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Refugees Desperate at New Orleans Convention Center; More Dead Discovered in Debris in Biloxi; Refugees Endure Long Bus Trip to Astrodome

Aired September 01, 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: Live from New York, our coverage continues now, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, getting out, getting in, getting help and getting by. Simple, yet fiendishly difficult objectives in the impossible aftermath of Katrina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILDREN CHANTING: We want help! We want help! We want help!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Trapped in New Orleans, flood victims with nowhere to go, no way to get there, nothing to sustain them while they wait. Little or nothing separating life from death. You can see by these pictures. And CNN crews report that many, many dead and dying surrounding New Orleans convention center, lying on the street, falling where they stand. In one case, getting in a wheelchair, pushed up against a wall.

And in the utter absence of help and hope, anger and violence, so much that rescue workers told CNN they were ordered by FEMA to stand down operations using boats. Bush administration now denies that's the case. Tens of thousands of National Guard and active duty forces are on their way, but the troops there now, for the most part, are overwhelmed, out of sight or both.

For the latest on the incredibly dire conditions in New Orleans, let's get straight to CNN Producer Kim Segal outside of the New Orleans convention center. She joins us by phone.

Kim, tell us what you're seeing.

KIM SEGAL, CNN PRODUCER: Actually, Kyra, I'm down the block. I cannot see the convention center. I've just been told by no one official, mind you, but people here believe that they're supposed to walk now to the overpass, which is right next to the convention center, and buses will be picking them up. They're starting to walk. I don't know where that information came from. They believe it and that's where they're going, so hopefully, that's true.

PHILLIPS: So, you are actually getting information that the people that have been lined up outside the convention center are getting help, that there are buses on the way to get them out of there? SEGAL: Well, not exactly. I don't know where these people got that information. There was no one official down there when I was down there just a little while ago, so I don't know if a rumor started and they're all starting to walk or if somebody official came down and said, start walking to I-10. Buses are going to meet you. They believe buses are going to meet them there so, hopefully, they are.

PHILLIPS: Yeah, let's hope that that is somebody that truly is in some form of leadership and is giving them proper information.

Meanwhile, we continue to look at these pictures, Kim, that Chris Lawrence fed into us not long ago, just of thousands of people outside that convention center. What do you know about the body count right now? We've seen some really disturbing pictures of dead people there lying on the side of the street. Have you been able to confirm numbers?

SEGAL: No, I mean, I can only tell you what we saw and we saw, we saw two bodies. We were told where others were. We didn't want to see anymore. So, I don't know how many.

Can I tell you, though, what else we saw were people who were on the verge of dying. I mean, there are very sick people having seizures. There's a lot of people diabetics, people needing dialysis treatment. These people are in real need of some kind of at least medical treatment, they're the ones who are really critical.

PHILLIPS: A lot of people have been calling in wanting to make contact with friends, loved ones I guess if there's one thing, one positive thing coming from these disturbing pictures, that is individuals can actually see maybe possibly see a relative or a friend or a loved one as we continue to roll this videotape.

SEGAL: Kyra, while we were walking down the street, everybody wanted to be on camera. They wanted their picture taken. You know, we took as many pictures as we could. We also took a few phone numbers for a few people.

But that's the only way, yes, you're going to probably hear from your loved one is to look at the pictures because, as you know, there are pay phones in this town are working. The thing is, you need an 800 number and a special credit card to get out. People on the street can't pick up the phone and dial to get out.

PHILLIPS: What about the looting, Kim? Yesterday, you were telling us about constant looting that was taking place. Are you still seeing that? Has that settled down at all?

SEGAL: Yeah. I think we need to start defining looting now, because the people who are just taking the clothes and taking the shoes, that's all seems to be over with. What happened today near the convention center, there's a store there. And they broke in to get the water. That's why you see in these pictures people actually drinking water and juices and stuff. And they broke into a convenience store.

The bad news about that is, that store there had liquor. And some of the rowdier folks and there are families down there, so it's not the majority. And they're drinking liquor and that never makes for a good situation.

