Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Tornadoes Touch Down in Tennessee; Gift of Glitz to New Orleans Teens

Aired April 07, 2006 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Pretty severe storms on the radar.
Let's go straight to CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf -- Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: OK, Fredricka.

The latest that we have for you is for the city of Nashville. We have a tornado warning for northern Davidson County. The includes Nashville. The National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a tornado 21 miles west of Goodlettsville -- of Goodlettsville, or about the Ashland City area, moving east at 45 miles per hour. These storms are moving very rapidly.

You can see, here's the city of Nashville. Got I-65 here, I-24 here, just to give you a point of reference, 65 continuing south. And, then, here's the I-40 corridor, the heaviest activity that we see just north of I-40, south of Clarksville. You see a little bit of hook here with this cell, indicating that rotation, the tornado, the confirmed tornado with that individual storm.

We also see another one closer to Nashville in that metropolitan area, this one just south of Springfield. If you happen to be in the Springfield area, you want to take cover immediately. In fact, if you're anywhere in Nashville, you might want to take cover immediately.

Now, let's pull out just a little bit. And some of you might be thinking, well, these storms are north of Nashville. If you happen to live in Brentwood, you might think that, well, things are fine. Not necessarily the case, because we're also seeing a very strong cell south of I-40.

This is one is expected to make its way to the northeast, eventually moving into the Nashville area. I would say, easily within the next, say, 45 minutes or so, it should be in the Brentwood area. So, you certainly want to stay indoors today. It's going to be a rough afternoon.

The evening, we could see some of these storms intensify, as they roll their way to the east. Now, this is not only the -- this is not going to be the only place affected by the possible tornadic activity. We are going to see some of this activity through Mississippi, through Alabama, through Georgia, possibly, could see some into the Ohio Valley as well before all is said and done. This is a very, very unstable atmosphere that is covering a great deal of the Southeast, into the Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley. And it's one we're going to have to monitor very, very closely.

That's the latest we have for you. But we do have a shot for you from our tower cam in Nashville. Again, looking to the west, skies are dark, getting darker. If we see a lot of those clouds beginning to build up, we're going to be seeing quite a bit of lightning into the afternoon, certainly hearing the thunder, and many of the windows, of course, shaking from the reverberation of those strong storms, as they trudge their way to the east. It's going to be a busy time, no question about it. But you can stay tuned to CNN for all the latest -- back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Well, they are saying it could have been worse. At least that's what they are saying in Kansas today, the day after tornadoes tore across the Midwest.

This one touched down in Hanover, moving at about 50 miles an hour. No one was seriously hurt, in large part because of the early warnings.

Now, for the picture of the day, another tornado bearing down on a truck, the driver preparing to make a run for it -- pretty frightening look there.

Well, Texas is bracing for another round of storms, fire storms. Wildfire warnings are out from Dallas westward. In the Panhandle, though, winds are calmer and the humidity higher, bringing a bit of relief to that drought-stricken area. Yesterday, fire scorched about 27,000 acres near Amarillo, coming close to a natural gas plant.

An unexpected spring break adventure. A family, packed in their SUV, is swept away by an avalanche. Amazingly, they made it and have quite a story to tell.

Here is reporter Jed Boal of affiliate KSL in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JED BOAL, KSL REPORTER (voice-over): Michael Thomas, his wife and five young kids skied in blizzard conditions all day. But it was the drive down the mountain the Saint Louis family will never forget. They had picked up two Alta workers thumbing a ride, and they headed down the ice-packed road.

MICHAEL THOMAS, FATHER: Driving down the road, next thing you knew, we're off the road and tumbling. And you just thought, my God, this must be an ambulance -- or an avalanche.

BOAL: Their large SUV went over the edge in the White Pine slide area halfway up the canyon. They landed hanging upside down in seat belts. One of the teenaged workers kicked out a window. Thomas estimated they rolled 100 to 150 feet down the canyon.

ADAM THOMAS, SURVIVED AVALANCHE: All I remember is lying and my seat belt holding me right here and bumping around.

BOAL: Amazingly, no one was hurt. The worst of it was the scrapes and bruises on 10-year-old Adam's face. His two younger brothers and two younger sisters are fine.

Rescue crews were amazed.

SERGEANT TODD GRIFFITHS, SALT LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: When we got to it, there was little kids climbing up out of the snow and all covered in snow. A little 3-year-old snowballs crawling out of there. So it's was pretty exciting to see that they were all OK.

BOAL: Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed all afternoon for avalanche control. It was reopened around 5:00 p.m., about an hour before the Thomas family drove down.

