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CNN Live Saturday

Wilma Hits Mexico Coast; Parts of Florida Evacuated; California Mother Pleads Not Guilty to Drowning Children

Aired October 22, 2005 - 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: In Florida, many are not waiting for Wilma's arrival. Some mandatory evacuations now in place, and some areas are already underwater.
And how could a mother drop her children into the San Francisco Bay and watch them drown? I'm going to talk to the family of a woman who is charged with doing just that, as everyone searches for answers in this tragic case.

It is October 22, and you're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

Just got an update in the last half-hour. Hurricane Wilma, now a Category 2 storm, and an unwanted guest at a Mexican resort. The winds and rain continue to pound Cancun. Forecasters think Wilma will keep hitting the Yucatan Peninsula for the rest of the day, before moving back into the Gulf tonight or tomorrow.

It may then pick up speed in the warm waters. And even though the center of the storm is still more than a day away from Florida, the outer edge of Wilma has done its damage, dumping enough rain to flood streets in Broward County near Fort Lauderdale.

Now we want to take you to Cancun. More than 35,000 tourists are waiting it out, the hurricane, in hotels and shelters.

Our CNN's Susan Candiotti is standing by right there. Susan, what is the latest situation?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At daybreak, and throughout the day, Wilma is still meandering offshore, with pounding surf and high winds, it was a rough night. The winds were howling. You could hear things crashing around you, both inside the hotel, where we sought refuge, located along the seaside, along the Gulf of Mexico.

There are no hotel guests here. Employees left. All of the hotel guests were moved at least a couple of days ago to hotels down in the downtown Cancun area, and that's about a half-hour away from here.

But there has been some structural damage here, broken glass, broken windows, beams fallen, heavy chandeliers shattered and fallen to the floor. As you look outside, some buildings did not fare very well at all. They have been ripped apart, the rooves gone, glass is out. And so we're looking around. This is not surprising for a Category 4 storm. And remember, with all of this damage that will have to be cleaned up, this is on top of Hurricane Emily that hit back in July, and did damage to the tune of at least $96 million.

Emergency crews may be out, not sure whether the roads are passable, but that's to be learned as the day goes on.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Cancun, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: So even though, right now, Wilma is beginning to slow down, it's about to pick up steam as it heads into the Gulf.

Chad Myers standing by at the CNN Weather Center. Chad, the National Hurricane Center warns us, don't be complacent.

CHAD MYERS, CNN SEVERE WEATHER EXPERT: That's right, just...

LIN: It's heading toward the United States.

MYERS: You know, we heard about it, we knew it was a 5, then it was a 4, now it was a 3, now a 2. Oh, it's not as bad as it was, I'm not going to worry about it.

If this was just starting out as a tropical storm, and we were telling you, This is going to be a 1 and then a 2, and it might make landfall as a strong 2, well, then you'd be worried about it. So don't take the fact that it was bigger and now it's smaller to heart. It is a -- going to be a very dangerous storm for the U.S. Florida west coast.

Moving away from Cancun a little bit now. I've heard the number somewhere, a staggering 25,000 tourists still there, stranded in shelters. And I'm not sure how long it's going take for that airport to open up. It could be a long time. The airport could be really in bad shape, because it was over, it was under, I guess, the eyewall, the northern eyewall, for a long time last night, with winds of 130 and 140 miles per hour. It could have torn up that terminal pretty badly.

Here you go, 2:00, and here you go with 2:00 in the morning on Monday, and then finally, 2:00 in the afternoon on Monday. It exits, but still as a hurricane. That means, just like Charley, it continues across the entire peninsula as either a Category 2, and then dying off into a Category 1.

So a backside hit to all of the areas here, from West Palm down to Fort Lauderdale, maybe as far north as Melbourne, depending on the path. It could turn a little bit to the left, but the winds right now were 100. Hurricane watches are posted across most of Florida. And then this mess, you don't even want to hear about this, but tropical storm Alpha is already out there. We're to the Greek alphabet here.

But because, and the same currents, the same steering currents that are going to take Wilma and push it out to sea, going to take this storm and also push it out to sea. So not going to make landfall on the U.S., but could make flooding for Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, of course, there.

Back to you, Carol.

LIN: Alpha. We hit the Greek alphabet.

MYERS: Yes. It was my first cat's name, Alpha.

LIN: All right. And now, a history-making storm.

