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New Day Sunday

Florida Struggles To Recover After Destructive Hurricane; Death Toll Rises To 66 As Florida Struggles To Recover; NFL Making Changes To Concussion Protocols; Some Mid-Atlantic States Still Facing Flood Advisories; Officials: Twenty-Two Bodies Found After Russia Shelled Civilian Convoy; Russian Forces Retreat From Key City Putin Claimed To Annex. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired October 02, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:28]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. I'm Amara Walker in Atlanta. My colleague Boris Sanchez is in Fort Myers, Florida, right now where nearly five days after Hurricane Ian made landfall the death toll is continuing to climb.

Hundreds of thousands remain in the dark without electricity as some communities are now unrecognizable. We also have the very latest on the rescue and recovery efforts taking place today as President Biden prepares to tour the damage firsthand.

We're also following a developing story overseas. More than 100 people are dead after violence erupts at a soccer stadium in Indonesia. Mayhem there on the pitch. What we're learning about what started that deadly chaos.

Plus, Ukrainian forces making major gains recapturing a critical city just a day after Russia tried to claim the territory for itself. And mortgage rates climbing to their highest level in 15 years. What that means for home buyers and what all of us should be doing right now amid soaring inflation. NEW DAY starts right now.

WALKER: Good morning to you. It is Sunday, October 2nd. Thank you so much for waking up with us. Boris Sanchez will be joining us in just a few moments from Fort Myers, Florida.

We have a lot of news to get to. And we are going to begin with the cleanup efforts underway in Florida where Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction across the state. At least 66 people have died and that number is expected to rise as rescue crews gain access to more coastal communities and some of those that have been cut off from the mainland. Many of the deaths have been reported in Lee County which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Meanwhile, nearly 900,000 people are still without power and authorities say it could be weeks before it is restored.

Ian is expected to be the most expensive storm in Florida's history. It destroyed part of a causeway linking Sanibel and Captiva islands to the mainland. And now people there are stranded and in desperate need of help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICKEY ANDERSON, SANIBEL ISLAND, FLORIDA RESIDENT: Can we get some help down here? You know, would that be too much to ask? I mean, look around here. There's nothing. We have no power, no phone service, nothing. So, we would just like a little help. A little help to get my home back in shape because I have nowhere to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Emergency crews have been going to the worst hit areas trying to find survivors still and bring them to safety. So far more than a thousand people have been rescued and evacuated. Meanwhile, President Biden expected to tour some of the heavily damaged areas of Florida Wednesday after pleading for federal support for the state.

Let's start with Nadia Romero this morning. She is in Arcadia, Florida. That is in southwest Florida, a bit more inland. Nadia, we've been talking about this, how vital roads and highways in these communities have been cut off by the storm. And right now there's no indication of when these connections will be usable. What's the latest, Nadia?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really just depends on what Mother Nature brings us, right? Mother Nature brought us Hurricane Ian with those rising floodwaters, heavy winds and that's what caused all this destruction. Now we just simply have to wait for those waters to recede to really reveal what's underneath, to see how much damage is there and to see if people can finally pass normally.

So we are here in Arcadia, Florida. We know that the worst of the damage we saw was in Fort Myers, Florida, and some of those barrier islands. Folks here likely survived the storm but now we're going into day four without having electricity and for many of them that's when you get to the life-threatening range. Because they haven't had electricity that means they haven't had hot water. That means that their food supply may be running low.

I want you to take a look behind me. This is the Peace River here. And it is supposed to be only about six to seven feet high. You see this canoe that's laid out here, the locals tell me that they should be able to just get in this canoe and take a nice little stroll down the Peace River. Instead, the river is now 24 feet high. So four times as high as it should be now is overtop Highway 72. Cars like this one have been abandoned alongside this road as Highway 70 is flooded out.

[06:05:04]

Now, we spoke with an air boat captain yesterday who was out transporting people and goods to get to the other side. On the other side that is where you'll find all the shops, the businesses, the main street and hospital. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLAINE WALKER, AIR BOAT CAPTAIN: So, the worst of the damage is actually a lot right here. We have the -- you know, the RV park is under, the small animal auction down around the corner that is under water. So, a lot of the bad damage is here with this RV park being here. A lot of them are flooded out. Once you get to the other side, you know, there are two bridges that are totally under water almost besides just the very tops of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: Yes. And so part of the issue is that people aren't able to get to the shops, aren't able to get to the supplies and resources they may need and not even getting to their families.