M. THOMAS: Just a little shooken up, but fabulous conditions. Happy to be alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And our thanks to Jeb Boal of our Salt Lake City affiliate KSL. The canyon road is still closed, by the way. There were more snow slides this morning, dumping even more snow on the road.

Tragedy on Mammoth Mountain. Three members of its ski patrol have died after falling into a volcanic vent. Word is, the patrollers were checking a fence around the vent buried by the snow, when the snowpack gave way. Two of the patrollers tumbled 21 feet into the hole. Another, who tried to help, also fell in. Four rescuers had to be hospitalized after breathing in carbon dioxide.

The White House is refusing to make specific comments about court documents that link President Bush to a White House intelligence leak. According to legal filings, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis Libby, says he was told by Cheney that President Bush authorized the leak of intelligence information about Iraq.

At a White House briefing today, Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, the president remains opposed to the release of classified information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president believes the leaking of classified information is a very serious matter, and I think that's why it's important to draw a distinction here. Declassifying information and providing it to the public, when it is in the public interest is one thing. But leaking classified information that could compromise our national security is something that is very serious.

And there's a distinction. Now, there are Democrats out there that fail to recognize that distinction or refuse to recognize the distinction. They are simply engaging in crass politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: McClellan said repeatedly, he could not comment on specifics of the Libby case, because it is part of an ongoing legal proceeding.

A suicide bombing in Baghdad, another mosque, another horrific human toll -- it happened today in the northern part of the capital. Three bombers dressed as women walked into the mosque, blew themselves up, and killed, we are told, more than 70. The Shiite mosque has a tight political connection. Its imam is a member of parliament.

Mosque attacks and religious violence in general is spiking across Iraq -- a live report from Baghdad later on in the program.

We now bring you some of the names and faces of the fallen heroes who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When Sergeant Thomas Stone enlisted in the Army in 1971, he had an unusual reason. He signed up in hopes of finding clues about his missing brother. Stone was a junior in high school when his brother, Dana, disappeared in Cambodia. Dana was a combat photographer in the Army. This picture was taken in 1968 in North Vietnam.

Dana went missing, along with Sean Flynn, the son of actor Errol Flynn. Flynn was on assignment for "TIME" magazine. Thomas Stone apparently did not find the clues he was looking for about his brother, but he did accomplish something unusual in his own lifetime. Between 1992 and 2000, he completed a 22,000-mile walk around the world.

In 2003, he volunteered for duty in Afghanistan. While there as a medic, he set up a clinic where Afghans received treatment. The 52- year-old Stone was killed March 28 during an enemy attack in southern Afghanistan. He is just one of the 280 men and women who have died in Afghanistan. Two thousand three hundred and forty-seven have been killed in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some breaking news now -- our Tony Harris in the newsroom is covering it -- Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And, Fred, I'm going to take you back to Detroit now, where the Greektown Casino in Detroit is the scene of a lot of police activity right now. The bomb squad is on the scene for another suspicious package -- the casino evacuated. Streets around the Greektown Casino have been closed.

Once again, the bomb squad and rescue units are on the scene of a suspicious package, a bomb scare at the Greektown Casino in Detroit, Michigan. We will keep an eye on the situation. There you are, pictures of the scene right now. And, as you can see that the area has been kind of cordoned off -- the bomb squad on the scene. We will continue to follow it and bring you the latest developments.

Once again, this is Greektown Casino in Detroit, where the bomb squad is on the scene of a suspicious package. We will continue to follow it for you -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Tony.

HARRIS: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, we also continue to watch a lot of severe weather, mostly in the southeast, with some tornadic activity already being reported, specifically in the Nashville, Tennessee, area.

And on the line with us, the deputy director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency -- Eddie Boatwright on the line with us now.

And how are you preparing, or can you even prepare, for what is likely to be a pretty busy -- tornadic activity-wise, in your area?

EDDIE BOATWRIGHT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Sure.

We -- we are preparing and have been preparing all day for this. We have increased our staff in the operation center to monitor the radios and telephones and -- and the radar.

WHITFIELD: All right, Mr. Boatwright, let me just interrupt you for a moment, because, apparently, a tornado is on the ground in your area.

And we want to check in now with our Reynolds Wolf, who is in the Weather Center.

What is happening, Reynolds?

WOLF: OK, Fredricka.

The latest we have from the National Weather Service, a tornado on the ground, cited on the ground at Whites Creek Pike -- again, Whites Creek Pike. That's in northern Nashville. It has been sighted. We are looking at the Nashville area right here. It's this one cell that we see just north of the area. You're seeing a little bit of a hook with this one individual cell.