MYERS: Right.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Chad.

Well, FEMA took a big hit after Hurricane Katrina, so now the federal agency is mobilizing ahead of this storm. They're positioning water and food and rescue workers across the state of Florida. But the big question, of course, are they really ready for Wilma?

So I spoke to David Paulison, FEMA's acting director, who wants everyone in the storm's path to be prepared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID PAULISON, ACTING DIRECTOR, FEMA: Well, I'm worried about, a little bit about complacency. The storm has slowed down, people, some people evacuated, some have not. We are strongly encouraging people to make sure they listen to the local emergency managers, listen to the state emergency management system.

They have got a great system in Florida. The governor, the emergency manager, Craig Fugay (ph) (INAUDIBLE), are experienced people. They know what they're doing. So we're asking the resident to pay very, very close attention to what they're telling them.

LIN: What is your preference right now, that more people evacuate the hurricane zone?

PAULISON: Well, anybody who's in an evacuation zone, we are asking them to evacuate as soon as the local emergency managers and the state makes that announcement. Don't wait around. When they tell you to evacuate, go ahead and move out. If you're not in an evacuation zone, though, we ask you to make sure you have your three- day supply of food and water, flashlight batteries, radios, all those things you're going to need to survive for three or four days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: But wait a minute. He's got more to say on that, because that Hurricane Katrina, you know, three or four days of supplies was clearly not enough. So see if the federal government's going to change its policy. You can see my complete interview with the FEMA chief tonight at 10:00 on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT. Right now, a lot of people in the Florida keys are, well, they were already leaving town, even before today's mandatory evacuation order.

CNN's Kareen Wynters joins me now with more on how the keys are getting ready for Wilma. But it's looking pretty calm. I don't know, a bike ride on a sunny day down there.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You name it, Carol, walking, strolling, people are out in full force, it seems. And what's truly remarkable, especially in an area like this, we're right along Duval Street in downtown Key West. It seems as if this city just takes on a personality of its own when it comes to hurricanes. The area no stranger to hurricanes.

To my left, you can see some of the businesses here, boarded up. They have been boarded up for the last several days, but there's still a great sense of energy here, of optimism from locals, even tourists who decided to stick it out, ride out the storm here in Key West, so they can get through it.

You see some of the boarded-up businesses there.

We want to take you to some other video that shows people driving around, enjoying the day on this weekend. Typically, people would be gearing up, Carol, for a Mardi Gras-type festivity that takes place this time of year leading up to Halloween. So it's been quite a festive mood, people driving around with ceremonial beads, just really enjoying the day. There are also bars and restaurants and shops that remained open down here, to somewhat cater to the crowd.

But in the backdrop of all this, a much more serious tone. We heard from Key West city officials today, the mayor, the police chief, the fire chief, a U.S. Coast Guard captain, talk about the seriousness here, why they issued that mandatory evacuation order at noon today, encouraging the public to leave. They also talked about the level of preparedness, the response, the resources they have in place.

Here's the mayor of Key West.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MORGAN MCPHERSON, KEY WEST, FLORIDA: It is essential that you heed the warnings, that don't become complacent, because this storm has taken its time to get here. It's going to make up for all the time that it's spent over the island, because it's going to get here in a hurry. Pay attention, think carefully before you make any decision to stay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WYNTER: And don't be fooled by what you're seeing around me. There are a lot of people who don't want to get stuck here when the storm hits, people who've been getting on buses, shuttles from out of the island to a shelter in Miami. They've been in rotation all day, all week long, as a matter of fact. And we asked, Carol, how long this, will this continue, for example, if someone wants to leave tomorrow, maybe even later in the day on Sunday? And we're told, as long as the winds here don't exceed about 45 miles per hour, anyone who wants to utilize that service can still do so, Carol.

LIN: You know, Kareen, I still don't understand the attitude of people who feel like they're going to be safe. I mean, you know, they're talking about an eight- or nine-foot storm surge, even in parts of Key West.

WYNTER: Especially after what happened in New Orleans and those hard-hit areas along the Gulf Coast earlier in the summer. Quite frankly, residents here say that they've ridden out many storms before. A lot of people are still in the same homes here that they were born in, or they've lived in for the last several decades, and they are firm believers. According to them, Carol, (INAUDIBLE) that's the safest place they're going to be.

So they want to ride out the storm where they feel safe, and that's under their own roof.

