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Hurricane Matthew's Eyewall Within Miles Of FL Coast; Hurricane Matthew Batters Florida's East Coast. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired October 07, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Chris Cuomo here in Jacksonville, Florida. The weather advisory has been shifted to make this area -- the part of Florida that is expected to get the most intense impact from Hurricane Matthew. But it's already being felt in severe fashion along the central part of the eastern coast of Florida.

We'll put some pictures up of Daytona Beach. They've been getting pounded by that whole trifecta -- the big winds, the storm surge, the rain. There have been even been bolts of lightning that are coming down and are causing unintended problems. Over 300,000 have lost power. Many of them are going to have to remain in harm's way because emergency services can't get out in these conditions.

Now, the concern in a place like Jacksonville is seen right over our shoulder as the light has come up here this morning in Jacksonville. This is the St. Johns River. This is one of the only cuts in the eastern coast of Florida and that means storm surge can literally get funneled in and concentrated. Look at how high the river is already compared to the promenade. There are four feet of tide between now and high tide at about noon. That's without six to 10 feet of storm surge and wind whipping, and the rain to add volume.

That is going to mean a lot of flooding and that's going to lock people into this city. Bridges like this will be inoperable at 45 miles an hour so if you make the wrong decision now, your ability to correct it is going to be limited. Think about that and please be safe.

Jennifer Gray is in Palm Bay, more in central Florida on the eastern coast. They've been getting hit hard -- 80 mile an hour gusts. Jennifer, what's going on now?

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Chris, it looks like things are finally starting to die down, but just a little bit. Hopefully, in the next couple of hours we will be in better shape. But, you're right, we were having wind gusts of 80 miles per hour. Those have come down a bit and they're not as frequent as they were earlier. We were getting sustained winds of 50 and 60 miles per hour and it's only because that eyewall stayed just offshore, just to the east of where we were and we've been talking about all week it's going.

Everything will depend on how close that eye gets to the coast. Luckily, for us, it stayed a little bit offshore so it was good news for us. Unfortunately, just to our north, Cape Canaveral -- they've been getting pounded by that outer eyewall for quite some time now with winds up to 100 miles per hour just to our north. And so, not only the wind. The storm surge, of course, as we move forward, as well as the rain, especially for you.

You know, Jacksonville has some of the largest tide swings in the country -- along the East Coast, and so when you add in storm surge on top of that high tide we could see some major flooding where you are, as well as along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Some really vulnerable coastline where the country basically tucks in. A little nook right there on the East Coast. And so, it's going to be a huge concern.

Of course, a lot of people did try to evacuate and get away from the coast, which is excellent news. A lot of the shelters are full here. Emergency personnel still in Melbourne and Brevard County not able to get out to people to see the extent of the damage, as well as people who may be in need. That's going to be some time before people will be able to get out. Definitely not out of the woods yet, Chris, but it looks like we're finally starting to see the light here in Melbourne. We should be in better shape in the next couple of hours. Unfortunately, as it inches closer to you, your conditions will continue to deteriorate.

CUOMO: Jennifer, stay safe. We'll check back with you in a little bit.

Let's get to Boris Sanchez. We're showing pictures. He's in Daytona Beach. We're showing you a picture from WKMG, one of our affiliates here in Florida to CNN. Terrible picture there of extreme weather. Boris, how is it where you are?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chris, the wind is getting stronger as the hours pass and we're seeing all kinds of debris come into this loop that we're standing in here outside our hotel. This is what appears to be the top of a cooking fan that just kind of came into the lobby of the hotel. It's huge and it's very, very dangerous to be outside because things like this could easily become projectiles and hit people and, obviously, destroy property.

That's why officials don't want anybody out on the street. Despite that, this morning, I've already seen two people. One man walking around, the other one in his pick-up truck doing donuts in the streets in the middle of this hurricane. Terrible, terrible idea for people to be outside right now.

Also, because of the storm surge we're expected to get between six to seven feet here in Daytona. And we're, fortunately, on the other side of the hotel. Not far from here the coast is creeping up. When I woke up this morning I looked outside and the water was right up to the edge of our hotel. It is going to continue to rise and that water will likely wind up in this neighborhood.

