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CNN Live Today

Secretary Powell Stunned by Tsunami Damage; Interpol Investigates Rumors of Child Trafficking; Storm Drops Ice, Snow From Rockies to Northeast

Aired January 05, 2005 - 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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Here is Daryn and Rick down at the CNN Center.
Morning, guys. How are you?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Thanks, guys.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Good morning. Thank you very much. Have a great day in New York City.

SANCHEZ: And we're going to break down some information for you. Not only some of the areas, for example, that Secretary Powell was referring to, but also areas that maybe haven't been visited yet. We will try to show those to you and also show you where they are on the map.

KAGAN: We're going get to that in a moment. Right now, let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.

A U.S. delegation, led by Colin Powell, took an aerial tour today of areas in Indonesia wiped out by the tsunamis. The secretary of state later said he had never seen anything like it and promised the U.S. would provide long-term assistance. Powell also ordered a more rapid accounting of the Americans reported missing in the wake of the disaster.

Some 13,000 children in Banda Aceh have been orphaned by the calamity are cause for growing concern. UNICEF officials warn there are signs already that some children -- some of those children, may become victims of kidnappings or illegal adoptions.

In Iraq, a graduation ceremony this morning at an Iraqi Police Academy in the city of Hilla was shatter by a suicide car bomb. At least 10 people died in that attack, including two police recruits. More than 40 others were wounded.

And here in the U.S., a major winter storm is creating big problems today from the southwest to the Great Lakes. Areas such as Kansas and Missouri are getting hit by a combination of ice, snow, and sleet. The governor of Kansas declared a state of emergency in 16 -- in 56 counties.

And good morning to you. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: I'm Rick Sanchez. You may have heard Secretary of State Colin Powell's comments. He says he's seen war; he's a veteran, but nothing like this. Secretary Powell put the tsunami damage in perspective today. Now, this is video from his flight over Indonesia's devastated Aceh Province in the U.S. Navy helicopter. Took about a half hour. After his up close look at that sweeping destruction, Mr. Powell says he has a better understanding of what the region's needs actually are.

We're going to try to put this into perspective for you. We have some before and after pictures of the same area that Powell has flown over. They show just how much the coast has changed by the 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Now here is Banda Aceh before the fateful Sunday, December 26. Ready? Switch. This is Banda Aceh today. Some sections of the coastline have vanished. Other parts have been heavily eroded. Most structures are damaged or destroyed. That is what the secretary of state was describing.

Our White House correspondent John King is traveling with Secretary Powell in Indonesia. He has more now on this morning's unforgettable trip to Banda Aceh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For military helicopter, a bird's eye view of the devastation. The general turned diplomat stunned by what he has just seen.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I've been in war and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations. But I have never seen anything like this.

KING: On the aerial survey, Secretary Powell and the delegation saw water and mud where 10 days ago stood roads, and homes, villages; crumbled foundation, many of the families washed away with the homes.

On the ground, an update of the humanitarian crisis here and a promise the United States military would do more to help.

POWELL: We will be increasing the number of helicopters that will be available to support and TNI and Indonesian authorities. And we will respond to requests we get from the Indonesian authorities.

KING: This visit is a show of U.S. goodwill and a commitment to Indonesia and other countries hardest hit by the tsunami. But as he travels, an increasingly frustrated Powell is urging his own department to move quickly to get a more accurate count of how many Americans were killed, and how many are truly still missing.

POWELL: We expect that there will be some additional American casualties. It's up to 16 now. But I'm not of the view that the numbers will be anything like what some of our fellow nations have suffered over the last week.

KING (on camera): Secretary Powell and his delegation were on the ground here less than two hours, rushing in and out so their visit would not complicate or delay the urgent relief effort. In fact, while the delegation took its helicopter tour and met with relief workers here on the ground, Secretary Powell's plane circled the island overhead, so as not to clog this critical runway.

John King, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So let's chart the progress of the trip from northern Banda Aceh down to Jakarta. Tomorrow, Colin Powell will join world leaders and relief workers for a summit in the Indonesian capital. The summit will look at ways to coordinate aid distribution. The leaders will also consider a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will attend. Today he sat down to talk with CNN's Richard Roth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (on camera): What in your opinion has gone right?

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: I think what has gone right is that there was a clear leadership at the beginning. And everyone accepted the U.S.'s leadership. There was no competition about leadership, even when the core group was set up. In my first meetings and discussions with them, discussing the objective of the group, we agreed that they would support the U.N.

Secondly, the response from the general public and governments has been enormous. We have now -- we have pledges and contributions of $2 billion. And as I said, I hope all of the money will be delivered. And that it is fresh and additional money. Not robbing Peter to pay Paul, pulling it from other crisis and other development and issues into this one.

