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Texas Officials Prepare for Hurricane Rita; Farmer's Almanac Predicts More Wild Weather for Coming Year

Aired September 21, 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: Welcome back. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
And one thing we're waiting for, the mayor of Houston, Bill White, is going to be holding a news conference any minute, talking about what's happening, along with city and county and FEMA officials, as Hurricane Rita gets closer to the coast of Texas.

Those preparations are underway along the Texas coast. Residents preparing for the possible arrival of Hurricane Rita. Let's get our hurricanes straight. Rita. The storm reached Category 4 strength about three hours ago. The island city of Galveston has ordered evacuations, and authorities have already started moving residents at local nursing homes.

In world news. To Iraq now, roadside bombs have wounded at least two U.S. soldiers. The bombs exploded near four convoys in and around the capital. The attacks come a day after the U.S. military announced deaths that pushed the total American war dead to more than 1,900.

And live pictures now from Capitol Hill. It's a Senate Homeland Security committee holding a hearing on the London bombings. And specifically, what lessons can be learned from those July attacks. An official with the London Underground will be on hand to testify, as will officials with U.S. transit systems.

Back to our top story, Hurricane Rita. Live pictures now from Galveston, Texas. It appears to be in the direct path of the storm. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Galveston as this powerful Category 4 hurricane approaches. So, with Rita's projected path getting a little bit narrower and Texas looming ever larger in the crosshairs, the state is mobilizing its resources and trying to avoid the mistakes that were made when Katrina struck neighboring states.

Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we spoke with Texas governor Rick Perry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY, TEXAS: We're not stopping to spend a lot of time looking backwards. We're looking at this storm that's facing us and being prepared for it. An evacuation is going on as we speak in Galveston. We'll be making decisions as the rest of the day goes forward if there are other areas.

We're pre-positioning a substantial amount of assets, whether it's 5,000 National Guard troops, 1,000 Departmtent of Public Safety troopers and aviation assets. I think Thursday morning is when we will see the first impact relative to tropical storm type of winds hitting. If you're not out by then, you have problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The federal government is already pre-positioning equipment so it can be deployed into the impacted areas as soon as the storm subsides.

Well, whatever happens with Hurricane Rita this weekend, federal emergency officials say they are much better prepared than they were for Katrina three weeks ago.

Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff explained why he thinks that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We've obviously poured a lot of effort and a lot of resources and people into what we're doing in Katrina and still doing in Katrina. But one of the things we did at the same time was start to back-fill, with respect to supplies and people and resources, because we anticipated at least the possibility of a second storm coming. And so we've been working to that possibility really for the past couple of weeks.

We've now pre-positioned or are in the process of pre-positioning a lot of supplies. We've got helicopters on standby. We're working very closely with the governor and the other state officials to make sure that we are completely connected in terms of their needs, and what capabilities they're asking us to bring to the table. And so we are taking it very seriously. And we are leaning as far forward as we can in preparation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The government is leaving little to chance after its experience with Katrina. Chertoff says it's all hands on deck for this particular storm.

Former president Jimmy Carter has some harsh words for the federal government in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Last night he said that FEMA became less efficient when it was folded into Homeland Security two years ago. FEMA's diminished role, he says, led to the failures in New Orleans. President Carter lamented what's become of the agency that he created in 1979.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made three promises. One was that the leaders of FEMA would always be highly qualified in handling a disaster. The second promise I made was that FEMA would always be an independent agency, and would not be part of another larger agency. And the third promise I made was that FEMA would always be adequately financed. Well, as you know, all three of those promises have been violated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And regarding ex-FEMA director Michael Brown, Carter called it a political and, quote, "disgraceful move" to have him as the head of FEMA there.

Speaking of politics, waiting for the Houston Mayor Bill White. He's to be holding a news conference. We're still standing by for that. When that begins in Houston, Texas, you'll see it live, on the latest preparations for that major city in the wake of Hurricane Rita.

We take a break. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And live pictures from Houston, Texas. Mayor Bill White holding a news conference, talking about the preparations with the city, county and FEMA officials. They're talking about city response to Hurricane Rita. Let's listen.

