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Live From...
After the Hurricane: Wreckage and Rescues
Aired August 30, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: No one to see them but the news cameras. The looting begins in New Orleans as the stories of loss and lives ruined come pouring in. We're keeping an eye on the Gulf Coast after Katrina.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano, live in Biloxi, Mississippi, east of the center of that storm, but the destruction is widespread and unbelievable. We'll have pictures
PHILLIPS: And damn that traffic jam. A huge line for gas tests tempers -- tests the tempers, rather, on the road to Jackson.
From the New York newsroom, I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
For more than 24 hours now, we've been seeing grim evidence of the terrible destructive force of a Category 4 hurricane. Today, we're just beginning to grasp the human toll. Hurricane Katrina slammed into Louisiana, devastating New Orleans as it passed by, and scoring a direct hit on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, swamping Gulfport and Biloxi and nearby Mobile, Alabama.
As dawn came today, emergency workers were counting bodies. The estimated death toll so far, at least 68 people. That includes an estimated 55 deaths in Mississippi alone, including an estimated 30 deaths in one Biloxi apartment complex.
Alabama reports two deaths, and Katrina killed 11 people when it passed through Florida last week. There is no estimate for Louisiana yet, but officials there fear a large death toll.
As of early today, nearly two million customers were said to be without electricity. Almost 800,000 of them in Louisiana. New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin, estimates that 80 percent of his city is under water. In some cases, 20 feet deep.
At least two levees have been breached. And along Canal Street, downtown, the water was higher today than it was during the height of that storm.
Here's a look at the New Orleans area right now from above.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are in the Kenner area of New Orleans, just about -- oh, I'd say about 10 miles west of the city. This area is completely under water. I'm looking at about five feet water everywhere we look. Absolutely under water.
We're scanning the area...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, while water appears to be everywhere in the New Orleans area, drinking water is harder to find. A 50 inch main broke, meaning New Orleans water is unsafe to drink unless it's boiled first.
Emergency officials plan to drop huge sandbags from helicopters to plug a 200-foot hole in a levee along a New Orleans canal. Levees normally prevent the waters of Lake Pontchartrain from flowing into that city, which is below sea water, as you know. Well, floodwaters from the lake poked a 200-foot hole in the levee along the 17th Street canal, causing water to surge into the downtown area. Yesterday, water poured over another levee along the New Orleans industrial canal.
CNN's John Zarrella has been watching developments in downtown New Orleans. He has a firsthand account of how things look right now.
All right. I apologize. Obviously, we've got technical issues we're dealing with. We'll try and bring you that report from John Zarrella as soon as we're able to make that connection as you look right here at pictures of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans.
Well, the devastation to the east of Mississippi is mind-blowing. At least 50 people are reported dead in Harrison County alone, which includes Gulfport and Biloxi.
Thousands of people are without power. Street and homes as far as six miles from the beach are flooded. Take a listen to this.
And as if the damage wasn't bad enough, Mississippi stands to lose $500,000 a day in tax revenue from casinos and gambling boats that are now closed and damaged in Katrina's aftermath.
CNN's Rob Marciano is live in Biloxi with a look at that devastation -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Kyra, the casinos here, five of which are damaged, the Hard Rock Casino, which was being built, completely destroyed. We are on Highway 90, a very similar spot to where we did live reports from two nights ago and then evacuated this area in fear of that storm surge. And this is what's happened to Highway 90 behind me.
Trees obviously down. You can see down the road there's a roof that cars are trying to get around. I don't know where that roof came from. It could be possibly from inland areas, as the storm surge carried well inland and then took debris and damage from inland areas. And then as the floodwaters receded, dropped them over -- over this highway.
Not all -- now that the storm waters have gone, you know, people are starting to pick up the pieces. But, you know, there's an ugly part to this story as well. There's been widespread looting in this part of Mississippi. You've got casinos down here. So obviously there is some -- some money.
There's visitors who have, you know, suitcases. And people are picking through just about anything they can do. The National Guard is out here, trying to crack down on it. And they said they're going to use the full force of the law. But it's just one of the -- one of the many odd things that we've seen here in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Red Cross is saying, hey, listen, you know, you kind of have to be self-sufficient for a few days, we're trying to activate the local chapter to get you food and water and maybe some shelter. But a disaster of this scope, Kyra, between FEMA and Red Cross to get their national organizations stocked up and supplied and travel here, it could take easily a week before that is done.
So the immediate concern is, you know, get folks some food, some water. And, of course, the rescue effort.
We continue to see choppers from the Coast Guard and the National Guard cruise over us towards the west, towards where the center of that storm made landfall. And I can only guess as to what they're looking for or what they're doing over there. And I think those stories will be unfolding throughout the day today and probably throughout the weeks to come.
That's the latest from here, Kyra. Back over to you.
PHILLIPS: Rob, I'm curious, you know, we talked about the damage to all the casinos there. And you can see a number of them behind you. Do you know how those casinos have been secured?
Obviously, there's a lot of money inside those casinos. You've got the issue of chips and other things. Do you know if they've been secured and how they've been secured, and if, indeed, there's been any looting inside those casinos?