Here is Hendersonville. This is I-65, I-24 over on this side. It is right near that interchange, just to the north of it of Hendersonville that we are seeing that possible tornado. If you happen to be, again, as I mentioned, in -- let's see -- the Whites Creek Pike area -- that's in northern Nashville -- it is certainly the storms that are going to be drifting right through your area.

You want to take cover immediately, lowest level in your home, away from windows. Again, if you can get in the basement, best place to be. If you don't have a basement, the most interior room you can possibly find, away from windows, that would be your best bet.

We are watching more of these pop up. We had one farther to the north that popped up just moments ago in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Most of the activity north of the Nashville area, as we speak. However, there is some farther down the pike near I-40 that are just popping up.

Thank you, Dave.

New information that just came in, a tornado touchdown in Greenbrier -- Greenbrier, Tennessee. That's in Robertson County. Fire department, rescue teams have sighted this. So, again, we do have confirmation of this tornado touchdown in Greenbrier, Tennessee.

This is certainly not going to be something that is going to be out of the norm for this afternoon, very, very unstable atmosphere north of the Tennessee area. You see Hendersonville here, Nashville, again, just a little bit farther to the south. I-65, here is Portland, Tennessee, Russellville, Kentucky, father to the north.

And, Nashville, again, here is 24 feeding into the Nashville area -- I-40 farther to the south, this big stretch.

I want you to know, if you happen to be tuning in, say, from Portland, and, again, you don't hear tornado sirens or you don't have a tornado warning in that exact area, don't wait. Go ahead and take cover immediately -- same story for you up in Bowling Green. We confirm that tornado farther to the south. There is the hook you see there.

This is going to be, again, a -- a rough time for you this afternoon. Sit tight. And, as we get more information, we will send it on to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Reynolds. Thank you so much.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's pick up our conversation again with the deputy director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Eddie Boatwright.

So, you heard our own Reynolds Wolf talk about at least two tornadoes now reportedly on the ground in Tennessee, one north of Hendersonville, which is northern Nashville area, and then also in Greenbrier, Tennessee. Can you tell me something about those two areas, Mr. Boatwright?

BOATWRIGHT: Well, Hendersonville is -- is a city north of Nashville, as is -- is Greenbrier.

What I would say is, I would -- I would reemphasize what was just said about taking cover, when you have the tornado warning, and also to monitor the weather radio, the television and the radio. You know, we have gone over this for years in Tennessee about taking cover inside, away from windows, on the lowest floor.

If you happen to be caught outside in a vehicle, get out of the vehicle, take cover in the lowest area you can find, in a culvert, under a bridge, somewhere out of -- out of range.

WHITFIELD: And, so, because you say people are accustomed to this, you think, for the most part, people do what they are supposed to do in seasons like this, when they hear about a threat of a tornado?

BOATWRIGHT: Well, we hope they do.

And -- and the main thing we ask now is that they monitor their television and radio, so that they can keep track of where the watches and warnings are. If they have a NOAA weather -- weather radio, that's -- that's another way to do it.

What we do is try to verify, as we get information in here, where the actual touchdowns and damage might be.

And, as of right now, we are -- we're attempting to verify the information that -- that you just gave.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right.

Well, Deputy Director Eddie Boatwright of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, thanks so much. We will continue to keep tabs with you. And best of luck throughout these condition there in your area.

And now shifting gears quite a bit, fancy little black dresses, cocktail-length sheets, glittering, full-length gowns, something to fit just about every teenage girl's style. In this case, they are all for the girls of Cabrini High in the New Orleans area. We're headed to the prom right along with them here on LIVE FROM.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Spring is here. And, before you know it, summer heat will be on your doorstep. Be ready for that first heat wave with an energy-efficient air conditioner.

The first step, clean or replace the filter. Dirty filters will block the airflow and cause the compressors to run hotter and longer. If you're buying a new air conditioner, make sure that it's the right size for your room. A bigger A.C. won't cool your room faster, and you will spend more on electricity.

Use a fan with your air conditioner to spread cool air throughout your home.

(on camera): And keep lamps and TVs away from your thermostat. The heat they produce will cause your air conditioner to run longer than it needs to.

I'm Gerri Willis with your energy tip.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF: I'm meteorologist Reynolds Wolf at the CNN Weather Center.

We have got confirmation of a tornado touchdown on I-65, just north of Nashville, near Goodlettsville, Tennessee, near exit 97. Here is Nashville farther to the north. Here's the storm right here that produced the tornado. Here is I-65, that storm now moving off to the east, north of Hendersonville.

