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Ian's Aftermath; Biden Announces Return Of Seven American Detainees From Venezuela; Biden Announces Return Of Seven American Detainees From Venezuela; Close Ally Advises Putin To Use Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons In Ukraine; Fareed Zakaria Asks Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin About Elevated Russian Nuclear Threat; Biden Calls Nord Stream Leaks Deliberate Act Of Sabotage; CNN Sees Devastation On Sanibel Island After Hurricane Ian. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 01, 2022 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:23]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Fort Myers, Florida.

At least 65 people are dead after Hurricane Ian destroyed parts of Florida and officials believe that number could just keep climbing as rescuers continue to search for survivors.

Those search efforts are a daunting task because the storm wiped away street signs and unrecognizable landmarks. The hurricane tore up entire towns including Fort Myers Beach erasing homes from the map.

I witnessed some of those destruction today first hand during a boat ride with the Cajun Navy and other volunteer rescuers who are fanning out across this area. Here's a look at the scene and Matt Lachey in a coastal area here in Lee County where most of the deaths have occurred. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: What do they have going on over here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's boats here, there's restaurants, a lot of -- honestly like a (INAUDIBLE). Pretty much all restaurants. I do shrimping, fishing right here, (INAUDIBLE) There was buildings the whole way. And they are just gone.

ACOSTA: You heard their stories that there are bodies in some of the canals and stuff?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I heard those stories, somebody was going out to the house on Fort Myers Beach, trying to get up to the second story window, the water was still going.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's the south (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all broken right here. When you cross that bridge.

ACOSTA: That is the road right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the road, yes.

ACOSTA: And it is gone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ACOSTA: This area is pretty typical of the destruction around here. There is a bridge that's intact just about a block from here. Maybe a quarter of a mile, nothing more than that, but the road leading to that bridge is completely washed out. So the island that is on the other side of that bridge is cut off right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Incredible just this side of it. The people texted me hey, your house is gone, your house is gone. And I came out here yesterday, they let me on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He stayed right there.

ACOSTA: You stayed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ACOSTA: And what was that like?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was bad, man. It was bad, it was -- the water came up really, really quick. People on this side of the road were gone in an instant. It was like watching paper into a paper shredder.

ACOSTA: They found one of your neighbors?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I think that they found like I think three bodies so far in the water. I know there is more. But I mean who knows. They look -- who knows.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Some of the residents in the very hard hit area of Matlacha, a coastal community just a short drive from where we are in Fort Myers, Florida.

And let's check in with CNN's Brian Todd. He's just down the road from me in Naples. Brian, I can see what you're seeing right now. It looks like some of the residents there are now trying to clean up, they are moving some of the damaged items maybe that were in their homes out to the sidewalk.

This is going to be life for the next several weeks for a lot of the folks down here.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Jim. And it is a very difficult part of their lives. Maybe the most difficult that these people have ever gone through. Look at this, we were here earlier today, these people have had to

clean out their entire household and put beds, sofas, tables, lamp. Here is a fridge.

And we just kind of take you around the pile here. We talk about the damage and the property. We talk about figures. I can give you some figures. Jim, you and I talked about this last hour.

The city of Naples says the city property damage could go to about $20 million. Personal property like this could go to about $200 million. And the city manager said that is a conservative estimate. As you look at just the damage that people have -- look at the loss.

I mean it's just like -- it is a pile, a sea of possessions that people have had to just put onto the curb.

I'll tell you, it also creates kind of an interesting dynamic because a few minutes ago, my team and I were just getting set up for this live shot, we saw a couple pull in and take a couple of things and put it in their trunk and leave.

Now, I don't know what the protocol is, I'm not judging anybody. Maybe when all this stuff is put on a curb they assume that city crews are going to take it anyway, so who cares.

But we have also seen people going into apartments, ground floor apartments where the facade has been torn out and it is all exposed, just people going in and rummaging around who did not live there. We saw that yesterday.

[17:04:52]

TODD: So there's a little bit of opportunism going on. And on that front, what I can also tell you is at an apartment near that where we talked to the building manager. He said that he was dealing with contractors who were coming in. And he had tried to hire them to clear out the mud from people's units.

One of the contractors looked at the apartment building and said how many units do you have, because if you don't have enough units, I'm not going to do it. I'm going to go down the street where I can make some more money.

