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Nursing Home Residents Killed in Hurricane; Military Focuses Efforts on Medical Care; FEMA Searching for Survivors in Biloxi; Vice President Visits Disaster Area; Who's in Charge in Louisiana?; Water Damage Tips

Aired September 08, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin the hour with "Mission Critical," the latest in the aftermath of Katrina.
New Orleans police say that forced evacuations will not begin until all residents who want to leave the city are out of the city. If needed, the Coast guard will help with forced evacuations.

The basics are coming in more quickly for Katrina's victims. The government says about 12 million meals and 21 million bottles of water have been handed out. Physicians at shelters are treating evacuees for a variety of ailments from gastrointestinal to upper respiratory illnesses and injuries. The EPA says New Orleans flood water has high levels of e. coli and other bacteria.

The number of evacuees in Houston's Astrodome complex is dropping as people find other places to stay. A Houston official says he'd like to see those shelters closed in 10 days.

And more pumps are online in New Orleans. At least 23 of the 150 pumps used to remove water from the city are now working. But it could still take up to 80 days to drain all of the flooded areas.

We're going to begin the hour with a grim discovery in a suburban New Orleans nursing home. The bodies of more than 30 drowned residents were found there. A state lawmaker says the staff left those residents behind. We're going to get more on that story now from CNN's Karl Penhaul. He is, once again, in New Orleans this morning.

Karl, good morning.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

That grim discovery was across in St. Bernard's Parish. It was St. Rita's Nursing Home. And what the sheriff there has told CNN is that at least 30 people, including the elderly residents there, but possibly also some staff, died in the flooding and the hurricane. And so far mortuary officials have got about 15 bodies out of there but work, we understand, was going to be continuing today to extract the other bodies.

Still a lot of flooding in that area. We also heard from the sheriff that some of those elderly residents were still strapped to their beds. So certainly a very sad scene there.

But also the other news of today, the evacuations continuing, although law enforcement officials are saying that what's going on right now are the voluntary evacuations. So far no sign yet of forced evacuations and the police really aren't giving a timetable for when that will begin or details of exactly how it will be carried out. Although police are still saying that they will call on the military if they need. The military still saying we won't take part in forced evacuations.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Yeah. Karl Penhaul, thank you for that. We're going to get back to you. But right now we have our Barbara Starr. She's on the phone from Jackson, Mississippi. She has been traveling with Lieutenant General Russel Honore, who has been in charge of the National Guard response there along the Gulf Coast. Barbara joins us on the phone now.

Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Well, actually General Honore as the commanding general of the entire military task force really starting with control of the active duty military forces. And he remains adamant, adamant that the U.S. military will not participant in forced evacuation because it would be against the law. The U.S. military has no authority, active duty military, no authority to conduct such operations. That would be, he says, a matter for law enforcement.

As of yesterday, it's very interesting, the military is now calling the people who are no longer in their homes in New Orleans, calling them officially displaced Americans. That is the term the U.S. military wants people to use to describe this situation. General Honore, we followed him around yesterday, sat in some of this meetings. And he has given some very specific guidance to his troops on certain aspects of the situation now. Number one on his list is medical care and the military medical units out in the field. He is adamantly telling them to get out there and to be visible to the communities. Many small communities where they have no medical care now and he has told all military medical personnel to get out there and be visible.

At the same time, he wants now, he says, for soldiers to help in across the region, in the rebuilding schools, hospitals, churches, doing all the things that U.S. troops normally do overseas in some of the most impoverished areas of the world. But his bottom line to the troops yesterday, every deployed soldier, he says, has to be out there helping people. Nobody stays in camp. He says, everybody gets out there.

Daryn.

KAGAN: And, Barbara, let's talk about the personal side for the lieutenant general. He's from this part of the world?

STARR: He is, indeed. He is a native of Louisiana. He comes from an extremely large family. As of a couple of days ago, he told us that he still had a cousin in New Orleans that nobody had heard from. That they were trying to locate. And like so many other Army generals, General Honore, we learned, has a son serving in the military right now in combat in Iraq.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr, live on the phone from Jackson, Mississippi. Thank you for that.