ROTH: What is on your mind as you head towards the region? You have gone to East Timor, and there was destruction and damage, you have gone to other disaster zones. But this is something different, right?

ANNAN: This is very different and special. And the scale is enormous. In seven hours, the 12 countries were hit by the tsunami. And so, as I go there and sit with the leaders, we will be looking at how do we reconstruct? And get people back their livelihood and let them continue their lives and dignity to earn their way. And how do we get the individuals in the communities involved in the restructuring, in the reconstruction.

And I hope we will be able together to also come up with an approach that will be suitable for the region and each of the countries involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now, for days after the tsunami, desperate parents tried to search for signs of their missing children. And now they have a new fear. Not that their children are dead but that some may have actually been abducted. One specific case, Swedish police have gone to Thailand and try to investigate reports that a 12-year-old boy, who survived the tsunami, may have been kidnapped from a hospital.

CNN's Matthew Chance is putting this story together. He is filing from Phuket.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard to imagine anyone could do what the family of Kristian Walker say may have happened to their boy. Awash with rumors about the whereabouts of the 12-year-old, his grandfather is making an urgent appeal for information.

DANIEL WALKER, GRANDFATHER: Well, I tell you, I don't know that he's been kidnapped. I should say I'm hoping he's been kidnapped, as opposed to having been killed initially. Because if he's been kidnapped, there's a possibility he's alive.

CHANCE: At first, it sounds like a desperate relative grasping for hope. But as he searched for his family in the aftermath of the tsunami, Daniel Walker says he came across doctors who recognized his grandson.

WALKER: At one hospital, two of the doctors having looked at the photograph said yes, we think that there is a boy here who was brought in for a rather minor ear complaint, who was never admitted to the hospital.

He was brought in as an outpatient, by -- together with an adult male, who was a European. They did not know whether he was Swedish, German, English, whatever. The same man brought the same boy back a second day for additional treatment.

CHANCE: It isn't much. But the lead is being taken seriously by Interpol. The volunteer group has been set up to find other missing children, amid fears that gangs or pedophiles are exploiting the most vulnerable of this disaster.

ERIK LUNGMANN, SWEDISH VOLUNTEER: There is a rumor of gangs that are working around here, doing these things. And we just want to do everything we can. And we've done this for quite awhile. So I feel we are ahead of this. Like, you heard it by now, but we have been working on this a couple of days. And authorities are involved. Interpol is involved and they know what they're doing.

CHANCE: But it is a disturbing possibility. And one bound to haunt every mother and father that has lost a child here.

(on camera): It is hard enough to accept that loved ones may have died, killed in this powerful tsunami. But the very idea that some of them may have survived only to be abducted from their hospital beds is proving a cruel torment.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Phuket, Thailand. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: We have an important programming note we would like to share with you. We at CNN are looking deeper into the effects of the disaster on the young. It's a special prime time report that we will have called "Saving the Children." It will air Thursday night at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

KAGAN: Many Americans are still considered missing. Anxious relatives in this country are hoping for any shred of information about their loved ones whereabouts. Many are using the Internet and calling a State Department hotline out of concern for their family and friends, who likely were in southern Asia when the tsunami struck.

But the U.S. says it is unsure how many Americans are actually missing, though they currently estimate that number at about 3,000 people. Now, an official tells CNN that Colin Powell is growing frustrated with the slow pace of identifying the number of missing Americans. And that he wants faster progress. Sources also say a more accurate estimate could come within one to two days.

And as CNN's Brian Todd reports, a lot of family members refuse to give up hope.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The State Department won't release their names because their families haven't signed privacy waivers. Through phone calls, wire service and affiliate reports, we get their stories from those they'd left behind.

BRUCE ANDERSON, SISTER DIED IN TSUNAMI: There's hardly enough of the most beautiful place that she's always wanted to go, is where her life ended.

TODD: That was near a beach lodge in southeastern Sri Lanka, where Bruce Anderson was told his 42-year-old sister, Christy, spent the last moments of a well-traveled life. Bruce tends to Christy's affairs in Las Vegas, makes funeral arrangements, tries to cope. He says mornings are his worst time. Same for Janet Nicholas.

JANET NICHOLAS, LOST BROTHER IN TSUNAMI: My quiet moments, and when I wake up in the morning and first open my eyes, that I realize it's very real. And it's not just a bad nightmare.

TODD: Her brother, 59-year-old Brian King, an Alaskan commercial fisherman with a wanderlust, who had gone on vacation to Thailand and e-mailed his sister just before, she believes, he was swept under water in his sleep.

NICHOLAS: "Hi, Janet and Mark. Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm at a dive beach resort about 100 kilometers north of Phuket. I'm going to start diving lessons soon."

