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CNN This Morning
Powerful Earthquake Hits Japan; Two Weeks till Iowa Caucuses; Tsunami Warnings Triggered by Earthquake in Japan; IDF Says there's No Happy New Year Until Hostages are Home. Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired January 01, 2024 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:30:00]
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS CERTIFIED METEOROLOGIST: Remember, they're the local, on the ground agency that's going to issue the tsunami warnings. They continue with the advisories and warnings across those west facing shorelines of Hanshu northward towards Hokkaido. And anywhere you see that shading of red, there's the epicenter of the earthquake, just off of the Ishikawa prefecture. This is the tsunami warning with wave heights potentially reaching up to 10 feet.
And just looking at the simple geography of this area, remember, we've got the Korean peninsula and Russia just to our west. So, with such a powerful earthquake, magnitude 7.5, it propagated a wave across this area and it won't take much for that sloshing effect to take place. So, that's why this tsunami warning continues. Remember, a tsunami is not one wave. It is a series of waves. So, the threat continues well after the initial earthquake, well after your first water -- body of water reaches the coastline.
And here it is, some of the first visuals of the tsunami wave that really fits the narrative of some of the observed wave heights that we have seen so far across western shorelines of Japan, reaching roughly 4 feet depending on where you're located. So, with this powerful of an earthquake, remember, we've got the shifting of tectonic plates. That displaces water at the surface. And as that water traverses towards the coastline, where you and I live, or the population of Japan, that water is forced upwards. And that's why we see a larger wave once it reaches the coastline. It's called bathymetry. You can Google that term and you'll get an idea of what that is all about.
But this is a powerful earthquake where we anticipate, John, the aftershocks to continue here for the next hours, if not days, to come.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We were speaking to a tsunami expert a short time ago, Derek, who was pointing out just what you were. You called it a sloshing effect. He was saying the choppy effects of these waves, the water caught in that bay between landmasses, and it's the reputation, perhaps, of albeit the smaller waves that could cause damage.
VAN DAM: Yes, look at this. So, here's the Ishikawa prefecture. The earthquake centered just offshore here. But you can imagine, with a wave that's being displaced in this particular region, you're getting this sloshing effect just in a localized sense, but in a more broader regional sense, a sloshing of the water because the water is going to traverse across the ocean here, across the sea, all the way to the Korean peninsula and all the way to Russia and bounce backwards.
But just in terms of localized effects, there it is. You can see exactly why that would happen. Just think about dropping a stone into the bathtub and watching the water ripple back and forth, right? Similar idea.
BERMAN: Derek Van Dam watching this tsunami threat which will continue for several more hours. Derek, keep us posted. Thank you very much.
VAN DAM: All right.
BERMAN: Our special coverage of this powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Japan continues in just moments.
First, though, a look at the race for the White House as the candidates enter the final stretch. The Iowa caucus is like days away at this point.
Stay with us.
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[08:36:18]
BERMAN: All right, the breaking news out of Japan this morning, this powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit several hours ago. We're getting our first look at some of the imagines. You can see right here, collapsed roads, fires burning there. Tsunami warnings have been issued for parts of Japan's west coast.
At this point, Japan's meteorological agency downgraded the major tsunami warning. It had been a major tsunami warning. Now it is a tsunami warning, which means they are fearing waves of up to 10 feet in that region. Officials in the coastal city of Iwo Jima (ph) are still assessing the situation. They have confirmed the earthquake caused fire and roads damage. At least 33 households have been effected by power outages across the country at this point.
We were speaking to someone in Tokyo just minute ago. That's about 185 miles away. They felt the quake strongly as it hit. So, tens of millions of people felt it. At this point, the area where greatest concern, on the west coast, where you can see on your map there, an area with about a million residents or so. We are still getting reports of the damage there.
In the meantime, the race for the White House, Republican presidential candidates, they are hitting the ground in Iowa. Just two weeks to go until the first in the nation caucuses. Donald Trump remains the frontrunner despite all kinds of legal troubles. His Republican rivals, they are scrambling to start the new year and gain some ground.
CNN's Eva McKend is with us now. Eva, what are they trying to do? It's always fun to cover campaigns
right around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, where the candidates, they know no one wants to see them. They want to celebrate New Year, but they still don't have the guts to leave the campaign trail. They feel like they have to do something. So, what are they doing?
EVA MCKEND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You are spot-on, John. No days off for these candidates. That illustrated well by the fact that Governor DeSantis and his family joined a New Year's Eve gathering last night where he suggested to supporters that he would aim to outwork his opponents in the closing days here. He's really employed this all-in on Iowa strategy, leaning hard on the critical evangelical voters in the state, and racking up key endorsements like that of Governor Kim Reynolds. He's also traveled to all of the states' 99 counties.
