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Rescuers Encounter Victims who Want to Stay in New Orleans. President and Laura Bush Visit Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge

Aired September 05, 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: Aid arriving in hard-hit areas. Is the help getting to the people who desperately need it? We're live from New Orleans.
New views from above of the incredible devastation. Later this hour, President Bush meets with emergency officials in Mississippi.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

One week and several hours into what the head of homeland security calls an ultra catastrophe, it's still mission critical, and then some. Security issues are as critical as ever, though the numbers finally are on the side of police and the military.

Some 38,000 National Guard troops are on the job in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The single largest mobilization to a natural disaster in U.S. history.

Disaster mortician teams are out and about in New Orleans today. Three teams of 31 experts each retrieving bodies for cataloging and if possible identification. No one has any firm idea of the death toll, though New Orleans' mayor says that 10,000 people wouldn't be unreasonable.

Through it all, the Coast Guard is still finding suffering, sick, stranded people to rescue. Homeland security estimates 17,000 lives have been saved throughout the region, twice that many have been evacuated with or without rescue. Many times that figure fled on their own and are now being cared for in a dozen or more states.

And the levees, very much works in progress. Though progress is being made both on the berms separating New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain and the pumps that eventually will de-water -- a government term -- a drowned city. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates it could be Thanksgiving before all of New Orleans is dry.

Now, a growing some -- well, a growing, some would say, puzzling obstacle would be rescuers, victims who still in spite of everything don't want to be rescued.

CNN's Nic Robertson has that and more from downtown New Orleans.

Nic, explain. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, rescuers are finding a number of things. I justed to talked to one person who had been out with a rescue team. He said they found a man in a car half-full of water.

The man didn't want to get out of his car. They had to point weapons at him to get him out. They had to break the windows to get him out of the vehicle. The man was in a state of shock.

Rescuers are finding all sorts of things, but one of the things -- the obstacles they're running into in their rescue mission is that many of the people, they're finding, in the houses they go to just don't want to leave for a variety of reasons. They're afraid about leaving their money behind, they're afraid about leaving their possessions, they don't know what they're going to do if they get transported and relocated to another state.

The deputy police chief today, Warren Riley, when talking about this said that the police do have the power to forcibly move on people. But he says at the moment they're not doing that, but they're finding the situation, the whole situation, very surprising.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN RILEY, NEW ORLEANS DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF: There are, to our surprise, still thousands of people, thousands of people that are in this city that we are trying to identify and locate. There -- unfortunately, there are some people at this point who do not want to leave the city.

We are working with them and talking to them and trying to convince them that there is absolutely nothing here for them to stay, no jobs, no food, or any reason for them to stay. So we're working with those people, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, Deputy Chief Riley also said that one of the other major challenges he described were groups of criminals he said that remained in the city, and that was a concern. He talked about security and maintaining security in the city.

He said the National Guard, federal agents would be in town as long as it was needed. He suspected that the sort of increased level of security here will be maintained for about the next seven to eight weeks.

He said that they're working well now with all the different agencies here, the FBI, the DEA, all the different agencies that have come in to help the police here. He said they're now coordinating better than they were before.

Initially there were communication problems, communication and equipment had been down. He said that is still not perfect, but it's much better than it was. He says their headquarters can now at least communicate with the team chiefs out in the fields even if they can't communicate with the individual officers -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And Nic, as we continue to talk to you there in New Orleans, we're looking at live pictures now of the first lady. As you know, she and the president have been making their rounds throughout the various states and the areas that were hardest hit.

The first lady actually coming to us live a couple days ago from a shelter in Lafayette, Louisiana. Now she is in Baton Rouge, touring shelters and meeting with various people there.

As we look at these live pictures, Nic, I want to ask you, because we continue to talk to so many of you there in New Orleans, and yet we see empty streets. We see a number of people being rescued on a continuous basis and being brought to the Louis Armstrong Airport. And we're seeing so many great stories about rescue and evacuation, but at the same time there still is so much to do within the city, not just rebuilding this city but getting power on and tending to those like you said who are still there and haven't left.

ROBERTSON: One of the very important things in allowing people -- perhaps one of the most fundamental things in allowing people to come back and restart their lives here is returning and restoring the water supplies in the city. That wouldn't happen until after the electricity has been repaired.

That would require a huge amount of checking of the filtration systems to make sure that there isn't pollution coming in from the floodwaters. So it is a huge job. We are beginning to see the sort of headends of the long trains of contractors and government officials that are going to come here and manage that.

Just last night, the Sheraton hotel, housing FEMA, switched on its lights for the first time. Another hotel now has power to it. But these are really only sort of temporary fixes. This isn't -- this isn't major power being restored to the city, and this is one of the reasons that police say we really don't need people living in the city at this time.

