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CNN Live Today
Tsunami Death Toll Tops 135,000; Storms in California Kills 7
Aired December 31, 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, CO-ANCHOR: Well, that's it for us here on "AMERICAN MORNING" everybody. We sure do wish you all a very Happy New Year.
And in the meantime, Daryn Kagan is standing by at the CNN Center now to take you through the next few hours on CNN LIVE TODAY.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I don't want to see you guys working until next year.
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: You got it!
KAGAN: Take the rest of the year off, that's from me. You guys have a great one.
We have a lot to get to. Let's start by taken a look at what's happening now in the news.
It is now five and a half days after the tsunami hit. The death toll keeps climbing. More than 135,000 people are confirmed dead in 11 countries. Thousands of others are still missing and feared dead. And officials admit an exact death toll may never be known.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says an unprecedented global response is needed to help tsunami victims. Annan talks about Secretary of State Colin Powell about coordinating relief efforts. Half a billion dollars has been pledged worldwide.
A fire roared through a packed Buenos Aires club last night. At least 175 are dead there. Six hundred and nineteen others injured. The fire broke out during a rock concert. Witnesses say as many as 5,000 were in that club at the time.
And New Year's Eve security goes high tech in Times Square. Chemical sensors are checking air quality before tonight's ball drop. Seven police helicopters will patrol the skies. One of those is equipped with infrared heat imaging cameras. Those cameras can identify people clearly in the dark up to 1,000 feet away.
Good morning to you on this New Year' s Eve morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Rick Sanchez, as you saw, working in New York City this week. We're going to begin this hour with CNN's extensive coverage of the tsunami disaster, as our unmatched, worldwide resources are bringing that story to you.
Our correspondents encircle the region, as relief efforts ratcheting up and more comprehensive assessments of the devastation roll in. The ever death changing toll have now surpassed 135,000. Five hundred million dollars and desperately needed supplies have been pledged. Secretary of State Colin Powell plans to travel to the region to assess humanitarian needs. He will lead a delegation that includes the president's brother Jeb Bush. As Florida's governor, he has had vast experience with hurricane relief efforts.
The tsunamis struck at the height of tourist season and at the very heart of the economy. That means the future of the region will depend on the swift rebuilding of resorts and hotels.
Aneesh Raman is in Phuket, Thailand and joins you by phone -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. As if there wasn't enough to be concerned with for those who are survived these devastating waves, it is the odd juxtaposition of Phuket right now from this debris, amidst the bodies that remain unfound, the people here simply must rebuild. And not just back into a town, but really, Daryn, back into a pristine holiday center.
It's as odd a transitional as it was shocking when the waves came down, when people on vacation were enjoying a holiday treat, and suddenly it became a fight for their life. Well, equally difficult will be transitioning back, going from a period of just utter despair, back to a sense of holiday, of family, of a get-together. It seems so far from here.
The reason is purely an economic and livelihood one. The Thais that have survived are hugely dependent on the economy in this industry. They work for three or four months at the peak season. And that funds their and their family lives for the year. And given mass destruction in the other areas, Phi Phi Islands and the coastal areas, Khao Lak, Phuket really is the only place that has some buildings that remain standing.
(AUDIO GAP) They can feel the pressure, the responsibility both to the employees to try and rebuild this island, so that it can be ready by mid-January -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Aneesh Raman from Phuket, Thailand. Thank you.
Well, those deadly waves reduced homes to rubbles and left lives in tatters. Countless people are facing the uncertainty alone as widows and as orphans. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story of two women in Sri Lanka now bound by grief.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: These devout Christian sisters celebrated Christmas together the day before, as they had done the past 40 years. Even after they were married they chose to live next door to each other. And on the morning of December 26, they woke up at 5:30, had a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast rice and dal. And then three hours later, watched as both of their husbands drowned in the tsunami while saving their children.
MARIANA SEBASTIAN FRANCIS, TSUNAMI WIDOW (through translator): When the second wave came, we were looking for our son. And my husband went to search for him and found him in a tree. He rescued him and both were run fog their lives. Later, my son was found alive. But my husband was missing. He had been drowned.
GUPTA: It all happened in less than 20 minutes.
FRANCIS: The water was rising and the sea was coming. We ran for our lives. But it caught us. And the water almost came up to our necks. We managed to escape the first wave, which destroyed our house. The second wave came and took us by surprise. There was just so much water I didn't know what to do.
GUPTA: Remarkably, their story is not unique. Suerna and Mariana Sebastian Francis are among the 3,000 displaced people in this town alone. Its coastal location turned this already deprived fishing community into one of the most vulnerable in the country. Most here are now widows and orphans.
(on camera): So what are they going to do now?
SUERNA SEBASTIAN FRANCIS, TSUNAMI WIDOW (through translator): We don't know what to do next. Right now, we don't have a source of income. We'll need to look for jobs, but they are scarce.
GUPTA: Days later, they have their health, for the most part. Suerna had her leg banged up pretty badly. Marianna has bandages all over her hand. They are not from the tsunami, she told me, but carrying the coffin of her husband and then refusing to let it go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that report was filed by CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Well, the deadly waves -- actually -- and we'll have more from Sunjay later in the morning.
A California couple has returned home with their own story of survival and heroism. They were sailing off the coast of Thailand when the tsunami struck. And dozens of people were thrown to the mercy of the violent waters around them.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Back home in Southern California, Julie Sobolewski and John Henke are telling their incredible story of survival and heroism. With Julie's 25-year-old son, Casey, the three were on Day 7 of 10-day sailing off the coast of Thailand when the tsunami hit. JOHN HENKE, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: We didn't know how big it was going to be, that it was going to be as big as it was. But we kind of were aware that something big was about to happen.
ROWLAND: Their boat, one of many in the water at the time, was headed towards a popular sand bar.
JULIE SOBOLEWSKI, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: It gets bigger and bigger. And then the next thing I notice is that the sand bar and the people on it are just gone.
ROWLAND: Because of location behind the sand bar they were able to withstand the waves. Other boats were not.
SOBOLEWSKI: As soon as that water hit those boats, they pretty much blew apart. And now there are all these people in the water hanging on to wood or parts of a boats yelling, "Help me! Help me!"
HENKE: You just do what has to be done. We didn't ever really question what we had to do. You grab as many people that you can grab right away and get them to safety.
SOBOLEWSKI: They were very scared and shocked. They were yelling, "Children! Children!" They didn't speak much English. They spoke about enough to say, "Help me" and "thank you." A lot of thank you.
ROWLAND: After dropping off 21 people, they went back and found more, including this group stranded on a rock. By the time the sun went down, they had been at it for more than six hours. All told, they believe they pulled 35 people from the water.
HENKE: Ten minutes either way could have made a difference not only for ourselves, but for the 35 people we pulled out of the water.
ROWLAND: They didn't realize the scope of the disaster until later.
SOBOLEWSKI: Made me think a little about our -- how important our family and relationships, and our friends are. And how we're really just here for a short time.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Oceanside, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Perhaps you're thinking of giving to the tsunami relief effort. But you're concerned that your donation might not get to the people who really need it.
Reporter Beth Parker of CNN affiliate WTTG has tips on giving without the worry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH PARKER, WTTG CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Step inside this Suresh Wadhwani Rockville store and you're transported to his native India. Wadhwani's homeland has been on his mind this week. Now, he has a new worry, a fear that donations won't get to those most in need.
SURESH WADHWANI, BUSINESS OWNER: Kleptical people keep the money. They share it all together. That's what it is.
PARKER (on camera): The powerful people.
WADHWANI: Powerful people in India.
PARKER (voice-over): At B'Nai Brith International, they have years of experience helping out with disaster recovery.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon, B'Nai Brith. How may I assist you?
PARKER: The Jewish organization raised $700,000 after the Oklahoma City bombing.
DANIEL MARIASCHIN, B'NAI BRITH INTERNATIONAL: Americans give.
PARKER: This time around, he says people are asking good questions.
MARIASCHIN: How quickly will it get there? Who are you working through? And have you done this before? They're worried. I think that having witnessed so much footage of this terrible disaster, people would like to know that the folks on the ground who need the water, need the medicine, need the clothing, are going to get it as quickly as they can.
PARKER (on camera): Now, the better business bureau says you should expect that at least 65 cents of every dollar you donate goes directly to people in need. They say you shouldn't settle for anything less.
JIM BISHOP, INTERACTION: Many people want to feel more personally engaged than just writing out a check. And that's very understandable. So bake sales, car washes, any community-type activity, which brings you together with people of like mind.
PARKER (voice-over): Other advice, give to established organizations, preferably ones that already have tax-exempt status. Don't be afraid to ask questions about exactly where your donation will go. Give money, not supplies. Items purchased in the country's hardest hit could give a boost to local economies struggling to rebound.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that report came from Beth Parker from our CNN affiliate WTTG.
