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Bush Visits Pierce City, Missouri
Aired May 13, 2003 - 15:36 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush ran into some foul weather today as he tried to view some of the damage from recent tornadoes.
CNN's Chris Burns is in Springfield, Missouri to tell us what the president saw and experienced -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kyra. We're here in Springfield, Missouri at the airport. A very, very rainy and stormy day. The president having braved that to come here, to land here, and to take a helicopter over to the small town of Pierce City, a town of about 1,500 people that was shattered by tornadoes earlier this month.
Now, Missouri is one of seven states in the nation who have been declared disaster areas as a result of these, the biggest number of tornadoes in recorded history.
The president visiting with both victims and with rescue workers there. The president visited a town where no building was left standing downtown, and the only church was St. Mary's church, where there are rescue workers working there, some 500 to 700 people being served food daily. The president talked and met with some of those victims. We're told there were hugs and conversations as the president went from table to table in the gymnasium of the church where hundreds of people met there with him.
The president spoke a few minutes and told them that the tragedy could be converted to good. He asked them if the government was moving fast enough to help them, and there was a resounding "no" among the crowd. The president answered that he would try to speed the paperwork to bring that government aid. Of course, declaring this state a disaster area makes them eligible for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so that's what the president is hoping to speed to them. He is saying that the American people are praying for them. The president is expected to return here to fly back to Washington later in the day. This is the last of a five-day trip. Four states, where he's been pushing his tax plan, but also coming to visit with some of these victims -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Chris Burns following the president there as he visited -- or visits, rather, Pierce City, Missouri. Thanks, Chris.
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 13, 2003 - 15:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush ran into some foul weather today as he tried to view some of the damage from recent tornadoes.
CNN's Chris Burns is in Springfield, Missouri to tell us what the president saw and experienced -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kyra. We're here in Springfield, Missouri at the airport. A very, very rainy and stormy day. The president having braved that to come here, to land here, and to take a helicopter over to the small town of Pierce City, a town of about 1,500 people that was shattered by tornadoes earlier this month.
Now, Missouri is one of seven states in the nation who have been declared disaster areas as a result of these, the biggest number of tornadoes in recorded history.
The president visiting with both victims and with rescue workers there. The president visited a town where no building was left standing downtown, and the only church was St. Mary's church, where there are rescue workers working there, some 500 to 700 people being served food daily. The president talked and met with some of those victims. We're told there were hugs and conversations as the president went from table to table in the gymnasium of the church where hundreds of people met there with him.
The president spoke a few minutes and told them that the tragedy could be converted to good. He asked them if the government was moving fast enough to help them, and there was a resounding "no" among the crowd. The president answered that he would try to speed the paperwork to bring that government aid. Of course, declaring this state a disaster area makes them eligible for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so that's what the president is hoping to speed to them. He is saying that the American people are praying for them. The president is expected to return here to fly back to Washington later in the day. This is the last of a five-day trip. Four states, where he's been pushing his tax plan, but also coming to visit with some of these victims -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Chris Burns following the president there as he visited -- or visits, rather, Pierce City, Missouri. Thanks, Chris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
