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Eighty Thousand Dead in Sumatra Raises Tsunami Deaths Over 116,000; False Tsunami Alarm Sparks Panic on Coastal India; Pacific Storm Kills Five in California

Aired December 30, 2004 - 10:00   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: Well, that is all for us here on "AMERICAN MORNING." Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center to take you through the next few hours now on CNN LIVE TODAY -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We will let you guys go. Good job this morning. We'll get started by taking a look at what's happening now in the news.

The estimated death toll in Asia is now well into six digits. According to the most recent figures, Sunday's tsunami killed more than 116,000 people. Indonesian officials say nearly 80,000 people died just in northern Sumatra. That's where coastal villages were swept away.

Tomorrow's new year's celebrations across Asia will likely be much more subdued because of the tragedy. Malaysia, Thailand and other countries are expected to replace officials festivities with memorials and somber ceremonies. Private individuals are being urged to show restraint out of respect for the victims.

The annual observance in New York's Times Square will go ahead as planned, even the confetti is getting a test run. You can see there. Mayor Bloomberg says that extra security will be in place all around the city. About 1 million people are expected to watch Secretary of State Colin Powell push the button for the ceremonial ball drop.

And in California, get your galoshes ready. Looks like a soggy holiday. Forecasters saying the Bay Area is in the path of a winter storm that will bring more rain and high winds to a state that has been inundated since Monday. More snow expected in the mountains.

This morning we are getting a first look at the greatest devastation seen yet from the tsunami. Taking a look at the images from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They were taken by an Indonesian based British conservationist. Rescue crews have not been able to reach this area yet. If you look closely, you'll see entire towns have been flattened. In some cases there are no signs that villages ever existed; another chilling symbol of the power of this natural disaster.

Indonesia's Aceh Province was hit by a double whammy. First there was the 9.0 earthquake off the coast. Then the tsunami struck. Now 4 1/2 days later, we're only beginning to learn the breadth of the destruction.

Our Mike Chinoy is in the provincial capitol of Banda Aceh and he has this update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is ground zero, the western coast of Sumatra, a scene of unimaginable devastation. The region's largest town was Malabo, around 40 or 50,000 people lived here. This is what's left. Indonesian based British conservationist Mike Griffiths flew over the area. He says conditions north of Malabo are even worse.

MIKE GRIFFITHS, BRITISH CONSERVATIONIST: There was no villages left standing between Malabo and Chalong, which is about 100 kilometers north of Malabo. It's like a nuclear blast has hit the area. And has completely leveled everything except just for a few structures.

CHINOY: Virtually every sign of life is wiped out.

GRIFFITHS: All you can see, basically to show that there were villages, is the remains of the foundations of the more strongly constructed houses. That means built out of concrete. We're seeing nothing at all of the ones that were built out of wood and thatched roofs. And that constitutes probably the most.

CHINOY: And in Chalong, a town of 13,000 people, nothing at all.

GRIFFITHS: It's vaporized. It's just nothing left. It's mostly, mostly -- in fact you wouldn't even recognize that there had been a town there unless you know, unless you'd flown over there before and you'd seen it from the air. Then you would realize that, in fact, a town had once existed there. All you can see now is basically a very vague outline of some of the roads that used to carry traffic.

CHINOY: On a hill, Griffith spotted around 30 or 40 survivors. No one else in Chalong appeared to be alive. An entire region, home to hundreds of thousands almost literally wiped off the face of the earth.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We have these new developments coming in. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is visiting the embassies of Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia this hour. We're going to bring you updates on that story as they come in.

And CNN's Atika Shubert was on the first relief flight in to the Aceh Province's biggest city. She is just back and joins us by videophone from Medan, Indonesia -- Atika.

ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we flew in from Malabo, which is a town that was closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. And as we flew over, we could see that more than 80 percent of the structures there had been completely destroyed. Not even standing at all. Just completely erased from the earth.

As we flew over, we could also see that a lot of the roads and communications were destroyed by the earthquake. And that's what kept this area so isolated. People simply didn't know of the devastation because they can't hear information coming out of there.

