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CNN Live Saturday
Baby Noor's Journey; Bad Weather in the West; Sacramento's Problem
Aired December 31, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fireman, see, he's look right up the trees, so as we get a little closer to the brush, he can kick off, Brian (ph) is now moving the helicopter over towards the bank.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Remarkable life saving rescues in California. Floods, mud slides and heavy rains making a huge mess in the West. We'll bring you the latest.
Hello, and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Severe flooding is prove dangerous in Northern California and it is expected to only get worse. Swelling rivers and mud slides have forced many to flee. Others have been trapped. In one dramatic rescue a swift water team was called into help a woman trapped in her car that had been flooded out in Marin County. After being trapped for 90 minutes the woman was pulled out of her sun roof.
She was treated for exposure but is thought to be OK. The storm is hitting people who live along the Napa River -- Russian Rivers in the Napa and Sonoma County areas to spend New Year's Eve looking for shelter. Police are urging them to evacuate as the powerful storm dumped more rain on the soaked region. Forecasters warned residents may experience the worst flooding in years. It's already the case in Reno, Nevada, in fact.
The water is already rushing through parts of Napa County. David Stevenson from affiliate KTVU is there. What is the situation right now, David?
DAVID STEVENSON, KTVU CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the water is rushing through downtown Napa. Take a look behind me, can you see a movie theater which has been just swamped by the floodwaters, debris is flowing by, lots of trash, a lot of dangerous items bobbing in the water here, despite the fact it looks pretty bad it was actually worse earlier in the day. Flood stage is 25 feet. At one point it hit 30 feet. That's still shy of the 32 foot record back in 1986 but Office of Emergency Management officials here weren't taking chances, they evacuated 400 families from their homes along the river last night and earlier this morning.
A lot of the families were put into church shelters and high school shelters. A couple of the shelters lost power. Those folks, many decided to leave and find shelter in the morning. High tide is expected to hit at about 1:15 today. Although emergency management officials say the worst may be over, they hope to turn a corner on this so far. Although more rain is scheduled for the area so far. A number of the residents I spoke to said this is bad but it is not as bad as they remember from previous years, a lot are waiting to check out the damage, once they can get back into the downtown Napa area.
WHITFIELD: Well, that's potentially good news not as bad as they've seen before. But meantime, because this is mixed with urban so to speak and the smaller towns living and rural living, it means getting the word out or rescuing people in all these areas can be particularly challenging. Have any of the officials there given you an idea how they are prepared to handle that?
STEVENSON: Well, they've sent out boats to rescue a number of people from homes along the river. A number of people were evacuated from a small living community along further down the river they are now being bused into shelters in the Napa County area.
Just earlier we saw a camera crew on the truck trying to get pictures. The Sheriff's Department had to be called into help those folks off the truck and get them out of the floodwater area. Again, the waters are receding here, Fredricka, but they are trying to keep people away from the water as well, too. It is still a strong current, and you don't know what is flowing underneath here.
It's going to be a while before they can get in, assess the damage and begin cleanup here. They had begun work on a flood control project in the wake of the 1986 heavy flooding. Office of Emergency Management officials, that is, told me that that project is three- quarters of the way through, and things could have been a lot worse in Napa County though it looks pretty bad right now.
WHITFIELD: Wow. It really does and even though you say in some parts the water is receding. Just looking at how swiftly the water is moving and that is quite remarkable. All right. David Stevenson, thanks so much.
Well, it's bad and it could potential get worse in some areas let's check in with Monica McNeal in the weather center.
MONICA MCNEAL, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I, tell you what after looking at the pictures and he says the water is already starting to recede, I didn't want to see the water at its highest point.
WHITFIELD: No kidding.
MCNEAL: Yeah. We're still talking about the very, very heavy rainfall. This is all associated with low pressure, a very deep system that is really just pounding mostly parts of California. Around the Eureka area, certainly a tremendous amount of rainfall within the past 18 hours. Eureka has gotten 16.5 inches of rainfall, in that general area.
So all of the heavy rainfall continues to push its way toward the east. But the problem is you're dealing with rock slides, you're dealing with mud slides. There are reports of rock and mud slides in parts of Reno as well as snow cover. So there's a potpourri of weather conditions across parts of Reno, Nevada at this point.
As we transition down a little bit farther to the south, can you see across parts of San Francisco, you're getting a brief break from the rainfall right around the Napa area where we saw the live picture, no more rain right now, but the heavy, heavy rain is still on the ground and continues to rush through the neighborhoods and streets.
