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CNN Live Today

Look at What Hurricane Katrina did to Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana; People Still Searching for Family Members

Aired September 08, 2005 - 10:30   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: You've seen so many pictures of what Katrina did to New Orleans and the Mississippi coast. One place you might not have heard about is Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Aerial video taken this week showed town after town destroyed.
Our Gary Tuchman reached this isolated area, and he shows us exactly what he found on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Route 23, the main road in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, a road that is now being used by the vessels of the sea.

Southeast of New Orleans, sticking out into the bayou, most of Plaquemines now looks like the lost continent of Atlantis, the houses, the businesses, the parks, the memories of life under water.

Three bodies have been recovered here, but dozens of people who are not believed to have evacuated are still missing. The search for them is taking place with local police and the military.

MIKE MUDGE, PLAQUEMINES PARISH COUNCILMAN: I think overall, I mean, we will have our share of the loss. Now, exactly how much that will be, I wouldn't have a clue.

TUCHMAN: Many people have been rescued, including crusty John Woodward, who realizes he's lucky.

JOHN WOODWARD, RESCUED RESIDENT: Well, the more you think about it, if you keep thinking about it, you'll go clean insane. Thirty- foot waves are not fun.

TUCHMAN (on camera): This parish is 67 miles long, from the outskirts of New Orleans in the north, to the mouth of the Mississippi in the south. It's the bottom two-thirds of the parish, the part behind me, that became submerged after Hurricane Katrina arrived.

(voice-over): What you see here is surreal and depressing. Shirts still hanging in the closet of a house that is destroyed, caskets that have washed up from cemeteries and floated away, confused cattle hunting for the last pieces of dry land, and a truck, somehow perfectly balanced on an air-conditioning vent.

Russell Gainy (ph) owns an excavating company and volunteers with the sheriff's department. His home and business are gone. He uses his bulldozer, which was spared, to do his small part in the huge cleanup effort.

RUSSELL GAINY, PLAQUEMINES PARISH RESIDENT: It's just -- everything is just leveled. It's like a bomb went off.

TUCHMAN: The water levels are receding and will continue to do so. But the damage is immense.

As the search continues for the dead, the New Mexico National Guard comes across a VFW hall on the water, with Old Glory and a Vietnam POW flag still flying proudly. They present the flags to the nephew of the treasurer of the post.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The building's still there? Look at all this catastrophe. It's unbelievable.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Getting those flags must make you feel good, though.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Mississippi River barges are on land. And towns like Home Place are now places in the sea. Life has given all here a detour.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Port Sulfur, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Of course, so many of the displaced Americans who have left that area have gone to Houston. We've been checking in there on a regular basis outside the Astrodome, and many are still searching for family members. They've simply been separated, and can't figure out how to come back together.

Our Betty Nguyen joins us now. She's at the dome with one of those evacuees. Betty, good morning.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, so many people are still search for family members.

But I have to tell you about something that's happening right now. We are under a lockdown here at the Reliant Park, which houses the Astrodome and three of the main shelters. I want you to take a look at this. There is a long line here, people standing in line for different services, including the Red Cross debit cards.

Now, we're told that the lockdown is going to take place until further notice. But we've also been told by the joint information center that part of this lockdown is to ensure the safety of the people that you see there standing in line. They have been in line since 5:00 a.m. local time, waiting for these debit cards.

There's two different types of debit cards being handed out, the Red Cross debit card and FEMA debit card. The FEMA debit card, we're told, is not going to be handed out today. But there is a lot of confusion, everyone standing in line. And as of now, there is a lockdown until further notice.

Now, on to other business. Amid all of this, people are still searching for family members. And we have one of those here today. We have Enola McGinnis out of New Orleans. She is searching for her son.

Enola, tell us when the last time was when you saw your son.

ENOLA MCGINNIS, NEW ORLEANS EVACUEE: I saw Kevin the day before the storm, and I asked him to take and leave, and he told me he wanted to get some sleep. I kept trying to get him to get up.