Check out our website and see how many different aid groups are accepting donations. How do the organizations work together to make certain the money gets where it's needed? Joining me now from Washington to talk about aid coordination is Lionel Rosenblatt. He is president emeritus of Refugees International.
Good morning. Thank you for being here with us.
LIONEL ROSENBLATT, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, REFUGEES INT'L.: Good morning.
KAGAN: First of all, I want to look at the top needs right now. You say and you've written an op-ed piece, where you state you cannot really overstate the need of getting clean water to the affected areas.
ROSENBLATT: I have. And it's hard to track how much clean water resources are in the pipeline. Water is a complicated problem. It involves pipes and pumps and purification equipment. And what I'm feeling is that I don't understand clearly if the international relief effort has enough under way or not.
People say, Lionel, don't worry. It seems to be in hand. I don't accept that. I think we have to think worst case and look again to see if enough is, A: getting to the region. And B: to the affected areas. Often the second task is harder than the first. So we want to keep looking at that as the major threat to lives now among those displaced.
KAGAN: Well, one thing is clear. All these international aid organizations and governments around the world have definitely stepped up. The people of the world care about other people. So there's all this aid and all this money that's going toward there. But what about the coordination? How does it not turn into a big mess once it arrives in theses different regions?
ROSENBLATT: I think you've asked the key question. I think in the first instance, we want to coordinate through the U.N. And Jan Egeland the emergency coordinator there is a very experienced manager of disasters.
But we think you want to cut through the layers of red tape and tendency to miscommunicate among both military and civilian elements now involved. And we know we have the U.S. military in the picture, as well. Which is good. And that calls for a top-level coordinator of world renown in the region to pull these strings together.
KAGAN: You were also saying in this op-ed piece, you were making mention of the U.S. military. You say it is a good call that President Bush has gotten the military involved. How is that going to make a difference in practical terms?
ROSENBLATT: I think really only the U.S. Navy and Air Force as well have the reach and muscle to get to some of these remote areas, in Aceh and elsewhere where people still haven't seen a single relief person or package. So we rely on them to do that. But they are like everybody else. They can't do miracles. And the water they're bringing to the region is going to take days more. And that's why we keep saying on the water. We have to jump-start other resources to put in ahead of the Navy's arrival in the region. We don't want to be complacent because of that. But it is an excellent step forward to involve the U.S. military.
KAGAN: We, as Americans, tend to have a pretty short attention span. Do you think people appreciate just how long it's going to take to help out these communities?
ROSENBLATT: I don't think so because we're still in the phase of trying to help keep the survivors alive. And that's the priority. But we need to turn sooner, rather than later, to using some of these earlier moneys to help reconstruct.
Sri Lanka, then Ceylon when I first worked there 35 years ago, is a wonderful country. It was on the way to recovery finally from the latest round of conflict. And they've been wiped out in terms of tourism and other economic ventures. So we need to help them turn that corner again and use some of these moneys in a way that does that as well.
KAGAN: A lot of work left to do.
ROSENBLATT: Indeed.
KAGAN: Lionel Rosenblatt from Refugees International, thank you so much.
ROSENBLATT: You're welcome.
KAGAN: Still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, what was supposed to be a couple's most important celebration, their honeymoon that turned into sheer moments of terror. They're going to share their story of surviving the tsunami.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We also have weather here in the U.S. to keep an eye on. A stormy end of the year for many in the west. Torrential rains and blizzard conditions have made travel just a huge mess.
Rusty Dornin takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The rains came. And the snow fell and keeps on falling. A series of slow-rolling storms is hammering the western states. Near Sedona, Arizona, hundreds were evacuated, as a creek flooded resorts, an R.V. park, and a dozen neighborhoods.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it is kind of frightening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Mother Nature gone insane.
DORNIN: In the Sierra Nevada, blizzard-like conditions at one point closed every pass through California's main mountain range. Travelers to Lake Tahoe and Reno were told to head back where they came, creating a gridlock on Interstate 80.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unfortunately, the weather is continued to go from worse to miserable. And so we had to close again.
DORNIN: As winds topping more than 130 miles an hour whipped the mountaintops, many ski resorts were forced to close lifts. Four feet to seven feet of snow is expected through the New Year's weekend.
To the south, pounding rains and high winds hit Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, causing widespread power outages and snapping off 170 feet of a radio tower. Bits and pieces of that tower hit several cars below. Flash flooding in some areas of San Diego County. A motorist had to be rescued from raging water that swamped his van. All making western residents fret about just what the New Year may bring.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, honeymooning on one of the most beautiful islands. But it turned into a tragedy for this California couple. They did survive the tsunami. And they are going to share their incredible story with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: You might not realize it, but the world's largest Muslim population lives in Indonesia. That country was the -- that suffered the greatest losses in this disaster. And on this traditional day of prayer, the main mosque of Banda Aceh now serves people of all faith, as the hub of emergency relief.
CNN's Mike Chinoy has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday, holy day. If ever there was a time to ask God for help, this is it. As the call to prayer rings out, Salian looks after a 9-year-old Rema in the tent on the grounds of a small mosque on the outskirts of Banda Aceh. It's their home now, along with a thousand other refugees. But not for Salian's husband and four other children. They are missing, presumed dead.
"At the beginning I held my children," she says, "but the wave pulled them away."
Rema was lost, too, but amazingly, she was found later by police and reunited with her mother. She's still too traumatized to talk.
(on camera): Religion carries a message of solace and hope that the events of the past week have been enough to test anyone's faith.
(voice-over): In his Friday sermon, Imam Yateem Hussien talks of the wrath of God. He recalls the story of how God parted the waters of the Red Sea to save Moses but drowned the wicked pharaoh and his army. He tells the worshipers, this disaster is a lesson in humility. But he also says it is a time to rally together.
"We should not give up," he told me. "We must good and kind to each other and not forget others' kindness to us."
Udeen says prayer is all he has now. "I feel better when I pray," he told me. "I want to pray so that nothing like this will ever happen again."
But Majid, who lost 24 family members, says he can't bring himself to pray. "After all I've seen," he says, "both physically and spirituality, I just can't find it in me to pray now."
That people have any place to pray at all is something of a miracle. Banda Aceh's main mosque, which usually sees thousands of worshipers on Friday, is in shambles. Rekindling faith in the future here isn't going to be easy.
Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: There are obviously a lot of challenges with delivering relief. We'll going to go live to northern Sri Lanka where relief workers must pass through a war zone to do their job. That story still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's look at what's happening in the news.
The tsunami death toll has surged past 135,000 with nearly two- thirds of the fatalities in Indonesia alone. That country was closest to the massive earthquake that triggered the deadly waves across the Indian Ocean. Relief supplies are beginning to stream into the 11 countries devastated by the tsunami.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is traveling to New York today to discuss the humanitarian mission with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. About $500 million of cash and supplies have been pledged. Powell is about to lead a U.S. delegation to the region to further assess the needs.
To Iraq now. Before the sun rose, troops launched raids on more than a dozen homes north of Baghdad, near yesterday's insurgent attacks on an American patrol. The military says today's pre-dawn offensive netted bomb-making materials and the detention of 49 people. Police and anti-terrorism experts are finalizing the extensive security precautions for tonight's New Year's Eve bash at Times Square. Authorities have welded shut manhole covers, mailboxes have been locked or removed, chemical sensors will test air quality and specially equipped helicopters will patrol overhead.
There is an added challenge for relief workers trying to reach tsunami victims in northern Sri Lanka. First, they have to pass through a war zone.
CNN's Stan Grant is in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka with that story -- Stan.
STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn, you are absolutely right. This is not just a disaster zone. This is very much a war zone and has been for the past two decades. It's a very, very shaky ceasefire at the moment. And the peace process has been put on hold, a peace process that had been underway for about two years ago. But for the past 20-odd years, they've been at war, the Tamil Tigers of northern Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan forces in the south.
In fact, the Tamil Tigers have established in effect a de facto state in this region. And they are the ones now dealing with the full impact of this tsunami. They've moved very, very quickly to shut down a lot of the affected areas. They're telling me that around 14,000 people in the north and northeast have been killed, added to that another 5,000 who are missing. They say not to expect any survivors from that number, pushing the total ultimately up to around 20,000 people killed in this region and half a million more people, Darren, who have been displaced.
Added to that the problem of getting past a lot of these roads. Many of the roads in the region have been damaged as a result of the war over the past 20 years. There are enormous pot holes every ten meters or so in these roads.
And there are warning signs every 200 to 300 meters to beware of land mines. Much of the area has been heavily mined. And there are warning signs. Be very much aware of that and stick very close to the main road.
So enormous challenges for the Tamil forces here in trying to bring about the aid relief that's needed and enormous challenges for the aid groups themselves to be able to work cooperatively with the Tamil Tiger rebels. I've spoken to some aid groups, Daryn, and they've told me that, yes indeed, they are able to do that.
