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Historic Flooding Devastates Parts of Missouri; Ethan Couch & His Mother Caught in Puerto Vallarta; Airstrike Kills ISIS Leader Linked to Paris Attackers; More Than 18 Million Under Flood Warnings. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired December 30, 2015 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[06:00:02] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have a look right now at those floodwaters. Good morning, Alina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINA MACHADO, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Missouri bracing for historic dangerous flooding, dozens of counties facing a severe threat as the Mississippi, Missouri and Meramec rivers approach record levels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now that the rain has moved out, the threat has changed but it is not by any means over.

MACHADO: The deadly floodwaters claiming more than a dozen lives. Many fear this is just the beginning as swollen rivers rise and crest in the next 48 hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're talking about almost ten more vertical feet of moving water, so the power we're talking about as well as the volume is extremely significant.

MACHADO: The governor declaring a state of emergency and activating the National Guard as officials predict river levels could exceed the great flood of 1993 that claimed nearly 50 lives and damaged or destroyed some 50,000 homes, the most devastating in modern U.S. history.

In the town of West Alton, near St. Louis, the mayor urging his 500 residents to evacuate after water levels over topped the levee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is your notice that this is serious, so you need to get your final preparations and go.

MACHADO: Parts of Union, Missouri under water with homes, cars, restaurants completely submerged. And in Bourbon, one photographer even capturing video of this cabin floating away. Authorities urging drivers to stay off inundated roadways, fearing they'll get stuck and swept away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vast majority of deaths we've had, and I can't stress this enough, is people driving into water, and especially driving into water at night.

MACHADO: It's the race against time as residents and volunteers sandbag their homes and prepare to evacuate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am worried. I just don't know what to do. And it's still supposed to come up higher. My main concern right now is just getting our vehicle out. So that we're not -- our truck is not trapped in here.

MACHADO: Officials now watching and hoping that the levees hold.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's more just a wait and see. Once it's over, then we'll have to go from there because we really don't know what's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: This is record-breaking, record- setting, remarkable flooding that you're seeing throughout the region. The Mississippi River has never seen some of these levels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS (voice-over): Frankly, these are communities that are used to the water rising, but you're looking at this time of the year, you're looking at an awful lot of rain and it's been a pretty mild fall and winter for some of these spots. So, any kind of rainfall and snowfall has been really, really devastating.

BERMAN (voice-over): The rivers, you know, do get high in this part of the country, but not at this time of year. This is not the season where they normally see this level of flooding. Usually, you know, it's in the spring when snows melt and you see this level of inundation. This is a little bit unusual.

ROMANS: We're talking about 18 million people under flood warnings right now, 18 million in 13 states.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Think of the effort to even try and evacuate all of those people, trying to make sure that they can get to higher ground, to safer ground, trying to prepare their homes to at least avoid getting inundated with water the best they can.

ROMANS: The big warning here right now for people is to be very careful when driving. That's where the majority of the deaths and injuries come from, people driving in these waters. In some communities they're saying stay home. In others, they're saying get out. So, it's really important here.

PEREIRA: This is the really indicative idea of how wide of an area, when you talk about 18 million people, these are all of the states, all of the areas where there is a current U.S. flood warning right now. If you are in these areas, you've got to be watching and listening to the radio, watching television, listening to the alerts. You're likely to get some alerts on your cellphones and at your home line.

BERMAN: Some of the water having some issues right now with their communications in the area, in St. Louis. We do have people on the ground there and we will speak to officials in just a few minutes to get the very latest on that developing situation there.

ROMANS: We do have Jennifer Gray right now. She is there for us. She is in Valley Park, Missouri. She's got the latest on the timing and the forecast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS (on camera): What can you tell us? I mean, we're talking about record-breaking water here, flooding, levees throughout the region are being monitored now as these rivers are rising quickly, Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're exactly right, Christine. You know, we are going to see record-breaking flooding here in Valley Park. In fact, the river is supposed to crest about three feet above the record level.