There's no food, no water, and no jobs for them. What is the point in staying, is what the police are saying -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Nic Robertson there in downtown New Orleans. Thank you so much.

We're watching two pictures right now, a live picture on one side of the screen from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where the first lady is. And then, of course, on the other side we continue to show you pictures, aerials from New Orleans of the devastation in that city.

Deb Feyerick is there in Baton Rouge. She was talking about the president's visit, also the first lady.

Deb, kind of give us a rundown of what the president and first lady did, and what the first lady is doing right now as we look at these live pictures. DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, probably the most significant develop that has happened here is that the president and the governor have been in a meeting for the last hour and a half. Why is that a big deal? Well, because the governor wasn't even invited to take this tour with the president.

Her office tells us that this morning they had to call over to the White House to find out whether in fact he was coming to Louisiana. The governor had planned to go to Houston, visit people at a shelter there. She changed her plans, not because she was invited, but she decided to show up at the airport and to greet him as a courtesy when he arrived.

They have now been meeting for the last hour and a half with their top military and National Guard advisers. So what they're talking about, we haven't gotten details on that. We were supposed to get a press briefing about an hour ago. Obviously that hasn't happened either. So, again, pretty significant.

The president really is in town to kind of boost morale, let the people here on the ground know that, in fact, everyone is now in place. You've got all the federal agents, you've got all the state agents, all the city agents, and they're not just from this part. They're from all over the country. They're here, they're ready to do their job, and the president just wants to say we're about to do our work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Laura and I have come back down to Louisiana, and then we're going over to Mississippi to let the good people of this region know there's a lot of work to be done. And we're going to continue working with the local and state people to get it done. The first mission, of course, is to save lives. And so long as any life is in danger, we've got work to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Now, one of the reasons that there was a falling out between the president and the governor is that the White House really wanted to federalize the National Guard. That would have meant that they would have been under the military's command.

The governor did not want that. She wanted to be able to use them as more of a law enforcement arm to try to restore order, especially in the streets of New Orleans, where there were reports that gangs were riding around on the backs of trucks with AK-47s and rifles, that they were shooting at police officers. She wanted to make sure that she had control over them in order to help restore order.

The White House, on the other hand, felt that it was necessary for them to be in charge of the National Guard in order to consolidate and coordinate the command of security. So that was their focus.

But right now, they've been meeting for the last hour and a half. And given that they've been meeting for the last hour and a half, they may be making progress -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Deb, as we continue to watch these live pictures of the president and the first lady leaving there, leaving that command center there in Baton Rouge, I'm just curious, because as you know, there has been a lot of criticism about how President Bush handled this entire effort when it came to responding to this natural disaster. Was he challenged at all?

I mean, we saw all the pictures of him meeting with survivors and -- and with pregnant women, and with the babies and the children, and signing autographs and trying to inspire everybody. But at the same time, was he challenged at all by any of these individuals? Did anybody ask him, "Where were you? Why didn't you send help sooner?" And did that discussion surface at all?

FEYERICK: We were in a shelter in Lafayette, Louisiana, about an hour and a half from here, when the first lady was there just a couple of days ago, and there were a couple of people who said, "What happened? Why did nobody come for us? Why did nobody save us?"

We do want to tell you that we can hear one of the helicopters. And that actually might be the president flying overhead right now, as a matter of fact.

But they did want to know what was being dead. And you can bet that once this is all over, once the cleanup begins and the rebuilding starts, you can believe that there is going to be some sort of hearings on Capitol Hill to demand accountability, not just on the part of the federal government, but also on the part of the state government, on the part of the city government, the mayor, the police chief. Why did this all go so terribly wrong in terms of the response?

Now, this is not to throw stones, but this is a catastrophe that was so huge -- and that is the presidential convoy actually. They're just flowing overhead.

But everybody is doing the best job they can. And it was so unprecedented that nobody could have reacted perhaps anymore quickly. But given that we've had DHS the last four years after 9/11, the question is, could they perhaps have reacted even just a little bit better -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Deborah Feyerick, there live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Deb, thank you so much.

You could actually hear the sounds of the helos there above her head as the president and the first lady leave via Marine One there, leaving Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Let's go over to Mississippi now, Biloxi, Mississippi, where our Ted Rowlands is.

And I'm curious, Ted, the president has been going back and forth from all these areas. Could he be headed back to Mississippi?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he's going to be doing a fly-over, we're told, at least, and also coming to smaller town in Mississippi just for a short period of time for an update. Clearly, the people here are not only going to have news that the president is here, but now they are seeing real examples that the military, the active military, is here.

Within the last hour or so, Camp Restore, which is a combination U.S. Marine and U.S. Navy, has erupted. I mean, they've literally begun to deploy. And we have seen evidence of major, major forces coming in here.