MARCIANO: We have heard -- I haven't seen, myself, people in the casinos, haven't been able to get down to those areas. But there have been reports of people in the casino.
Not sure if they're taking money. Most of what I've heard is they're into the convenience stores. They're getting -- you know, they're getting some supplies that they need.
So, you know, I suppose if your entire home has been taken away from you, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they need some supplies. They're breaking into the conveniences stores to just get the things that they need.
But as far as breaking into the casinos, stealing chips and money, I don't know about that. But as you do know, speaking of securing, the casinos are all floating. By Mississippi State law, they all have to be on the water. So, I mean, that's a recipe for disaster right -- right there. And that's the main reason, obviously, where most all of them have some sort of damage.
PHILLIPS: All right. Rob Marciano there in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Thank you so much.
And real quickly, I want to show you some new video that's just coming in from Dauphin Island. This is in Alabama. Actually, a very popular place for those that live in Mobile, Alabama, and other areas on the outskirt of Mobile.
Dauphin Island is a very popular place for those that live in Mobile and other areas to have beach homes and to come and vacation. And Dauphin Island -- every time there is a storm or a hurricane, this island gets hit hard. And we're seeing this video now.
Obviously, once again, suffering through Hurricane Katrina. Dauphin Island, Alabama, we're seeing this video just coming in from an affiliate out of Mobile. You can see the helicopter and photographer getting those pictures there along the water in Alabama.
Now, I'm also told that one of our producers just called into us, Jim Spellman. He's been in New Orleans. You know, we were talking about looting that is takes place in the various states. Rob Marciano was talking about the looting that he's been witnessing in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Jim Spellman on the phone right now, one of our producers. He's there on Canal Street.
And Jim, you just called in. I understand you're actually watch and seeing some looting takes place right now on Canal Street?
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Canal Street and Charles, the border of the French Quarter. Hundreds and hundreds of people taking whatever they like from -- from stores. A lot of the windows broken in by the storm and the storm surge and the flooding.
So Jeanne Meserve and I were walking to the superdome. And we actually saw somebody pick up a rock, throw it into a window and make their way in.
It's chaos here. The New Orleans police are starting to respond on Canal Street. Not really much they can do with numbers of people that are actually looting. And we hear from them that it's not confined to Canal Street or the French Quarter area, but citywide, in fact.
PHILLIPS: Jim, any -- any sign of the military? I mean, obviously, things are going to get out of control. And the NOPD is already strapped. Any signs of military response?
SPELLMAN: The National Guard is ferrying people, working very hard to ferry people from the area called the Ninth Ward and other parts of the city where the water is roof high or higher. They're taking them by helicopter. They're taking them by truck, although the trucks can only operate in about five feet of water. And it's near that or above in many parts.
Taking them all to the Superdome, where we went earlier. Very chaotic scene there. National Guard on the scene.
However, there doesn't seem to be any organization. Very little info for us or for anybody there awaiting their loved ones.
I spoke with several people who were standing as close to the helipad as they can, hoping that their family members show up. I spoke with one woman who was waiting, very distressed, waiting for her husband. She made it on to a boat -- a helicopter. Her husband didn't. She's been there for several hours, and no sign of him yet.
PHILLIPS: Now Jim, what you're witnessing there on Canal Street, at the intersection you were mentioning, St. Charles, just on the brink of the French Quarter there, those that doing the looting, are you getting a sense that these are people that are absolutely desperate and need this, or does this just look like a massive crime spree that's taking place?
SPELLMAN: Well, we saw -- we saw several people carrying diapers and baby formula. I have to assume that they are just in dire straits and that's what they need. Many other people, new jeans, Nikes, shoes are very popular. People trying stuff on right in the street, making sure they get the best fit. People carrying off electronics, whatever they can get their hands on.
So I think there's a small amount of people who actually need supplies. But most of it is just the kind of frenzy that seems to overtake people in these situations.
PHILLIPS: Jim Spellman, via video -- or via telephone there, one of our producers there at Canal and St. Charles, as he's actually witnessing hundreds of people now looting in that area. Some obviously desperate for diapers and milk. Others he's witnessing just taking electronics and other items right now, taking advantage of individuals.
It's unbelievable to even think that people would do that at this point. But it's happening.
And John Zarrella is also there on the ground. He's been actually watching developments in downtown New Orleans as well. He just now filed this report for us. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing outside of our hotel on Common Street. After Katrina went by, the water here actually subsided. It was dry, but in the overnight hours there was a breach, a breach of the levee on the lake front.
Now the water is beginning to pour into the city. You can see this. It has all come up in the last few hours.
The cars are just about submerged above their wheels. It won't be much longer before they are floating.
The water is also, if we can take a look now, creeping up the sides of the buildings here. Earlier today, none of this was standing here. So it is continuing to rise.
Down in the distance there, the sandbags that surround the hotel. None of that was covered earlier today. And in fact, even during Katrina, the water never got as high as it is.
On just about every street that you look at here in the French Quarter, near the French Quarter, the business district, there is rising water. Canal Street, a block over, had some high, dry ground. But even that is beginning to go under now.