That's the kind of thing you don't want to see here. You think that it does bring out the good in people a lot because we've seen that quite a lot. You've seen these neighbors band together. We've seen them help each other.

But when there is opportunism going on and gouging, that is really what is kind of tough to take here, Jim.

ACOSTA: Absolutely, Brian. I know you know this from covering so many of these storms, and I covered them several years back, many years back, I don't want to date myself too much here. But that has been a constant every time one of these major hurricanes happen is that you do have -- yes, people do come together as a community, they pull together, they help one another and that is just terrific.

But you have to be very wary of there are scam artists. There are people who are trying to take advantage of folks who are in a very desperate situation who may try to pull a fast one and charge people an arm and a leg for whatever service they may be providing if they even are providing a service.

And Brian, what about when people start going into these houses? I see people are bringing their items out on to the street. Things that they have to throw away and so on, but I have to imagine if roofs have been ripped off of people's homes and the insides of those homes are totally saturated, the next people have to worry about mold, that kind of thing, remediation efforts. That's just going to be extremely difficult for people who are trying to go back into those structures and eke out some sort of life.

TODD: Absolutely, Jim. And actually I can show you a little bit of that. We were here earlier when a crew was in here.

Come on over here, our photojournalist Orlando Ruiz and I we'll take you to the front door. I don't know whether it is open or not, but we did observe was a crew in here, it is closed, but a crew in here was -- I'll just show you where kind of the angle of where they were working.

Maybe you can see it actually a little bit through that glass. It's tough with the reflection.

You can see where they tore out the dry wall there. Look, it's about -- you know, I'm 5'9 -- it is a little taller than me. They had to tear up drywall to spray it, treat it with a disinfectant, let it sit, let it dry and then come back and see where the mold has gone and then figure out whether any of it is salvageable.

We showed you that last hour at an apartment unit here in Naples, not far from here. And so that's the kind of thing that people are up against.

You're right, Jim. you can't -- it is not just taking everything out and putting it on the curb and moving on as heartbreaking at that is.

Look at this. Imagine if this were you. I mean I've said this before. If this was me and this was all my stuff, I wouldn't know -- I wouldn't know what to do first. You know, where do you go from this.

ACOSTA: Yes. And people are in that kind of desperate situation right now. I saw this earlier today in Matlacha which is an area just a short drive from here, and people's homes have just been wiped out and they are just walking around in a daze, in many cases just asking what do I do -- what do I do next.

And they have been telling us they are not getting enough information. The cellphones aren't working down here in many cases. The gas lines are too long.

And then you know this, Brian, from covering these so many times, that is the recipe for very desperate situations and people getting irate, hostile and so on. And so, you know, the authorities need to get the relief effort going down here and get relief to these folks quickly because it can get unraveled pretty quickly.

Brian Todd, thank you very much. We appreciate that report. I'll let you back to your reporting.

Again, if you are just joining us, the death toll in Florida has now jumped to at least 65 people and we've seen some incredible before and after images from the storm. If you haven't seen this yet, take a look at this, it is just heartbreaking to look at.

This is Fort Myers Beach. Just look at that. There are literally empty lots where buildings once stood.

Here is a look at Sanibel Island, still cut off from the mainland only accessible by boat or helicopter. So many homes and businesses destroyed all across the region.

And early estimates for losses at this point is $47 billion. That would make this the most expensive storm in the state's history. And you can see why. That storm surge in many parts of this area just came in and washed homes away.

With me now on the phone is Dan Allers, He is a council member in Fort Myers Beach. And Dan, you said that 90 percent of the area that you are seeing is just gone. Can you describe what you are seeing right now and you know, what do federal authorities, state authorities need to know about what folks need down here?

[17:09:42]

DAN ALLERS, COUNCILMEMBER, FORT MYERS BEACH, FLORIDA (via telephone): Yes. Thanks, Jim. Yes, I'd say you know, 90 percent of the island is pretty much uninhabitable.

The houses that are standing are completely gutted. On the inside, windows are gone. (INAUDIBLE) are gone. I mean it is just a shell of a home that it is standing.

Some of the FEMA regulated houses that have been recently built are still standing, you know, with the first level being completely wiped out.