TODD: Fifteen-year-old Collie Breish (ph) was also vacationing, reportedly on a bungalow on a Thai beach with her 16-year-old brother when the tsunami hit. Collie's brother was badly injured. Her father and sister spent days looking for her. News of her body being found hard to process for friends back in Salt Lake City.

KILIONA PALAUNI, FRIEND DIED IN TSUNAMI: I don't know what to do right now. Not seeing her sitting in the back row, like she always did. Not seeing her in the chairs where we normally sat and worked together.

TODD: In Chicago, a memorial service for Tamara Mendez. The 55- year-old minister's wife was visiting family back home in Sri Lanka, on board that ill-fated train that was submerged, knocked off its tracks by a massive wave. Mendez was traveling with her 20-something daughter, who survived but could not rescue her mother.

Parents, children, young, middle aged. Adventurers, immigrants returning home. Americans lost.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So have you been trying to locate missing friends or relatives after the tsunami? We want to hear about your efforts. You can call us here at CNN, 404-878-1500. The phone will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. Eastern to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. And after those hours, a line will connect to voice-mail. There's a link on our website at cnn.com/tsunami.

SANCHEZ: Some of you may have been wondering how you can help in the relief effort even if you don't have a lot of cash on hand.

KAGAN: still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, we take a look at some creative ways for you to give.

Plus, we tag along as one American doctor packs his medical supplies and heads to the tsunami region. Here what he has to say about his volunteer experience.

SANCHEZ: First though, a wicked storm making its way across the Midwest. We're there. We also going to tell you where it's hit, where it's headed, and this is a live picture from the area. In fact, it's from the Chicago area. You are looking at it now. We'll have more. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It's all downhill from here. In the Midwest and Plains, weather conditions are expected to deteriorate today. Snow, rain, ice, bitter cold; is that enough? They all converged on Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Forecasters say more ice is on the way.

Tens of thousands are without electricity. Several schools had to cancel classes and the governor of Kansas has declared a state of emergency for at least half the state. If you are in Nebraska, might be a nice day to stay Indoors. Most schools and libraries are closed across the state. A lot of officials are telling people to stay home if they can. Six inches of snow has fallen on Nebraska since Tuesday. And forecasters say up to 18 inches could be on the ground by tonight.

SANCHEZ: If you happen to be a meteorologist there are two-ways to cover a story like this. Stand in front of a map, or you can do as an old football coach used to say of mine, "Get in there among them."

CNN's Rob Marciano is doing just that. He's in Schiller Park, Illinois, wearing a lot of clothing, I assume.

Rob, to you.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Rick. Yes, if you do weather in front of the map you can wear markedly less clothing, preferably a suit and tie. Out here with temperatures sub-freezing, you better dress up for it. And the folks in Chicago are certainly doing that. And on top of that, they're preparing for what should be the worst storm of the season.

Been pretty mild so far this winter, less than an inch of snow for December. Usually they get about nine or 10. They had a little snow over Thanksgiving, but for the most part it's been a pretty quiet winter. And this is one looks to be one of a doozie.

Right now, We are at 294, which is a loop that kind of goes outside the city, scoots right past O'Hare, takes you north towards Milwaukee, takes you south towards the rest of the Midwest.

I have a picture for you of what folks do at a rest stop called an "oasis." It's got about 90 percent of the folks coming through here are just your every day motorists. Ten percent are truckers taking a snooze or a break, and they're filling up, as the snow continues to come down. Right now about two inches of snow here.

But where they have bigger problems and where the bigger problems will be, will be to the south of here. Kansas, as you mentioned, big- time ice problems, one, two, three inches of ice overnight. And that has taken tree limbs down because of the weight. And that taking power lines down along with it. Eighty-five thousand residents in Kansas and parts of Missouri are without power. And I suspect that number will continue to grow, as this swathe of ice marches north and east.

To the weather maps we go. We will show you how wide this storm is. Started out in California a couple days ago. Maintained itself through the Rockies Mountains, and now it's stretching across the Midwest. Most of the heavier amounts of snow are going to be in the northern parts of Chicago, northwest Illinois, and southern parts of Wisconsin.

Chicago proper and south will likely see four to eight inches of snow. You go south of there towards Peoria, Springfield, east towards Ft. Wayne, or further east towards Cleveland. Even in towards the northeast, New York will probably see some slick spots, but could be major icing issues, like what we saw in Kansas City towards Chicago or Cleveland later on this afternoon.

Right now though, we only got about two inches of snow on the ground here in Chicago proper. We expect upwards of 10, may be even 12 inches across the northwestern suburbs. What that means for traffic, not a big deal now. But the snows will continue to increase.

That way, about five miles, O'Hare Airport, 2.5-hour delays, and 300 flights have been canceled. So this continues to be a big problem.