But Governor DeSantis and the rest of the field, they still trail far behind frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. Take a listen to how DeSantis, how he's going to make this closing arguments to voters in the days ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All we have to do is work hard. We have the - I mean the way I view the - the choice in this primary, Donald Trump is running on his issues, Nikki Haley is running on her donors' issues. I'm the only one running on your issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKEND: Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley busy on the campaign trail, as well. Ramaswamy has spent a considerable amount of time in Iowa. That's why so many folks there know him.
Haley will have a number of events in New Hampshire on Tuesday and Wednesday, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, he's still in this, John. He's campaigning in Iowa this week, too, as part of his return to normal tour. That's what he calls it.
BERMAN: You were talking about former South Carolina Governor Nickki Haley, for whom New Hampshire is really important. What's her Iowa strategy?
MCKEND: Yes, so we have heard for weeks now about all of this cash coming into her campaign, coming into related super PACs. You might wonder where that money is going. I'm going to tell you. It is going on door knocking throughout the states.
[08:40:05]
So, waking folks up who may have maybe previously not heard about her campaign, introducing those Iowans to her.
And then also, John, just from listening to her, being out with her the last couple weeks, she's really leaning hard into this electability argument. She constantly makes the case to voters that she would be the best person to go up against Joe Biden in a general election.
John.
BERMAN: All right, Eva McKend for us, watching the candidates out there on the campaign trail. No rest for them. No rest for reporters either.
Thanks so much, Eva.
All right, the breaking news out of Japan this morning, this 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the western coast. There is a tsunami warning in effect. Warnings of waves of up to 10 feet high. Aftershocks already being felt.
Plus, rockets intercepted over Israel. We have a live report from Tel Aviv, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right, good morning, everyone, and Happy New Year.
There is breaking news out of Japan. A powerful earthquake triggered evacuations and a tsunami warning. You're looking at video of moments after the quake struck. You can see on the left-hand side of your screen there, the dust rising as a building collapsed.
Japanese officials have lowered their alert from a major tsunami warning to a tsunami warning. That still means they expect or fear waves of up to 10 feet.
There have been at least 19 aftershocks so far. That's according to the U.S. Geological Survey. And there are warnings that the aftershocks could last for several days.
We're getting new video in now from a parking garage. You can see inside this strong cement structure there, the earthquake still managing to shake the cars for quite a long time.
[08:45:08]
Car alarms going off there. You can see in the distance there are people seeking cover.
And we are getting more look at some of the destruction there. Roof collapses in Wajima City in Japan. Again, that is on the western coast of Japan. Officials there are warning there could be landslides and even more building collapses as aftershocks continue to hit the region.
Hanako Montgomery is live for us in Tokyo.
I know you felt it there as well. What is the latest?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John.
So, the latest here that we've heard is that the tsunami warning has been lowered. So, like you mentioned, we're expecting to see 10-feet waves on the western coast of Japan. We also know that around 33,000 homes have lost power. We're also hearing reports that there are at least six cases of people being trapped underneath their homes. We also know that bullet trains have been suspended, roads have had cracks, and making it very difficult for emergency personnel to just get into Ishikawa prefecture, which is very close to the epicenter.
Now, the Japanese government has announced that they've dispatched a thousand self-defense force personnel. And the fire department has also separately dispatched 1,700 people. So together you have 2,700 people in the area trying to get people out of just their homes, any dangerous places. We also know that 20 aircraft from the self-defense force have also been dispatched to try to assess the damage within the region, Mike (ph).
BERMAN: All right, Hanako for us in Tokyo, thank you so much. Keep us posted as to what you hear, particularly from the Japanese government as they continue to issue updates on the situation on the ground there.
In the meantime, in Israel, the year begins with a new round of rocket attacks. At least 12 rockets intercepted. Sirens heard across the southern and central part of the country as the military wing of Hamas claimed it hit Tel Aviv with rockets at midnight. The IDF said there is no happy new year until all 129 hostages are home.
Elliott Gotkine in Tel Aviv with the latest.
Elliott, what is the latest this morning?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: John, as you say, we weren't expecting a happy New Year's Eve given what's been happening in the country since Hamas attacked Israel killing more than 1,200 people on October the 7th, and Israel doesn't really celebrate New Year's Eve anyway. But I suppose this rocket barrage from Hamas and the IDF in the last few minutes has told us there were 31 rockets fired towards Israel in that midnight barrage towards central and southern Israel. But this just underlines that Israel is still a country at war. And as part of that war, it also announced that some 20,000 soldiers, who have been fighting in the Gaza Strip, are going to be allowed to go back to their families, to go back to their work, to their communities, as part of a means of allowing them to recover, refresh, and retrain.
But this shouldn't be seen as an indication that the war is winding down. We heard from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just the other day talking about this war going to take several months. And he said that it will continue until Israel's objectives of destroying Hamas militarily and getting those 100-plus living hostages back inside Israel.