It's impossible to gauge how widespread this is, because we can only get a few blocks at a time. But clearly everywhere that we see, everywhere that we stand, is water, and the water is rising.
John Zarrella, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Alabama, another hard-hit state, may be reeling from Katrina's power, but residents are far from beaten. Already they're tackling the huge task of cleaning up the debris and water left behind by the hurricane.
Downtown Mobile suffered extensive damage. As one emergency official puts it, a major problem is trees on homes, trees on cars, trees on roads. But there is at least one bright spot. Floodwaters that swamped the city have receded.
That said, more than 650,000 home and businesses are still without power. Lending a helping hand, the National Guard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM WALKER, ALABAMA HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: The National Guard moved into the area last night, over 450 along the coast. We're mobilizing others today.
Governor Riley has agreed to send over 800 of our National Guardsmen to assist our friend and neighbors in Mississippi and Louisiana. We do have water in the streets, still in Mobile. We've got coastal roads that have been closed.
There is extensive damage in Alabama. We've got roads that are out. We've got a bridge that's out. But, you know, we've been very, very fortunate in that the loss of life in Alabama has been very, very minimal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And as we mentioned, Katrina's being blamed for at least two deaths right now in Alabama.
Straight ahead, lending a hand in Mississippi, cleaning up, helping out, and maintaining some kind of order. We're going to talk to the man in charge of the 1st Army's response on the ground.
And Katrina's other victims, not on the coast, but inland. Chicken farms and homes destroyed by tornadoes. Jacqui Jeras tells you where the storm is right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, Katrina is no longer a hurricane, but this picture shows it is still very destructive. And it's deadly.
An apparent tornado unleashed by remnants of Katrina tore through Georgia's Carroll County, just west of Atlanta yesterday. This chicken farm, or what's left of it, was smashed into smithereens. In all, at least 30 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Carroll County alone.
At least one person was killed in a traffic accident caused by that storm. Several others were injured.
And it was much the same in the northern part of the state. Another possible tornado ripped the second floor off an Econolodge in the tourist town of Helen. The manager says that only four people were staying in the motel, all on the first floor. All made it to safety to a nearby shelter.
Katrina also lashed parts of Tennessee with strong winds and torrential rain. Large areas of Memphis still under water right now. About 75,000 customers without power there. And in the Nashville area also.
The storm also forced dozens of school systems to cancel classes. Flashflood warnings remain in effect for most of the western part of the state. The wind and rain are expected to dissipate later today as Katrina moves out of the state.
Well, Katrina is now a tropical depression, but it's still playing havoc with the weather. Let's check in with meteorologist Jacqui Jeras on where the storm is now and where it's headed -- Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Kyra.
Our biggest concern still at this hour is the threat of tornadoes. We have tornado watches in effect across parts of the Carolinas, into Tennessee, also into Kentucky.
One cell of particular concern right now, it's just off to the east of Hendersonville. This is in North Carolina, a tornado warning for Polk County. A possible tornado near the town of Columbus.
There you can see the interstate. It's just up to the north of that. That's where the area of rotation is. This is moving very quickly up to the north and the east, around 40 miles per hour.
Here you can see the watch area. The brand-new one just issued in the last half an hour here includes parts of West Virginia and western Virginia. This will be ongoing throughout much of the afternoon, even into the overnight hours, possibly.
Here's the big outlook area. We're expecting that threat to spread northward as we head through the rest of the night. So just east of Atlanta, through Columbia, Raleigh, Lexington, Charleston, on up towards Pittsburgh, all could see threatening weather in the form of tornadoes later on tonight.
The rainfall spreading all the way across parts of the northeast. And take a look at how big the storm system is.
The center of circulation near Clarksville, Tennessee, at this time, still heading on up towards the north. It will be spreading rain throughout this area.
Rainfall amounts still on the order of maybe two to five inches. Some localized flooding will be possible. But we don't think it will be all that widespread.
There you can see the forecast track. This is just a tropical depression now. In fact, the National Hurricane Center has stopped issuing advisory, and now it's going to switch over to folks that worry about the flooding -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jacqui Jeras. Thank you so much. We'll continue to check in with you, of course, throughout the hour.
Straight ahead on LIVE FROM, new video from Mississippi as Katrina leaves more destruction on her path through the state.
Don't go away. More LIVE FROM right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: You're looking at amazing pictures. We actually have been showing you this videotape of the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the day.
We've been hearing so much about the number of rescues. All the people who were caught in these frightening and sometimes dangerous situations by Hurricane Katrina, well, in many instances, got rescued by the Coast Guard. Just like this.
These dramatic pictures are out of Pascagoula, Mississippi, last night. It's near the Mississippi-Alabama border. A U.S. Coast Guard crew had to hoist a number of people off the grand to safety. And they were apparently stranded by the storm, until the Coast Guard got there.
Katrina's wind gusts topped 110 miles an hour in Pascagoula and took the roof off at a nearby high school. And we're just getting word from the Coast Guard right now. The Coast Guard coming out and saying that Coast Guard crews have assisted in the rescue of about 1,200 people so far stranded by high water in New Orleans on Monday, and thousands more rescued on Tuesday.