PHILLIPS: That is definitely true. Kim Segal, one of our producers making her way to the convention center where you've been seeing these pictures, Kim, thank you so much.

As the recovery efforts continue along the Mississippi Coast, the death toll from the storm continues to climb. We've been talking a lot about that and survivors are beginning to wonder when more help will arrive.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is standing by for us now in Biloxi, Mississippi, to give us an update from there.

Ted, we've been talking so much about New Orleans, but we can't forget Mississippi. And what people are dealing with there and it's just a -- it's still a major part of this disaster.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPODENT: Sure. It's a heartbreaking situation here in Mississippi. Not only in Biloxi but along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but I got to tell you, it pales in comparison as to what is happening in New Orleans.

It is calm here. There is some disappoint, but it is just frustration. It is nowhere near the unrest that is happening in New Orleans and there are signs here that the help has arrived. The National Guard arrived here last night and this morning and their presence has been felt not only in Biloxi, but in these other smaller towns.

This is a huge endeavor to go out and find people that need the help because they are spread out. And they are in a horrible situation. Most of the structures along the coast have been completely demolished, leaving people stranded. And that has been the case now for three days.

We are seeing evidence that help is on the way and has arrived. Medical facilities are up. And they continue to search for people that are potentially in harm's way. They're hoping to find signs of life. That has not been the case in most of the situations. They are finding more bodies. But it is a systematic progress that is taking time, but it is at least progress and a clear -- in clear contrast to what is happening in New Orleans at this hour -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Ted, I want to ask you, are you seeing the same type of disturbing images that we've been seeing out of New Orleans? Are you seeing dead bodies? Are you seeing people that are not getting help that have nowhere to go? And, I mean, literally, that's what we're seeing on the streets of New Orleans. We're seeing the bodies. We're seeing these individuals that just have run out of options.

ROWLANDS: The clear difference is that the bodies that are coming are turning up here, these are folks in a have been dead since the storm hit. They were killed most likely soon after Katrina ravaged this area. And they are in areas where they have to be found, in houses. And they have to be searched out. So it isn't bodies on the streets. And this is spread out.

New Orleans is one concentrated area. We're talking about over 100 miles of shoreline that was hit and devastated, but just small pockets. The majority of these people did evacuate, so the ones that tried to whether this, the ones that thought Katrina would be no match for them are the ones that suffered and the ones that died. Now, it's a matter of finding them; finding those that did survive but now have no home, no electricity and no water.

But a vast difference, a clear difference from what's happening up in New Orleans. This is spread out. It will be a long time before recovery can set in here and it's a different but difficult task that authorities are under way -- that is under way here.

PHILLIPS: Ted Rowlands, live from Biloxi, Mississippi. Thanks, Ted.

In another scene of unbelievable chaos being played out right now is at the New Orleans Superdome, but at least people there are getting help, if slowly. Hundreds if not the thousands of people have fled the revolting conditions inside the dome for the main concourse outside. They're angry, they're dirty. They're exhausted; all waiting to be evacuated by bus to Houston's astrodome.

Hundreds of refugees already have arrived in Houston. Thousands more are on the way. CNN's Keith Oppenheim is there now and joins us live -- Keith?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. There are about 2,000 people inside the Astrodome right now. And an hour ago, I got a chance to go inside and see it for myself. And already, there's plenty of activity.

We didn't get a chance and really, we weren't allowed to speak to the refugees themselves on the floor. Instead, officials here took us up to the ninth floor and we got a peek down on what was going on. And you could see lots of people setting up cots. They're looking at message boards. And there's plenty of security in there at this point. But I can say from my observations, that it's not a place that I think anyone would want to be living in for a long time.

On a different point, phone services are being provided free by SBC Communications and this is an important point. The Red Cross is urging that people who are stranded, are waiting for calls or want to reconnect with their families wait for calls from Texas, rather than call in here and jam the phone lines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGARET MOLINA, RED CROSS: We have increased our phone bank right now so that these people who are inside have the ability right now to call out. Please anticipate a phone call from your relative. Do not call in.