If there is a note of optimism, and let's not forget the situation in the Gaza Strip, of course, is dire, with more than 20,000 killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, if there is any sign of optimism, it is that there seems to be an inching towards the possibility of talks that could lead to another truce and another swap of hostages being held by Hamas and others inside the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. But those talks haven't started. And so it seems that we are still some way off for that coming to fruition. So, for now, I suppose as 2024 dawns, John, it is simply war as usual.
BERMAN: Elliott, give us more information about this drawdown, the withdrawal of some Israeli troops from Gaza. As you said, by no means is the conflict over, but seems to be changing.
GOTKINE: I think it's really just an opportunity that Israel is taking to give some of these soldiers a break. Let's not forget that there are estimates of something like 150,000 or more people that have been having to come away from their jobs, from their families, to fight in this war. And this is having a serious impact on the Israeli economy and, obviously, on family life, on businesses, some of which are struggling or perhaps even having to close. And so what this is enabling Israel to do is to say, look, you know, there's some time to regroup, to refresh, to also retrain for the differing situations that they expect to unfold inside the Gaza Strip, and at the same time also try to get some parts of the economy back to a semblance of normality.
[08:50:07]
But as I say, this really shouldn't be seen as this so-called lower, this move to a kind of lower intensity level of fighting that the United States and others - others have been pushing Israel to do. If anything, Netanyahu the other day saying that the fighting is at its peak and Israel is quite adamant that it will not relent even in the face of international pressure in those war goals of destroying Hamas and bringing all of those hostages home.
John.
BERMAN: Elliott Gotkine, in Tel Aviv for us this morning.
Elliott, Happy New Year to you. Thank you.
In the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy has confirmed two of its helicopters returned fire and sank three Houthi rebel boats there, killing everyone on board. The incident follows an attack by the Iranian- backed Houthis over the weekend. This is the first time there was a direct confrontation this have nature between the U.S. and the Houthis.
It's also the first time since the war broke out in Gaza the U.S. has killed members of the group, which has been targeting vessels in the region showing support for Hamas. The White House says it is not seeking a wider conflict in the region.
Lots of news from across the world. Still people are celebrating the new year. Here are some of the sights and sounds from those festivities from New Zealand all the way to New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ON SCREEN TEXT: Auckland.
CROWD: Three, two, one!
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: It's 2024 already in New Zealand. Fireworks there at the Sky Tower lighting up Auckland.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Sidney.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are right almost underneath the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It really fills your heart to be here, to see the sky exploding in color. 2024 is off to a very, very good start.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Seoul.
CROWD: (speaking in foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what I saw tonight here in Seoul, over the top. I'm - I'm almost speechless.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Tokyo.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, it's not quite midnight here in Tokyo yet, but on these red lanterns they have all these different new year's resolutions that they have written. Things like good health, hope and happiness for the new year.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Hong Kong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, cruise liner. Happy new year to you. Not only the biggest fireworks countdown show in Hong Kong, but the first such show to take place here in Hong Kong in five years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's together and everybody's got a smile on their face. And what a great way to start the year.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Taiwan.
CROWD: (speaking in foreign language).
ON SCREEN TEXT: Bangkok.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I could feel the heat from the fireworks. They were like right on top of us. It was so unbelievably awesome and cool.
ON SCREEN TEXT: United Arab Emirates.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because this is absolutely spectacular. That is the night sky over the United Arab Emirates. This is Dubai at two minutes past midnight. The Burj Khalifa. Fireworks there at the Sheikh Zayed Festival. Hoping to break four world records. And there's no point me competing with that.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Tbilisi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Times Square of Tbilisi. Happy New Year!
ON SCREEN TEXT: Athens.
CROWD: (speaking in foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year, (speaking in foreign language), from Athens, everyone!
ON SCREEN TEXT: Paris.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty impressive fireworks as they're going on just behind me there above the Arc de Triomphe. Tonight's fireworks display, though, of course about the Olympics that the French have been preparing for. Paris, this (ph) was really about giving the world a little taste of the show that the French can put on.
ON SCREEN TEXT: London.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: But we will all here Big Ben bong in just a moment, and that's going to set everything off here in London.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take a look back at 2023, 2023.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First few minutes of 2024, at least in this part of the world, anything to go by, it's going to be a good year.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Rio de Janeiro.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's about to be 2024 in Rio de Janeiro. Right now there are fireworks on the bay in Copacabana. A stunning show of fireworks here in Rio.
[08:55:03]
Forty tons of fireworks off ten different barges on the water. A synchronized show with a live orchestra right behind me. And people are just so happy to be here. Honestly, there is nowhere else I would want to be than in Rio de Janeiro.
ON SCREEN TEXT: New York.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year. Happy 2024 from New York City right here in the middle of Times Square, the greatest place in the world, the greatest city in the world. There's no place like New York City on New Year's Eve.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Quite a new year it has been already. The breaking news out of Japan, a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit over the last several hours. There are tsunami waves expected or at least warnings of them up to 10 feet high. More of our special live coverage after this quick break.
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[09:00:00]
