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CNN Live Today
Authorities Trying to Prevent Kidnappings in South Asia; Secretary Powell: Devastation Unlike Any He's Seen
Aired January 05, 2005 - 11:00 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.
RICK SANCHEZ, CO-HOST: Germany is expanding its contribution to $680 million over a three to five-year period. Australia pledging more than $760 million towards the relief effort over a five-year period. We're going to go live to the region in a just little bit to bring you up to date.
Also, more deadly attacks in Iraq, just 25 days now before the elections there. Authorities say at least 10 people were killed by a suicide bombing outside a police academy today. Hours earlier a bomber killed himself and a civilian in Baghdad.
Despite the violence, Iraq's interim prime minister vows the elections will go on as planned.
President Bush pushes for limits on medical malpractice awards during a stop over in Illinois today. He says that lawsuits and hefty awards have driven up the cost of health care and it's also driven some doctors out of business. We're going to have live coverage of the president's speech. That's scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Eastern. That would be 11:15 Pacific. And we'll have it here on CNN.
And that winter storm now, it's dumping rain that then freezes, snow, ice, in southern plains to the northeast. Thousands are without power in parts of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
And snow is falling in the Chicago area. A live report from there. And your complete forecast, that's coming up in about 20 minutes.
So, it's just one minute past 11 a.m. on the East Coast, 8 a.m. out West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.
DARYN KAGAN, CO-HOST: And good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We're going to begin with new views of the destruction from the tsunami in South Asia and the expanding worldwide response to the disaster.
Secretary of State Colin Powell got a firsthand look at the hardest hit area today. And this is what he saw. Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew by helicopter over Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Europeans paused today to remember the tsunami victims on the streets and in halls of government. People are stopping to observe three minutes of silent tribute. And the U.S. plans to double the number of military helicopters involved in the relief effort from 46 to more than 90. Choppers are used to shuttle supplies to remote areas.
Our 18 correspondents are in the region. They are tracking developments in four countries to bring you extensive coverage of the disaster and relief efforts. Stay with CNN for live reports this hour and throughout the day.
The tsunami disaster may have left as many as 13,000 children orphaned across the region, and relief workers fear some may fall prey to traffickers or pedophiles.
For more on their plight of the youngest tsunami victims, we turn to CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. She is in Burwala, Sri Lanka.
Christiane, what can you tell us specifically about what's happening with the children of Sri Lanka?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, it's a matter of great concern, not just to the children, their parents, to the U.N. and to the government, as well.
What seems to be happening is that there are fears that something untoward or evil could happen to these children. There's also conflicting sentiments between the U.N. and between the government.
The U.N. would like to try to place some of these children who have lost their parents with other extended families, saying that being with family is much better than being in an institution. The government had tried to start putting them in orphanages. So this sort of tussle is going on.
At the same time they -- we're being told that, obviously, an eye is being kept out. They're trying to put police in some of these so- called refugee centers that have cropped up for displaced people in other parts of this region. They are preventing foreign adoptions. They are preventing kids of certain ages leaving the country, unless they have been formally registered.
So this element is -- is rising in terms of concern level amongst everybody in this region, Daryn.
KAGAN: And now let's talk about aid in general. So much is arriving in Sri Lanka. From what you've been able to see, Christiane, is it getting to the places where it's needed most?
AMANPOUR: Well, you know, some is but so much of it isn't. And we've heard over the last few days about how the money is increasing, how the tonnage is increasing, how many more U.S. military personnel and personnel from, really, all over the world are pitching in to do what they can.
But because of the vast needs in a country and countries that have been so badly damaged with infrastructure damage, with no roads, no railways, none of the proper lifelines that you would need to get aid to the people, to be frank we have not seen that much. Certainly, not on this coast and not on the east coast, where I was yesterday.
For the most part we see people doing the heavy lifting on their own. We see, you know, bodies being recovered by the Sri Lankan officials, by their army, their air force, police and the like.
But help is coming. It's just really difficult to get it quickly to the places in most need.
KAGAN: And now -- now I'd like to get a personal perspective from you, Christiane. You have covered so many disasters, both natural and man-made. I think most recently coming from the Sudan. How does what you're seeing here stack up to what you've seen in your past reporting?
AMANPOUR: You know, I hate to -- to make sort of comparisons like that, because every single one in all its facets is, you know, dramatic and devastating.
I think what's so, so touching and moving here is the scope, the sheer geographic scope of what happened. And the fact that it came clear out of the blue. It's not a civil war. It's not a famine that was brewing.
