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CNN Live Today
At Least 70 Tornadoes Swirl Across Eastern U.S. During Outbreak
Aired November 12, 2002 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: At least 70 tornadoes swirled across the eastern U.S. during the outbreak, and weather experts said the twisters in tiny Mossy Grove, Tennessee may have unleashed winds that are over 200 miles an hour. At least eight people are reported dead there.
Our Miles O'Brien is in Mossy Grove with the latest.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, our standing in front of the Winnie house.
Pardon me for the cell phone, but we are having some communication problems.
But when you see what the Winnies have to contends with, that obviously puts all of this in perspective.
I want to give you a sense,this house, they have lived here for 20 years. There you see Ted in there. He is 87 years old. And his wife, and I won't be so rude as to tell her age. But they right now going through their house, trying to gather some valuables, some photographs, things that mean to them, a little bit of clothing to get them through the immediate future.
Take a look at this concrete goose that was on their front doorstep. He got decapitated through all of that. An incredible sense of the power of all of this.
As we come in, good see you folks. How are you doing? This is your den. What's going through your mind right now?
DOLLIE WINNIE, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I don't have any. I just can't think. It's just a shock, and everything I see is -- I'm astonished how some is here and the rest is crushed to pieces. I got no windows in the house. The whole back is blowed off. I don't know. It's just -- but we'll come out of it.
O'BRIEN: Now, you told me earlier, you are insured, the house, the vehicles are insured. Are you going to rebuild here?
WINNIE: I don't know, honey. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what we'll do. But I am sure we will, and we need a home, and we're just build it, give it to the kids when we die.
O'BRIEN: I know you are tired, are you up to it? Could you give us a quick tour of where you were and what was going on in that night of? Obviously walking through your den here. Look at this chandelier, perfectly fine. Amazing what did survive and what didn't. The mirror on the wall here, no problems with it. It's got a lot of insulation on, it, which caused by that roof going.
WINNIE: These was the chairs. We had six chairs.
O'BRIEN: And did it move it like this?
WINNIE: And there is my sewing machine. It's got the top of it and -- was it what?
O'BRIEN: That was moved by the storm, huh?
WINNIE: Yes, the storm, and that had all what-nots in it.
O'BRIEN: OK, let's go into the kitchen. An interesting story about you. You had just came back from the funeral home. Take it easy now. Watch it, watch it. Look at the broken glass here. I don't think there is a single window that survived in your house, is there?
Yes.
WINNIE: We walked through all of this to get in here.
O'BRIEN: This the interior hallway, I don't know if you can see it. Did exactly what you should do in the house which doesn't have a basement. They came right here in the interior hallway and just rode out the storm.
WINNIE: I sat here, and he sat over there. And it was gone. It all just stopped at one time. I mean, it was such a loud noise. And I got him in here and got him sat down, and he wanted to go back and see what happened. And I told him, there is glass and everything, and we can't go out.
O'BRIEN: He wanted to go check it out. You told him not to. That was good advice?
WINNIE: I held him to keep him from going.
O'BRIEN: You did the right thing, Dollie.
WINNIE: I could hear people out there talking. But when Bob come in, he went to holler and said, Dollie, where are you at? I am in the hall, which he knows the house like I do. And the little fellow took us out.
O'BRIEN: Look at this collage, it's perfectly intact, just amazing.
WINNIE: The bathroom, in here.
O'BRIEN: Let's take a look in there.
WINNIE: Here is our bedroom, and the water is just pouring down on there.
O'BRIEN: Quickly, Dollie, I just want to show one other thing to folks. In the kitchen, right before this happened, you were fixing a snack for Ted. And there it is. The bologna, the cheese, as if...
WINNIE: I was standing there making. He was standing over here, and no lack of storm come. It sounded like a train, because I have been in there. That was nothing. It was just quiet, and all it wanted -- it just went boom.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well...
WINNIE: Just like dynamite, if someone throw dynamite in on us. He said, "What in the world was that?" And I said "A storm, can't you see? let's get out of here," the glass is falling everywhere.
O'BRIEN: We have to go now. I wish you luck in the days ahead to try to rebuild it. I think you can do it. You have got the spirit for it. All right, we're going to send it back to you, Daryn, in Atlanta. I think I can hear you. You still there?
KAGAN: Yes, Miles, we're here. I mean, these incredible pictures that you're showing.
O'BRIEN: Actually, I can't hear you.
KAGAN: We'll Let Miles go. Already told us the stories with those folks. Certainly, that tells the story right there. The bologna story untouched, the collage untouched, and yet half the house just blown away.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As they say about a picture being worth a thousand words, that's it for you. We always talk about how one part of some structure or place gets destroyed, but to see it like that, as graphically as that, that's amazing. Thanks, Miles.
Let's go down to Ohio. That northwestern part of that state was hammered, Van Wert in particular. And that's where we find our Jeff Flock this morning.