So this has turned into a distribution site. You can see cases of water that have been laid out here by multiple groups, by the county emergency management office, by the Salvation Army, by the National Guard bringing out cases of water, bringing out food, bringing out MREs, dog food even for those people who have -- who are pet owners, all of the necessities that you would need after a major storm, things that you would likely have in your house but you no longer do. This distribution site would be open indefinitely until those waters behind me start to recede -- Amara.

WALKER: So much need and it's going to be necessary for many days moving forward. Nadia Romero, thank you very much, live for us there in Arcadia, Florida.

All right. Let's turn it over now to Jasmine Wright who is at the White House. And as we were mentioning, Jasmine, President Biden and the first lady will be making visits to these areas hard hit starting with Puerto Rico. Because we know many in Puerto Rico are concerned that they will be forgotten after Fiona ravaged that island.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Amara. And look, a lot of consideration goes into these trips when the president goes to visit natural disaster damage to really survey it because he brings a large footprint. Not only does he bring the Secret Service but a lot of the local officials on the ground have to then redirect to protecting the president that would have been possibly assigned to other recovery efforts. So this is something that President Biden has said repeatedly weighs on him when it comes to the timing of visiting some of these areas.

But, of course, last night the White House announced that President Biden would be visiting Puerto Rico on Monday with the first lady after Hurricane Fiona, visiting Florida on Wednesday after Hurricane Ian. Now, before that announcement came out the president was speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus Phoenix Awards dinner last night. And he said that he vowed for his administration to do whatever it takes really to bring some aid to that recovery. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our hearts, to state the obvious, can't go without saying, are heavy, the devastating hurricane and storms in Puerto Rico, Florida and South Carolina. And we owe Puerto Rico a hell a lot more than they've already gotten.

The Biden administration is working closely with the CBC members to do whatever it takes, whatever it takes to help, search and rescue, recovery and rebuilding. It's going to take a long time so we cannot tire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So there we heard from the president promising federal aid. Now, earlier on Saturday he received a briefing on Hurricane Ian. Officials said that focused on power and water restoration in Florida and updating survey damage in South Carolina. So the president, of course, we know has approved multiple emergency declaration disaster -- declarations across the East Coast of Florida as the hurricane moves more towards the East Coast.

And, of course, we know that in addition to those emergency declarations he has talked to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis three times in the last week and, of course, more officials where damage has happened. Now, as earlier this week if he would meet with Ron DeSantis, who he has shared a lot of political differences with over the course of his tenure, the president said that this is not about politics and he would meet with him if he wanted -- Amara.

WALKER: All right. Jasmine Wright, live for us at the White House, thank you for that. So while Hurricane Ian has finished moving through Florida, its devastation is nowhere close to be done. A new estimate says insured losses could total as much as $43 billion. That can make it the most expensive storm in the state's history.

Joining us now to discuss is former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Craig Fugate. Good morning to you, sir. Thank you so much for being here.

You know, before leading FEMA who oversaw the largest federal disaster response in Florida's history in 2004. I was there when those four major hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, they all hit the state, Jeanne as well.

[06:10:00]

From what you've seen how does Ian compare?

CRAIG FUGATE, FORMER FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Well, I like to tell people that this is the equivalent of what Hurricane Andrew did on the southeast coast, is what has happened on the southwest coast. And, again, I'm glad you have a reporter in Arcadia because I think people forget it's just not the coast of Florida that's been impacted. We've got impacts all the way through Orlando up to the East Coast. Places like St. Augustine had devastated flooding.

And so we're still seeing the remnants of all of this rain. We talk about storm surge and the wind on the coast but all of this rain over central Florida and all of that wind knocked out power and we still have flooding taking place just from the rainfall.

WALKER: Can you give us a sense of what the response is looking like now four days in?

FUGATE: We're really now starting to see the shift to getting roads open where we can get roads open. Get utility crews in to turn the power on where we can get power on. Doing the assessments of what it's going to take to get some of these failed water systems and wastewater systems back up. That's going to really drive. Because the more power we can get turned on to communities, the better they're going to be able to manage their recoveries. And then you start focusing more on the areas of heavy devastation that are going to require more work.

So some places will get power quicker. Other places they're going to have to rebuild the power system just to be able to supply basic necessities.

WALKER: You know, we just heard a few moments ago from one of the residents, I don't know if it was Sanibel or Captiva island but, of course, you know, these are the communities that are literally cut off from the mainland because the bridges heading to these islands have -- were destroyed. Are these communities prioritized when it comes to, you know, making sure that everyone has what they need soon?