I'm going to step out of the way so you can see some of the debris in the street. There's a sign out there and it wouldn't surprise me if in the next few hours there were more pieces of debris in the street. We've seen streets signs that are about to fly out. There are also light posts that look like they're moving around. Right now, it's starting to calm down but, again, these bands keep coming in and out and we will soon see a lot of damage here in Daytona Beach, Chris.

[07:35:10] CUOMO: Word to the wise. That guy who went out in that pick-up truck is now safe, Boris, because Chief Chipwood told me, from Daytona police, he's in jail. You do something stupid, if they can get you, they're going to get you and you're going to be putting first responders at risk. Boris, we'll check back with you in a little bit.

Now, one of the local authorities who is really trying to do everything they can to keep a sensitive area safe is right here in Jacksonville. That is Mayor Lenny Curry. It's good to have you with me right now, Mr. Mayor.

LENNY CURRY, MAYOR, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: Thank you.

CUOMO: All right, you're going to get wet.

CURRY: All right, thank you.

CUOMO: I'm already soaked. So, you've been (audio gap) with your team to do everything you could to get ready in advance. How's it going?

CURRY: Good. We've been warning people for days. We did our first evacuation a couple of days ago. We added additional evacuation early yesterday morning. But we're under tropical storm conditions now so while we have shelter capacity it's time for people to hunker down. And if they need to seek shelter after the storm we'll be able to help them do that.

CUOMO: People have been moving around a little bit more than I expected this morning because they're thinking this is it. They're wrong.

CURRY: Oh, it's coming. The tropical storm with heavy, heavy wind gusts are going to come. Storm surge is going to be significant, particularly along the coast, up to nine feet. That's life- threatening. Anything over three feet is life-threatening. People need to know if you're along the coast, low-lying areas, this is a life-threatening storm. Your life is in danger.

CUOMO: The bridges here -- there are a lot of them for getting across, obviously, the St. Johns River. They will stop functioning at about 45 miles an hour. That means you have a limited window of when you can correct your mistake to stay here, thus far.

CURRY: Forty mile an hour sustained wind gusts, and we're getting -- we're getting non-sustained -- we're getting gusts right now that are approaching that. So once 40 miles an hour sustained, the bridges are closed. But you shouldn't be outside right now. If you made a decision -- if you're in an evacuation zone and you made a decision to stay, it's time to hunker down.

CUOMO: The proof of the potential is right behind us. The St. Johns River here -- we're already almost up at the promenade and this isn't even normal high tide yet. We haven't had any of the funnel effect of the surge yet. CURRY: That's right. At 10:00 on this morning, particularly early this afternoon, you're going to see heavy, heavy wind speed and gusts. And again, the big risk is -- outside of downed power lines, outside of wind and rain -- is the storm surge which could continue even when the storm moves out. People need to know that. As the water rises and it flows in, it's like being in a tub. It can flow back and forth depending on the height and depth.

CUOMO: What is your sense about how many people heeded the call and evacuated out, and for local residents zones A, B, and C you were evacuating? How many heeded the call?

CURRY: I was at the beach yesterday. I went out to encourage -- to tell people to leave. There were still people there. I don't know numbers but what I can tell you is I was very stern and very direct. The governor was very stern, very direct. A serious storm. We gave ample time to leave. Those that didn't leave, we'll be prepared to help on the other side of this.

CUOMO: Especially those beach areas. I mean that, for sure, they're going to get a surge and you just won't be able to get there. And if the first responders do go, now their lives are in jeopardy as well.

CURRY: That's right. The risk is in the middle of the storm when the winds speeds are high and the rain is coming and storm surge. You simply can't send public safety personnel in, and we warned people on the front end. On the back end of this, every life matters. We are certainly going to do everything that we can to get into where we need to do to make sure that people are safe and taken care of.

CUOMO: Mayor Curry, we are here to get information. What we see, we'll convey to you. When you are in your operations center let us know how to help. Thank you for being with us.

CURRY: Thank you. Thanks for getting the information out.