In all, 400 Marines, 4,000 Navy shipmen out there ready to go. And their mission is pretty -- pretty open. They're going to be doing everything they can.

First off, they want to help get the sewage system running here and in other cities around the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Then they are bringing a lot of heavy equipment here to bring -- to get rid of the debris.

They're coming ashore on landing craft air cushions, the LCATs they're called. And they are -- it is a very impressive sight.

Say what you will about the federal government's response, but -- it may be a little late in some people's minds, but it is welcomed help here, at least in Biloxi and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where the devastation is spread across so many miles. They say they're going to be here until the job is done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMANDER FRANK HUGHLETT, U.S. NAVY: The job here is enormous. You know, the guys on television, you look at it and it's a view through a soda straw. You stand in the middle of it and it's just overwhelming the a devastation that took place here. And we're more than willing to do what we can.

I have no problem motivating the sailors. It's unbelievable. They took one look and the devastation and they've been jumping the whole time. My concern now is they -- you know, it's going to be a marathon now, not a sprint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Now, the need for food and basic necessities is also being met by private faith-based organizations up and down the coast here. They are providing thousands of meals a day.

This is a video from a shelter in Gulfport, Mississippi, just up the road here about 20 miles. Another city that was completely devastated. And people are pitching in here in Mississippi, and there are real signs of progress in terms of providing the basic necessities. The reality of this, though, is still hitting home. It's not just meals for today and tomorrow. We're talking about meals for weeks, possibly, and the troops here say they are prepared to stay as long as it takes to get the infrastructure back up and running. They want to get the water running and the electricity running. From there, it's on to the debris.

And they continue to find bodies here. They're dealing with those on the side, as well. It is a massive, massive task that now we're just really seeing the evidence that they're taking it full on and progress is being made slowly but surely.

PHILLIPS: Well, Ted, the commander put it very well. It's a marathon, not a sprint there at Camp Restore in Biloxi, Mississippi. Ted Rowlands, thank you so much.

Well, thousands of refugees getting shelter at the Houston Astrodome, as well. Today they got some high-profile visitors. We'll have that story right ahead.

And here's something we haven't seen obviously in the past week or so. We're going to try and capture the sounds once again in New Orleans. Will Hurricane Katrina wash away that city's musical magic?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And these are fresh comments that just came in before the president of the United States left Baton Rouge to head to Mississippi. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I told the governor and the senators and the Congress people, I said, you know, "You know, if it's not right, we're going to fix it. And if it is right, we're going to keep doing it."

And this is just the beginning of a huge effort to -- we're going to continue to save lives. But you've got to know that lives are still being saved as we speak because thousands of people are taking in displaced souls in their homes and churches and synagogues and mosques and providing, you know, love and compassion and food.

This is -- this is one of these disasters that will test our soul and test our spirits. And -- but we're going to show the world, once again, that not only will we survive, but that we will be stronger and better for it when it's all said and done.

That (INAUDIBLE). And I want to thank you all for providing light, immediate light to people who you've helped. And you're making them safe, and your local government and your country is proud.

God bless you and your families. May god bless the victims, and may god continue to bless our country.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The president of the United States side by side with Louisiana's governor there in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, not long ago addressing those working the recovery, the search and recovery effort in Baton Rouge and throughout New Orleans. He is now aboard Marine One, headed to Poplarville, Mississippi, to tour that area and meet with leaders and residents there.

Now we want to go back to the streets of New Orleans and downtown New Orleans. Arnold Scott, a 9th Ward resident, is also a nurse. And he has been working throughout the day and throughout the evening trying to help those that have been suffering throughout this aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Arnold, thanks so much for talking with us. Why don't you tell me -- well, I guess, take me back, first of all. 9th Ward got hit very hard. How did you get out, and how did you end up being where you are right now?

ARNOLD SCOTT, NURSE FROM NEW ORLEANS: OK, I walked out of the 9th Ward. I am familiar with the area, so I knew the back routes that were there.

Basically, because we were cut off from communication, the day after the storm I made my way to the local paper, "The Times- Picayune." I walked and saw that I was able to get through taking the back routes.

PHILLIPS: Wow. So tell me now, it must have been absolute chaos for you, Arnold. When did you first start working on people and helping people? Was it, you know, -- yes, give me a play by play.

SCOTT: As I -- yes, OK. I saw the storm approaching. I knew that I wouldn't be able to leave right away because I had spent all of my available funds on college tuition. So I realized there were going to be people who would need a lot of help because I was familiar with the neighborhood and the problems that people live with on a day-to- day basis.

One of the first things I was concerned about was a pregnant mother whose husband is in Atlanta now.

Brian, I hope you're all right. We got Polly off to the hospital a few hours before the storm. She was taken to University Hospital.

