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Death Toll Now At 66 In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Ian That Ravaged Florida; Naples Devastated By Monster Storm's Wrath; Scramble To Care For Animals After Hurricane's Impact; NOAA Makes Satellite Images Available For Evacuated Homeowners; Russia Retreats From Key Donetsk City After Putin's Annexation; Putin Orders Annexation Of Ukraine Regions After Sham Referendums; East Coast Faces Long Road To Recovery Post Ian. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired October 01, 2022 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:56]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Top of the new hour now. I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM as we cover the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

Here is the newest information coming in this Saturday evening for you. The storm's death toll in Florida now stands at 66. This is the scene in North Port, which is in Sarasota County. State officials say the latest known death is that of a 62-year-old woman also from that county. She apparently drowned after getting trapped in her vehicle.

And then take a look at the massive amount of water people risked traveling through today east of Sarasota. They're in their car. This is a car, not a boat, making its way down a very flooded state highway. Sheriff's deputies and firefighters meantime went door to door today in the community of Hidden River warning people about a potential levee breach.

And down the coast on Sanibel Island near Cape Coral, nearly 100 searchers there all the way from Miami-Dade are on the ground checking on victims who may still need urgent help. Fire rescue officials say they have been collecting people and pets, we should note, and taking them to a fire station where helicopters are ferrying people to safety.

And this afternoon, Governor Ron DeSantis said while more than half of those who lost power now have it back, several counties in southwest Florida are still struggling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: As of right now, you got about 73 percent of Lee County without power and 77 percent of Charlotte County without power. The county that has the most without power is currently Hardy County. And that is 88 percent without power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right. So right now we want to go to Fort Myers, which is the site of so much destruction. That's where we find my colleague Jim Acosta.

Jim, you have seen so much devastation throughout the day, so much desperation. What stands out the most?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The devastation, the desperation, it's everywhere right now, Pam. I mean, I can just tell you what we're looking at right now in this marina in Fort Myers, Florida. You know, the boats behind me have been thrown around like toys, thrown up on dry land because of the awesome power of the storm surge that barreled through this area.

This road that we're parked next to, that was essentially a river. Some of the residents were telling us earlier today as the sun is setting in Fort Myers, there's another boat that's just sort of tipped over on its side just outside of the view of the camera. And this scene is playing out over and over again, repeating itself over and over again no matter where you go. You see that boat that's tipped over on the side right now as the sun is setting in Fort Myers, Florida.

And so we went out on a boat with some volunteer rescuers earlier today to sort of see what was going on in these more coastal communities on the barrier islands outside of Fort Myers. That is where you're really seeing a lot of the extensive damage. And you're looking at one area right here. This is some video that I've shot earlier today in Matlacha. It's just a tiny coastal community about seven or eight miles from here.

And Pam, I was talking to residents here who were telling me they literally watched some of their neighbors die in this storm. The storm surge, the winds, everything that was coming through just wiped through a couple of houses across the street from this one neighbor I was talking to. And he said just he essentially watched his neighbors die today or during the storm.

And that is just the reality of what they're dealing with around here, which is there is so much devastation, there is so much damage, and there are so many areas that are cut off. That area that we're showing you right now, a road was washed away leading to a bridge. It just makes everything that much more complicated in terms of getting to survivors, if there are some. We think there are many but there are also going to be people that they're going to run across from time to time who did not make it.

BROWN: Yes. And time is running out for those survivors who need that desperate help, right, whether they need medicine or they have injuries from the storm. And they still need help at this hour. It's difficult to get to them. Your live shot location is a prime example of that. And we've been watching those awful scenes from Sanibel Island not far away from where you are and you talked to someone who lives there. What did they tell you?

[19:05:10]

ACOSTA: Yes. We talked to a gentleman by the name of Andy Boyle who, as a matter of fact, he just walked up to our live shot location earlier today and he had a story of survival that he told. He was on Sanibel Island and during the storm decided to ride it out, regretted that decision. He was telling me that during the storm the hurricane ripped the roof off of his house, and so the rain was coming into the house.

He was able to ride out the hurricane and then the next day was rescued by rescuers who came in by a helicopter. And here's more of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BOYLE, SANIBEL ISLAND RESIDENT: The helicopters were going over head and I was standing out there waving. And then finally the National Guard out of Jacksonville, Florida, came by. And they landed right in front of the house and they stayed there for about an hour and a half. They had an ATV. They explored the whole neighborhood up and down the west gulf. They had probably almost 30 of my neighbors that live right on the water. They stayed on the island as well.

