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Rick Locastro is Interviewed about Collier County; Kwanza Bryant is Interviewed about her Nursing Home Situation; Trevor Noah Leaving "Daily Show"; Dolphins Quarterback Suffers Scary Injury. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired September 30, 2022 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now you're going to get a little wet. (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: That video from the Coast Guard, hard at work still trying to reach people in need.

And coming up, we are going to speak to Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson about the rescues that they've been doing.

A mandatory curfew has been set for all of Collier County, that includes Naples and Marco Island, and will remain in effect until further notice. The sheriff's office there says it is needed to protect citizen's safety as they begin the process of trying to recover.

With me now on the phone is Collier County Commissioner Rick Locastro.

Rick, thanks for being with us. It's nice to talk to you again.

Give me a sense of how your towns, your cities are doing this morning.

RICK LOCASTRO, COLLIER COUNTY COMMISSIONER (via phone): Good morning, John.

Yes, yesterday, once the sun came out, you could really see the level of devastation. I mean my heart really goes out, all of us do, to the folks that were north of us because wind just did unbelievable damage, as you've been reporting.

Here, what we got was unbelievable - high amounts of storm surge. We were on that southeast quadrant corner where the meteorologists always warn is the dirty side. And although we did get hurricane force winds, nothing like what they experienced north of us.

But most people here have never seen 12 feet of storm surge. A lot of times the takeaway is, oh, that's over -- always an overestimation. It's always a lot less. This time it wasn't. We saw every inch of it.

So, going around my district yesterday, what I saw were a lot of people dragging out their -- all their positions to the - to the curb for pickup. People that had four or five, six, seven feet of water.

Mostly also what I saw was, we did a really great job with evacuations. So, what you have are a lot of people that are evacuated and don't realize when they come back the state of affairs with their houses, their apartments, and their condos.

BERMAN: What do you know at this point about fatalities?

LOCASTRO: You know, here in Collier County, I got a report yesterday that we -- we had - we had some, but nothing to the magnitude of north of us. A lot of the heroic rescues that you're seeing are in Lee County, and we've actually provided quite a few rescue teams to the counties north of us who need that help.

You know, e have an older community here. So, some of the fatalities that I've heard about were folks that hunkered down, that got water in their houses and they were rescued and taken to the hospital, but because they were maybe elderly or just the sheer shock of it all. But we haven't -- most of the videos you're seeing, they're not - they're not here from Collier County. You know, most of this county, you know, did evacuate because we were worried about the storm surge and this isn't the first time we've had hurricanes. But fatalities here have been an extremely small number. They've - you know, they've been deaths for various reasons, not to the severity as we've seen north of us.

BERMAN: Yes. No, we did see the pictures of the storm surge in Naples as it was happening. You did good work getting as many people out of there as you could beforehand.

Rick Locastro, county commissioner from Collier County, thank you so much for being with us. I can tell you hard you're working.

LOCASTRO: Thanks, John. Yes, sir. Yes, we're digging out and my prayers to everyone. Thank you for your support.

BERMAN: Thank you, Rick.

So, Governor Ron DeSantis said Sanibel Island hit with biblical storm surge. CNN takes a look at what efforts are being made to reach people there.

Also, Ian forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 nursing home residents. We're going to speak to the executive director of a local retirement facility to see how they are coping.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:38:50]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I kept saying, we're going to be all right. We're going to be all right. You know what I'm saying? But -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But was I wrong. I was wrong. If I would have knew it was going to be this bad, I would have got me and my family out ahead of time.

(INAUDIBLE) our cars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said - yes, your car is just gone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both our cars is gone. My daughter's car to get to college, she ain't got no way and I ain't got no way to work. So, I'm going to have to figure this out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That was a woman in Orlando feeling what thousands in Florida are this morning.

And this morning we do understand there are some search and rescue efforts that will continue as needed. And among the most vulnerable in the aftermath is those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. According to Florida officials, more than 3,000 nursing home residents have been evacuated because of Ian.

With me now is Kwanza Bryant. She is the executive director at Water's Edge of Lake Wales, which is an assisted living retirement community located in central Florida.

Now, you did not have to evacuate, nor do you need to now, but I know it's been tough. You've been without power, were without power for a long time. What was that like?

KWANZA BRYANT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WATER'S EDGE OF LAKE WALES: Correct. It is very difficult when you are dealing with seniors, and especially with some seniors that may have Alzheimer's and dementia.

[06:40:05]

They get very confused. And during this time, it is very confusing for even us. So, it is just very difficult and challenging. But we were able to get through because our residents' safety is our top priority.

BERMAN: I'm sure.

What were some of the toughest moments over the last couple of days?

BRYANT: The toughest moments was actually the night that the hurricane was going over our community. The winds were whistling. Water was just banging against the windows. And the doors were shaking because of just, I guess, the massive size and power of the hurricane. It was very scary, but we, again, made it through, thank God.