Here, particularly, in Sri Lanka where people have loved the sea, where they have yearned to live by the sea, where they have played by the sea and lived off the sea's bounty, all of a sudden this sea has turned into a cemetery, has turned into a killer. And people are completely, you know, completely devastated by what's happened.
So as I say, it's hard to compare. This story, like so many, has its -- has its moments of terrible despair and gloom and its little bright lights of hope, of survival, of dignity and the kind of human spirit that keeps countries going and keeps people like us going, too.
KAGAN: And we'll look forward to hearing more of those stories. Christiane Amanpour from Sri Lanka. Christiane, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Then there are the parents and children. Parents whose children have been missing from the tsunami are desperately searching for any news, any glimmer of hope. As you can imagine if you're a parent, the sense of desperation.
The father of a 2-year-old boy from Sweden is talking to American reporters this morning about how his son was swept away from his arms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERS ERICSSON, LOOKING FOR MISSING SON: When the wave hit, it first smashed the windows of the second floor, and in a moment the concrete wall was busted. We were flushed out of the room.
I was holding my son in my arms. He had these blue swimming arms on him. And the last thing he said to me is, "Daddy, I'm scared. Please help." We were flushed out, and caught in debris. And the water was crazy. You were up. You were down. You were underneath, swimming around with cars, refrigerators, furniture, fallen down trees and everything else.
The palm trees came on us. We were traveling in this wave, 30, 35 kilometers per hour. And we went above the palm trees. The palm trees were just small bushes sticking up.
I tried to change the grip on Ragnar. And I lost him. And since he was smaller than me, he just drifted away from me.
I caught myself up in a tree about 900 meters up inland, where I climbed up and held on. My wife, she was flushed 2,500 meters across the main road and into the rubber -- rubber tree plantation. We found each other 24 hours later and found out that we were alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Anders sharing that story this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING." He says his son looks very similar to another Swedish boy who was rescued, and that has more even more complicated the search.
CNN looks deeper into the effects of the disaster on the young. Our prime time special, "SAVING THE CHILDREN," will air Thursday night at 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 Pacific.
KAGAN: To understand the scope of the disaster, you need to see it, feel it, even smell the muddy, stale water. That is what Secretary of State Colin Powell did yesterday in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra.
CNN's Atika Shubert reports on his brief visit to Banda Aceh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at Banda Aceh Airport, where Secretary of State Colin Powell visited very briefly before boarding a helicopter to go see some of the more devastated areas of Aceh province. That being, of course, the hardest hit area in this island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
He was, of course, accompanied by Florida Governor Jeb Bush and also by Indonesia's social minister, Alwi Shihab.
He boarded that helicopter, took a low-flying flight across the most devastated areas of the city. The secretary of state compared what he saw to some of the previous experiences in war. Here's what he said.
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.
Flying over Banda Aceh and seeing how the wave came ashore, pushing everything in its path. Cars, ships, freighters overturned, all the way up to the foothills, and then starting up the foothills until finally the waves came to a stop.
SHUBERT: After surveying the devastation, the secretary of state then briefly came down and toured some of the aid relief area here, gathered here at the airport in particular. A makeshift hospital that has been made up here because the hospitals in the city are simply overflowing with injuries that have been brought in from the hardest hit areas.
After doing that, he gave a very brief press briefing along with the Florida governor and Indonesia's social minister, in which the secretary of state promised that the United States would do all it could to help Indonesia's suffering, to help relieve that suffering, including promising more helicopters and making sure that the free flow of aid is able to go unhindered to those survivors who need it the most.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And during Atika's report, we have some videotape to show that we received during that time. President Bush leaving the White House. He is -- there's Karl Rove. He is heading to Madison County, Illinois. This has been dubbed the judicial hellhole by the American Tort Reform Association.
President Bush is going there to talk about tort reform and putting caps on jury awards. There are laws like that in 27 states, but a proposed federal cap was defeated in the House. It was defeated because of Democratic opposition in the Senate, as well.
So President Bush on his way there. He'll be giving a speech about the topic of tort reform and putting caps on jury awards about 2:15 Eastern. You'll see that speech live here on CNN.
SANCHEZ: Want to do something for you know. We've been talking an awful lot about certain areas that you may have not heard of in the past, places like Banda Aceh, for example. Let's try and show you exactly where these areas are in relation to where the earthquake was actually felt.