PHILLIPS: What's Brian's last name, Arnold? What's Brian's last name?

SCOTT: I don't know the last -- I don't know the last name, but he lives on Feliciana Street (ph). His wife's name is Polly.

He's with Rusty (ph) and a group of people that left New Orleans going to Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: So she's OK?

SCOTT: Rusty (ph), your house is fine. Yes. The house is fine, but the dog was left inside.

PHILLIPS: So this is just one person you had to tend to. Who else were you able to help, Arnold? What other people were you able...

SCOTT: OK. There was a quadriplegic young man, James, that was taken away to the hospital on yesterday.

Mr. Eddie (ph) is fine. He has a son whose name is Gabriel Gray (ph). He's a state trooper. He's diabetic, but I'm taking care of him on glucophage. He's doing pretty good.

And I have a Mr. David and a Ms. Virgin (ph) over on Cluett Street (ph). They're doing fine.

Ms. Plessy (ph) and her husband are fine.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's pretty amazing.

SCOTT: Mr. Neil (ph) at...

PHILLIPS: Oh, Arnold, that's incredible. You remember these names and you're working on these people.

SCOTT: Yes.

PHILLIPS: I mean, we've got to salute you.

Do you have enough supplies? Are you able to work on folks without a problem? Are you getting what you need? Where are you getting your medicine and...

SCOTT: OK. I need medicines. I'm collecting medicines that were dropped on the ground as people left. Basic things like Bactrim, or Neosporin for cuts. Our feet are getting infected from walking around.

We also would probably need some sort of vaccination. I suppose EMS might be coming in, but we are defying them by staying on. They don't welcome this.

I was boarded onto a bus yesterday at gunpoint. But when Mr. Eddie (ph) said that he was not leaving and convinced the National Guard from Alabama to let him stay because he was a Korean veteran, I was allowed to stay.

PHILLIPS: So you're able to stay and you're still working on people.

SCOTT: Yes, but it's very difficult to move around. Today I came out to get supplies hopefully for my people, and I was able to make contact with the outside world. We need some batteries and we still need water. PHILLIPS: Arnold Scott from the 9th Ward there, still working on people within the New Orleans area.

Arnold, stay strong. Thank you very much.

SCOTT: Thank you. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, since New Orleans will be uninhabitable for weeks or months to come, what will happen to all the university students enrolled there? Well, Dr. Norman Francis is president of Xavier University. He joins me on the phone to talk about what is being done for his students.

And Dr. Francis, I remember talking to you during the last storm and you had your cot set up. You were sleeping in your office. Obviously you didn't leave New Orleans this time either.

Tell me what you're doing to get your university students into other colleges so it won't fall behind in classes.

DR. NORMAN FRANCIS, PRESIDENT, XAVIER UNIVERSITY: Well, let me thank CNN and you for giving me an opportunity to communicate those plans, to be able to talk to the public, but more particularly to our students and faculty, because we -- we have no way other than what we are doing today. And as we will be building our Web site, it's not ready yet.

But I've got to start first by thanking and expressing my gratitude, the generosity and the assistance from those who helped us in the aftermath of Katrina when the flooding took place. And this particularly is for the rescue of the students. That rescue of those 400 students and staff was totally planned and implemented from start to finish.

PHILLIPS: Sir, I remember...

(CROSSTALK)

FRANCIS: ... the president, his staff, Xavier staff starting on Wednesday night. And at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, eight Gramlyn (ph) buses were on their way to New Orleans.

They worked all day planning that rescue. And after they were on their way, I thanked Senator Cleo Fields, who offered three buses to complement that Gramlyn (ph) caravan, because we needed 400 people rescued. And we were assisted in this. And it is a thanks to unsung heroes, by Captain Weathersby (ph) of the New Orleans Police Department, state troopers, and the Army.

I was personally involved all day Thursday in this dramatic rescue that took place for those students. And I really need to make clear that I will be forever in the debt of Gramlyn (ph) and Southern, but Gramlyn (ph) and Southern, who provided the shelter, the food, the clothing, and the services when we got out of New Orleans.

They were the heroes to whom we will always be indebted. And I want the public to know, the national media to know that they have not been given the names of the gallant volunteers. And to Gramlyn (ph) in particular, if you're listening, thank you for planning that rescue, planning the sending of the buses and getting us out.

No one else -- no one else...

PHILLIPS: Dr. Francis, I remember -- I remember talking to you even before the hurricane hit, and you were working on this plan. And I know you've got such great relationships with these other university presidents. And there were some strange reports that came out about students being trapped in water, but when I talked to you, you said, no, that was not true, that the nuns were making hot meals for these students and they were all able to get out of there. So I wanted to clarify that your students were never in danger, correct?