If you can see behind me, this is where 141 and Interstate 44 meet. This is a main thoroughfare, and you can see how high the water is. I'm not sure if you can see that overpass of the interstate over there, but the water is almost to the interstate. And so - and it is rushing by.

This is not just standing water. There's actually quite a bit of current here and that's why we talk about how flooding can be so deadly. It is extremely dangerous and they have been doing evacuations.

[06:05:03] This is going to rival the 1993 floods. In fact, some areas south of St. Louis will actually be worse than that. We're also going to see a lot of these stations south of St. Louis break records. And so, they have been doing evacuations. Of course, you have all of these different rivers that are feeding into the Mississippi river. This is a very different scenario from the 1993 floods that happened in the summertime. It was after a lot of rain plus the snow melt.

And so this is happening in December where we've just had more rain than we can handle. St. Louis has actually broken a record for rainfall this year and the south has seen an incredible amount of rain. So, it's not only the St. Louis area that's going to have problems, but all downstream along the Mississippi River we're going to see the potential for flooding in the coming days.

And so, this isn't going to be over today or tomorrow, but this is going to last for several days. And Michaela, the river here in Valley Park is expected to crest around midnight tonight. And so the water is going to continue to rise throughout the day today. That's why they're being pro-active in getting people to higher ground. There are a lot of roads closed in this area. We had trouble even getting to our live shot because they're continuing to close roads as the water continues to rise. Michaela?

PEREIRA (on camera): Well, talk about that a little bit more, Jennifer, because you are on the ground there and you've had a chance to see what reality is like for the people that are being forced to evacuate. How are people getting out of the area? Have they been able to do it in ample time before the closures happened?

GRAY: Well, the good thing about -- there really isn't a good part of this, but the difference between this and flash flooding is flash flooding happens so fast. With this river flooding, it happens a little bit more gradually. We have the crest predicted of which day it's going to happen, so people do have a little more time to get out.

The problem is, is when water over tops levees, a levee breaches, things like that, that's when you're going to get the rushing water into some of these communities. So, I think that they've done a really good job of being on top of that and staying ahead of the game when it comes to that and trying to get people to higher ground and keeping them safe.

Unfortunately we have had more than a dozen deaths because of the flooding. And just like Christine and you guys were saying earlier, do not drive into high water. That's how the majority of these deaths happen. You have no idea how deep the water is. I mean, you know, I just rolled up here and this could be two feet deep when it's actually more like 12 to 13 feet deep. And so, you can imagine somebody rolling through here and not realizing how deep it is and your car can get swept away on a matter of moments.

PEREIRA: If you see standing water, avoid it if you can. That's just the best course of action. Jennifer Gray, we'll be calling on you frequently this morning so stand by for us, keep reporting.

Coming up next hour, we want to point out, we're going to talk to the Missouri governor, Jay Nixon, about what his state is doing to prevent a catastrophe from this historic flooding.

BERMAN: A lot of other news this morning. The so-called "affluenza" teen is expected back in the United States today. Authorities in Texas awaiting the return of the 18-year-old fugitive, Ethan Couch, and his mother. They were arrested by Mexican authorities on Monday.

CNN's Ed Lavandera live in Dallas, standing by with the latest. Good morning, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Well, as you mentioned, a source tells us - a U.S. official briefed on the matter, they said they expect Ethan Couch and his mother to start making their way back here to the United States. And what awaits them is a fury of activity where officials here and authorities here in Texas say that the mother of Ethan Couch will be arrested and charged with hindering the apprehension of a juvenile.

She faces between two to ten years in prison. That is a felony charge. And Ethan Couch also will be taken into custody as well, and he could face as -- this is where it gets a little bit complicated, John. Prosecutors here in Texas are trying to move Ethan Couch's case from the juvenile system into the adult system, but there's not a hearing scheduled on that until January 19th of next year. And based on what happens at that hearing will really determine what exactly will happen with Ethan Couch here in the future. For now, the most he faces in jail is up to about 120 days.