FUGATE: Yes. I mean, again, they've been working -- the search and rescue, they're now going out and -- what they're doing is they're offering people a chance to get off those islands, come inland where there's more resources. If they're going to stay there they're going to try to get supplies there but they're having to do that by boat. That's going to be, you know, a focus on those areas.

The other thing is when the president turned on the disaster declaration and included individual assistance the next step will be getting people, you know, vouchers to go find a hotel or motel, probably not in that area but where they can get to somewhere safe and stay there as the begin this recovery process. But it's an ongoing thing.

And so, you're seeing different stages where other areas of the state are seeing maybe power coming back on. There are some places where they're going to have to make a decision. Is it easier to get people off those areas and bring them to the resources? Or try to get resources out there and how will that affect other parts of the response?

WALKER: Yes. So it seems like the immediate need right now is, you know, the basic stuff, right, including electricity. But I was shocked to hear about, you know, when it comes to rebuilding, and I'm sure people are going, what is recovery going to even look like?

Most Floridians, homeowners, don't even have flood insurance. So how are they going to rebuild? What -- and explain to us what FEMA disaster relief provides to those who don't have insurance.

FUGATE: Well, that's just it. This is, I think, we've dealt with this. I responded in the 2016 flood in Baton Rouge where we had a majority of people who didn't have flood insurance from the flood up there and that was in, you know, over a billion dollars in assistance. You know, taxpayers provided. So what's going to happen here is for people who don't have insurance -- and this is one of the things I hear people talk about, well, FEMA only goes to people who have money. Well, actually FEMA's money only goes to people who didn't have insurance, that can't qualify for a small business administration loans. And they provide assistance based on impacts. But the most important thing I think in the very beginning is going to help people get a place to stay, replace certain items like people who may have lost medical equipment like wheelchairs, things like that.

But FEMA is limited by Congress on how much they can provide to rebuild. And there won't be enough money to rebuild your home if it's flooded. We need to be very clear. FEMA was really designed to start the recovery.

What we're going to need, and this is going to be things you're going to hear discussions with the state delegation, with the administration and with Congress, is historically FEMA cannot do everything that people are going to need, wasn't designed to do that by Congress. That's why we turned to HUD and their ability through community block disaster grant loans are not loans but grants to communities to help people.

And we saw this in Louisiana. What the governor did there was, he took those HUD dollars and he provided grants to people to repair their homes that had flood damage and didn't have insurance. So these are early discussions but that's what it's going to take because less than 20 percent of the people in some of these areas had flood insurance. That number goes really down to maybe five percent as you move into the interior part of the state.

WALKER: It's going to be a herculean effort. I mean, you know, if you're going to have FEMA dollars, HUD dollars, but I'm sure that you're going to also need private organizations to step up as well to literally rebuild these communities.

[06:15:08]

Former FEMA Director Craig Fugate, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you very much.

FUGATE: Thank you.

WALKER: And for more information about how you can help victims of Hurricane Ian, go to CNN.com/impact. While Ian has moved north, some states are still facing a flood advisory. Let's bring in CNN meteorologist Britley Ritz with more on that. So, Ian is still a pain.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, very much so for many across the mid Atlantic and even across the New England coastline where over 15 million people are impacted by coastal flooding. We're talking about some of these wave heights reaching over eight feet.

Here's what's going on. The center of the low itself still located in Virginia. We have a lot of flooding potential here across West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania, even D.C. dealing with some heavier rain this morning.

The bulk of the rain still off into the Atlantic, maybe a few showers leftover for Philly, back up into New York. But some of these areas are still dealing with coastal flood advisories. Yes, a few of them are starting to expire along the Jersey coastline which is great. It tells you that we have some improvement but we're still dealing with up to a foot of possible inundation right on the coastline.

So we have to watch for that. Don't drive through the flooded roadways. Twelve inches of moving water, that's all it takes to lift your vehicle up and carry it on down the road without you driving it.

Coastal flood warnings begin on Monday that go through Wednesday. And these are areas that are a little more vulnerable, Jersey Shore, down on into Norfolk, Virginia. And we have about two to four feet of potential inundation with this as well. And then, of course, we still have the potential for more rain to push on to shore rolling into your Monday afternoon and into the evening, Amara.