We're told that the Coast Guard said that the storm also set adrift oil drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. So they were rescuing people off these oil rigs.
Helicopters from air stations along the Gulf of Mexico, Cape Cod -- Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, they all flew rescue missions into the hard-hit areas, including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. We even showed you some the video right there.
Rescue boats from the Coast Guard, hazardous material, disposal teams, aid to navigation teams and disaster assistance relief teams all coordinating to help respond to individuals that desperately need the help right now. But the number just came across, 1,200 people stranded so far. The U.S. Coast Guard made rescues, that many.
Absolutely amazing. And they're still going on right now. The Coast Guard still making those rescues and still looking for a number of people that are missing since Katrina hit.
Well, our Gary Tuchman is in Bay City St. Louis right now. I'm sorry, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, right now. And as you know, that's on the Gulf Coast, near the Louisiana border.
We were seeing some pretty incredible pictures via his videophone, but he now joins us on the phone. We were having a hard time connecting with him.
Give us some more information, Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're learning some unusual information. This is something we haven't heard very often covering disasters over the years.
But officials here in Hancock County, Mississippi, which is the southwestern most coastal part of the state, are telling us they need help at their local hospital. The Hancock County Medical Center, which is in Bay St. Louis, we are told has more than 100 injured people, probably more than that.
And we're being told that there's not enough doctors and nurses to help out. They are asking for any doctors and nurses in the area.
They don't want everyone driving into this area, because it's very hard to get here. But they would appreciate any help they can get from medical personnel who can help out in the Hancock Medical Center in Bay St. Louis.
We are being told by the emergency management authorities here in Hancock County that they do unfortunately have a good deal of fatalities. That's the way they characterize it.
Many fatalities, they say. They don't want to give an exact number, partly because they don't know. But they are telling us, sadly, that what they have to do at this point is they are going house to house.
When they've found people who have not survived this hurricane, they're putting black paint on their house because they cannot pick up everyone right now, because they don't have the refrigerated vehicles that they need. They will be coming in later.
They also are telling us they're putting red paint on homes where there are injured people, people they will come back to. And you may be wondering why it's so hard to get to these people. What's happening is a lot of these homes are in deep water now.
So they're asking injured people who are well enough to stay put. When they come back, they're putting black paint on some of the homes of the people who have passed away.
We want to emphasize again that most, a great, great majority of people are fine. They just can't get in touch with you, if you're worried about it. But there are some fatalities, and they're having to deal with that very sad duty right now here in Hancock County, Mississippi -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, Gary, just as you're telling us about this in Hancock County, this is coming across the wires right now. According to Reuters, this is coming out of Biloxi, Mississippi.
The report says that hundreds of people may have been killed by Hurricane Katrina in the Mississippi Gulf Coast city of Biloxi after being trapped in their homes when a 30-foot storm surge came ashore. We've been talking a lot about the destruction out of Biloxi, we've been seeing the reports from our Rob Marciano and Randi Kaye, talking to families and hearing the personal stories on how this storm has devastated them.
Now we're getting word that they are saying hundreds, up to hundreds of people have been killed since this storm hit Biloxi. Other information saying that if you remember Camille, when Camille came through there, there were 200 people that were killed. And they say they're looking at a lot more victims now, referring to the hurricane that has hit this area of Biloxi, Mississippi.
We'll continue to track those numbers as they come across the wires and as our reporters, of course, bring them to us.
Well, straight ahead, from the French Quarter, to the sights of the New Orleans Jazz Festival, how are the landmarks of the Crescent City holding up? We're going to take a closer look at that coming up on LIVE FROM.
Also later, Katrina's four-legged victims. The family pet facing the floodwaters. We're going to talk about that and the exotic beasts at the world famous zoo.
An update on all those coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: This videotape just in to CNN. It's an actual rescue that just took place minutes ago in New Orleans, Louisiana. As we've been reporting, the United States Coast Guard just taking on a tremendous mission during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
And right now, you are seeing one of more than 1,000 rescues the U.S. Coast Guard has taken part in. This coming -- not quite sure where this victim was trapped, this individual in the basket coming up into the helicopter there. I'm being told that possibly she was trapped on top of her roof because of floodwaters. She wasn't able to get out of her home or get to safety.
So here you are, you're seeing it, just moments ago, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the United States Coast Guard coming in, making another dramatic rescue of an individual that was trapped atop their homes there within the floodwaters.
Not quite sure where this is in New Orleans. I'll try to bring you a neighborhood or area. But I can tell you, as we watch this videotape, as we watch this rescue with the U.S. Coast Guard, that according to our reports now out of Washington, that the U.S. Coast Guard is saying that they have assisted in the rescue of about 1,200 people within the past 24 hours, people that have been stuck in high water like this, people that have needed -- actually had no way to get out.
I mean, take a look at these homes. As the water rises -- here you go again. Here's the Coast Guard reaching another family right now. You can see them on top of the roof of their house -- well, it might not be their home, it could be someone else's home. Because, as you can see, so many of the homes in this neighborhood are completely submerged, under water.
And as the waters continue to rise -- we can actually hear the pilot talking, I'm told. Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's got a towel wrapped around her head. Unknown if that's a bandage of some type. Very possible. She's holding -- and now she is away in this litter basket.