ACOSTA: And there are a lot of fears that people on Sanibel, their lives were lost because people stayed on the island, they didn't get out soon enough.

BOYLE: I have friends on the island right now. I know of one person that died at the dunes. There might be another one that I've heard that has passed away, but I've only heard of actually two fatalities. I have friends now that are on the island riding around on bicycles checking on everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I mean, riding around on bicycles on Sanibel Island, not for fun, but because that's the only way that they can get around right now, Pam. And when you talk to people about why they stayed, in some instances they say well, we're, you know, battle hardened Floridians. We've been through a lot of hurricanes. We thought we could get through this one and we made a terrible mistake.

And then we talked to other residents earlier in the day, Pam, who were telling us they felt like they were not warned early enough. That, yes, there were hurricane forecasts saying that this area could get hit but they thought the storm was going to go up to Tampa. Now obviously our forecasters and so on were saying, no, no, it's coming to this part of Florida. But many of these residents we've been speaking with just did not get that information in time.

And when you listen to what Andy Boyle was telling us earlier today, he said point blank, I am lucky to be alive. I would not do this again if I had to do it all over again. And I think a lot of people up and down this coast have learned that lesson -- Pam.

BROWN: Yes. And have probably some serious regrets that they didn't evacuate when they could for those that could do so.

Jim Acosta, thank you so much. And it is not just the coastline of southwest Florida still dealing

with major flooding. Take a look right here. Rescues and a rush to get complies to victims in Arcadia, Florida. That's a small town right along the highway in Desoto County more than 40 miles east of Sarasota, a mile long stretch from the west side of town to the center is completely flooded by water from the Peace River, cutting people off from stores, power, other resources that they need, those basic necessities.

National Guard members are on the scene. They are working with the sheriff's deputies to try to get people the help they need.

All right, now let's go over to Naples back on the coast of course, south of Fort Myers. Brian Todd has been bringing us just remarkable pictures and stories from there today.

And Brian, we talked to the county manager of Collier County where you are just in the last hour. She says they're in pretty good shape, that they're getting what they need in terms of resources. Do people you're talking to feel that way?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a good question, Pamela. We've talked to a lot of people in this town and asked them, you know, have the local officials responded well enough? I think for the most part as we kind of walk along some of the damaged areas here, for the most part people have told us they believe the response from local officials has been pretty good.

I think where you see the frustration and you get them telling you about this is many of them believe the communication isn't great right now, that they have not been communicated with fast enough and clearly enough about when response is coming, maybe not enough wellness checks, knock on doors, you know, things like that. That's where they're a little bit frustrated. They just want to hear more from local officials about, you know, what's going on and when they can expect more help and what's available to them.

Of course, with communications down, that's understandable. You know, a lot of this, they do understand that officials can't get to them with the communications maybe as quickly as they'd like. But we also have to say that in that same breath local officials are telling us, yes, we want to communicate with everyone and get to everyone and do wellness checks, but we are still conducting rescues three days out.

Take a look at these apartment buildings over here. These are not high-rises as you can see. But this one has got about seven or eight floors. And there's another fairly tall one over here. The Naples Fire Department has told us they are still conducting urban search and rescues at upper level apartment units where older people cannot use elevators and do not have food and water.

[19:10:10]

So when you talk about, you know, local residents maybe not being quite as satisfied with communications and other things, they have to factor in that they're still conducting searches and rescues three days out -- Pam.

BROWN: Well, that says a lot. All right, Brian Todd in Naples, thank you. I know you'll keep us updated on the latest there on the ground in Naples, Florida.

All right, let's stay in Naples because this is not only a crisis for humans, but animals as well. And I want to bring in team members of Humane Society Naples, Sarah Baeckler and Dave Feenan.

Thank you both for coming in. I see you have two cute little kitty cats. I have to say I'm a total softy when it comes to animals and I think about how they're doing in times like this, when a hurricane comes through, where do they go, how do you take care of them.

So, Dave, lots of questions about how your animal group is scrambling to care for them. But first, before we get to that, I understand that this hurricane devastation actually touched your family. Would you mind sharing what happened?