The condos on the south end, you know, their entire first floor was wiped out. We saw people that are in the condos, they can't get out, some of the elderly people that can't get out.

The search and rescue is still going on. It's probably going to take another week to complete that is my understanding. Plenty of people are stepping up and donating money --

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Will they have to shut down the island? ALLERS: I believe that will be coming very soon, yes. I've heard that

there's going to be a mandatory evacuation at some point today. It just hasn't been -- the press conference I believe hasn't happened yet. But I believe that is coming very shortly.

ACOSTA: And why would that be a necessary step at this point? I suppose you don't want people doing sort of the disaster tourism thing where people drive around and just want to look around and that gets in the way of relief efforts, I suppose.

ALLERS: Yes, that is exactly right. you know, our Lake County (ph) Sheriff's office is doing an excellent job of only allowing people by foot over the bridge that are local residents who can show proof of ID but even that with all the rescue vehicles, the cleanup vehicles that the town has, cleaning the streets, the first thing that had to be done is to clean the main roads so that we could get the emergency vehicles to the south end of the island because the south bridge was unpassable.

So we have essentially one way on the island. And that took over a day, day and a half to even be able to complete that before the rescue teams could get in and start their initial search for some of the victims.

We've since been able to clear out all the side streets to allow them to get down the side streets, and of course they keep finding victims, they keep rescuing people from homes.

But now there is just so much traffic and so many things moving around that the fire and rescue is having a very difficult time doing their job.

They are at the point now where they are going street by street, house by house to do a detailed search.

ACOSTA: They're getting in the way.

ALLERS: Yes. So it has gotten to the point where it is very difficult for them to do their job.

ACOSTA: And Councilmember Allers, I have to ask you this, and I hope that this is -- I hope that this is not the case -- but do you worry that this area that you are talking about is just never going to recover, they are just not going to be able to come back? I suppose maybe it will take months, even years.

I remember after covering Hurricane Katrina, other storms of that magnitude, you know, it just takes a very long time for these communities to come back. Could that be the same situation here?

ALLERS: Well, I believe, yes, it will -- it's going to take some time, but I have no doubt that the community will come back. I have no doubt Fort Myers Beach will be back.

We have a dedicated team in town hall, the town manager all the way down to the people that, you know, help pick up the garbage. Everybody is committed to making it work. They are being very diligent about paperwork. They're being very diligent about helping their community. And if there is one thing about this community that I've learned since I've lived here, they are very resilient, they come together when it is time to come together.

They step up for months -- I'm getting calls and texts from people all over the country that have vacation homes here, that have rented here, that have come to visit here, that love it here, that are asking what can they do. You know, how can we get support.

We have, you know, the state and federal government now has people coming on the island, we have got Air Force here helping with the cleanup.

So I have no doubt in my mind that the community will be back. Fort Myers Beach will be back. It is just going to take a little time and patience.

ACOSTA: Yes. All right. Councilmember Dan Allers, Fort Myers Beach -- thanks very much for your time. We do want to tell our vie that the death toll in Florida has just been raised by one. We now can report that at least 66 people have died as a result of Hurricane Ian here in Florida.

But as officials have been telling us, and preparing us, over the last several hours of the last couple of days, you know, the numbers are still coming in. And when I was out earlier today in some of the coastal communities just outside Fort Myers, some of the residents were also telling us anecdotally that they believe that the number that is being reported right now is likely to go higher because rescuers -- as that councilmember was just saying a few moments ago, rescuers have just not been able to make their way into all of these storm ravaged areas.

So of course, we're going to stay on top of that as all of this develop over the course of the next several hours.

[17:14:50]

ACOSTA: Coming up, in some parts of Florida the only way residents are able get around right now and find water, other critical supplies, is by air boat.

And we're going to show you some of the people who are out on the waters doing this very difficult task of rescuing people, bringing people back to dry land, getting them out of harm's way.

We'll have the latest on Hurricane Ian's aftermath. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: And we want to show you a wild scene in Miami where massive (INAUDIBLE) high waves made even bigger by Hurricane Ian knocked several people off of a pier yesterday. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) We need some rescue here. We got a big wave and got about five people into the wave who definitely need help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:19:53]

ACOSTA: Wow, that is a scary situation. Lifeguards plucked some people from the water after this happened. Miami police say at least six people were taken to a local hospital for head injuries and scrapes and bruises. They are very lucky to be alive after something like that.

