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Category 4 Hurricane Charley Offshore Fort Myers; New Jersey Stunner; Julia Child Dies At 91

Aired August 13, 2004 - 14:00   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hurricane Charley getting stronger as it charges toward the Florida west coast. We're live from Florida with some spots already feeling the storm's effects.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The twists and turns of Charley. We're tracking where it's likely headed for you this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH KYRILLOS, (R), NEW JERSEY STATE SENATE: Asking the governor to do the right thing, to go beyond what he did yesterday and resign now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The fallout from coming out. Calls for a speedier exit after New Jersey's governor announces he had a homosexual affair.

O'BRIEN: And Julia Child, the television chef who simplified French cooking for American cooks on the television, has died.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM begins right now.

O'BRIEN: Hurricane Charley has made its move. Instead of Tampa in the bulls-eye, it appears to be Fort Myers. And the storm looks like a whopper, Category 4 with 145 mile-an-hour winds.

It was a bit weaker when it blew past the Florida Keys this morning. Lots of wind and rain there. The worst over, however.

Tampa, on Florida's west coast, had been expecting the worst. Now other areas are taking precautions. Walt Disney World in Orlando closed an hour ago, although its hotels remain open. The Associated Press reporting Universal Orlando and Sea World Orlando plan to close this afternoon, as well. If the storm comes into Fort Myers, Orlando could be right under its path.

Now, let's go to the CNN Weather Center as we begin our coverage here. Meteorologist Orelon Sidney has been working very hard this morning and last night, and will be working through the night tonight keeping track of the storm.

What is the latest, Orelon? ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The very latest, as we reported last hour, is that we now do have a Category 4 hurricane. That is more than a major hurricane.

The last time a Category 4 hit the United States was Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina in 1989. And you can remember the extensive damage they had from that, if you were there. Some of my friends actually were there, and they told me they were out of power for weeks after that storm went through.

So this is the kind of thing we're dealing with, 145 mile-an-hour winds. We're currently looking for the intermediate advisory from the National Hurricane Center that came out at the top of the hour, 145 miles an hour was the latest report, 162 mile an hour, the flight level winds. And it's moving to the north, northeast at about 20 miles an hour.

It doesn't look like this storm system is going to make any more of a jog. It is headed pretty much right towards the Fort Myers area now, having made its little right turn. I expect to see hurricane- force winds across the Florida peninsula.

So it's deceiving to think of a hurricane warning from Key West all the way up the coast, because we actually have hurricane wind advisories even inland by several counties. You could even see some hurricane-force winds as far north as the Georgia coast later tonight, depending on the exact track of the storm once it moves on inland -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, Orelon. So I guess it's almost a little late in the game for a lot of folks to start evacuating in that area.

SIDNEY: That's so true.

O'BRIEN: But should they? Should they move now, or should they hunker down?

SIDNEY: Depending on where you are, I can only tell you what I personally would do. If your local officials are still telling you to evacuate, you should do that. If your local officials are telling you, it's too late, the roads may get cut off by water, then you should not do that.

You need to listen to your local officials. Those are the ones who have studied the situation. They know the lay of the land literally, and they know what a hurricane of this type will do. Listen to your local officials.

O'BRIEN: All right. You know, that point is worth underscoring here because what we're talking about is people who make a decision to evacuate and get stuck along the way on a causeway or whatever.

SIDNEY: That's exactly right.

O'BRIEN: And that could be a lot worse than just staying in your house. SIDNEY: That is so true. That's one of the -- that's one of the nightmares literally for the National Hurricane Center folks, is that people will get stuck on a -- on a thoroughfare, trying to get out of an area when a storm surge or the gusty winds come through.

Listen to your local officials, take their advice. That's what you should do right now.

O'BRIEN: All right. Orelon Sidney, thank you very much. We hope folks in that area are heeding those words of advice from Orelon Sidney -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot, Miles.

Well, for about a day now folks around Tampa, Florida, have been getting out of Hurricane Charley's path. But what happens now? Keith Oppenheim is standing by in a city that is buttoned up and ready for the worst. But we know there are a lot of resisters, people who decide to stay.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. But I think what's happening here in Tampa and St. Pete, Fredricka, is that the situation is changing with some competing information. The bad news, if you will, is that the storm has intensified, which means that even if the perimeter of the system hits Tampa and St. Pete, it will still be quite strong. It could cause some serious storm surge in the channel that you see behind me and in the bay in general.