Also, an issue politically, guys as far as how the people handle this. Back in '79, they had a big snowstorm. And the mayor at the time, well, he wasn't re-elected because the city pretty much shut down. So, they're prepared. Two hundred and sixty snowplows are out. They're ready to go. And they're waiting for it. And it will be here later this afternoon.

Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Good job. CNN's meteorologist Rob Marciano out there among them. We thank you, Rob for bringing us up to date on that.

KAGAN: We have much more tsunami coverage ahead. We have brought you chilling pictures from south Asian tsunami, also descriptions that accent the horror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): As you walk through rubble, you often had a hard time seeing things in the rubble, but you smell it. There's an overwhelming smell of rotting meat here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Still to come, up close, on the ground of a disaster like never before.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: The tsunami tragedy in southern Asia has spurred both a global sense of grief and a world of giving as well. Millions are digging deep to try and help in these relief efforts. But how do you become more charitable in just every-day life?

Here with her "Top Five Picks" on making giving a way of life is Gerri Willis live in New York. And she starts off with something that is interesting. A lot of people say what do you give? What do you do?

I suppose the best thing we can give is us right?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Rick, that's absolutely right. You have got to volunteer your time. Volunteer yourself. You know, it's the biggest thing you can possibly give. It's worth a lot to you and certainly would be worth a lot to charities.

The thing though, is to tap into your own passions. When you are looking for a charity to donate your time to, you want to think about what really motivates you, what interests you? Is it children? Is it the elderly? Is it the environment?

We have got a couple of websites for you to go to make that match-up. Volunteermatch.org and the Volunteers of America have a website. It's well, voa.org.

SANCHEZ: Let's do this and talk about hunger in particular.

WILLIS: That's right. You know, people don't realize, Rick, that a lot of people out there, Americans every night going to bed hungry. Some 34 million. Many of them are kids. So if you want to help with this, maybe even organize your own food drive, you can do it. There's a website that will help called hunger -- I'm sorry. It's secondharvest.org. You can see it here. They will give you instructions on how to put together your own food drive by yourself.

Another website to checkout is hunger hungersite.com. Go to that website, click the button on the middle of the page. Every time you do, the advertisers will give a can of food to needy people.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Here's one we read a lot about and hear a lot about often in commercials. How about donating your wheels? How does that work, Gerri?

WILLIS: Well, it's not that hard really. You got an old truck? You got an old car? Even a boat, you can donate it to a charity. You have just got to be careful with the details. The IRS in particular pays a lot of attention to people who donate cars. So you want to go to irs.gov to understand what your deduction on your taxes will be. But a website called donateacar.com will tell you which charities actually take your wheels.

SANCHEZ: We live in a world of gadgets; especially guys you know? And it may be hard to part with them, but we can donate those as well, right?

WILLIS: Absolutely. Well, you know how it is. You have an old cell phone, you throw it in a desk drawer somewhere, you don't know what to do with it. Well, people can really benefit from that. As matter of fact, the Wireless Foundation, they have a program where they give old cell phones to women being battered so that they can call help when they're in trouble. Go to wirelessfoundation.org for details.

And cristina.org -- you see all the websites here. They will help you find a place to donate your P.C. It's often difficult to find places to donate personal computers because they're sort of unwieldy. And after a while, they don't work well as they should. But these people will tell who will take them. And you can feel like you have done something good with your old P.C.

SANCHEZ: This one is a little more traditional, important nonetheless. Donating what? Clothing, your duds, right?

WILLIS: Yes. Well, think about it. You have got an old suit hanging in the closet, Rick? Maybe you should give it to somebody going out on a job interview for the first time and really needs the suit. You can go to dressforsuccess.org to find out about that. Princessproject.org will take your old prom dress. I know you don't have one of those, buy maybe Daryn does, or maybe a dress you've worn to a wedding or something for somebody to use.

There's also pajamaprogram.com, a great place to donate P.J.s. And goodwill.org, well known for taking in clothes and giving them to people who really need it.

SANCHEZ: As a matter of fact, Daryn is one of the few people who has a prom dress that still fits.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIS: I bet she does.

SANCHEZ: Isn't that a nice thing to say, huh? We certainly thank you, Gerri.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: Appreciate the information.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: There you go.

KAGAN: Thank you. Actually, the prom dress wouldn't. I was a slightly larger girl in high school.

SANCHEZ: Oh. So it's come down.

KAGAN: Yes. What they call a "big girl." Yes. And the prom dress, long gone.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: In the business.

KAGAN: So there's no need to borrow it. Yes, in the business, as we say. A big girl.

Any how. Billions of dollars worth of aid and supplies are pouring in. But is it getting where it's needed? Still to come, bottlenecked at the airport, a look at why some goods are being held up.