We flew with two private planes that were hoping to deliver food and aid by being the first plane to land there. The reason why planes haven't been able to land there is because the airstrip has also been destroyed by the earthquake. There's only about a quarter of it left. And the two Cessna aircraft that we traveled with today tried to land there.

Fortunately they could. They arrived, delivered what few water, food and medicine supplies they had to soldiers that are there, hoping that they will then be able to distribute them to those people who are now living in refugee centers.

KAGAN: And what, Atika, appears to be the greatest need for the people there? Clean water? Shelter?

SCHUBERT: Definitely clean water. There's a serious need for clean water and food. Later on, will come medicines, and of course, shelter is always a necessity, as well. Clean water was the biggest concern. When I talked to the military commander there, who really seems to have taken charge of distributing the kind of aid and food that people need, he said clean water was the number one priority.

The reason for that is because there's a lot of fear that disease will start to set in. As you can imagine with the thousands of people that are dead, they're simply unable to collect all the corpses that are littering some of the areas, particularly of downtown Malabo. And there are fears that with those corpses could infect the water supply, contaminate the water supply spreading cholera, diarrhea, other diseases. So it's critical that clean water is brought in so people will not be killed by diseases that set in after the earthquake.

KAGAN: Atika Shubert joining us from Medan, Indonesia. Thank you.

We move on now to Thailand. Recovery of bodies on the beach of Khao Lak came to a sudden halt today. Sirens sounded when a tremor hit. Fearing another tsunami, people drove and ran from the beach as fast as they could. The tremor didn't last long and there were no reports of injuries or damage. Authorities believe as many as 3,000 people in the country may have died from Sunday's tsunami.

Well, people panicked in the coastal area of India today when the government warned of a possible new tsunami there. It did turn out to be a false alarm.

Joining us now on the phone from Nagappattinam is -- in India is Tamil Nadu is CNN is Ram Ramgopal -- Ram.

RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, indeed, there are what appears to have been a false alarm has the unintended effect of basically driving many of the relief workers, as well, out of the town of Nagappattinam, which is where I'm speaking to you from. Soon after these warnings were issued, apparently on the radio, and then were broadcast by police on loud speakers through the city, many people were pulled away from the shoreline. But there were others who thought that they were best served if they left town altogether.

So many of them actually went to another -- to other areas, and meeting the relieve operation in limbo. So there was a little bit of confusion there. But a couple of hours later, it appeared that everything had been sorted out. But there are some questions being asked tonight as to why the false alarm was sounded -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I'm wondering how the false alarm was even sounded in the first place. So much criticism the first time around was that there was no warning system in place.

RAMGOPAL: Exactly. And that may have been a factor in this latest warning. As you rightly pointed out, it was a warning of a possible tsunami. And you know, according to the Home Ministry, which is the ministry responsible for these things, they said that basically they were acting because they had information from foreign governments about a possible tremor near Australia. And that they were duty-bound to inform the public about it.

But certainly once it appeared that it was a false alarm, the damage had already been done, especially as I said a lot of people had been evacuated when they were needed in that area -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, how, besides this false alarm delaying things, how do recovery efforts go in that area -- Ram?

RAMGOPAL: It's a big challenge, Daryn. We were at a couple of relief camps to date. And as the people there are totally devastated, there is a sense of total loss. Many of these communities who were -- who have suffered the greatest loss are all fishermen. Many of whom have been fishing for generations, if not for millennia.

And they just cannot believe that the sea, which they consider devout being. It's a very special relationship that they share with the sea; they just cannot believe that this could have happened to them, you know from the sea. That death just descended in such a quiet and a quick way and leaving all the youngest, especially, dead -- Daryn.

KAGAN: The devastation continues. Ram Ramgopal in southern India, thank you.

And not too far from there in Sri Lanka, 1 million people are believed to be displaced. Settlement camps are providing food and shelter but the people staying there face an uncertain future.

Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Sri Lanka with that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We have exclusive access to one of the displacement camps that we've been hearing so much about. Concerns from health care officials about epidemics, cholera, dysentery, Hepatitis-A and malaria. At least in this displacement camp in the south of Sri Lanka, we haven't seen those things develop yet.

But one good thing we are seeing is some action. Finally starting to see supplies arriving. Starting to see doctors arriving as well. Lots of people donating clothing, donating other sorts of supplies, you can see a big pile of clothes over here.

This is a structure where a lot of these folks will sleep tonight. Still there's not enough clean water. There's not enough safe food. And there's not enough shelter. About 3,000 people are going to be staying in this particular settlement camp tonight. And those numbers will likely continue to grow. We'll continue to bring you all the latest details.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Sri Lanka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: As we've mentioned in the last several days, United Nations officials say the scope of the tsunami disaster could launch the largest humanitarian effort in history. But first, nations and private groups must assess the needs and the logistics.

Daniel Wordsworth is traveling to Sri Lanka tomorrow, then to India to survey the damage. He is the international program director for the Christian Children's Fund.

Daniel, good morning. Thanks for being with us.

DANIEL WORDSWORTH, PROGRAM DIR., CHRISTIAN CHILDRENS FUND: Good morning. My pleasure.

KAGAN: If you could explain to us your plan of attack basically. Where exactly will you go and how do you assess the needs?

WORDSWORTH: Well, we've been scrambling teams from all over the globe for CCF, and from our staff in Sri Lanka, in India, and in Indonesia to get to those locations.

We try to do two things. We try to respond immediately to the emergency relief things that need to be provided like food, shelter, clothing. But at the same time, we tried to do a deeper and a wider assessment of the critical needs facing children. And that's what our teams will be focusing on.

KAGAN: I understand one of the things your organization does is set up something called CCS, Child Centered Spaces. What are those?

WORDSWORTH: Those are a dedicated safe places for children. In emergencies like this, you have buildings destroyed, the environment transformed, expanses of water where children can drown, it's a dangerous place for a child to be.

You've also had children with very little to do during the day. Often they go back to the wreckage. They sift through the damage. So what we do is we establish these spaces. We gather children in from the locality, and we set up recreational activities, and we work with them in a more safe environment.

KAGAN: Which would lead to my next question, the special needs that children have in these types of crises.

WORDSWORTH: Well, right at this point in the first week after the disaster, those needs are the classic things. They need food, they need shelter, they need water and sanitation. But at the same time, they need to feel some sense of normalcy in their lives. They need to begin to have a safe place to be. We do provide recreation for them. And the other key thing for a child is to make sure they're reunited with their families.

KAGAN: Yes. Because we've seen a lot of kids separated from their families.

WORDSWORTH: Certainly. A lot of children are separated. They may not have lost their mothers and fathers, but they can't find them.

KAGAN: Mm.

WORDSWORTH: And you also have a percentage of children who may have lost siblings. They may have lost their mothers and fathers to the disaster. And so we need to get with them and find out how badly they're affected by that and help them work it through.

KAGAN: So many people want to help but they can't do what they're doing, getting on a plan and actually going. So what would you suggest?

WORDSWORTH: Well, the best thing they can do right now is donate funds to organizations like Christian Children's Fund. We have a 1- 800-number, 1-800-776-6767. They can send funds and we'll turn those funds around right now, and get moving with things like food and shelter. But also getting up the safe places for children in Sri Lanka. And we'll be doing it in Indonesia, and in India.

KAGAN: We wish you well. It's very important work. Safe journeys.

WORDSWORTH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Daniel Wordsworth with the Christian Children's Fund.

Millions of dollars are pouring in from public and private sectors to help the victims of the tsunami. Still ahead, you're going to see which companies are showing their generosity.