Because it's overwhelming phone lines in many, many places for many agencies that would like to be able to help. Then, at Red Cross, I can't even call in to get information because the lines are overwhelmed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: One thing we really didn't expect was how slow it would be for the buses to come from Louisiana. It's been so gradual that now, officials are talking about other ways of getting evacuees from one dome to the next, possibly by flights or by train.

We've had a chance to speak to evacuees, but only those who did not come from the Superdome, but those who came to Houston by other means. But they did give us a sense of the ordeal they had of escaping the devastation in Louisiana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just disgusted right now. My head is killing me. I'm just stressed out right now. I'm tired. I need a bed. I need a bath. I'm just overdue for everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: You can get a sense obviously, there, Kyra, of the despair that man is going through.

Now, on the inside, it's certainly and orderly scene, but we heard some interesting comments at the news conference, just in the past half hour, from the mayor of Houston as well as the sheriff.

The mayor saying this operation will be run with rules. People who come in are being screened for drugs, alcohol and weapons. The sheriff indicated that there have already been a couple of arrests saying that there were some men who were found in the women's showers and they had to be removed.

So, obviously, there's all kinds of opportunity for bad behavior in a situation like this. And the police are trying to stay on top of it.

I saw perhaps 2,000 cops which nearly covered the Astroturf area of the floor, Kyra. It's just hard to imagine how they would fit 25,000 people here but that's what they say is the capacity for sleeping. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. All right, Keith Oppenheim, thank you so much. We'll continue to check in with you and talk more about the individuals there seeking refuge in Houston, Texas.

Just coming across to me, a statement given to CNN, by the mayor of New Orleans. You know, we've been talking about all that chaos in New Orleans and the convention center and the dead bodies outside the convention center. Those awful pictures that we've been seeing. Our Chris Lawrence telling us about it and feeding us in the images.

We're now getting this quote. The statement given to CNN by the mayor of New Orleans, quote: "This is a desperate S.O.S. Right now, we are out of resources at the convention center and don't anticipate enough buses. Currently, the convention center is unsanitary and unsafe and we are running out of supplies for 15 to 20,000 people. We are not allowing people to march. They'll be marching up the Crescent City connection to the West Bank expressway to find relief." They'll be marching up the Crescent City connection to the West Bank Expressway to find relief.

Now, it's interesting because we were getting word from Kim Segal, our producer there on the streets of New Orleans, that possibly there were going to be buses waiting for these individuals at the convention center. And she said that people were actually starting to march to an area close to I-10 there to wait for these buses that were allegedly coming.

Now we're getting this statement here from the mayor of New Orleans, saying that this is a desperate S.O.S. Right now, they are out of resources. The convention center don't anticipate enough buses. Once again, they do not anticipate enough buses to get the people that desperately need help out of that area. Currently, he says: "The convention center is unsanitary, unsafe and we're running out of supplies for 15,000 to 20,000 people. We are now allowing people to march. They'll be marching up the Crescent City connection to the West Bank Expressway to find relief."

Well, what kind of relief they're going to find as they march to that area, it's still unclear. The mayor saying that they don't anticipate having enough buses for 15,000 to 20,000 people. And now, I'm seeing that we're getting ready, obviously, for a news conference.

We're expecting the president of the United States, along with his father and former president Bill Clinton, to step up to the mikes, to talk about a massive relief effort, something similar to what they did in response to the tsunami that took so many people's lives. You can see the live picture there, as the crews are getting ready and setting up for the various presidents to speak -- president and former presidents to speak. So we'll take that live as soon as it happens.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the screen, you're seeing the videotape that we have been bringing in from New Orleans, Louisiana. And you know, it's really hard to understand, I guess, the truth in all of this. Because we see the pictures, we talk with our reporters, we see these thousands of people that are desperate. We are seeing people now dying on the streets of New Orleans -- dead bodies there along the streets of New Orleans.