Now, there's Banda Aceh as we circle it. And that's the area that Secretary of State Colin Powell has been referring to today when he said that, as a veteran, he hadn't seen anything like this. And pictures on TV don't compare. You're looking at some of them now.
He was in a helicopter for about 20 to 30 minutes in that particular area. He said he leaves with a heavy heart after looking at some of these pictures.
But keep in mind, that's not the only place that's being affected here. Let's go back to the telestrator, and we'll show you exactly what we're talking about. We'll go ahead and clear that.
This area right here is the other part of the coast that's being affected. Not a lot of pictures coming out of there, but keep in mind, this right there is where the epicenter was of the earthquake. From there to there, as I draw that line, is only about 50 kilometers.
And now, you're looking at the pictures of the affected area. These were shot by a naturalist who says the area was all but vaporized. In one conversation I had with this videographer, he told me that there were about a 60 to 70 mile stretch down the coastline that was affected. But still, not a lot of reporting in that area. It's been hard to get into. Although initial reports, as you may recall, indicated that one-fourth of the people in that area had, in fact, died.
Now, let's go back to the telestrator and show you one other thing that I think is important. There's the bigger picture. That's where this is right here. I'll draw an "X." Now, I'm going to circle Sri Lanka. We're going to be showing you a report in just a little bit from an area that you haven't seen yet. It's on this part right here of Sri Lanka.
Remember, when you've been watching Anderson Cooper at night, a lot of his reports have been from here. We're going to take you to the other side, the eastern side, to an area that we'll be showing you later on, as well. And we're going to break that down for you on our telestrator.
KAGAN: From Indonesia across the Indian Ocean, one of our correspondents has made the difficult journey to the east side of Sri Lanka to places where the devastation is even greater than what you've seen on the western side of Sri Lanka. That clearly doesn't match that videotape.
But what we are talking about is more than a dozen Americans have been confirmed dead. Their identities, though, have not been released. An unknown number of Americans are still missing. We're going to check in with the State Department.
SANCHEZ: Also an American father returns to Indonesia to search for his younger brother. And we're going to have Abdul's journey a little bit later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A host of celebrities are pitching in to help the relief efforts in South Asia. Leonardo DiCaprio donated an undisclosed amount to UNICEF and set up a link on his web site for others to give. He filmed the movie "The Beach" on Thailand's Phi Phi Island.
And remember the "We Are the World" people? Well, some Asian celebrities are reviving that 1985 charity song for tsunami relief. The latest rendition is called "Love," and it has new Chinese lyrics.
Kobe Bryant and six other NBA stars are making their points count. They promise to donate $1,000 for every point they score in an upcoming game. And German racecar driver Michael Schumacher plans to donate $10 million. On his web site, the Formula One world champion said the tragedy affects so many people that he, quote, "cannot simply blind it out."
SANCHEZ: As promised, let's take to you Sri Lanka now. In fact, we can telestrate for you with this map exactly the areas that not only we have shown you but we plan to show you as well.
You've certainly heard an awful lot about Colombo. Many of our correspondents have been filing reports from that early. Beruwala, as well. That's where Anderson Cooper has been reporting from. This area here, the Galle province, is where that train was hit by the wave itself.
But what about this side of the island? Well, remember, as the earthquake happened, many of the waves came in this direction. You're looking at them as I draw them now. So now we begin to wonder what the effect has been here where many of the reporters have not gotten to. Ampara, which is a beautiful tourist destination, which has been affected.
But we do have a correspondent, and we're going to share a report now from you. This is from Trincomalee. That's where Harris Whitbeck files this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This beach front resort on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast was filled with holiday guests for the first time in years when the disaster hit. The hotel, built in the 1970s, has recently enjoyed a rebirth. Its Sri Lankan owners had big plans.
NEMVILAE PAUL, RESORT MANAGER: We were shaping up quite well, and also we were able to sort of build up this place in stages. And we had some plans for the future, as well. Upgrading the hotel and things like that as time was going by.
WHITBECK: Hotels like this one along the beach in Trincomalee, some of the finest surfing in the world, had similar plans. Business was good. Locals were getting much-needed jobs.
But last December 26th, hopes for growth were washed away, along with many of the beachfront resorts. Several dozen tourists were killed during the tsunami.
At this hotel, the receptionist drowned after he ran into the waves to attempt to rescue a guest.
For hotel operators the tsunami couldn't have come at a worse time.
(on camera) The tourism industry here had only recently taken off after the end of decades long hostilities between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatist rebels. (voice-over) But hotel operators say they are undeterred. Clean- up work has already begun, and resort managers are hopeful tourist will eventually come back.