FRANCIS: Not one student was in danger. They were in strong shelters. They had food. They had water. Surely, they were inconvenienced when the electricity went out, but they were eating hot meals. We took food out of the university center. And the nuns were cooking the meals to the very moment that they were taken off campus to wait for the Grambling buses, so much so that one of the sisters had a turkey in the oven, and the rescuers who came to the campus to take them to the expressway said, Leave -- cut the stove off. Leave the turkey. So there's a turkey in the oven today. The misinformation out there is horrendous.

PHILLIPS: Sure. And it's hard, with lack of communications and so many people getting involved in the process. That's for sure.

FRANCIS: Well, those students and our staff were on the expressway waiting for the buses for 12 hours because the mass evacuations were taking place in the city of New Orleans and they had to get into a queue. But when the Army came in and then the buses came in, they had been waiting about 12 hours. They never waited three days. They were in warm (ph) (INAUDIBLE) but in the campus, and the water never rose to more than five feet.

So I hope the public will understand that when you have lack of communications, many rumors get out. And everything that's been said did not give credit that the only rescuers who planned this were the Grambling president, his staff and our staff members. So all of those students are out. I think all of them are back in their homes.

And now they're getting the advice I'm about to give to all students that we have given. We have been bombarded by institutions who want to admit our students, so we are saying to students, Go to any institution that is in your area and seek admission. We can't tell you all of who -- all of the calls we've gotten, but all schools have indicated they want to help. All the United Negro College Fund schools, 38 -- well, it's now 37 because Xavier and Dillard are out of this. They are going to admit Xavier students, Dillard students. They -- Many are going to waive tuition. Those who cannot, will wait for payments later, if there are, indeed, payments.

I advise students to take courses this semester because those credits will all be accepted by Xavier. They will not lose that opportunity to stay in the sequence. And that message is, Go to those schools because we are being bombarded by saying, We want to help.

PHILLIPS: Dr. Norman Francis, thank you so much, sir. Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University.

If you are a student at Xavier, you heard it straight from the president of your university. There are colleges waiting to accept you. The Web site -- obviously. Dr. Francis and his staff working to get that up and running, a number of universities waiting to take you, to get going back at school. And also, Dr. Norman Francis setting the record straight there. There was a miscommunication about the students there. They are all are out, they are safe, and the buses were there to get them out within 12 hours.

Straight ahead, the search for families separated by Hurricane Katrina. Up next, we're going to do our part to help loved ones find each other. And before Katrina, New Orleans was known for food, culture, and of course, music. So how can that spirit survive? Believe me, it will survive. I'll speak with the man behind a new documentary on the city's musical tradition when CNN's LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, last week, we introduced you to the CNN victims and relief desk, devoted to connecting those uprooted by Hurricane Katrina with loved ones desperate to find them. Our Fredricka Whitfield joins us now with more stories. Hi, Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, Kyra. Here at the victims and relief desk, we're still getting dozens of e-mails about people who are stranded or are missing. Here are some of the most recent we have received.

The family of 13-year-old Megan Jane Carter is desperate to find her. We told you about her last hour. Now you can actually see her photograph. Megan is autistic and is unable to speak. She is reported to be with her caregiver, who is also missing.

Missing from a New Orleans nursing home is 93-year-old Aline LeSassier. She is an Alzheimer's patient. Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Fred, I'm so sorry. We'll get back to you, but we got to take you straight to a live news conference with the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff. Let's listen in.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECY.: ... Coast Guard have come down here and assumed a command -- and assume that position, the deputy PFO position. We will staff him up with appropriate resources. He is leaving today. We've got some space for him at Belle Chasse Air Station, where he will temporarily be -- stand up his office, but he's going to work with General Honore and with local officials to find a place in which we can all become part of a unified headquarters.

That's my update. We'll take a few questions. If you've got questions for me or for the general or for Mike Brown, please just tell us who you want to direct your questions to.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) do we have a -- a count yet of the number of people who've died from the storm?

CHERTOFF: We don't. We're not going to have that count until we've not only counted those whose remains have become visible and that we've now collected, but we're going to have to go house by house. We're going to map the area and go into houses and see if there are people in houses that didn't escape from the flood. That may take a while, so I caution against speculating or guessing. It's going to be an unhappy number.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... from CNN. Do you feel that your efforts are being hampered over the fact that the federal government doesn't have control over the National Guard, which has been a little bit of an issue in the news?

CHERTOFF: We have a very good working relationship. But I think -- speaking the general, but everybody around the table here, who's (INAUDIBLE) we have to have a unified headquarters. We will all be next to each other. The execution will be -- I think somebody said seamless. So we're very pleased with the way things are going forward. And one of the reasons we're creating this forward headquarters is to make sure that we have that connection not only here in Baton Rouge, where the spine of this recovery operation and rebuilding operation will be directed, but actually in the field, where we can get real awareness of what the situation in New Orleans is.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: That happened today as a result of the meeting?