Again, you can see -- I want to push in tight here. You can see that grip that she's got on that basket, just holding on for life.
Again, this family, extremely calm. Doing very well through this rescue, maintaining calm. It becomes very difficult for these rescuers to do their operations and get these people to safety when they're flailing about or panicking like they often do in water rescues.
One of the rescue swimmer's most difficult task in water rescues is when people are in the water, they want to fight. They're fighting and they're near drowning. And these types of calm activities really makes their job a whole lot easier. PHILLIPS: Actually, we were not hearing the pilot. We're actually hearing the reporter that's actually telling us what's going on here within this rescue.
Unbelievable pictures. The United States Coast Guard here. Thousands of people, they're having to come in and rescue, as the waters continue to rise. This is New Orleans, Louisiana.
And this woman, with a towel wrapped around her head, obviously had some type of injury possibly. Coast Guard coming in just in time to take these people up one by one, plucking them up within the litter basket.
You know, this what the United States Coast Guard trains for. Their specialty -- its specialty is search and rescue. They've got specialty divers, swimmers and pilots that take these helios into situations just like this with the purpose of search and rescue.
So the Coast Guard being able to carry out what it trains for on a regular basis, one by one, as these families and these individuals are trapped atop their rooftops as the water continue to rise in New Orleans, Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina hit this area, devastating this neighborhood. It's devastated the state. But this is just one neighborhood hit really hard as we watch the Coast Guard go in and rescue these family members.
And it's interesting. The reporter did say it's incredible to see how calm these family members are remaining. You'll see them -- let's watch it, again, once again.
One by one, they have to patiently wait atop the rooftop and get into this basket. Obviously, only room for one adult. It might be possible to bring an adult and a child.
But as we watch this basket make its way over to another area, let's see where it's headed to.
You know, it's amazing, too, is you've got to control this litter basket while hovering sometimes, you know, within less than a number of feet. I wish I could even tell how far up that helio is from where they're making these rescues.
But they've got to hover, and they've got to bring that basket in, guide that basket in. You've got downed power lines, you've got debris, you've got trees. And they're trying to get it there into these remote locations to pluck these individuals out of these high- threat situations.
You can see a member of the Coast Guard -- and my guess is, that's one of the search and rescue swimmers there, on top of that roof, guiding in the litter basket to rescue, one by one, these victims. Let's listen again to the reporter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He quickly gets into that basket. He's wasting no time. He wants to get out of there. The thumbs up for the rescue swimmer. Big smile on the gentleman's face. And away he goes. Big smiles, all the way up. He looks like he's enjoying this. We're hoping it won't spin for him here. Making its way back up to the S-60 helicopter.
PHILLIPS: As we watch these dramatic pictures, once again, the United States Coast Guard, one by one, rescuing these flood victims out of a New Orleans, Louisiana, neighborhood.
Joining me by phone now, Lieutenant Commander Jeff Carter, U.S. Coast Guard, coming to us out of D.C., the headquarters there in D.C.
Commander Carter, it's incredible to watch this videotape. I mean, this is exactly what you train for. This is exactly what the Coast Guard swimmers and rescue teams take pride in.
LT. CMDR. JEFF CARTER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Absolutely, Kyra. Homeland security means keeping our people safe and secure from all threats. And so we're working closely with all the other agencies to try to identify opportunities to get people out of harm's way.
PHILLIPS: Now, how many -- I'm reading various wire copy. And I'm hearing that up to this date, up to today, to this hour, that the U.S. Coast Guard has rescued about 1,200 people. Is that number right or do you think it's more?
CARTER: At this point, we've rescued or assisted in the rescue of about 1,200 people who were stranded by Katrina.
PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. And as we watch this video, Commander, just kind of set the scene and tell us how the crew does this, mentally and physically. You can hover at a certain altitude, correct? And then you've got to guide the litter basket in to the victim.
And explain to our viewers how -- just what a careful process this is and all the things you have to look out for as you bring the basket in to bring these victims up one by one.
CARTER: Well, Coast Guard pilots and air crews are trained to work under some strenuous conditions. And they fly in the middle of storms, and go places where no one else can go.
But, you know, the thing to keep in mind is they're trained to do this. This is what they do for a living. This is what they love to do. It's almost a surgical procedure, if you will. They've got to identify the area, look for any obstructions that might be in the area and then work their way around that, weave in, if you will, and try to pull these people out of harm's way.
PHILLIPS: And as we watch this videotape, we watch the Coast Guard crews take these victims, one by one, from these rooftops of homes that are literally submerged. And you can see the water rising to where you can't even see these homes anymore. Tell me, what other areas has the Coast Guard moved into? I was reading that they were having to rescue individuals off drilling rigs, even, in the Gulf of Mexico? You're seeing them rescue victims above the rooftops. Where else has the U.S. Coast Guard had to go in and make rescues, Commander?
CARTER: Our rescues to date have been up and down the Gulf of Mexico, and inland where the floodwaters had come in, both in businesses and in homes.