But the other side of it is that the system has changed its direction. It's moving south. So now a lot of the people here who have evacuated are watching these changes as the storm moves to the Florida coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Hurricane Charley pelted Key West with rain this morning as it churned toward the mainland.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our power is out and there's pretty much nothing we can do. So...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever seen anything like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

OPPENHEIM: Charley had its sights set on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Florida, including the Tampa-St. Pete- Sarasota area, home to more than 2.5 million people. Florida Governor Jeb Bush warned those who don't leave to find shelter.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: When gale-force winds start hitting our -- the area, which will happen soon, in the next couple of hours, law enforcement officials out of their safety will be seeking refuge as well. This is not the time to be getting on the interstate.

OPPENHEIM: But even being prepared may not be enough as the Category 4 hurricane looms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It scares the hell out of me. It -- you're looking at the map and it's -- when you live on the coast, you dream about some day a hurricane hitting us head on. And, hello, here it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Now, yesterday, Fredricka, I'll point out that we traveled north from the Fort Myers area. We went to Sanibel Island. We also went north to Sarasota. And people who are middle aged and older remembered Hurricane Donna back in 1960.

It was a very strong storm that caused a lot of damage. One guy talked about how he was literally swimming in his family's kitchen when he was a child. And that storm, I'll point out was a Category 3 storm. With a Category 4 storm coming, we have the possibility of even greater damage than the last hurricane, where southwest Florida got really hard hit.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Keith. Well, hopefully, those people who remember that were able to urge their neighbors to get out of town.

Well, just north of the bulls-eye of Charlotte Harbor is Venice. And joining us from there is Al Zimmerman of Bay News 9.

Al, what's happening there?

AL ZIMMERMAN, BAY NEWS 9: Well, the rain is picking up just a bit, but the weather is doing funny things out here. You can see the surf behind me. It doesn't look like it's too choppy right now, the waves don't look very big. But let me tell you, what you can't see on camera is that the water is swirling in all directions out there. So, obviously, something is on its way.

Now, there were people out here on the beach earlier. They have gone inside. There were about four or five people living in some condos near where I'm standing, about 100 yards away, who said they were going to go ahead and ride out this storm.

And let me tell you, they're still going to ride out this storm, but that was -- they said that when it was a Category 2. When it went to three, they got kind of nervous. Now that it is a Cat 4, you can bet they are rethinking their plans.

But there are some people sticking around here, including us. And obviously the weather out here is going to get a lot worse -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: But then, Al, I don't know if you heard our report earlier from Orelon. You know, in some cases, it really is too late for some of those people who decided to stick around to venture out now. What are authorities telling those people? ZIMMERMAN: Well, what's interesting here, you're not hearing anything from authorities because all the police, all the sheriff's deputies, they are gone. They want to be away from this area, too.

And they warned people here, "Hey, look, we're getting out of here. If you have any emergency, there is nothing we can do because we're not putting our lives on the line."

So they're gone. The people who are staying here will stay here. And those deputies, those police officers, they don't plan on coming by to knock on doors. That's for sure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Al Zimmerman, thanks very much for that update -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Way to the north of the storm is the tiny fishing and tourist town of Cedar Key, Florida. It juts out into the Gulf 100 miles or so north of Tampa Bay. In years past, hurricanes have done a number on Cedar Key. Today, the folks there are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief. Gary Tuchman was there as they prepped for the worst.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We come to you from Cedar Key, Florida. This is about 100 miles north of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area.

Right now, we're going through a squall before this hurricane comes to the Florida coast. People here know this is a very vulnerable area.

The elevation is only about seven feet. The storm surge during this hurricane is expected to be 12 to 17 feet here on Cedar Key, which is in Levy County, Florida.

Police tell us -- like these air conditioner units here are expected to be under water by the time this hurricane passes over the Florida landmass. They estimate this sign right here -- it says "private property" on this pole -- they say this is where the water from the bay and from the Gulf of Mexico should go up to.

Over here you can get a look at the preparations that have taken place on this island. And it's very small. Only about 1,000 full- time residents live here.