Wow. That is remarkable.

In Arcadia, Florida the Peace River has flooded so extensively, the town is now divided and the only way to get around or get water and other badly needed supplies to people is via air boat.

For some a trip down one stretch of road that would normally take five minutes now takes an hour.

CNN's Nadia Romero is there. Nadia, we've been seeing this and hearing this from people all day long that really have to get around by boat now in many of these communities because the roads in many instances are washed out.

They are flooded with cars and other traffic at this point. And some of these residents are telling CNN they don't know when they will be able to reunite with family members.

What are you seeing?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right, Jim.

Here in Arcadia, this is Highway 70, so you should be able to take this road clear down. There are two bridges, you can't tell because the water is blocking them. And then you should be able to loop around and make your way to Palm Beach or Fort Myers.

That is not happening without a boat. So you can see that people have brought their boats out and that loud noise behind me is an air boat. And that is what is being used to transport people, medical supplies, food, water.

These young ladies we were told were working on the other side of the river. Now they are being brought over here where they live. So I want you to see all the efforts, because we're talking about people in the community, neighbors helping neighbors. We're talking about county emergency management groups, the National Guard here.

They have been bringing out cases of water, cases of water and MREs, but people are unable to find something to eat. They are not cooking in their homes because they haven't had electricity for three days. And their basic necessities like water, they are running out of them.

It is hot, it is humid and people are trying to figure out different ways to stay hydrated. I want you to hear from the National Guard who says they are committed to being here as long as it takes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. RYAN SULLIVAN, FLORIDA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: I was born and raised in Tampa. And to see fellow Floridians needing help, that is the whole reason we're here is to help them. We're going to run this as long as we can. We're going to make sure that resources are still inbound to help these people. That's exactly why we're here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And they say they will be here indefinitely because I mean, look at all this water, Jim. This is Highway 70. It is four times higher than it normally is. That is what locals say.

They tell us that this is record historic flooding. They have never seen the Peace River this high. And it just swelled out of its banks in every direction. Now they need boats to get anywhere in this area.

And Jim, it is really the case all across southwest Florida. As you know, these are low lying areas. there's already a lot of water. And then you add on a storm like Hurricane Ian, you are talking about quite the devastation, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes, Nadia. I'm just looking at that live shot and what is behind you right now. Are those RVs or vans or trucks that are almost totally submerged behind you? I'm just trying to make out in the monitor that I have.

ROMERO: Yes, let me show you.

ACOSTA: What's back there in the background. That's wild.

ROMERO: So Carlos Martinelli (ph), our photographer, is going to walk with me. We're going to try to show you exactly what we're looking at.

So this is Highway 70. On the left side of your screen is Peace River Campground. So those are RVs that are submerged. You can barely see the top of them. They were pulled out of the campground because the campground is even lower lying and they thought they would be safe. Not so much.

Hurricane Ian had other plans with all that wind and rain. And then the Peace River, with all that water, it just didn't have anywhere to go. So it overtook those RVs that have now pushed out several feet from where they originally were.

On the left side of your screen right over here, there is a car that is submerged. People were trying to drive down the road here, they got stuck, and one neighbor Mac Martin told me they had to jump out of the truck and swim to safety. That was the last truck that tried it.

Everyone else realized that this was an impassable road and that is when the air boats came out and that is when the barricades finally came out. But when you drive out here Jim, in the early morning hours, late at night, you can't see anything. So you have to rely on those barricades to let people know that you cannot make it past.

ACOSTA: That's right. That's right. And that that is just Exhibit A right there, why you don't take on a flash flood, you don't drive your car into a flash flood because you're car is going to be gone and you may be gone behind too.

All right. Nadia Romero -- and there's a fan boat going behind or some kind of rescue boat going behind you. The roads have been turned in to waterways around here.

Nadia, great report thank you so much. We appreciate it. Thanks to Carlos there on the scene with you as well. Just remarkable footage there.

[17:24:54]

ACOSTA: Still ahead, much more on the deadly and costly aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida.