PHILLIPS: Now, tell me if my memory serves me correctly. Usually within every crew, especially in a situation like this with search and rescue, there's a medic on board. Is that right? So if one of these individuals may be suffering an injury or a problem, you've got a medic in that helo that can tend to the victims?
CARTER: Yes, we're going to have a flight crew that consists of the pilot, the co-pilot, the flight mechanic, who's operating that hoist that you keep seeing going on up and down, and as well as the rescue swimmer. And usually one of those guys is going to be trained as the emergency medical technician that can do some initial assessments.
PHILLIPS: We're talking with Lieutenant Commander Jeff Carter out of Washington, D.C., the headquarters there for the United States Coast Guard, as we are watching just some incredible videotape of a photographer that was able to capture these rescues that have been taking place on a regular basis. The U.S. Coast Guard, going in and plucking, one by one, these victims from rooftops and other areas along the Gulf of Mexico.
Commander, as we watch this videotape and we see these rescues taking place, the Coast Guard also sending out a lot of rescue boats and hazardous materials disposal teams, in addition to a number of other teams. Why don't you tell me what the rescue boats are doing, in addition to what the helos are doing.
CARTER: Well, the helicopters are suited to getting people off rooftops, but where we can put small boats in, we're going to put those in. Also, we're going bring in their flud-punts (ph), flat- bottomed john boats, if you will. And they can get in close and try to get people who are stranded, also. So that's another element of our rescue effort. The National Strike Force -- we have three strike teams, that all three of them are in the area now to respond to any environmental releases into the water. And so -- you know -- and we're attracting seven oil rigs that -- mobile offshore oil rigs that have broken loose from their moorings. So there's a huge Coast Guard presence in the area now.
PHILLIPS: When you say environmental releases into the water, what exactly are you talking about?
CARTER: Oil spills, chemical releases, those types of things.
PHILLIPS: OK, obviously -- well, and then you've got the hazardous materials disposal teams that have been dispatched. What exactly will those teams do?
CARTER: Well, they'll assess and assist in the cleanup. You know, booming off oil that might be sheaning (ph), you know, donning the Class A suits and doing entry into areas that might have a chemical release.
PHILLIPS: Commander, as we watch these rescues take place one by one -- and the reporter pointed this out as we were listening to him sort of narrate this videotape -- you actually see this gentleman right here smiling and giving a thumb's up. No doubt he is extremely relieved to be getting the hell out of that situation. But I've got to ask you, it's tremendous to see how calm these individuals are remaining. And that, of course, makes your job a lot easier, doesn't it?
CARTER: Well, one of the things that a rescue swimmer is trained to do is to calm people when he gets on scene. I'm with the Coast Guard, I'm here to help, I'm your rescuer. And they're very effective with that. And you know, people when they're rescued smile a lot. They want to be rescued. And that's one of the joys of being in the Coast Guard, is helping people. And I've talked to rescue swimmer and pilots. The air crewmen, the boat crewmen, they all say the same thing. When someone says thank you, that makes the job worthwhile.
PHILLIPS: I've got to tell you, Commander -- and while I have you here on the air and we're looking at this videotape, I'm going to ask you right now, so stay on the line with us. I want to see if we can coordinate with you. Maybe we can talk to a swimmer that was involved in these rescues, possibly a pilot. We would really love to talk to some members of these rescue teams, if you could help us work that out.
And as we continue to watch this videotape coming into us out of New Orleans, Louisiana -- unbelievable videotape. Just one victim after another in this New Orleans neighborhood, in a very methodical and precise way, these U.S. Coast Guard teams, coming in -- search and rescue teams. You've got your pilot, your co-pilot, you've got a medic, you've got the crew members working the basket, obviously, that's coming down, and one by one, bringing these flood victims up into the helicopter.
And as we look at this videotape of these individuals that have obviously -- more than likely, lost everything inside their homes as this water rises, calmly waiting for the Coast Guard to come in and, one by one, pick them up. And Commander, you bring up a really good point about these swimmers that are obviously brought down first to sort of help each individual get in the basket and come up. They really have to play an important psychological role throughout all of this.
CARTER: Well, think the thing that's important to remember here is that, you know, the Coast Guard is part of a coordinated federal effort to support state and local -- you know, try to respond to this incident. We're working very closely with the Department of Homeland Security and the other agencies in homeland security -- most notably, FEMA -- to get these people rescued. National Guard, Coast Guard, they're the most visible right now because we're in the rescue mode.
But as this thing progresses -- this is a huge, devastating storm, the likes of which we haven't seen in quite some time. It will be a while before we know the full impact. And so, all of the federal agencies providing local support will be gearing up and have geared up to provide that support.
PHILLIPS: Lieutenant Commander Jeff Carter, U.S. Coast Guard, based out of headquarters there. Thank you so much, sir, for your time. Stay on the line with us. We want to connect with you to try, of course, and bring those incredible stories through the eyes and the voices of those that are rescuing these individuals. We'd love to follow up with you. Sir, thank you very much.
We're going to continue to watch these pictures, as the video just continues to roll, out of New Orleans, Louisiana, right now. You're watching U.S. Coast Guard, search and rescue teams and divers, help rescue these individuals, one by one.