Santa Rosa, you're dealing with quiet weather at this point, and as we move farther to the south, can you see Los Angeles, you are under the gun, Santa Monica, you are under the gun. The brunt of the storm is starting to sag to the south. That's why a lot of the heavier rainfall is now just about to enter into parts of Los Angeles. You can see anywhere from one to two inches of rainfall.
Here's the big picture to show you basically what's going on. Here's the first storm system, and there is a lot of instability associated with the storm as well as vertical sheer, that means the winds are turning at different directions in the upper levels of the atmosphere, so when you have those combination, that does introduce the chance for severe weather for parts of the Sierra Nevada today.
So we have this one storm system, and then we've got another storm system that's out into the Pacific Ocean at this point. And this storm will eventually make its way on land late tonight going into tomorrow, so that's going to give you that one, two punch in terms of the rainfall.
Here's a look at what Los Angeles will be dealing with over the next couple of days. High today will reach 63 degrees with lots of rainfall. And then you're looking at more rain on Sunday, and then by Monday, a chance of rain again. It's been about 50 years since the Rose Parade has gotten rained out. Let's keep our fingers crossed it doesn't happen. But looks like there could be rain for that parade. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: What a way to begin the new year.
MCNEAL: I know. What a bummer!
WHITFIELD: No kidding. Thanks a lot, Monica.
Turning to saving Baby Noor. The Iraqi infant with a severe birth defect has arrived in the U.S., she is now thousand of miles away from home but closer than ever to potentially life saving treatment thanks to U.S. troops. CNN's Christopher King is at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. So she is on the ground and she is now in the hands, perhaps, or has met up with the host family in Atlanta?
CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. She arrived just a little while ago. She flew in from Frankfurt to Atlanta. She'll come out through these doors over here at the airport. She'll be accompanied by her grandmother and her father.
Now, she's here in the U.S. for potentially life saving operations. Baby Noor has spina bifida, a life-threatening birth defect in which the spinal cord fails to close completely. Doctors in Iraq had given Noor only about 45 dies live. She's now about three months old, and doctors over here at Children Healthcare of Atlanta say they can help her, they give her a good chance of survival.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROGER HUDGINS, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA: My hope is that this child will number one be intellectually and cognitively normal. I think that almost certainly there will be catch-up that has take place, once we get through just the first medical part of this. But our goal, as Rose Emily (ph) said is not just to close the back and not just to put in a shunt and do this that and other, but to care for the child in totality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, you're looking at an ambulance waiting for Baby Noor to take her to the hospital. Doctors want to evaluate her to determine exactly what she needs and where weather they can do the surgery. Now, the operation is tentatively scheduled for January 9th but, of course, that could change. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: And when we listened to the doctor earlier while he said he is very hopeful. This is something, this kind of procedure when it is determined in an infant that perhaps they may have spina bifida, that there may be surgery that can take place before delivery, but in the case of this baby, three months old, he did say and he did outline the potential risks involved and why this is really such a delicate procedure.
KING: Yeah. The baby still is not out of woods, the baby could suffer from paralysis, learning disabilities, bladder defects. But they're hoping for the best. They're hoping they can of course do the best they possibly can for this baby and give her a good chance of living a relatively normal life.
WHITFIELD: All fingers are crossed for Baby Noor, and hopefully it all works out fine. We'll be looking forward to the surgery scheduled for early January. Thanks a lot, Christopher.
Well, revelers are ushering in New Year's overseas already.
A display of fireworks lit up the skies over Sydney, Australia at the stroke of midnight. Tens of thousands of people partied it up at Sydney's famous harbor amid some very tight security, however. 2005 has come and gone in Hong Kong as well. Revelers packed the streets for massive light and sound show near the same (ph) Victoria harbor. Fireworks were set off from atop 20 buildings.
Well, the New Year has arrived in Moscow as well. And as you can see, thousands of partygoers braved the always frigid weather, at least this time of year, to celebrate in Moscow's brightly decorated Red Square.
Pope Benedict XVI delivered his first end of the year message at Vatican today. The pope remembered his predecessor, Pope John Paul II and he stressed the importance of marriage between man and woman while condemning same-sex unions. His remarks came during the traditional vesper's service on New Year's Eve.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Jason Carroll, live in New York City where New Year's Eve preparations are well underway. I'll have all the chilly details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: And what a way to end and begin a New Year. You're looking at live pictures right now. The crush of photographers and reporters as Baby Noor all the way from Iraq. A three-month-old with spina bifida made her way from Iraq, thanks to the U.S. military as well as citizens as well as civilians in the U.S. arriving into the ambulance being carried off to Children's Healthcare.