CHERTOFF: No. Actually, the decision to go forward with this was made in the last couple of days. This morning, I identified Admiral Allen (ph) as my representative at the joint field office where we're moving. We're going to transition over there today. So this has been in the works for the last 48 hours or so.

QUESTION: It is then (INAUDIBLE) but it's still true that there are two military commanders who are in charge?

CHERTOFF: Well, under the system that we have of law, the National Guard has state status and ultimately derives authority from the governor. The director of the military forces derive authority from the president. They are, however, going to be co-located and coordinated. General Lanterno (ph) is there with General Honore. We are all completely on the same page. We all -- the critical thing here is, we need to have a clear set of mission requirements. And as long as we can make sure the execution of those requirements takes place in an appropriate and timely fashion, we will be in good shape. And so far, that's been the case, and I anticipate it will continue to be the case.

QUESTION: So it depends on whether these two commanders (INAUDIBLE) getting along.

CHERTOFF: (INAUDIBLE) First of all, everybody gets along. Everybody's professional. And that's true not only with respect to the National Guard and the Army, it's true with respect to everybody here.

This is -- I know it seems cumbersome sometimes to people outside of the government that we have different chains of commands and authorities. Frankly, you know, it reflects the constitutional system, federal government and state government. Everybody understands what the mission is. We're all working well together. General Honore has been, you know, closely linked up with the governor and the adjutant general, giving advice. And we expect that we'll continue to be able to (INAUDIBLE) everyone execute their responsibilities, and we'll have it in a fully coordinated fashion, just as we do on the civilian side.

(CROSSTALK)

CHERTOFF: You've had a chance. I'm going to -- I'm going to pick...

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: There's been a lot of questions about Mr. Brown's background. Can you tell us a little bit about any disaster experience you've had or what qualifications you have to be (INAUDIBLE)

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: Sure. Started out as general counsel at FEMA, ran operations at headquarters through 9/11, and since then, 164 presidential disaster declarations, including the California wildfires, the historic outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest a couple of years ago and last year's historic four hurricanes that struck Florida. So yes, I've been through a few disasters in my life.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, do you have any concern about what looks like tens of thousands of people flowing back into Jefferson Parish? Do you foresee there's a situation where the whole city is emptied of people, or do you see a kind of organization of places where the situation is bad, where there's no people, where it's flooded (INAUDIBLE) there's a few more people? How's that going to happen?

CHERTOFF: I'll allow General Honore to amplify it, but let me just give you the general vision. Different parts -- when we talk about the city, I think we often think of greater New Orleans than the different parishes. There's different terrain. There's some terrain that was not affected at all, in terms -- it was affected by the hurricane but didn't get totally flooded. Other parts of the city were partly flooded. Some, as you know, were almost totally submerged.

Obviously, we want to have the minimum disruption possible consistent with public health and safety. So General Honore's going to be working with the local officials and the state officials to make sure that we have -- again, with safety and health coming first, people will have an opportunity to come back, where it's appropriate for them to do so if we have, you know, appropriate preparations. Some areas will be perhaps opened more quickly. Some will be opened -- perhaps it will take a little bit more time.

I will say this. The one thing that is absolutely essential is people have to take direction from the appropriate authorities. This is going to be -- there are tremendous risks to people's health and safety, if they don't listen to what the instructions are, and they could find themselves in a part of the city that, at least at this point, is very, very dangerous from a health standpoint.

General, do you want to add anything?

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, CMDR., JOINT TASK FORCE KATRINA: I think you've covered most of it, Mr. Secretary.

CHERTOFF: I'm going to take...

HONORE: Yesterday, we had a parish open -- the opportunity for the citizens to come back, and they're doing that this morning. Conversely, we have trouble moving Army division, so it's going to take a few hours (INAUDIBLE) to get there. And we'll work through those issues. You (ph) did it for the right reason, and we'll work with that. Again, our job here is to help. And the number one task is search and rescue, and we're still are doing that.

We ask the public to be patient with that because we're still finding people. So if you overcrowd the outlying parish, with restricted roads, we're still trying to find people. Number one priority of both the governor of Mississippi and the governor of Louisiana and the respective mayors and county parish leaders is search and rescue, and that's what we're attempting to do.

And if it does escalate to the point where we can't continue to do search and rescue, we'll bring that to the appropriate level of government to make the decision, and in conjunction with the right people, we'll do what we have to do, but we're going to continue to do search and rescue. That is job one.