But at this stage, they are not getting enough through. The Tamil Tigers are saying they need a lot more water, a lot more shelter, a lot more food. And they need to be able to work more closely with those aid groups - Daryn?
KAGAN: Stan, do you think it's too much to hope that this crisis and disaster could actually bring these sides together?
GRANT: Well, we have seen the enmity here run very, very deep. We were told -- I was just speaking to one of the Tamil Tiger officials not long ago. And he told me that in the 20 odd years of the conflicts, 80,000 people in the north and the northeast have been killed. But in the 20 or 30 minutes it took for the tsunami to hit, around 20,000 people were killed.
And one of the aid officials actually said to me it's not a time to talk about separatism anymore. It's not a time to talk about what's yours and what's mine. It's a time to actually get together and deal with these problems.
The old enmities run very deep. And the Tamil Tigers have determined that what happens here must go through them. They say they have the experience and the expertise to deliver that. What they need is the assistance of the aid groups. They're getting it at the moment, but they need a lot more of it - Daryn?
KAGAN: All right, well, let's hope so for the people that really, really need it there in northern Sri Lanka. Stan Grant, thank you for that report. And you be careful with our crew out there as well.
We are getting a lot of tsunami stories e-mailed to our website. Here is one from Paul Sussman. He's in Sri Lanka. He writes, "People here seem bewildered by the enormity of what has happened to their country. Everywhere you go, small crowds are huddled around radios and television sets, silently absorbing the news, blank faced, as if unable to comprehend what they are seeing and hearing. Devastation might be limited to coastal areas, but the sense of shock and loss is universal."
If you'd like to post your story or make a personal appeal for a missing friend or family member, just go to cnn.com/quake. We will bring you stories of the missing in our continuing coverage of the tsunami disaster.
And now the story of an emotional reunion for two tsunami survivors and their family.
Those tears of relief flowed at a Madison, Wisconsin airport. Mary and Cong Bang are back from Thailand. The couple rode out the tsunami on a speed boat. The captain saw the big waves coming, turned the engine full, and sped away. The boat dodged the waves for two hours before it was safe to return to shore.
Our next guest was on the third day of his honeymoon when he heard screaming and a low roar at his beachside resort on Indonesian's Phi Phi Island. He and his new wife cowered under a deck, thinking it was a terrorist attack. What it was and what happened next was even worse.
Will Robbins joining us by telephone now. He's in Bangkok in a hospital where he and his wife are recovering from their injuries.
Will, thank you for joining us.
WILL ROBBINS, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: My pleasure. KAGAN: How are you and your wife doing today?
ROBBINS: We're doing a lot better. Just finally sort of trying to let the bruises heal and the pain starting to go away with some good medication.
KAGAN: I can only imagine when you booked this honeymoon vacation, this looked like it was going to be the dream trip for you and Amanda?
ROBBINS: Yes, it was. And it really has been. I mean, it's -- in a strange way, we had a fantastic time in Thailand. We really enjoyed the whole trip. And to be honest, we're some of the luckiest people on earth right now.
And so, it kind of ended up still being a dream vacation in a strange way. But it really just shows how lucky we are.
KAGAN: Yes, good point, indeed. So when you heard the rumbling, which I guess was the water starting to come in, you thought it was a terrorist attack?
ROBBINS: No, it was more just the screaming, the people screaming and running off the boats. We just possibly thought that maybe there was -- just remember the Bali bombing.
KAGAN: Sure.
ROBBINS: And things like that in the past, possibly was -- people were running from somebody who was shooting somebody.
But then by the time we'd jumped over the counter and the reception and started to hide, and the noise got so loud and the rumbling just got closer and closer, we knew that it was either a tsunami or an earthquake.
And then the next thing you know, it was just an explosion. And the room just disintegrated around us and the ride - then you know, the ride began for the next couple minutes under water.
KAGAN: Yes. From reading e-mail from you and your family, I understand that you believe that you and Amanda owe your life to a stranger named Marcus.
ROBBINS: Yes.
KAGAN: How did this man end up saving your life?
ROBBINS: Well, after we had basically been underwater about two or three minutes, just hoping and praying that we were going to be able to come to the surface, we came to the surface in about 200 yards out into the ocean and just full of debris and just, you know, no possibility of getting out of the water with a broken arm and my wife's broken pelvis.
And Marcus, an amazing young man from, I believe, Denmark or possibly Holland, was on a long tail boat. And he was about 50 yards away from us.
And we just started yelling to him to come and save us. And he had said he lost his family. And I said, Marcus, you have to get us on that boat or we're going to die. We'll help you find your family. And then I just screamed it out to him. And he came over, and threw us a rope, dragged us in.
And then the two of us were able to cut the rope - the boat that we were on free with smashed glass. And the two of us put the engine in the water. And we were able to finally drive away and get away from the tsunamis. So it just kept on rippling over the ocean and bringing our boats back into danger.
KAGAN: As far as you know, Marcus never did find his family and yet he saved your and Amanda's life?
ROBBINS: Yes. He was - he actually worked for the Princess dive boat. It was a dive boats that did such an amazing job, because they were actually out on the ocean. So they didn't actually feel the tsunami more than just a current that went by them.
And they came in. Marcus wasn't actually on the dive boat that day, but another dive boat came in with oxygen on board and medical kits. And it was the Aqcutellos, I think, was the name of the boat. And a couple guys from Sweden, Tandor, and Yanaka and Anaka were able to, you know, patch us back together and bring, I don't know, 20 or 30 different people from out of the water and take us to safety.
So we owe a lot to all the people, Marcus and the guys from the boats. And then all the Thai doctors of the hospital looked after us so well.
KAGAN: What is next for you and Amanda?
ROBBINS: Well, we just sort of - we're going to be here in the hospital out here for probably about another two or three weeks minimum, because Amanda's pelvis won't -- there's no possibility of her being able to fly because of the danger of blood clots and many other things.
So a few weeks in the hospital here and then hopefully, a trip back to America. And go back and see our family and friends and start our married life together.
KAGAN: Well, it has been a very interesting start, one that I'm sure you will never forget. All the best to you and to Amanda in healing and getting back here to the U.S. safely.
ROBBINS: Thank you very much. God bless.
KAGAN: To you, too. Will Robbins joining us from Bangkok, Thailand.
Well, in less than 14 hours, thousands of people will be dancing and toasting the new year. They're going to be all over Times Square. Still ahead, a look at what authorities are doing to make sure the year ends on a safe note in New York City.
Plus, one hat maker is putting in a lot of sweat and hard work for W. Still to come, we'll tell you why this brim is so important.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well on this New Year's Eve Day, the financial markets have allegedly been open for about an hour and ten minutes, not that you'd really know it.
Still, David Haffenreffer dedicated, showing up for work today. Hey, Dave.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barely a pulse down here, Daryn. Very light volume. This is something we've been seeing all week.
But here we are, final trading day of the year. Predictably, not a whole lot trading going on. Most of the big institutional traders closed their books for the year earlier this week. And the major averages are a little changed right now.
Dow Jones Industrial Average, and we should note this is a full trading session today down here at the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow higher by five points we'll call it. 10,805. While the Nasdaq Composite index is just slightly higher.
While the market is quiet today, it has been an interesting year, to say the very least. The major averages bounced back from losses this summer and are set to close out the year at or near their highest levels since June of 2001.
However, much of the gains, or rather the gains this year are more modest than last year. The Dow is up just over three percent for the year, compared to a more than 25 percent increase last year. The Nasdaq Composite surged 50 percent in 2003, but it's up less than 9 percent this year.
Among Dow stocks, McDonald's was the biggest winner, jumping more than 30 percent. Exxonmobil, Boeing, Johnson and Johnson, and Home Depot also posted solid gains.
There were some losers as well, some notable losers at that. Merck fell 30 percent after the controversy surrounding its anti- arthritis drug Vioxx. Celebrex, the maker Pfizer, is also on the loser's list this year, along with Intel, General Motors and Coca- Cola.
That is the latest from Wall Street. Again, a quiet day. Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: All right, David, thank you for that. Happy new year to you.
HAFFENREFFER: Same to you. KAGAN: Let's look at other stories making news coast to coast on this New Year's Eve Day. More than a week after U.S. Airway passengers were separated from their luggage, some reunions still await. The airline lost thousands of bags after its computer system crashed. The airline says it's hoping to deliver the last remaining hundreds of bags by the end of this weekend.
Welcome to Orlando and its newest attraction, Club Paris. Yes, Club Paris Hilton adorns a nightclub. Her presence didn't, however. Hilton was six hours late to the ribbon cutting. Her excuse? She was skiing in the Alps and delayed at their airport.
Sister Nikki Hilton cut the ribbon to open it in time for tonight's New Year's Eve bash. Orlando's mayor and its city commissioner have been bickering over whether the famed party girl deserves a key to the city. We'll let them work that out.