And I haven't seen him since then. The last time I saw Kevin, he was laying in the bed. But on our way up here, when the Army evacuated us, I saw his car abandoned a couple of blocks from the ferry. So I'm concerned about him, because we've been trying to reach him for a week now, and all we get is -- like, the cell phone is only giving the answer part of it, and he's not answering. And we're concerned. We tried text messaging and everything, and we can't get him. I don't know if he dropped his phone or what's going on with him, but I just want to hear from him.

I just found out today where my other kids were located at, which is in North Carolina, because I really was concerned, especially Leonard, because Leonard told me that at night, they were, like, shooting and kicking in doors in his apartment complex. So I was so scared that he had died.

And I just finally found him. And I was concerned for Tiffany, who had a 2-year-old girl, and they told me she is all right, but I'm still worried about Kevin. I really am. And I wish he would call me or something. So anybody that knows Kevin McGinnis. I just...

NGUYEN: So just give you a call, because you're so worried (INAUDIBLE).

MCGINNIS: Yes, I am. I am.

NGUYEN: And just all of this together has got to bring up so many emotions...

MCGINNIS: It is.

NGUYEN: ... especially when you saw his abandoned car there.

MCGINNIS: I know how bad it was, believe me. And during the day, people were looking for food, and at night it was so black in New Orleans. I had never, ever seen it that dark. It was so pitch-black. Our house, the roof was off, and the ceiling had fell, so you can actually look up into the sky and see the stars.

And it was just so crazy. It is horrible when you don't have food and you don't have water. And then when the night come, the darkness, you just have darkness.

NGUYEN: And then not knowing where your son is has got to compile all of those emotions.

MCGINNIS: It is.

NGUYEN: We'll see if we can try to get that number out once again, so people, if they know that he's alive, where he is, they can give you a call. And hopefully, if he's watching, that he can give you a call.

MCGINNIS: Please.

NGUYEN: Let's put up that number one more time. It's Kevin McGinnis that she is looking for, her son, who's 26 years old. The number, we have two numbers for you, 713-610-4763, or 713-408-7954. Again, 713-408-7954.

Enola McGinnis is his mother. We just spoke with her. She's obviously very upset, as are many people here who have not found their loved ones. So if you've seen Kevin, please call, Daryn.

KAGAN: Betty, and our best wishes to his mother, to Ms. McGinnis.

I have a couple more questions about these debit cards, which -- this is a first, this is a big deal. It's never been done in the history of the U.S. with a disaster, passing out these cards.

But also the lockdown. Are they concerned that people from the outside are going to come in and harass people who are getting the cards? Are they saying too many people are getting in line? This seems like a pretty extreme measure of locking down the whole facility.

NGUYEN: You're right. It does seem like a very extreme measure. And it actually happened all of a sudden. All the gates are locked down, meaning no one can get in or leave this Reliant Park area.

Now, we are really given very little information about this. What we know is that it's a temporary lockdown, but will take place until further notice. We were also told by the joint information center that it's basically to ensure the safety of all the people who are standing in line.

There was no mention of people coming here to harass folks standing in line, or maybe to get in line for these debit cards. But there are a ton of people in line. It wraps down the side of the building. And it's just not one single-file line. They're four- and fivefold there, waiting in line, and they've been here since 5:00 a.m. Central time.

And there, are you mentioned, there are two debit cards. There's the Red Cross debit card and the FEMA debit card. And we were told this morn that FEMA debit card is not going to be issued today. But there's confusion, because a lot of people standing in line, and there are hundreds, there standing in line, waiting for what they think are going to be FEMA debit cards, which are going to be up to $2,000 that would be made available to families. So there's confusion. There's a long line. And also, there is a lockdown. We'll keep you posted on all of this.

KAGAN: All right. Betty Nguyen in Houston, thank you.

A man who says he is an evacuee from New Orleans has been arrested here in Atlanta. Supporters say the man is a victim of the city's new panhandling law. Police, though, have a different story.

Tom Jones of our Atlanta affiliate WSB has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM JONES, REPORTER, WSB, ATLANTA: What does your sign say?

JAMES SCOTT, NEW ORLEANS EVACUEE: "From New Orleans, need help."

JONES (voice-over): New Orleans evacuee James Scott (ph) says a sign he held near Lenox Square, like this one pleading for help, got him tossed in jail.