LIN: All right. And you'll be riding it out out there as well. Thanks very much, Kareen.

All right. As of noon today, the folks on Sanibel Island, Florida, were told that they have to evacuate. You know, they endured a hurricane just last year.

CNN's Allan Chernoff reports from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PARROT: Hello.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sanibel resident Dick Munch loves his pets.

PARROT: Hello.

DICK MUNCH, SANIBEL RESIDENT: OK.

PARROT: Hello.

CHERNOFF: All 400 of them, exotic birds and lemurs.

MUNCH: Here, turn around here. You want your back scratched?

CHERNOFF: Even though Hurricane Wilma is forecast to hit Sanibel Island, Munch says he'll stay to care for the animals.

MUNCH: I have to stay. I'm committed to these animals and to these birds.

CHERNOFF: Police have no plans to force residents out, though they issued a mandatory evacuation order for noon Saturday. Officers are going door to door, urging residents to leave.

OFC. JAMES PHILLIPS, SANIBEL POLICE: And we'll make arrangements to help them get off the island if they need, or to shelters, wherever they need to go, doctors' offices. So whatever they need, that's what we're doing for them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). I love it. (INAUDIBLE).

CHERNOFF: Barry and Nancy Gordon spent Saturday morning packing for their trip out.

NANCY GORDON, SANIBEL RESIDENT: I would definitely not want to be a one-story home in a storm surge, because not only does water come in, but a few other things too, like snakes and critter. I'm out of here.

CHERNOFF: Sanibel is a barrier island about a mile into the Gulf of Mexico, so it's particularly vulnerable to storms. Hurricane Charley in August of last year caused widespread damage to homes and businesses, and toppled hundreds of Australian pine trees. These survived, but, as you can see, they remain tilted.

The tourists are virtually all gone, many homes shuttered, and businesses boarded up. As cars leave for the mainland, the few who remain, like Munch, can only hope Hurricane Wilma never makes it to the shore of Sanibel.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, Sanibel Island, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: We are tracking Wilma day and night on cnn.com. Stay up to date on where it's going, and also, check out a huge archive of photos and video reports from recent hurricanes. That's cnn.com/hurricanes.

Now, people in Fort Myers have been sandbagging to save their city. Mayor Jim Humphrey is my guest.

And FEMA was in some deep water after its slow response to Hurricane Katrina. So how prepared, really, are they for Hurricane Wilma?

Also, a mother is behind bars tonight, accused of the unthinkable, murdering her own children. I'm going to talk to the woman's uncle.

Plus this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a good kid. Yes, that's all he was, was a kid. And it's not worth it. It's not worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The harsh reality of life on the front lines, and the homefront. A new television series shows us the heartbreak of war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Your hurricane headquarters is tracking Wilma's every move. And right now, Mexico's Caribbean resort region is bearing the full brunt, from Cozumel to Cancun. Wind speed is down to about 100 miles per hour, making Wilma now a strong Category 2 storm.

Now, as for where it's headed next, well, that's the uncertain part. Consensus among forecasters is definitely Florida, but exactly where and when, we don't know yet. So we're going watch and wait.

Now, a Category 2 hurricane is nothing to trifle with, as hurricane veterans on Florida's Gulf Coast can tell you. By the thousands, they're not waiting around to ride out another one, boarding up and bugging out and heading for higher ground.

Most of the storm-track models now show the city of Fort Myers right in the crosshairs of Hurricane Wilma.

On the telephone right now, the Fort Myers mayor, Jim Humphrey.

Mr. Mayor, how's it going there? Have people decided to evacuate?

MAYOR JIM HUMPHREY, FORT MEYERS, FLORIDA (on phone): Well, yes, they've started. And, of course, we're watching it very intensely, because at our briefing this afternoon at 3:00, Daniel North (ph) from the National Weather Service told us the track of the storm does bring it directly into southwest Florida. In fact, he thinks that the eye is expected to enter Naples, Florida, at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. So that has given us some reason to be concerned. So we are preparing for it.

LIN: Mr. Mayor, what are you worried about the most at this point?

HUMPHREY: Well, of course, life safety is our first order of priority, and then to ensure that the people in the area that faces flood damage will be out of their homes, so that we will not see any loss of life, is, I guess our primary concern. And then after that, the repair and property damages. But life safety and the (INAUDIBLE) be able to put all of our residents in a safe evacuation area is the first order of priority.