If you happen to be in Gallatin, this storm is moving right in your area. In fact, if you happen to be north of the Nashville area, you need to seek cover immediately. These storms have been producing large hail, some damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and, of course, those tornadoes.

We have got to watch this area throughout the afternoon, and we want you to be advised, especially, again, as I mentioned, just to the north of Hendersonville. Here's your tornado. There's the hook right now. This thing just crossed 65, again, as I mentioned, near exit 97, Davidson County, the community, Goodlettsville.

That's the latest we have on this system as it chugs on through the Volunteer State.

Let's send it back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Reynolds.

Now on to something very different -- we are headed back to New Orleans, where the girls from Cabrini High school are getting ready to pick out that perfect prom dress, a truckload full all donated by -- donated, rather -- by fellow teens out of Maryland.

Susan Roesgen is there. And you have already got folks who are, gosh, got their arms full of all kinds of dresses.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fredricka.

This is Kaley Krieger (ph). She is a senior here.

Show us, Kaley (ph), what dresses you have chosen to try on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have this blue one here that I like and this pink one that -- like, I really like this one. And I wanted to try it on.

ROESGEN: What do you think of this, coming here to a schoolroom that's been turned into a prom shop boutique?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's exciting. I mean, it's interesting, just the way it all transformed all these dresses, you know?

ROESGEN: Did you think, six months ago, that you would be going to a prom and wearing a beautiful dress?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I mean, we just had no clue that, you know, this would happen to us, you know, us being the lucky ones, that we got, you know, chose to have all these dresses sent to us and everything that is going on.

ROESGEN: How is your house, Kaley (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's doing better now. You know, we got it all fixed. Everything is back together, you know?

ROESGEN: What happened in the hurricane?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot. You know, just everything just -- everything messed up, people, families scattered everywhere, trying to get in touch. It was hard to stay in touch, especially with the phone lines down.

Then, it was nice to see that, coming back, that Cabrini was spared and, you know, our houses weren't as damaged as some people's were.

ROESGEN: Now, Kaley (ph), you're going to have a dress. Do you have a date to the big dance?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, of course.

(LAUGHTER)

ROESGEN: Some of the girls have already tried on some of the dresses. And look how well they fit. These are beautiful dresses. They could choose anything they wanted here.

Shannon Salmon (ph) is standing next to me.

Shannon (ph), what do you think about Marisa West, up in Beltsville, Maryland, who organized this to bring all these dresses down?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think she is wonderful. I think she is so caring and thoughtful of so many girls down here. And she just has no idea how touching this all is and how thankful we are. And we can't wait to meet her at prom, you know, and make her feel so welcome to Cabrini.

ROESGEN: OK.

Well, prom is May 12. You guys are all going to look beautiful. I will let some of you keep shopping.

Good luck, Kaley (ph), finding a dress. These are both beautiful.

Fredricka, more than 1,000 dresses for the girls to choose from -- only 400 girls in this school. So, the dresses that are left over will go to other schools, so other girls along the Gulf Coast who lost so much in the hurricane can have a great time at the time.

WHITFIELD: Oh. That's such a beautiful gesture.

But, so, why Cabrini in the offset? You know, why did that high school get so lucky? And, as the young lady said, why did we get so lucky?

ROESGEN: Well, Marisa did her research up in Maryland. And she asked around to find out which schools really needed the help. And this is one of the first schools in the New Orleans area to reopen, an all-girls Catholic high school.

And, certainly, the girls here needed dresses to wear to prom. And, so, they will get some of these dresses. And, again, other schools, other girls all across the Gulf Coast will get the remainder.

WHITFIELD: And, so, how did this young lady in Maryland start this campaign? I mean, how did she get all of these dresses in which to even send down to New Orleans by the truckload?

ROESGEN: Well, Marisa has a lot of friends. She started mentioning it to people. But she also says that people, when they got wind of this, started donating dresses and shoes to match and handbags, everything you would need, from all over the country. She collected them all, got them on this 18-wheeler, and sent them down today.

WHITFIELD: Aww. What a great gesture. What a great feel-good story. And congrats to all of them for being able to look forward to their prom now.

Susan Roesgen, thanks so much, in New Orleans.

All right, still some very severe weather in a good part of the Southeast.

Let's check in again with Reynolds Wolf in the Weather Center.

WOLF: OK.

Pardon me, Fredricka. We keep getting new information in as we speak. This is breaking stuff, of course.

