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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Hurricane Dorian Has Stalled Over The Bahamas, Heads For U.S.; California Dive Boat Tragedy Becomes Rescue Mission; U.K. Prime Minister Johnson Threatens Early Election. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 03, 2019 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: The Hurricane Center shows little change but movement is expected later this morning.
Meteorologist Chad Myers live in the CNN Weather Center with the latest. Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Dave.
You know, 120 miles per hour seems like nothing compared to the 185 they had on Great Abaco, but this is still a major hurricane just off the East Coast. You have to keep that in mind. And we're already seeing surges up the East Coast of about two feet in these intracoastal areas.
One-twenty -- the movement is stationary at this time and it really hasn't moved since yesterday at this time -- more than about 12 miles -- still pounding the northern sections there around Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.
Most of Abaco out of the weather right now. They're trying to clean up and assess what they have. I've seen some pictures on the Internet this morning and it's a little bit disturbing of what is left along the Abacos here.
So where are we now? We are stuck between two high-pressure systems, almost like stuck between gears.
So this one wants to push the storm north, this one wants to push the storm south, and we have a trough or something -- nothing in the middle where the two high-pressures aren't. So that's going to allow the storm to slightly move farther to the north slowly today.
But something else that's coming in. Notice this brown color. That is dry air. That's the best thing we could see.
The dry air coming down and getting pushed into the hurricane and almost killing it. Probably not killing it but start to winding it down.
We've been seeing some clouds out into the east here, moving to the north. Also, some clouds in the Gulf. That could be a developing system but that should move off the west. Nothing like we're seeing here for Dorian.
Still, a very slow movement today. By tomorrow morning, we're still only about 40 miles from where we are right now and then finally turning to the right.
Now, Florida and Georgia, you are out of the cone, but the cone only indicates two-thirds of all storm paths, so there's one-third -- still, it could happen. One-sixth on one side, one-sixth on the other. Sometimes storms leave the cone.
We'll keep watching it. We're still going to have wind gusts at that hurricane strength, for sure. And the hurricane warning is still in effect there from about Ponte Vedra all the way down, almost to West Palm. You get the idea.
The winds right now are in the 30s and 40s. There are some 50s out there on the buoys. Every time a storm comes by -- one of those outer bands comes by -- your gusts are going to get to about 50 today -- maybe 60 if you're up near Sebastian Inlet, if you're up near the Cape. That's where the heaviest winds might be.
But for the rest of the day, we'll watch the surge -- we'll watch where it's going. And so far, it's going nowhere. Give it a kick there, would you? Push that thing along a little bit.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I don't mean to laugh but you're -- I mean, if you're -- that -- this is -- has to be the longest night ever for anybody who is there --
MYERS: Absolutely.
ROMANS: -- sitting there in the Bahamas.
All right, thank you so much for that, Chad. We'll talk to you soon.
At least five hurricane-related deaths reported on the Abaco Islands -- the Bahamas Abaco Islands -- and that number could rise sharply.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUBERT MINNIS, BAHAMIAN PRIME MINISTER: The devastation is unprecedented and extensive. Many homes, businesses, and other buildings have been completely or partially destroyed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And they're all in the dark. With power cut throughout the island, residents of Grand Bahama are left to huddle in darkness with water levels rising.
CNN spoke to one woman who rode out the storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON ROLLE, RESIDENT, BAHAMAS: I think everyone here is pretty much in shock. It's utter destruction everywhere we look. So everyone's kind of happy we're alive but it's just realizing, you know, the optimatics (ph) of hope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: More than 20 U.S. Coast Guard cutters and four helicopters are conducting rescue operations right now in the Bahamas. They've already saved 19 people.
Patrick Oppmann on the ground in Freeport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA-BASED CORRESPONDENT: Dave, Christine, Hurricane Dorian continues to batter Grand Bahama after hour after. You would think this storm would quit but, so far, it is not showing any signs of easing up on this island where people have lost roofs, they've had their cars submerged, their houses submerged underwater.
And there is the fear tonight that people here could have lost their lives. On the island of Abaco we know that at least five people were killed when Dorian passed through there on its way to Grand Bahama. Authorities say they will be going house-to-house in the coming days, both here and there, to look for more victims.
Here in Grand Bahama, though, the situation is complicated because the storm continues to rage here. It is whipping wind, rain is coming down. Some of the most powerful parts of this hurricane we have only felt in the overnight hours. So it is a hurricane that simply does not want to give the people on this island that have already suffered so much a break -- Dave, Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[05:35:00]
ROMANS: All right, Patrick Oppmann. Thank you for that.
Mandatory evacuation orders now following Dorian's new track, expanding up the East Coast into North and South Carolina.