LIN: Mayor Humphrey, have you even had a chance, has Fort Myers even had a chance to recover from last year's record hurricane season?

HUMPHREY: No, we have not. That's a good question. In fact, frankly, we have not received all the reimbursement from FEMA. I know they've had a lot on their plate, but we're still recovering. We still have tarps on some of our buildings and are waiting. And, of course, this is even making us more aware of the damage that can be caused, even by a Category 2 storm.

You know, Charley was a Category 2 as it entered, and then became a 4 very quickly. LIN: Well, the director, the acting director of FEMA, tells me that everything Florida needs now is in place, bottled water, food, rescue workers. Do you feel satisfied with the response in your community?

HUMPHREY: Yes, I do. In fact, I will compliment both the state and FEMA, in that they are at the emergency operations center. They are there to provide us, they have notified us of where we can be able to obtain the necessary food, water, and supplies.

Also, we've manned and obtained the necessary supplies at our evacuation centers. So I feel that we are well prepared. As was said earlier in your broadcast, is that Florida, we've gone through this. So we are prepared. We know the importance of -- and the devastation that can be...

LIN: Sure.

HUMPHREY: ...caused by a...

LIN: Sure.

HUMPHREY: ... hurricane like this.

LIN: Mayor Jim Humphrey from Fort Myers. We're going to stay in touch. Please be safe. There's a hurricane headed your way.

HUMPHREY: Well, thanks so much, Carol. And we'll continue to watch. And I ask all the citizens to please stay tuned to the TV to see what happens to this storm.

LIN: All right. Mayor Jim Humphrey.

HUMPHREY: Thank you.

LIN: Now, we here at CNN are looking for citizen journalists. We want you to send your pictures and your video of Hurricane Wilma. All you have to do is log onto cnn.com/hurricane. But, of course, we want you to be safe when you're taking these pictures, so please don't put yourself or anybody else in any danger.

Now, coming up, a different kind of television series, following members of the Arkansas National Guard from their homes to the war in Iraq, and home again. We are on the front lines, next.

Plus, why a Florida commission votes to put a curfew in place before Wilma hits.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: News across America this hour.

Judith Miller and her paper, "The New York Times," word is their relationship is on the rocks. "The Times" supported Miller through her jail term for refusing to out a source, but in today's issue, a columnist slammed Miller, and the paper's brass is reportedly upset that she withheld details from them as well.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talking up the worldwide spread of democracy today. Where? In her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She played host there to her British counterpart, Jack Straw. The two spoke today at the University of Alabama.

And in Taunton, Massachusetts, the new Mill River Dam is ugly and old-school, but it works. The old wooden dam buckled this week, after heavy rains. Work crews overnight dumped boulders and crushed rock downstream, 25 feet thick. It should hold until the original dam is rebuilt.

Well, every week, we like to bring you the more personal stories from the front lines. And today, we're going to be talking about two brothers who are young filmmakers. They decided to do something that apparently hadn't been done before. They followed 3,000 members of the Arkansas National Guard as they headed to Iraq.

But they also did something else. It's all part of an award- winning documentary called "Off to War" that might do more to showcase the sacrifice National Guard families are making. And it's greater than anything you've ever seen before.

Our Kelly Wallace has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "OFF TO WAR")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (on phone): But I didn't realize how hard it was going to be, you being away, and me being here by myself all of the time, either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A couple, struggling with the separation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "OFF TO WAR")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (on phone): Be careful, Matt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on phone): I will, Mom. Quit crying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: A mom worrying about her 19-year-old son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "OFF TO WAR")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE), and I'm sorry for what happened. It's one of the reasons you went back in the military is because of me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And a son, coping with the guilt after his father is severely wounded in the war.

Two brothers from Arkansas decided to follow a National Guard unit from the small town of Clarksville, but they didn't just focus on the soldiers, they also followed their families at the same time, during the 18-month deployment to Iraq.

BRENT RENAUD, CO-DIRECTOR, "OFF TO WAR": Being part-time soldiers, these guys have civilian lives, just like even I do, outside of the military. And we knew it was going to be an incredible ordeal for the families and the soldiers. And so right away, I said, You know, we got to do this, but we got to -- it's got to be about the families too. We got to show their sacrifice and their burden.

WALLACE (on camera): Did you feel that was something that wasn't getting covered, really, in terms of the costs of the war, what the families back here in the United States were going through?