Plus seven Americans who were locked up in Venezuela for years have been freed. What was the deal made by the Biden administration to bring them home? We'll have a live report on that also.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: And we'll get back to our coverage of Hurricane Ian's aftermath in just a moment.

But we're also following this. Seven Americans detained in Venezuela have now been freed. President Biden making the announcement earlier this afternoon.

Let's go to CNN's Arlette Saenz at the White House.

Arlette, some of these detainees were arrested more than four years ago. Efforts have been under way all that time to release them. What more are you learning?

[17:30:00]

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the White House says tonight that this is the culmination of months of tough negotiations that ended in the release of those seven Americans who had been detained in Venezuela.

That includes five of those individuals that are part of the so-called CITGO6. That is the oil executives that had been held in Venezuela for more than four years. One other member of that group had already been released in March. The other two individuals include a Marine veteran who had been held

since 2020 and another American who had been detained in Venezuela for several months.

Now, senior administration officials say that President Biden spoke with each of the families before this announcement was made this afternoon.

And that the men are in stable health and will continue to receive medical evaluations in the coming days.

But Venezuela agreed to release these seven Americans for two high profile prisoners that were held here in the U.S. And those were the nephews of President Maduro's wife.

Those two men had been convicted of smuggling cocaine into the United States and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Senior administration official says that President Biden decided to grant them clemency in exchange for those Americans. They said it was a tough and painful decision.

The president had approved this swap several weeks ago but it took some time for it to come together and for those arrangements to be made.

So this is certainly good news for those seven families who will soon be reunited with their loved ones. The president in a statement today saying, quote, "Today, we celebrate that seven families will be whole once more."

ACOSTA: Yes, those families must be very happy.

Arlette Saenz, thank you very much.

A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin says it is time to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

That is from the leader of the Chechen Republic, who put out an angry statement today slamming Russian generals after reports that Russian troops are retreating from parts of Ukraine.

That leader urging Putin to take drastic measures, including the use of so-called low-yield nuclear weapons.

CNN's Fareed Zakari talked about this new elevated nuclear threat with the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA, GPS": Part of the annexation, Russia's annexation, is the statement by President Putin that he has now made twice that these territories are now Russian and that he will defend these Russian territories with every means possible. And Russian media has repeatedly interpreted that to mean very

specifically nuclear weapons, as has Dmitry Medvedev. So this seems to raise the stakes enormously.

What do you make of the fact that Vladimir Putin is essentially saying at this point that if he feels that there's an attack from NATO, I suppose, on Russian territory, which also includes all of the Donbass, he reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response?

GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Again, it is an illegal claim. It is an irresponsible statement. These are -- it's nuclear saber rattling. It's not what the kind of thing that we would expect to hear from leaders of large countries with capability.

And so what we can expect to see, we can expect that the Ukrainians will continue to move forward and attempt to take back all of the territory within their sovereign borders here.

And so I don't think that that is going to stop. And we will continue to support them in their efforts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And you can see more of that interview on "FAREED ZAKARI, GPS" tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

But right now, we want to bring in retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Peter Zwack. He's also the author of "Swimming the Volga, A U.S. Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia."

General Zwack, so great to see you. Thanks for being here.

You just heard the defense secretary there. He and many other U.S. officials still think it is unlikely Putin will resort to nuclear weapons. I can't even believe we're talking about this.

But what does it mean that one of his key allies is now urging him do it? Is he just playing to domestic political base, much like we might see from time to time here in this country? What are your thoughts?

BRIG. GEN. PETER ZWACK, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED: Jim, I think that it is all of it. I think that there's intimidation, trying to intimidate the U.S., trying to intimidate the allies, trying to intimidate the Ukrainians. But it can't play.

The fact that Ramzan Kadyrov, of Chechnya, made that statement is, Putin's strong man, the back and forth, is informative, but they are absolutely -- their people have been in Ukraine and performed ugly.

[17:35:01]

And then also Dmitry Medvedev, who used to be the president and once was behind, in part, the Russian reset, has gone completely the other way.

I believe it is rhetoric. But as the defense secretary said and the administration, this is deadly serious stuff. It is rhetoric. And this should go back channel. I know it is.

We need to stay implacable, focused. We don't recognize the illegal annexation of these four republics. And we're going -- provinces. And we are going to still and continue to support the Ukrainians in their fight for survival.