And I'm being told, as we continue to monitor this videotape coming in to us, our Jeanne Meserve on the rooftop, I believe, of a hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Is that right, Jeanne, is that where you are?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that's right. That's where I am right now. Let me tell you a little of what I can see. I see smoke at several points around the horizon. From where we are, we have no idea what's burning, but clearly there is trouble in a couple different location. And I see a city around me that from up here looks relatively normal.
At street level, it is something completely different. I slogged through the water from our hotel over to the Superdome. And it was rising at the time that I was out there. When I left, it was about at my knees. When I came back about an hour and a half later, it was as high on my thighs. And the National Guard told us they were expecting it to go even deeper.
As we walked, we saw people, refugees, literally refugees, walking towards the Superdome. That's what they've been told to do. They are lugging plastic bags. They are pushing bins. Many of them are carrying children. All of them wanted to stop us and ask us what we knew. We couldn't tell them very much about the big picture, but advised them to get to the Superdome. That is where everybody is being gathered. Everybody who they snatch off the rooftops, as we understand it, are being taken to the Superdome.
The guy in charge there told me they had 15,000 to 20,000 people at the Superdome at this point in time. We went inside. The conditions were not too horrific. There were kids down on the football field playing football. Adults (INAUDIBLE) in some of the seats in the stadium. And then many were outside, on sort of a concourse level that's outside. When you look outside, it looked like a homeless person's encampment, which is, in fact, exactly what it is. People on cardboard. People with blankets, if they had them.
Generally, everybody seemed to be behaving themselves. I didn't see any signs of temper. I didn't see any signs of trouble. There are plenty of National Guard there. Some of them are armed. Clearly, they are concerned about what could become a security situation, with 15,000 to 20,000 people there. They're feeding them MREs. They're feeding them water. That is all they can do at this point in time. As we came back through the water, looting was beginning. I am sure it's picked up since I came back. Let me tell you just about one incident I saw. We passed a young man who had a bin. I assumed he was taking that bin, that plastic bin to the Superdome. But he sort of warily watched us go by. Then as soon as we went past, we heard the window break into a watch shop and he was taking what he could out of there. So that is -- is going on in earnest now.
People at the hotel tell me that they've heard gunshots in the vicinity. Recently, I just a saw police car making his way down the street. But the fact is, the police car and other emergency vehicles are having a very difficult time getting through the city. The water is deep. They're stalling out, too. Even those big military vehicles can only make it, I'm told, through five or six feet of water, and the water is expected to go higher than...
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PHILLIPS: OK, I think we just lost our Jeanne Meserve.
Just to kind of give you perspective here. I'll tell you what Jeanne Meserve was talking about. And then I'll talk about these pictures that you're seeing coming in right now.
First of all, the videotape that is just coming in to us, unbelievable videotape, of search and rescue teams coming in, one by one, just plucking up the flood victims there that are stranded atop their rooftops as the water continues to rise in this one neighborhood in New Orleans.
As we watched these search and rescues take place -- we just got this videotape in. It's just continuing to roll for minutes and minutes and minutes. Obviously, some of the most amazing picture we've had so far since the aftermath of the rescue operations taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana.
But Jeanne Meserve was actually talking to us via her cell phone until we lost her. She was atop a hotel in downtown New Orleans, not far from this neighborhood where we're seeing these rescues taking place. She was talking to -- actually, you can see -- look at this. You're seeing -- you're actually seeing somebody waving the white flag, to try to signal the rescue teams to come in and get him from his home there in those rising floodwaters.
OK. Now I'm being told we have David Mattingly on the phone. He's in downtown New Orleans. He might be able to pick up where we left off with Jeanne Meserve. Jeanne Meserve talking about the looting, talking about seeing smoke, some type of fire and basically some issues concerning all those thousands of people inside the Superdome, individuals that took refuge there after the hurricane hit New Orleans.
It's getting hot in there. The toilets are overflowing. There is obviously not enough help to tend to those people that are inside the Superdome, even hearing of a man that has jumped to his death inside that Superdome now. You are starting to really get a feel for the emotional toll that the aftermath is taking on these individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina.
David Mattingly, tell me exactly where you are in New Orleans.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, we're on an on ramp, normally what would be an on ramp to I-10 East to New Orleans, in the Franklin Avenue area, if any of you are familiar with New Orleans.
What we have witnessed -- this ramp has been turned into a boat launch, the Fish and Wildlife Service people for the state of Louisiana have been launching their boats from here, going block by block, still looking for people that have been trapped in their homes.
As you can see by the crowd of people behind me, there are still plenty of people in their homes needing rescues. In fact, there was a time when we could stand here on the overpass. Just when we got here, we could still hear people calling for help. We went out with one state employee, state contractor who had been out all last night. He said that at times they found themselves unprepared to break into these homes because people were trapped in their attics. They needed to cut their way out.
He described one house where they actually used a boat anchor to bang a hole through the plywood to rescue the people that were in that house.