PAUL: We just get over this and rebuild and get the confidence. We should -- we have the confidence, our company. So we should build the confidence of our clients.
WHITBECK: Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Across Europe today, respect for the tsunami dead. The scene at high noon in Stockholm: pedestrians, shoppers, workers, all stood silent for three minutes to honor the 155,000 people killed across South Asia. The continental-wide tribute came as the first coffins burying the bodies of Swedish tourists arrived home.
In London, Big Ben tolled for the dead.
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(BELL RINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Snow in Chicago? In January? All right. So you say that's not news. But this storm looks like it's going to be a doozy, and meteorologists say it might bring about a foot of snow to the city?
That's why we bundled up Rob Marciano and sent him to the cold Midwest to keep an eye on things. Joining us from Schuller Park, just outside Chicago, good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn. It is cold. You can see my breath.
KAGAN: Yes.
MARCIANO: And it's snowing. So it's certainly below freezing, and it's been snowing lightly now for about six or seven hours. Just a couple of inches on the ground. We really expect the snows to begin to increase.
One of the reasons we report live from snowstorms is that, you know, as kids you think of them as something that's fun. As adults, kind of a headache. But they can be very dangerous.
I mean, over a year's worth of time, on average, winter related driving accidents killed 950 people. You look at that, hurricanes, this past year, just over 60. So it's a -- it's serious business.
That said, I want to bring in Jack Hartman. He's with the Illinois tollway. Jack is in charge of keeping these roads, I suppose, clear. How are they looking right now?
JACK HARTMAN, ILLINOIS TOLLWAY: They look great right now. We have 274 miles of tollway from Indiana all the way to Wisconsin and all the way out to Iowa. It's clear right now, as you say. A couple of inches isn't that much. But the six to 12 we're getting tonight is going to be a lot tougher.
MARCIANO: Well, 6 to 12 tonight. We've got a camera that's set up, shooting the I-294. Just some wet roadways right now. Do you use salt? Do you use sand? A mixture? What do you use?
HARTMAN: We use salt. And when it gets colder we actually add calcium chloride to the mix to make it grip better. And salt works well in Chicago and Illinois, and that's why we use it.
MARCIANO: Any tips for driving in the conditions that may yield icing south of here?
HARTMAN: The best thing people can do is slow down around the snowplows. Let the plows do their work. Go behind the plows. We use a wedge sometimes. We'll have three snowplows in a row just clearing the snow. And it's beautiful to watch. Hopefully you can get footage of that later tonight.
But give them the room to do their work. And it will be a lot easier. So stay clear of the snowplows.
MARCIANO: And if you can, stay home. If you can, please slow down.
HARTMAN: Exactly.
MARCIANO: Simple advice. And hopefully folks will take that advice. Jack Hartman, thanks very much, keeping the roadways clear in and around Atlanta. Looks to be the biggest snowstorm of the year.
It's been pretty quiet, relatively speaking. The month of December typically get nine, 10 inches. They had less than an inch and a little snow over Thanksgiving.
The ground's been relatively warm. That's probably one of the reasons that the snow has been melting. But once we get the snow to start increasing, the rate of snowfall, the snow will begin to blanket those streets. And he's going to have a much, much tougher job.
It has been tough job down to the south of here. That is where the ribbon of ice has been the main concern from Kansas City, now stretching through central Illinois, eventually across northern parts of Indiana and northern parts of Ohio.
Over the next 24 hours we'll look at significant icing there.
Clearing the roads here in Chicago, Daryn and Rick, not only a tough job, but politically speaking it can be an issue, as well. Back in 1979 they had a big snowstorm here. It wasn't handled all that well. The mayor, according to the locals, didn't re-elect him after that. So there's political pressure.
Two hundred and 62 plows are out on the roadways today. Jack Hartman and his gang taking care of business.
And we'll take care of business, as well. Still coming down. Live from Chicago. Back to you.
KAGAN: Thank you. Had a little slip there. You said Atlanta. You mean Chicago, before.
MARCIANO: It doesn't snow in Atlanta?
KAGAN: It's, like, 70 and beautiful today. So don't take that away from us.
MARCIANO: I know. I left yesterday it was 70. Terrible.
KAGAN: Yes. Even nicer today. We'll save it for you. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thank you. See you.
