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American Morning
Bitter Cold Weather
Aired January 15, 2004 - 07:03 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The coldest weather in decades is paralyzing the Northeast, and the bitter temperatures could actually drop even further. This is a shot right outside our window this morning, where it's about 10 degrees, a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but nothing like Caribou, Maine, where it is a bone- chilling 20 degrees below zero. It feels like 40 degrees below zero. In Watertown, New York, the mercury has dropped to 14 below zero. It feels like 31 below zero.
CNN's Adaora Udoji is braving the bitter cold this morning on the streets of Boston, where it's also really cold.
Adaora, good morning.
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You can say that again, Soledad. Good morning.
And there is simply no relief in sight. In fact, the governor of Maine has called for a state of emergency because of the cold weather.
And I've got you beat on some numbers, because in northern New Hampshire, they are looking at 50 below with the wind chill factors. It has forced fishermen to stay indoors because of the ice in the harbor. Energy companies across the region are telling consumers to cut back on energy because they are facing record demand. And there are great concerns for the homeless.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UDOJI (voice-over): Wednesday it was hard to hide...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's freezing.
UDOJI: ... from the bitter arctic temperatures along the East Coast. In Maine, that meant 7 below zero, which sent a blanket of smoky fog along the shore. The lowest reading: Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a wind chill of minus 31 degrees. Some simply ran to work.
Blocks of ice rose up in Boston Harbor. Still, not everyone complained or wore a jacket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather the cold than the hot, so they should have come prepared for it.
UDOJI: Not so, desperate commuters bombarded AAA with calls. Hundreds, who flocked to stores, couldn't buy heaters fast enough. (END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, last night evening, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was out on the street. One of the largest homeless shelters here in Boston was completely packed. That's 700 beds for men, women and children.
And, of course, it's only supposed to get worse today and tomorrow. The high being 1 degree and the low being minus 1 degree, so a lot of advocates are going to be out again tonight trying to get people inside -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, these cold temperatures are so tough on the folks who have no actual home to go to. Adaora Udoji for us this morning. Adaora, thanks. Go inside. Stay warm.
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 January 15, 2004 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The coldest weather in decades is paralyzing the Northeast, and the bitter temperatures could actually drop even further. This is a shot right outside our window this morning, where it's about 10 degrees, a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but nothing like Caribou, Maine, where it is a bone- chilling 20 degrees below zero. It feels like 40 degrees below zero. In Watertown, New York, the mercury has dropped to 14 below zero. It feels like 31 below zero.
CNN's Adaora Udoji is braving the bitter cold this morning on the streets of Boston, where it's also really cold.
Adaora, good morning.
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You can say that again, Soledad. Good morning.
And there is simply no relief in sight. In fact, the governor of Maine has called for a state of emergency because of the cold weather.
And I've got you beat on some numbers, because in northern New Hampshire, they are looking at 50 below with the wind chill factors. It has forced fishermen to stay indoors because of the ice in the harbor. Energy companies across the region are telling consumers to cut back on energy because they are facing record demand. And there are great concerns for the homeless.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UDOJI (voice-over): Wednesday it was hard to hide...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's freezing.
UDOJI: ... from the bitter arctic temperatures along the East Coast. In Maine, that meant 7 below zero, which sent a blanket of smoky fog along the shore. The lowest reading: Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a wind chill of minus 31 degrees. Some simply ran to work.
Blocks of ice rose up in Boston Harbor. Still, not everyone complained or wore a jacket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather the cold than the hot, so they should have come prepared for it.
UDOJI: Not so, desperate commuters bombarded AAA with calls. Hundreds, who flocked to stores, couldn't buy heaters fast enough. (END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, last night evening, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was out on the street. One of the largest homeless shelters here in Boston was completely packed. That's 700 beds for men, women and children.
And, of course, it's only supposed to get worse today and tomorrow. The high being 1 degree and the low being minus 1 degree, so a lot of advocates are going to be out again tonight trying to get people inside -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, these cold temperatures are so tough on the folks who have no actual home to go to. Adaora Udoji for us this morning. Adaora, thanks. Go inside. Stay warm.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