Plus it is the wall of death. How hundreds of people are desperately trying to find their loved ones. And no other pictures to show you. These are not pictures from Asia. We have our own flooding problems here in the U.S. A look at which area is under water. Plus your morning forecast is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check some weather stories from right here in the U.S. Sedona, Arizona. The worst might be over from now. The winter storm that pushed Oak Creek out of its banks has moved out of the area. The floodwaters have started to recede. Nonetheless, dozens of evacuees won't be allowed to go home until officials can survey the damage this morning.

Further west, the damage painfully obvious in California, where a powerful Pacific storm raked that state north to south. Statewide, the storm related death toll stands at five. Northern California is now under a winter storm warning, and a series of storms will pound the region for the next several days.

KAGAN: Rob Marciano is watching weather for us today.

Rob, wet stuff in California.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's all the messes is out west -- Daryn.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: We're going to focus on help ahead. Just ahead, donations pour in from all over the world to aid in tsunami relief efforts. We're going to take a look at who's lending a helping hand.

Also, what's being done to help family members find their loved ones? These stories and more still ahead when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the business side of the story. Medical and pharmaceutical companies are joining in the tsunami relief efforts by donating cash and supplies. Drug giant, Pfizer has pledged the highest so far of $35 million in cash and supplies. Johnson & Johnson has committed $2 million and is dispatching wound care, pain relief and personal care products.

Abbott Laboratories is giving $2 million in cash and $2 million worth of supplies, such as baby formula. And the HMO Kaiser Permanente is donating $100,000 to the Red Cross and sending some of its 5,000 doctors to the region.

Well, countries all over the world are also pledging millions of dollars to help with the disaster relief efforts. Spain topping the list, offering a $68 million line of credit, that country's cabinet is expected to formally approve that today.

President Bush says the $35 million the U.S. is donating is just for starters. Some claim, though, it's too little, too late.

And for more on that here's CNN's Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A U.S. C-130 cargo planes land at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where Air Force personnel loaded with critically needed supplies. While it was almost four days after the tsunami hit that the first of these supplies made it to Thailand, U.S. officials reject any suggestion they were slow to react.

ANDREW NATSIOS, ADMINISTRATOR, USAID: The Pentagon was informed -- they began planning on Sunday to do this. You don't just send people out in two hours. You begin mobilizing, you start to plan it, and you start sending. We did that on Sunday.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. has already begun setting up disaster relief headquarters at Thailand's Utapao Naval Air Base, and U.S. assessment teams that have just arrived are fanning out to Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

LT. GEN. JAMES CONWAY, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Their task, of course, will be to make immediate assessment as to the nature and the scope of the impact of the disaster.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. is dispatching more than a dozen warships equipped with medical facilities, rescue and earth moving equipment, and helicopters. But it will be days before they arrive. The aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln" and its four escort ships were the closest in Hong Kong. And assuming the Straight of Malacca is clear, could be off the coast of Sumatra by this weekend.

The amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard was in Guam between seven and 11 days away from it destination, Sri Lanka. Its seven-ship task force includes some 2,100 Marines who could be deployed if needed. The U.S. is also sending ships from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which could arrive in four, or five days with equipment capable of producing 90,000 gallons of fresh water a day.

(on camera): While the disaster relief may seem slow in coming, U.S. officials say while it's important to get aid there quickly, it's often the long-term commitment to reconstruction that ends up being the most valuable assistance.

JAIME McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: They are back together again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There they are! There they are!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom! UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, you guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: That hug's worth about a million bucks. Still to come, one California family returns home, and paints a vivid picture of how they outran the tsunami.

Plus, it is one horrifying job; searching for your missing spouse. Up next, how one man found his wife in a place he didn't want to go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour of CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's talk a look at what's happening now in the news.

Heavy fighting at a combat post in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The U.S. military says 25 insurgents and one U.S. soldier were killed in the action. A suicide car bomber attacked the post. When a patrol responded to the attack, a second car bombing went off, then dozens of insurgents hit the post with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire.

There is word that the Navy will take the biggest hit in planned Pentagon budget cuts. That's according to a story in today's "New York Times." The "Times" reports said the Navy plans to retire one of its 12 aircraft carriers and build fewer destroyers. Over all, the military reportedly plans to make $60 billion in cuts over six years. The White House has ordered all federal agencies to cut spending.

