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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With Carol Wilson
Aired May 10, 2003 - 16:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has added Oklahoma to the list of tornado-ravaged states getting federal disaster relief. He declared disasters in Missouri and Tennessee earlier this week. CNN's Brian Cabell is in Bethany, Oklahoma, the scene of the latest tornado in that state this week, just last night.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, two tornadoes in the Oklahoma City metro area in two days. Remarkable. And both of them, about 10 miles apart, and both going in the same direction, toward the northeast.
Now, Thursday's was considerably more severe, 125 people injured, and the latest estimate we've heard was $100 million damage, perhaps more. Last night, not nearly as severe, apparently, but it was frightening. I can tell you, we were huddled in a hotel kitchen while this went through. Seventy-five miles, it skipped along Oklahoma. Seven injuries attributed to this tornado last night. Trees down, some roofs down, but not as much structural damage as we'd seen in the previous night.
Immediately afterwards, of course, there was a lot of cleanup. At 11:00 at night, there were people outside cleaning up.
Now, this morning at 10:00 a.m., this very intersection where we're now standing, it was filled with debris. There was trees, branches, roofing materials, power lines down. No traffic, only clean-up crews, officials.
And now take a look back here right now, and what you see, let's take a look at the intersection right now, and the traffic is coming through now. The command center that was set up here just a little while ago, that has left and the traffic is coming through. It's basically cleaned up so the traffic can come through.
Behind me right now, you have Gene's Power Sales and Service. It's still a mess, but let me talk to Carol Wilson here, she's the wife of Gene. You've had an awful lot of help here. You've needed a lot of help.
CAROL WILSON, OKLAHOMA RESIDENT: Yes, sir, we have.
CABELL: People have come in just off the streets, or what?
WILSON: Some, yes, sir. A lot of it been friends that showed up, but there's been people we didn't recognize at all that had been at the shop at one time or another, probably. CABELL: Looks like total destruction here, but you've been able to save something?
WILSON: Well, we've been able to pull a few pieces of equipment out that was on the show room floor last night, and the insurance adjuster is here now so we'll know more in an hour or so, probably.
CABELL: Are you going back into business, though?
WILSON: That's a long road. We don't know at this point. I'm sure we'll go back into something. We have to survive at something.
CABELL: I talked to your husband a while ago. He seems determined to even start selling and servicing within a week or so.
WILSON: We have got a lot of customers that depend on us. We've been here a long time. So we have got a lot of great customers, a lot of great friends.
CABELL: How has your mood been? This has got to be kind of tough.
WILSON: I come in and out. I'm fine.
CABELL: Carol Wilson, thank you very much.
Once again, this is about the hardest hit of all the businesses we've seen. A lot of trees down throughout the neighborhood. But people, once again, Fredricka, are cleaning up and getting back to their normal lives.
WHITFIELD: All right, Brian, thank you very much from Bethany, Oklahoma.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 10, 2003 - 16:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has added Oklahoma to the list of tornado-ravaged states getting federal disaster relief. He declared disasters in Missouri and Tennessee earlier this week. CNN's Brian Cabell is in Bethany, Oklahoma, the scene of the latest tornado in that state this week, just last night.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, two tornadoes in the Oklahoma City metro area in two days. Remarkable. And both of them, about 10 miles apart, and both going in the same direction, toward the northeast.
Now, Thursday's was considerably more severe, 125 people injured, and the latest estimate we've heard was $100 million damage, perhaps more. Last night, not nearly as severe, apparently, but it was frightening. I can tell you, we were huddled in a hotel kitchen while this went through. Seventy-five miles, it skipped along Oklahoma. Seven injuries attributed to this tornado last night. Trees down, some roofs down, but not as much structural damage as we'd seen in the previous night.
Immediately afterwards, of course, there was a lot of cleanup. At 11:00 at night, there were people outside cleaning up.
Now, this morning at 10:00 a.m., this very intersection where we're now standing, it was filled with debris. There was trees, branches, roofing materials, power lines down. No traffic, only clean-up crews, officials.
And now take a look back here right now, and what you see, let's take a look at the intersection right now, and the traffic is coming through now. The command center that was set up here just a little while ago, that has left and the traffic is coming through. It's basically cleaned up so the traffic can come through.
Behind me right now, you have Gene's Power Sales and Service. It's still a mess, but let me talk to Carol Wilson here, she's the wife of Gene. You've had an awful lot of help here. You've needed a lot of help.
CAROL WILSON, OKLAHOMA RESIDENT: Yes, sir, we have.
CABELL: People have come in just off the streets, or what?
WILSON: Some, yes, sir. A lot of it been friends that showed up, but there's been people we didn't recognize at all that had been at the shop at one time or another, probably. CABELL: Looks like total destruction here, but you've been able to save something?
WILSON: Well, we've been able to pull a few pieces of equipment out that was on the show room floor last night, and the insurance adjuster is here now so we'll know more in an hour or so, probably.
CABELL: Are you going back into business, though?
WILSON: That's a long road. We don't know at this point. I'm sure we'll go back into something. We have to survive at something.
CABELL: I talked to your husband a while ago. He seems determined to even start selling and servicing within a week or so.
WILSON: We have got a lot of customers that depend on us. We've been here a long time. So we have got a lot of great customers, a lot of great friends.
CABELL: How has your mood been? This has got to be kind of tough.
WILSON: I come in and out. I'm fine.
CABELL: Carol Wilson, thank you very much.
Once again, this is about the hardest hit of all the businesses we've seen. A lot of trees down throughout the neighborhood. But people, once again, Fredricka, are cleaning up and getting back to their normal lives.
WHITFIELD: All right, Brian, thank you very much from Bethany, Oklahoma.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