There were no boards yesterday at all. People were taking it relatively easy. The last big storm here was in 1993, and it wasn't even a hurricane or a tropical storm. It was an unnamed storm in March that caused a lot of flooding.

People here are used to the threats, haven't gotten many huge storms. And, therefore, just today they've started boarding up. But right now, people here are hoping for the best, but realize that much of the small island could be under water by the time Hurricane Charley passes by Florida.

This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Cedar Key, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, on the phone with us now from Tallahassee is Craig Fugate (ph) -- all right, sorry about that. We've lost him on the telephone line there.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Hurricane Charley is a powerful storm, Category 4 now, causing all kinds of problems on the ground. As we told you, it has made a right turn coming to the west coast of Florida, a little farther south than we had been predicting and anticipating. Of course, in the air they have been having to respond, as well.

Let's take a look at some information coming to us, data from FAA radars, as well as the National Weather Service, brought to us through the courtesy of flightexplorer.com. Big, wide picture, and there you see, of course, that whole big storm front associated with Charley. And, previously, of course, up in here, that's the remnants of Bonnie.

Let's zoom in a little bit and give you a sense of what's happening with the planes down there. And you can see that the controllers are just stacking them up all along the East Coast here and then sending them around. In all cases, though, keeping this area clean and clear. You don't want to be in an airplane in the midst of a hurricane unless you're on a C-130 operated by the Air Force that does just that, flies through the eyes of hurricanes.

Now, just to point out some places for you -- of course, there's the eye right there. This is the Tampa Bay area. We've been talking to folks in Venice. There's Fort Myers down there. Naples down the coast.

These are the areas right now that are feeling the real brunt of it. And, of course, travel by air certainly is out of the question right now. As you can see, planes staying well clear of this huge and very powerful Category 4 storm, Charley.

We're keeping you posted. And folks in that area, once again, as Orelon Sidney was saying, are faced with the dilemma whether to stay and ride the storm out where they are, or evacuate to high ground.

It is a bit of a dilemma because there is some concern that if you leave too late, you could get caught up in that storm and that surge we've been talking about. These Category 4 storms can go up to 10, 13 even beyond as far as that storm surge. And as we well know, those Barrier Islands along the coast of Florida, elevations well below that.

So if you're in that part of the world, by all means, pay close attention to your local authorities. And make that safe decision whether to ride out the storm, depending on your situation, or head for higher ground -- Fred. WHITFIELD: All right, Miles.

A political storm is brewing a day after New Jersey's governor admits to leading a double life. There are calls for his immediate resignation. Governor James McGreevey announced he's leaving office in November after admitting to having a homosexual affair. The GOP wants him out now so a new election can be held, a special election.

CNN's Alina Cho is following developments from Trenton, New Jersey -- Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka.

In fact, a close friend of Governor McGreevey told us today that McGreevey is relieved one day after making this stunning announcement, that he is taking his family away for the weekend, and that he will return to work here in Trenton on Monday. Meanwhile, it is important to note that this pending sexual harassment lawsuit against McGreevey, the one that reportedly sparked his resignation, has not yet been filed here in Trenton. That is important to note.

Meanwhile, it's also important to note that we have some details emerging about the man at the center of these allegations. Golan Cipel is his name, a 35-year-old Israeli citizen who was a homeland security advisor to McGreevey. He abruptly resigned eight months after taking the job amid questions over his qualifications.

Now, a law enforcement source tells The Associated Press that Cipel in recent days went to McGreevey, asked him for $5 million to keep quiet about the affair and the lawsuit. Of course, that did not happen. And one day after McGreevey's resignation now, New Jersey Republicans are calling on the governor to step down immediately, saying this scandal is bigger than Governor McGreevey, and that the people of New Jersey should decide who their next governor should be in a special election.

Now, McGreevey has agreed to step down effective November 15. Now, under state law, that means New Jersey's Senate president, a man by the name of Richard Codey, who also happens to be a Democrat like McGreevey, will take his place as acting governor and will stay in that place until McGreevey's term ends in January of 2006.

That Democrat, as I mentioned, his name is Richard Codey. He is set to hold a news conference here in New Jersey, Fredricka, within the hour.

WHITFIELD: Alina Cho, thanks very much from Trenton. Of course CNN will be carrying that news conference live as it happens.