RENAUD: I definitely do. And I think when people see soldiers on television, they basically just see the uniform. They think they're all the same.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "OFF TO WAR")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what it's all about, right there. He was a good kid. And that's all he was, was a kid. And it's not worth it. It's not worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE (voice-over): One of the men profiled, Sergeant First Class David Short, a police officer turned combat platoon leader who lost two of his men within 72 hours of arriving in Iraq. He says that was hardest on his youngest soldiers.

SGT. FIRST CLASS DAVID SHORT, ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD: You will start seeing some changes in some of the younger guys, especially Matt and Tommy, the maturity level that you see at the first part of the show, and as they progress, you start seeing a little more hardened, eyes are more open.

WALLACE: One of the men Short mentioned, Specialist Matt Hurtline (ph), before his deployment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "OFF TO WAR")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it will be fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And during his time in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "OFF TO WAR")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on phone): Just don't watch the news. Well, we're all right, we're all good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (on phone): Everybody sends their love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry it's been so long since I got to call. I'll try to call again within a few days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's all right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE (on camera): Did you ever feel, I don't want to be rolling right now, I don't want to be capturing this moment, I want to step out of the room?

RENAUD: There was never a point where we felt like we shouldn't be rolling, because the most difficult moments, where it's the most uncomfortable, is the times that you really need to get across to the viewer for them really to understand what the families are going through.

WALLACE (voice-over): And what the families could go through again, because although these Arkansas National Guardsmen are home now, they know they could be called up for another mission to Iraq.

RENAUD: Unless you have a loved one that's serving in Iraq, I don't think you really, truly comprehend what all these families are going through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, here at your hurricane headquarters, we are still tracking a killer storm. Hurricane Wilma is wreaking havoc on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula right now. So we we're going to give you the latest on exactly when it's going to reach the U.S. mainland.

Plus, Florida flooding. The outer bands of Wilma are already causing damage to several areas of the state. A live report from the waterlogged area next.

And this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a horrible thing. A horrible thing for the city. And for Benson to kick us when we're down, he must -- he's really a horrible person.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: Residents react to talk that their beloved NFL team may move out permanently.

You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: It is a dicey situation to get a signal out of where the hurricane is hitting right now, but that's what we're going to attempt to do right now with Susan Candiotti. She is reporting by videophone from Cancun.

Susan, it's good to see you well.

CANDIOTTI: Hi, Carol. Yes, not only a videophone, but a satellite phone up to my ear, as well so that I can hear you and you can hear me. Just wanted to tell you that even though Hurricane Wilma may have been downgraded from a Category 4 to a strong Category 2 storm, its powerful effects are still being felt.

Perhaps over my shoulder you can make out the waves that are still pummeling the shoreline, these beautiful white sandy beaches of Cancun. Yesterday, on Friday, you couldn't even see the waves in the strong storm surge because it reminded me of a white-out from a blizzard. Now you can see the waves; still, again, very powerful indeed.

And by daylight, we are being -- getting our very first look at damage to Cancun. We're talking about the luxury hotels that face the Caribbean...

LIN: All right, a tricky situation to get that signal out. We're going try to get Susan Candiotti back whenever we can. Want to ask her about the latest death toll there. Right now we have two people dead in Mexico. Susan Candiotti on the scene where the hurricane is hitting right now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: All right, let's turn now to Naples, Florida, where CNN's Jeanne Meserve has been tracking storm preparations there. She's standing by with an update. Jeanne, the evacuation order in effect?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is in effect. The deadline is tomorrow morning. You know, the images of looting from New Orleans after Katrina are still very fresh. And concerns about property here factored into a decision by county commissioners to impose, for the very first time ever, a curfew before the storm hits in the areas covered by that mandatory evacuation order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have imposed through the county, the board of county commissioners, a directed evacuation out of expected coastal impact areas, the critical areas. And therefore property and some people in those areas would be theoretically exposed to potential to potential crimes of opportunity. So it makes sense this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: The sheriff also hopes that having a curfew will ease some of the burnout for law enforcement.

Now, a lot of people have not left, despite that mandatory evacuation order. Today there were a lot of people still making storm preparations, either tying things down or putting up plywood. Some people went to the beach, some were surfing. We talked to a lot of the people who were still in town.