Cell phone uses in Ohio might soon pay for technology that could help save their lives one day. It would allow 911 operators to electronically locate them in an emergency. Currently, cell phone callers have to identify where they are. Ohio's governor could sign into law a funding surcharge that would add 32 cents to each month's cell phone bill.
President Bush's inauguration day will include a tip of the cap to his proud Texas roots. The head of the state will bear a cowboy hat.
Reporter Gary Wolf of our Denver affiliate KUSA takes us to the Colorado factory that is taking on the presidential honors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRENT JOHNSON, GREELEY HATWORKS: My name's Trent Johnson. I custom make hats at Greeley Hatworks. And today, we're building a hat for the leader of the free world.
To build a hat like this for the president takes more than just the average hat. Normally, we have six to eight hours. And what - this one will have nearly 20.
Then what we're going to do is press the brim. I got to build a hat for the president in 2002. It was given to him by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association when he came to speak at their annual convention in Denver.
Then we're going to slide it back here into this.
To see the leader of the free world wear a hat built by little old me in Greeley, Colorado, I mean, beyond description. And after that, I got to meet the president. He shook my hand and thanked me for the hat, got my picture taken with him.
And then about three weeks later, he sent a handwritten thank you card. I know he really appreciated it because he told me he did. Well, I thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. And so, you know, I really, really raised the bar on that first hat. I had to make it just super unique, one of a kind, the best thing I've ever built.
Well, then, I get asked to build a second one. So now it's a twice in a lifetime opportunity. And once again, the bar has been raised higher. So I had to step up and come up with some new, cool stuff to make the president the best hat ever.
So to come together, we're going to have the George W. Bush liner in the hat and his George W. Bush matching sweat band. This will all get sewed in.
We combined works with my custom silversmith. The gentleman that makes my custom hat carriers, a leather craftsman, everybody -- I had to bring everybody together to try to make all the pieces one of a kind unique, that would be -- top off the president's hat.
At times the competition has accused us of setting the hat industry back 100 years just because we still do everything by hand. And it's kind of a one at a time type of game here at Greeley Hatworks. We're OK with that because we like doing them one at a time, the old-fashioned way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that was report from CNN Denver affiliate KUSA.
Still to come, all systems are go in the Big Apple. Just ask Alina Cho. Alina?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. I'm live in Times Scare. We will tell you what police have planned for the world's biggest New Year's party coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: And looking at a picture of Hong Kong New Years. Now circling the globe one time zone one at a time. They are getting revved up in Hong Kong where the new year is about 12 minutes away.
Still going to have to wait a few hours for the U.S. to see New Year's. As always, much of the United States will be celebrating. And many eyes will focus on Times Square, which means that security is a huge focus.
Alina Cho standing by there. Alina, Happy New Year.
CHO: Daryn, good morning to you. 750,000 people are expected to jam Times Square tonight. There will be several high-tech security measures in place. Among them, police will actually be testing the air quality at various locations throughout Times Square on the hour. They will also be watching things from the air.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RAYMOND KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: We have a helicopter fleet of seven helicopters. They'll all be up during the celebration. We have a newer helicopter that gives us some sensing capability, some...
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In real-time?
KELLY: Real-time. It has high-powered cameras, transmits pictures right down to the ground. We have a fusion center, an intel fusion center, where we partner up with the federal agencies and we monitor information throughout the world that, you know, that may affect this event.
CHO: Let's talk a little bit about Homeland Security dollars. I know that there are a lot of people in New York who feel like New York sort of got short shrift when it comes to Homeland Security dollars. How do you feel about that? And does it make it harder to do your job?
KELLY: Well, I agree. New York has gotten a short shrift. There's no question about that. We're protecting America here. This is America's assets. This is a financial communications capital of the world. So anything that happens here is going to have a ripple effect throughout the world.
CHO: How much of a headache is this for you? I know you do it every year, but this is one big party.
KELLY: Well, this is part of our business. This is what we do. You know, this is kind of the nature of New York City, to have big events. And I think we're very experienced at it. I think we're good at it. This is part of the fabric of New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: This marks the 100th anniversary of the first New Year's celebration in Times Square. Secretary of State Colin Powell, a New York native, will be on hand tonight to help with the final 60-second countdown to 2005 - Daryn?
KAGAN: All right. Alina, thank you for that.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
The tsunami in South Asia is certainly one of the major events of this or any year. But 2004 was already historic for a number of other reasons.
CNN's Anderson Cooper looks back at some of the biggest stories of the past 366 days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The battle for Falluja started before it officially started. And I remember thinking this is what the end of the world sounds like, crashing all around us. And it continued for days and days. I never thought that anything could be so loud. I never thought that anything could be so violent and still leave anything standing.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE: We're very upbeat, thank you.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former President Bush was in the White House. He kept awake and kept staying up. And we're going to go give a speech. We have a speech. Are we going to go give a speech? The president at one point went down found him glued to the TV watching the results. He said, "Damn it, dad, go to bed."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just Mother Nature at her worst.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The feeling of standing in hurricane force winds is unlike anything else we experience in broadcast journalism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This hurricane season was one that a lot of folks, especially folks in Florida, are not going to forget. And I certainly won't forget.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here at the Riyadh camp outside El Genina, the capital of western Darfur.
It was imperative for us at CNN as journalists to report from Darfur. And it is meaning to what we do as journalists. Our duty is to go there and tell those stories and try and try and try to make sure that these things either get put right or hopefully don't happen again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Well, the place to ring in the New Year is right here on CNN. Anderson will anchor our live coverage from Times Square. His special guests include Colin Powell, Celine Dion, and the Roots. Kicks off tonight beginning at 11:00 Eastern.
It is just coming up on 10:54 on the East coast, 7:54 on the West coast. Stay with us. We'll be back with your morning forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well, it's not quite time to go three, two, one in Hong Kong, but you can feel the excitement. They are getting close. About three and a half minutes away from 2005 getting there to Hong Kong.
Let the celebration begin. Looks like a little chilly there. What about the weather here in the U.S.?
Dave Hennen's keeping an eye on that for us. Hey, Dave?
DAVE HENNEN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Daryn.
Kind of the opposite here. We're looking at some pretty warm conditions in much of the East. The real travel trouble area continues to be the West. So if you are traveling today, you're going to run into problems, especially heading over I-80 through the Sierra, around Lake Tahoe. Reports of up to 60 to 70 inches of snow in that area. So chains required basically from the higher elevations in Sierra, California, all the way through I-80 to Elko. So if you're traveling this area, winter storm warnings continue in effect. More significant snow on the way today.
Here's the radar out of the West, showing the snow in the higher elevations, snowing through much of northern Nevada, even rain showers reported in Vegas. And the snow make it as far south as the mountains outside of L.A. And significant snow expected there, up to two feet in some of the highest elevations say over about 10,000 feet or so.
Here's a look at radar elsewhere over the U.S. We do have two storms. The one in the West producing the heavy rain along the coast. More heavy rain today, L.A. Heavy snow, Salt lake.
I just checked the airports. Looking fine throughout much of the U.S. So if you're traveling today, we are not seeing any problems yet, but expect some Salt lake City delays later on today because of the snow. We expect delays in L.A. as well because of the rain. Maybe some San Francisco delays because of the low clouds.
In the East, we're looking at warm conditions. 61 the high today in New York. The normal high this time of year in New York, 39. We expect the temperature at midnight tonight to be right around 60 degrees. So you -- or 50 degrees, rather. So you can get the idea.
It is going to be mild, mild over much of the southeast as well. The peach crop in Atlanta tonight looking warm with temperatures in the upper 50s to 60s today. Some showers lined up some areas tonight.
New York City should be dry by midnight. We do expect some rain showers though during the evening hours. Take an umbrella if you're heading out today and tonight into New York City.
Let's take a look at the forecast over the U.S. today. Warm in much of the South. 64 Atlanta today, 55 in New York. By later on tonight, we expect the temperature around 60, as we said. And in the West, here's where our real problem areas are. A lot of snow in the West, a lot of flooding expected to parts of southern California, including San Diego - Daryn?
KAGAN: Dave, thank you for that.
In our next hour, tsunami coverage will continue. Ahead, more chilling video of towns washed completely away. You're going to get a first-hand look at damage in Indonesia as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Here's a look at what's happening now in the news. The death toll grows and pledges of aid increase five days after the tsunami disaster in Asia. The catastrophe has now claimed more than 135,000 lives.
International pledges of aid have reached $500 million. Live reports from the epicenter and beyond just ahead.
In Iraq, U.S. troops launched a series of pre-dawn raids north of Baghdad today. The military says soldiers detained 49 people and discovered stashes of bombing making materials. The raids took place in the same area where insurgents attacked the U.S. patrol yesterday.