BERMAN: I know one of the challenges is that many of the people in your facility have families that care for them deeply and want to know how they're doing. And communication has been hard. Believe me, communication has been hard. I can hardly make a phone call for the last few days. What message do you want to get to those family members who might be concerned?

BRYANT: OK, our organization, we've set up a hurricane information line for families and friends to check on the status of our community. And this information is also available at our website, at www (INAUDIBLE) .org. Families can call, get status updates, see where we are in our community.

BERMAN: Kwanzaa Bryant, thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for the work you're doing and caring for all these people in need. I know it's been a trying few days, but it will get better.

BRYANT: Thank you so much.

BERMAN: So, Hurricane Ian, and it is a hurricane again, heading towards South Carolina. We're going to get a live report from the ground there in just a moment.

Also, we will speak to the secretary of homeland security on what efforts the agency is making to help survivors of this storm.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:46:07]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Christine Romans. We'll go back to Florida in just a moment. But, first, other news this morning.

Comedian Trevor Noah making a major announcement. He is leaving "The Daily Show."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREVOR NOAH, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH": But after seven years, I - I feel like it's -- it's - it's time, you know? I spent two years in my apartment, not on the road, you know, standup was done. And - and when I got back out there again, I realized, there's another part of my life that I want to - I want to carry on exploring, you know? I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and putting on shows. I, you know, miss just being everywhere, doing everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right, let's discuss with HLN's Melissa Knowles and C.J. Farley, a cultural commentator and author of "Zero O:Clock."

Welcome to the program this morning.

I mean that was a really heartfelt, I think, pre-good-bye, Melissa, from Trevor Noah. Do we know when he's going to leave and what he plans to do next?

MELISSA KNOWLES, HLN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.

We don't know what he's going to do next. It was certainly very heartfelt.

ROMANS: Yes.

KNOWLES: He had this attitude of gratitude the entire five minutes of this monologue. And he hasn't announced who his successor will be. And we don't even have a timeline yet. In fact, I would say that when he made this announcement, there were audible gasps coming from the live audience there. People not expecting him to depart. He even said during the five minutes that he was speaking that this was the seven- year anniversary, in fact, that one of his correspondents, Roy Wood Jr., reminded him, hey, dude, it's been seven years that we've been doing this show.

So, I know what he wants to do next is more stand-up comedy and he mentioned learning other languages.

ROMANS: Yes, C.J., he is -- this was breaking news in my household because my teenager loves him. This is how - this is his -- the only comedian he follows. And really it's how he gets his news in a way. This is a different kind of late night host, isn't it?

C.J. FARLEY, CULTURAL COMMENTATOR: Exactly right. You know, I talked to him a few years ago. And one thing he wanted to do when he took over "The Daily Show" from Jon Stewart is, he wanted to make it blacker, because he's black, he wanted to make it younger, because he was younger than the other hosts, and he also wanted to have different kinds of conversations. And he succeeded in doing that because he brings on artists and activists and business people. People you've heard of but who don't always get a seat at late night talk shows.

And he has conversations that are very in depth. He was always a good interviewer. He's become a really stronger and more - even more thoughtful interviewer. If you watch his shows, watch his interviews, they really take you in depth into whoever he's talking to you.

I remember he had Candy Wiley (ph) on, a really great visual artist, the kind of guy you don't see on a whole lot of other late night chat shows -- you usually see celebrities -- and really had a thoughtful conversation about modern art and what he does and the responsibility of black artists. Just, he really changed late night conversation.

ROMANS: Yes, and I really think bringing in a whole new generation of people watching late night. In fact, people who aren't even watching it, you know, late night, they're watching it on TikTok or they're watching clips of it later. I mean he has so much of a kind of a new social media influence.

Melissa, let's talk about the -- I guess the landscape of late night. We've seen some high-profile departures recently. Lay out the landscape for us here.

KNOWLES: OK, so, it's going to look different, right, but that's the way it goes. You're looking at Trevor Noah's leaving. That was a shocking departure. Samantha Bee is going to be gone. Conan O'Brien's been gone for a while. I mean a lot of the people who you see who are leaving are really opening the door for the new people who want to come through. It's just, who are those people going to be? Are they going to choose someone who's already been on the roster? Are they going to choose somebody who's well known?

One of the things that Trevor Noah even said during that departure speech was, hey, I was a relatively unknown person to American audiences seven years ago. And it's time to open the door for somebody else and give them a chance.

And we saw his success and his skyrocket to fame in the last seven years. I believe that we are going to see, hopefully, more women taking over late night.

ROMANS: Yes, he's 38 years old. He's got a very big career ahead of him, no question.

[06:50:02]

It will be interesting to see what he does.

Melissa Knowles, C.J. Farley, thank you so much. Nice to see you this morning.

KNOWLES: You too.

FARLEY: Thank you.