And job two is to distribute the food and water, and job three is to get communications up. And job four is to get gasoline in the gas pumps because if you got gasoline in the gas pumps and people have access to gas, it reduces the requirements for us to put distribution sites all over the place. And the governor's asked for that. And we briefed that at the highest level this morning, and we're going to do that with all the energy we can.

And some of those we have direct influence on, and others we ask for help with. And we've done that on the communications and the fuel because that's a private industry, in fact. So private industry, all those smart business guys out there who will see how we have or have not done this right and have some fancy computer matrix, get down here and get some damn gas here and come down here and get the phones working because this is key. This will affect (ph) the nation.

So come on down (INAUDIBLE) people. Bring the phones in, and get the gas to the people because this enables them -- it enables small towns, it enables families to collaborate, and it enables families to talk to each other again.

So while they're the last two priorities -- the first one is to find those that are still alive, sustain the ones that are alive through distribution of food and water, then enable them to communicate, then provide fuel so they can become self-sustaining. That's the task we have, and we're going to go after that with all deliberate speed and passion, and we'll not let anything stop us.

QUESTION: General, can you explain how (INAUDIBLE) people in Jefferson Parish is hindering your...

CHERTOFF: Let me -- let me stop you. I'm going to accompany the general into New Orleans. We're going to go and actually see on the ground what the situation is. And in order to do that, which is really my main job here, and his main job, which is to actually do the work, I'm going to take one more question. Yes.

QUESTION: Congressmen Jindal said that the real problem he sees is that despite the heroic job that's been done by the National Guard and the Coast Guard, in terms of first responders, that the problem's been the organization. (INAUDIBLE) behind (INAUDIBLE) and support and it's has been fractured by too much red tape and it's delaying rescue operations, is delaying evacuations. He said there's a lack of unified chain of command. There's a lack of a sense of urgency, that the normal rules don't apply. People are being told to send an e- mail. People are being told that they don't have the authority to...

HONORE: Who told you that?

QUESTION: This is from Congressman Jindal He's saying that people are not (INAUDIBLE) rescue people can't get authority from anybody. Everybody keeps passing the buck...

CHERTOFF: Well, let me...

HONORE: That's BS. I will take that on behalf of every first responder down there. It's BS. I will not defuse (ph) where the congressman may have gotten that from or if he had a personal incident, but I can tell you that's BS. We've got 300 helicopters and some of the finest EMS workers in the world working down there in New Orleans, and they are making it happen. And I will go to apologize to him, but I have -- we're in constant communications in floating (ph) those 300 helicopters out there to get it done in the United States Coast Guard. There is no red tape.

What we are getting is people who are coming on line and saying, I'm at this address, come get me, and we are responding to that. We would not have evacuated the thousands of people we've evacuated if that was the procedure we were using. But there are isolated incidents that people take and paint and broad brush that everything happened that way.

And you are there. You've got total access. If you haven't, you're in the wrong place. You need to get on the streets of New Orleans. But you can't set back here and say what you heard from somebody else. Go on the streets of New Orleans. It is secure. We walk around without any issues. And the people are cooperating, those that are there.

And we will get moving, along with the police department, to maintain the necessary issues around security. That's done by the National Guard and the police, and the federal troops will help in doing the search and rescue. But I say that because it is a shame against all the EMS workers and the entire operation to try to paint that with this brush.

QUESTION: Can I clarify one aspect?

HONORE: Yes.

CHERTOFF: I thought that was pretty clear.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... Plaquemines and the St. Bernard parish.

HONORE: Say what?

QUESTION: He was referring more specifically to Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes.

HONORE: I don't care if it's Hancock County, Mississippi! We are not going to (INAUDIBLE) have that kind of issue. And I wish you'd just tap that down. The same thing is that people are not coming to help because there's a security issue in New Orleans.

QUESTION: But it is secure? The whole city is secure now? There's no safety threat (INAUDIBLE)

HONORE: Have you been to New Orleans?

QUESTION: I have, indeed.

HONORE: Did anybody accost you?

QUESTION: No.

HONORE: OK, so why in the hell do we keep trying to make that the issue? If you can help, get there and help.

CHERTOFF: But do it -- the one thing I want to leave you -- because we're going to go to the streets of New Orleans -- is we got to coordinate all the help through the existing authorities. As nice as it is for people to want to fly in and look, we do not want to have helicopter accidents and... HONORE: God bless (INAUDIBLE)

CHERTOFF: So we're going to follow the general out.

QUESTION: Mr. Brown?

PHILLIPS: I would follow the general, too, if I were any one of those leaders right now. I'll tell you what. Lieutenant General Russel Honore, 1st Army, doesn't mess around, especially when he's challenged about his search and rescue operations, making the point very clear as he was challenged about search and rescue teams not being able to get into the area, is he came straight forward and said, That's BS, and I'll tell anybody that I'm getting my men and women in there and helping save lives, number one priority.