WALKER: Britley Ritz, thank you very much. And coming up, a terrifying scene at a soccer game in Indonesia after chaos and violence erupt. Now more than 100 people are dead. We're going to show you more of the stunning video and tell you how it all started.

Plus, a major victory for Ukraine after troops reclaim a key strategic city in Donetsk and force Russian forces to retreat after Putin had declared an annexation of that area. We're going to have the latest on the conflict next.

Plus, for millions of Americans, buying a home is becoming more and more out of reach as mortgage rates continue to rise. There's another increase on the horizon. And will any of this help cool inflation?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:21:53]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY. I'm Boris Sanchez coming to you live from Fort Myers in southwest Florida where the death toll stands at 66 people, 66 fatalities in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian which devastated the Sunshine State. That number is expected to climb as the days pass and search and rescue crews are able to get into areas that were previously inaccessible. Right now hundreds of thousands remain without power as entire communities were essentially wiped off the map, washed into the waterways of southwest Florida.

Coming to you live this morning has been a challenge to say the least. I'm going to step out of the way to give you a clear picture of what we're encountering here. Not far from Fort Myers Beach we were going to come to you live from a marina earlier this morning but unfortunately there was a mandatory evacuation. Crews are now working in that area. We've seen utility trucks go in and out, rescue services go in and out, law enforcement go in and out.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to access it. It is at this point emergency services only. Understandable and frustrating for a lot of folks in this community who are trying to get back to their homes to see firsthand the devastation that this hurricane wrought. And it is extensive as we take a look at where we are right now.

We're parked at an intersection outside of a gas station. And this is just one image of the kind of damage this hurricane did. That marina is more than a mile down the road and it lifted this vessel and landed it here in the middle of what is typically a busy intersection in Fort Myers.

There's actually another boat further down in this gas station. I'm not sure you can see because it's obviously dark this morning. This gas station clearly out of service. You can imagine at this time it is a very delicate process of getting this region back up on its feet.

As I noted before, hundreds of thousands without power. Communication has been an issue. Cellphone service is extremely spotty. You can imagine how that complicates things for these workers that are doing their best to get folks, again, back up on their feet to some semblance of normalcy.

And I want to send it back to Amara in Atlanta. Amara, President Biden set to visit this area on Wednesday. The devastation, the extent of the headaches and the problems and the loss here in southwest Florida hard to capture in just one image or one just word, Amara.

WALKER: I know you've been seeing a lot of it. And, you know, your troubles trying to get up this morning, getting to your live location, I'm sure is just a snippet of what the people there are going through. Appreciate it, Boris. We'll, of course, continue to see you throughout the hour. Many thanks.

So, we're going to turn to another story that we're following. One of the world's deadliest stadium disasters unfolding right now in Indonesia. Police say at least 130 people are dead in the violence and chaos that erupted following a soccer match, 180 more were injured.

[06:25:03]

These pictures are really remarkable. Authorities say it started when fans from the losing team stormed the field in anger. And then police responded by firing teargas triggering a stampede. CNN senior international correspondent Will Ripley joining us now live with more on this tragedy. Will, talk to us about how all of this unfolded and how the victims died.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So this was expected to be by police, you know, a high-risk match. Football fans in Indonesia, we call it soccer in the U.S., they are so passionate. And when their team wins or loses, brawls break out. This is what happens at hotly contested matches.

But what happened in this case was that when the fans stormed onto that soccer pitch, the police apparently thought it would be appropriate to respond using teargas, firing it at the lower stands which is where the fans were running in from. The problem is FIFA, the governing association that governs global football, global soccer, they ban the use of teargas in stadiums because of exactly what we see happened.

There was the wind that was blowing the gas up from the lower stands into the upper stands where there were families with children. People started to panic and they wanted to get out of there as quickly as they could, when their eyes started burning and their mouths started burning and they couldn't breathe.

So they run -- hundreds of people ran for one exit. And people were trampled, people were suffocated. Thirty-four people died instantly. The rest of the 130 that are confirmed dead so far either died on the way to the hospital or at the hospital. And of those 180 that are injured, Amara, many of those people are also not expected to recover which means that that death toll could climb in the coming hours.

WALKER: Oh, my goodness. Will, the details are stunning. So people that died, I mean, from what I saw of the images, I assumed most of them happened on the field. But no, we're talking about it happened on the way towards this one exit. Wow. That is just horrendous.

RIPLEY: Yes, exactly. Yes.

WALKER: Will Ripley, appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much.