If prosecutors are successful in moving his case into the adult system, and Ethan Couch violates his probation again, he could face up to 40 years in prison. But that is a long way off and would require a lot of things to happen between now and then. Right now, the focus, really, on exactly what Ethan Couch and his mother did over the last several weeks that they were considered missing.

A Mexican immigration official tells us that they crossed into Mexico through Tijuana, just south of San Diego, and then made their way down to Puerto Vallarta. So, a lot of officials here and authorities here in Texas still trying to figure out exactly how they were able to make it down there. Officials tell us that they drove their own pickup truck from the Fort Worth area all the way down there to that Mexican pacific resort town before they were apprehended on Monday afternoon.

[06:10:09] It was a call -- sources tell us that it was a cell phone, Ethan Couch's cell phone, that authorities were able to use to track their whereabouts and really pinpoint their location there in Puerto Vallarta and track him down. Christine?

BERMAN: All right. I'll take it, Ed. Ed Lavandera for us in Dallas. As Ed was talking about, Ethan Couch and his mother, Tonya, expected back in Texas, back in the United States today. So, what is in store for them? And what new have we learned about how they managed to evade authorities for three weeks on the run.

Let's bring in CNN law enforcement analyst, Art Roderick. He's the former assistant director of the U.S. Marshal Service.

Art, thanks so much for being with us.

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Morning, John.

BERMAN: So, this kid, Ethan Couch, he had died his hair black. He and his mother were staying in some apartment building, not on the gold (ph), not on the pristine coast of Puerto Vallarta but they were clearly trying to stay out of sight there. This clearly shows, doesn't it, that they were on the run, trying to evade authorities and perhaps it was just the beginning?

RODERICK: Yes, John, I agree. I mean, there's no doubt about it that they were on the run. I mean, they had a supposedly has been reported that they had a going away party on New Years - on Christmas Eve, basically said good-bye to their family members and friends and then took off.

And probably when you look at the time frame of when their last meeting was with probation and they used that time frame to actually get away, and then by the time the Marshals -- U.S. Marshals were called in, it was about 11, 12 days ago. So, the federal authorities, along with Tarrant County, jumped on this case fairly quickly. But, you know, they could have had other plans to head further south, down into central or South America.

It's going to be interesting to see what the reports come back from Mexican immigration and the Mexican state police in the Puerto Vallarta area to see exactly what they were doing down there.

BERMAN: Yes, because, look, if you do want to get away from the United States, Puerto Vallarta, it's not exactly the best place to hide. This is a place with a lot of American tourists, this is a place with a lot of connections to U.S. authority. So, if they wanted to stay away forever, you would think it was some kind of middle ground.

RODERICK: Exactly. I think it was a good place for them to temporarily hide out. It was the holidays were coming up. There's a lot of U.S. visitors down there in that area due to the beach resort. And I think it probably was a weigh station for them to head further south or into some place down in South America.

But it will be very interesting to see not only how and what the plans were on this particular escape, but also to see how the juggling act is going to occur here in Tarrant County, because once they come back, the federal law enforcement involvement ends at that particular point.

BERMAN: You can see the picture right there, we can see a picture of Ethan Couch right now with his blond hair. Of course, the picture we just got from Mexican authorities, right there, you can see it clearly dyed, including his mustache, his mother there on the left.

We talk about the planning involved here between the dying of the hair and driving over the border timed with the probation meetings. There's also perhaps the level of planning here, mitigating against the possibility of being caught, gaming out the legal system. The fact that he was in the juvenile system, the fact now even that he has been caught violating probation on run in another country, throwing the book at him, the book might not be that heavy here.