Well, crashing waves and wind, Hurricane Charley getting stronger and more dangerous. We'll have the latest on the storm's track straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA CHILD, CHEF: I have enough eggs in here to go on and on and on. And this is really -- I think it's just such fun. You can get the whole family in on the act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a significant passing. The French chef who encouraged American cooks to get into the kitchen. A look at the career of Julia Child after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: She introduced a generation of Americans to the subtle art of French cuisine. Julia Child, an American and chef extraordinaire, has died at the age of 91. A spokesman for her publisher says she died in her sleep. CNN's Sibila Vargas looks back at the television star who was known as the French chef.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILD: Welcome to "The French Chef." I'm Julia Child.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was the often comedic mistress of the popular cooking show, "The French Chef." And her name, Julia Child, became synonymous with good cooking.

CHILD: This is the way the French cook brazed rice, and they call it risotto. And whenever they take over a recipe, they do it in their own way and they don't care how anyone else does it.

VARGAS: Born in Pasadena, California, in 1912, the six-foot-plus Smith College history major aspired to be a novelist or a basketball player. Julia McWilliams reportedly could barely boil water when in her 30s she married Paul Child.

As a worker for the Foreign Service, Paul Child was stationed in France, where he introduced his wife to French cuisine. She enrolled in cooking school and, along with two French women, collaborated in writing the book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

CHILD: I like good, careful cooking. And I really like French cooking the best, because I think people often think of tourist cooking. But I like the good old French home cooking.

VARGAS: When Paul Child retired, the couple moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. And when Julia appeared on a public television show in Boston, discussing her book and making an omelet, she was discovered.

Letters poured into the station, and the TV series "The French Chef" made its debut on WGBH in Boston in 1963. Through the years she continued to teach audiences how to make the perfect omelet.

CHILD: See, I have enough eggs in here to go on and on and on. And this is really -- I think it's just such fun. You can get the whole family in on the act.

VARGAS: "The French Chef" was seen for years on more than 100 public broadcasting stations. Child's work on television earned her an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. She also did other cooking shows, wrote several books and hundreds of magazine articles. Many still consider Child's early book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," the definitive English language book on classic French cuisine.

CHILD: So that's all for today on "The French Chef." This is Julia child. Bon appetit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: She will be missed.

Hurricane Charley is moving in on Florida's southwest coast and could soon impact millions more across the Southeast. We'll have a live update on the storm's progress from the National Hurricane Center in Florida.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is LIVE FROM. And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Here's what's all new this half-hour: watching Charley on the Web. I'll take you on a Web cam tour of some of the cities in the hurricane's path. We'll see what they see from their view points.

WHITFIELD: And evacuations for a different reason. Out West, devastating wildfires destroy homes and force some Californians to get out of its way.

First, here's what's happening "Now in the News."

Officials have upgraded Hurricane Charley to a Category 4 storm. And it's bearing down on Florida's west coast. Earlier, it lashed Key West with rain. Full coverage in a moment.

A huge demonstration in support of militant cleric Muqtada al- Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya. Protesters targeted the local offices of the Iraqi National Accord, the political party of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Earlier, a three-hour battle between police and militants left one person dead.

A British journalist kidnapped in Basra has been released. James Brandon was handed over to officials at the Basra office of al-Sadr. Brandon is a freelancer working for London's "Sunday Telegraph" newspaper and the "Christian Science Monitor."

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

O'BRIEN: Hurricane Charley is growing stronger, more dangerous, and it is changing paths. In the past hour, the Hurricane Center in Miami changed it from a Category 3 to a Category 4 hurricane. And forecasters say it's moving toward Fort Myers, instead of Tampa. Still, Charley's threat not being taken lightly to the north and Tampa. CNN's Harris Whitbeck is watching things from there -- Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

As you know, a Category 4 storm can have the potential for causing a lot of flooding. Fourteen-foot storm surges expected in many low-lying areas of this part of the western coast of Florida. And for that reason, the authorities here have asked nearly two million people to evacuate their homes on coastal communities, and particularly in mobile home parks, because the Category 4 storm has the potential for completely destroying mobile homes.

As I said, nearly two million people have been traveling towards shelters, towards the homes of friends and family, away from Tampa since yesterday. Several CNN crews were able to witness many vehicles on the highways and interstates leading east of here...