SCOTT: I was doing it for a good cause, you know what I'm saying? I'm trying to survive. And I wasn't harming nobody.

JONES: His brother, Shawn (ph), says Atlanta police gave him a citation after he held a similar sign near the mall.

SHAWN SCOTT, NEW ORLEANS EVACUEE: They said it's illegal. I said, Well, I didn't know, because I'm from New Orleans.

JONES: The brothers' sister says she was kicked out of Lenox Mall after holding this sign seeking a assistance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mayor should apologize to this family, as a leader of this city.

JONES: Critics of the city's new panhandling ordinance say it is reason the evacuees were arrested, cited, and harassed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now is not the time to be enacting and enforcing this legislation.

JONES: Actually, an Atlanta police spokesperson told us James Scott wasn't cited for panhandling, but for soliciting in the roadway, a state crime. Officers say he might not have been arrested if he had cooperated.

The brothers say their lives have been turned upside-down, and they felt the officers didn't care.

SCOTT: He had no concern. I mean, I'm stating to him I haven't talked to my family because the phones been down

JONES: Community activists say it shouldn't matter whether the evacuees were panhandling or soliciting in the street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're out here trying to put their broken pieces back together again. And we've got to help them do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Last month, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin signed into law a panhandling ban around tourist areas in downtown Atlanta. That was not the area where Scott was arrested.

Well, we've been using our resources here at CNN to bring you stories of survival, and to help to reunite victims of Hurricane Katrina with their loved ones, who are victims, and relief desk.

And that's where we find our Carol Lin. She has been tracking developments this morning. Carol, good morning.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

We have a happy ending to report from our victims' relief desk. Remember the 3-year-old who was evacuated to San Antonio with no family? Well, we now know her name is Tyria Robinson. Her grandparents and parents were hundreds of miles away and saw our report, and also did an Internet search to find her. So imagine how happy her dad was to see her last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFERY LEBOUEF, FATHER: Sigh of relief. I mean, she had me cry. You know, I was worried about her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, Tyria and her parents immediately headed to Baytown, Texas, to be reunited with the grandparents. Good news there.

Now, our crews are still doing their part to get the word out for storm victims, so here are some of the people who've shown up at our cameras.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANNA LAMARQUE, CHALMETTE, LOUISIANA: Hi, Mom and Dad, my son, hi. I'm alive. I'm OK (INAUDIBLE). And I love y'all.

SHANE MCCLOSKEY, CHALMETTE, LOUISIANA: I'd like to tell (INAUDIBLE) that I'm all right, my mama, my Aunt Tina. We're all right, (INAUDIBLE). We're going to be all right.

PAT ADAMS, CHALMETTE, LOUISIANA: Say hello to all of my family, if we can locate them. I've got a grandson who was supposed to have been born the last two days, and I haven't seen him yet, or know if he's born.

Linda, I hope you're hearing. We're getting out of Chalmette, we're coming to Dallas, Texas. I'm going to chase you down until I can find you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: And we're still getting hundreds of e-mails from those looking for loved ones.

Family members are looking for Kenneth Martin Dobard. He is in his mid-50s. He was reportedly in New Orleans' Seventh Ward when Katrina hit. His brother says he hasn't heard from him since then.

And Walter Joseph Shepherd was a patient in the New Orleans Charity Hospital on the day before the storm hit. He was in intensive care after emergency surgery on his stomach. His family is looking for any information about him. We do know that all those hospitals were evacuated, but patients are scattered to the winds.

And 26-year-old Roderick Jermaine Johnson is missing in Boutte, Louisiana. His brother says he was sick even before the storm, and he hasn't heard from him since then.

Now, whether they are lost or found, we want to hear about your loved ones. And if you recognize any of these people, or can give us information, e-mail us at hurricanevictims@cnn.com. Be specific in the subject line, so we can pull your e-mail out.

Also, if you're seeking information, we have a list of resources at cnn.com/helpcenters, especially if you want to help these folks, but we want to hear from you.

Daryn?

KAGAN: Carol, thank you for these happy endings, especially.

LIN: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, we first met him as his life was falling apart right before our eyes. Now, after the storm, what's next for Hardy Jackson?