SANCHEZ: And CNN correspondents are reporting from remote areas where the tsunami hit. Coming up, Anderson Cooper among them, gives us an inside glimpse of what he's seen.

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


Aired January 5, 2005 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Here is Daryn and Rick down at the CNN Center.
Morning, guys. How are you?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Thanks, guys.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Good morning. Thank you very much. Have a great day in New York City.

SANCHEZ: And we're going to break down some information for you. Not only some of the areas, for example, that Secretary Powell was referring to, but also areas that maybe haven't been visited yet. We will try to show those to you and also show you where they are on the map.

KAGAN: We're going get to that in a moment. Right now, let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.

A U.S. delegation, led by Colin Powell, took an aerial tour today of areas in Indonesia wiped out by the tsunamis. The secretary of state later said he had never seen anything like it and promised the U.S. would provide long-term assistance. Powell also ordered a more rapid accounting of the Americans reported missing in the wake of the disaster.

Some 13,000 children in Banda Aceh have been orphaned by the calamity are cause for growing concern. UNICEF officials warn there are signs already that some children -- some of those children, may become victims of kidnappings or illegal adoptions.

In Iraq, a graduation ceremony this morning at an Iraqi Police Academy in the city of Hilla was shatter by a suicide car bomb. At least 10 people died in that attack, including two police recruits. More than 40 others were wounded.

And here in the U.S., a major winter storm is creating big problems today from the southwest to the Great Lakes. Areas such as Kansas and Missouri are getting hit by a combination of ice, snow, and sleet. The governor of Kansas declared a state of emergency in 16 -- in 56 counties.

And good morning to you. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: I'm Rick Sanchez. You may have heard Secretary of State Colin Powell's comments. He says he's seen war; he's a veteran, but nothing like this. Secretary Powell put the tsunami damage in perspective today. Now, this is video from his flight over Indonesia's devastated Aceh Province in the U.S. Navy helicopter. Took about a half hour. After his up close look at that sweeping destruction, Mr. Powell says he has a better understanding of what the region's needs actually are.

We're going to try to put this into perspective for you. We have some before and after pictures of the same area that Powell has flown over. They show just how much the coast has changed by the 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Now here is Banda Aceh before the fateful Sunday, December 26. Ready? Switch. This is Banda Aceh today. Some sections of the coastline have vanished. Other parts have been heavily eroded. Most structures are damaged or destroyed. That is what the secretary of state was describing.

Our White House correspondent John King is traveling with Secretary Powell in Indonesia. He has more now on this morning's unforgettable trip to Banda Aceh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For military helicopter, a bird's eye view of the devastation. The general turned diplomat stunned by what he has just seen.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I've been in war and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations. But I have never seen anything like this.

KING: On the aerial survey, Secretary Powell and the delegation saw water and mud where 10 days ago stood roads, and homes, villages; crumbled foundation, many of the families washed away with the homes.

On the ground, an update of the humanitarian crisis here and a promise the United States military would do more to help.

POWELL: We will be increasing the number of helicopters that will be available to support and TNI and Indonesian authorities. And we will respond to requests we get from the Indonesian authorities.

KING: This visit is a show of U.S. goodwill and a commitment to Indonesia and other countries hardest hit by the tsunami. But as he travels, an increasingly frustrated Powell is urging his own department to move quickly to get a more accurate count of how many Americans were killed, and how many are truly still missing.

POWELL: We expect that there will be some additional American casualties. It's up to 16 now. But I'm not of the view that the numbers will be anything like what some of our fellow nations have suffered over the last week.

KING (on camera): Secretary Powell and his delegation were on the ground here less than two hours, rushing in and out so their visit would not complicate or delay the urgent relief effort. In fact, while the delegation took its helicopter tour and met with relief workers here on the ground, Secretary Powell's plane circled the island overhead, so as not to clog this critical runway.

John King, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So let's chart the progress of the trip from northern Banda Aceh down to Jakarta. Tomorrow, Colin Powell will join world leaders and relief workers for a summit in the Indonesian capital. The summit will look at ways to coordinate aid distribution. The leaders will also consider a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will attend. Today he sat down to talk with CNN's Richard Roth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (on camera): What in your opinion has gone right?

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: I think what has gone right is that there was a clear leadership at the beginning. And everyone accepted the U.S.'s leadership. There was no competition about leadership, even when the core group was set up. In my first meetings and discussions with them, discussing the objective of the group, we agreed that they would support the U.N.

Secondly, the response from the general public and governments has been enormous. We have now -- we have pledges and contributions of $2 billion. And as I said, I hope all of the money will be delivered. And that it is fresh and additional money. Not robbing Peter to pay Paul, pulling it from other crisis and other development and issues into this one.

ROTH: What is on your mind as you head towards the region? You have gone to East Timor, and there was destruction and damage, you have gone to other disaster zones. But this is something different, right?