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Aired August 13, 2004 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hurricane Charley getting stronger as it charges toward the Florida west coast. We're live from Florida with some spots already feeling the storm's effects.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The twists and turns of Charley. We're tracking where it's likely headed for you this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH KYRILLOS, (R), NEW JERSEY STATE SENATE: Asking the governor to do the right thing, to go beyond what he did yesterday and resign now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The fallout from coming out. Calls for a speedier exit after New Jersey's governor announces he had a homosexual affair.

O'BRIEN: And Julia Child, the television chef who simplified French cooking for American cooks on the television, has died.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM begins right now.

O'BRIEN: Hurricane Charley has made its move. Instead of Tampa in the bulls-eye, it appears to be Fort Myers. And the storm looks like a whopper, Category 4 with 145 mile-an-hour winds.

It was a bit weaker when it blew past the Florida Keys this morning. Lots of wind and rain there. The worst over, however.

Tampa, on Florida's west coast, had been expecting the worst. Now other areas are taking precautions. Walt Disney World in Orlando closed an hour ago, although its hotels remain open. The Associated Press reporting Universal Orlando and Sea World Orlando plan to close this afternoon, as well. If the storm comes into Fort Myers, Orlando could be right under its path.

Now, let's go to the CNN Weather Center as we begin our coverage here. Meteorologist Orelon Sidney has been working very hard this morning and last night, and will be working through the night tonight keeping track of the storm.

What is the latest, Orelon? ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The very latest, as we reported last hour, is that we now do have a Category 4 hurricane. That is more than a major hurricane.

The last time a Category 4 hit the United States was Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina in 1989. And you can remember the extensive damage they had from that, if you were there. Some of my friends actually were there, and they told me they were out of power for weeks after that storm went through.

So this is the kind of thing we're dealing with, 145 mile-an-hour winds. We're currently looking for the intermediate advisory from the National Hurricane Center that came out at the top of the hour, 145 miles an hour was the latest report, 162 mile an hour, the flight level winds. And it's moving to the north, northeast at about 20 miles an hour.

It doesn't look like this storm system is going to make any more of a jog. It is headed pretty much right towards the Fort Myers area now, having made its little right turn. I expect to see hurricane- force winds across the Florida peninsula.

So it's deceiving to think of a hurricane warning from Key West all the way up the coast, because we actually have hurricane wind advisories even inland by several counties. You could even see some hurricane-force winds as far north as the Georgia coast later tonight, depending on the exact track of the storm once it moves on inland -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, Orelon. So I guess it's almost a little late in the game for a lot of folks to start evacuating in that area.

SIDNEY: That's so true.

O'BRIEN: But should they? Should they move now, or should they hunker down?

SIDNEY: Depending on where you are, I can only tell you what I personally would do. If your local officials are still telling you to evacuate, you should do that. If your local officials are telling you, it's too late, the roads may get cut off by water, then you should not do that.

You need to listen to your local officials. Those are the ones who have studied the situation. They know the lay of the land literally, and they know what a hurricane of this type will do. Listen to your local officials.

O'BRIEN: All right. You know, that point is worth underscoring here because what we're talking about is people who make a decision to evacuate and get stuck along the way on a causeway or whatever.

SIDNEY: That's exactly right.

O'BRIEN: And that could be a lot worse than just staying in your house. SIDNEY: That is so true. That's one of the -- that's one of the nightmares literally for the National Hurricane Center folks, is that people will get stuck on a -- on a thoroughfare, trying to get out of an area when a storm surge or the gusty winds come through.

Listen to your local officials, take their advice. That's what you should do right now.

O'BRIEN: All right. Orelon Sidney, thank you very much. We hope folks in that area are heeding those words of advice from Orelon Sidney -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot, Miles.

Well, for about a day now folks around Tampa, Florida, have been getting out of Hurricane Charley's path. But what happens now? Keith Oppenheim is standing by in a city that is buttoned up and ready for the worst. But we know there are a lot of resisters, people who decide to stay.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. But I think what's happening here in Tampa and St. Pete, Fredricka, is that the situation is changing with some competing information. The bad news, if you will, is that the storm has intensified, which means that even if the perimeter of the system hits Tampa and St. Pete, it will still be quite strong. It could cause some serious storm surge in the channel that you see behind me and in the bay in general.