Yet, we brought you the news conference with the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, its chief, along with other leaders within the government saying, be patient. We've got a lot of resources. We're putting them out there. We've got military police coming. We have Air National Guard. We have National Guard. Troops heading to your area. Be patient. We have help coming.

But then, we get this statement from the mayor of New Orleans just moments ago saying this is a desperate S.O.S. So you've got individuals in the government saying, look, we're going to have it under control, everything's going to be OK. We're dispatching and deploying everything that we have. Yet, you see this videotape and you see the dead bodies now and you're hearing about the body count and the devastation. And you're hearing from people that say we're just not getting enough help.

And now we're getting think this e-mail -- this statement, rather, from the mayor of New Orleans, a statement given to CNN, that this is a desperate S.O.S. "Right now, we are out of resources at the convention center and don't anticipate enough buses. Currently, the convention center is unsanitary and unsafe and we're running out of supplies for 15,000 to 20,000 people. We're not allowing people or -- we are now allowing people to march. They'll be marching up the Crescent City Connection to the West Bank Expressway to find relief."

What kind of relief we don't know, but we are just getting in new video, once again out of New Orleans. You see these aerials that we're getting in via helicopter there in New Orleans, once again showing the devastation, as we continue to wait for the president of the United States along with his father, former President Bush, in addition to former President Bill Clinton. Evidently, they will be coming together and talking about a massive relief effort that they are working on, a strategy that they are working on, very similar to what they did in response to the tsunami disaster that we saw, of course, within the past year.

So, it's really hard to say. It's really hard to say what exactly we know for sure when it comes down to the response to this disaster. We are seeing the pictures. We are hearing from the people. They're in New Orleans and also in Mississippi, also in Alabama, saying we need more help. We're desperate.

Now we're hearing and seeing pictures out of New Orleans that we have not seen until today, and that's videotape of dead bodies on the street. And the mayor now giving -- the mayor of New Orleans issuing a statement to CNN, saying this is a desperate S.O.S. Right now we're out of resources. We can't handle the 15 to 20,000 people that are at the convention center.

So now they're allowing people to march. I have a feeling we're going to start seeing videotape. That will be the next -- the next round of pictures that we see, coming from this helicopter and coming from cameras on the ground. And that will be thousands of people marching out of New Orleans, desperately seeking relief.

I'm told now that we've got our Joe Johns, congressional correspondent Joe Johns, on the Hill with us. Joe, we're waiting, obviously, for the president and his father and former president Bill Clinton to step up to the mikes with a live news conference to tell us their plan, their strategy, to respond to this disaster.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For sure. And we're getting some indication of what's going on here from Capitol Hill, too, Kyra. We are being told the House and the Senate are expected to come back into session either tonight or possibly tomorrow to try to pass, by unanimous consent, a $10 billion request to keep FEMA operating in light ever the disaster south of Washington. Of course, the House and the Senate have been at the end of a long recess here on Capitol Hill, were not expected to come back into session until next Tuesday. Now, we're told, a small number of members of the Senate and the House are expected to come back to try to pass this $10 billion request.

Of course, there had been some pressure behind the scenes on this issue. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader over on the House side, having said just yesterday that she thought they needed to come back into session immediately to handle this situation or to at least address it. Initially, the speaker of the House resisted that, said they would be able to do that at a later time. Now the indication is, from a source in the House and a source in the Senate, among others, that the House and the Senate together are going to try to pass this $10 billion bill to keep FEMA operating.

It is interesting because we were told as recently as yesterday that FEMA did have enough money in the bank, at least over the short term, around $2 billion or more. But now, clearly, people here in Washington indicating much more will be needed. We're also being told, of course, the White House will be making a $10 billion request, essentially as the first installment of what is expected to be many to try to help the victims of this disaster -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: So, Joe, I have to ask you, too. We're talking about $10 billion. That's a lot of money, obviously. Where does the money come from? What areas? Within, you know, what budgets? I mean, how do you get $10 billion? Especially in a time when there are so many cuts and so many people struggling to get funds for various efforts, including the war on terrorism. How do you get $10 billion?