To New York City, revelers will ring in the new year under the watchful eye of high tech security devices. Police are monitoring chemical sensors. And they're doing that each hour to check the air quality in Times Square.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 31, 2004 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CO-ANCHOR: Well, that's it for us here on "AMERICAN MORNING" everybody. We sure do wish you all a very Happy New Year.
And in the meantime, Daryn Kagan is standing by at the CNN Center now to take you through the next few hours on CNN LIVE TODAY.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I don't want to see you guys working until next year.
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: You got it!
KAGAN: Take the rest of the year off, that's from me. You guys have a great one.
We have a lot to get to. Let's start by taken a look at what's happening now in the news.
It is now five and a half days after the tsunami hit. The death toll keeps climbing. More than 135,000 people are confirmed dead in 11 countries. Thousands of others are still missing and feared dead. And officials admit an exact death toll may never be known.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says an unprecedented global response is needed to help tsunami victims. Annan talks about Secretary of State Colin Powell about coordinating relief efforts. Half a billion dollars has been pledged worldwide.
A fire roared through a packed Buenos Aires club last night. At least 175 are dead there. Six hundred and nineteen others injured. The fire broke out during a rock concert. Witnesses say as many as 5,000 were in that club at the time.
And New Year's Eve security goes high tech in Times Square. Chemical sensors are checking air quality before tonight's ball drop. Seven police helicopters will patrol the skies. One of those is equipped with infrared heat imaging cameras. Those cameras can identify people clearly in the dark up to 1,000 feet away.
Good morning to you on this New Year' s Eve morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Rick Sanchez, as you saw, working in New York City this week. We're going to begin this hour with CNN's extensive coverage of the tsunami disaster, as our unmatched, worldwide resources are bringing that story to you.
Our correspondents encircle the region, as relief efforts ratcheting up and more comprehensive assessments of the devastation roll in. The ever death changing toll have now surpassed 135,000. Five hundred million dollars and desperately needed supplies have been pledged. Secretary of State Colin Powell plans to travel to the region to assess humanitarian needs. He will lead a delegation that includes the president's brother Jeb Bush. As Florida's governor, he has had vast experience with hurricane relief efforts.
The tsunamis struck at the height of tourist season and at the very heart of the economy. That means the future of the region will depend on the swift rebuilding of resorts and hotels.
Aneesh Raman is in Phuket, Thailand and joins you by phone -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. As if there wasn't enough to be concerned with for those who are survived these devastating waves, it is the odd juxtaposition of Phuket right now from this debris, amidst the bodies that remain unfound, the people here simply must rebuild. And not just back into a town, but really, Daryn, back into a pristine holiday center.
It's as odd a transitional as it was shocking when the waves came down, when people on vacation were enjoying a holiday treat, and suddenly it became a fight for their life. Well, equally difficult will be transitioning back, going from a period of just utter despair, back to a sense of holiday, of family, of a get-together. It seems so far from here.
The reason is purely an economic and livelihood one. The Thais that have survived are hugely dependent on the economy in this industry. They work for three or four months at the peak season. And that funds their and their family lives for the year. And given mass destruction in the other areas, Phi Phi Islands and the coastal areas, Khao Lak, Phuket really is the only place that has some buildings that remain standing.
(AUDIO GAP) They can feel the pressure, the responsibility both to the employees to try and rebuild this island, so that it can be ready by mid-January -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Aneesh Raman from Phuket, Thailand. Thank you.
Well, those deadly waves reduced homes to rubbles and left lives in tatters. Countless people are facing the uncertainty alone as widows and as orphans. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story of two women in Sri Lanka now bound by grief.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: These devout Christian sisters celebrated Christmas together the day before, as they had done the past 40 years. Even after they were married they chose to live next door to each other. And on the morning of December 26, they woke up at 5:30, had a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast rice and dal. And then three hours later, watched as both of their husbands drowned in the tsunami while saving their children.
MARIANA SEBASTIAN FRANCIS, TSUNAMI WIDOW (through translator): When the second wave came, we were looking for our son. And my husband went to search for him and found him in a tree. He rescued him and both were run fog their lives. Later, my son was found alive. But my husband was missing. He had been drowned.
GUPTA: It all happened in less than 20 minutes.
FRANCIS: The water was rising and the sea was coming. We ran for our lives. But it caught us. And the water almost came up to our necks. We managed to escape the first wave, which destroyed our house. The second wave came and took us by surprise. There was just so much water I didn't know what to do.
GUPTA: Remarkably, their story is not unique. Suerna and Mariana Sebastian Francis are among the 3,000 displaced people in this town alone. Its coastal location turned this already deprived fishing community into one of the most vulnerable in the country. Most here are now widows and orphans.
(on camera): So what are they going to do now?
SUERNA SEBASTIAN FRANCIS, TSUNAMI WIDOW (through translator): We don't know what to do next. Right now, we don't have a source of income. We'll need to look for jobs, but they are scarce.
GUPTA: Days later, they have their health, for the most part. Suerna had her leg banged up pretty badly. Marianna has bandages all over her hand. They are not from the tsunami, she told me, but carrying the coffin of her husband and then refusing to let it go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that report was filed by CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Well, the deadly waves -- actually -- and we'll have more from Sunjay later in the morning.
A California couple has returned home with their own story of survival and heroism. They were sailing off the coast of Thailand when the tsunami struck. And dozens of people were thrown to the mercy of the violent waters around them.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Back home in Southern California, Julie Sobolewski and John Henke are telling their incredible story of survival and heroism. With Julie's 25-year-old son, Casey, the three were on Day 7 of 10-day sailing off the coast of Thailand when the tsunami hit. JOHN HENKE, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: We didn't know how big it was going to be, that it was going to be as big as it was. But we kind of were aware that something big was about to happen.
ROWLAND: Their boat, one of many in the water at the time, was headed towards a popular sand bar.
JULIE SOBOLEWSKI, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: It gets bigger and bigger. And then the next thing I notice is that the sand bar and the people on it are just gone.
ROWLAND: Because of location behind the sand bar they were able to withstand the waves. Other boats were not.
SOBOLEWSKI: As soon as that water hit those boats, they pretty much blew apart. And now there are all these people in the water hanging on to wood or parts of a boats yelling, "Help me! Help me!"
HENKE: You just do what has to be done. We didn't ever really question what we had to do. You grab as many people that you can grab right away and get them to safety.
SOBOLEWSKI: They were very scared and shocked. They were yelling, "Children! Children!" They didn't speak much English. They spoke about enough to say, "Help me" and "thank you." A lot of thank you.
ROWLAND: After dropping off 21 people, they went back and found more, including this group stranded on a rock. By the time the sun went down, they had been at it for more than six hours. All told, they believe they pulled 35 people from the water.
HENKE: Ten minutes either way could have made a difference not only for ourselves, but for the 35 people we pulled out of the water.
ROWLAND: They didn't realize the scope of the disaster until later.
SOBOLEWSKI: Made me think a little about our -- how important our family and relationships, and our friends are. And how we're really just here for a short time.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Oceanside, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Perhaps you're thinking of giving to the tsunami relief effort. But you're concerned that your donation might not get to the people who really need it.
Reporter Beth Parker of CNN affiliate WTTG has tips on giving without the worry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH PARKER, WTTG CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Step inside this Suresh Wadhwani Rockville store and you're transported to his native India. Wadhwani's homeland has been on his mind this week. Now, he has a new worry, a fear that donations won't get to those most in need.
SURESH WADHWANI, BUSINESS OWNER: Kleptical people keep the money. They share it all together. That's what it is.
PARKER (on camera): The powerful people.
WADHWANI: Powerful people in India.
PARKER (voice-over): At B'Nai Brith International, they have years of experience helping out with disaster recovery.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon, B'Nai Brith. How may I assist you?
PARKER: The Jewish organization raised $700,000 after the Oklahoma City bombing.
DANIEL MARIASCHIN, B'NAI BRITH INTERNATIONAL: Americans give.
PARKER: This time around, he says people are asking good questions.
MARIASCHIN: How quickly will it get there? Who are you working through? And have you done this before? They're worried. I think that having witnessed so much footage of this terrible disaster, people would like to know that the folks on the ground who need the water, need the medicine, need the clothing, are going to get it as quickly as they can.
PARKER (on camera): Now, the better business bureau says you should expect that at least 65 cents of every dollar you donate goes directly to people in need. They say you shouldn't settle for anything less.
JIM BISHOP, INTERACTION: Many people want to feel more personally engaged than just writing out a check. And that's very understandable. So bake sales, car washes, any community-type activity, which brings you together with people of like mind.
PARKER (voice-over): Other advice, give to established organizations, preferably ones that already have tax-exempt status. Don't be afraid to ask questions about exactly where your donation will go. Give money, not supplies. Items purchased in the country's hardest hit could give a boost to local economies struggling to rebound.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that report came from Beth Parker from our CNN affiliate WTTG.