But the other side of it is that the system has changed its direction. It's moving south. So now a lot of the people here who have evacuated are watching these changes as the storm moves to the Florida coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Hurricane Charley pelted Key West with rain this morning as it churned toward the mainland.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our power is out and there's pretty much nothing we can do. So...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever seen anything like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

OPPENHEIM: Charley had its sights set on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Florida, including the Tampa-St. Pete- Sarasota area, home to more than 2.5 million people. Florida Governor Jeb Bush warned those who don't leave to find shelter.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: When gale-force winds start hitting our -- the area, which will happen soon, in the next couple of hours, law enforcement officials out of their safety will be seeking refuge as well. This is not the time to be getting on the interstate.

OPPENHEIM: But even being prepared may not be enough as the Category 4 hurricane looms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It scares the hell out of me. It -- you're looking at the map and it's -- when you live on the coast, you dream about some day a hurricane hitting us head on. And, hello, here it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Now, yesterday, Fredricka, I'll point out that we traveled north from the Fort Myers area. We went to Sanibel Island. We also went north to Sarasota. And people who are middle aged and older remembered Hurricane Donna back in 1960.

It was a very strong storm that caused a lot of damage. One guy talked about how he was literally swimming in his family's kitchen when he was a child. And that storm, I'll point out was a Category 3 storm. With a Category 4 storm coming, we have the possibility of even greater damage than the last hurricane, where southwest Florida got really hard hit.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Keith. Well, hopefully, those people who remember that were able to urge their neighbors to get out of town.

Well, just north of the bulls-eye of Charlotte Harbor is Venice. And joining us from there is Al Zimmerman of Bay News 9.

Al, what's happening there?

AL ZIMMERMAN, BAY NEWS 9: Well, the rain is picking up just a bit, but the weather is doing funny things out here. You can see the surf behind me. It doesn't look like it's too choppy right now, the waves don't look very big. But let me tell you, what you can't see on camera is that the water is swirling in all directions out there. So, obviously, something is on its way.

Now, there were people out here on the beach earlier. They have gone inside. There were about four or five people living in some condos near where I'm standing, about 100 yards away, who said they were going to go ahead and ride out this storm.

And let me tell you, they're still going to ride out this storm, but that was -- they said that when it was a Category 2. When it went to three, they got kind of nervous. Now that it is a Cat 4, you can bet they are rethinking their plans.

But there are some people sticking around here, including us. And obviously the weather out here is going to get a lot worse -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: But then, Al, I don't know if you heard our report earlier from Orelon. You know, in some cases, it really is too late for some of those people who decided to stick around to venture out now. What are authorities telling those people? ZIMMERMAN: Well, what's interesting here, you're not hearing anything from authorities because all the police, all the sheriff's deputies, they are gone. They want to be away from this area, too.

And they warned people here, "Hey, look, we're getting out of here. If you have any emergency, there is nothing we can do because we're not putting our lives on the line."

So they're gone. The people who are staying here will stay here. And those deputies, those police officers, they don't plan on coming by to knock on doors. That's for sure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Al Zimmerman, thanks very much for that update -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Way to the north of the storm is the tiny fishing and tourist town of Cedar Key, Florida. It juts out into the Gulf 100 miles or so north of Tampa Bay. In years past, hurricanes have done a number on Cedar Key. Today, the folks there are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief. Gary Tuchman was there as they prepped for the worst.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We come to you from Cedar Key, Florida. This is about 100 miles north of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area.

Right now, we're going through a squall before this hurricane comes to the Florida coast. People here know this is a very vulnerable area.

The elevation is only about seven feet. The storm surge during this hurricane is expected to be 12 to 17 feet here on Cedar Key, which is in Levy County, Florida.

Police tell us -- like these air conditioner units here are expected to be under water by the time this hurricane passes over the Florida landmass. They estimate this sign right here -- it says "private property" on this pole -- they say this is where the water from the bay and from the Gulf of Mexico should go up to.

Over here you can get a look at the preparations that have taken place on this island. And it's very small. Only about 1,000 full- time residents live here.

There were no boards yesterday at all. People were taking it relatively easy. The last big storm here was in 1993, and it wasn't even a hurricane or a tropical storm. It was an unnamed storm in March that caused a lot of flooding.