Many even say they want more information. They still want to know more specifically where Wilma is heading and how strong she's going to be before they make a decision about whether they're going to go and where they're going to go. And then there are others who say we're not going. We've already made our decision. They think the storm is going to be anti-climactic. They're going to stay right where they are, despite the warnings by experts that they should get out of some coastal areas.

Back to you -- Carol.

LIN: Hey, Jeanne, I want to tell you that you were right. You were talking about these folks in Naples not experiencing a hurricane since 1960. It was Hurricane Donna. So you can tell those folks who aren't worried about this one, there was a 10-foot storm surge back then for the folks in Naples.

MESERVE: And you know they're -- and they're worried about the storm surge here this time. That's the thing that most worries them. A lot of the construction here is new. It's been built up to hurricane construction codes. But the surge could come in. This is a pretty low-lying area. Some places will be -- will definitely be affected. I heard one estimate that if the storm surge went as high as 16 feet, that something like 30 percent of the structures in the county would be seriously damaged.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Jeanne Meserve. Live in Naples.

OK, we've been telling you about the outer bands of Hurricane Wilma already affecting some parts of southwest Florida. Tiffani Tucker of CNN affiliate WSVN joins me now from Oakland Park, where there's some flooding there -- Tiffani.

TIFFANI TUCKER, WSVN REPORTER: Well, Carol, more than 15 hours after the rain came down in this community, it is still quite a mess. I want to show you something. You can see where the water is hitting just past my ankle area, but it was right here, near my calf and it's gone down in the past -- about six inches it's gone down now.

Now, some folks are making light of this. Show you this guy right here. He's kayaking, and his home is just a few feet away there. This gentleman is riding his bike while crews are working on the situation. Look right here. This blue pump is about four inches thick. They have about three of these pumps. They're trying to get all this water out before Wilma comes in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER (voice-over): Pumping out a problem that has some Oakland Park residents fed up. Flooding causing headaches and getting city crews out to deal with the dilemma they say is caused by high tide, too much for storm drains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it came in pretty fast and this is actually a low-lying area. And this happens quite frequently here. Like you said, we're waiting for the storm to come.

TUCKER: The sign says it all. Residents waking up Saturday morning to this, flooded streets, several inches of water in the way, drivers trying to maneuver through it, people trying to walk in it. This man's mirror business? A mess.

B.J. CARRINGTON, OAKLAND PARK RESIDENT: I came in and sure enough, my whole business is flooded. I got about six, eight inches of standing water and had to go rent pumps. And we're working on draining the lot into the street.

TUCKER: Seven (INAUDIBLE) over the Oakland Park Area, where street after street is flooded. Kids finding some time to take it all in.

Oakland Park residents trying to get a handle on their water woes. The city public works department handing out sandbags.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE; The water was in the door. It was in the door. It was pretty bad. So I needed to come out and get some sandbags.

TUCKER: And with Wilma expected to be on the way, the rush to clean up is on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all we can do is try to get rid of as much as we can before more comes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER: All right, back out live there, you see people still trying to maneuver their way down this road. We should tell you that they have opened up several shelters in this community because they expect the storm to get nasty.

Carol, back to you.

LIN: Tiffani, some great pictures. Thank you very much.

All right, Hurricane Wilma appeared just as things were starting to calm down at the FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

CNN's Gary Nurenberg reports the agency is once again ramping up its efforts to assist storm victims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The conference call with HHS...

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At FEMA headquarters in Washington, the battle-scarred veterans of a vicious hurricane season say they've learned from past mistakes and are ready for Wilma.

DAVID PAULISON, ACTING FEMA DIRECTOR: The federal government's Department of Homeland Security is ready to respond to disasters. We do have our act together, and we're ready to move.

NURENBERG: FEMA has prepositioned 30 truckloads of food, water and ice at two military bases in Florida, has search and rescue and emergency medical teams in place, and has satellite phones standing by to keep in touch with local officials.

PAULISON: I think what worries me most is people not paying attention to what's going on around them. We talked about evacuations. They need to move out quickly. But those who will not evacuate need to make sure that they have a three-day supply of food and water. They need to have medicines. The pharmacies are still open. Make sure their car's full of fuel. Make sure they have flashlights and batteries.

NURENBERG: Some Florida residents are coming to Washington to avoid the storm. Rosa Porteau (ph) landed at Reagan National Airport with dog Romeo Saturday afternoon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had a really bad feeling in my gut. Just listening to my gut. Last time, we were without power for four days, and we didn't want to go through that again.