Check out our website and see how many different aid groups are accepting donations. How do the organizations work together to make certain the money gets where it's needed? Joining me now from Washington to talk about aid coordination is Lionel Rosenblatt. He is president emeritus of Refugees International.
Good morning. Thank you for being here with us.
LIONEL ROSENBLATT, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, REFUGEES INT'L.: Good morning.
KAGAN: First of all, I want to look at the top needs right now. You say and you've written an op-ed piece, where you state you cannot really overstate the need of getting clean water to the affected areas.
ROSENBLATT: I have. And it's hard to track how much clean water resources are in the pipeline. Water is a complicated problem. It involves pipes and pumps and purification equipment. And what I'm feeling is that I don't understand clearly if the international relief effort has enough under way or not.
People say, Lionel, don't worry. It seems to be in hand. I don't accept that. I think we have to think worst case and look again to see if enough is, A: getting to the region. And B: to the affected areas. Often the second task is harder than the first. So we want to keep looking at that as the major threat to lives now among those displaced.
KAGAN: Well, one thing is clear. All these international aid organizations and governments around the world have definitely stepped up. The people of the world care about other people. So there's all this aid and all this money that's going toward there. But what about the coordination? How does it not turn into a big mess once it arrives in theses different regions?
ROSENBLATT: I think you've asked the key question. I think in the first instance, we want to coordinate through the U.N. And Jan Egeland the emergency coordinator there is a very experienced manager of disasters.
But we think you want to cut through the layers of red tape and tendency to miscommunicate among both military and civilian elements now involved. And we know we have the U.S. military in the picture, as well. Which is good. And that calls for a top-level coordinator of world renown in the region to pull these strings together.
KAGAN: You were also saying in this op-ed piece, you were making mention of the U.S. military. You say it is a good call that President Bush has gotten the military involved. How is that going to make a difference in practical terms?
ROSENBLATT: I think really only the U.S. Navy and Air Force as well have the reach and muscle to get to some of these remote areas, in Aceh and elsewhere where people still haven't seen a single relief person or package. So we rely on them to do that. But they are like everybody else. They can't do miracles. And the water they're bringing to the region is going to take days more. And that's why we keep saying on the water. We have to jump-start other resources to put in ahead of the Navy's arrival in the region. We don't want to be complacent because of that. But it is an excellent step forward to involve the U.S. military.
KAGAN: We, as Americans, tend to have a pretty short attention span. Do you think people appreciate just how long it's going to take to help out these communities?
ROSENBLATT: I don't think so because we're still in the phase of trying to help keep the survivors alive. And that's the priority. But we need to turn sooner, rather than later, to using some of these earlier moneys to help reconstruct.
Sri Lanka, then Ceylon when I first worked there 35 years ago, is a wonderful country. It was on the way to recovery finally from the latest round of conflict. And they've been wiped out in terms of tourism and other economic ventures. So we need to help them turn that corner again and use some of these moneys in a way that does that as well.
KAGAN: A lot of work left to do.
ROSENBLATT: Indeed.
KAGAN: Lionel Rosenblatt from Refugees International, thank you so much.
ROSENBLATT: You're welcome.
KAGAN: Still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, what was supposed to be a couple's most important celebration, their honeymoon that turned into sheer moments of terror. They're going to share their story of surviving the tsunami.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We also have weather here in the U.S. to keep an eye on. A stormy end of the year for many in the west. Torrential rains and blizzard conditions have made travel just a huge mess.
Rusty Dornin takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The rains came. And the snow fell and keeps on falling. A series of slow-rolling storms is hammering the western states. Near Sedona, Arizona, hundreds were evacuated, as a creek flooded resorts, an R.V. park, and a dozen neighborhoods.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it is kind of frightening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Mother Nature gone insane.
DORNIN: In the Sierra Nevada, blizzard-like conditions at one point closed every pass through California's main mountain range. Travelers to Lake Tahoe and Reno were told to head back where they came, creating a gridlock on Interstate 80.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unfortunately, the weather is continued to go from worse to miserable. And so we had to close again.
DORNIN: As winds topping more than 130 miles an hour whipped the mountaintops, many ski resorts were forced to close lifts. Four feet to seven feet of snow is expected through the New Year's weekend.
To the south, pounding rains and high winds hit Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, causing widespread power outages and snapping off 170 feet of a radio tower. Bits and pieces of that tower hit several cars below. Flash flooding in some areas of San Diego County. A motorist had to be rescued from raging water that swamped his van. All making western residents fret about just what the New Year may bring.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, honeymooning on one of the most beautiful islands. But it turned into a tragedy for this California couple. They did survive the tsunami. And they are going to share their incredible story with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: You might not realize it, but the world's largest Muslim population lives in Indonesia. That country was the -- that suffered the greatest losses in this disaster. And on this traditional day of prayer, the main mosque of Banda Aceh now serves people of all faith, as the hub of emergency relief.
CNN's Mike Chinoy has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday, holy day. If ever there was a time to ask God for help, this is it. As the call to prayer rings out, Salian looks after a 9-year-old Rema in the tent on the grounds of a small mosque on the outskirts of Banda Aceh. It's their home now, along with a thousand other refugees. But not for Salian's husband and four other children. They are missing, presumed dead.
"At the beginning I held my children," she says, "but the wave pulled them away."
Rema was lost, too, but amazingly, she was found later by police and reunited with her mother. She's still too traumatized to talk.
(on camera): Religion carries a message of solace and hope that the events of the past week have been enough to test anyone's faith.
(voice-over): In his Friday sermon, Imam Yateem Hussien talks of the wrath of God. He recalls the story of how God parted the waters of the Red Sea to save Moses but drowned the wicked pharaoh and his army. He tells the worshipers, this disaster is a lesson in humility. But he also says it is a time to rally together.
"We should not give up," he told me. "We must good and kind to each other and not forget others' kindness to us."
Udeen says prayer is all he has now. "I feel better when I pray," he told me. "I want to pray so that nothing like this will ever happen again."
But Majid, who lost 24 family members, says he can't bring himself to pray. "After all I've seen," he says, "both physically and spirituality, I just can't find it in me to pray now."
That people have any place to pray at all is something of a miracle. Banda Aceh's main mosque, which usually sees thousands of worshipers on Friday, is in shambles. Rekindling faith in the future here isn't going to be easy.
Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: There are obviously a lot of challenges with delivering relief. We'll going to go live to northern Sri Lanka where relief workers must pass through a war zone to do their job. That story still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's look at what's happening in the news.
The tsunami death toll has surged past 135,000 with nearly two- thirds of the fatalities in Indonesia alone. That country was closest to the massive earthquake that triggered the deadly waves across the Indian Ocean. Relief supplies are beginning to stream into the 11 countries devastated by the tsunami.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is traveling to New York today to discuss the humanitarian mission with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. About $500 million of cash and supplies have been pledged. Powell is about to lead a U.S. delegation to the region to further assess the needs.
To Iraq now. Before the sun rose, troops launched raids on more than a dozen homes north of Baghdad, near yesterday's insurgent attacks on an American patrol. The military says today's pre-dawn offensive netted bomb-making materials and the detention of 49 people. Police and anti-terrorism experts are finalizing the extensive security precautions for tonight's New Year's Eve bash at Times Square. Authorities have welded shut manhole covers, mailboxes have been locked or removed, chemical sensors will test air quality and specially equipped helicopters will patrol overhead.
There is an added challenge for relief workers trying to reach tsunami victims in northern Sri Lanka. First, they have to pass through a war zone.
CNN's Stan Grant is in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka with that story -- Stan.
STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn, you are absolutely right. This is not just a disaster zone. This is very much a war zone and has been for the past two decades. It's a very, very shaky ceasefire at the moment. And the peace process has been put on hold, a peace process that had been underway for about two years ago. But for the past 20-odd years, they've been at war, the Tamil Tigers of northern Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan forces in the south.
In fact, the Tamil Tigers have established in effect a de facto state in this region. And they are the ones now dealing with the full impact of this tsunami. They've moved very, very quickly to shut down a lot of the affected areas. They're telling me that around 14,000 people in the north and northeast have been killed, added to that another 5,000 who are missing. They say not to expect any survivors from that number, pushing the total ultimately up to around 20,000 people killed in this region and half a million more people, Darren, who have been displaced.
Added to that the problem of getting past a lot of these roads. Many of the roads in the region have been damaged as a result of the war over the past 20 years. There are enormous pot holes every ten meters or so in these roads.
And there are warning signs every 200 to 300 meters to beware of land mines. Much of the area has been heavily mined. And there are warning signs. Be very much aware of that and stick very close to the main road.
So enormous challenges for the Tamil forces here in trying to bring about the aid relief that's needed and enormous challenges for the aid groups themselves to be able to work cooperatively with the Tamil Tiger rebels. I've spoken to some aid groups, Daryn, and they've told me that, yes indeed, they are able to do that.