She will be with a host family in the states here, helping to take care of her, as she awaits her potentially life saving surgery, which is now scheduled for January 9th.
And now it is time to bid farewell to 2005 with less than 8 hours left until the new year. Police in New York now have sealed Times Square for tonight's big new year's bash. CNN's Jason Carroll is standing by live in New York where the excitement is building. We can tell with the great smile on your face.
CARROLL: Right, the excitement is building! And the snow is coming. It's really sort of coming down right now. And we're also just about two hours away from when that big ball is going to be raised into position. Obviously, we know it's going to happen when the ball is dropped at the magic hour, New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg will do the honors.
In terms of some of the things happening in Times Square. You are going to have Mary J. Blige giving a performance, you're going to have Mariah Carey out there. There's going to be confetti, there's going to be fireworks, but there's also going to be a lot of rain and maybe some snow. I was complaining about it but I have three of my best new friends here, and they've got the right attitude, because instead of complaining about it, they were trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.
I've got Erica (ph), Allison (ph) and Hanna (ph). They come to us from southern Maryland, and look and them. Look at this, Fredricka. They are ready to go, they have the 2006 glasses on.
WHITFIELD: That's so cute! I want a pair.
CARROLL: Where did you get your glasses?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our parents bought them for us.
CARROLL: Very nice. This is your first time in New York, right, girls?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. CARROLL: What are you looking forward to seeing out here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looking forward to have fun and go shopping.
CARROLL: I'm sure you did a lot of that already. What about tonight in Times Square. What are you looking forward to? Any of the singing, just the ball dropping?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Having a lot of fun and spending time with friends.
CARROLL: Spending time with friends. That's actually one of the most important things to do. Hanna what about you, sweetie? What are you looking forward to seeing tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually I think it's going to be like really fun because this is my first time in New York, so I don't know, yet.
CARROLL: Right, you'll have to wait and see when the magic hour comes. What do you think of the city? This is your first time to the city coming from southern Maryland, what are your impressions? Is it what you expected?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's nice.
CARROLL: It's nice?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
CARROLL: Live TV is hard, isn't it?
WHITFIELD: A little overwhelming.
CARROLL: Her mom is laughing off camera. They're actually really great. They're really troopers, too, for coming out here. Look at this weather, but look at them, they're dressed, they're ready to go, anything else you want to say about New York City for us?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really big, and it's actually what I expected.
CARROLL: Me too, when I got here I thought it was big and kind of what I expected as well.
WHITFIELD: Jason, I'm sorry, I have a question for my fellow Marylanders there.
CARROLL: OK.
WHITFIELD: I'm wondering with all the live artists that are going to be on stage there, if they have any favorites, who do they look forward to hearing?
CARROLL: This is Fredricka, she also is from Maryland as well, and she was wondering if there's any of the singers out there that you're looking forward to singing. I know they like Ciara but Ciara's not going to be here tonight. What about Mariah, Mary J., anyone you're look forward to hearing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mariah.
CARROLL: Mariah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mariah.
CARROLL: Mariah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mariah.
WHITFIELD: OK.
CARROLL: There you go.
WHITFIELD: There's the consensus.
CARROLL: Well, Fredricka, it's all about Mariah on New Year's Eve tonight. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jason. I know it's going to be a lot of fun. And the girls will have a grand time.
Well, wherever you are tonight we're counting on having you with us. Anderson Cooper will host CNN's New Year's Eve coverage live from Times Square, beginning at 11:00 p.m. Eastern. Join us for that. And here's something new, we're inviting one and all to show us how you're celebrating New Year's Eve. You can email your images to newyears@cnn.com. Send videos, stills, whichever you like. For all the details, please visit cnn.com/newyears. We look forward to that.
Well, it's a harried world, all right it. May surprise some that the earth is slowing down, it doesn't spin as fast as it used to. That's why the year that is ending will also get a last second tweak. Chad Myers explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (video clip): At exactly 11:59:59. Universal Time on New Year's Eve the world will hold its breath an extra second before bringing in the New Year. This will be the first time a leap second has been added to the clock since 1998. International Coordinated Universal Time must be adjusted again to match the rising and setting of the sun. The clock gets out of sync because the earth is moving slower than it used to, and solar days are just a fraction of a second longer than 24 hours. Universal Time is kept by extremely precise atomic clock, which measured time using the frequency of atoms.