ANNAN: This is very different and special. And the scale is enormous. In seven hours, the 12 countries were hit by the tsunami. And so, as I go there and sit with the leaders, we will be looking at how do we reconstruct? And get people back their livelihood and let them continue their lives and dignity to earn their way. And how do we get the individuals in the communities involved in the restructuring, in the reconstruction.

And I hope we will be able together to also come up with an approach that will be suitable for the region and each of the countries involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now, for days after the tsunami, desperate parents tried to search for signs of their missing children. And now they have a new fear. Not that their children are dead but that some may have actually been abducted. One specific case, Swedish police have gone to Thailand and try to investigate reports that a 12-year-old boy, who survived the tsunami, may have been kidnapped from a hospital.

CNN's Matthew Chance is putting this story together. He is filing from Phuket.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard to imagine anyone could do what the family of Kristian Walker say may have happened to their boy. Awash with rumors about the whereabouts of the 12-year-old, his grandfather is making an urgent appeal for information.

DANIEL WALKER, GRANDFATHER: Well, I tell you, I don't know that he's been kidnapped. I should say I'm hoping he's been kidnapped, as opposed to having been killed initially. Because if he's been kidnapped, there's a possibility he's alive.

CHANCE: At first, it sounds like a desperate relative grasping for hope. But as he searched for his family in the aftermath of the tsunami, Daniel Walker says he came across doctors who recognized his grandson.

WALKER: At one hospital, two of the doctors having looked at the photograph said yes, we think that there is a boy here who was brought in for a rather minor ear complaint, who was never admitted to the hospital.

He was brought in as an outpatient, by -- together with an adult male, who was a European. They did not know whether he was Swedish, German, English, whatever. The same man brought the same boy back a second day for additional treatment.

CHANCE: It isn't much. But the lead is being taken seriously by Interpol. The volunteer group has been set up to find other missing children, amid fears that gangs or pedophiles are exploiting the most vulnerable of this disaster.

ERIK LUNGMANN, SWEDISH VOLUNTEER: There is a rumor of gangs that are working around here, doing these things. And we just want to do everything we can. And we've done this for quite awhile. So I feel we are ahead of this. Like, you heard it by now, but we have been working on this a couple of days. And authorities are involved. Interpol is involved and they know what they're doing.

CHANCE: But it is a disturbing possibility. And one bound to haunt every mother and father that has lost a child here.

(on camera): It is hard enough to accept that loved ones may have died, killed in this powerful tsunami. But the very idea that some of them may have survived only to be abducted from their hospital beds is proving a cruel torment.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Phuket, Thailand. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: We have an important programming note we would like to share with you. We at CNN are looking deeper into the effects of the disaster on the young. It's a special prime time report that we will have called "Saving the Children." It will air Thursday night at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

KAGAN: Many Americans are still considered missing. Anxious relatives in this country are hoping for any shred of information about their loved ones whereabouts. Many are using the Internet and calling a State Department hotline out of concern for their family and friends, who likely were in southern Asia when the tsunami struck.

But the U.S. says it is unsure how many Americans are actually missing, though they currently estimate that number at about 3,000 people. Now, an official tells CNN that Colin Powell is growing frustrated with the slow pace of identifying the number of missing Americans. And that he wants faster progress. Sources also say a more accurate estimate could come within one to two days.

And as CNN's Brian Todd reports, a lot of family members refuse to give up hope.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The State Department won't release their names because their families haven't signed privacy waivers. Through phone calls, wire service and affiliate reports, we get their stories from those they'd left behind.

BRUCE ANDERSON, SISTER DIED IN TSUNAMI: There's hardly enough of the most beautiful place that she's always wanted to go, is where her life ended.

TODD: That was near a beach lodge in southeastern Sri Lanka, where Bruce Anderson was told his 42-year-old sister, Christy, spent the last moments of a well-traveled life. Bruce tends to Christy's affairs in Las Vegas, makes funeral arrangements, tries to cope. He says mornings are his worst time. Same for Janet Nicholas.

JANET NICHOLAS, LOST BROTHER IN TSUNAMI: My quiet moments, and when I wake up in the morning and first open my eyes, that I realize it's very real. And it's not just a bad nightmare.

TODD: Her brother, 59-year-old Brian King, an Alaskan commercial fisherman with a wanderlust, who had gone on vacation to Thailand and e-mailed his sister just before, she believes, he was swept under water in his sleep.

NICHOLAS: "Hi, Janet and Mark. Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm at a dive beach resort about 100 kilometers north of Phuket. I'm going to start diving lessons soon."

TODD: Fifteen-year-old Collie Breish (ph) was also vacationing, reportedly on a bungalow on a Thai beach with her 16-year-old brother when the tsunami hit. Collie's brother was badly injured. Her father and sister spent days looking for her. News of her body being found hard to process for friends back in Salt Lake City.