But at this stage, they are not getting enough through. The Tamil Tigers are saying they need a lot more water, a lot more shelter, a lot more food. And they need to be able to work more closely with those aid groups - Daryn?
KAGAN: Stan, do you think it's too much to hope that this crisis and disaster could actually bring these sides together?
GRANT: Well, we have seen the enmity here run very, very deep. We were told -- I was just speaking to one of the Tamil Tiger officials not long ago. And he told me that in the 20 odd years of the conflicts, 80,000 people in the north and the northeast have been killed. But in the 20 or 30 minutes it took for the tsunami to hit, around 20,000 people were killed.
And one of the aid officials actually said to me it's not a time to talk about separatism anymore. It's not a time to talk about what's yours and what's mine. It's a time to actually get together and deal with these problems.
The old enmities run very deep. And the Tamil Tigers have determined that what happens here must go through them. They say they have the experience and the expertise to deliver that. What they need is the assistance of the aid groups. They're getting it at the moment, but they need a lot more of it - Daryn?
KAGAN: All right, well, let's hope so for the people that really, really need it there in northern Sri Lanka. Stan Grant, thank you for that report. And you be careful with our crew out there as well.
We are getting a lot of tsunami stories e-mailed to our website. Here is one from Paul Sussman. He's in Sri Lanka. He writes, "People here seem bewildered by the enormity of what has happened to their country. Everywhere you go, small crowds are huddled around radios and television sets, silently absorbing the news, blank faced, as if unable to comprehend what they are seeing and hearing. Devastation might be limited to coastal areas, but the sense of shock and loss is universal."
If you'd like to post your story or make a personal appeal for a missing friend or family member, just go to cnn.com/quake. We will bring you stories of the missing in our continuing coverage of the tsunami disaster.
And now the story of an emotional reunion for two tsunami survivors and their family.
Those tears of relief flowed at a Madison, Wisconsin airport. Mary and Cong Bang are back from Thailand. The couple rode out the tsunami on a speed boat. The captain saw the big waves coming, turned the engine full, and sped away. The boat dodged the waves for two hours before it was safe to return to shore.
Our next guest was on the third day of his honeymoon when he heard screaming and a low roar at his beachside resort on Indonesian's Phi Phi Island. He and his new wife cowered under a deck, thinking it was a terrorist attack. What it was and what happened next was even worse.
Will Robbins joining us by telephone now. He's in Bangkok in a hospital where he and his wife are recovering from their injuries.
Will, thank you for joining us.
WILL ROBBINS, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: My pleasure. KAGAN: How are you and your wife doing today?
ROBBINS: We're doing a lot better. Just finally sort of trying to let the bruises heal and the pain starting to go away with some good medication.
KAGAN: I can only imagine when you booked this honeymoon vacation, this looked like it was going to be the dream trip for you and Amanda?
ROBBINS: Yes, it was. And it really has been. I mean, it's -- in a strange way, we had a fantastic time in Thailand. We really enjoyed the whole trip. And to be honest, we're some of the luckiest people on earth right now.
And so, it kind of ended up still being a dream vacation in a strange way. But it really just shows how lucky we are.
KAGAN: Yes, good point, indeed. So when you heard the rumbling, which I guess was the water starting to come in, you thought it was a terrorist attack?
ROBBINS: No, it was more just the screaming, the people screaming and running off the boats. We just possibly thought that maybe there was -- just remember the Bali bombing.
KAGAN: Sure.
ROBBINS: And things like that in the past, possibly was -- people were running from somebody who was shooting somebody.
But then by the time we'd jumped over the counter and the reception and started to hide, and the noise got so loud and the rumbling just got closer and closer, we knew that it was either a tsunami or an earthquake.
And then the next thing you know, it was just an explosion. And the room just disintegrated around us and the ride - then you know, the ride began for the next couple minutes under water.
KAGAN: Yes. From reading e-mail from you and your family, I understand that you believe that you and Amanda owe your life to a stranger named Marcus.
ROBBINS: Yes.
KAGAN: How did this man end up saving your life?
ROBBINS: Well, after we had basically been underwater about two or three minutes, just hoping and praying that we were going to be able to come to the surface, we came to the surface in about 200 yards out into the ocean and just full of debris and just, you know, no possibility of getting out of the water with a broken arm and my wife's broken pelvis.
And Marcus, an amazing young man from, I believe, Denmark or possibly Holland, was on a long tail boat. And he was about 50 yards away from us.
And we just started yelling to him to come and save us. And he had said he lost his family. And I said, Marcus, you have to get us on that boat or we're going to die. We'll help you find your family. And then I just screamed it out to him. And he came over, and threw us a rope, dragged us in.
And then the two of us were able to cut the rope - the boat that we were on free with smashed glass. And the two of us put the engine in the water. And we were able to finally drive away and get away from the tsunamis. So it just kept on rippling over the ocean and bringing our boats back into danger.
KAGAN: As far as you know, Marcus never did find his family and yet he saved your and Amanda's life?
ROBBINS: Yes. He was - he actually worked for the Princess dive boat. It was a dive boats that did such an amazing job, because they were actually out on the ocean. So they didn't actually feel the tsunami more than just a current that went by them.
And they came in. Marcus wasn't actually on the dive boat that day, but another dive boat came in with oxygen on board and medical kits. And it was the Aqcutellos, I think, was the name of the boat. And a couple guys from Sweden, Tandor, and Yanaka and Anaka were able to, you know, patch us back together and bring, I don't know, 20 or 30 different people from out of the water and take us to safety.
So we owe a lot to all the people, Marcus and the guys from the boats. And then all the Thai doctors of the hospital looked after us so well.
KAGAN: What is next for you and Amanda?
ROBBINS: Well, we just sort of - we're going to be here in the hospital out here for probably about another two or three weeks minimum, because Amanda's pelvis won't -- there's no possibility of her being able to fly because of the danger of blood clots and many other things.
So a few weeks in the hospital here and then hopefully, a trip back to America. And go back and see our family and friends and start our married life together.
KAGAN: Well, it has been a very interesting start, one that I'm sure you will never forget. All the best to you and to Amanda in healing and getting back here to the U.S. safely.
ROBBINS: Thank you very much. God bless.
KAGAN: To you, too. Will Robbins joining us from Bangkok, Thailand.
Well, in less than 14 hours, thousands of people will be dancing and toasting the new year. They're going to be all over Times Square. Still ahead, a look at what authorities are doing to make sure the year ends on a safe note in New York City.
Plus, one hat maker is putting in a lot of sweat and hard work for W. Still to come, we'll tell you why this brim is so important.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well on this New Year's Eve Day, the financial markets have allegedly been open for about an hour and ten minutes, not that you'd really know it.
Still, David Haffenreffer dedicated, showing up for work today. Hey, Dave.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barely a pulse down here, Daryn. Very light volume. This is something we've been seeing all week.
But here we are, final trading day of the year. Predictably, not a whole lot trading going on. Most of the big institutional traders closed their books for the year earlier this week. And the major averages are a little changed right now.
Dow Jones Industrial Average, and we should note this is a full trading session today down here at the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow higher by five points we'll call it. 10,805. While the Nasdaq Composite index is just slightly higher.
While the market is quiet today, it has been an interesting year, to say the very least. The major averages bounced back from losses this summer and are set to close out the year at or near their highest levels since June of 2001.
However, much of the gains, or rather the gains this year are more modest than last year. The Dow is up just over three percent for the year, compared to a more than 25 percent increase last year. The Nasdaq Composite surged 50 percent in 2003, but it's up less than 9 percent this year.
Among Dow stocks, McDonald's was the biggest winner, jumping more than 30 percent. Exxonmobil, Boeing, Johnson and Johnson, and Home Depot also posted solid gains.
There were some losers as well, some notable losers at that. Merck fell 30 percent after the controversy surrounding its anti- arthritis drug Vioxx. Celebrex, the maker Pfizer, is also on the loser's list this year, along with Intel, General Motors and Coca- Cola.
That is the latest from Wall Street. Again, a quiet day. Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: All right, David, thank you for that. Happy new year to you.
HAFFENREFFER: Same to you. KAGAN: Let's look at other stories making news coast to coast on this New Year's Eve Day. More than a week after U.S. Airway passengers were separated from their luggage, some reunions still await. The airline lost thousands of bags after its computer system crashed. The airline says it's hoping to deliver the last remaining hundreds of bags by the end of this weekend.
Welcome to Orlando and its newest attraction, Club Paris. Yes, Club Paris Hilton adorns a nightclub. Her presence didn't, however. Hilton was six hours late to the ribbon cutting. Her excuse? She was skiing in the Alps and delayed at their airport.
Sister Nikki Hilton cut the ribbon to open it in time for tonight's New Year's Eve bash. Orlando's mayor and its city commissioner have been bickering over whether the famed party girl deserves a key to the city. We'll let them work that out.