JOHNS: Certainly, that's a very good question. Obviously, it comes from the United States Treasury. Which parts of the budget, that remains to be seen. But from time to time, when there are emergencies of this nature, the Congress of the United States has done a remarkable job of coming up with the money to fund measures like this one. Of course, this would be badly needed. And everyone realizes $10 billion, while it certainly sounds like an enormous sum to all of us, doesn't necessarily suggest that's all the money that's going to be needed to handle this by any means -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, and Joe, let me ask you this, also -- considering the magnitude of this disaster, you would think that every single political leader would come back to address this and to deal with this. You're saying only a few have come back from the Senate and the House. I would think that every single political leader should come back and be dealing with this.

JOHNS: Simple question of logistics there. They do realize that, obviously, a lot of members of Congress would like to be here for this. But as you talk to some Democrats suggesting they're going to try to pass it tonight, some other people in the House of Representatives, including Ron Bonjean, the press secretary for the speaker of the house, saying it's more likely to be tomorrow.

You have to realize there are people in the United States Congress who are all over the world at the end of this recess, and it would be very difficult for some of them in some of the most far-flung places to be able to make their way back here to Washington on such short notice. You also have people just in other time zones, from here to California, might be very difficult for them to get back.

Considering all that, the leadership talking about being reasonable now, and figuring out a way to pass some emergency legislation as quickly as possible, realizing people are all over the world -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You know, Joe, of course, something that you know very well, considering your law degree and many a times I go live to you there on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, next week, the confirmation hearings are supposed to take place. John Roberts, of course, will be taking questions. I understand those hearings are still going to go forward. Is that true?

JOHNS: Certainly, everything we've been told is that they are going to go forward. Frankly, today is a very busy day behind the scenes on Capitol Hill, because people like myself are going to briefings with staff or the Republicans, the Democrats, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York gave a speech today. All of this in advance of the confirmation hearings scheduled to start next Tuesday, and everyone we've talked to has said this thing is going forward.

Chuck Schumer made the case today that, while obviously, we have a very bad situation right now in New Orleans and Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, he also says as far as the Supreme Court goes, this is a person who could potentially affect the course of the country over generations, and they think it's important enough to get on with it, quite frankly, because it's a long process.

The administration has indicated they do want to try to have John Roberts on the Supreme Court by October 3rd, and there's just not a lot of time to fit in the hearings, to fit in everything else that has to be done, including a vote on the Senate floor, to try to meet that schedule. So, they say right now, at least, they're still planning on going forward with it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK. Joe Johns, of course, telling us kind of two-fold there that the confirmation hearings still set to go forward next week. John Roberts, as you know, could be the next member of the U.S. Supreme Court, if all goes well during those confirmation hearings. Joe also telling us now about a $10 billion request that members of the House and Senate have come back early to vote on in support of FEMA. Joe telling us they had about $2 million in the bank. Joe, is that right, you said they had about $2 million in the bank? Right?

JOHNS: With a B, $2 billion with a B, we were told.

PHILLIPS: Two billion in the bank, got it, and obviously, not enough to handle the disaster right now. So, Joe, thank you so much. Joe telling us now a $10 billion request to support FEMA. Looking at live pictures right now, we're expecting the governor of Louisiana.

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO, LOUISIANA: I'm here to tell you that evacuation efforts at the dome are going to continue.

PHILLIPS: Actually, are we going to take this? All right. We're going to go ahead and take this news conference now. Let's listen in.

BLANCO: ...and in the days to come. The dome is secure. It's under control. Hundreds of buses, hundreds of buses, hundreds of buses, are heading to New Orleans. Many of them are there.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll continue to monitor, obviously, the governor of Louisiana there as she addresses what's happening in New Orleans. But we want to take you now straight to the White House. You know these three men. Lets listen in and see what they have to say about responding to this natural disaster.

(INSERT BUSH SPEECH)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've brought them up to date on what I know...