DAVE FEENAN, HUMANE SOCIETY NAPLES: It did, yes. Fortunately my wife and I and our dog are fine. We were able to get out just before the worst of the storm hit. But the surge did rush through our home and destroyed our first floor. So we are starting to clean up already. And we look at it as, you know, it's only stuff that can be replaced and rebuilt. We're fortunate that, you know, we got out safe and there are people in much worse shape, unfortunately, across Collier County.

BROWN: Yes. No, absolutely. But I'm glad you are doing well. And thank goodness for those animals because you have been working overtime caring for them.

So, Sarah, I know at one point you were asking for the help of private pilots when I-75 was shut down this morning. Tell us a little bit more about how people were coming to help and how your team in Naples is caring for animals tonight.

SARAH BAECKLER, CEO, HUMANE SOCIETY NAPLES: Yes. We have been working pretty much around the clock since as soon as it was safe to get out. We staffed our shelter here and our other locations so that people would be here during the hurricane for our animals. And then as soon as we could get out, we mobilized.

There are a lot of rural shelters in the impacted areas that don't have a lot of resources. So what we're doing is running all over the state as far as we can get and collect animals from these shelters that have flooded that have really just heartbreaking devastation, Gulf Coast Humane Society was pretty much (INAUDIBLE), that's in Fort Myers. So we pulled all the animals we could the first day. We're all exhausted and have, you know, just gotten through this ourselves.

But we didn't hesitate at all. We activated everyone. Even Dave, you heard his story and he's been here around the clock with me and our incredible team. These two came from Gulf Coast Humane Society. So they have survived the storm at the Humane Society and we pulled them out the next morning. Today the I-75 was flooded. And I was like we're not going to give up on all these transports. It's an insane amount of logistics to get all these animals to us. And

we're going to fly them out of the airport here on private planes because we couldn't get them from Sarasota to here today to start getting them ready. We were looking at a real big problem with that transport. So we put out a call on Facebook. Collier County is incredible. Animals are so much a part of our families, right, and people are moved to help in any way they can.

We actually had more offers for planes today to get all these animals from Sarasota Humane Society in Sarasota County to us than we could handle. So tonight, even though the road, I understand, is back open, you'll probably know more than we do at this point because it's hard for us to get information.

BROWN: It is. It is back open, yes.

BAECKLER: Yes. But we had all these planes lined up, so we're doing it. And we're going to run as soon as we're done talking with you to go pick up a bunch of dogs that are flying now from Sarasota and tomorrow we'll be helping cats all day long to get them here to get ready to ship them north to our partner shelters that can take them and put them up for adoption there. And hopefully everywhere people are watching, you'll see hurricane animals coming in. And we need your help in going to your local Humane Society and adopting them.

BROWN: Absolutely. I know a lot of our viewers, I'm sure, are wondering how they can help, what they can do, and it's incredible that so many people were lining up with their private planes and offering these rides --

BAECKLER: I know.

BROWN: To these dogs. I mean --

BAECKLER: Dogs and cats in Naples, I mean, there's so much heartbreak all around us. I haven't even allowed myself to process it. I've hardly looked at any pictures. I just -- I can't right now. I'm focused on and said let's get our team mobilized and get these animals taken care of.

[19:15:02]

The next wave will be animals who are trapped in houses, animals who stayed with people who should have evacuated. And we need to empty out here and all these other shelters that were impacted so that we can take that wave and then get them out as well. So it's heartbreaking (INAUDIBLE). It's heartbreaking everywhere you look and at the same time the Humane Society Naples team, we're just on it and we're going to keep going nonstop pretty much 24/7 until Wednesday, and then we'll take a nap.

BROWN: Yes. Wow. You guys are truly an inspiration seriously to have gone through what you went through and then to just hit the ground running helping these sweet, poor animals that need your help desperately. Dave, I'm wondering when it comes to the animals down there right now,

is it more of an issue of pets who may have gotten lost or run away, more about these stray animals with no homes suddenly in the middle of disaster zones. What's the picture like down there?

FEENAN: It's a little bit of everything. I mean, the bottom line is there were animals in these shelters to begin with. And so our biggest focus is moving our animals out of our shelter to make room for the strays and the lost pets and those animals that unfortunately families, their homes have been destroyed and they may need to enter shelter but they may not be able to bring their animals. So we will take them also. So it's a mix of different reasons why all of a sudden there are so many animals in need of shelter.

BROWN: Yes. No. Absolutely. And we should mention that you run a no- kill shelter. That is important as well.