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Aired December 30, 2004 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: Well, that is all for us here on "AMERICAN MORNING." Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center to take you through the next few hours now on CNN LIVE TODAY -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We will let you guys go. Good job this morning. We'll get started by taking a look at what's happening now in the news.

The estimated death toll in Asia is now well into six digits. According to the most recent figures, Sunday's tsunami killed more than 116,000 people. Indonesian officials say nearly 80,000 people died just in northern Sumatra. That's where coastal villages were swept away.

Tomorrow's new year's celebrations across Asia will likely be much more subdued because of the tragedy. Malaysia, Thailand and other countries are expected to replace officials festivities with memorials and somber ceremonies. Private individuals are being urged to show restraint out of respect for the victims.

The annual observance in New York's Times Square will go ahead as planned, even the confetti is getting a test run. You can see there. Mayor Bloomberg says that extra security will be in place all around the city. About 1 million people are expected to watch Secretary of State Colin Powell push the button for the ceremonial ball drop.

And in California, get your galoshes ready. Looks like a soggy holiday. Forecasters saying the Bay Area is in the path of a winter storm that will bring more rain and high winds to a state that has been inundated since Monday. More snow expected in the mountains.

This morning we are getting a first look at the greatest devastation seen yet from the tsunami. Taking a look at the images from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They were taken by an Indonesian based British conservationist. Rescue crews have not been able to reach this area yet. If you look closely, you'll see entire towns have been flattened. In some cases there are no signs that villages ever existed; another chilling symbol of the power of this natural disaster.

Indonesia's Aceh Province was hit by a double whammy. First there was the 9.0 earthquake off the coast. Then the tsunami struck. Now 4 1/2 days later, we're only beginning to learn the breadth of the destruction.

Our Mike Chinoy is in the provincial capitol of Banda Aceh and he has this update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is ground zero, the western coast of Sumatra, a scene of unimaginable devastation. The region's largest town was Malabo, around 40 or 50,000 people lived here. This is what's left. Indonesian based British conservationist Mike Griffiths flew over the area. He says conditions north of Malabo are even worse.

MIKE GRIFFITHS, BRITISH CONSERVATIONIST: There was no villages left standing between Malabo and Chalong, which is about 100 kilometers north of Malabo. It's like a nuclear blast has hit the area. And has completely leveled everything except just for a few structures.

CHINOY: Virtually every sign of life is wiped out.

GRIFFITHS: All you can see, basically to show that there were villages, is the remains of the foundations of the more strongly constructed houses. That means built out of concrete. We're seeing nothing at all of the ones that were built out of wood and thatched roofs. And that constitutes probably the most.

CHINOY: And in Chalong, a town of 13,000 people, nothing at all.

GRIFFITHS: It's vaporized. It's just nothing left. It's mostly, mostly -- in fact you wouldn't even recognize that there had been a town there unless you know, unless you'd flown over there before and you'd seen it from the air. Then you would realize that, in fact, a town had once existed there. All you can see now is basically a very vague outline of some of the roads that used to carry traffic.

CHINOY: On a hill, Griffith spotted around 30 or 40 survivors. No one else in Chalong appeared to be alive. An entire region, home to hundreds of thousands almost literally wiped off the face of the earth.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We have these new developments coming in. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is visiting the embassies of Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia this hour. We're going to bring you updates on that story as they come in.

And CNN's Atika Shubert was on the first relief flight in to the Aceh Province's biggest city. She is just back and joins us by videophone from Medan, Indonesia -- Atika.

ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we flew in from Malabo, which is a town that was closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. And as we flew over, we could see that more than 80 percent of the structures there had been completely destroyed. Not even standing at all. Just completely erased from the earth.

As we flew over, we could also see that a lot of the roads and communications were destroyed by the earthquake. And that's what kept this area so isolated. People simply didn't know of the devastation because they can't hear information coming out of there.