RODERICK: Exactly. I think the book ends actually on April 11 of 2016 when he actually turns 19. So, it's going to be interesting to see if they're going to be able to move this case into adult court and what exactly does that mean. But looking at this kid's track record, even if they are able to move it into adult court, I think we're going to hear and see about this particular individual again very shortly.

BERMAN: Art, you know, being in law enforcement, this has got to drive you crazy, the fact that a kid like this can commit the crime that he committed, get the sentence, the light sentence or non- sentence some would say, that he ultimately received, then go on the run, then get caught and then the system might only give him a maximum of 120 days in jail. That must drive you crazy.

RODERICK: It does. It does drive you crazy. It would be nice to be able to charge the family for the amount of money it cost to investigate, locate and apprehend this individual, both, you know, what the Mexican government put out, what U.S. government put out in this particular case, but it doesn't work that way. It is very frustrating, but I think in the end here, there will be some justice served at some point.

BERMAN: And look, the kid may not end up in jail for that long, but the mother could be in some serious trouble here, yes? RODERICK: Yes, that's the odd twist here. The mother is looking at

two to ten years for aiding and abetting this escape. So, it's kind of odd that he, you know, killed these four people, these poor people and their family, what they're going through right now, yet the mother who assisted in the escape is looking at a lot of possible time here.

[06:15:14] Art Roderick for us on this case, gets stranger and stranger by the day. Ethan couch and his mother, Tonya, due back in Texas within a few hours. Art, thanks so much.

RODERICK: Thanks.

ROMANS: All right, now to the war against ISIS. The Pentagon confirming that U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria have taken out top ISIS operative linked to the master mind of the Paris terror attacks. He is among 10 ISIS leaders to be killed this month alone.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin live in London with more. And Erin, authorities say this man was planning new attacks.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Christine. Authorities say his name was Charaffe al Mouadan. He's believed to be 27 years old, believed to have traveled from France to Syria in 2013. And now a coalition spokesperson announcing that they believe he was killed in a U.S. air strike over Syria on December 24th.

They say that they believe he was in direct contact with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of the Paris attack. And they also say they believe he was planning additional attacks on the West, although the spokesperson for the coalition not giving details as to the nature of those alleged plots.

Now, a source with knowledge of the investigation into the Paris attacks saying that - contradicting the coalition's characterization of him, saying that French authorities believe that he was not in fact a senior ISIS leader, but they do believe he was in contact with members of the Paris attackers.

They're still trying to determine the nature of his contact with those attackers, the nature of his involvement in the Paris attacks which killed 130 people earlier this year. And news of his death, of course, comes as the Obama administration is trying to step up its campaign to broadcast its so-called wins against ISIS in order to assuage the American public that its tactics against ISIS are working.

PEREIRA: All right, Erin, we'll have further analysis on this coming up here on NEW DAY. Thank you for that.

Meanwhile, we're watching this historic flooding in the Midwest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA (voice-over): Millions of people in over a dozen states are in harm's way. We're going to speak with two officials ahead that are trying to keep people safe in the face of a looming catastrophe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[06:21:14] PEREIRA (on camera): Our top story, 18 million people in over a dozen Midwest states are facing historic flooding in the next 48 hours. Rivers are already over their banks and are still rising. Many Missouri residents remember the great flood of 1993. That's when over 50,000 homes were destroyed across nine states along the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA (voice-over): When the waters finally receded, losses totaled $15 billion, 47 people were dead. Forecasters are predicting the flooding we're seeing in Missouri right now could be worse than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA (on camera): Joining us now, two people in charge with taking care of so many. Russell Rost, he is the city administrator and director of emergency management for Union, Missouri. Diane Becker also is with us, she's the director of emergency management for the city of Pacific. Thank you both for joining us.

Obviously you both have memories of, what, where we were 22 years ago in that very area. I want to talk to you, Russell, first about what is going on in your city, what is the situation and conditions right now for you?