BAECKLER: Absolutely.

BROWN: Very important. Well, thank you both for all of your efforts. I mean that. I commend you both. I commend your teams there who are working tirelessly to help these animals. And, all right, go get back to work. I know you said right after this you had coordinating --

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: So, all right, go to the airport. Thank you both.

BAECKLER: Thank you so much.

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

Well, more ahead on the impact of Ian, including how aerial images are helping homeowners who evacuated help check in on damage to their homes.

Plus, Ukrainians say they've taken back a key city in Ukraine located in one of the regions illegally annexed by Russia. Colonel Cedric Leighton will join us at the magic wall to walk through the significance of that.

Plus, the National Archives says it still doesn't have all the electronic records from the Trump White House. So who has them?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:21:49]

BROWN: While the true nature of the damage in both the Carolinas and Florida is not yet known, tonight newly released images from before and after Hurricane Ian show the absolute just devastation with these homes and the infrastructure there in Florida.

In Fort Myers, take a look, you can see destroyed docks, damaged roofs, roads crumbled and houses completely swept away. In Punta Gorda, the roof on this massive building crumbled and houses along that shoreline have been destroyed.

In this photo you can see Sanibel Island has been flattened. The pool in the middle turned completely black. And the Sanibel Causeway wiped out, water flowing where the road used to be.

High resolution aerial pictures of the damage were also taken by federal weather officials and are now being used to help evacuated homeowners check in on their homes. Those homeowners who may want to go back but not sure if they should, if their homes even still there. Right now NOAA is launching key air flights to capture these images over Florida and using them to create useful maps of these devastated areas.

NOAA remote sensing chief Mike Aslaksen joins us now.

So, Mike, this is really amazing. And what an incredible resource to these homeowners who had to flee. Tell us more about how this works.

MIKE ASLAKSEN, NOAA REMOTE SENSING CHIEF: Well, thank you for having us, Pamela. Right, so this capability comes from NOAA's mapping chart in (INAUDIBLE). We actually use these aircraft and cameras to do update into nautical charts. But since 9/11 we've made the capability available to respond to events like Hurricane Ian where we can collect the data and the turnaround very fast, usually four to six hours after landing, to public Web sites so folks can access it including our partners at FEMA and other state and emergency management agencies.

BROWN: Yes. The purpose, right, or at least part of the purpose is to help these evacuated homeowners find out what happened to where they lived, right?

ASLAKSEN: Absolutely. I think one of the biggest rewards we have out of this is -- and today we answered over 100 e-mails to folks who were thinking or asking questions, to provide this imagery because they just wanted to know one way or the other, is their home there or not there and whether to return or not, which in turn helps the emergency management community and first responders because folks are saying hey, I need to wait or, you know, have nothing to come back to. So that then helps them deal with the response and those efforts.

BROWN: Yes. I think that's a really good point because first responders who may need to go to a neighborhood, they can look at these pictures and say, OK, I'm not going to be able to use that road. That road is crumbled. We're going to have to go around and use another route. I mean, it really provides an invaluable resource in many ways. How else does NOAA use these photos?

ASLAKSEN: Well, we have a coastal management, we have a marine debris mission as well, and a hazardous material mission that we support in the United States Coast Guard. So a lot of different aspects there. FEMA uses the imagery to assess damage, expedite claims and assistance for the public as well as identify isolated communities.

So there's just a multitude of this data. And in fact I heard stories today of search and rescue teams in Florida using the imagery that actually marking the homes and the imagery on their systems to say that, you know, that they had checked those homes and see more of a situation awareness and overall impact of their work on the (INAUDIBLE) teams.

[19:25:13]

BROWN: And how are these photos taken?

ASLAKSEN: So we use NOAA aircraft crews. We have NOAA corps pilots, uniform service that fly the aircraft and then NOAA civilians who operate the sensors and process the data. So we have two aircraft out currently. And they can fly from anywhere from, say, 2500 to 6500 feet in the air over the impact areas. And then we collect and process some of the data in the aircraft, but then also we push the data to the cloud and we're processing it to the Web site and see, Storms.NGS.NOAA.gov.

BROWN: All right. Mike, thanks so much for coming onto talk about this. Really fascinating to see the before and after pictures.

ASLAKSEN: Thank you for having me.

