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American Morning

Interview with Bent Family

Aired December 06, 2002 - 07:16   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: Folks in the Carolinas know about weather challenges. Back in 1989, Hurricane Hugo came through, and people in the Carolinas have now seen even more of what Mother Nature can do in terms of damage.
In the Carolinas, a million-and-a-half people are still without power this morning, after yesterday's snow and ice storm.

We decided to get past that big number and talk to one specific family, so we've invited the Bent family of Durham, North Carolina to come on with us. They're still in the dark, or in the sunshine at least this morning. Peter Bent (ph) joining us now from Durham, along with his wife, Esther (ph), and their daughters, 14-year-old Natalie (ph) and 11-year-old Alexandra.

Bents, good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

ALEXANDRA BENT, LOST ELECTRICITY DUE TO STORM: Good morning.

KAGAN: You guys are in fine spirits, considering what you have been through over the last day or so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're doing our best to cope with it.

KAGAN: Very good, and we appreciate in the middle of all of this you coming on with us.

Tell us exactly when did the power go out?

A. BENT: Like a couple of days ago, like on the first of the snow storm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was about 3:30 Wednesday night -- or rather 3:30 Thursday morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Early Thursday morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, but we kept having flickers, and the power would go off for like three minutes, and then come right back on.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: So, did you guys all get up? Were you all up because of the storm anyway?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, what got us up was the sound of cracking branches...

KAGAN: Oh, dear!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... which you can see in the shot behind us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very distinctive sound...

KAGAN: Is that the back of your house?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the front of our house.

KAGAN: Oh, the front of your house, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And as you can see, there's a lot of very large tree limbs that have snapped, because of the ice storm.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In fact, we had one snapping last night as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, one...

KAGAN: Even more, because of the refreeze.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. In fact, one snapped and landed on the cameraman's pickup truck while they were setting up this shoot, so it's still going on.

KAGAN: And so, as we talk to you, are you guys standing in a safe place? We're not going to have breaking news...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, if something cracks, we may be moving quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

KAGAN: OK, keep that in mind, as we continue our conversation. If you've got to go, you go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Now, so when we say power is out, that means no lights, no heat?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

A. BENT: Yes.

KAGAN: And you guys have been...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we do have a gas stove.

KAGAN: You have been through this before, as I understand, something like this back in '96.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

KAGAN: Tell us about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. Well, when the hurricane hit in '96, we were kind of stuck cooking on a camp stove. So, after this -- the hurricane, we bought a gas stove. So, we're able to at least cook and have some hot food and drink, and that really makes a difference when you're battling the cold.

KAGAN: This time around...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the...

KAGAN: Oh, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the summer last year, though, it was really hot, so it's better now, because we can -- you can always put on more layers of clothing. But when it's hot outside, there's nothing you can do.

KAGAN: There's only so much you can do. Hey, Bents, this time around, is there any light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're hoping for the best, but we understand that a million or so people are without power here in the Carolinas, and we expect it could still take several days to get our power back. We just heard a little cracking sound up above. That's why we're looking up.

KAGAN: All right, well, with that, you know what? I think it would be...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, we're...

KAGAN: ... it would be a good to say thank you and let you get to a little bit safer place, because we don't need any branches falling on you. Bent family, we wish you the best. It sounds like you have the best part of...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

A. BENT: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good, good attitude, all four of you. We wish you well, and we literally send warm thoughts your way. Peter (ph), Esther (ph), Natalie (ph) and Alexandra.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired December 6, 2002 - 07:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Folks in the Carolinas know about weather challenges. Back in 1989, Hurricane Hugo came through, and people in the Carolinas have now seen even more of what Mother Nature can do in terms of damage.
In the Carolinas, a million-and-a-half people are still without power this morning, after yesterday's snow and ice storm.

We decided to get past that big number and talk to one specific family, so we've invited the Bent family of Durham, North Carolina to come on with us. They're still in the dark, or in the sunshine at least this morning. Peter Bent (ph) joining us now from Durham, along with his wife, Esther (ph), and their daughters, 14-year-old Natalie (ph) and 11-year-old Alexandra.

Bents, good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

ALEXANDRA BENT, LOST ELECTRICITY DUE TO STORM: Good morning.

KAGAN: You guys are in fine spirits, considering what you have been through over the last day or so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're doing our best to cope with it.

KAGAN: Very good, and we appreciate in the middle of all of this you coming on with us.

Tell us exactly when did the power go out?

A. BENT: Like a couple of days ago, like on the first of the snow storm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was about 3:30 Wednesday night -- or rather 3:30 Thursday morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Early Thursday morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, but we kept having flickers, and the power would go off for like three minutes, and then come right back on.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: So, did you guys all get up? Were you all up because of the storm anyway?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, what got us up was the sound of cracking branches...

KAGAN: Oh, dear!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... which you can see in the shot behind us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very distinctive sound...

KAGAN: Is that the back of your house?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the front of our house.

KAGAN: Oh, the front of your house, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And as you can see, there's a lot of very large tree limbs that have snapped, because of the ice storm.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In fact, we had one snapping last night as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, one...

KAGAN: Even more, because of the refreeze.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. In fact, one snapped and landed on the cameraman's pickup truck while they were setting up this shoot, so it's still going on.

KAGAN: And so, as we talk to you, are you guys standing in a safe place? We're not going to have breaking news...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, if something cracks, we may be moving quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

KAGAN: OK, keep that in mind, as we continue our conversation. If you've got to go, you go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Now, so when we say power is out, that means no lights, no heat?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

A. BENT: Yes.

KAGAN: And you guys have been...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we do have a gas stove.

KAGAN: You have been through this before, as I understand, something like this back in '96.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

KAGAN: Tell us about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. Well, when the hurricane hit in '96, we were kind of stuck cooking on a camp stove. So, after this -- the hurricane, we bought a gas stove. So, we're able to at least cook and have some hot food and drink, and that really makes a difference when you're battling the cold.

KAGAN: This time around...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the...

KAGAN: Oh, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the summer last year, though, it was really hot, so it's better now, because we can -- you can always put on more layers of clothing. But when it's hot outside, there's nothing you can do.

KAGAN: There's only so much you can do. Hey, Bents, this time around, is there any light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're hoping for the best, but we understand that a million or so people are without power here in the Carolinas, and we expect it could still take several days to get our power back. We just heard a little cracking sound up above. That's why we're looking up.

KAGAN: All right, well, with that, you know what? I think it would be...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, we're...

KAGAN: ... it would be a good to say thank you and let you get to a little bit safer place, because we don't need any branches falling on you. Bent family, we wish you the best. It sounds like you have the best part of...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

A. BENT: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good, good attitude, all four of you. We wish you well, and we literally send warm thoughts your way. Peter (ph), Esther (ph), Natalie (ph) and Alexandra.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.