The latest that we have now, a tornado touchdown near city hall in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, north of the Nashville area -- Nashville, of course, right here at the bottom of your screen. You follow I-65 northward. Here is storm that produced that tornado, the confirmed tornado. Here is Hendersonville as well.

Goodlettsville, also new information that just came in about Goodlettsville -- as I mentioned, the city hall was affected. Also, right along 65, the storm passed right through the -- let's see, the off-ramp, that would have been I believe off-ramp 97. That confirmed tornado is now going to make its way towards Gallatin, Tennessee -- Gallatin on the far -- that would be your right-hand side of the screen. If you're in Gallatin, you need to take cover immediately.

Here is I-65, to give you your point of reference -- Hendersonville, farther to the south. Here is Nashville. We are now using Google Earth, which will give you an idea of some of the places we -- at least can tell from these reports, have been affected. And it would be primary the areas north of Nashville, of course, Goodlettsville.

There was that touchdown that we mentioned near city hall in Goodlettsville. We believe that was the same tornado that crossed I- 65 and has been causing the reports of damage that we hear.

You also see I-41 there as well, just the cursor, just about to that area. You see that junction where 41 was hooking up with 65. That is the area that we see with Google Earth. That's what we're using, these -- these satellite images that you see there.

And this is also -- yes, I believe that's the exit.

Guys, that is it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WOLF: That's the exit on 65.

Now, if we can, let's go right back to a radar and show you what we have been dealing with. That is -- this is, of course, the confirmed tornado. What we look for is, we look for a signature mark with the radar. We look almost like for a -- for a comma shape which indicates some rotation with these storms, some rotating thunderstorms.

The supercells are the ones that spawn these tornadoes. Portland, Tennessee, you have got some very rough weather. But it's to your south, where we have that rotation. what we are also dealing with is some large hail, straight-line winds also a -- a big issue, but the tornado is the primary issue we're looking for.

Also reports of tornadoes near Bowling Green, Kentucky. Also, here is I-65 -- the bulk of the storm now moving eastward. These individual cells are moving in a pretty rapid clip, mainly north- northeast at about 50 miles per hour, the line itself moving from the west to the east at about 20, though, so, the individual cells racing pretty rapidly.

Farther to the south of Nashville, you haven't had much in Brentwood, you haven't had much in Franklin as well, farther to the south, in Columbia, pretty much the same story. You haven't had much yet.

Here's another cell that we have, possible tornado with this system. This one is going to track its way to the Northeast. So, if you are in Brentwood or in Franklin, take cover immediately, because this is what is -- you're going to be dealing with, I would say, in the next half-hour to 20 minutes.

And we may see more of these into the afternoon. Something else we have been seeing, Fredricka, is, with this one batch of storms that has been moving through, we are now seeing more development farther back along I-40. So, you have already been hit once in parts of west Nashville. Now you have this system to deal with as well. And that may also spawn a tornado.

It has been crazy this afternoon. And we may see more of this take place, not just in the Volunteer State of Tennessee, but across Georgia, across mainly central and northern Alabama, Kentucky, even Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. It's going to be a wild afternoon. And we will be here to track every bit of it for you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much...

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: ... Reynolds.

Meantime, we want to check in with our affiliates, WTVF. And they just filed this report a short while ago with LaCheryl Tucker.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LACHERYL TUCKER, WTVF REPORTER: Well, right now, I'm along Maple Valley Road in Charlotte.

And I have seen downed treats. But along this road right here, you will find three or four homes that have been damaged, a lot of the mobile homes. A couple of these are mobile homes pushed off their -- off their blocks, off the foundation.

You will also see a lot of downed trees and power lines. Now, we're hearing that only minor injuries right now, really not sure. I do know rescue crews are out here going through the damage, trying to see if anyone was inside those homes.

I talked to one person, who says her home is the only one left standing. It's a little far away from me. We're trying to make our way down right now. She just came up to try to help others get through this area.

But she says she believes everyone is OK. Her home is the only one left standing along the street. Again, we are along Maple Valley Road in Charlotte. I can also tell you that rescue crews in this area are trying to respond to other roads where spotted -- many people called and said they spotted a funnel cloud. And they're trying to see if there's some damage there as well.

We have heard about some other downed power lines and trees, as I mentioned before, throughout the county. But, as of right now, we're just arriving on the scene, trying to get as close as we can. And we can bring you a picture as soon as possible. Again, I'm live in Charlotte, in Dickson County, LaCheryl Tucker, News Channel 5.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, that report coming from our affiliate WTVF.

And, of course, we will have more coverage of the severe weather now hitting the Southeast part of this country right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com