Ahead of the storm, the Charlotte Motor Speedway has opened its campgrounds to hurricane evacuees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We figured why go back? Why don't we just go over to Charlotte and hang out there instead of riding it out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully, if we can help provide them with a place to stay, then that gets them -- gets them started in the right direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee and the Atlanta Motor Speedway also helping.
In Charleston, South Carolina, I-26 is now one-way in both directions so visitors and residents can evacuate.
In Myrtle Beach, residents are taking the warning seriously. They're boarding up their homes.
BRIGGS: Storm preparations turning deadly for a 68-year-old man in Indialantic, Florida. Police say he fell off a ladder three stories to his death, trying to board up his windows.
At least seven hospitals along the East Coast are fully evacuating.
Florida officials are already seeing a rise in price gouging as Dorian nears. One Shell station selling cases of water for $9.00 instead of the usual $4.00.
And in Jacksonville, animal lovers are stepping up in a big way to help local shelters, taking 140 cats and 70 dogs into temporary foster homes.
ROMANS: Even if Dorian doesn't make landfall in Florida, hurricane- force winds could devastate the coastline.
CNN's Derek Van Dam live in Stuart, Florida. Derek, what's the latest there? I mean, what are you expecting from the track and the effect to be where you are?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, what we're seeing already, Christine, is every 30 to 40 minutes we get battered with a strong gust of wind and heavy rainfall, all associated with the outer rainbands of Hurricane Dorian, which, by the way, is still about 100 miles just to my east.
But it is nothing like the never-ending nightmare that is unfolding in the Grand Bahama Islands. And, in fact, I am walking faster than the storm is moving in its forward direction at the moment, so that gives you an idea of the snail's pace that Hurricane Dorian is crawling as we speak.
Now, the threats here in Martin County include storm surge right along the barrier islands -- the susceptible low-lying areas. The potential up to five inches of rain.
And you already talked about the hurricane-force wind gusts. We've already experienced tropical-storm-force sustained at 50 miles per hour through the overnight period.
If you haven't evacuated here it's too late. The evacuation centers are closed. They had about 1,300 people show up. They are not accepting residents any longer.
You're going to have to ride out this storm as it makes its final and closest approach to the East Coast of Florida here in the next 24 hours -- Christine, Dave.
ROMANS: All right, Derek. Yes, thank you so much for that.
And you might not be flying today, folks. Dorian is disrupting travel.
More than 3,200 flights canceled since Sunday. Look at all of those cancelations. That's all according to Flight Aware.
Hurricane Dorian heading toward the East Coast and that is disrupting travel. Miami International Airport is open. Orlando International Airport is closed. Fort Lauderdale Airport plans to reopen after 12:00 Eastern time.
Now, AccuWeather estimates the total damage and disruption caused by Dorian will be between $8 billion and $10 billion. Analysis shows that much of those costs will be losses to the travel and tourism industry.
Possible flooding, storm surges, and wind damage in coastal areas, as well as damage to citrus and vegetable crops are also a factor.
Several large companies in Florida will most likely be affected by the storm. Four Twenty Seven -- Four Twenty Seven is a climate risk data firm. It says the cruise line industry could take a major hit with also -- we've already seen cruise lines divert and cancel several cruises.
Energy provider NextEra Energy is at risk because of high winds and heavy precipitation. It serves more than five millions customers in Florida. We could see that cost increase as Dorian's track changes.
BRIGGS: President Trump keeping tabs on Hurricane Dorian on the golf course. The president's round at Trump National in Virginia Monday was the 289th day he's spent as president at a Trump property; the 227th day he'd golfed at one of his clubs -- a far cry from this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to be working for you. I'm not going to have time to go play golf.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The president's mind, at least in part, was on other things than the potentially catastrophic storm, touting the economy on Twitter and slamming his political foes.
The president also engaged in a Twitter spat with a reporter who pointed out that despite the president's claims, Alabama is not in danger from Hurricane Dorian.
ROMANS: All right.
This tragedy in California. More bodies discovered overnight from this boat fire off the California coast. Why wasn't there a way out for dozens trapped in the inferno?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:43:56] ROMANS: This morning, a search and rescue mission becomes a recovery
mission for victims of a holiday dive boat tragedy off the Southern California coast. More bodies were recovered overnight. At least 20 bodies, according to "The New York Times."
There were 33 passengers on board. No known survivors among them, so far.
And new pictures show firefighters losing the battle to put out an inferno -- an inferno raging on this 75-foot Conception off Santa Cruz Island.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayday, mayday, mayday! Conception. Platts Harbor, north side, Santa Cruz.
U.S. COAST GUARD DISPATCH: Vessel in distress. This is Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles on channel 1-6. What is your position and number of persons on board -- over?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). I can't breathe. (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Coast Guard officials saying, quote, "We should be prepared to move on to the worst outcome."