ROMANS: All right, coming up, Miami Dolphins quarterback suffers his second scary injury in five days. We'll update his condition.

And Hurricane Ian now barreling towards South Carolina, expected to make its third landfall in the coming hours. Our special coverage continues next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right, the Miami Dolphins quarterback rushed to the hospital after suffering a scary head injury last night.

Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report."

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Christine.

Yes, this was certainly hard to watch and there's been a lot of scrutiny over how Tua Tagovailoa was handled on Sunday against the Bills. And what happened last night just made that conversation even more concerning.

Dolphins were playing in Cincinnati. Second quarter, Tua gets sacked here and his head bounces off the turf. His hands immediately seized up.

[06:55:03]

And the players gathered around Tua as a stretcher came out on the field. The Dolphins say Tua suffered head and neck injuries and he was conscious and had all movement in all of his extremities at the hospital. The team also said Tua was going to be discharged last night and fly back to Miami with the team.

Now, this comes after Sunday when Tua stumbled back to the huddle after taking a similar hit to the head. The Dolphins originally said he was questionable to return to that game with a head injury, but then they changed it, saying it was a back injury. The NFL Players' Association launched an investigation into the process that allowed Tua to return to that game. And Coach Mike McDaniel says the team has followed all the rules.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MCDANIEL, MIAMI DOLPHINS HEAD COACH: I don't think that his -- an injury from last week made him fall the same way this week, you know? But, yes, I do not have any, like absolutely zero patience for or will ever put a - put a player in a position for them to be in harm's way. That is like not what I'm about at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, man, Christine, as a -- you know, as a football fan, just watching Tua there, and seeing his hands, it just makes you cringe. It gives you chills. Here's hoping he's OK.

ROMANS: Yes. His teammates really shaken up by all of this, you know. And his coach said, this is not what you sign up for, right?

SCHOLES: Yes.

ROMANS: All right, thanks, Andy. Andy Scholes.

For more on this let's bring in CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Sanjay, when you see these two injuries, what is your initial impression?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's really scary. It's very concerning. You know, there's a lot of doctors who are sideline physicians. I was watching the game last night. And immediately started texting with others about this. Given as Andy said, especially what had happened just in a previous game.

There's a couple of things. When you look at the video from last night, it obviously looks like a pretty significant injury. Tua's on the ground for a long time. This movement that he's doing with his hands, Christine, that is a significant sign.

ROMANS: Yes.

GUPTA: Something that people really need to pay attention to. It can be a sign of basically disrupting some of the pathways, even temporarily, between the brain and the spinal cord there. Let me just show you here. And that sounds serious. It is serious. You

know, you look at some of these areas. Obviously, the brain, spinal cord down here. But some of these pathways here in what is called the brain stem can be even temporarily disrupted, and that can cause people to have sort of these almost posturing, they call it, like reflexes. It's a significant injury. If you see that and nothing else, that alone would be a sign of a traumatic brain injury.

What is particularly concerning is if you look at what happened to him a few days ago, he was thrown back on his head, and then had pretty good evidence of just motor --

ROMANS: He stumbled. He - he sort of stumbled. Yes.

GUPTA: Stumbled. He had - he had what we call gross motor instability. You see him get up. And then he clearly is unable to walk again for a second.

What was particularly concerning about that, and at the time was that that is a -- typically considered a no-go sign for actually playing again. I can just show you, you know, when it comes to evaluating players on the field, making decisions, there are a few things that are basically no-go. That player's not coming back into the game. And loss of consciousness, obviously. But gross motor instability is number two on that list. He had that, clearly, in the previous game, and now has this injury from last night's game. Something known as second impact syndrome. You get the first impact.

ROMANS: Right.

GUPTA: A few days later you get the second impact. That can -- it's not a linear process at that point. That can really amplify it.

So, you know, we know he's flying home, but - but that was, as you said, really scary.

ROMANS: It really was. And I think in that first game he did go back in. They ruled that it wasn't actually a concussion protocol (ph).

GUPTA: He did.

ROMANS: So, you just heard that the coach said they were following the NFL's concussion protocols. What exactly are they then if he was exhibiting some of these no-go signs?

GUPTA: Well, there's - there's a - a list of things that they go through. It's usually a team doctor and then what's called an unaffiliated neuro consultant. Someone who's not affiliated with the team. And there's a series of things that they go through in terms of evaluating the person. Are they oriented? Do they know where they are? What time it is? You know, all these types of things. They do a neurological exam. They will go back to the locker room and conduct some of these components of the exam. It is, you know, and if there's obviously more concerns, the person will go to the hospital.

I think what is concerning about, again, the previous game, when it comes to Tua, was that the protocols are pretty good, but then again there are some no-go criteria. Some things that you look at and you say, that is obviously a problem. And in the previous game, he pretty clearly had a problem I think to anybody who was watching that.

[07:00:05]

That was gross motor instability. And then now you add this - this - what happened.