BROWN: And more on the impact of Ian in just a moment. But also tonight, a Putin ally is urging the Russian president to use low yield nuclear weapons in Ukraine. This as Russian forces lose another key city to the advancing Ukrainians. Retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton is at the magic wall to walk us through what a big deal this may be. Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:44]

BROWN: Major developments out of Ukraine tonight. Russia says it is pulling its troops from the eastern City of Lyman, a key railway hub in the Donetsk region. This comes as world leaders condemned Putin's attempt to illegally annex portions of Ukraine, including the region where that city is located.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us now from the White House.

So, Arlette, how are officials there reacting to these latest developments?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, we're hearing tonight directly from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who called the Ukrainian capture of that City of Lyman an encouraging sign. The Defense Secretary spoke specifically about the tactical implications this could have, especially when it comes to Russia's access to supplies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Significant -- we're very encouraged by what we're seeing right now. It even sits astride the supply lines of the Russians, and they've used those routes to push men and material down to the south and to the west, and without those routes, it will be more difficult. So this presents a sort of a dilemma for the Russians going forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, this comes as there has been widespread condemnation from the US and its allies of Russia's attempts to annex four regions in Ukraine.

President Biden yesterday saying that it was a fraudulent attempt with no legitimacy and the US had been working with allies behind the scenes ahead of this expected annexation and imposed what they have described as severe sanctions against Russia in the aftermath.

But one thing that the US is also taking very seriously is the possibility of Vladimir Putin deciding to use nuclear weapons, which would mark a major escalation in this war.

Yesterday, National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said that there's always that risk, but they do not see an imminent threat at this moment. But he stressed that they've made clear to Russia what the consequences would be if they decide to go that route -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Arlette Saenz, thank you, live for us from the White House tonight.

Ukrainian forces in the recapture of the City of Lyman marks a very significant gain since their counteroffensive just last month. So what does today's victory mean for the rest of the war? Let's bring in CNN military analyst, Colonel Cedric Leighton joining us now right there at the magic wall.

All right, so Colonel, how does Ukraine's recapture of Lyman advance their position on the larger battlefield?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: So, Pamela, this is going to be one of the biggest issues for the Ukrainians to actually deal with and this is really important, because Lyman is right here. It is right on the cusp of the borders between the different regions that you have here, the Luhansk region, the Donetsk region, these are both part of the Donbas region. And that very fact makes this a key point.

And as Secretary of Defense Austin was mentioning, this is a key strategic area because it is a transportation hub. The fact that it's a transportation hub right through this area means that it is very critical for Russian resupply efforts down in these areas right here, as well as for the Ukrainians.

So the fact that the Ukrainians have now captured Lyman is really the biggest thing that they have going for them in the Northeast and that may be very, very much of a game changer.

BROWN: And according to a CNN analysis of exclusive data from the Institute for the Study of War, seven months into this invasion and Russia controls less territory than it did in the initial days of the war. I mean, that's pretty incredible. What does that tell you? LEIGHTON: Well, that is really significant, because it shows, Pamela,

that there is so much that the Russians have done that has really come to naught, that has been for nothing.

The Russians had controlled the areas all the way through here. This area right in through here, of course, all of this. They've controlled all of these different areas and the very fact that the map looks like this today with Ukrainian control here.

Earlier in the war, the Ukrainians went north of Kyiv, which is right here, and recaptured all of these areas, and the fact that they are making some progress in the south means that the Ukrainians are really making a lot of headway in this area and they've got momentum on their side and that is a really big thing when it comes to warfare and in this war, momentum is everything.

[19:35:10]

BROWN: It is. We've been saying that from the beginning, and Ukrainians have had that on their side since the get go. We're seeing it play out on the battlefield. What are the next moves you're watching for as the fighting continues?

LEIGHTON: So, I think one of the big things to look at is the overall strategy that we are faced with from each of the different players here. So, let's start with the Russians over here on the left.

We expect them potentially, if they can make this happen to do counterattacks, to conduct counterattacks in the northeastern part of the country of Ukraine, the east and the south.

Now, that is one thing that they may want to do, but whether or not they've got the wherewithal to do it remains a completely different question and their ability to do this is very much called into question.

They may also replace military leaders. This is a favorite thing that people like Putin would do because at this particular point in time, the leaders aren't working out for him. And then finally, the idea of moving tactical nuclear weapons, like we mentioned in Arlette's report, that's a really big thing, because if those are moved within the range of Ukrainian or NATO targets, that becomes a really big deal and that could change the very nature of the war.