As far as today, what we are seeing, the boats that are coming in, they're carrying people. You're seeing a lot of elderly people, a lot of people who are sick. I spoke to one woman who needs dialysis treatment very soon. I spoke to one woman. She is 88 years old. She has high blood pressure. She is laying on a piece of wood that she was laying on in the water while her husband stayed there in the floodwaters with her. She's still laying on that piece of wood. That has become a cot for her. She has a pillow under her head. We were able to give her one bottle of water, which is all we had. But that's the only treatment that she's received so far.
There are other people here, they are coming off the boats in wheelchairs. They were sitting in water that was very nearly up to their heads in some cases, rescued today.
So they were in that water all night long. And we were still seeing, if you can believe this, which just -- I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw it -- there are still people in the upper floors of some of these house, one man even sitting on his roof, that are refusing rescue because they actually have seen the water go down a few inches since this morning.
So they're looking at that as a sign of hope, but they're not realizing there may not be another boat coming their way after the water's gone, after any hope of rescue is gone. They just may still be stuck in the upper floor or on the roof of their house.
Again, I hate to sound so dire, but there are some elderly people here that are in need of medical attention. And once they come off the boats, they're being placed on this on ramp to sit in the shade. It is blazing hot out here. And there is very little shade.
So they're all sitting under the overpass. We've been -- some of them have been waiting for quite a while for some sort of vehicle to come and take them back to wherever shelter might be and that is becoming a huge issue of where can we possibly take these people -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, David Mattingly, it's not only happening there where you are as we continue to monitor these amazing pictures of the Coast Guard rescuing these flood victims one by one from their rooftops in New Orleans.
David Mattingly, as you heard, talking about the elderly in desperate need of medical supplies and attention, not getting it from where he is in downtown New Orleans.
You've also heard of thousands of people who remain huddled inside the Superdome. That's where thousands and thousands of people took refuge before the hurricane hit and still remain inside that Superdome.
As you know, there's a leaky roof. They've had problems from the inside, the outside, with regard to protecting the people there.
Dozens and dozens of people, I'm told, need medical attention. They can't get to nearby hospitals because of the rising waters.
So helping out inside the dome is a tremendous responsibility right now. You even heard from Susan Rosgen (ph), the anchor and reporter from WGNO in New Orleans, a man even jumping to his death inside the Superdome.
The emotional and physical toll that this hurricane is taking on individuals, specifically, the thousands of victims inside the Superdome, is just -- you just can't imagine it.
I'm told, too, that there are a number of registered nurses inside that Superdome, particularly with the American Ambulance Association.
Ray Bias is one of those registered nurses. He's actually joining us by phone.
Ray, are you actually inside the Superdome or on the outside?
RAY BIAS, AMERICAN AMBULANCE ASSN.: I've come out for a signal because there is no communication inside the dome by cellular phone or anything, just basically, the radios. But the Coast Guard and the National Guard are bringing all these folks here to the Superdome that are being rescued out in the community.
The population has -- I've been here since 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. And the population has swollen from 10,000 to 15,000 to probably up to 30,000 as we speak. And it's continuing to grow. We've opened up the arena, the basketball arena across from the Superdome, to try to handle some of these people. And many of them have medical problems, as I've just heard from your other reports.
We have a small first aid station with several nurses and EMTs from our company that are attempting to screen the medical personnel. The problem is that if you have a severe person, all of the hospitals are closed. They are flooded and attempting to evacuate their patients right out of this area right now.
PHILLIPS: Ray, what type of people have you had to work on? What have been some of the issues that you've actually responded to?
BIAS: We've had cuts, falls, there's been many people that are diabetic so they need dialysis, those types of things and they're getting weak. Some of those people who have been here for several days are decompensating and we're trying to find ways to get them out.
Actually, we send out about three truckloads, army truckloads, to meet -- because they can't get out of here and the ambulances can't get in, we've sent the trucks out to Causeway and I-10 to meet those ambulances to get them to Baton Rouge.
PHILLIPS: Ray, do you know...
BIAS: But there's just so many people. It reminds me of -- I'm also military so it reminds me of a refugee...
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PHILLIPS: Ray, are you still with us?
I think we lost the signal.
Ray? Can you hear me, Ray?
Oh, shoot. We lost Ray Bias. He's actually a registered nurse with the American Ambulance Association. He's been inside the Superdome treating, what he says, up to 30,000 people right now inside the Superdome. You know, it started with about 10,000 to 15,000 people when the mayor first told everybody to evacuate New Orleans and those that couldn't evacuate, he told them to go straight to the Superdome.
Now that number has doubled, according to Ray Bias, who we just talked to, a registered nurse. He's been treating a lot of people on dialysis, a lot of people with broken bones and cuts.
We even heard earlier from a reporter there in New Orleans, Susan Rosgen, a reporter and anchor at WGNO who told us about a man that even jumped to his death inside the Superdome. An emotional toll that I don't think any of us can understand unless we were there going through it.
You're also watching videotape now of the United States Coast Guard, one by one, rescuing individuals that have been trapped atop their homes there, in the high waters in New Orleans. We have a lot coming to you. New video, fresh interviews. We're continuing to follow the aftermath of the hurricane.
This wraps it up for this Tuesday addition of LIVE FROM. I'm Kyra Phillips from New York. Now Wolf Blitzer with more live in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
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