And, Jeff, I have to imagine folks there have got to be reeling quite a bit this morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed they are, Leon.
You know, looking out there, you see a lot of homes destroyed there. And here, it's more businesses. Take a look at this sheet metal. Boy, I'll tell you, get a sense for what this is. They've been piling this sheet metal up all morning. It's extraordinary how rapidly they are trying to get back on their feet here.
Take a look at this business, this is a trucking business called Dedicated Fleet, Steve Beck's business. You don't have any tears in your eyes, do you?
STEVE BECK, OWNER, DEDICATED FLEET: No, there is no time for tears. What's happened, and it's time to rebuild, and as you can see...
FLOCK: You are moving awfully fast.
BECK: Well, our insurance company, Central Mutual, did a great job for in getting here yesterday morning, and we have got the crews here tearing down.
FLOCK: As we talk, I am looking. What's this man doing out here?
BECK: We are just tearing things apart, separating the scrap from the building and just getting ready to haul it away.
FLOCK: Now walk around here with me if you would, and tell me, your vision is to get this back up. You're going to clear this stuff out of here by tomorrow, do you think?
BECK: Yes, the game plan is hopefully by the end of tomorrow to have the rest of building torn down and hauled away. We have got another building on order, and, yes, start rebuilding as soon as possible.
FLOCK: I mean, when you look at the power, that just piece of sheet metal just ripped apart and all of your insulation and everything here, I mean, that's incredible.
BECK: Yes. We got a phone call yesterday -- I mean, on Sunday, said, yes, we had some building damage, but certainly didn't think it was to this extent.
FLOCK: Yes. And none of your people hurt. Fortunately, this happened on a Sunday.
BECK: Yes, nobody in the building yet, so no injuries, which is a good thing.
FLOCK: Leon, before we get away, I just wanted to show you this home video. We got some home video yesterday to show you how big that funnel was, and make we can take a look at that. And, Steve, it was an incredible storm, an F-4 storm, and a big one.
BECK: Yes, we haven't had a tornado here since 1965, and, yes, thank goodness, like I said, nobody was hurt and, yes, we go from there.
FLOCK: Reporter: I appreciate it.
BECK: No problem.
FLOCK: Quite a spirit here. I imagine we'll be running out of freight maybe before not too awful long.
BECK: Tomorrow.
FLOCK: Tomorrow you think? Because they've still got some product apparently located back in the catacombs here. They're going to get it out and get it . How quick things come back, Leon.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. Thanks, Jeff.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Outbreak>
Aired November 12, 2002 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: At least 70 tornadoes swirled across the eastern U.S. during the outbreak, and weather experts said the twisters in tiny Mossy Grove, Tennessee may have unleashed winds that are over 200 miles an hour. At least eight people are reported dead there.
Our Miles O'Brien is in Mossy Grove with the latest.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, our standing in front of the Winnie house.
Pardon me for the cell phone, but we are having some communication problems.
But when you see what the Winnies have to contends with, that obviously puts all of this in perspective.
I want to give you a sense,this house, they have lived here for 20 years. There you see Ted in there. He is 87 years old. And his wife, and I won't be so rude as to tell her age. But they right now going through their house, trying to gather some valuables, some photographs, things that mean to them, a little bit of clothing to get them through the immediate future.
Take a look at this concrete goose that was on their front doorstep. He got decapitated through all of that. An incredible sense of the power of all of this.
As we come in, good see you folks. How are you doing? This is your den. What's going through your mind right now?
DOLLIE WINNIE, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I don't have any. I just can't think. It's just a shock, and everything I see is -- I'm astonished how some is here and the rest is crushed to pieces. I got no windows in the house. The whole back is blowed off. I don't know. It's just -- but we'll come out of it.
O'BRIEN: Now, you told me earlier, you are insured, the house, the vehicles are insured. Are you going to rebuild here?
WINNIE: I don't know, honey. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what we'll do. But I am sure we will, and we need a home, and we're just build it, give it to the kids when we die.
O'BRIEN: I know you are tired, are you up to it? Could you give us a quick tour of where you were and what was going on in that night of? Obviously walking through your den here. Look at this chandelier, perfectly fine. Amazing what did survive and what didn't. The mirror on the wall here, no problems with it. It's got a lot of insulation on, it, which caused by that roof going.
WINNIE: These was the chairs. We had six chairs.
O'BRIEN: And did it move it like this?
WINNIE: And there is my sewing machine. It's got the top of it and -- was it what?
O'BRIEN: That was moved by the storm, huh?
WINNIE: Yes, the storm, and that had all what-nots in it.
O'BRIEN: OK, let's go into the kitchen. An interesting story about you. You had just came back from the funeral home. Take it easy now. Watch it, watch it. Look at the broken glass here. I don't think there is a single window that survived in your house, is there?
Yes.
WINNIE: We walked through all of this to get in here.