ACOSTA: And for our viewers at home, who may not understand the terminology, what is a low-yield nuclear weapon?

ZWACK: Low-yield, I mean, that can be as low as one kiloton, which is 1,000 pounds of TNT. And it could be as low as that. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were somewhere between 10 and 15 kilotons.

So I can't give you an exact size. But whatever it is, it is lethal whether it is multiple blocks, a town, a small city, but it is there. And it is very dangerous.

ACOSTA: General, we've been talking about Russians retreating from the towns of the Donetsk region. Is this exactly the type of development that Putin wants in order to try to turn the tables and try to claim that Ukraine is attacking Russian territory?

What do you think about that?

ZWACK: I think that the press, the push that Ukrainians are making are totally justified into their lands of Donetsk, of Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

And so their people evacuating, they are evacuating for the fight.

But they didn't all vote 85 percent, 90 percent for the referendum. That is, indeed, a sham.

I think that we should pay attention to the overestimated 200,000 able-bodied, mostly males who have left Russia through Finland and through Georgia and other means. That is a fact.

And while people are worried with the prolonged war with the 300,000 that have been -- that are being called up, it may also accelerate trouble for the Putin regime internally.

Because what they have done is socialized and now energized the population. This is an ugly war and the people leaving are a real indicator. They are voting with their feet.

ACOSTA: And these developments, this annexation, the sham annexation from Vladimir Putin, it is stepping up calls from Ukrainian officials to join NATO. They want to join NATO.

Your thoughts on that?

ZWACK: My thoughts are that, my heart, Jim, is, yes. In many ways, Ukrainians have earned it militarily. But my mind says not now.

Do everything that we can do to continue to support and even more and better weapons, to help Ukrainians take their land back. NATO will play into the Russian existential narrative at home. And

also it may create divisions, Jim, in the alliance because there's no guarantee all 30 nations will vote for Ukraine in NATO.

So I think it's an open door. The door is open.

But we support Ukrainians to push on every front. And then isolate the Russians, absolutely, ferociously, diplomatically, economically, and all the other tools that we have.

But NATO, in the future would -- they are worthy but now is not the time.

ACOSTA: And President Biden has called the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines a deliberate act of sabotage. He stopped short of directly accusing the Kremlin of causing the leak. It's awfully suspicious.

What are your thoughts? What do you think about that?

ZWACK: Jim, I don't know. But everything that I'm reading and sensing is that very likely Russian, whether Navy or other maritime or some, went in -- it is one thing if you slashed a hole or explosion in one.

[17:40:00]

But when you start saying three or four and the Nordic nations are reporting that a Russian fleet is in the area, it is -- you know, it is the closest thing to smoking gun without the direct proof.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ZWACK: But I think, for now, I think that we have to look at that. But it also shows just the malign aspect of this regime that will do anything, if you will, to get an edge and try to dissent. All it does is pull us together.

And it is creating an ecological mess. I believe it was the Russians.

ACOSTA: Fascinating. Yes, it is bringing the alliance closer together, doing the exact opposite of what Vladimir Putin has been trying to do throughout all of this.

But, General Peter Zwack, thanks again. As always, we appreciate it. And good talking to you.

ZWACK: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: And a programming reminder. Fareed Zakari's entire interview with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin airs morning at 10:00 a.m. Don't miss it.

We'll be right back. Much more on the aftermath of Hurricane Ian after a quick break here in Fort Myers. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:17]

ACOSTA: Residents on Florida's Sanibel Island remain cut off from the mainland after Hurricane Ian took out the main causeway.

CNN's Bill Weir rode along with the volunteer rescue group known as the Cajun Navy to search for survivors.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After Ian's violent visit, this is what's left of the Causeway Bridge from mainland Florida to Sanibel Island. And this is now unpassable bridge to Pine Island. So for residents of both, boats and helicopters are the only exit options.

And while Coast Guard Blackhawks and Chinooks buzzed over the barrier islands on the grim day after, two of the only boats in this part of the Gulf carry civilian volunteers from the Cajun Navy, those good old boys vast boats and big hearts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give us some individual or tell us somebody to go pick up, we'll try to go get then.