MAYOR BILL WHITE, HOUSTON, TEXAS: Hurricane Rita on its present course poses a risk to Houston and the whole Houston region. Today, we're asking all citizens to listen carefully to announcements that will be made at this conference, and future announcements that will be made as we continue to chart the hurricane's course.

We are asking all residents in the Houston area and the greater Houston area that are in the storm surge area for a hurricane of this force and above to begin making their evacuation plans.

We are calling for voluntary evacuations from several different areas. First, those areas that are in the storm surge areas. Those are the low-lying areas within Harris County and Houston and the east and the southeast, as identified by various maps, which you will see in the media in print, the storm surge areas.

Second, if you are in a 100-year floodplain, in an area that has experienced flooding in the past. Those include many areas along some of the major bayou waterways. We want you to voluntarily evacuate, make your plans for voluntary evacuation now, and implement those plans. We'll provide some details on that, including -- Judge will address some of the evacuation routes.

Third, if you're in mobile homes or other structures where you use your common sense and you doubt the capacity to withstand high winds, then we are asking you to evacuate. We've been advised by emergency-management professionals, some of the best there is in the country, that few mobile homes, if any, could withstand some of the types of winds that may be characteristic of a hurricane that is of the projected magnitude that is projected for Rita. We are asking you to evacuate.

We are asking that all major employers, all employers, small or large, not require the employment on Thursday and Friday of any but the essential personnel. We're asking school districts not to have school on those days. We will be making plans and announcements throughout the week. We will be planning now within the storm-surge area now, and the areas of Harris County and Houston, which have not already been subject to the previously announced mandatory evacuations, that mandatory evacuations in the Houston and Harris County regions within the storm-surge area begin at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Now this is perhaps the most important thing that I or the fine professionals up here and my partner and colleague, the county judge, who's so experienced in these matters, will say. We need citizens who may need assistance in evacuating to reach out to friends, family, relatives, neighbors.

We need citizens to contact -- to look at where there are needs in our own community for those who may need assistance in evacuating in the storm-surge areas and those areas that have been subject to flooding in the 100-year floodplain and mobile homes.

There will not be enough government vehicles to go and evacuate everybody in the area, and we need the citizens who are the first line of defense and neighbor caring for neighbor in this community to do your job, and to go out and to actively look for those who may need assistance.

Finally, for those who do not have assistance, then who cannot find people to assist them, and they do not have their own independent means of transportation, then there are a couple of numbers that you can call that will plug you in a system, which has been activated in order to provide some emergency-evacuation assistance. Those numbers are 311, which you can get mostly within these areas, and for the people in the outlying area, judge, is 713-874-0311, 837-713-837-0311 in some areas that have not been reached by 311.

Now, let me make clear what I am saying. First, I would like people who need assistance, who do not have their own transportation, to use along the evacuation routes that the judge will describe, to reach out to friends, family, neighbors. If you are evacuating, and you know somebody who needs assistance, and you have an extra space within the vehicle to open up your generosity of your heart, as so many of Houstonians have done as we've responded to the evacuees from Katrina.

If there is no one to turn to, if you are not satisfied that you have an evacuation plan that you can rely on, then we are asking that you reach out to us so that we can work with metro, and the state organizations and other organizations that are capable of providing transportation. And reach out by calling 311, and 713-837-0311.

I'd like to ask the judge to address evacuation routes and how this fits into the previous...

KAGAN: We've been listening to Houston Mayor Bill White making some very important announcements, mainly to the folks in Houston, talking about volunteer evacuations for areas that are in the 100-year floodplain, people who live in mobile homes, and people that are in the storm-surge area of Houston, also calling on employers and schools to close on Thursday and Friday.

And finally, what he said was most important, that there are not enough government vehicles to get everybody out, so asking people in Houston to step up, neighbor taking care of neighbor, to look around and to help others get out of the city if that's what needs to be done.

Much more on Hurricane Rita as it gets closer to Texas. We'll be checking with our severe-weather expert Chad Myers just ahead.

Right now, a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We will get back to the weather and the hurricanes in just a moment. Right now, the political potential storm brewing in Washington D.C. The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on the nomination of John Roberts as the next chief justice of the United States tomorrow.