Cell phone uses in Ohio might soon pay for technology that could help save their lives one day. It would allow 911 operators to electronically locate them in an emergency. Currently, cell phone callers have to identify where they are. Ohio's governor could sign into law a funding surcharge that would add 32 cents to each month's cell phone bill.
President Bush's inauguration day will include a tip of the cap to his proud Texas roots. The head of the state will bear a cowboy hat.
Reporter Gary Wolf of our Denver affiliate KUSA takes us to the Colorado factory that is taking on the presidential honors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRENT JOHNSON, GREELEY HATWORKS: My name's Trent Johnson. I custom make hats at Greeley Hatworks. And today, we're building a hat for the leader of the free world.
To build a hat like this for the president takes more than just the average hat. Normally, we have six to eight hours. And what - this one will have nearly 20.
Then what we're going to do is press the brim. I got to build a hat for the president in 2002. It was given to him by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association when he came to speak at their annual convention in Denver.
Then we're going to slide it back here into this.
To see the leader of the free world wear a hat built by little old me in Greeley, Colorado, I mean, beyond description. And after that, I got to meet the president. He shook my hand and thanked me for the hat, got my picture taken with him.
And then about three weeks later, he sent a handwritten thank you card. I know he really appreciated it because he told me he did. Well, I thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. And so, you know, I really, really raised the bar on that first hat. I had to make it just super unique, one of a kind, the best thing I've ever built.
Well, then, I get asked to build a second one. So now it's a twice in a lifetime opportunity. And once again, the bar has been raised higher. So I had to step up and come up with some new, cool stuff to make the president the best hat ever.
So to come together, we're going to have the George W. Bush liner in the hat and his George W. Bush matching sweat band. This will all get sewed in.
We combined works with my custom silversmith. The gentleman that makes my custom hat carriers, a leather craftsman, everybody -- I had to bring everybody together to try to make all the pieces one of a kind unique, that would be -- top off the president's hat.
At times the competition has accused us of setting the hat industry back 100 years just because we still do everything by hand. And it's kind of a one at a time type of game here at Greeley Hatworks. We're OK with that because we like doing them one at a time, the old-fashioned way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that was report from CNN Denver affiliate KUSA.
Still to come, all systems are go in the Big Apple. Just ask Alina Cho. Alina?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. I'm live in Times Scare. We will tell you what police have planned for the world's biggest New Year's party coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: And looking at a picture of Hong Kong New Years. Now circling the globe one time zone one at a time. They are getting revved up in Hong Kong where the new year is about 12 minutes away.
Still going to have to wait a few hours for the U.S. to see New Year's. As always, much of the United States will be celebrating. And many eyes will focus on Times Square, which means that security is a huge focus.
Alina Cho standing by there. Alina, Happy New Year.
CHO: Daryn, good morning to you. 750,000 people are expected to jam Times Square tonight. There will be several high-tech security measures in place. Among them, police will actually be testing the air quality at various locations throughout Times Square on the hour. They will also be watching things from the air.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RAYMOND KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: We have a helicopter fleet of seven helicopters. They'll all be up during the celebration. We have a newer helicopter that gives us some sensing capability, some...
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In real-time?
KELLY: Real-time. It has high-powered cameras, transmits pictures right down to the ground. We have a fusion center, an intel fusion center, where we partner up with the federal agencies and we monitor information throughout the world that, you know, that may affect this event.
CHO: Let's talk a little bit about Homeland Security dollars. I know that there are a lot of people in New York who feel like New York sort of got short shrift when it comes to Homeland Security dollars. How do you feel about that? And does it make it harder to do your job?
KELLY: Well, I agree. New York has gotten a short shrift. There's no question about that. We're protecting America here. This is America's assets. This is a financial communications capital of the world. So anything that happens here is going to have a ripple effect throughout the world.
CHO: How much of a headache is this for you? I know you do it every year, but this is one big party.
KELLY: Well, this is part of our business. This is what we do. You know, this is kind of the nature of New York City, to have big events. And I think we're very experienced at it. I think we're good at it. This is part of the fabric of New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: This marks the 100th anniversary of the first New Year's celebration in Times Square. Secretary of State Colin Powell, a New York native, will be on hand tonight to help with the final 60-second countdown to 2005 - Daryn?
KAGAN: All right. Alina, thank you for that.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
The tsunami in South Asia is certainly one of the major events of this or any year. But 2004 was already historic for a number of other reasons.
CNN's Anderson Cooper looks back at some of the biggest stories of the past 366 days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The battle for Falluja started before it officially started. And I remember thinking this is what the end of the world sounds like, crashing all around us. And it continued for days and days. I never thought that anything could be so loud. I never thought that anything could be so violent and still leave anything standing.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE: We're very upbeat, thank you.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former President Bush was in the White House. He kept awake and kept staying up. And we're going to go give a speech. We have a speech. Are we going to go give a speech? The president at one point went down found him glued to the TV watching the results. He said, "Damn it, dad, go to bed."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just Mother Nature at her worst.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The feeling of standing in hurricane force winds is unlike anything else we experience in broadcast journalism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This hurricane season was one that a lot of folks, especially folks in Florida, are not going to forget. And I certainly won't forget.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here at the Riyadh camp outside El Genina, the capital of western Darfur.
It was imperative for us at CNN as journalists to report from Darfur. And it is meaning to what we do as journalists. Our duty is to go there and tell those stories and try and try and try to make sure that these things either get put right or hopefully don't happen again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Well, the place to ring in the New Year is right here on CNN. Anderson will anchor our live coverage from Times Square. His special guests include Colin Powell, Celine Dion, and the Roots. Kicks off tonight beginning at 11:00 Eastern.
It is just coming up on 10:54 on the East coast, 7:54 on the West coast. Stay with us. We'll be back with your morning forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well, it's not quite time to go three, two, one in Hong Kong, but you can feel the excitement. They are getting close. About three and a half minutes away from 2005 getting there to Hong Kong.
Let the celebration begin. Looks like a little chilly there. What about the weather here in the U.S.?
Dave Hennen's keeping an eye on that for us. Hey, Dave?
DAVE HENNEN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Daryn.
Kind of the opposite here. We're looking at some pretty warm conditions in much of the East. The real travel trouble area continues to be the West. So if you are traveling today, you're going to run into problems, especially heading over I-80 through the Sierra, around Lake Tahoe. Reports of up to 60 to 70 inches of snow in that area. So chains required basically from the higher elevations in Sierra, California, all the way through I-80 to Elko. So if you're traveling this area, winter storm warnings continue in effect. More significant snow on the way today.
Here's the radar out of the West, showing the snow in the higher elevations, snowing through much of northern Nevada, even rain showers reported in Vegas. And the snow make it as far south as the mountains outside of L.A. And significant snow expected there, up to two feet in some of the highest elevations say over about 10,000 feet or so.
Here's a look at radar elsewhere over the U.S. We do have two storms. The one in the West producing the heavy rain along the coast. More heavy rain today, L.A. Heavy snow, Salt lake.
I just checked the airports. Looking fine throughout much of the U.S. So if you're traveling today, we are not seeing any problems yet, but expect some Salt lake City delays later on today because of the snow. We expect delays in L.A. as well because of the rain. Maybe some San Francisco delays because of the low clouds.
In the East, we're looking at warm conditions. 61 the high today in New York. The normal high this time of year in New York, 39. We expect the temperature at midnight tonight to be right around 60 degrees. So you -- or 50 degrees, rather. So you can get the idea.
It is going to be mild, mild over much of the southeast as well. The peach crop in Atlanta tonight looking warm with temperatures in the upper 50s to 60s today. Some showers lined up some areas tonight.
New York City should be dry by midnight. We do expect some rain showers though during the evening hours. Take an umbrella if you're heading out today and tonight into New York City.
Let's take a look at the forecast over the U.S. today. Warm in much of the South. 64 Atlanta today, 55 in New York. By later on tonight, we expect the temperature around 60, as we said. And in the West, here's where our real problem areas are. A lot of snow in the West, a lot of flooding expected to parts of southern California, including San Diego - Daryn?
KAGAN: Dave, thank you for that.
In our next hour, tsunami coverage will continue. Ahead, more chilling video of towns washed completely away. You're going to get a first-hand look at damage in Indonesia as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Here's a look at what's happening now in the news. The death toll grows and pledges of aid increase five days after the tsunami disaster in Asia. The catastrophe has now claimed more than 135,000 lives.
International pledges of aid have reached $500 million. Live reports from the epicenter and beyond just ahead.
In Iraq, U.S. troops launched a series of pre-dawn raids north of Baghdad today. The military says soldiers detained 49 people and discovered stashes of bombing making materials. The raids took place in the same area where insurgents attacked the U.S. patrol yesterday.
To New York City, revelers will ring in the new year under the watchful eye of high tech security devices. Police are monitoring chemical sensors. And they're doing that each hour to check the air quality in Times Square.
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