PHILLIPS: Waiting to see if former president Clinton or former President Bush make -- OK, they're not going to make any comments.

But you heard it right there, live from the White House the president of the United States side by side with his father, the former president, also former president Bill Clinton. You'll remember, when the three of those men strategized, they came together to do a massive fund-raising effort to respond to the tsunami disaster. They're going to do the same type of thing now here in the United States to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The president saying that he has continually been on the phone with the head of FEMA, with the head of the Department of Homeland Security, with fed chair Alan Greenspan, talking about the economic effects, talking about getting fuel and oil back and forth, even with the downed pipelines so that gas would not be an issue for Americans right now.

And saying that now, this nationwide fund-raising effort that will be spearheaded by former President Bush, the president's father, and former president Bill Clinton, will start to take place now, and the money raised will go to all the various agencies responding to this natural disaster.

The president also taking a moment to emphasize the Red Cross and how, if you want to give money now, if you want to write a check, the Red Cross is in desperate need of that help and that's the agency that you should donate to.

We'll continue to follow the nationwide fund-raising effort on behalf of the two former presidents there under the guidance of the president of the United States.

Now, before that news conference happened, we were listening in to another news conference that was taking place on behalf of the governor of Louisiana. And we were not able to bring that to you live, because we brought you, of course, the president of the United States. So, let's listen now to exactly what the governor of Louisiana had to say when she addressed the press.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO, LOUISIANA: Our biggest concern is ground transportation. That is our focus. That is what everyone in the field continues to express over and over. We need ground transportation to get the evacuees out. We need to get them to shelter. We need to get them to food. We need to get them to a safer environment.

There are hundreds of law enforcement officers being deployed into New Orleans today to restore order. Looting and other lawlessness will not be tolerated. I have instructed all of our law enforcement personnel at the state and local level to strictly enforce Louisiana laws and to use necessary force.

There are 4,000 National Guard troops currently deployed to the New Orleans region. More are on the way, and will enable Louisiana Guard members to assume greater law enforcement roles. We now have some 1,200 that are scheduled to arrive over today and tomorrow. A grand total of 1,200. I mean, 12,000, excuse me. Let me correct myself. We will have a grand total of over 12,000 members of the National Guard. And they should be in place by tomorrow. They're coming from all over the country. State after state after state is contacting me, and we have put a call out.

Because of the magnitude of the situation, and because communities outside of New Orleans who are receiving the evacuees have oftentimes doubled in size overnight or in three days, I'm asking for National Guard assistance there and for troops.

I've actually asked for uniformed troops of any sort. But our first request went to the National Guard. I have just gotten word that we will be getting all of the troops we need as long as we need. They will continue to pour into the state. I've asked for no less than 40,000. But if we hit the 40,000 mark and still feel like we need more we will get them.

Today, about 200 military police officers are arriving for deployment in New Orleans. And, again, hundreds more are on the way.

Reinforcements have arrived. 250 police officers are being deployed to New Orleans today. 170 of those are Louisiana State Troopers.

There are several law enforcement agencies from around the country that have arrived to give our troopers assistance in quelling the civil unrest in the city. Troopers are arriving from Texas, Arkansas and Kentucky at the present time. Sheriff's deputies are coming from as far away as Michigan. They have been issued an oath of office and now have arrest powers in the state of Louisiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Interesting. I'm taking notes here. Writing down as quickly as I can to bring you sort of a recap here. You were just listening to Louisiana's governor Kathleen Blanco. She was -- OK, got it -- she was talking about basically the civil unrest in New Orleans and trying to let people know that help is on the way in massive proportions.

These are the numbers that I wrote down. She said by tomorrow, 12,000 National Guard troops. She said Louisiana State Troopers on the way. Other police officers from around the U.S. are coming in from Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky. And even sheriff's deputies from Michigan are coming in to help. And she said all of these individuals, no matter what state they're coming from, will have arrest powers.