NURENBERG: St. Petersburg residents Erik and Eileen Raichle now use hurricanes as an excuse for a vacation.

ERIK RAICHLE, FLORIDA EVACUEE: Yes. It's about time we go. Where are we going to go? Well, we haven't been to Las Vegas yet have, we? No, we haven't been to Las -- have we been to California? We'll go California.

NURENBERG: This weekend, Wilma spurred their first visit to Washington, but thoughts of home travel with them.

EILEEN RAICHLE, FLORIDA EVACUEE: You know what you think about? Getting information on the hurricane proof-house. And that's what we keep talking about.

NURENBERG: Eric and Eileen are hoping for the best over the next several days, and in a larger sense, so is FEMA. This is a dangerous storm, Paulison said. Said his agency is going to act like it is.

Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Outside of the hurricane, another story that is the talk tonight. A mother is in jail tonight, accused of drowning her own children. How could someone do something like this? I'm going talk with the woman's uncle as everyone searches for answers in this tragic case.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We are "ON THE STORY HERE" at the George Washington University in the nation's capital.

Nic Robertson is on the story in Baghdad. What did Iraqis tell him about the first day of the Saddam Hussein trial? Kathleen Koch talks about what may be in store for victims of Hurricane Wilma and what lessons FEMA has learned. Dana Bash talks about the impact of the CIA leak investigation on the Bush administration.

All coming up, all "ON THE STORY."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: A California mother is being held without bail after being accused of tossing her three young children to their certain deaths in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay. Lashaun Harris pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges. Relatives say she has a history of mental problems.

Rusty Dornin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a warm autumn afternoon when witnesses say these three children were taken by a woman to the end of Pier 7. The pier juts 700 feet out into the bay, a popular spot for tourists and fishermen.

Then...

CHIEF HEATHER FONG, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE: We received a 911 call at our emergency dispatch center from a citizen reporting that he had observed a woman putting two children into the water.

DORNIN: It was allegedly not two, but three children. Police say they found 23-year-old Lashaun Harris pushing an empty stroller down the pier. She was arrested and charged with the murder of her three children. Her family says she's had mental health problems, including schizophrenia.

ASIA POWELL, SUSPECT'S COUSIN: She was on medication, but they took her off the medication.

DORNIN: Four hours later, the first body was discovered, 2 1/2- year-old Toronta (ph), more than two miles from Pier 7, heading toward the Golden Gate bridge.

The city launched an all-out effort to find the bodies of the two other children, 16-month-old Joshua (ph) and 6-year-old Treshaun (ph).

The water here is 55 degrees. No one can survive long.

MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D), SAN FRANCISCO: All of us are somewhat in shock. These are senseless and inexplicable things that are beyond the pale of imagination.

DORNIN: Former neighbor Angelica Williams says police often came to the house to break up fights, and last year, she says Harris began behaving strangely.

ANGELA WILLIAMS, SUSPECT'S FORMER NEIGHBOR: Paranoid all the time. She would be up in the house, looking out the windows.

DORNIN (on camera): Police told the local newspaper reporter that the woman says she was hearing voices that told her to throw her children into the bay. City officials are so concerned how this story will impact young children, they're offering mental health services to anyone who needs them.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we are told Lashaun Harris is being held in a hospital safety cell under a suicide watch. She kept her head down during a brief arraignment yesterday. The question in everyone's mind is what would cause a mother to do such a thing?

So joining me for some possible answers is Avery Garrett. He is Lashaun Harris' uncle.

Mr. Garrett, first, let me offer you my deepest condolences. I know this is such a loss for your family. Your wife actually spoke with Lashaun. What did she have to say about what happened?

AVERY GARRETT, UNCLE OF LASHAUN HARRIS: Well, Carol, I want to clarify first of all that it wasn't not my wife. It was another family member that had spoken with Lashaun before the incident.

Lashaun was a very, very quiet person and I know that she's a mother that loved her children very much. None of us, the family, none of us foresee -- foreseen an incident like this coming.

LIN: Well, why do you think she did it? What has she said about what happened?

GARRETT: Well, from what I understand, the day of the incident, that Lashaun had made some comments that she was going to take the kids out to the water. But I also -- we also know that Lashaun had a mental illness . And there's been times -- you know, when people actually say that they're going to do things, you know, you don't particularly know whether or not it's going happen. We do know that Shaun suffered from schizophrenia.