People here are used to the threats, haven't gotten many huge storms. And, therefore, just today they've started boarding up. But right now, people here are hoping for the best, but realize that much of the small island could be under water by the time Hurricane Charley passes by Florida.

This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Cedar Key, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, on the phone with us now from Tallahassee is Craig Fugate (ph) -- all right, sorry about that. We've lost him on the telephone line there.

We'll be right back.

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O'BRIEN: Hurricane Charley is a powerful storm, Category 4 now, causing all kinds of problems on the ground. As we told you, it has made a right turn coming to the west coast of Florida, a little farther south than we had been predicting and anticipating. Of course, in the air they have been having to respond, as well.

Let's take a look at some information coming to us, data from FAA radars, as well as the National Weather Service, brought to us through the courtesy of flightexplorer.com. Big, wide picture, and there you see, of course, that whole big storm front associated with Charley. And, previously, of course, up in here, that's the remnants of Bonnie.

Let's zoom in a little bit and give you a sense of what's happening with the planes down there. And you can see that the controllers are just stacking them up all along the East Coast here and then sending them around. In all cases, though, keeping this area clean and clear. You don't want to be in an airplane in the midst of a hurricane unless you're on a C-130 operated by the Air Force that does just that, flies through the eyes of hurricanes.

Now, just to point out some places for you -- of course, there's the eye right there. This is the Tampa Bay area. We've been talking to folks in Venice. There's Fort Myers down there. Naples down the coast.

These are the areas right now that are feeling the real brunt of it. And, of course, travel by air certainly is out of the question right now. As you can see, planes staying well clear of this huge and very powerful Category 4 storm, Charley.

We're keeping you posted. And folks in that area, once again, as Orelon Sidney was saying, are faced with the dilemma whether to stay and ride the storm out where they are, or evacuate to high ground.

It is a bit of a dilemma because there is some concern that if you leave too late, you could get caught up in that storm and that surge we've been talking about. These Category 4 storms can go up to 10, 13 even beyond as far as that storm surge. And as we well know, those Barrier Islands along the coast of Florida, elevations well below that.

So if you're in that part of the world, by all means, pay close attention to your local authorities. And make that safe decision whether to ride out the storm, depending on your situation, or head for higher ground -- Fred. WHITFIELD: All right, Miles.

A political storm is brewing a day after New Jersey's governor admits to leading a double life. There are calls for his immediate resignation. Governor James McGreevey announced he's leaving office in November after admitting to having a homosexual affair. The GOP wants him out now so a new election can be held, a special election.

CNN's Alina Cho is following developments from Trenton, New Jersey -- Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka.

In fact, a close friend of Governor McGreevey told us today that McGreevey is relieved one day after making this stunning announcement, that he is taking his family away for the weekend, and that he will return to work here in Trenton on Monday. Meanwhile, it is important to note that this pending sexual harassment lawsuit against McGreevey, the one that reportedly sparked his resignation, has not yet been filed here in Trenton. That is important to note.

Meanwhile, it's also important to note that we have some details emerging about the man at the center of these allegations. Golan Cipel is his name, a 35-year-old Israeli citizen who was a homeland security advisor to McGreevey. He abruptly resigned eight months after taking the job amid questions over his qualifications.

Now, a law enforcement source tells The Associated Press that Cipel in recent days went to McGreevey, asked him for $5 million to keep quiet about the affair and the lawsuit. Of course, that did not happen. And one day after McGreevey's resignation now, New Jersey Republicans are calling on the governor to step down immediately, saying this scandal is bigger than Governor McGreevey, and that the people of New Jersey should decide who their next governor should be in a special election.

Now, McGreevey has agreed to step down effective November 15. Now, under state law, that means New Jersey's Senate president, a man by the name of Richard Codey, who also happens to be a Democrat like McGreevey, will take his place as acting governor and will stay in that place until McGreevey's term ends in January of 2006.

That Democrat, as I mentioned, his name is Richard Codey. He is set to hold a news conference here in New Jersey, Fredricka, within the hour.

WHITFIELD: Alina Cho, thanks very much from Trenton. Of course CNN will be carrying that news conference live as it happens.