Now, I mentioned the National Guard and the military presence that is there and is responding. Well, on the line we have with us now Lieutenant General Russel Honore. You've probably heard his name quite a bit. Department of Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, along with the other main players, including the president and also the secretary of Defense, they have also mentioned his name. And that's because he's the one overseeing this massive effort with regard to getting troops on the ground.

Sir, can you hear me OK?

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, COMMANDER FIRST U.S. ARMY: Yes, I can hear you.

PHILLIPS: Wonderful. General, thank you so much for speaking with us. Why don't you go ahead and tell me where you are right now and what you're dealing with. And then we'll get into some more specifics about the military responding to the crisis right now.

HONORE: I'm in Baton Rouge to update the priorities from Director Brown and the governor. And we will assist in the planning of the search and rescue effort as well as the effort to bring food and water those that need it. And the evacuation of the citizens of New Orleans to points in Houston and other places to be determined as we move the citizens to Houston -- over.

PHILLIPS: And, Sue -- or, sir, I have got to ask you, we have been seeing some really dramatic videotape come in within the past hour-and-a-half. And we're seeing dead bodies on the street in New Orleans, people that just are not getting their medication, do not have the resources to survive.

How are you going to respond, sir, to the dead bodies? Because I'm sure what we have been seeing thus far is just a small number of the dead that are out there.

HONORE: Well, I'd just like to qualify a bit the observation. And it's a sad thing to see and it hurts all our heart that this has happened.

But, in some cases, some of the people perished as a result of the flooding. And those that could, we found. And all the people you see at the Superdome and at other locations in New Orleans is a success story that their life was saved.

In some cases, people couldn't get out in time. And this caused a lot of -- perish. And it is a sad sight to see. And we are pushing hard now, with hundreds of buses collecting people from New Orleans and moving them out of that area to a safer, a secure, and a more healthier environment. And we have got the big push going now with the buses that the -- I'm sure the governor spoke to earlier.

And within a short period of time, we will have air and the possibility of rail opening. But all it is, the weather had a vote. The storm had a vote, and now we're responding. And that takes a little time. And our effort has been search-and-rescue and evacuating the sick. We evacuated over 600 patients by helicopters yesterday. And these were patients who need steady care, ambulatory care. Many of them are on support.

That was done yesterday. We're continuing that effort today. But there is still a lot of work left to do. But we're building capacity every day. We added two more battalions of helicopters within the last 24 hours. We had the Bataan ship right off the coast of Biloxi. And we're having an aircraft carrier and an (INAUDIBLE) So, we're building the capability. It takes time to get here.

And, again, the fact that the levee broke created a phase two (INAUDIBLE) disaster, when that created high water in places where people had initially thought they were safe. And Mother Nature had the higher hand in setting this condition.

We're responding as fast as we can. And it's an enormous challenge. And the effort by the people who are doing this and the patience of the people around the Superdome to -- and elsewhere in New Orleans, because it's not just the Superdome. It's other places. We still have people in the higher parts of apartments that we are trying to get to. And the search-and-rescue is a priority of both governors in Mississippi and Alabama.

And there's an equal effort going on in Mississippi. If you look at this map, the coastline of Mississippi has been described probably to most people as being destroyed. And that sector goes up almost from coast to coast in Mississippi up into about two miles off the coast. Most buildings are destroyed or will never be the same again.

North of that, from Hattiesburg north to I-20, you have a lot of buildings that are damaged. But that entire Mississippi area can be described as a larger area of operation, where we have citizens waiting and to be evacuated. And many of them are staying in place and we're getting water and food to them. But we still have a massive search-and-rescue effort, as many of the roads, secondary roads, in Mississippi had been cut because of trees falling on them as a result of the storm.

So, we have got a bigger area of operation in Mississippi, and we are pushing more helicopters in there, more search-and-rescue. And, as we speak, the first-responders and the National Guard in Mississippi is -- have a direction. And they're moving to solving that, clearing the roads. And the power companies are coming in. And FEMA is building the supplies. It takes time. And...

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: General, I hope you -- General, I have got to ask you this question. And I'm listening to you as a soldier and what you're doing. But I also know the personal side.