KILIONA PALAUNI, FRIEND DIED IN TSUNAMI: I don't know what to do right now. Not seeing her sitting in the back row, like she always did. Not seeing her in the chairs where we normally sat and worked together.

TODD: In Chicago, a memorial service for Tamara Mendez. The 55- year-old minister's wife was visiting family back home in Sri Lanka, on board that ill-fated train that was submerged, knocked off its tracks by a massive wave. Mendez was traveling with her 20-something daughter, who survived but could not rescue her mother.

Parents, children, young, middle aged. Adventurers, immigrants returning home. Americans lost.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So have you been trying to locate missing friends or relatives after the tsunami? We want to hear about your efforts. You can call us here at CNN, 404-878-1500. The phone will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. Eastern to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. And after those hours, a line will connect to voice-mail. There's a link on our website at cnn.com/tsunami.

SANCHEZ: Some of you may have been wondering how you can help in the relief effort even if you don't have a lot of cash on hand.

KAGAN: still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, we take a look at some creative ways for you to give.

Plus, we tag along as one American doctor packs his medical supplies and heads to the tsunami region. Here what he has to say about his volunteer experience.

SANCHEZ: First though, a wicked storm making its way across the Midwest. We're there. We also going to tell you where it's hit, where it's headed, and this is a live picture from the area. In fact, it's from the Chicago area. You are looking at it now. We'll have more. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It's all downhill from here. In the Midwest and Plains, weather conditions are expected to deteriorate today. Snow, rain, ice, bitter cold; is that enough? They all converged on Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Forecasters say more ice is on the way.

Tens of thousands are without electricity. Several schools had to cancel classes and the governor of Kansas has declared a state of emergency for at least half the state. If you are in Nebraska, might be a nice day to stay Indoors. Most schools and libraries are closed across the state. A lot of officials are telling people to stay home if they can. Six inches of snow has fallen on Nebraska since Tuesday. And forecasters say up to 18 inches could be on the ground by tonight.

SANCHEZ: If you happen to be a meteorologist there are two-ways to cover a story like this. Stand in front of a map, or you can do as an old football coach used to say of mine, "Get in there among them."

CNN's Rob Marciano is doing just that. He's in Schiller Park, Illinois, wearing a lot of clothing, I assume.

Rob, to you.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Rick. Yes, if you do weather in front of the map you can wear markedly less clothing, preferably a suit and tie. Out here with temperatures sub-freezing, you better dress up for it. And the folks in Chicago are certainly doing that. And on top of that, they're preparing for what should be the worst storm of the season.

Been pretty mild so far this winter, less than an inch of snow for December. Usually they get about nine or 10. They had a little snow over Thanksgiving, but for the most part it's been a pretty quiet winter. And this is one looks to be one of a doozie.

Right now, We are at 294, which is a loop that kind of goes outside the city, scoots right past O'Hare, takes you north towards Milwaukee, takes you south towards the rest of the Midwest.

I have a picture for you of what folks do at a rest stop called an "oasis." It's got about 90 percent of the folks coming through here are just your every day motorists. Ten percent are truckers taking a snooze or a break, and they're filling up, as the snow continues to come down. Right now about two inches of snow here.

But where they have bigger problems and where the bigger problems will be, will be to the south of here. Kansas, as you mentioned, big- time ice problems, one, two, three inches of ice overnight. And that has taken tree limbs down because of the weight. And that taking power lines down along with it. Eighty-five thousand residents in Kansas and parts of Missouri are without power. And I suspect that number will continue to grow, as this swathe of ice marches north and east.

To the weather maps we go. We will show you how wide this storm is. Started out in California a couple days ago. Maintained itself through the Rockies Mountains, and now it's stretching across the Midwest. Most of the heavier amounts of snow are going to be in the northern parts of Chicago, northwest Illinois, and southern parts of Wisconsin.

Chicago proper and south will likely see four to eight inches of snow. You go south of there towards Peoria, Springfield, east towards Ft. Wayne, or further east towards Cleveland. Even in towards the northeast, New York will probably see some slick spots, but could be major icing issues, like what we saw in Kansas City towards Chicago or Cleveland later on this afternoon.

Right now though, we only got about two inches of snow on the ground here in Chicago proper. We expect upwards of 10, may be even 12 inches across the northwestern suburbs. What that means for traffic, not a big deal now. But the snows will continue to increase.

That way, about five miles, O'Hare Airport, 2.5-hour delays, and 300 flights have been canceled. So this continues to be a big problem.