Plus, Katrina's impact on America's farmers. We'll have the numbers in our business report, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The economic impact of Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath continues to have ripples throughout the U.S. economy.

Let's check on the markets. Susan Lisovicz is on Wall Street today. Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

It's the subject of endless speculation here. Right now, stocks are little changed, even though oil prices are lower for a fourth session in a row.

Right now, the Dow industrials off 23 points, the Nasdaq is off just 1 point. Oil prices turned lower after the latest inventory report, due -- it was out just about an hour ago from the Energy Department, offered no surprises. The report showed that crude oil supplies fell significantly last week, and gasoline inventories sustained a 10th straight weekly decline. The market had expected a huge drop after Hurricane Katrina disrupted Gulf output, but the numbers were no worse than initially feared.

Early estimates indicate that Hurricane Katrina could cost the nation's farm industry about $2 billion. According to the American Farm Bureau, damage done directly to crops and livestock will cost the industry $1 billion. Another $1 billion in damages is expected as a result of a growing waterway shipping crisis and soaring fuel prices.

Over 60 percent of corn and soybean exports originate from the New Orleans area, and there's no indication that those ports can resume operations any time soon.

And, Daryn, the harvest is yet to come, and that is really the peak of the shipping industry for the -- on the calendar. So it's really going to be tested in the next few weeks.

That's the latest on Wall Street, Daryn. Now back to you.

KAGAN: Susan, thank you. Yes, that's a whole other story that you will be tracking for us. Thank you.

Well, an individual story. He lost everything, one of the first faces that we came to know after Hurricane Katrina, his home, his possessions, and even his wife. Still to come, we're going to revisit Hardy Jackson to see how he is managing to pick up the pieces.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It's going to be a long time before we forget Hardy Jackson's anguished face. It is one of the most devastating images we have seen in the wave of Hurricane Katrina.

Jackson is now starting a new life. He is hundreds of miles away from where the storm split his house and carried away the love of his life.

Our Tony Harris has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His face is etched into our collective memory.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who was at your house with you?

HARDY JACKSON, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: My wife.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is she now?

JACKSON: Can't find her body. She's gone. HARRIS: And so is Hardy Jackson's story.

JACKSON: I hold her hand tight as I could, and she told me, You can't hold me.

HARRIS: Before the true nightmare of New Orleans was known, Katrina devastated Biloxi, Mississippi, and made Hardy Jackson's anguish one of the images of this disaster.

JACKSON: Everybody see me now, they walk up to me, oh, with tears in their eyes, oh, and sorrow in their heart.

HARRIS: Today, Hardy Jackson is trying to fulfill the promise he made to Toni, his wife of 29 years, to take care of their three children and three grandchildren.

But it has been a struggle in so many ways. This is the only picture that remains of Toni and Hardy together.

JACKSON: That was my wife, that was my best friend, that was my mama.

HARRIS: Jackson's sister Sharon and her husband, in an Atlanta suburb, are trying to stabilize the family. But a small three-bedroom house is now a home for 10 people, including the seven newcomers, family members who survived a horrible ordeal and have nowhere else to go.

SHARON MACK, HARDY JACKSON'S SISTER: Well, I just thank God, I thank God for them being safe.

HARRIS: Food, clothing, and shelter will bridge the short-term crisis, but coming to terms with the shambles Katrina made of Hardy's life will take a very long time.

JACKSON: It was a knock of death, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I said, Oh, baby, things don't look good. I said, Baby, please don't let go, please don't let go. Nobody around to help. Nobody, just me and her.

And she said, Hardy, she said, let go. You can't hold me. Oh, God, I said, Please, baby, don't say that. I said, I'll save you. Please, (INAUDIBLE), don't leave me. She said, Take care of them kids and take care of them grandkids. She look at my eyes just like I'm looking into your eyes, man, and let go.

And she went back to the north, man. That water, man, took her back out there in the sea, man, somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Throw the ball.

HARRIS: Hardy Jackson made a promise to his wife to take care of the kids and the grandkids. It's a promise he plans to keep. He just needs some help to get started.

Tony Harris, CNN, Palmetto, Georgia. (END VIDEOTAPE)

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