When the precise clock time gets ahead of the time measured by the solar day, by international agreement a leap second is added. Leap seconds have reportedly caused a few technological bugs in the past. That's why some people favor abandoning the sun's time altogether and just allowing the atomic clock to march on.
But for this year, at least, the atomic clock will have to stop for one second one more time and wait for the earth to catch up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, President Bush will be ringing in the New Year at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and we're there as well! Does Mr. Bush have any New Year's resolutions he wants to share? That's coming up.
And later, chances are you donated to a charity this year, but did it go those in need? CNN LIVE SATURDAY will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Well, all the way from Iraq a three-month-old baby with a birth defect, spina bifida, has now made it to the States along with her father and grandmother, and they're all here because of some very generous doctors in the Atlanta area who are promising to carry out potentially life saving surgery.
Our Christopher King has been in Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Airport, where the little girl and her family arrived. And we saw the crush of reporters earlier as the baby was whisked into the ambulance. Set the scene for us.
CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, Baby Noor arrived just a little while ago. There was a crush of reporters out here, as you said, of course. There is an ambulance waiting to take her to the hospital, that's Children's Healthcare in Atlanta.
Now, joining me right now is Debbie Stone, the person who's a friend of one of the soldiers who helped to get Baby Noor over here. Now, Debbie, tell us about how you got involved in all this and how you got Baby Noor over here?
DEBBIE STONE, CHURCHGOER: Lieutenant Morgan is a good friend of mine, he emailed me in the middle of December to let me know about Baby Noor and asked me to see what I could do to help to arrange some services of course, for free, because the family doesn't have any money, and to bring her over.
From that point, I just started making connections with people they knew in the medical industry. Many friends from our church who it connections in different places, and just one by one ordered our steps and we made it happen. And there were so many people who were a part of that, and we're so thankful.
KING: Debbie, this has to be a nerve wracking thing for the parents and grandparents. The baby, of course, has spina bifida. A potential life-threatening disease. They're coming here to a new country, they're coming from a war torn country right now. What are you doing right now to make this family as comfortable as possible? STONE: Well, we've done many things. We have a wonderful host home through Child Spring International (ph) and they'll be staying with them. Of course, the doctors are check out Baby Noor, in the next day or two, to make sure everything is okay, in the media, and what their plan will be for her medically in the future.
And our church in Lifeover (ph), we have tried to use some of the funds that we have to buy many things that you would normally need for a child. Of course, we had to have a car seat, and all of the things that you don't think about until it's like, my gosh, we have to have them! But we've done everything, and it's only the beginning, there is so many more things I'm sure that we'll have to do as time goes on.
KING: Of course, the baby's grandmother and father are here. But the mother is back in Iraq. If you had anything to tell the mother, what would you tell her?
STONE: Gosh. Just thank you for the opportunity to be able to allow us to help them, to be able to save our child, and just the promise that she is going to be OK, she's in wonderful hands, and we look forward to getting her healthy and happy being and able to send her back with her husband and her mother-in-law.
KING: Debbie Stone, thank you very much for joining us. Now of course, from here, Baby Noor goes over to Children's Healthcare in Atlanta. That's where doctors will evaluate her and where they'll do surgery, surgery right now is scheduled tentatively for January 9th. But of course, that could all change.
Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be looking for information on her update. Thanks so much, Christopher.
Well, out west in California, Northern California, in particular, they're dealing with rain which is bringing floodwaters and even mudslides. In Marin County rain and flooding has a big problem. Kim McNicholas in Petaluma, California, with KSTV. Kim, how bad is it?
KIM MCNICHOLAS, KSTV CORRESPONDENT (on phone): It is really bad. I am standing in four feet of water in the main street through downtown Petaluma where earlier this morning, some of the folks that are staying out here right now had search and rescue in boats going up along Petaluma Boulevard north, rescuing people out of their homes, out of their businesses and no one's been allowed back in at this point.
But I'm talking to Mayor David Glass of Petaluma this morning and he was saying that they've declared state of emergency out here. Already this morning he's been up all night trying to help with evacuations and set up an evacuation center nearby.