SANCHEZ: Returning to the tsunami disaster when we come back. Many Americans are wondering if the United States would be prepared for something like this on our coastline. A report card on the United States' disaster preparedness. That is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 5, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CO-HOST: Germany is expanding its contribution to $680 million over a three to five-year period. Australia pledging more than $760 million towards the relief effort over a five-year period. We're going to go live to the region in a just little bit to bring you up to date.
Also, more deadly attacks in Iraq, just 25 days now before the elections there. Authorities say at least 10 people were killed by a suicide bombing outside a police academy today. Hours earlier a bomber killed himself and a civilian in Baghdad.
Despite the violence, Iraq's interim prime minister vows the elections will go on as planned.
President Bush pushes for limits on medical malpractice awards during a stop over in Illinois today. He says that lawsuits and hefty awards have driven up the cost of health care and it's also driven some doctors out of business. We're going to have live coverage of the president's speech. That's scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Eastern. That would be 11:15 Pacific. And we'll have it here on CNN.
And that winter storm now, it's dumping rain that then freezes, snow, ice, in southern plains to the northeast. Thousands are without power in parts of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
And snow is falling in the Chicago area. A live report from there. And your complete forecast, that's coming up in about 20 minutes.
So, it's just one minute past 11 a.m. on the East Coast, 8 a.m. out West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.
DARYN KAGAN, CO-HOST: And good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We're going to begin with new views of the destruction from the tsunami in South Asia and the expanding worldwide response to the disaster.
Secretary of State Colin Powell got a firsthand look at the hardest hit area today. And this is what he saw. Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew by helicopter over Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Europeans paused today to remember the tsunami victims on the streets and in halls of government. People are stopping to observe three minutes of silent tribute. And the U.S. plans to double the number of military helicopters involved in the relief effort from 46 to more than 90. Choppers are used to shuttle supplies to remote areas.
Our 18 correspondents are in the region. They are tracking developments in four countries to bring you extensive coverage of the disaster and relief efforts. Stay with CNN for live reports this hour and throughout the day.
The tsunami disaster may have left as many as 13,000 children orphaned across the region, and relief workers fear some may fall prey to traffickers or pedophiles.
For more on their plight of the youngest tsunami victims, we turn to CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. She is in Burwala, Sri Lanka.
Christiane, what can you tell us specifically about what's happening with the children of Sri Lanka?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, it's a matter of great concern, not just to the children, their parents, to the U.N. and to the government, as well.
What seems to be happening is that there are fears that something untoward or evil could happen to these children. There's also conflicting sentiments between the U.N. and between the government.
The U.N. would like to try to place some of these children who have lost their parents with other extended families, saying that being with family is much better than being in an institution. The government had tried to start putting them in orphanages. So this sort of tussle is going on.
At the same time they -- we're being told that, obviously, an eye is being kept out. They're trying to put police in some of these so- called refugee centers that have cropped up for displaced people in other parts of this region. They are preventing foreign adoptions. They are preventing kids of certain ages leaving the country, unless they have been formally registered.
So this element is -- is rising in terms of concern level amongst everybody in this region, Daryn.
KAGAN: And now let's talk about aid in general. So much is arriving in Sri Lanka. From what you've been able to see, Christiane, is it getting to the places where it's needed most?
AMANPOUR: Well, you know, some is but so much of it isn't. And we've heard over the last few days about how the money is increasing, how the tonnage is increasing, how many more U.S. military personnel and personnel from, really, all over the world are pitching in to do what they can.
But because of the vast needs in a country and countries that have been so badly damaged with infrastructure damage, with no roads, no railways, none of the proper lifelines that you would need to get aid to the people, to be frank we have not seen that much. Certainly, not on this coast and not on the east coast, where I was yesterday.
For the most part we see people doing the heavy lifting on their own. We see, you know, bodies being recovered by the Sri Lankan officials, by their army, their air force, police and the like.
But help is coming. It's just really difficult to get it quickly to the places in most need.
KAGAN: And now -- now I'd like to get a personal perspective from you, Christiane. You have covered so many disasters, both natural and man-made. I think most recently coming from the Sudan. How does what you're seeing here stack up to what you've seen in your past reporting?
AMANPOUR: You know, I hate to -- to make sort of comparisons like that, because every single one in all its facets is, you know, dramatic and devastating.
I think what's so, so touching and moving here is the scope, the sheer geographic scope of what happened. And the fact that it came clear out of the blue. It's not a civil war. It's not a famine that was brewing.