This is your homeland. This is where you're from. This is where you were raised. I'm curious. Have you suffered any loss within your family and friends? And, as you deal with this, your own homeland, what's going through your mind and your heart? As you're the lead -- the lead person to respond to this, with regard to the military, how is this for you personally, sir?

HONORE: Well, my daughter lives in New Orleans. And she currently was on holiday weekend in Florida. And I think the place she lives is quite flooded. And we are fortunate and wish everybody could have had good timing like that.

And I think the only thing we may have lost is a Volkswagen Beetle. But she's doing well, but does live and was educated in New Orleans at Loyola. So, it's a great city. But, right now, there's a lot of pain and there's hundreds of stories. Many of us from throughout Louisiana have relatives in New Orleans. And from throughout the United States, and we feel the passion to get this done as quickly as we can.

But it's a function of time, space to task. And the task is hard. The first thing we have to do is find the people. Then we have to evacuate them when we can. And, as you can see, it's not a lack of effort. It is a major task. And the -- the weather had a vote. And it changed the dynamic when the levee bust. Over.

PHILLIPS: Do you feel you have got the aircraft and the resources to respond to this?

I have got to ask you that, sir, because there's been so many questions about the response and about the supplies and the resources. Do you feel 100 percent confident that you can come into these areas and continue to save lives and rebuild these cities?

HONORE: You know, that's a very straightforward question.

And I'm not trying to bounce around it, but I will try to tell you that, if we didn't have to worry about time and space and moving things from one place to another, we would have everything here now. But a plan to get something here, we -- still takes time to do it and to get it at the right place and right time.

I mean, last night, we were only 72 hours after this storm. It took us 24 hours before we could start flying in this weather. You cannot fly a helicopter above 40-knot winds. And that has been our challenge, to get the search-and-rescue in.

We are building combat power, if I may use that word, search-and- rescue capability, by the hour. We have gone from 4,700 National Guardsmen in Louisiana last night. By the end of the day, we will have roughly 7,400, as been reported earlier by General Blum.

We started off in Mississippi last night with 2,700 National Guardsmen. And, by the end of the day, we will have approximately 6,000. We're building capability, but that takes time, remembering the roads are closed for us, too. The military have to use that same transportation network. And we have Naval ships coming in.

But, as for the Naval capability, the Mississippi River, one would visualize, why don't you just drive a ship up there? Well, that river right now is an obstacle zone, with everything from crafts that were submerged, to things that were flooded in that area. So, that river has to be cleared and reconned to a point almost looking in the river, like you would look for mines.

Once that is charted, we will be able to bring surface vessels into the city, which will give us a great capability. I have been asked, well, why we have no railroad? Again, we have to assess the rails. And that system will come online, based on a meeting I just had. And the lead federal agency, FEMA, in conjunction with the rail agency, will bring that system on line, as well as the airport.

Again, the airport is not up for commercial traffic because it had to come back and meet safety standards. And so, we are -- as of last night, 72 hours, we're moving in the right direction. And, in the next 24 hours, we will make more progress. But this is an enormous challenge. And you started this by asking about those who have perished and have lost their lives. We will get to that. That will take time.

And that is a combined effort with our National Guard troops, our first-responders, as well as other search-and-rescue assets that are flowing toward the disaster area, because this stretched literally from the west side of New Orleans all the way to the Mississippi coast. There are still search-and-rescue operations that have to take place. Over.

PHILLIPS: Lieutenant General Russel Honore, commander Joint Task Force Katrina, the man that is leading this effort to get troops in by ground and by air.

U.S. Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore, sir, thank you so much for your time. I know you have got a tremendous mission ahead of you, sir. We will keep in touch and continue to update our viewers through your words and your efforts. Sir, thank you so much. That does it for us here in New York. I'm Kyra Phillips. We will be back here tomorrow, of course.

Now, our Wolf Blitzer continues our hurricane coverage, the aftermath, in THE SITUATION ROOM.

END

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