CUOMO: Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

So, Alisyn, we're going to come back to you. You know, one of the other things that the mayor pointed out -- Jacksonville is, obviously, a very well-developed city. There are lot of high-rises. People think well, I'm in the high-rise, I'm safe. The wind on the ground is less than the wind shear at elevations, so you'll be dealing with 100- plus miles an hour. Here, later on, you'll have even greater above.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Chris, as you're speaking we're looking at this split screen on your T.V.s. You are on the left and that's basically the future. We're looking at you in Jacksonville where the storm is headed. Then we're looking at the present and that is Daytona Beach on the right. I mean, it looks like an underwater scene, basically. We're seeing all sorts of rain. It's completely obscuring the shot. All the wind -- the cameraman is having a hard time keeping the camera locked down.

So, you know, it's so interesting in our coverage. We hear people who have already gone through the storm and they're heaving a sigh of relief. We see people in the thick of it there in Daytona. And then you, where it's headed. So, everybody needs to realize this is not over, as Chad just said. It is, in fact, almost just beginning.

So, Cocoa Beach is where one of the places that it seems as though the eye of the storm has just passed. And I believe we have the mayor from Cocoa Beach on the phone. Mr. Mayor, can you hear me?

TIM TUMULTY, MAYOR, COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA: Yes, I can.

[07:40:00] CAMEROTA: OK, great. When we last checked in with you a couple of hours ago you were hunkered down in, I believe, the fire station with some other first responders. On the radar, there it looks as though the eye has just passed you to the north. What are you experiencing?

TUMULTY: It has, including --

CAMEROTA: Mr. Mayor? Gosh, even though the eye has passed --

TUMULTY: Can you hear me?

CAMEROTA: Yes, well now I can. Go ahead.

TUMULTY: Not much has changed except the wind direction. We still have 40 to 50 mile and hour winds. It's still dangerous. We are not able to leave the fire station yet, which is our command center, to assess the damage. We won't be able to do that, probably, for four or five hours yet.

CAMEROTA: Is that right? I mean --

TUMULTY: It's just not -- it's just not safe enough. The fact that there's a -- the winds are at such a high rate that debris would make it unsafe -- flying debris.

CAMEROTA: Yes, flying debris. I mean that is what, obviously, one of the biggest risk factors is. We just saw Boris Sanchez, one of our correspondents, show us this huge piece of metal, like the outer covering of a big fan, and that can just be flying through the air and obviously hurt someone very badly.

So, Mr. Mayor, I know that you were so concerned about people heeding the evacuation. Look, we're watching one of the reporters right now from one of our affiliates who is actually out in the storm. She's using a major cement pole as ballast to show just how windy it is if anybody were to try to venture out. We are getting some occasional reports of people --

TUMULTY: Let me --

CAMEROTA: -- trying to go out.

TUMULTY: Let me interrupt, if I can.

CAMEROTA: Go ahead, please. TUMULTY: It's not -- it's not just the wind at this point. We have downed power lines. We have objects -- sharp objects are still flying through the air. But the power lines are -- people will die. It's critical that they stay hunkered down, they stay in their shelter wherever they are located. The storm has not passed. They need to wait to hear an all-clear. I'm still seeing transformers blowing out here. It's extremely -- still extremely dangerous and they need to -- folks just need to stay indoors. Yes, the major part of the storm has passed but we're still, you know-- we're still seeing and feeling very strong winds and it's just not over yet.

CAMEROTA: Yes. I mean, it's passed you in Cocoa Beach and, obviously, you're still feeling all of the intensity. But now it's headed to Daytona and, obviously, up the coast to Jacksonville and beyond. I'm glad you made that point about downed power lines because people think just because they've lost power that then the power lines aren't still hot or active but, obviously, they are. So, everyone should avoid any sort of standing water and, obviously, touching any of those power lines. Mr. Mayor --

TUMULTY: If I may --

CAMEROTA: Yes, please.

