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CNN Live At Daybreak

Governor Discusses Flood Disaster in Eight West Virginia Counties

Aired July 09, 2001 - 08:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: At least one person is dead in flooding in southern and central West Virginia. The governor has declared a state of emergency in eight counties there. They are the ones that are highlighted in red on the map that you see right there. Roads are closed. And the governor's helicopter was actually used to rescue people from rooftops of flooded homes.

Governor Bob Wise joins us right now by phone from Charleston.

Governor Wise, what's it like there this morning?

BOB WISE, GOVERNOR OF WEST VIRGINIA: The one good thing that's happened is we haven't had more rain. We are getting out again today, and I'll have my helicopter and a lot of others out. We've got communities where communications are being reestablished. Our highway crews worked over the night to try and open up roads.

But we don't know fully how bad it is, because we haven't been able to get into many of these communities. Our National Guard is out. Our volunteer fire departments have been working around the clock. The Red Cross is heading in there as fast as they can.

MCEDWARDS: Governor, I understand that your helicopter had to be used to help out. What happened there?

WISE: Well, as we were flying over some of the hardest hit areas, we looked down, and we saw people on rooftops. So I directed that they put down in a field, drop me off and some of my staff -- it was a National Guard helicopter -- and put it to work. And they plucked two sets of people off of rooftops, and then later we jumped off the helicopter again so it could be used for a medical evacuation, somebody having a heart attack, and the roads were closed, and there was no way to get them to the hospital. So we had a busy day yesterday.

MCEDWARDS: And are people still trapped, as far as you know?

WISE: There are people trapped in some communities. In most cases, we think that the highways will be open at least, probably, by noon today.

But I have never seen as bad a flood as this in southern West Virginia where we've had so many communities totally cut off. MCEDWARDS: And is disaster relief coming to most of the areas?

WISE: We are getting it there now. The thing that has been the saving grace for us has been our volunteer fire departments and our local responders who kept things going. Now we're getting as many state and federal resources in as we can. I have declared a state disaster, which permits us to do certain things. We've got more helicopters coming from other states, to assist us in reconnaissance, and if we need it, additional rescue.

MCEDWARDS: Governor Bob Wise, thanks very much for that.

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