Well, crashing waves and wind, Hurricane Charley getting stronger and more dangerous. We'll have the latest on the storm's track straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA CHILD, CHEF: I have enough eggs in here to go on and on and on. And this is really -- I think it's just such fun. You can get the whole family in on the act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a significant passing. The French chef who encouraged American cooks to get into the kitchen. A look at the career of Julia Child after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: She introduced a generation of Americans to the subtle art of French cuisine. Julia Child, an American and chef extraordinaire, has died at the age of 91. A spokesman for her publisher says she died in her sleep. CNN's Sibila Vargas looks back at the television star who was known as the French chef.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILD: Welcome to "The French Chef." I'm Julia Child.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was the often comedic mistress of the popular cooking show, "The French Chef." And her name, Julia Child, became synonymous with good cooking.

CHILD: This is the way the French cook brazed rice, and they call it risotto. And whenever they take over a recipe, they do it in their own way and they don't care how anyone else does it.

VARGAS: Born in Pasadena, California, in 1912, the six-foot-plus Smith College history major aspired to be a novelist or a basketball player. Julia McWilliams reportedly could barely boil water when in her 30s she married Paul Child.

As a worker for the Foreign Service, Paul Child was stationed in France, where he introduced his wife to French cuisine. She enrolled in cooking school and, along with two French women, collaborated in writing the book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

CHILD: I like good, careful cooking. And I really like French cooking the best, because I think people often think of tourist cooking. But I like the good old French home cooking.

VARGAS: When Paul Child retired, the couple moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. And when Julia appeared on a public television show in Boston, discussing her book and making an omelet, she was discovered.

Letters poured into the station, and the TV series "The French Chef" made its debut on WGBH in Boston in 1963. Through the years she continued to teach audiences how to make the perfect omelet.

CHILD: See, I have enough eggs in here to go on and on and on. And this is really -- I think it's just such fun. You can get the whole family in on the act.

VARGAS: "The French Chef" was seen for years on more than 100 public broadcasting stations. Child's work on television earned her an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. She also did other cooking shows, wrote several books and hundreds of magazine articles. Many still consider Child's early book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," the definitive English language book on classic French cuisine.

CHILD: So that's all for today on "The French Chef." This is Julia child. Bon appetit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: She will be missed.

Hurricane Charley is moving in on Florida's southwest coast and could soon impact millions more across the Southeast. We'll have a live update on the storm's progress from the National Hurricane Center in Florida.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is LIVE FROM. And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Here's what's all new this half-hour: watching Charley on the Web. I'll take you on a Web cam tour of some of the cities in the hurricane's path. We'll see what they see from their view points.

WHITFIELD: And evacuations for a different reason. Out West, devastating wildfires destroy homes and force some Californians to get out of its way.

First, here's what's happening "Now in the News."

Officials have upgraded Hurricane Charley to a Category 4 storm. And it's bearing down on Florida's west coast. Earlier, it lashed Key West with rain. Full coverage in a moment.

A huge demonstration in support of militant cleric Muqtada al- Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya. Protesters targeted the local offices of the Iraqi National Accord, the political party of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Earlier, a three-hour battle between police and militants left one person dead.

A British journalist kidnapped in Basra has been released. James Brandon was handed over to officials at the Basra office of al-Sadr. Brandon is a freelancer working for London's "Sunday Telegraph" newspaper and the "Christian Science Monitor."

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

O'BRIEN: Hurricane Charley is growing stronger, more dangerous, and it is changing paths. In the past hour, the Hurricane Center in Miami changed it from a Category 3 to a Category 4 hurricane. And forecasters say it's moving toward Fort Myers, instead of Tampa. Still, Charley's threat not being taken lightly to the north and Tampa. CNN's Harris Whitbeck is watching things from there -- Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

As you know, a Category 4 storm can have the potential for causing a lot of flooding. Fourteen-foot storm surges expected in many low-lying areas of this part of the western coast of Florida. And for that reason, the authorities here have asked nearly two million people to evacuate their homes on coastal communities, and particularly in mobile home parks, because the Category 4 storm has the potential for completely destroying mobile homes.

As I said, nearly two million people have been traveling towards shelters, towards the homes of friends and family, away from Tampa since yesterday. Several CNN crews were able to witness many vehicles on the highways and interstates leading east of here...

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