They had three mobile home parks on one side of the freeway, one on the other. So four total evacuated this morning after being flooded out overnight, and they actually had fire crews in the mobile home parks, physically taking people from their homes and they lifted them up in the air as they were walking them over and putting them in buses and bringing them into the evacuation centers.
So it's a very serious situation right now. David Glass, the mayor, has said he is going to be asking FEMA for help. That's how bad it is.
WHITFIELD: Wow. It is serious indeed. We're talking to various county and emergency services, people who said they did, to some degree, expect, problems like this as early as this morning when they realized the water, the rain, just kept coming, and that there was great potential for flash flooding and rivers overflowing their embankments. So is there a feeling that those measurements had been taken to the fullest capacity to try to get to the hardest to reach people?
MCNICHOLAS: Here's what's interesting. Petaluma just spent $11 million on a flood control project. They're almost finished. I was talking to the Department of Water Conservation here as well as the fire chief here in Petaluma yesterday. Neither one of them expected it to fly. They had one more thing they had to do in their flood control project and they said that shouldn't have any impact on the situation.
The believed that it wasn't going to flood here at all and they ...
WHITFIELD: Kim McNicholas, thank you so much, we're going have to break away and continue our coverage on the flooding in Northern California.
Meantime, here's some new video we're just getting in of Baby Noor as Baby Noor made her way through the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, right there you're looking at her along with the -- might be the grandmother holding the baby, along with the father who is also with Baby Noor, all making the journey, thanks to the U.S. military, from Iraq, and now to Atlanta, and now the baby, as we heard from Christopher, our reporter, Christopher King, the baby is going to go to the Children's Medical Center where, she will get some initial treatment, and then onto be with the host family here in the Atlanta area before her scheduled surgery for January 9th.
That's the latest on Baby Noor. And we're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back to more of CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Want to continue to update you on the rain, the flooding, and now even mud slides in many parts of California, Northern California, from Marin County, to Sonoma County, Napa County, you name it.
On the telephone with us out of Sonoma County, the emergency services, Janice Atkinson. Janice, you were with us a bit earlier, you talked about your greatest concern being the lower Russian River area, and how it was the hope to get most people evacuated from that area, because the water just may continue to flood over the banks. What's the situation now? JANICE ATKINSON, SONOMA COUNTY EMERCENGY SERVICES (via telephone): Well, we are still encouraging, strongly encouraging people in that lower Russian River area to evacuate as soon as possible. The river is not expected to crest until very late tonight. And once night fall hits, it will be impossible to get folks out.
So, people should be going on now to Guerneville Veterans Memorial Building. We have high water vehicles to transport residents from there over to the shelter in Sebastapol.
But people can no longer drive in or out of the area, even our buses were not able to get into the area. It's just imperative that we get people out now before it gets dark.
WHITFIELD: And earlier when we talked with a county operational center, PIO -- public information officer, he talked about the need for evacuations taking place before night fall, after that, it would just be too dangerous, too difficult for your emergency services department to try to get anybody if they needed help, once night fall were to come around.
ATKINSON: Well, we don't want to see anyone put in danger, whether it's the residents of the area or our own emergency personnel. And so it would just behoove everyone in the area to pack up a few things, leave now. They can come back when the water comes back down. But there really is no sense of staying through the night. The water is supposed to get very high. It's a very dangerous situation. And we really want people to be safe.
WHITFIELD: And how much water are we talking about that would create such a dangerous situation for the residents and particularly the lowest lying areas there?
ATKINSON: Well, the river is anticipated to crest at almost 46 feet tonight in Guerneville. Now, flood stage is at 32 feet. So that's a good 16 feet or 14 feet over flood stage. We have so much water coming down the river.
It's somewhat deceptive, the weather's cleared up a little bit right now. People see the break in the weather, but we have so much water yet to come down the river, it is going to crest very high, very late tonight.
WHITFIELD: And is it true that according to your weather experts there as well as ours here, that in addition to much of the rain that has fallen since yesterday, but a lot of melting snow coming down from the hillside or nearby mountains is also helping to exacerbate the situation?
ATKINSON: Well, I know that's true throughout other areas of California. We're really a ways from the snow. So we're not seeing snow runoff here. But definitely, the water is just so high everywhere, the ground is saturated. There is nowhere for it to go. We've had a lot of flooding of local creeks and streams and roads out. We have more roads out in the county than we have open.
So, you know, it's important for us to get our folks out of river area.
