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American Morning
At Least Seven Dead in Jackson, Tennessee
Aired May 05, 2003 - 07:31 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Again, videotape that we're watching, many times for the first time, as these fierce storms, killer tornadoes, rolled through last evening, right around 6:30 local time, the central part of the country. The numbers from the storms continue to get worse by the hour. Much of the severe weather in Tennessee right now. We're also told at least seven are dead in the volunteer state.
Authorities in Madison County, Tennessee now says seven dead when a tornado struck a law enforcement center there, bringing the death total as it stands right now, anyway, to 34, and we do anticipate that number to change. Missouri and Kansas also reeling today. Many people dead there. Countless homes destroyed. One town indicated at least 400 homes had been wiped out.
In the town of Pierce City in Missouri, rescuers searching a National Guard armory. People fled the storm there. We are told that the place was destroyed. Perhaps several people may have died trying to hide from the storm, were actually caught in it when the tornado ripped through that building there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Just huge. I mean they say that, you know, they're kind of used to tornadoes in this area, but certainly none of this magnitude.
HEMMER: Oh, yes, this was a really, really big and strong storm when you think about it, 30 minutes on the ground. I mean you rarely, if ever, hear about a tornado of this size being on the ground for that long. It could have torn a path in one area about a mile wide.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: It could have stayed on the ground for 30 miles in length, and that is really devastating.
I think the one silver lining we might be seeing in this, Heidi, right now, it does not appear that any urban areas have been hit that we've heard.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: Mostly rural, which could have helped keep the casualty count down.
COLLINS: A devastating story. Unbelievable.
We are going to go and hear a little bit more about it now. We're going to go live to the scene of last night's most deadly tornadoes. There are at least seven dead and more missing in Jackson, Tennessee.
Allyson Finch of affiliate station WHBQ is in Jackson now with the latest there.
Hello to you, Allyson.
ALLYSON FINCH, WHBQ CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Heidi and Bill.
The sun is rising on a dark day here in Jackson and destruction as far as the eye can see in downtown. Now, there is a curfew in effect until seven o'clock this morning and that's just to keep people out of the downtown area, where you can see behind us crews are just starting to come in and clear the streets of debris.
Over here to my left, there's telephone poles down, walls ripped out of buildings. This is actually a recordkeeping company right here. And as the sun is rising, we're just starting to see people come out in shock and awe at the devastation.
Now, as you all said, seven confirmed dead. Two tornadoes touched down in Jackson last night. And authorities here are really just beginning to get to the bottom of what exactly happened here. The death toll could rise as the day goes on. And Madison County EMA is expecting to work around the clock until they get all of the streets clear and things functioning back to normal here in Jackson.
And back to you -- Bill, Heidi.
COLLINS: Allyson, I'm wondering, I mean it looks to be relatively calm there. Has everything passed through completely? And we know that these storms are moving a little bit towards the east. How does it seem to you? FINCH: Everything has passed through, but the state of Tennessee remains under a tornado watch until 11:00 a.m. today. There are more tornadoes moving through Mississippi right now, or tornado forming weather, and that is expected to affect Tennessee as the day goes on.
HEMMER: Allyson, also, have people been out to see that devastation? If so, what have they told you? We have not heard from many so far today.
FINCH: Oh, yes. A lot of business owners are starting to come down here and take a look at where they stand, where their businesses stand. I actually talked to the gentleman that owns the recordkeeping company and he was just really shocked to see how much damage had occurred in downtown. I think you all mentioned right before you came to me the sheriff's department and the police department suffered extensive damage. And as we drove around, seeing siding wrapped around telephone poles that hadn't fallen, seeing bricks tossed into the street like they were playing cards, the devastation is truly unbelievable here in downtown Jackson.
And a lot of people, despite the curfew, are really just trying to work their way towards the downtown area, because they're just in shock and disbelief that this came through here and really leveled downtown.
But the really encouraging thing about this is there have been so many volunteers, Heidi and Bill, that have come out with their flashlights, as we got here before daybreak, encouraging people to stay away from downtown and if they could, just to stay at home. So a lot of people willing to help and jump right in there and make sure that the community stays safe.
HEMMER: Allyson, as your camera pans around there, are you in the heart of it or is there more damage, say, a block or two away that we can't see from your camera angle?
FINCH: Oh, yes, definitely. A block, two, three away. We're in the heart of it, Bill, but the heart is huge, as I would say here. What you're seeing behind me is the central downtown area. A block over, you've got the U.S. courthouse that has suffered extensive damage. You've got the sheriff's department and the police department, which have also suffered extensive damage, and I'm sure we'll learn of more damage as the day goes on -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wow.
COLLINS: All right, Allyson Finch, thanks so much, from Jackson, Tennessee.
Unbelievable pictures.
HEMMER: Yes, we want to thank WHBQ for helping us out, too, bringing our viewers the very latest reports from there.