[05:45:00]
Divers spent much of Monday in the water looking for victims.
Six crew members who were on the deck in the main cabin made it off safely. They were picked up by Good Samaritans boating nearby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB HANSEN, OWNER, GRAPE ESCAPE: It was fully-engulfed from bow to stern. I mean -- and flames probably 30 feet high. It was totally gone. I mean -- you know, and it was like oh my gosh, what do we do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All the dead and missing passengers were trapped below deck, raising questions about the need for a second escape route.
Signs and flowers laid in their honor at Santa Barbara Harbor near the Conception's home base. So far, no word on what sparked that fire.
BRIGGS: The 36-year-old Texas gunman who killed seven people and injured 22 others applied to purchase a gun but failed a background check. The Feds are now looking into how the shooter got the gun.
The FBI says he was already in a distressed mental state when he showed up for work on Saturday and was fired just hours before the massacre. Agents stressing the shootings were not caused by his firing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER COMBS, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI, SAN ANTONIO DIVISION: He was on a long spiral of going down. He didn't wake up Saturday morning and walk into his company and then it happened. He went to that company in trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: We now know the gunman called 911 twice during his rampage. Those calls are being described as rambling statements about some of the atrocities he felt he had endured.
One of his victims is 17-month-old Anderson Davis who had surgery Monday to remove shrapnel from her face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELBY DAVIS, MOTHER OF ANDERSON DAVIS: I'm so grateful Anderson is here. I'm so thankful that we're not one of those families that's on the other side of this and it makes you feel guilty, almost. That's why we're proud of this town and the people in it because they rally and they come together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Little Anderson is out of the hospital. Her parents say she is expected to make a full recovery.
BRIGGS: Breaking overnight, another horrifying story -- this one from Alabama.
A 14-year-old confessed to shooting all five members of his family at their home. Police say the teen even helped investigators find the weapon, a handgun he tossed nearby.
Three of the victims died at the scene; two died later at the hospital.
More details ahead on "NEW DAY."
ROMANS: All right, 47 minutes past the hour this Tuesday morning.
Let's get a check on "CNN Business."
Taking a look around the world, some softness. You can see European markets have opened lower and it was pretty much a mixed performance in Asia.
On Wall Street, futures are leaning down. There's a kind of a sour mood here -- a risk aversion, I would say, in markets. You've got people buying gold, buying the Japanese yen, buying up government debt, but they are -- look a little risk-averse in the stock market.
Investors are back after the holiday weekend. This is the first time they'll be able to react to the new tariffs that kicked in Sunday.
China has filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization against the latest U.S. tariffs. In a statement from the Commerce Ministry, China said the tariffs seriously breached the agreement reached by President Trump and Xi at the G20 summit.
Now, Beijing's retaliatory tariffs also kicked in on Sunday.
As the U.S.-China trade war escalates, Huawei is getting ready to launch a new phone without Google. The Mate 30 will be Huawei's first smartphone to hit the market since it was put on a trade blacklist by the U.S. back in May. That blacklist cuts off access to popular apps like YouTube, Google Maps, and Gmail.
Huawei had secured a Google license for several smartphones before it was placed on the blacklist, but the Mate 30 wasn't one of them.
Google declined to comment.
BRIGGS: All right.
Right here, we are keeping an eye on Hurricane Dorian, still battering the Bahamas before heading for Florida and the Carolinas.
And another power play by Boris Johnson to keep Brexit on schedule, but members of his own party could stand in the way. We are live at Parliament, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:53:15]
ROMANS: We're keeping a close watch on Hurricane Dorian. It is stalled -- going on 26 hours now just stalled -- scouring the Bahamas.
The storm has completely devastated parts of the Bahamas. The new update from the National Hurricane Center shows little change but movement is expected later this morning.
Florida and Georgia are out of the cone but could still see damaging winds and rain. The Carolinas are in jeopardy later this week.
A full forecast update is moments away.
BRIGGS: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a new strategy to receive a possible no-deal Brexit by the end of October. He's threatening to call an early election in an attempt to thwart members of his own party, trying to stop them from splitting from the E.U. without a deal.
Max Foster live from London with the latest. Just about 11:00 a.m. there. Max, good morning. What's ahead?
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM WITH MAX FOSTER": Well, we've got campaigners out in force today. This really is a showdown in Parliament. A large group of Parliamentarians, including a group of rebel MPs in
the ruling Conservative Party, are going to get together. They're going to introduce a bill to try to delay Brexit.
Boris Johnson, prime minister and a firm Brexiteer, says if they do that he's going to come out tonight and call a snap election, which will stop that bill in its tracks and meaning we could have an election next month.