WEIR: And a newer outfit known as Project Dynamo, led by a former military intelligence officer more accustomed to saving Americans from Russians in Ukraine or the Taliban in Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Americans are in trouble in bad zones, usually we do war zones and conflict zones, but hurricane Ian qualify.

WEIR (on camera): And you're named after Churchill's operation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

WEIR: To get the British soldiers off of Dunkirk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now here we are, we are going to rescue some people off of Sanibel, which is cut off from the world right now.

WEIR: Yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's very apropos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need help?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to get out of here? Give us a minute, we'll come there.

WEIR (voice-over): We follow the cry for help ashore on Sanibel to find a gentleman eager to take the boatlift but unable to convince his better half.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here to help people out if you need any help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need help?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you need help? Do you want to get out of here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm in the bedroom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give us a minute. We'll come up.

(CROSSTALK)

(DOG BARKING)

WEIR: We followed the cry for help ashore on Sanibel. We find a gentleman eager to accept the boatlift but unable to convince his better half.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, we're going.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To where?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To Fort Myers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fort Myers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bridge is out. The bridge is knocked out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not ready to go.

WEIR: A cursory stroll around this part of Sanibel reveals plenty of hazards, like the hiss of natural gas spewing from a broken tank.

But in one of the most coveted zip codes in Florida, the construction mostly held up, which is in stark contrast to Pine Island.

(on camera): Look at this one. It's absolutely flattened.

(voice-over): Especially the mobile homes of the working class and retirees living in Saint James City.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, man are you OK? It's your daughter called us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can image.

WEIR: When their phone cut out early in the storm, the grandchildren of Nancy and Robert Sharon (ph) were so scared they called the Cajun Navy and Project Dynamo and begged them to go check for proof of life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard they weren't going to do anything after the bridge closed down.

But my granddaughters are in Ohio, and she was crying hysterical when I talked to her on the phone. She said, we were thinking that you had gotten hurt. And I said, no, there's no service. There's no service.

WEIR (on camera): That's the thing, uncertainty brings so much fear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew it. And that had me more worried than what was going on at the time. Because I knew my family was worried. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's terrible what they're going through. It's a

terrible set of circumstances. The destruction is unbelievable. The suffering is going to be bad. There's hundreds of people like that right now that we haven't found yet.

This is true carnage. It's a war zone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, gentlemen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But at the same time, I'm really happy that we could be here to help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: A great piece from our Bill Weir.

[17:49:00]

And for more information on how you can help the victims of Hurricane Ian, go to CNN.com/impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: They are the real-life inspiration for shows like "Succession." Now see how Rupert Murdoch's children got a taste of the family business and began their decades-long competition to take over the company.

Here's a preview of "THE MURDOCHS: EMPIRE OF INFLUENCE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rupert Murdoch understand people don't turn on the news just to get the news. They turn it on because they like the person behind the anchor desk. They turn it on because they're scared, because they're mad. That emotional connection is key to keeping people coming back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we are beginning to see the tide of resentment coming to fruition.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the early '90s, a seismic shift had taken place in broadcast media.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the people have had it. I think we are going to see a major political change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And there's an explosion of right-wing radio stars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: "THE MURDOCHS: EMPIRE OF INFLUENCE" airs tomorrow night at 10:00, right here on CNN. And before we go, new images showing rescues of some very valuable

family members from the storm. First responders saved dozens and dozens of dogs from flood waters in Orange County, Florida. The message on Facebook: "Pets are family, period."

And one animal rescue that's gone viral is this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kitty? Kitty?

Mike saved the kitty. Aw.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:55:06]

ACOSTA: Mike Ross was riding out the storm at his mom's house in Bonita Springs, Florida, when he spotted this orange and white cat clinging to an air-conditioner. That's when he went outside and waded into the flood waters.

Mike says he'll keep the cat if he can't find her owner. He says Ian is a fitting name. But given that she's a female, he's also taking some suggestions.

So glad that the pets are making it out of these desperate situations OK. We had a dog and a rabbit earlier today and now we're ending the show with a cat.

Please keep all of your pets safe over these coming days here in southwest Florida. It's been a tough time for them as well.

That's the news. Report from Fort Myers, Florida, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

Pamela Brown takes over the CNN NEWSROOM live after a quick break.

Have a good night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)