is Captiva, Sanibel, Southwest Cape, Pine Island, Boca Grande. So many, many communities have disruptions. Sanibel, obviously, is one of the more destructive areas at the moment. Fort Myers Beach is actually even worse, if that's possible.

SANCHEZ: And sir, could you give us an update on the death toll? Because we understand there may be new numbers coming in out of Lee County. Last we heard there were 16, as we look at before and after photographs of that area in Sanibel. Clearly, the second photograph just entire buildings, communities razed from the ground. Do you have an update on the number of fatalities in your area?

RUANE: No, they come out every night, so we coordinate with the Department of Health which is here. They go through an entire process to ensure what we have and what was the reason for it, as we go through the autopsies. But no, that's published every day. The number you have is what yesterday's total is. We don't have an updated total yet.

SANCHEZ: The fear is that that number is going to go up, as you noted, as that process is completed, and search and rescue crews complete their work. Sir, I'm a native Floridian. I know how people react to these storms, and often when folks see even a category three storm they often shrug. This one within a matter of hours went from a category three to nearly a category five. Do you feel that folks in this area were prepared, especially as the storm shifted eastward kind of at the last minute?

RUANE: Well, so talk about the situation. It was a perfect storm, if you will. I don't mean any -- you have 12 and 16-foot storm surges. We've yet to have that storm surge. You go back to Donna, that actually was accurate with the models. So that was, obviously, something that just added misery to this whole event. The water damage is really what is brining quite lot of the buildings down. As much as you think about wind, when you have significant tidal surge that we have that's coming on the high tide, you have 20 feet of water. Unfortunately, the force with the wind and the water is bringing down the buildings. I think more damage happened from storm surge than from actual wind.

SANCHEZ: And it's important for our viewers to understand the context because it isn't immediately captured in some of the images that we are sharing. The context is that this part of southwest Florida is thousands of islands strung together. And so they are at or near sea level. I'm wondering what you want folks at home to know about this part of Florida, what the community is like and was like before the storm.

RUANE: Oh, the community, obviously, I governed on Sanibel for almost 14 years. The community obviously was one that was thriving. The community was a tourist destination. Sanibel would be one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the world. Obviously, that's the before. Right now, the after is we are now rebuilding. The good news, honestly, is that the resources we have had to address the situation, the bridge, the federal government, Department of Transportation all making commitments to actually have design plans within 30 days to actually build that bridge as quick as humanly possible. So it's all hands on deck. It's really the first time where you see all forms of government working together as one. I just hope we learn from this storm and continue to do that.

SANCHEZ: Yes. I hate to see Sanibel Island in this condition. My family actually vacationed there, my sister and mom and their kids, just a few months ago. And to see it in this state after the memories that they made there is just heart-wrenching. Kevin Ruane, we appreciate your time.

[10:40:00]

Please let us know what we can do to help in the recovery effort. Thank you.

RUANE: All your press would be helpful. Any donations, obviously, go to the United Way, that would really be helpful for people that, obviously, need that. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course. And don't forget to check CNN's website. There is a way you can lend a helping hand to these folks at a very needed time. You can impact your world by making a donation or offering assistance at this difficult time.

Our coverage continues after a short break. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: The chairman of the House Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol says that hearing postponed this week has not yet been rescheduled. The hearing was postponed in response to then-hurricane Ian bearing down on parts of Florida. But the delay has not slowed the long list of investigations surrounding President Trump. It has delayed at least one.

[10:45:00]

Joining me now is Elie Honig, a CNN senior legal analyst and a former assistant U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York. Elie, good to see you. Let's start with Ginni Thomas, wife of the U.S. Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, who apparently believes still that the 2020 election was stolen. What exactly do you think the committee is looking to hear from her?

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, there are so many different areas Ginni Thomas was involved in, Amara. By her own words, as you say, she is a self-confessed election denier. She is a very well-connected conspiracy theorist. To me, the most interesting thing that I think the committee ought to dig into is, one, she was in text contacts with Mark Meadows about the efforts to overturn the election. I would want to know a lot more about that.

And two, we have emails and texts, the committee has them, showing Ginni Thomas pressuring state officials in Wisconsin and Arizona to try to overturn their electoral votes. So if I'm questions Ginni Thomas, that's right where I will go. Representative Bennie Thompson has said that she answered, quote, some questions during her interview. We don't know what that means. But we could see video of her testimony in the next hearing, whenever that gets rescheduled.

WALKER: And, obviously, the optics much this doesn't sit well with a lot of people. You have the wife of a Supreme Court justice, a well- known conservative activist, who communicated with the executive branch, at least whether it comes to Mark Meadows, and urging him to fight to overturn the 2020 election. Are there any policies that could limit Justice Thomas in any cases related to potentially January 6th or the 2020 election?

HONIG: So in our system, Amara, we leave that up to the individual justices. Lower ranking federal judges do have policies that would require them to recuse themselves on anything where they or a close relative had a potential personal interest. But those policies do not apply to the Supreme Court. They are sort of above the law, in a way. And so it's up to Justice Thomas. I believe, and I think a lot of other lawyers would agree with me, that he should be recusing himself, removing himself, essentially, from anything to do with January 6th given his wife's even tangential involvement. But Justice Thomas has not done that yet, and it's really a matter of his own ethics and his own judgment.

WALKER: And regarding the investigation into the classified documents that were seized from Mar-a-Lago, how is this special master that was appointed, how is that working out for both sides?

HONIG: Somehow, Amara, this is turning into a lose-lose scenario. Usually in litigation if one side is winning, the other losing. Here they are both getting hit pretty hard. Donald Trump, first of all, has had some of his more dubious defenses called out by the special master, the idea that he declassified documents, the idea that documents were somehow planted. But the district judge said just the other day Donald Trump does not have to answer. On the other hand, it's dragging on. That's not good for DOJ. We are almost eight weeks out now, and the special master still hasn't even really begun his review. So somehow both sides are losing here.

WALKER: Elie Honig, appreciate you, as always. Thanks so much.

HONIG: Thanks, Amara.

WALKER: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:52:48]

SANCHEZ: Back here live from north Fort Myers. Amara, what I have found most impressive about all of this, witnessing the devastation caused by hurricane Ian firsthand, is just the raw power, the jaw- dropping power of mother nature to take all the infrastructure, all the communities, all the neighborhoods and so much work that people have put into building these communities in Florida, and to just literally wipe it off of the map as we've seen in places like Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. And to think about the fact that climate scientists have pointed to these storms becoming more intense. The winds getting stronger. The amount of rain that they drop getting heavier. It makes me think about the future of my home state here in Florida and what storms like these portend for our future. It's painful to think about.

We should also focus, obviously, on the heroic efforts of first responders here on the ground and the incredible work that they are doing to save lives.

WALKER: It's heartbreaking to hear you say that, because I lived there many years. My heart is with Florida. My family has a home in Naples. And of course, we are thinking the same things, wondering what the future holds, especially with climate change and these communities so vulnerable. Boris, great job out there, please stay safe. We're going to see you right back here tomorrow morning.

And there is much more ahead in the next hour of Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)