In response to that, though, the latest twist to all of this is the opposition Labor Party saying they won't vote for an election.
We literally don't know where this will end up, but it could be the case that Boris Johnson is the shortest-serving prime minister in British history or we could be going for a hard Brexit at the end of October. We don't know. Today's a really important day in terms of British politics, Dave.
BRIGGS: Wow, two extremes very possible.
Max Foster live on an extraordinary day in Parliament. Thank you.
[05:55:00]
ROMANS: All right, to U.S. politics.
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is expected to announce a decision today on a possible second run for governor. He was West Virginia's governor from 2005 to 2010. He calls it the best job in the world.
The state's current chief executive, Jim Justice, was elected as a Democrat but then switched parties.
A run by Manchin could open up blue Senate seat in a red state, but Manchin does not have to relinquish his Senate seat when he runs -- to run for governor.
BRIGGS: A Singapore man has been arrested for buying an airline ticket just to walk his wife to the gate at Changi Airport. In fact, 33 people have been arrested this year for accessing the airport's new Jewel terminal without intending to fly.
The terminal features a butterfly dome, cactus garden, a 4-story slide, and the world's tallest indoor waterfall. It's so cool it's becoming a destination.
Police are warning all visitors that entering the terminal without plans to fly is punishable by a fine of $14,000 and up to two years in prison.
ROMANS: Police in the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills say a child is still missing after they arrested a rideshare driver on kidnapping charges.
Paul Johnson says the driver sped off with his 2-year-old daughter Saturday night after he exited the vehicle to remove her from her car seat. Officers stopped the driver a couple of hours later but the toddler was not inside, the driver, Sharena Nancy's car. Police say Nancy claims Johnson sold his daughter for $10,000 and hired her to complete the drop-off.
Nancy is being held without bail.
Uber has not responded to CNN's request for comment. Lyft says the incident did not happen through its platform.
BRIGGS: A Harvard student who was denied entry into the U.S. is now on campus. U.S. Customs previously said Ismail Ajjawi was inadmissible based on information discovered when he was screened entering the U.S. in Boston. The issue related to social media posts from his friends.
Ajjawi told the Harvard Crimson, CBP detained him, searching his phone and laptop, then sent him back to Lebanon. But now, CBP confirms Ajjawi overcame all grounds of inadmissibility and was let in on a student visa. The agency did not offer details.
ROMANS: All right.
Kevin Hart's wife telling TMZ the actor-comedian is going to be just fine after sustaining major back injuries in a Sunday morning crash.
A friend identified as Jared Black was driving Hart's 1970 Plymouth Barracuda when he lost control and rolled down an embankment. Police say Black was not under the influence of alcohol.
He and Hart both suffered back injuries and were taken to a local hospital.
BRIGGS: A big upset at the U.S. Open. Defending women's champion Naomi Osaka is out. She was beaten Monday in the Round of 16 in straight sets by Belinda Bencic, the number 13 seed from Switzerland. With the loss, the 21-year-old Osaka was also toppled from the world number-one ranking.
Today, Serena Williams in action and Roger Federer on a busy day out there at the Open.
ROMANS: It sure is.
And watching this -- watching the satellite footage here. Watching the -- watching the radar trying to figure out where this thing will go once it starts moving. Hurricane Dorian now a category three hurricane -- a dangerous hurricane expected to hug along the coast and potentially make landfall there in the Carolinas.
BRIGGS: What we really need is the pictures. Once the sun comes up, maybe we get a better sense of the damage done to the Bahamas as that storm just sat and stalled.
You look at that map there. Those are the warnings for the Peninsula. Listen to your officials. Those that have evacuation orders, do not head north, head inland miles -- not hundreds of miles.
John Berman, by the way, will be live down there in Florida with what is coming their way.
ROMANS: A reminder -- it does not take much of a change -- much of a change at all for this storm to move either directly onto the Florida coast or to potentially get stronger again, so watching that very carefully.
Thanks for joining us this morning. I'm Christine Romans.
BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs.
John Berman down in Florida; Alisyn Camerota right here in New York. Here's "NEW DAY."
We'll see you tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, BAHAMA RESIDENT: Pray for us. Pray for Abaco, please. I'm begging you all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hurricane Dorian, a deadly, slow-moving monster.
MINNIS: We are in the midst of a historic tragedy. The devastation is unprecedented and extensive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here in Florida, more than 10 coastal counties are under a mandatory evacuation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're ordered to evacuate, you need to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You board up your house, you're inside of the house, you're waiting for it to arrive. The anticipation of it is nerve-racking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is a special edition of NEW DAY.
I'm John Berman in Jensen Beach, Florida. Alisyn Camerota up in New York.
We are tracking the path of Hurricane Dorian. It is inching.
END