Just a few minutes ago, on the floor of the Senate, Senator Patrick Leahy, a member of that committee, announced whether or not he will support John Roberts. Here, now, that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: I find it is better in this nomination to vote yes than no. Ultimately my Vermont roots have always told me to go with my conscience. They do so today. Judge Roberts is a man of integrity. I can only take him at his word that he does not have an ideological agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: That was Senator Patrick Leahy saying that he will vote yes on the nomination of John Roberts as the next chief justice of the United States. More on that ahead with our Bill Schneider, and also with our Joe Johns at the Supreme Court.

We're going to be talking weather just ahead, not just hurricanes, but weather that could be coming to your area. Do you have this at home, "The Farmer's Almanac?" It has a ton of information, and we'll be talking with the people from "The Farmer's Almanac" just ahead.

Right now, another break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Let's talk to the folks at the Farmer's Almanac. It has been hurricane, flooding, snow, heat. A doozy of a year, weatherwise. Can we expect more of the same in this next year? The old Farmer's Almanac has been predicting these things about weather for more than two centuries. The 2006 edition already on the stands. And let's get a look at what we might expect.

John Pierce, the publisher, is here with me. Good morning. Good to have you here with us.

JOHN PIERCE, THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC: It's great to be here.

KAGAN: First of all, let's look back at looking forward.

PIERCE: Yes.

KAGAN: What did 2005 almanac say about what we have here in terms of hurricanes?

PIERCE: We said it would be a very active season, which was a risky forecast, because the season before was very active.

KAGAN: Right. I remember people saying, how could it be again? It was like that was going to be an all-timer.

PIERCE: Two in a row. And we did say that a hurricane would cross the tip of Florida in August. We did not ever say anything would hit New Orleans. And we said one would threaten the East Coast in September.

KAGAN: And that would have been Ophelia.

PIERCE: And that was Ophelia, yes.

KAGAN: What about winter? What's winter looking like for this year, 2005-2006?

PIERCE: Winter is going to be sort of split. The western half of the United States will get generally warmer and drier weather than normal, except for the Pacific Northwest, where they'll have above average precipitation. The East Coast, heavy snow, right from Richmond, Virginia right up to Boston. Well above average snowfall and below average temperatures. So a cold, snowy winter in the Northeast. The Southeast, it will be a cool, dry winter. And then there's another snow belt that comes up through New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and on into Kansas. Above average snowfall.

KAGAN: And you're crunching all this information how?

PIERCE: Well, we use solar activity as the dominant indicator. And so there -- we feel what's happening on the sun influences long- range weather patterns here on Earth.

KAGAN: Very good. And the information here, as we were talking in the break, in between news conferences, so much information -- I was asking if the Internet is a big competitor for you. You say the Internet is almost like your partner. There's a whole other way that you can use Almanac online.

PIERCE: Yes, at almanac.com, you can access our information and adjust it for your own location, just by giving us your zip code. And plus, we have a complete database of weather history there. So you can find about weather in the past, as well.

KAGAN: And if not, you got the hole to hang it out in the outhouse. Still do, 200 years later. John Pierce, thank you. Interesting times and interesting to get a chance to look ahead.

PIERCE: Yes, and next year will be just as exciting at this year.

KAGAN: Yes. Well, we could take a little bit less exciting. But thank you for that. Thanks, John.

Well, more on Hurricane Rita ahead. The storm apparently taking aim at Galveston, Texas. City leaders are not taking any chances. We'll talk to the mayor about getting residents to safety in our next hour.

And separated by the storm, CNN continues to help lost and displaced children reunite with their families.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY will begin after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Now in the news, Hurricane Rita is gathering steam in the Gulf. It's now a powerful Category 4 storm. Right now, it being looks like Rita will make landfall near Galveston, Texas in a couple days. But forecasters aren't ruling out a possible hit on Louisiana or Mexico. Just ahead, live reports from the Weather Center and from Galveston, Texas.

AAA says the national average price for unleaded gasoline has dropped more than two cents since yesterday. It's at 2.76 a gallon. But keep in mind, prices at the pump don't yet reflect increases in wholesale gas prices sparked by Hurricane Rita. So despite the steady price decline we have seen since Labor Day, there may be more pain at the pump yet to come.

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