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Isidore Landing on Cuba
Aired September 20, 2002 - 14:21 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go down to ground level if we can. CNN's Lucia Newman has cobbled together the technology, even though it is not easy to do that when the winds are blowing as they are, via videophone from the coast of Cuba -- what do you see, what do you hear there, Lucia?
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Miles. Indeed, we are here not only at ground level, we are at sea level. I am on the Malecon, Havana's seaside drive, where it is getting very windy, but the eye of the hurricane has already hit land. It is at the very, very western tip of Cuba. The province to the west of where we are right now, in Pinar del Rio, and it is certainly hitting hard, and it is pouring down a lot of rain.
We understand that President Fidel Castro, at this hour, is there personally overseeing the emergency effort. The civil defense teams of this country have already evacuated more than a quarter of a million people to get them out of harm's way, away from the low-lying areas.
There is expected to be much more rain and much more wind hitting the whole western side of the island, including Havana itself over the next few hours -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Lucia, quick question for you. We sort of take for granted all of the communications infrastructure we have here to warn people about hurricanes. In Cuba, I imagine it is a little more challenging to get the word out in these more remote areas. Are people fully aware of what is headed their way?
NEWMAN: Miles, you would be very, very surprised, but the Cubans are really experts at organizing people to defend themselves against the elements, the same way that they can organize these huge demonstrations in over a minute, they have block committees everywhere, even in the most remote areas, where they warn people with plenty of time, and so they have a very good record at keeping people out of harm's way, and letting them know what to do and in time, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. CNN's Lucia Newman along the shore there in Havana. We appreciate you being with us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 20, 2002 - 14:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go down to ground level if we can. CNN's Lucia Newman has cobbled together the technology, even though it is not easy to do that when the winds are blowing as they are, via videophone from the coast of Cuba -- what do you see, what do you hear there, Lucia?
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Miles. Indeed, we are here not only at ground level, we are at sea level. I am on the Malecon, Havana's seaside drive, where it is getting very windy, but the eye of the hurricane has already hit land. It is at the very, very western tip of Cuba. The province to the west of where we are right now, in Pinar del Rio, and it is certainly hitting hard, and it is pouring down a lot of rain.
We understand that President Fidel Castro, at this hour, is there personally overseeing the emergency effort. The civil defense teams of this country have already evacuated more than a quarter of a million people to get them out of harm's way, away from the low-lying areas.
There is expected to be much more rain and much more wind hitting the whole western side of the island, including Havana itself over the next few hours -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Lucia, quick question for you. We sort of take for granted all of the communications infrastructure we have here to warn people about hurricanes. In Cuba, I imagine it is a little more challenging to get the word out in these more remote areas. Are people fully aware of what is headed their way?
NEWMAN: Miles, you would be very, very surprised, but the Cubans are really experts at organizing people to defend themselves against the elements, the same way that they can organize these huge demonstrations in over a minute, they have block committees everywhere, even in the most remote areas, where they warn people with plenty of time, and so they have a very good record at keeping people out of harm's way, and letting them know what to do and in time, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. CNN's Lucia Newman along the shore there in Havana. We appreciate you being with us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