Well, also on the coastal part of Mississippi, search and rescue teams say that they are still hoping for miracles. But as the crews dig through the massive rubble, they're more likely to find the dead. Our Allan Chernoff is in Biloxi this morning with more on what's taking place there.

Allan, good morning.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

And one might have thought that perhaps one of the safest places in Biloxi to wait out the storm would be the gym in the community center on the east side of Biloxi. As you can see behind me, the backboard, the rim and the net, they all survived, but the rest of the building in ruins. The force of 165 mile an hour winds, plus huge waves, blew out this entire wall from the community center. Not only that, the waves also created a graveyard of cars. The water literally lifting those vehicles up, piling them one on top of the other.

Now, the folks from FEMA's search and rescue operation have been looking through each one of these cars, seeing if there might be any bodies remaining. They put those os there, o meaning zero, no body found in this vehicle. No body found in this vehicle. There's still mud inside of that one. Over here, you can see the moisture still collecting inside of this car, which is still locked up.

FEMA, from Washington, has been talking about financial assistance for the people who were devastated over here. They've been saying that there will be immediate financial assistance of $2,000 to those people who need it who can't get immediate checks from their insurance companies. But the folks we've been talking with this morning say, that has not been their experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATRINA ROBINSON, BILOXI RESIDENT: I called them and they told me to call back in 14 days. Don't call back until 14 days.

CHERNOFF: Fourteen days?

ROBINSON: Uh-huh. And I told the woman, I might not be here. And she said, but she got to have an address. She don't care if I don't live there.

EDWARD FARLEY, BILOXI RESIDENT: They told us that basically they will get back in touch with us. They will send us a package. Somebody will be, you know, coming out, contacting us. And we told them we didn't have phones, we didn't have a mail, so how was they going to contact us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: While FEMA has not been coming through with immediate financial aid, at least there has been much assistance for the people in this community, a very poor community by the way, right next to the graveyard of cars. As you can see, just setting up right now, a little playground for the kids of the community. Something for them to enjoy. Perhaps very symbolic that life, in fact, does go on even after a horrific devastation.

Daryn. KAGAN: Allen Chernoff live from Biloxi, Mississippi.

Allan, thank you for that.

Well, to that part of the world is where the vice president, Dick Cheney, and his wife Lynn and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be heading. They are in Gulfport, Mississippi, this hour. Not to far from Biloxi. It is the first stop in their visit to the hurricane ravaged regions of the south. Later today, they head to New Orleans and then on to Baton Rouge to spend time at the emergency operation center there.

For more on that trip and the visit, let's check in with Elaine Quijano. She is live at the White House this morning.

Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

First of all, at this hour, we understand, President Bush is taking part in a meeting with House and Senate Republican leadership here at the White House to discuss Hurricane Katrina. And then later today, we understand, the president will also take part in a meeting discussing a plan to get benefits delivered to Hurricane Katrina victims. Now, all of this is happening, of course, after the White House has faced withering criticism about the government's response to the disaster. But White House officials continue to insist that they are very much focused on problem solving.

Today, the vice president, as you mentioned, and the first lady will be on the ground in the Gulf Coast region. The vice president making a few stops along the Gulf Coast. You mentioned, Mississippi, also going on to Louisiana. It will be the first time that Mr. Cheney has visited the areas since the hurricane struck. And officials here say that his focus will be to help ensure that bureaucracy isn't slowing down efforts to get aid to those who need it.

Meantime, First Lady Laura Bush is traveling as well. Her first stop is in Iowa. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings will also be there. The two will push for schools to donate supplies to other schools that have taken in students displaced by the hurricane. Mrs. Bush will then travel on to Mississippi and this will actually be the second time that she's visited the area since the hurricane hit. Last week, of course, she met with evacuees in Lafayette, Louisiana. But officials here are really trying to counter some of the perceptions that the government was too slow to respond, that they were not on top of the situation. The president yesterday sent Congress a nearly $52 billion aid package for additional relief for hurricane victims. That, of course, on top of the $10.5 billion from last week.

But the criticism continues taking on more of a partisan tone about what should happen now. Republicans yesterday announced a bipartisan joint congressional committee to examine the government's response to the hurricane. But notably absent from that were Democrats. And Democrats, for their part, are pressing for an independent 9/11 Commission-style review. They want more accountability. The president, meantime, has said that he does support an investigation but he doesn't think the time for that is now.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Elaine Quijano live at the White House. Thank you.