All right. Turning now to Russia's war on Ukraine. Authorities say they found the bodies of 22 people including 10 children killed in a Russian attack on a civilian convoy in eastern Ukraine. According to investigators, Russian forces shelled the cars as the civilians were trying to evacuate.

Ukrainian chiefs are claiming victory in the key city of Lyman that Moscow claimed to have annexed a day earlier. Ukraine's defense ministry says Russian forces withdrew as Ukrainian troops were about to encircle them. Details now from CNN international security editor Nick Paton Walsh.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The frontlines here really still processing the extraordinary events of yesterday. The Russian withdrawal from Lyman after Ukraine encircled it. Russia's ministry of defense saying they pulled troops out to try and prevent them being captured or surrounded. But it's not clear how successful that was and how many Russian prisoners, Ukrainian forces have taken. And in the intense fighting how many of the Russian forces there died.

It is though a remarkable withdrawal for Russia, a matter of hours after in a ceremony of great pomp and bombast in Moscow, in the Kremlin and a rally on Red Square they talked about annexing the areas where I'm standing and the area where Lyman is too as it being part of Russia in their false perception.

Still they see territory being lost and the strategic loss of Lyman which was vital for the Russian retention of areas they occupy in Donetsk and Luhansk. Well, that has sparked an extraordinary amount of open bickering between Russia's very own elite. The head of one of Russia's internal republics Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has gone on social media naming and shaming the commanders behind the pullout from Lyman saying they were distant from the front and terrifyingly suggesting Russia's response should be the use of low-yield nuclear weapons.

Now he does not set policy. This is not a suggestion that this is changing the Kremlin's calculus in this war but it certainly adds to the pressure on Vladimir Putin here. It is very rare to see people in his elite, remotely criticize him, let alone openly stand up and reflect that he may not necessarily have a full grip on events along the frontline here.

This morning, though, Ukrainians woke up to hear that one of these cities Zaporizhzhia had been hit by four missiles. Ukrainian officials saying nobody was injured in those specific attacks. But we are now seeing a very complicated moment where Russia's conventional forces are simply not up to the job on the ground. Partial mobilization has yet to work, has yet to bring reinforcements to these frontlines.

They are losing. They are losing significant key towns like Lyman. The impact of that is going to be felt further down Russia's positions towards the Russian border likely in the days ahead. There is talk of perhaps another collapse like that which happened around Kharkiv because Lyman was so central to their supplies and to their presence in that area.

[06:30:06]

Remarkable moment though, all of this happening with the backdrop of a nuclear threat, leaving many Ukrainians deeply concerned as their progress has that sour edge to it. Nick PATON Walsh, CNN Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Our coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Ian continues. Many people are still in shock after losing everything. A look at the next steps as a shock wears off slowly and official switch gears into recovery mode. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: This morning, residents in Florida and the Carolinas still dealing with the path of destruction Ian left in its wake. At least 66 people have died from the storm in Florida alone. And nearly two million homes and businesses across multiple states are still without power. Let's get some perspective now from CNN National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem. She is also the author of The Devil Never Sleeps, which is a book about disaster management and how it works.

Juliette, good morning. I'm glad to get your expertise on this. I'm just curious to know, in your opinion, how the disaster response has been so far from what you've seen, and at what point does the -- does it transition from search and rescue to recovery?

[06:35:34] JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, that's an important transition. It will probably happen in the next two to three days. You still are hoping, at least in Florida, that people who might be missing may be found. You want to respect the dead, so you try to retrieve bodies. It's a morbid and hard time. But it will end soon and then there'll be full force recovery efforts which are sort of going on right now anyway simultaneously.

Look, Amara, the most important thing is they got to get electricity and basic essential functions moving again. That's your infrastructure. Boris was telling us that he got moved from someplace because it looks like they're either trying to save something from falling or build something. You've got to get electricity, water, those basic essential services so people can begin to move back in and then the communities can begin to recover.

WALKER: Craig Fugate, I just spoke with a few moments ago, mentioned something interesting. He said, you know, they have to determine whether or not they either bring the resources to the people or take them to the resources. And it seems like, the infrastructure just completely obliterated. I mean, how do you think electricity up? I mean, we're looking at pictures of just mangled debris everywhere.

KAYYEM: Right.

WALKER: You can't get electricity up in many of these areas --

KAYYEM: That's right.

WALKER: -- feasibly, I'd imagine, right?