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 May 5, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Again, videotape that we're watching, many times for the first time, as these fierce storms, killer tornadoes, rolled through last evening, right around 6:30 local time, the central part of the country. The numbers from the storms continue to get worse by the hour. Much of the severe weather in Tennessee right now. We're also told at least seven are dead in the volunteer state.
Authorities in Madison County, Tennessee now says seven dead when a tornado struck a law enforcement center there, bringing the death total as it stands right now, anyway, to 34, and we do anticipate that number to change. Missouri and Kansas also reeling today. Many people dead there. Countless homes destroyed. One town indicated at least 400 homes had been wiped out.
In the town of Pierce City in Missouri, rescuers searching a National Guard armory. People fled the storm there. We are told that the place was destroyed. Perhaps several people may have died trying to hide from the storm, were actually caught in it when the tornado ripped through that building there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Just huge. I mean they say that, you know, they're kind of used to tornadoes in this area, but certainly none of this magnitude.
HEMMER: Oh, yes, this was a really, really big and strong storm when you think about it, 30 minutes on the ground. I mean you rarely, if ever, hear about a tornado of this size being on the ground for that long. It could have torn a path in one area about a mile wide.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: It could have stayed on the ground for 30 miles in length, and that is really devastating.
I think the one silver lining we might be seeing in this, Heidi, right now, it does not appear that any urban areas have been hit that we've heard.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: Mostly rural, which could have helped keep the casualty count down.
COLLINS: A devastating story. Unbelievable.
We are going to go and hear a little bit more about it now. We're going to go live to the scene of last night's most deadly tornadoes. There are at least seven dead and more missing in Jackson, Tennessee.
Allyson Finch of affiliate station WHBQ is in Jackson now with the latest there.
Hello to you, Allyson.
ALLYSON FINCH, WHBQ CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Heidi and Bill.
The sun is rising on a dark day here in Jackson and destruction as far as the eye can see in downtown. Now, there is a curfew in effect until seven o'clock this morning and that's just to keep people out of the downtown area, where you can see behind us crews are just starting to come in and clear the streets of debris.
Over here to my left, there's telephone poles down, walls ripped out of buildings. This is actually a recordkeeping company right here. And as the sun is rising, we're just starting to see people come out in shock and awe at the devastation.
Now, as you all said, seven confirmed dead. Two tornadoes touched down in Jackson last night. And authorities here are really just beginning to get to the bottom of what exactly happened here. The death toll could rise as the day goes on. And Madison County EMA is expecting to work around the clock until they get all of the streets clear and things functioning back to normal here in Jackson.
And back to you -- Bill, Heidi.
COLLINS: Allyson, I'm wondering, I mean it looks to be relatively calm there. Has everything passed through completely? And we know that these storms are moving a little bit towards the east. How does it seem to you? FINCH: Everything has passed through, but the state of Tennessee remains under a tornado watch until 11:00 a.m. today. There are more tornadoes moving through Mississippi right now, or tornado forming weather, and that is expected to affect Tennessee as the day goes on.
HEMMER: Allyson, also, have people been out to see that devastation? If so, what have they told you? We have not heard from many so far today.
FINCH: Oh, yes. A lot of business owners are starting to come down here and take a look at where they stand, where their businesses stand. I actually talked to the gentleman that owns the recordkeeping company and he was just really shocked to see how much damage had occurred in downtown. I think you all mentioned right before you came to me the sheriff's department and the police department suffered extensive damage. And as we drove around, seeing siding wrapped around telephone poles that hadn't fallen, seeing bricks tossed into the street like they were playing cards, the devastation is truly unbelievable here in downtown Jackson.
And a lot of people, despite the curfew, are really just trying to work their way towards the downtown area, because they're just in shock and disbelief that this came through here and really leveled downtown.
But the really encouraging thing about this is there have been so many volunteers, Heidi and Bill, that have come out with their flashlights, as we got here before daybreak, encouraging people to stay away from downtown and if they could, just to stay at home. So a lot of people willing to help and jump right in there and make sure that the community stays safe.
HEMMER: Allyson, as your camera pans around there, are you in the heart of it or is there more damage, say, a block or two away that we can't see from your camera angle?
FINCH: Oh, yes, definitely. A block, two, three away. We're in the heart of it, Bill, but the heart is huge, as I would say here. What you're seeing behind me is the central downtown area. A block over, you've got the U.S. courthouse that has suffered extensive damage. You've got the sheriff's department and the police department, which have also suffered extensive damage, and I'm sure we'll learn of more damage as the day goes on -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wow.
COLLINS: All right, Allyson Finch, thanks so much, from Jackson, Tennessee.
Unbelievable pictures.
HEMMER: Yes, we want to thank WHBQ for helping us out, too, bringing our viewers the very latest reports from there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
