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CNN Live Today

Humanitarian Efforts Underway in Katrina's Wake; Oil Prices Surge After Hurricane

Aired August 30, 2005 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A day after roaring ashore, Hurricane Katrina now a tropical depression. Here is a look at where things stand now.
The storm is blamed for about 68 deaths, 55 of those alone in Mississippi. This includes about 30 people that were killed at a single apartment complex along the beach in Biloxi.

The Big Easy is preparing for a big clean-up. The mayor says 80 percent of New Orleans is under water. He says it could be weeks until the city gets electricity. In all, almost 2 million are without power from Louisiana to Florida.

All oil and natural gas operations have been suspended in the Gulf while companies see what kind of shape their equipment is in. And insurance experts say damages could top $26 billion making Katrina one of the costliest storms in U.S. history.

Katrina's brutal assault took a terrible toll on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and humanitarian needs in that area are going to be enormous.

Peter Teahan is with the American Red Cross and joins me live now from Biloxi.

Peter, thanks for taking time out to talk with us.

PETER TEAHAN, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Glad to be here. Thank you.

KAGAN: You've had a chance to get out and look some?

We've been driving around all day this morning, looking at the different cities, seeing the damage. It is incredible damage. These communities took us right to the heart of their structure. It is a very, very sad day and sight up and down the coastline.

KAGAN: So let's get a picture just from this one community of Biloxi. What are you setting up? What are the greatest needs there?

The greatest needs right now is emergency shelters. And, of course, we had evacuation shelters the night of the storm where we had 230-some shelters with over 43,000 residents.

Those individuals still cannot return home. Many of them will still be seeking protection from the Red Cross and their shelters. We will continue to staff shelters. And so they have a place to seek protection. The key thing we are looking at, though, is mass care. Many of these folks have not eaten for a day or two. Red Cross is getting ready to provide a half a million meals a day in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Kitchens and delivering those meals to where the most needed is at. And many of those families have come to collection points where they will gather with their fellow citizens to talk about their experiences. Some will be delivered up and down the neighborhoods.

However it is effectively delivered, Red Cross is going to be there with food and with water. And, of course, in this type of tragedy, the mental health issue is going to be a key component. And we are going to have our mental health counselors out there. Our Red Cross nurses, who have a strong tradition with Red Cross, they are going to be out there helping take care of the families who are affected by this disaster.

KAGAN: Because, Peter, it's one thing to make it through a storm, to make it through the last 24 hours. But what this area faces in the next, we're talking weeks and months. And that really is going to wear on people. Also means long-term help is needed.

TEAHAN: Right. Well, it is. That is a long term issue. We can all live without air conditioning and without water for a day or two. But you are already seeing people starting to grumble a little bit about not having air, not having water, not being able to use the restrooms.

The absence of gas is important for many people and especially the elderly who really suffer in this heat and have really no options. And so when we are talking the recovery of this disaster, Red Cross was here, of course, before the disaster. We are planning on making a major commitment to the people of this area that we will be here not for days, not for weeks, we will be here for months. And as other disaster victims have seen, Red Cross is there after disaster with our local chapters, our local volunteers continuing to provide services as long as the disaster clients need our help.

KAGAN: That's such important work that you're doing. We wish you well with that. Peter Teahan with the American Red Cross from Biloxi, Mississippi has his work cut out for him as does the entire organization.

A lot of you out there want to help. We're getting lots of calls about that.

So let's pass along some numbers for you. If you're interested in helping the Red Cross, get assistance there, the number 866-GET- INFO. And here's the hotline number for FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That is 1-800-621-FEMA. That's if you need help.

Do we also have the numbers we can put up if people want to give help? Do we have those or we're going to get those in a moment?

All right, we're going to get those for you. Because, as I was saying, we're getting a lot of calls from folks all around the country and the world who want to help. We will get those for you momentarily.

Meanwhile, plans are in the works for a joint military task force to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. For that story, let's go right to the Pentagon. That's where we find our Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, it sounds just like when the military goes to war. And indeed, it is. In fact, the Pentagon later today is expected to announce that it will establish a joint military task force for disaster assistance in the wake of Katrina.

What does all of this mean, Daryn? Well, what will happen is a three-star army general will be put in charge of coordinating all assistance requests to both the active duty military and the National Guard. These requests are coming from state and local officials as these damage assessments continue to roll in.

What military officials tell us is it's not just for what you are seeing on your TV screen now, but that they expect further damage possibly as Katrina, downgraded as it is, continues to roll north through the Ohio River valley into the mid-Atlantic. There is every expectation of additional flooding and lakes, river and dams and perhaps seven or eight additional states.

So they expect an awful lot of mobilization of relief efforts.

As these requests come in, what the military is prepared to do is offer any assistance it can but especially medical assistance, search and rescue and what they call strategic air lift -- moving around the relief supplies, the assets and the people that are going to be needed in so many areas.

So they are taking the next step. They expect, along with FEMA, to be working mainly out of Maxwell Air Force Base down in Alabama. They expect to be there for some time. And they say they are ready.

One of the question, Daryn, that keeps coming up is with the war in Iraq, is the National Guard stretched so thin? Do they have enough people back home to help look after all of this?

The numbers, the statistics show that they do. There are still thousands and thousands of National Guard troops available to be mobilized. But as all of this goes on, they expect state and local officials to really become exhausted in the weeks ahead.

So both the National Guard and the active duty military ready to step in as those requests come in to them, Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara, we want to put up these pictures that we got in just a little while ago, some of the newer video we have into us here at CNN, pictures, unfortunately, of looting. These pictures coming in from New Orleans. But we are getting reports of the same thing happening up and down the Gulf Coast. We're hearing the same thing from Biloxi. How does the military play in to keeping these scenes from repeating themselves? STARR: Well, indeed, they can fulfill a security role if requests are made for National Guard troops or active duty military, they can move in, coordinate, provide assistance to local law enforcement, local police departments for security.