For folks who are not affected, who do not live in the lower river area, we're really advising that people stay home and stay off the roads. It is just very dangerous to be out today.
WHITFIELD: All right. Good advice. Janice Atkinson of Sonoma County Emergency Services. Thank you so much.
Well, another area of concern, the neighbor of Sonoma County, Napa County, the heart of California's wine growing country. CNN's Kareen Wynter is there. And Kareen how different is the scenario there versus in Sonoma?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's still quite dire, Fredricka. I know you got an update, upbeat assessment at the top of the hour. But we were told just within the last 20 minutes that the floodwaters had risen about six inches. And the scene behind really tells it all.
This is actually a main drag here in the city leading into a bridge. Well, that's completely off limits. And just a few minutes ago, we actually saw people in the background trying to maneuver, trying to get around in a boat.
Part of the problem is, according to the city, is that the water is coming from upstream and it's coming down stream. And so the water recedes down a bit while back to square one, because it's just bringing more and more water in this area.
I also want to show you the scene to my right. This is someone's backyard. You can see how much it's flooded here. The current is still quite strong, there's debris floating in the water. And so a lot of people in this area, they have already evacuated. But off into the distance, you may not be able to see, people are still walking around. One man is actually wading through the water here. And this has officials very much concerned.
Just to give you an idea also, Fredricka, of the mood here. There are 1,000 homes affected, about 4,000 families displaced. The city says about 30 -- about 100 people have taken advantage of the two shelters set up. But take a look over there. There are people actually standing on this bridge, a lot of them with cameras. There's one man with a guitar taking in the sights here. And we're going to bring in the mayor of Napa, Jill Techel to put bring this in context. This has to be of some concern for you?
MAYOR JILL TECHEL, NAPA, CALIFORNIA: It's of great concern. And obviously, the emergency crews have been out all night, are still out. There's still a lot of people that may have to be evacuated. So, we're trying to make sure we get that done for the safety of the residents of Napa.
We just as soon that people did not come downtown. As you can see from some of the areas around us, this water is really rushing really, really, really fast, and it's still very, very dangerous down here. And as we still, we anticipate the crest to happen in another two hours. So we expect this river, this area here to rise again.
So, right now, we're in an emergency area. And we're trying to be sure that we get help to service those people who have to have it. I was just talking to Glen Perry of Vintage Bank. His bank is right down there. You can see it. And he is trying to get there to assess his business. There are people that have a lot at stake here. And need to be sure that they can get in to do that.
WYNTER: Mayor, what's the immediate plan. You had some warning this was coming. There are a lot of people out now. In a couple hours, the situation out here may be completely different. How are you going to keep that under control and get these people out of here?
TECHEL: Well, we have a pretty good emergency response team. And we've got an emergency response center where we go to and they triage. We come back every two hours to say what's happening, what are the changes, where do we need to send to people to be sure that we have people where they need to go?
We were just saying -- we're in the middle of a flood control project. We haven't gotten to this part of the river yet. There is a wet/dry bypass that would come through. And if that was completed now, you would not be seeing the water in the street overflowing its banks.
We have had contact from Congressman Thompson's office and Feinstein's office, Senator Feinstein's office. They're aware of the problems here. So we're feeling at least like we are getting some watch from people in Washington.
WYNTER: Mayor Techel, thank you so much for your time. I also had a chance to speak with the mayor, Fredricka, just about some of the rescues taking place, not only in this immediate area, but also to the west of where we are in Marin County.
Early this morning, the dramatic rescue involving an elderly woman. She was trapped in her car for about an hour-and-a-half and had to be airlifted through her sun roof. So, while not many of those have been taking place where we are, there have been -- there's been a lot of effort to try to get those who are stranded in their homes by boat. Some people are trying to wade through in their vehicles and getting stuck that way, that will be something we'll keep our eye on as the day progresses. Many people aren't going anywhere, any time soon.
WHITFIELD: We will be watching. Kareen Wynter, thank you so much from Napa County.
Looking forward and looking back. President Bush is doing both today as the year comes to a close, he's spend the holiday at his Texas ranch. That's where we find Suzanne Malveaux as well. Happy New Year to you.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Happy New Year to you, Fred. Of course, by many standards, it was a very tough year for President Bush. But as you mentioned, he is looking forward. In his message to the American people today, he thanked those for opening their hearts and homes to Katrina victims, he recognized U.S. soldiers around the world and also of course pledged the U.S. mission in Iraq, that being the profound movement that is going to shape his legacy.