So, that's on the Russian side.

For the Ukrainians, I expect them to consolidate gains around Lyman and moving into the Luhansk region, which is right next to it. They could also move toward Kherson in the south and if they use weapons like the ATACMS system, the army tactical missile system and finally get fighter aircraft that could also be a game changer in the war.

And finally, for the NATO folks, I expect them to ramp up their resupply efforts, counter hybrid war moves such as we saw with a pipeline attacks, which are probably attributable to the Russian sabotage efforts. And then finally, because Ukraine has just applied for fast track NATO

membership, I expect them to put that application on hold, but consider it after the hostilities have ebbed a bit, and the Ukrainians have regained a lot more territory.

BROWN: And all of this comes amid Putin's efforts to mobilize thousands of Russians into the war effort. In recent days, Russian residents have been pouring into neighboring Georgia and Finland to avoid getting into battle. You took a look at some of the cars crossing the border and noticed something interesting. What did you find?

LEIGHTON: So, this is one of the key things. Russian license plates are really interesting, because the regional code is right here. The last three or two or three digits of a Russian license plate, this car happens to come from the St. Petersburg region.

Most of the cars have come either from St Petersburg or Moscow where all the wealthy people live, and they are much more likely to be able to get out of the country than folks in other parts or the poorer parts of the country.

BROWN: I'm wondering and that, by the way, it's a very interesting observation. What an astute eye you have there. So let me tell you, as we look ahead, and we look at the rhetoric coming from Putin, how worried are you about this threat from a Putin ally, urging him to use low-yield nuclear weapons in Ukraine?

LEIGHTON: You know, Pamela, I'm very worried about this. I don't think it is something that will happen immediately, but if people have like the Chechen leader and others whispering to Putin's ear long enough and talk more about nukes, it may be more likely for Putin to use what's called a tactical nuclear weapon.

These are usually lower yield weapons, not as big as strategic weapons, which are intercontinental ballistic missiles, things like that, but it could have significant impacts on the battlefield, and especially for Ukrainian games in the northeast, right here and in the south. And of course, we also have to remember another way to use nuclear weapons is to weaponize the nuclear power plant facilities. This one, of course, is dead. That's Chernobyl that killed itself back in 1986.

But Zaporizhzhia, that particular plant could very well be weaponized by the Russians and that is something that we don't want to see whether it's a weapon like standard weapon, or something like this kind of out of the book of hybrid warfare, it would be a very, very bad thing -- Pamela.

BROWN: You had to say the least. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much.

And you were in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday night.

Still ahead for you, Hurricane Ian left staggering destruction in Florida. We'll talk to an expert about the long road ahead for people in the hardest hit areas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:43:20]

BROWN: Well, people in Florida and the Carolinas now face a long road to recovery. Lost power, destroyed bridges, massive flooding, destroyed homes. In Florida alone, the cost for insured losses is estimated at $47 billion.

CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem joins us now.

So Juliette, tell us what officials in the storm region, what they're doing right now transitioning from search and rescue to recovery. I mean, many families either haven't returned to their homes or can't. What is the priority tonight for the State and Federal agencies of these devastated places?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Right. Well, in the past, under a national recovery framework that locals and States and the Federal government use, there are going to be six priorities. It begins, of course with infrastructure. You've got to get water moving, electricity moving, people able sort of basic functioning, it then turns to economic issues related to businesses, health and social services, housing, community development, and cultural resources.

So all of those combined, right? So, it's six major priorities, will be worked in different ways. But the priority right now is to get the infrastructure, what we call essential functions moving again, and that is not going to be tomorrow. This devastation that we've all seen, the reporters out on the ground. This could take a while just to get basic infrastructure in place, and that's going to be on the public side.

On the private sector side, homeowners, there is a complicated, you know, sort of development or complicated process involving those who are insured and insurance companies paying up and the many who are uninsured or under insured and having public funds steered their way.

[19:45:07]

BROWN: Yes, I can imagine it will be just a mess trying to wade through all of that with insurance. And what do you do? And of course, for those who aren't insured, that's where FEMA is supposed to step in.

But let's talk about deaths related to the hurricane. Right now, at least 66 people are confirmed dead in Florida alone, mostly in one county. What are the most common ways that this can happen during a storm?