LIN: So, Mr. Garrett, what was she doing with custody of these children?

GARRETT: Well, you know, Carol, that's an answer that I really can't answer because I don't know. That is the medical...

LIN: Could you have intervened, though? Or this large extended family, couldn't anyone have intervened? There are others in her family who say she went off her medications. These children were in danger. Was there something you could have done?

GARRETT: Well, from what I understand, there's been numerous attempts for Lashaun -- to get Lashaun help. From what I understand, there's been talk that she could not be admitted into a psychiatric facility without admitting herself. I also have the same questions, you know? It's why was she still allowed custody after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, with not being on her medication, possibly being diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar. You know, and this is...

LIN: So why couldn't anybody from the family have taken custody of the children until this woman got help?

GARRETT: Well, as far as I know, Carol, you just can't go in and take somebody's children. There has to really be a situation to where, you know, the children can be taken from the parents. You know, this has to be a diagnosis of a psychologist or psychiatrist.

LIN: Is it true that the grandmother was trying to -- was suing for custody of these kids?

GARRETT: Yes. Yes. That is definitely true. She has made numerous attempts to get Lashaun help. But because the kids were not in immediate danger, there was nothing that could be done.

LIN: Avery Garrett, I know this has to be troubling times for your family. It's such a shocking, shocking and sad story.

GARRETT: Yes, it is.

LIN: We'll be following the case -- Lashaun's case, very closely. Thanks for your time tonight.

GARRETT: Thank you very much.

LIN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: A lot of people in New Orleans are seething over reports that the owner of the New Orleans Saints might move the team to San Antonio. He owner, Tom Benson, says he won't make a final decision until the season's over. But as Ed Lavandera reports, that's not stopping the hard feelings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tom Benson owns the New Orleans Saints football team but these days a lot of people here think he's a lot closer to the Devil. LEE ZURIK, NEW ORLEANS SPORTSCASTER: If you would go in the history of the state right now, he would rank number one on the list of most despised by Louisianians, no doubt, no doubts.

LAVANDERA: Benson wants to move the Saints from New Orleans to San Antonio. Lee Zurik is a lifelong Saints fan, now he covers the team for his hometown television station WWL. He says you have to live in New Orleans to understand why so many people cherish the Saints even if the team is usually pretty mediocre.

ZURIK: They are not only a big part economically, but just as far as to people's hearts and they love the saints and it would be like losing a family member to a lot of people.

LAVANDERA: For a city already worried about how it's cultural landscape will change after Hurricane Katrina, that kind of news is just depressing for fans like street musician Nick Molina.

NICK MOLINA, MUSICIAN: It's a horrible thing, a horrible thing for the city. And for Benson to kick us when we're down, he's really a horrible person, probably.

LAVANDERA: Refrigerators on the streets have become billboards for people's anger. They say "mail your maggots to Texas," and don't open because Tom Benson is inside. Even politicians are less than diplomatic in their disgust for the Saints owner.

MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: And I will tell you this, and this is probably going to be very controversial but I'm going to say it anyway. We want our Saints. We may not want the owner back.

LAVANDERA (on camera): If the Saints football team and the city of New Orleans do divorce, the fight will be over this: the team name and the team logo, two things that have come not only to symbolize a football team but an entire city.

(voice-over): Saints officials say they have made no decisions about the team's future. Fans say that this is crunch time when Benson's loyalty and friendship to this city will be truly tested.

MOLINA: If he loves this city, he'll stay in New Orleans. If he loves money he'll leave. I guess he loves money more than he loves this city, and he has plenty of that.

LAVANDERA: Nick Molina is back on Bourbon Street, but all he wants is a chance to strum the favorite tune on the day his favorite team comes back home, even if they are lovable losers.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Not bad.

That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next at 7:00 Eastern, "ON THE STORY." And then at 8:00 Eastern, "CNN PRESENTS," "Monster: Tracking the Storm." A closer look inside the hurricane center as the severe storm approaches. And at 9:00 "LARRY KING" and Larry's guest tonight, singer Ashlee Simpson on her rise to fame and staying out of her famous sister's shadow.

And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern with the latest on Hurricane Wilma. A check of the hour's headlines and then "ON THE STORY."

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