Now, as we look at the huge enormity of the storm, we're also looking back at one that took place 105 years ago today. It was another category four hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast. Led to what's being called the deadliest national disaster in U.S. history. The hurricane struck Galveston, Texas. At the time, Galveston was one of the wealthiest cities in America. The storm killed an estimated 8,000 people and wiped away nearly three-quarters of that island city. After the disaster, the city constructed a massive sea wall and raised the city's elevation. Galveston was rebuilt but in never returned to its pre-storm prominence.

What kind of weather lies ahead in our near future? There are some named storms brewing out there. Rob Marciano is here.

Good to see you dry and back from your hurricane coverage to talk about what is taking place today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Let's go ahead and take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

In other headlines today, there is more bloodshed in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Sixteen civilians were killed, 21 others wounded when a car bomb detonated last night in a popular Basra neighborhood. Also earlier this week, four American contractors were killed and two British soldiers died in separate roadside bombings. Until recently, Basra had been relatively calm compared to regions in other parts of Iraq.

Delta Airlines is announcing new cuts as it tries to stave off a bankruptcy filing. The carrier is dropping about a quarter of its flights and it's second largest hub of Cincinnati. Delta also announced the sale of 11 planes to an air freight company. Officials are not saying how many workers may lose their jobs.

It's one of the largest recall in U.S. history. Ford is recalling nearly four million vehicles amid concerns that cruise control switches could cause fires. CNN launched an investigation into the fires earlier this year. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ford are also looking into the matter. The recall includes 1994-2002 model years of F-150 pickup trucks, Ford Expeditions, Lincoln Navigators and Ford Broncos.

The Energy Department predicts a 71 percent increase in natural gas prices this winter. Hurricane Katrina is blamed for slowing production. The department also warns expect higher prices for electricity and heating oil as well.

His story has grabbed the headlines and hearts across America when Katrina first hit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARDY JACKSON (ph): I hold her hand tight as I could and she told me, you can't hold me. She said, take care of the kids and the grandkids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Still to come, Hardy Jackson has a new home in a new city. A look at how he's trying to pick up the pieces.

Plus, forced from his home with nothing. One evacuee hit the streets in search of help. He was thrown in jail. That story is coming up.

Plus, who's in charge of the relief efforts? The finger pointing continues in Washington, D.C.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I want to show you some pictures that came into CNN mere seconds ago. This, again, from the Helinet crew that's been covering and flying over New Orleans and the Gulf Coast for most of the last week. You can see a boat still the preferred method of transportation on many streets in New Orleans, including this, which we believe is Canal Street. As they get their way around trying still to rescue those who want to get out and also the recovery of bodies continues today in New Orleans.

Still lots of questions about the next move. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco says she hasn't decided if National Guard troop will actively force people from their home in New Orleans. But the city's mayor, Ray Nagin, told police to do whatever they had to do to get people out. Now CNN's Tom Foreman examine the question that's been asked since the storm broke. Who exactly is in charge?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Another day, another power struggle in New Orleans. Active duty military troops who are all over the streets say they will not force residents who stayed for the storm to leave now. But the mayor says those people have to go.

So who's right? Who's in charge? Both are. By law, the U.S. military cannot engage in law enforcement, but the National Guard can because it is directed by the state of Louisiana. So the guard, regular military, and police in the birth place of jazz are improvising.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the military adjusting their personnel to relieve our people, we're giving our people some R&R. So right now we're getting back to normal.

FOREMAN: After much finger pointing, New Orleans is teetering toward better days under a shaky but improving coalition. Doctors, engineers, police, housing experts, relief workers, environmentalists are all finally laboring together under the umbrella of the embattled FEMA.

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: The process has started of rebuilding New Orleans. We're making good progress in Mississippi.

FOREMAN: And FEMA boss, Michael Brown, is brushing aside calls for resignations.

BROWN: I serve totally at the will of the president of the United States. FOREMAN: A new command system in Baton Rouge is coordinating all state, local and federal efforts. That's troubling to some who say FEMA should have had it in place more than a week ago.