RUSSELL ROST, CITY ADMINISTRATOR, UNION, MISSOURI: Well, this morning, the river crested yesterday and this morning I went and highway 50 no longer has water on it, however, it's not open again. It's still closed for waiting for bridge inspections. But we are seeing the water starting to recede, but it's a very slow drop.

PEREIRA: What is your biggest concern right now?

ROST: Well, the temperatures really dropped overnight. Getting my sewer system back operational. That's a big concern. And as soon as people -- water recedes enough, starting the cleanup in the residential areas and the businesses.

PEREIRA: Diane, let's talk about Pacific. We understand the river is expected to crest there this evening, topping some 35 feet. It's likely to shatter records there, not records anyone wants to shatter. What is your biggest concern for area residents?

DIANE BECKER, EMERGENCY MANAGER, PACIFIC, MISSOURI: Our biggest concern right now is getting the cleanup done and, like Russell said, getting our sewer system back up and running.

PEREIRA: Sewage is a real concern. We understand sewage waters have been flooding into the Meramec River. Are you concerned that area residents are going to have access to clean water?

BECKER: No. We've been assured that the water is fine, that there is no problem with that, it's just the sewers are backing up in some areas and, of course, you know, we're kind of inundated with a lot of water.

PEREIRA: Yes. Russell, obviously we've seen the waters (CROSSTALK)

ROST: ... Oh.

PEREIRA: It's a little bit of delay, folks. We're going to ask for your patience. We've seen obviously that a lot of the roads, and highways and freeways have been closed through that area. As you mentioned, some of the water has receded from some of those areas. Talk about the closures right now, and are folks heeding the call to stay off those roadways?

ROST: Yes. People are staying off the roadways. Interstate 44 is now closed, and that is a huge concern for the whole area because that's our connection to St. Louis, obviously, the most direct connection. And it is closed this morning.

PEREIRA: We're showing you a map right now and, in fact, we can pull it up one more time, the dates that the Mississippi River is expected to crest. And you can see literally over the next few days and even the next 48 hours or so, those waters are expected to rise. Diane, let's talk about the evacuations where you are. Are they happening? Are they under way? And where are you evacuating folks to?

[06:25:07] BECKER: Our evacuation process, it's voluntary, of course, started -- a lot of folks started moving out on Saturday. The rest of them got most of their belongings out between Sunday and Monday. Most of them went to family and friends. And then we do have a Red Cross shelter set up, just a few blocks from this location here.

PEREIRA: And the choice was made to make these evacuations voluntary. Why?

BECKER: We've just -- we prepare ahead of time and give them the option to leave the area ahead of time so that they have time to protect their belongings and get their precious treasures out.

PEREIRA: Yes. Precious treasures, lives, those kinds of things are so important to protect. Russell, obviously, sandbags, and resources and manpower is key here. How are you doing in terms of resources? Do you have enough?

ROST: We do have enough resources right now. We're actually beginning to prepare -- obtain and prepare the resources we're going to need for the cleanup. And I think we're in very good shape to begin as soon as the waters let us in.

PEREIRA: And that's the big question, when those waters will let you in. What is your message to residents today, Diane, people that are listening to, or able to listen to you right now?

BECKER: Well, our biggest concern is the bystanders that want to come by and just take a look at the floodwater. We're trying to encourage them, if they're not from here, they don't need to be in this area. These folks have been through enough and they don't need people standing here gawking at them and, of course, looting. We don't, you know, we're concerned for their properties.

PEREIRA: Yes, obviously. Emergency management and personnel need to get through to those areas. They don't need extra people standing around. If you can evacuate, the best thing to do is get to higher ground. I want to thank Russell Rost and Diane Becker from Union and Pacific emergency management for joining us today. We'll be back in contact with you to see how things are progressing. Christine?

ROMANS: All right, a top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un killed in a car accident, or so we're told. Questions being raised after yet another death in the dictator's inner circle. A live report next.

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