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CNN Live Saturday
Some Outer Banks Residents Remain Cut-Off From Mainland
Aired September 20, 2003 - 18:00 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin along, though, the battered coast of North Carolina, where the worst of the hurricane damage is reported. On the Outer Banks, some island residents remain cut off from the mainland, damaged by bridges or damaged bridges. We have the latest now live by telephone from Coast Guard Ensign Matthew Hobbie in Cape Hatteras.
Ensign, what is the situation there now?
MATTHEW HOBBIE, ENSIGN, U.S. COAST GUARD: Well, the Coast Guard is working closely with local, state, and federal officials to provide whatever assistance we can to Hatteras Village. They were cut off by a new inlet that completely cut off the end of Hatteras Island.
The U.S. Coast Guard is checking (UNINTELLIGIBLE) navigation to provide a route for emergency ferry service to bring emergency supplies into the area. We've also reopened our station on generator power to provide search and rescue for local officials and sheriff's deputies. I have a response team and Marine Safety Strike Force responding with generators, chainsaws, shallow draft boats and personnel to help local the community. And just now we're transporting crews to help restore water to the area. That, along with trying to get mail to whoever we can, we're just doing all we can to try to get things back to normal down at Hatteras Village.
LIN: Yes. Ensign, earlier we talked about search and rescue teams going out. I'm wondering if today they've found anybody.
HOBBIE: We haven't had any reports of anyone in distress. One thing we want to remind people is, please do not go out on the waterways on your boats. There's a lot of debris in the water; the aids are unreliable after the storm. The best thing people can do is stay home and wait this one out and let the professionals take care of this.
LIN: Well, Ensign, I'm wondering, how are people getting by without power or water? What is their life like today?
HOBBIE: Water has been delivered by ferry transits that have already made it to the island. So water is delivered. They're also delivering means of sanitation for sewage, things like that.
We have different agencies that are going in for food. So we're trying to take care of their basic needs and then slowly get regular services back to the community.
LIN: Are people waiting and this aid is being delivered to them? Or do they have to go to a central location?
HOBBIE: It's a very small area. All the aid is being transported right now by a ferry, which is arriving at the ferry terminal there in Hatteras. I understand there also are some helicopters that have been delivering supplies into the area.
LIN: Ensign, of all the responsibilities that the Coast Guard has right now, what do you think is the toughest?
HOBBIE: Well, pretty much we treat all our stuff equally. In this situation, the big thing is to support the local community and work with local, state, and federal officials to get these people what they need and get them back to normal as soon as possible.
LIN: And hopefully that will be soon, indeed. Thank you very much, Ensign Matthew Hobbie, for joining us from the Coast Guard in Cape Hatteras.
HOBBIE: Thanks so much.
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 September 20, 2003 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin along, though, the battered coast of North Carolina, where the worst of the hurricane damage is reported. On the Outer Banks, some island residents remain cut off from the mainland, damaged by bridges or damaged bridges. We have the latest now live by telephone from Coast Guard Ensign Matthew Hobbie in Cape Hatteras.
Ensign, what is the situation there now?
MATTHEW HOBBIE, ENSIGN, U.S. COAST GUARD: Well, the Coast Guard is working closely with local, state, and federal officials to provide whatever assistance we can to Hatteras Village. They were cut off by a new inlet that completely cut off the end of Hatteras Island.
The U.S. Coast Guard is checking (UNINTELLIGIBLE) navigation to provide a route for emergency ferry service to bring emergency supplies into the area. We've also reopened our station on generator power to provide search and rescue for local officials and sheriff's deputies. I have a response team and Marine Safety Strike Force responding with generators, chainsaws, shallow draft boats and personnel to help local the community. And just now we're transporting crews to help restore water to the area. That, along with trying to get mail to whoever we can, we're just doing all we can to try to get things back to normal down at Hatteras Village.
LIN: Yes. Ensign, earlier we talked about search and rescue teams going out. I'm wondering if today they've found anybody.
HOBBIE: We haven't had any reports of anyone in distress. One thing we want to remind people is, please do not go out on the waterways on your boats. There's a lot of debris in the water; the aids are unreliable after the storm. The best thing people can do is stay home and wait this one out and let the professionals take care of this.
LIN: Well, Ensign, I'm wondering, how are people getting by without power or water? What is their life like today?
HOBBIE: Water has been delivered by ferry transits that have already made it to the island. So water is delivered. They're also delivering means of sanitation for sewage, things like that.
We have different agencies that are going in for food. So we're trying to take care of their basic needs and then slowly get regular services back to the community.
LIN: Are people waiting and this aid is being delivered to them? Or do they have to go to a central location?
HOBBIE: It's a very small area. All the aid is being transported right now by a ferry, which is arriving at the ferry terminal there in Hatteras. I understand there also are some helicopters that have been delivering supplies into the area.
LIN: Ensign, of all the responsibilities that the Coast Guard has right now, what do you think is the toughest?
HOBBIE: Well, pretty much we treat all our stuff equally. In this situation, the big thing is to support the local community and work with local, state, and federal officials to get these people what they need and get them back to normal as soon as possible.
LIN: And hopefully that will be soon, indeed. Thank you very much, Ensign Matthew Hobbie, for joining us from the Coast Guard in Cape Hatteras.
HOBBIE: Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