In his weekly radio address, the president talking about a pledge to make America prosperous and also to focus on that U.S. mission.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States has a vital interest in the success of a free Iraq, so in the year ahead, we will continue to pursue the comprehensive strategy for victory that I have discussed with you in recent weeks. This strategy has security, political and economic elements.
MALVEAUX: And of course, Fred, immediately what the president is going to do, the administration, in turning the corner, is go for some modest legislative victories, as well as get the Samuel Alito nomination through and get to the other side of those congressional hearings on the domestic spy tapping program.
As for the president's day, we did not see him today. It's going to be a very quiet day for the president, who is with his wife as well as his mother-in-law at the Crawford ranch. Let me tell you what they're having for dinner: it's steaks, tamales, cheese grits, grilled vegetables and some chocolate cake for dessert.
Here's his New Year's resolution -- I want to read this real quick: "To continue to work tirelessly for peace abroad and at prosperity at home." Ambitious, Fred: the rest of us want to just lose ten pounds, but hey, he's the president.
WHITFIELD: Lofty ambitions -- he's a lofty man. Happy New Year.
MALVEAUX: Happy New Year.
WHITFIELD: The Democrats say their New Year's resolution is to renew America's promise. Nancy Pelosi delivered the weekly radio address today. She focused much of her attention on the Republican budget, calling it full of misplaced priorities. Pelosi instead touted the Democratic spending plan, one that she says, quote, "reflects our American values."
Still to come, much more ahead on the rising floodwaters in California. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.
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WHITFIELD: Is she not a beautiful little girl? Three month old, Iraqi Baby Noor, now in Atlanta after making the journey from Baghdad, Iraq, all the way to the states to perhaps get some potentially life- saving surgery here in the U.S., in Atlanta, specifically, thanks to some U.S. military personnel who were conducting patrols in the area, came across this family, the family then introduced the military personnel to this baby, letting them know she needed some kind of medical assistance, and they got the ball rolling, and now doctors in Atlanta are hoping to perform what could be potentially life-saving surgery as early as January 9th. She has spina bifida. What it means is her spinal cord doesn't close over as it should. And so the doctors are hoping that she will, after surgery, be both physically and neurologically normal, because this condition can also bring brain damage and paralysis to her body, if it is not addressed.
Meantime, we're also keeping a close eye on the weather conditions out west. Specifically in California, but parts of Reno, Nevada, are experiencing now flooding after a couple of days of rain.
And earlier we had scheduled to talk with Dr. Bill Lloyd about our usual health matters as we do every Saturday. Instead, here you are in Sacramento, an area that is also dealing with a lot of rainwater, and creeks and rivers that are overflowing. You flew over it just this morning because you were returning from another trip over this holiday season.
What did you see, Dr. Bill. What was your observation?
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON: Fredricka, as far as we can see, farmlands totally submerged. The American River to the west of Sacramento, overfilling its banks. You need to know that Sacramento is about midway, about 80 miles between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Tahoe, where the Sierra Mountains are. The double threat for Sacramento is more than rain, but that melting snow. Sacramento is where the Sacramento River and the American River merge, and snow from both points coming from the Shasta Dam the Folsom Dam will soon bring more and more water to Sacramento. It's probably the biggest threat Sacramento has seen since 1986.
WHITFIELD: That's really something, because even in 1987, for the folks in Reno, Nevada, they experienced severe flooding in their region causing $1 billion damage, and they are also saying now as a result of this rain over the past couple of days, they think they're experiencing a worse case of flooding than they did even then. And not far from you in Sacramento, Sonoma County, Napa County, they're all experiencing something very similar.
LLOYD: That's a powerful point. Insurance estimators, people who calculate the risks of flooding know that the number one risk city in this country is not New Orleans. The number one city for risk of flooding is Sacramento. We're a city of complex levees that direct the flow of these rivers, and we always expect rain during the winter months. And then as the rain subsides, we have the snow melt during the spring.
Right now we're at grave risk of both happening at the same time. Fortunately the levees have been reinforced over the past 20 years. My house happens to be four blocks from one that has a 44-foot retaining wall. We'll see how good it holding up.
WHITFIELD: And that was actually my next question. I was going to ask you about your home. That is a big concern -- a lot of folks are seeing their homes are sustaining a lot of damage. You're very close to a levee you're explaining. Are you concerned about it? LLOYD: I would have been more concerned in 1986, when the risk flooding in downtown Sacramento was so grave, they were talking about opening the levee and intentionally flooding a residential area to spare the downtown. Since then there's been great reconstruction done to reinforce these levees and we're confident that things will be fine.