TUMULTY: If I may, the reason -- the reason we're here, we have 50 emergency personnel here, police and fire, is we're going to do an assessment once the winds die down. We don't want anyone out on the roads walking around. It's very dangerous. They need to wait to hear an all-clear from us. Basically, we're going to do an assessment. We have another company that's coming in, a contracting company that comes in that does this work as well. Power companies need to come in before we can -- before we can let anyone in. The fact of the matter is, though, we already have a couple of thousand people that stayed and those people need to stay where they are.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

TUMULTY: It's very important that they stay in the secure location where they are. If they're not, they need to contact us so that we can come get to them once the winds die down.

CAMEROTA: OK, mayor, you have your work cut out for you, obviously --

TUMULTY: Yes, we do.

CAMEROTA: -- for the next many hours. Mayor Tim Tumulty, thank you for giving us an update at this hour. Stay safe.

TUMULTY: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: All right, NEW DAY is going to take a very quick break and then, of course, we will check back in with our meteorologists and our reporters on the ground of where this hurricane is now. We'll be right back.

[07:44:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:47:55] CUOMO: All right, Chris Cuomo here in Jacksonville. Alisyn Camerota is in New York and she needs to stand by because our shot may go down soon. As you can see, you see the next band coming in. You see the gray clouds coming in. This is the St. Johns River here. This is where the surge is going to have the biggest impact here in Jacksonville. We're still hours away. They're supposed to get maximum effect from Hurricane Matthew here in Jacksonville so if this is just the beginning, imagine what is to come.

Jason Foster has a look into the future for Jacksonville. He's near Cape Canaveral. He's a storm chaser. He's broadcasting from his car. Jason, if you can hear me, what are you seeing right now?

JASON FOSTER, STORM CHASER: Well, I'm kind of a little bit in a lull. It's just like that band you were talking about. I'm like just on the edge of that so it's a little quiet at the moment but it's not going to last long. We're probably talking minutes before I get slammed by that same band that's sort of on that eye edge. I'm trailing the eye a little bit as I move north to try to catch up and do my next round of footage.

CUOMO: We heard about a reported gust, according to the governor's office, of over 110 miles an hour near where you are. What you have been experiencing in terms of steady winds and the gusts?

FOSTER: Well, that's actually about right. It seems like a couple of times there was some really just good pounding gusts that just blew really high. I mean, it was quite impressive at the Cape. I didn't think that much land difference of just being that little bit close to the eye would make that much difference but I think it kind of did.

CUOMO: Well, it's good to a storm chaser but it's bad for everybody else, especially what's it going to touch. What have you seen in terms of impact of the storm where you are?

FOSTER: Well, I guess that's why I've kind of let myself be a little bit more excited. I hadn't seen that much damage. I'm sure it's out there but the most part, you know -- I see a lot of trees down and the crews from the state and such are going to have probably a little bit of time to get to the trees and clear the roadways out, especially for emergency personnel to get back on the road. But I have not seen a lot of building debris. If it is, it's usually cheaper stuff like the small carports, an old-fashioned window shutter. It's not a hurricane shutter, just a regular shutter.

[07:50:20] You know, the smaller things. Signs that were, you know, were just kind of cheaply made. That's the kind of stuff that I've seen on the roads and that kind of thing. Not too bad.

CUOMO: Well, I hope it stays like that, Jason. You know, God willing, it will but we're just as the beginning here with Hurricane Matthew so stay in our ears. Let us know if we have anything to pass along to the authorities that you see and I'll check back with you in a little bit.

Otherwise, let's go to Jennifer Gray right now. She's a little bit farther down the eastern coast, south of where Jason is right now in Palm Bay. She's been getting big gusts there and a lot of winds. And now storm surge is going to come into play as well -- Jennifer.

GRAY: Yes, we are concerned about that storm surge north of us, especially closer to where you are. Where we are, we are still getting those gusts. Definitely not as strong as they were about an hour or two ago and they're not as frequent, which is good news. As that eyewall continues to inch away from us our conditions will continue to improve.

Unfortunately, up the coast it's not going to be the case, especially around Daytona Beach. That's where we're going to expect that eyewall to get closer and closer in the coming hours so conditions are going to deteriorate very, very quickly. And then, of course, later this afternoon up where you are, Chris, we're going to get that storm surge and the high winds around Jacksonville.