JOHN COPENHAVER, FORMER FEMA REGIONAL DIRECTOR: My reaction was the same as the people watching. What's happening here?

FOREMAN: John Copenhaver, a former FEMA regional director, says the agency has plenty of skilled relief teams but didn't take charge and use them right.

COPENHAVER: The only thing I can tell you right now is that it looks like it was a failure of commander control procedures at the top of the organization.

FOREMAN: But FEMA's defenders argue state and local governments bear responsibility, too. Perhaps, they say, if they had planned better for the storm before it happened, FEMA would not have faced such enormous challenges.

Close to the flood, though, where cooperation is finally paying off, there is less talk about blame now, more about finding common ground. And what may be the last lost survivors.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: It was about the day after Katrina hit, many of us remember meeting a devastated man. His name is Hardy Jackson. He lost his wife when his house literally broke apart in the storm. We're going to check up on him an his kids and grandkids and see how they're doing.

Plus, some Gulf Coast residents are starting to return home to find houses saturate with flood water. Gerri Willis joins us with some tips on dealing with water damage. It's something you might face in your own home. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And now something that storm victims are facing that might be something that you face in your own home at some time. They are going to areas that have their flooded homes. Our Gerri Willis, our personal finance editor, has today's "Top Five Tips" for assessing water damage and what to do about it.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.

KAGAN: Hey, Ger.

WILLIS: Hey, Daryn, good to see you.

Tip number one, you've got to look for the red flags. The things that will tell you that you've got damage that you may have to rebuild for.

First of all, check out those front steps. Are they warped? That's a red sign. Mold, mildew odor. You've got to use your nose as well as your eyes. Look for watermarks on the wall. That will tell you how high the water got. And, of course, if you have trouble opening doors, that's another signal that the problems could be extreme.

Daryn.

KAGAN: The first step is making sure you get the water out.

WILLIS: You belt. You've got to get rid of that water. Now we're talking about people who don't have water up to the eaves, obviously. But if you have one to six inches of water, you're going to have to start sweep that out, wet/vac drying it out. That's a great way to go. And if you have a rug, you probably want to use an extractor. You can rent one of those to get the water out of your rug.

Wear protective garb. You want gloves, you want things over your feet so that you aren't in danger as you clear this out. And if you have appliances that are water logged, you're going to have to toss those, Daryn. They're dangerous.

KAGAN: You mentioned mold. Might not be covered by insurance.

WILLIS: You know, if you get mold, that's one of the dangers here. You, of course, got water damage. But if you let it sit there and you don't clear out the air, ventilate your house, then you run the risk of having mold. Drywall acts as a sponge, really. It will hold that water there so you have to be very careful.

KAGAN: What about rebuilding and how do you know if that's appropriate?

WILLIS: Well, the rule of thumb is, if you have six inches or more of water standings on your floors, you're going to have to rebuild. And this is not inexpensive. As a matter of fact, you're going to pay quite a pretty penny to rebuild rooms. It's, again, replacing the drywall, as I said. $60 a square foot for an individual room. Four times that, Daryn, if you have to replace a kitchen or bath. And, of course, if the water is contaminated, it doesn't matter how much water is standing there, you're looking at a loss.

KAGAN: Yes. Now contractors are going to be at a premium, so people are going to look at doing it themselves.

WILLIS: That's right. And that's why we were making suggestions about how to clean up. But if you can't to that yourself, you might want to call in an expert. You can usually get for several thousand dollars you may be able to get someone just to clean out the water. But if you have to rebuild, a great place to go, the American Homeowners Association actually vets contractors because you know the scam artists come out at this time, Daryn.

KAGAN: Oh, boy. Yes.

WILLIS: You have to be really careful. Look for people with licenses, insurance, people with a reputation that are well-known. Another source, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. They have a Web site, nari.org.

KAGAN: Gerri Willis, thank you for those tips.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Appreciate it as always.

So there's this new panhandling law here in Atlanta. Could it be the reason that a New Orleans evacuee has been thrown in jail in this town. The details on that story coming up.

Plus, do you remember Hardy Jackson. He was the man who lost his wife when his house literally broke apart in the storm? How is he going and where is he now? We will bring you up to date.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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