Here, particularly, in Sri Lanka where people have loved the sea, where they have yearned to live by the sea, where they have played by the sea and lived off the sea's bounty, all of a sudden this sea has turned into a cemetery, has turned into a killer. And people are completely, you know, completely devastated by what's happened.
So as I say, it's hard to compare. This story, like so many, has its -- has its moments of terrible despair and gloom and its little bright lights of hope, of survival, of dignity and the kind of human spirit that keeps countries going and keeps people like us going, too.
KAGAN: And we'll look forward to hearing more of those stories. Christiane Amanpour from Sri Lanka. Christiane, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Then there are the parents and children. Parents whose children have been missing from the tsunami are desperately searching for any news, any glimmer of hope. As you can imagine if you're a parent, the sense of desperation.
The father of a 2-year-old boy from Sweden is talking to American reporters this morning about how his son was swept away from his arms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERS ERICSSON, LOOKING FOR MISSING SON: When the wave hit, it first smashed the windows of the second floor, and in a moment the concrete wall was busted. We were flushed out of the room.
I was holding my son in my arms. He had these blue swimming arms on him. And the last thing he said to me is, "Daddy, I'm scared. Please help." We were flushed out, and caught in debris. And the water was crazy. You were up. You were down. You were underneath, swimming around with cars, refrigerators, furniture, fallen down trees and everything else.
The palm trees came on us. We were traveling in this wave, 30, 35 kilometers per hour. And we went above the palm trees. The palm trees were just small bushes sticking up.
I tried to change the grip on Ragnar. And I lost him. And since he was smaller than me, he just drifted away from me.
I caught myself up in a tree about 900 meters up inland, where I climbed up and held on. My wife, she was flushed 2,500 meters across the main road and into the rubber -- rubber tree plantation. We found each other 24 hours later and found out that we were alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Anders sharing that story this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING." He says his son looks very similar to another Swedish boy who was rescued, and that has more even more complicated the search.
CNN looks deeper into the effects of the disaster on the young. Our prime time special, "SAVING THE CHILDREN," will air Thursday night at 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 Pacific.
KAGAN: To understand the scope of the disaster, you need to see it, feel it, even smell the muddy, stale water. That is what Secretary of State Colin Powell did yesterday in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra.
CNN's Atika Shubert reports on his brief visit to Banda Aceh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at Banda Aceh Airport, where Secretary of State Colin Powell visited very briefly before boarding a helicopter to go see some of the more devastated areas of Aceh province. That being, of course, the hardest hit area in this island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
He was, of course, accompanied by Florida Governor Jeb Bush and also by Indonesia's social minister, Alwi Shihab.
He boarded that helicopter, took a low-flying flight across the most devastated areas of the city. The secretary of state compared what he saw to some of the previous experiences in war. Here's what he said.
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.
Flying over Banda Aceh and seeing how the wave came ashore, pushing everything in its path. Cars, ships, freighters overturned, all the way up to the foothills, and then starting up the foothills until finally the waves came to a stop.
SHUBERT: After surveying the devastation, the secretary of state then briefly came down and toured some of the aid relief area here, gathered here at the airport in particular. A makeshift hospital that has been made up here because the hospitals in the city are simply overflowing with injuries that have been brought in from the hardest hit areas.
After doing that, he gave a very brief press briefing along with the Florida governor and Indonesia's social minister, in which the secretary of state promised that the United States would do all it could to help Indonesia's suffering, to help relieve that suffering, including promising more helicopters and making sure that the free flow of aid is able to go unhindered to those survivors who need it the most.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
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KAGAN: And during Atika's report, we have some videotape to show that we received during that time. President Bush leaving the White House. He is -- there's Karl Rove. He is heading to Madison County, Illinois. This has been dubbed the judicial hellhole by the American Tort Reform Association.
President Bush is going there to talk about tort reform and putting caps on jury awards. There are laws like that in 27 states, but a proposed federal cap was defeated in the House. It was defeated because of Democratic opposition in the Senate, as well.
So President Bush on his way there. He'll be giving a speech about the topic of tort reform and putting caps on jury awards about 2:15 Eastern. You'll see that speech live here on CNN.
SANCHEZ: Want to do something for you know. We've been talking an awful lot about certain areas that you may have not heard of in the past, places like Banda Aceh, for example. Let's try and show you exactly where these areas are in relation to where the earthquake was actually felt.
Now, there's Banda Aceh as we circle it. And that's the area that Secretary of State Colin Powell has been referring to today when he said that, as a veteran, he hadn't seen anything like this. And pictures on TV don't compare. You're looking at some of them now.
