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American Morning

Search Continues for Missing in Pennsylvania Flooding

Aired June 18, 2001 - 11:09   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The storm system that began as Tropical Storm Allison certainly has staying power. Over the weekend, it brought flood waters to Eastern Pennsylvania, and it's blamed for a deadly fire in suburban Philadelphia.

Our Jason Carroll joins us now from Horsham, near Philadelphia, with the latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, emergency crews have just started to move in now and continue their search for those who are missing. The building is now just stable enough for them to get in there. If you can take a look behind me, you can just see how badly damaged it is. There is debris just about everywhere you look.

Now, a flash flood swept through here this weekend and caused a natural gas explosion that was felt and heard several miles away from this point. One woman told me she thought if the fire didn't get her, that the flood would. She and many others like here were rescued by boats brought in.

Tropical Storm Allison had one last punch for Southeastern Pennsylvania. Flash floods trapped people in their cars and knocked out power to thousands, but we're told at this point, most of that power has been restored. The water came so fast here, Daryn, few expected it, including one woman I spoke, Claire Zollo. She lives in a trailer park not from here. She told me what she did when the water started to rise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAIRE ZOLLO, FLOOD VICTIM: There was water coming here, water there, and then I called 911 for help to see -- not only for myself, but for other people to get out of here. And then the next thing was the propane tanks started floating and you could smell the smell of gas. And I looked out and I saw my tank was down. Then I really panicked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Again, the worst of what happened is right here, what you're looking at. Four people were killed inside that apartment building. Two are still missing. One of them is believed to be a 74- year-old woman; the other a 29-year-old man -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jason, what's hampering that search for the missing?

CARROLL: You know, there was so much damage done to this building during the explosion that there's a lot of unstable walls and floors in there. So, they've got to be careful. There's a lot of debris. Again, they've stabilized the building at this point, but they're got to search very carefully because they don't want anyone else to get hurt when the search goes on.

KAGAN: Understood. Jason Carroll in Pennsylvania. Jason, thank you.

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