KAYYEM: Yes, so it is both at the moment of the storm, and then of course, now after. So a little bit of explaining here, the number we have, of course, is not the complete number. What's happening is in each jurisdiction, the emergency response responders as well as coroners are getting accurate numbers. You just don't want this number to be wrong. They are then fed to FEMA, and that's where you're getting the sort of more reliable numbers in the 60s right now. That will increase, sadly.

And then, will accept that number. In other words, at some stage, search and rescue ends, you just know, people haven't survived, and you turn to recovery. But I want to make clear this is -- in a hurricane people die from water and wind and mostly debris. But most hurricane deaths in the United States, probably not in this case, because of the resources there, most hurricane deaths in the United States happen after the hurricane. Either people, you know, going into water and they get cut or electrocuted, generators and carbon monoxide poisoning.

We have a phrase, it's a little dramatic, but it's called nine meals until anarchy. It's stolen from political science. It is basically resources have to be stored within three days, medicines, water, food, so that people don't -- aren't harmed or don't become ill or even die as a consequence of the hurricane, but not because of the hurricane. Those are the numbers that we look at, at this stage.

BROWN: We just got this update from the Florida Power and Light and the news is just awful. For places where power can be restored, where the infrastructure still exists, we're hearing possibly another week, until next Sunday, before power can be restored.

KAYYEM: Yes.

BROWN: I mean, that is just devastating for folks to hear. What words do you have for them?

KAYYEM: So, you know, this is devastating. Our infrastructure is weak and vulnerable, and this is assuming that these are relatively simple fixes.

So, what we know is happening is tens of thousands of workers or people who are specialists in this are heading towards Florida. This is in a mutual aid -- this is under Mutual Aid Agreements.

So, people are working on this in Florida. I've heard Florida officials say they're going to waive some work requirements to allow out-of-staters come in and be certified to fix public lines.

So there are resources. The problem is, is that you have to rebuild an infrastructure that has been built over decades that was obviously extremely vulnerable. So, a couple of things. One is obviously patience is needed. I know that's a lot to ask people who want basic functioning at this stage.

If you can stay away, continue to stay away. Short-term housing and sheltering, as well as family and friends who can help; and then third, be very, very careful with at-home fixes, generators. This is actually ironically, or sadly, how many people die during hurricane season. The generator isn't far enough away from their home. They're using it inadequately.

So, if you are going to make your own -- if you're going to try to get things running in your own home with your own generator, just be careful and know exactly what you're doing.

BROWN: Yes, really important advice there. Juliette Kayyem, thank you for offering your perspective on this, from all your years of experience responding to disasters like this.

We will have more on the aftermath of Ian in Florida.

Coming up tonight, first, we're also following new protests in Iran, the latest on the demonstrations there as a government crackdown continues.

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BROWN: And here is a quick look at some other news tonight.

In Iran, the crackdown on street protesters is being met with more defiance.

Students in Tehran and other cities once again vented their anger over the death of a woman in State custody last month. Twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by Iran's so-called Morality Police for allegedly not observing the country's strict dress code.

Amnesty International says it has obtained leaked documents showing Iranian military leaders ordering security forces to "mercilessly" confront protesters.

And reports from inside that country say police have used teargas, clubs, and in some cases, live ammunition on demonstrators. But with internet blackouts enforced across the country, it's hard to get a complete picture of what exactly is happening.

Well, seven American citizens locked up for years in Venezuela are now free and coming home. President Biden announced their release earlier today. Five of those released Americans are part of the Citgo Six, oil executives arrested in Venezuela more than four years ago.

The Biden administration negotiated a swap for two Venezuelans from prison in the US and President Biden says the Americans will soon be reunited with their families.

Also for you tonight, the National Archives says it is still missing records from the Trump administration. That's according to a new letter from the Archives to House Oversight Committee Chairwoman, Carolyn Malone obtained by CNN.

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BROWN: Now the letter specifically names a former Trump White House Trade Adviser, Peter Navarro accusing him of wrongfully keeping records after leaving the administration. The Justice Department says Navarro used a private non-government e-mail for presidential business, including the response to the COVID pandemic. The Archives referred questions about whether it intends to pursue

criminal charges to the Justice Department, which of course is investigating the records found at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in that FBI search.

Well, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday night and still ahead for you, worsening, the devastating impact of Ian in Florida is the uncertainty. We're going to speak with someone who has a home and one of the hardest hit areas who fears his property has been badly damaged and still hasn't been able to reach it.

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