Now, indeed, this already is happening in two specific instances. A number of Louisiana National Guard troops are on duty across Louisiana and the affected areas providing security.

Also, we have just gotten word that Arkansas has activated 350 of its National Guard troops. They are going to be sent to Mississippi. And one of the groups that has been activated is a military police company out of West Memphis. They will be providing security as it is requested by local law enforcement officials.

So it will always be in coordination with local law enforcement. The military will not operate independently. But if they are asked, these National Guard police companies, these military police companies, are available to be requested -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thank you. Important information there.

As we were saying, a lot of you watching wanting to help. You might have ties to the South, or maybe you just want to help your fellow Americans. These are some of the numbers of organizations that are accepting donations. The American Red Cross, Operation Blessing, and America's Second Harvest. Organizations that are ready to go in and help those many thousands of people who are going to need it, not just today, but for a long time to come. And if it turns out you don't have a pen or pencil with you when we put those numbers up, It's all there for you on CNN.com. Just log on. It's all waiting for you there 24/7.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, we've been asking, if possible, for our viewers to serve double duty as citizen journalists. If you've been impacted by Katrina or witnessed destructive situations, we'd love to see your photos or e-mail. There have already been some sent to us.

Take a look at this one. This plane isn't taking off on purpose. Rod Kellogg snapped this photo in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It shows a small airplane taking flight as Katrina winds lift it off the ground.

From New Orleans, we have this image sent by Calvin Sylvester. It shows a car submerged to window level. We have seen that type of image up and down the Gulf Coast.

If you live in an area impacted by Hurricane Katrina, e-mail your photos and videos, and become one of our CNN's citizen journalists. You can do that by logging on to CNN.com/stories. Please include your name, location and phone number. Your safety is important. Please, please, it's just not worth putting yourself in harm's way.

If you're away from your television, you can still track Katrina's path. Just log on to your computer, CNN.com/hurricane. All the information is there for you.

And even if you don't live along or near the Gulf of Mexico, you will feel the wrath of Katrina. How? Well, as simple as going to gas up your car. We're going to have the latest. Live from Wall Street, for the latest on the impact of oil and gas prices, when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, you know, it turns out you don't have to live in the Gulf Coast, in that region, to be affected by Hurricane Katrina. If you drive a car, you can expect to pay more for gas, even more.

Crews are flying out today to check on the condition of nearly 1,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico provides about a quarter of U.S. oil production. There are also refineries in the region that could have sustained damage. The Bush administration has said that oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve may be used in the case of a supply disruption.

So we wanted a little more perspective on how and why the hurricane would affect oil prices. So we looked into see just how much of the nation's oil supply come through there that region. Here, now, is what we found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): The Gulf states, and Louisiana in particular, form a critical link in the nation's chain of oil supply and distribution. One-eighth of America's crude oil imports come through Louisiana's offshore oil port alone. It's connected to more than 50 percent of the nation's oil refining capacity, and it's the only port in the United States capable of offloading ultra-large crude carriers. When a significant hurricane comes, operations are shut down.

It's not just the supply that's affected, either. One-sixth of the nation's oil refineries are in either Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama. Most of those are in the coastal region. Knocking them offline, or one of the more than 35 local and oil petroleum pipelines, would cause a serious problem for the nation's oil and gas transport system.

With that in mind, it's no small wonder that the price of oil reacts when a hurricane strikes this part of the Gulf Coast.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: And we're getting more new pictures in. This is very close to the Mississippi/Alabama line outside of Mobile, Alabama, Very close to Pascagoula. And we are just showing you these pictures as they come in.

Now, look at that, a number of ships very far from where they probably started yesterday. These pictures coming to us from WALA, the pictures really telling a story of just how fierce that storm surge was.

And those aren't just little boats. Those are ships that have been picked up and moved inland.

Once again, those pictures coming to us from Bayou La Batra. That's close to Mobile, Alabama and Pascagoula, Mississippi. More coverage ahead. Right now, a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: President Bush speaking earlier today in Coronado, near San Diego, California on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The White House deciding President Bush will go back to Crawford, Texas tonight but then head back to the White House. He is cutting his vacation short, going back to Washington, D.C., because of the hurricane. And we are also hearing the first order of business when he does get back to D.C., the president planning on starting a special task force bringing those people together just to deal with the tragedy that has hit the Gulf Coast.

Well, even before Katrina first howled ashore, CNN captured the urgency of the moment with live broadcasts. Sometimes, though, single frames of film allow one to better absorb the grand scale of such a disaster. Our Beth Nissen has some of those moments frozen in time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is hard to capture in one snapped frame, rain that blinds, winds that shriek. It is easier to show what forces this fierce, this powerful, can do to glass and steel and stone.

What forces this powerful did in New Orleans, in Mobile, Alabama, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in Pensacola, Florida.

In the high winds, high drama of the storm, there were few humans to be seen except for wet and beponchoed TV reporters and rescue workers and a few residents like these men thinking better of their decisions to ride out the storm, belatedly heading to the Superdome in New Orleans for shelter only to find the storm had clawed away sections of the great dome.

It is too soon for the most crucial measures of this storm -- how many lives lost? How many wounded? How many homes gone and lifetime memories destroyed? How much time it will take and toil and resilience to rebuild? Beth Nissen, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan. Coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina continues with Kyra Phillips. She'll be with you at the top of the hour. Stay with CNN, your hurricane headquarters and the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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