He was in a helicopter for about 20 to 30 minutes in that particular area. He said he leaves with a heavy heart after looking at some of these pictures.
But keep in mind, that's not the only place that's being affected here. Let's go back to the telestrator, and we'll show you exactly what we're talking about. We'll go ahead and clear that.
This area right here is the other part of the coast that's being affected. Not a lot of pictures coming out of there, but keep in mind, this right there is where the epicenter was of the earthquake. From there to there, as I draw that line, is only about 50 kilometers.
And now, you're looking at the pictures of the affected area. These were shot by a naturalist who says the area was all but vaporized. In one conversation I had with this videographer, he told me that there were about a 60 to 70 mile stretch down the coastline that was affected. But still, not a lot of reporting in that area. It's been hard to get into. Although initial reports, as you may recall, indicated that one-fourth of the people in that area had, in fact, died.
Now, let's go back to the telestrator and show you one other thing that I think is important. There's the bigger picture. That's where this is right here. I'll draw an "X." Now, I'm going to circle Sri Lanka. We're going to be showing you a report in just a little bit from an area that you haven't seen yet. It's on this part right here of Sri Lanka.
Remember, when you've been watching Anderson Cooper at night, a lot of his reports have been from here. We're going to take you to the other side, the eastern side, to an area that we'll be showing you later on, as well. And we're going to break that down for you on our telestrator.
KAGAN: From Indonesia across the Indian Ocean, one of our correspondents has made the difficult journey to the east side of Sri Lanka to places where the devastation is even greater than what you've seen on the western side of Sri Lanka. That clearly doesn't match that videotape.
But what we are talking about is more than a dozen Americans have been confirmed dead. Their identities, though, have not been released. An unknown number of Americans are still missing. We're going to check in with the State Department.
SANCHEZ: Also an American father returns to Indonesia to search for his younger brother. And we're going to have Abdul's journey a little bit later.
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KAGAN: A host of celebrities are pitching in to help the relief efforts in South Asia. Leonardo DiCaprio donated an undisclosed amount to UNICEF and set up a link on his web site for others to give. He filmed the movie "The Beach" on Thailand's Phi Phi Island.
And remember the "We Are the World" people? Well, some Asian celebrities are reviving that 1985 charity song for tsunami relief. The latest rendition is called "Love," and it has new Chinese lyrics.
Kobe Bryant and six other NBA stars are making their points count. They promise to donate $1,000 for every point they score in an upcoming game. And German racecar driver Michael Schumacher plans to donate $10 million. On his web site, the Formula One world champion said the tragedy affects so many people that he, quote, "cannot simply blind it out."
SANCHEZ: As promised, let's take to you Sri Lanka now. In fact, we can telestrate for you with this map exactly the areas that not only we have shown you but we plan to show you as well.
You've certainly heard an awful lot about Colombo. Many of our correspondents have been filing reports from that early. Beruwala, as well. That's where Anderson Cooper has been reporting from. This area here, the Galle province, is where that train was hit by the wave itself.
But what about this side of the island? Well, remember, as the earthquake happened, many of the waves came in this direction. You're looking at them as I draw them now. So now we begin to wonder what the effect has been here where many of the reporters have not gotten to. Ampara, which is a beautiful tourist destination, which has been affected.
But we do have a correspondent, and we're going to share a report now from you. This is from Trincomalee. That's where Harris Whitbeck files this report.
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HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This beach front resort on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast was filled with holiday guests for the first time in years when the disaster hit. The hotel, built in the 1970s, has recently enjoyed a rebirth. Its Sri Lankan owners had big plans.
NEMVILAE PAUL, RESORT MANAGER: We were shaping up quite well, and also we were able to sort of build up this place in stages. And we had some plans for the future, as well. Upgrading the hotel and things like that as time was going by.
WHITBECK: Hotels like this one along the beach in Trincomalee, some of the finest surfing in the world, had similar plans. Business was good. Locals were getting much-needed jobs.
But last December 26th, hopes for growth were washed away, along with many of the beachfront resorts. Several dozen tourists were killed during the tsunami.
At this hotel, the receptionist drowned after he ran into the waves to attempt to rescue a guest.
For hotel operators the tsunami couldn't have come at a worse time.
(on camera) The tourism industry here had only recently taken off after the end of decades long hostilities between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatist rebels. (voice-over) But hotel operators say they are undeterred. Clean- up work has already begun, and resort managers are hopeful tourist will eventually come back.