O'BRIEN: This the interior hallway, I don't know if you can see it. Did exactly what you should do in the house which doesn't have a basement. They came right here in the interior hallway and just rode out the storm.
WINNIE: I sat here, and he sat over there. And it was gone. It all just stopped at one time. I mean, it was such a loud noise. And I got him in here and got him sat down, and he wanted to go back and see what happened. And I told him, there is glass and everything, and we can't go out.
O'BRIEN: He wanted to go check it out. You told him not to. That was good advice?
WINNIE: I held him to keep him from going.
O'BRIEN: You did the right thing, Dollie.
WINNIE: I could hear people out there talking. But when Bob come in, he went to holler and said, Dollie, where are you at? I am in the hall, which he knows the house like I do. And the little fellow took us out.
O'BRIEN: Look at this collage, it's perfectly intact, just amazing.
WINNIE: The bathroom, in here.
O'BRIEN: Let's take a look in there.
WINNIE: Here is our bedroom, and the water is just pouring down on there.
O'BRIEN: Quickly, Dollie, I just want to show one other thing to folks. In the kitchen, right before this happened, you were fixing a snack for Ted. And there it is. The bologna, the cheese, as if...
WINNIE: I was standing there making. He was standing over here, and no lack of storm come. It sounded like a train, because I have been in there. That was nothing. It was just quiet, and all it wanted -- it just went boom.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well...
WINNIE: Just like dynamite, if someone throw dynamite in on us. He said, "What in the world was that?" And I said "A storm, can't you see? let's get out of here," the glass is falling everywhere.
O'BRIEN: We have to go now. I wish you luck in the days ahead to try to rebuild it. I think you can do it. You have got the spirit for it. All right, we're going to send it back to you, Daryn, in Atlanta. I think I can hear you. You still there?
KAGAN: Yes, Miles, we're here. I mean, these incredible pictures that you're showing.
O'BRIEN: Actually, I can't hear you.
KAGAN: We'll Let Miles go. Already told us the stories with those folks. Certainly, that tells the story right there. The bologna story untouched, the collage untouched, and yet half the house just blown away.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As they say about a picture being worth a thousand words, that's it for you. We always talk about how one part of some structure or place gets destroyed, but to see it like that, as graphically as that, that's amazing. Thanks, Miles.
Let's go down to Ohio. That northwestern part of that state was hammered, Van Wert in particular. And that's where we find our Jeff Flock this morning.
And, Jeff, I have to imagine folks there have got to be reeling quite a bit this morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed they are, Leon.
You know, looking out there, you see a lot of homes destroyed there. And here, it's more businesses. Take a look at this sheet metal. Boy, I'll tell you, get a sense for what this is. They've been piling this sheet metal up all morning. It's extraordinary how rapidly they are trying to get back on their feet here.
Take a look at this business, this is a trucking business called Dedicated Fleet, Steve Beck's business. You don't have any tears in your eyes, do you?
STEVE BECK, OWNER, DEDICATED FLEET: No, there is no time for tears. What's happened, and it's time to rebuild, and as you can see...
FLOCK: You are moving awfully fast.
BECK: Well, our insurance company, Central Mutual, did a great job for in getting here yesterday morning, and we have got the crews here tearing down.
FLOCK: As we talk, I am looking. What's this man doing out here?
BECK: We are just tearing things apart, separating the scrap from the building and just getting ready to haul it away.
FLOCK: Now walk around here with me if you would, and tell me, your vision is to get this back up. You're going to clear this stuff out of here by tomorrow, do you think?
BECK: Yes, the game plan is hopefully by the end of tomorrow to have the rest of building torn down and hauled away. We have got another building on order, and, yes, start rebuilding as soon as possible.
FLOCK: I mean, when you look at the power, that just piece of sheet metal just ripped apart and all of your insulation and everything here, I mean, that's incredible.
BECK: Yes. We got a phone call yesterday -- I mean, on Sunday, said, yes, we had some building damage, but certainly didn't think it was to this extent.
FLOCK: Yes. And none of your people hurt. Fortunately, this happened on a Sunday.
BECK: Yes, nobody in the building yet, so no injuries, which is a good thing.
FLOCK: Leon, before we get away, I just wanted to show you this home video. We got some home video yesterday to show you how big that funnel was, and make we can take a look at that. And, Steve, it was an incredible storm, an F-4 storm, and a big one.
BECK: Yes, we haven't had a tornado here since 1965, and, yes, thank goodness, like I said, nobody was hurt and, yes, we go from there.
FLOCK: Reporter: I appreciate it.
BECK: No problem.
FLOCK: Quite a spirit here. I imagine we'll be running out of freight maybe before not too awful long.
BECK: Tomorrow.
FLOCK: Tomorrow you think? Because they've still got some product apparently located back in the catacombs here. They're going to get it out and get it . How quick things come back, Leon.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. Thanks, Jeff.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Outbreak>