We flew with two private planes that were hoping to deliver food and aid by being the first plane to land there. The reason why planes haven't been able to land there is because the airstrip has also been destroyed by the earthquake. There's only about a quarter of it left. And the two Cessna aircraft that we traveled with today tried to land there.

Fortunately they could. They arrived, delivered what few water, food and medicine supplies they had to soldiers that are there, hoping that they will then be able to distribute them to those people who are now living in refugee centers.

KAGAN: And what, Atika, appears to be the greatest need for the people there? Clean water? Shelter?

SCHUBERT: Definitely clean water. There's a serious need for clean water and food. Later on, will come medicines, and of course, shelter is always a necessity, as well. Clean water was the biggest concern. When I talked to the military commander there, who really seems to have taken charge of distributing the kind of aid and food that people need, he said clean water was the number one priority.

The reason for that is because there's a lot of fear that disease will start to set in. As you can imagine with the thousands of people that are dead, they're simply unable to collect all the corpses that are littering some of the areas, particularly of downtown Malabo. And there are fears that with those corpses could infect the water supply, contaminate the water supply spreading cholera, diarrhea, other diseases. So it's critical that clean water is brought in so people will not be killed by diseases that set in after the earthquake.

KAGAN: Atika Shubert joining us from Medan, Indonesia. Thank you.

We move on now to Thailand. Recovery of bodies on the beach of Khao Lak came to a sudden halt today. Sirens sounded when a tremor hit. Fearing another tsunami, people drove and ran from the beach as fast as they could. The tremor didn't last long and there were no reports of injuries or damage. Authorities believe as many as 3,000 people in the country may have died from Sunday's tsunami.

Well, people panicked in the coastal area of India today when the government warned of a possible new tsunami there. It did turn out to be a false alarm.

Joining us now on the phone from Nagappattinam is -- in India is Tamil Nadu is CNN is Ram Ramgopal -- Ram.

RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, indeed, there are what appears to have been a false alarm has the unintended effect of basically driving many of the relief workers, as well, out of the town of Nagappattinam, which is where I'm speaking to you from. Soon after these warnings were issued, apparently on the radio, and then were broadcast by police on loud speakers through the city, many people were pulled away from the shoreline. But there were others who thought that they were best served if they left town altogether.

So many of them actually went to another -- to other areas, and meeting the relieve operation in limbo. So there was a little bit of confusion there. But a couple of hours later, it appeared that everything had been sorted out. But there are some questions being asked tonight as to why the false alarm was sounded -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I'm wondering how the false alarm was even sounded in the first place. So much criticism the first time around was that there was no warning system in place.

RAMGOPAL: Exactly. And that may have been a factor in this latest warning. As you rightly pointed out, it was a warning of a possible tsunami. And you know, according to the Home Ministry, which is the ministry responsible for these things, they said that basically they were acting because they had information from foreign governments about a possible tremor near Australia. And that they were duty-bound to inform the public about it.

But certainly once it appeared that it was a false alarm, the damage had already been done, especially as I said a lot of people had been evacuated when they were needed in that area -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, how, besides this false alarm delaying things, how do recovery efforts go in that area -- Ram?

RAMGOPAL: It's a big challenge, Daryn. We were at a couple of relief camps to date. And as the people there are totally devastated, there is a sense of total loss. Many of these communities who were -- who have suffered the greatest loss are all fishermen. Many of whom have been fishing for generations, if not for millennia.

And they just cannot believe that the sea, which they consider devout being. It's a very special relationship that they share with the sea; they just cannot believe that this could have happened to them, you know from the sea. That death just descended in such a quiet and a quick way and leaving all the youngest, especially, dead -- Daryn.

KAGAN: The devastation continues. Ram Ramgopal in southern India, thank you.

And not too far from there in Sri Lanka, 1 million people are believed to be displaced. Settlement camps are providing food and shelter but the people staying there face an uncertain future.

Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Sri Lanka with that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We have exclusive access to one of the displacement camps that we've been hearing so much about. Concerns from health care officials about epidemics, cholera, dysentery, Hepatitis-A and malaria. At least in this displacement camp in the south of Sri Lanka, we haven't seen those things develop yet.

But one good thing we are seeing is some action. Finally starting to see supplies arriving. Starting to see doctors arriving as well. Lots of people donating clothing, donating other sorts of supplies, you can see a big pile of clothes over here.

This is a structure where a lot of these folks will sleep tonight. Still there's not enough clean water. There's not enough safe food. And there's not enough shelter. About 3,000 people are going to be staying in this particular settlement camp tonight. And those numbers will likely continue to grow. We'll continue to bring you all the latest details.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Sri Lanka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: As we've mentioned in the last several days, United Nations officials say the scope of the tsunami disaster could launch the largest humanitarian effort in history. But first, nations and private groups must assess the needs and the logistics.

Daniel Wordsworth is traveling to Sri Lanka tomorrow, then to India to survey the damage. He is the international program director for the Christian Children's Fund.

Daniel, good morning. Thanks for being with us.

DANIEL WORDSWORTH, PROGRAM DIR., CHRISTIAN CHILDRENS FUND: Good morning. My pleasure.

KAGAN: If you could explain to us your plan of attack basically. Where exactly will you go and how do you assess the needs?

WORDSWORTH: Well, we've been scrambling teams from all over the globe for CCF, and from our staff in Sri Lanka, in India, and in Indonesia to get to those locations.

We try to do two things. We try to respond immediately to the emergency relief things that need to be provided like food, shelter, clothing. But at the same time, we tried to do a deeper and a wider assessment of the critical needs facing children. And that's what our teams will be focusing on.

KAGAN: I understand one of the things your organization does is set up something called CCS, Child Centered Spaces. What are those?

WORDSWORTH: Those are a dedicated safe places for children. In emergencies like this, you have buildings destroyed, the environment transformed, expanses of water where children can drown, it's a dangerous place for a child to be.

You've also had children with very little to do during the day. Often they go back to the wreckage. They sift through the damage. So what we do is we establish these spaces. We gather children in from the locality, and we set up recreational activities, and we work with them in a more safe environment.

KAGAN: Which would lead to my next question, the special needs that children have in these types of crises.

WORDSWORTH: Well, right at this point in the first week after the disaster, those needs are the classic things. They need food, they need shelter, they need water and sanitation. But at the same time, they need to feel some sense of normalcy in their lives. They need to begin to have a safe place to be. We do provide recreation for them. And the other key thing for a child is to make sure they're reunited with their families.

KAGAN: Yes. Because we've seen a lot of kids separated from their families.

WORDSWORTH: Certainly. A lot of children are separated. They may not have lost their mothers and fathers, but they can't find them.

KAGAN: Mm.

WORDSWORTH: And you also have a percentage of children who may have lost siblings. They may have lost their mothers and fathers to the disaster. And so we need to get with them and find out how badly they're affected by that and help them work it through.

KAGAN: So many people want to help but they can't do what they're doing, getting on a plan and actually going. So what would you suggest?

WORDSWORTH: Well, the best thing they can do right now is donate funds to organizations like Christian Children's Fund. We have a 1- 800-number, 1-800-776-6767. They can send funds and we'll turn those funds around right now, and get moving with things like food and shelter. But also getting up the safe places for children in Sri Lanka. And we'll be doing it in Indonesia, and in India.

KAGAN: We wish you well. It's very important work. Safe journeys.

WORDSWORTH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Daniel Wordsworth with the Christian Children's Fund.

Millions of dollars are pouring in from public and private sectors to help the victims of the tsunami. Still ahead, you're going to see which companies are showing their generosity.

Plus it is the wall of death. How hundreds of people are desperately trying to find their loved ones. And no other pictures to show you. These are not pictures from Asia. We have our own flooding problems here in the U.S. A look at which area is under water. Plus your morning forecast is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check some weather stories from right here in the U.S. Sedona, Arizona. The worst might be over from now. The winter storm that pushed Oak Creek out of its banks has moved out of the area. The floodwaters have started to recede. Nonetheless, dozens of evacuees won't be allowed to go home until officials can survey the damage this morning.