PAUL: We just get over this and rebuild and get the confidence. We should -- we have the confidence, our company. So we should build the confidence of our clients.
WHITBECK: Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
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KAGAN: Across Europe today, respect for the tsunami dead. The scene at high noon in Stockholm: pedestrians, shoppers, workers, all stood silent for three minutes to honor the 155,000 people killed across South Asia. The continental-wide tribute came as the first coffins burying the bodies of Swedish tourists arrived home.
In London, Big Ben tolled for the dead.
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KAGAN: Snow in Chicago? In January? All right. So you say that's not news. But this storm looks like it's going to be a doozy, and meteorologists say it might bring about a foot of snow to the city?
That's why we bundled up Rob Marciano and sent him to the cold Midwest to keep an eye on things. Joining us from Schuller Park, just outside Chicago, good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn. It is cold. You can see my breath.
KAGAN: Yes.
MARCIANO: And it's snowing. So it's certainly below freezing, and it's been snowing lightly now for about six or seven hours. Just a couple of inches on the ground. We really expect the snows to begin to increase.
One of the reasons we report live from snowstorms is that, you know, as kids you think of them as something that's fun. As adults, kind of a headache. But they can be very dangerous.
I mean, over a year's worth of time, on average, winter related driving accidents killed 950 people. You look at that, hurricanes, this past year, just over 60. So it's a -- it's serious business.
That said, I want to bring in Jack Hartman. He's with the Illinois tollway. Jack is in charge of keeping these roads, I suppose, clear. How are they looking right now?
JACK HARTMAN, ILLINOIS TOLLWAY: They look great right now. We have 274 miles of tollway from Indiana all the way to Wisconsin and all the way out to Iowa. It's clear right now, as you say. A couple of inches isn't that much. But the six to 12 we're getting tonight is going to be a lot tougher.
MARCIANO: Well, 6 to 12 tonight. We've got a camera that's set up, shooting the I-294. Just some wet roadways right now. Do you use salt? Do you use sand? A mixture? What do you use?
HARTMAN: We use salt. And when it gets colder we actually add calcium chloride to the mix to make it grip better. And salt works well in Chicago and Illinois, and that's why we use it.
MARCIANO: Any tips for driving in the conditions that may yield icing south of here?
HARTMAN: The best thing people can do is slow down around the snowplows. Let the plows do their work. Go behind the plows. We use a wedge sometimes. We'll have three snowplows in a row just clearing the snow. And it's beautiful to watch. Hopefully you can get footage of that later tonight.
But give them the room to do their work. And it will be a lot easier. So stay clear of the snowplows.
MARCIANO: And if you can, stay home. If you can, please slow down.
HARTMAN: Exactly.
MARCIANO: Simple advice. And hopefully folks will take that advice. Jack Hartman, thanks very much, keeping the roadways clear in and around Atlanta. Looks to be the biggest snowstorm of the year.
It's been pretty quiet, relatively speaking. The month of December typically get nine, 10 inches. They had less than an inch and a little snow over Thanksgiving.
The ground's been relatively warm. That's probably one of the reasons that the snow has been melting. But once we get the snow to start increasing, the rate of snowfall, the snow will begin to blanket those streets. And he's going to have a much, much tougher job.
It has been tough job down to the south of here. That is where the ribbon of ice has been the main concern from Kansas City, now stretching through central Illinois, eventually across northern parts of Indiana and northern parts of Ohio.
Over the next 24 hours we'll look at significant icing there.
Clearing the roads here in Chicago, Daryn and Rick, not only a tough job, but politically speaking it can be an issue, as well. Back in 1979 they had a big snowstorm here. It wasn't handled all that well. The mayor, according to the locals, didn't re-elect him after that. So there's political pressure.
Two hundred and 62 plows are out on the roadways today. Jack Hartman and his gang taking care of business.
And we'll take care of business, as well. Still coming down. Live from Chicago. Back to you.
KAGAN: Thank you. Had a little slip there. You said Atlanta. You mean Chicago, before.
MARCIANO: It doesn't snow in Atlanta?
KAGAN: It's, like, 70 and beautiful today. So don't take that away from us.
MARCIANO: I know. I left yesterday it was 70. Terrible.
KAGAN: Yes. Even nicer today. We'll save it for you. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thank you. See you.
SANCHEZ: Returning to the tsunami disaster when we come back. Many Americans are wondering if the United States would be prepared for something like this on our coastline. A report card on the United States' disaster preparedness. That is just ahead.
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