Also, an issue politically, guys as far as how the people handle this. Back in '79, they had a big snowstorm. And the mayor at the time, well, he wasn't re-elected because the city pretty much shut down. So, they're prepared. Two hundred and sixty snowplows are out. They're ready to go. And they're waiting for it. And it will be here later this afternoon.

Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Good job. CNN's meteorologist Rob Marciano out there among them. We thank you, Rob for bringing us up to date on that.

KAGAN: We have much more tsunami coverage ahead. We have brought you chilling pictures from south Asian tsunami, also descriptions that accent the horror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): As you walk through rubble, you often had a hard time seeing things in the rubble, but you smell it. There's an overwhelming smell of rotting meat here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Still to come, up close, on the ground of a disaster like never before.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: The tsunami tragedy in southern Asia has spurred both a global sense of grief and a world of giving as well. Millions are digging deep to try and help in these relief efforts. But how do you become more charitable in just every-day life?

Here with her "Top Five Picks" on making giving a way of life is Gerri Willis live in New York. And she starts off with something that is interesting. A lot of people say what do you give? What do you do?

I suppose the best thing we can give is us right?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Rick, that's absolutely right. You have got to volunteer your time. Volunteer yourself. You know, it's the biggest thing you can possibly give. It's worth a lot to you and certainly would be worth a lot to charities.

The thing though, is to tap into your own passions. When you are looking for a charity to donate your time to, you want to think about what really motivates you, what interests you? Is it children? Is it the elderly? Is it the environment?

We have got a couple of websites for you to go to make that match-up. Volunteermatch.org and the Volunteers of America have a website. It's well, voa.org.

SANCHEZ: Let's do this and talk about hunger in particular.

WILLIS: That's right. You know, people don't realize, Rick, that a lot of people out there, Americans every night going to bed hungry. Some 34 million. Many of them are kids. So if you want to help with this, maybe even organize your own food drive, you can do it. There's a website that will help called hunger -- I'm sorry. It's secondharvest.org. You can see it here. They will give you instructions on how to put together your own food drive by yourself.

Another website to checkout is hunger hungersite.com. Go to that website, click the button on the middle of the page. Every time you do, the advertisers will give a can of food to needy people.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Here's one we read a lot about and hear a lot about often in commercials. How about donating your wheels? How does that work, Gerri?

WILLIS: Well, it's not that hard really. You got an old truck? You got an old car? Even a boat, you can donate it to a charity. You have just got to be careful with the details. The IRS in particular pays a lot of attention to people who donate cars. So you want to go to irs.gov to understand what your deduction on your taxes will be. But a website called donateacar.com will tell you which charities actually take your wheels.

SANCHEZ: We live in a world of gadgets; especially guys you know? And it may be hard to part with them, but we can donate those as well, right?

WILLIS: Absolutely. Well, you know how it is. You have an old cell phone, you throw it in a desk drawer somewhere, you don't know what to do with it. Well, people can really benefit from that. As matter of fact, the Wireless Foundation, they have a program where they give old cell phones to women being battered so that they can call help when they're in trouble. Go to wirelessfoundation.org for details.

And cristina.org -- you see all the websites here. They will help you find a place to donate your P.C. It's often difficult to find places to donate personal computers because they're sort of unwieldy. And after a while, they don't work well as they should. But these people will tell who will take them. And you can feel like you have done something good with your old P.C.

SANCHEZ: This one is a little more traditional, important nonetheless. Donating what? Clothing, your duds, right?

WILLIS: Yes. Well, think about it. You have got an old suit hanging in the closet, Rick? Maybe you should give it to somebody going out on a job interview for the first time and really needs the suit. You can go to dressforsuccess.org to find out about that. Princessproject.org will take your old prom dress. I know you don't have one of those, buy maybe Daryn does, or maybe a dress you've worn to a wedding or something for somebody to use.

There's also pajamaprogram.com, a great place to donate P.J.s. And goodwill.org, well known for taking in clothes and giving them to people who really need it.

SANCHEZ: As a matter of fact, Daryn is one of the few people who has a prom dress that still fits.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIS: I bet she does.

SANCHEZ: Isn't that a nice thing to say, huh? We certainly thank you, Gerri.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: Appreciate the information.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: There you go.

KAGAN: Thank you. Actually, the prom dress wouldn't. I was a slightly larger girl in high school.

SANCHEZ: Oh. So it's come down.

KAGAN: Yes. What they call a "big girl." Yes. And the prom dress, long gone.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: In the business.

KAGAN: So there's no need to borrow it. Yes, in the business, as we say. A big girl.

Any how. Billions of dollars worth of aid and supplies are pouring in. But is it getting where it's needed? Still to come, bottlenecked at the airport, a look at why some goods are being held up.

SANCHEZ: And CNN correspondents are reporting from remote areas where the tsunami hit. Coming up, Anderson Cooper among them, gives us an inside glimpse of what he's seen.

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