Further west, the damage painfully obvious in California, where a powerful Pacific storm raked that state north to south. Statewide, the storm related death toll stands at five. Northern California is now under a winter storm warning, and a series of storms will pound the region for the next several days.

KAGAN: Rob Marciano is watching weather for us today.

Rob, wet stuff in California.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's all the messes is out west -- Daryn.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: We're going to focus on help ahead. Just ahead, donations pour in from all over the world to aid in tsunami relief efforts. We're going to take a look at who's lending a helping hand.

Also, what's being done to help family members find their loved ones? These stories and more still ahead when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the business side of the story. Medical and pharmaceutical companies are joining in the tsunami relief efforts by donating cash and supplies. Drug giant, Pfizer has pledged the highest so far of $35 million in cash and supplies. Johnson & Johnson has committed $2 million and is dispatching wound care, pain relief and personal care products.

Abbott Laboratories is giving $2 million in cash and $2 million worth of supplies, such as baby formula. And the HMO Kaiser Permanente is donating $100,000 to the Red Cross and sending some of its 5,000 doctors to the region.

Well, countries all over the world are also pledging millions of dollars to help with the disaster relief efforts. Spain topping the list, offering a $68 million line of credit, that country's cabinet is expected to formally approve that today.

President Bush says the $35 million the U.S. is donating is just for starters. Some claim, though, it's too little, too late.

And for more on that here's CNN's Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A U.S. C-130 cargo planes land at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where Air Force personnel loaded with critically needed supplies. While it was almost four days after the tsunami hit that the first of these supplies made it to Thailand, U.S. officials reject any suggestion they were slow to react.

ANDREW NATSIOS, ADMINISTRATOR, USAID: The Pentagon was informed -- they began planning on Sunday to do this. You don't just send people out in two hours. You begin mobilizing, you start to plan it, and you start sending. We did that on Sunday.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. has already begun setting up disaster relief headquarters at Thailand's Utapao Naval Air Base, and U.S. assessment teams that have just arrived are fanning out to Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

LT. GEN. JAMES CONWAY, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Their task, of course, will be to make immediate assessment as to the nature and the scope of the impact of the disaster.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. is dispatching more than a dozen warships equipped with medical facilities, rescue and earth moving equipment, and helicopters. But it will be days before they arrive. The aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln" and its four escort ships were the closest in Hong Kong. And assuming the Straight of Malacca is clear, could be off the coast of Sumatra by this weekend.

The amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard was in Guam between seven and 11 days away from it destination, Sri Lanka. Its seven-ship task force includes some 2,100 Marines who could be deployed if needed. The U.S. is also sending ships from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which could arrive in four, or five days with equipment capable of producing 90,000 gallons of fresh water a day.

(on camera): While the disaster relief may seem slow in coming, U.S. officials say while it's important to get aid there quickly, it's often the long-term commitment to reconstruction that ends up being the most valuable assistance.

JAIME McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: They are back together again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There they are! There they are!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom! UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, you guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: That hug's worth about a million bucks. Still to come, one California family returns home, and paints a vivid picture of how they outran the tsunami.

Plus, it is one horrifying job; searching for your missing spouse. Up next, how one man found his wife in a place he didn't want to go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour of CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's talk a look at what's happening now in the news.

Heavy fighting at a combat post in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The U.S. military says 25 insurgents and one U.S. soldier were killed in the action. A suicide car bomber attacked the post. When a patrol responded to the attack, a second car bombing went off, then dozens of insurgents hit the post with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire.

There is word that the Navy will take the biggest hit in planned Pentagon budget cuts. That's according to a story in today's "New York Times." The "Times" reports said the Navy plans to retire one of its 12 aircraft carriers and build fewer destroyers. Over all, the military reportedly plans to make $60 billion in cuts over six years. The White House has ordered all federal agencies to cut spending.

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