You also heard from Michael Chertoff, chief, of course, of the Department of Homeland Security, and also FEMA director Mike Brown. But when it came down to dominating that conversation, as usual, it's Lieutenant General Russel Honore not pulling any punches when it comes down to what he feels about his operation and saving lives there in New Orleans, and of course, other areas in Mississippi and Alabama.

Now we're looking at live pictures right now, as we leave that newser, Marine One landing in Poplarville, Mississippi, the president and the first lady aboard Marine One.

As you know, they were in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, earlier today, meeting with folks in the command center there, the president addressing those there, telling them still, once again, first priority is to save lives and that the search and rescue missions will continue.

Actually, this is the president here, coming in via that second helicopter. Now -- so he maintained (ph) time in Baton Rouge. He talked with people within the shelters there. He visited individuals that basically lost everything there in Baton Rouge and also met with people that came from New Orleans into Baton Rouge.

And so he did a lot of meet-and-greet with people that had come to Baton Rouge for refuge and for food and water and tried to encourage them and let them know that things -- you know, as one commander said, one Navy commander said earlier today, this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. And this is a long-term operation. It's not just about troops coming in and other authorities, city and statewide responding, in addition to law enforcement from other states coming in and responding, but this is something that's going to take a very long time for people to be able to get back into their homes or rebuild their homes.

And we also have been telling you, as we've been listening to the president and the first lady as they've been traveling from state to state and giving these various press conferences and addressing people in the shelters and in the command centers -- we've even talked to people that are heading back into New Orleans, those that evacuated and now are trying to head back into the city, so they can try and assess the damage of their homes, try and retrieve things out of their homes and even try to find friends and loved ones.

Of course, officials ask them not to stay long because it straps the city even more, but as people still trying to get out and lives trying to be saved, there are those that are trying to get back into the cities, various cities, to assess the damage of what they once owned.

Now, much of the city is nearly empty, but there are still those in desperate need of medical help in New Orleans. We've been talking about that also. And emergency teams are working around the clock to help those that are left behind. Our Barbara Starr tells us about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The day after the military evacuated 20,000 people from the convention center, a small group of New Orleans citizens are waiting across the street on this sweltering night to be flown to safety. Lieutenant General Russel Honore, the commander, has come through the flood waters to make sure everyone is getting help.

HONORE: If you got -- if you know where they are, we'll send units to go get them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

HONORE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good.

STARR: This extraordinary military airlift is just beginning, saving some of New Orleans' most helpless victims. As you watch, remember, this is not a war zone. The medical personnel here remind everyone these are citizens still desperately in need of food, water and medical attention.

Dr. Juliet Saucey (ph) and her emergency medical team are providing trauma care for these people. She has lost her home in the disaster but is here around the clock. If you think these are just the stragglers, she will tell you there is still more disaster to emerge as the military begins to search the city for still more survivors.

DR. JULIET SAUCEY: I've got many, many thousands of people, my citizens that are still out there, many elderly, infirm, patients that can't help themselves, who are still trapped in their houses.

STARR: Tonight, under the generator lights, there is no bureaucracy, no politics. The doctor asks the general for more help. The military response is instant.

SAUCEY: At 8:30 in the morning, we'll have everybody ready.

HONORE: How many you want?

SAUCEY: If we start with -- let's start with five because we can put...

STARR: On this street corner, where thousands had lived for days, where there is trash and filth and no one to clean it up yet, this doctor is running an unprecedented operation she says she could not have done without the three-star general she met just a few days ago.

SAUCEY: He's made it happen. He's helped us make it happen.

STARR: And the general stands watch, making sure it does happen. Barbara Starr, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (on-camera): And as the general stands watch, so does the president of the United States. He's just now landing in Poplarville, Mississippi. He came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and now the president and first lady arriving here in Mississippi. They're going to continue to travel from state to state, from Louisiana to Mississippi and Alabama, meeting with various leaders, of course, within the area, and meeting with those that are in the shelters and in the command centers, trying to continue to figure out a strategy on how to take on such a long-term response to these cities that have been devastated from Hurricane Katrina.

Earlier in the day, you saw the president also with Lieutenant General Russel Honore, surveying the damage, talking about strategy, talking about how to respond. Now, as you can see, the president continues to meet with each governor of the state. He's now with Governor Haley Barbour there and the first lady of Mississippi, and no doubt discussing the latest in Mississippi.

You know, we talked to Ted Rowlands. We went to him live at the first sight (ph) of Camp Restore, and that's where massive Marine and Navy forces are coming in now by water and responding to those that need help there. We'll continue to follow the president's every move as he continues to respond to this disaster and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

That wraps up this Monday edition of LIVE FROM. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Wolf Blitzer and "THE SITUATION ROOM" up next.

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