Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Killer Tornadoes: Picking Up the Pieces
Aired May 06, 2003 - 15:44 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: Now let's get back to the weather picture. And we've been talking about what's going on right now. Let's talk about a place where they are pick up the pieces. Tornado victims trying to take stock of their losses in Jackson, Tennessee.
And that's where we find CNN's Jennifer Coggiola live for us now. Hello, Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Well, Mother Nature has actually taken it easier on us today. We haven't had any rain. We had some earlier this morning. But so far, like you said, really the recovery effort is the story here.
Just want to give you an idea of where I am in downtown Jackson. You can see this bank behind me, practically ruined. We've got power lines down, street signs and street lights down, buildings, local residences; a lot of destruction here.
I'm actually standing here with the mayor, who I want to talk to now. This is Mayor Charles Farmer of Jackson. Thank you for joining with us.
So what kind of updates do you have for us? What's the word?
CHARLES FARMER, MAYOR OF JACKSON: Well, we -- the water has been restored to all of the community. Power will have been restored to more than half of the people who were without power by the end of the day and almost all the residences will have their power before the end of the week.
The cleanup is certainly under way, as you can hear by the heavy equipment being operated. We were visited today by the governor and Senator Alexander and Congressman Tanner and assured that we will be getting federal and state assistance to the fullest extent that they are able, after they have taken a personal inspection and seeing for themselves the extent of the damage.
And we are still hoping to comfort the families of the victims and care for the injured, and otherwise bring the city back to as normal as possible.
COGGIOLA: Now we've seen trucks in and out all day with tractors from different cities. What kind of support have you gotten from your neighbors? FARMER: We've had tremendous support from all over west Tennessee and even beyond the borders of the state, people offering heavy equipment and Shelby County and Memphis, for instance, has offered many of their public works employees and much of their equipment. So we are enormously blessed in that respect.
And as you walk around, as you've walk around and see the people whose churches were knocked down and you see members of the congregation out working to rebuild those churches, you get a good sense of the kind of community it is. So we were hurt badly, but we are resilient and we will overcome.
COGGIOLA: One last question. You've been the mayor here for you said 14 years. Have you seen anything like this or...
FARMER: I have seen, in '99, something similar to this, but this is worse than '99.
COGGIOLA: Thank you so much for joining with us -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jennifer Coggiola in Jackson, Tennessee. We wish them well as they go through a very hard time picking up the pieces there.
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 May 6, 2003 - 15:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's get back to the weather picture. And we've been talking about what's going on right now. Let's talk about a place where they are pick up the pieces. Tornado victims trying to take stock of their losses in Jackson, Tennessee.
And that's where we find CNN's Jennifer Coggiola live for us now. Hello, Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Well, Mother Nature has actually taken it easier on us today. We haven't had any rain. We had some earlier this morning. But so far, like you said, really the recovery effort is the story here.
Just want to give you an idea of where I am in downtown Jackson. You can see this bank behind me, practically ruined. We've got power lines down, street signs and street lights down, buildings, local residences; a lot of destruction here.
I'm actually standing here with the mayor, who I want to talk to now. This is Mayor Charles Farmer of Jackson. Thank you for joining with us.
So what kind of updates do you have for us? What's the word?
CHARLES FARMER, MAYOR OF JACKSON: Well, we -- the water has been restored to all of the community. Power will have been restored to more than half of the people who were without power by the end of the day and almost all the residences will have their power before the end of the week.
The cleanup is certainly under way, as you can hear by the heavy equipment being operated. We were visited today by the governor and Senator Alexander and Congressman Tanner and assured that we will be getting federal and state assistance to the fullest extent that they are able, after they have taken a personal inspection and seeing for themselves the extent of the damage.
And we are still hoping to comfort the families of the victims and care for the injured, and otherwise bring the city back to as normal as possible.
COGGIOLA: Now we've seen trucks in and out all day with tractors from different cities. What kind of support have you gotten from your neighbors? FARMER: We've had tremendous support from all over west Tennessee and even beyond the borders of the state, people offering heavy equipment and Shelby County and Memphis, for instance, has offered many of their public works employees and much of their equipment. So we are enormously blessed in that respect.
And as you walk around, as you've walk around and see the people whose churches were knocked down and you see members of the congregation out working to rebuild those churches, you get a good sense of the kind of community it is. So we were hurt badly, but we are resilient and we will overcome.
COGGIOLA: One last question. You've been the mayor here for you said 14 years. Have you seen anything like this or...
FARMER: I have seen, in '99, something similar to this, but this is worse than '99.
COGGIOLA: Thank you so much for joining with us -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jennifer Coggiola in Jackson, Tennessee. We wish them well as they go through a very hard time picking up the pieces there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