The water has gone much deeper over the next three days. I just drove over the American river on the way to the studio, and I would say it is halfway up to the top. Hopefully tomorrow there will be a drying trend in the days ahead.
WHITFIELD: Wow, Dr. Bill Lloyd, thanks so much. Good luck to you and we hope for the best for you and your family and your home in Sacramento.
LLOYD: Happy New Year, talk to you soon.
WHITFIELD: Happy New Year to you as well.
And move further west from Sacramento into Marin County: earlier we spoke with a resident, Diane Veller, to talk about what she experienced. It's been quite frightening considering she's only been living in her home a matter of days, and she's back on the line with us.
Diane, was it 30 days or are we talking 90 days?
DIANE VELLER, MARIN COUNTY RESIDENT (by phone): No, we're talking about five months.
WHITFIELD: Okay, all right. Few more days than that.
VELLER: Yes, but nevertheless, it's a scary experience. I've never lived on a high hill before, and you know, it's scary to get up and go outside and see the whole hillside sliding down your street.
WHITFIELD: Wow, it really is frightening, and we've heard from various emergency preparedness, emergency services folks out of various counties, they're talking about things are only going to get worse in some areas before it gets better. They are concerned about people in their homes or are in low-lying areas. What kind of precautions or what kind of plans do you have in place to perhaps leave your area until it's safer?
VELLER: Yes, we've left the house, we had police officers come up to the house and our neighbors and our family, we all loaded into my vehicle, because it was the only vehicle that we could get to, and got out of the area. My husband just left to go back to the area to see if he could get near our home to see if we sustained any damage.
WHITFIELD: Why would he want to do that right now, since it is still early in the game. Things are unfolding and it's still dangerous.
VELLER: I agree completely. I think his thought process is just, you know, is there anything that I should be doing to try and protect the home? Should I be sandbagging? I guess maybe logic doesn't necessarily kick in when you're thinking about your home sliding off the side of a mountain.
WHITFIELD: Sure, and it's all happening so fast, right?
VELLER: It, is it's a scary thing, it's not something any of us have ever experienced, and so I think he just wants assurance that our house is going to be okay or that we have to stay out. I don't know, maybe it's just looking for an answer.
There was a police officer, actually, that came very close to losing his life just to try to get us to know we had to leave our home. Right when he was coming up our hillside, a big part of the hillside gave way, officer Phil Torres.
WHITFIELD: That says a lot, even when you've got emergency workers well trained in emergency situations and when they get into trouble, that does speak volumes about the potential danger that any ordinary citizen could be encountering, so please continue to be safe out there and make some smart decisions. And glad to know you are safe and sound with your neighbors, and hopefully your husband makes it back and seeks high ground as well, while you are enduring what you are in Marin County, California. Best of luck to you.
VELLER: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, here in the U.S. and just like in many other parts of the world, celebration for new year's, but specifically in Times Square, they haven't quite gotten things underway, they're organizing for bringing in 2006. Up next, a closer look at New Year's celebrations around the world.
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WHITFIELD: As we're about to usher in 2006, we've been asking some of the troops in Iraq about their New Year's resolutions. Their answers, not surprising but inspiring nonetheless.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Staff Sergeant Camacho (ph), I'm from 7/7 Maintenance, Babenhausen, Germany. My New Year's resolution is to make it home safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Staff Sergeant David Garland (ph). I'm from Mineral Bluff, Georgia, which is north central Georgia, and my New Year's resolution is to make it back home and see my family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Sergeant Evias Nevida (ph). My New Year's resolution is to be a better leader for my soldiers. Happy New Year.
WHITFIELD: I love that. We'll hear more from the troops throughout the evening.
Wherever you are tonight, we're counting on having you with us. Anderson Cooper will host CNN's New Year's Eve coverage live from Times Square, beginning at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, so celebrate with us at CNN.
Here's a look at celebrations around the world where it is already 2006. Revelers partied it up in Sydney, Hong Kong, India and, a short time ago, in Moscow as well. Excitement is building in New York's Times Square, where the crystal ball will drop in about seven hours now from now.
Her roughly 7,000-mile trip is over. What's next for little Baby Noor? And when can her life-saving medical treatment begin? Carol Lin is up next with a live report from Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
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