Storm surge with this one is a big concern and we've been saying it all morning long. It's the water -- it's the water that kills people more than the winds. And so, while this has very, very powerful winds the storm surge is a huge concern, especially around Jacksonville and into the South Carolina coast where it's a very vulnerable part of the coastline. That was another gust right there. And so, we are going to see the possibility of seven to nine feet of storm surge.

That's why it is so, so important to get out. You know, with these hurricanes, Chris, we forecast them for days and days and they move slowly and so you have the luxury of time. You can get out ahead of the storm and that's what we've been urging people to do, and you really should do it. If you are in one of those evacuation zones, if you are on the storm surge map -- your neighborhood is one of those areas that's going to be inundated by water, you need to get to higher ground -- move inland, Chris.

CUOMO: It's true. Jennifer Gray, thank you very much. And, of course, that guidance, that's just good advice. However, tailor it to where you are and what local authorities are telling you. For instance, here in Jacksonville the mayor just told us it is time to hunker down in place. There are shelters. If you do need to come you can, but they're near capacity. But the gusts of wind are already getting close to 40 miles an hour. That's when the bridges are no longer going to be operating so it's time to get out or it's time to hunker down and stay where you are, based on where you are, so pay attention.

Boris Sanchez is in Daytona Beach. We've been watching him getting crushed this morning from Hurricane Matthew. We're showing you pictures right now, I believe, from over the top there. You see the pier. You'll see the wilder surf. There was a 17-foot wave measured about 20 miles offshore. That's, obviously, an indicator of the volume of water that's coming your way, Boris. What have you seen?

SANCHEZ: Hey, Chris. We're, again, in one of the lulls of this storm but as Jennifer mentioned, the eyewall is quickly moving in this direction so we're expecting things to get a lot worse very quickly. I'm going to move out of the way so you can see some of the debris that's already in the street because of these high winds. Everything from palm trees to signs. A cooking fan -- an exhaust fan that was ripped off a roof. We've seen tiles off of roofs, as well, in the street.

And right now, you can tell that the wind is starting to pick up. It wouldn't surprise me if power lines became -- were snapped off and sort of flailing in the wind, as well. It is really a very, very dangerous situation. The lights have been going on and off here. We've had to move several times to stay safe. There are now leaks inside of our hotel that being managed by the hotel staff. They are trying to get as much water out of the inside of the hotel as possible.

But again, conditions are quickly deteriorating here and for those folks that have decided to stay home it's best to stay inside at this point. There's very little you can do right now to get out of the way of this storm -- Chris.

CUOMO: Now, it's -- that's the sad truth at this point. Boris Sanchez, I'll be talking to you in a couple of moments.

Right now, we're heading to the top of the hour. Here are live pictures of the pier at Daytona Beach. This is what's going on right now and it's a look into the future for much of Florida because of Hurricane Matthew.

[07:54:50] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:53:45) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

CUOMO: To our viewers in the U.S. and around the world you're watching NEW DAY. I'm Chris Cuomo in Jacksonville, Florida. The latest advisory from Hurricane Matthew has this area getting the most concentrated impact of the storm, but not until hours from now. Alisyn Camerota is in New York keeping the ship steady for us. Our shots are going in and out because of the winds that are coming in a succession of rings as the storm comes closer.

You can look over my shoulder. You see a band that's coming in right now. The big concern in areas like Jacksonville -- this is the St. Johns River. It's one of the few waterways that are cut from the eastern coast of Florida here in central Florida. That means a concentration of surge. We're almost at the top of the promenade level right now. We still have three feet of normal tide to come and as much as six or 10 feet of storm surge.

On your screen,right now you're looking at the current problems with Matthew. Daytona Beach getting pounded. We have one view from above. You're seeing the pier and waves. There was a 17-foot wave measured 20 feet offshore. That, an indication of the water volume that will be pushed up against the shore as storm surge. There have been wind gusts 80 miles an hour, 90 miles an hour, doing a lot of damage on the ground. We've seen that in different pockets. Wind gusts recorded in Cape Canaveral over 100 miles an hour.

Hurricane Matthew, right now, steady at a category three. That means it packs winds of a maximum 120 miles an hour. But the wind is just part of the trifecta of problem.