KAYYEM: Yes, that's right. So, part of the recovery effort is going to be both short-term and long-term housing accommodation needs and sheltering. Look, you're going to have the short-term sheltering needs. People had to be forced out of their homes on evacuations, you protect them. Perhaps some pool of them can get back, others have lost their homes or it's not likely that they'll be able to go back to their homes. That's where a very -- you know, sort of complex system of disaster management and relief comes into play, can they get money out of an insurance system or a public assistance system to rebuild or live elsewhere?

This is when communities lose people. New Orleans, for example, some people left and never returned. So, this is a very difficult process for people who are making, you know, the hardest decisions they can, I will say, because of the devastation. It is also a moment in which the question of whether some of these places should be rebuilt has to be raised by the communities as well as the federal government that's going to be paying for it.

You know, we are just in an age in which none of these -- some of these places may be safer by this simple gesture of moving away from them. And then you protect human life and property.

WALKER: Right. I mean, the question -- the other question is, do you even plan on rebuilding in -- KAYYEM: Yes.

WALKER: -- in such a risky area that's prone to so many storms. You also talk about, I believe in your book, about -- because we know in these kinds of cases, timing is so essential, right, in terms of getting to the people who need to be rescued, but also getting help to the people in need. And you see, there's a limited timeframe, where humans are resilient, and then it turns into something pretty dark. Talk to me about that.

KAYYEM: Yes, so it's -- and look, there's no -- the resources are surging in Florida. We hope that there's at least some -- what we call situational awareness about what's going on. But what you're seeing and what Boris was describing as you're seeing both, you know, the recovery how can people move back but also the response is ongoing. We call it --- it's dramatic, but it's you know, nine meals to anarchy.

I don't think we're even close in Florida, but it's just a reminder that people actually are pretty resilient for about three days. You want to surge water, you want to surge food, medicines, of course, products that are good for babies, formula or diapers those kinds of particular items that you can surge into a community so that you're -- so that one you assist them, but to that their sense of panic dissipates.

That's ongoing. You're seeing a massive amount of both private and public resources, driving commodities as basic commodities in. I do recommend some people not go back. I know the urge to go see a home and see what happened but it can wait a few days to make sure that the waters are safe. There's still lots of groundwater. Bad things happen. There's -- you could get hurt. You could get electrocuted. And so, it's just going to take some time.

But look, in hurricanes, lots of people -- you know, as we're seeing these numbers, people die from the water and the -- and the rain and the debris that's happening at that moment. But actually, most fatalities happen in hurricanes, at least in the United States, after the hurricane has gone., People are risky. They go into waters. They try to drive. They turn on generators that are not -- that they don't really know how to use and they get carbon monoxide poisoning. So, we have to be vigilant.

[06:40:19]

WALKER: Yes, and be very aware of that. Juliette Kayyem, out of time but I appreciate yours. Thank you so much.

KAYYEM: Thank you. Thanks.

WALKER: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

SANCHEZ: Back here live close to Fort Myers Beach. We wanted to give you an update on what we are seeing this morning from Southwest Florida where the devastation from Hurricane Ian is becoming more and more evident. Our crew was finally able to move into that Marina that we were unable to access just a few moments ago. We were able to get in, and on the way and we saw no fewer than at least a half dozen vessels stranded on the highway.

We were about a mile and a half from this marina, and they were ships marooned, stranded in gas stations because the storm surge was so high from Hurricane and that it dragged them into intersections. And here at this marina, more destruction as you can see from our producer, Carolyn Sung, who's shooting this off of her iPhone.

Now, a few 100 feet from where we are, the structures in this marina totally destroyed, receding back into the ocean. And again, in this community, it is one that is at or near sea level. The Marine tourism here, the fishing industry here is part of the fabric of life in southwest Florida. And so that's why we're seeing so many vessels like the enormous one behind me.

Captain Tony's Fishing Adventures, this enormous vessel lifted out of the water and onto the street. And just beside us, there are other structures that are ripped from their foundation, almost washed away as we are watching rescue crews drive past us. They have been in and out of this area all morning. A very difficult moment for residents here not only for those that left and are now having a difficult time getting back to their homes to survey the damage and devastation, but also obviously for those who decided to stay and had to face the wrath of Hurricane Ian.

As of right now, at least 66 people killed because of this storm. Keep in mind hundreds of thousands remain without power. And as rescue crews continue doing their work and this slowly becomes a recovery effort, we are anticipating that the death toll will continue to climb. I want to send it back to my colleague, Amara Walker who is live for us in Atlanta.

Amara, obviously a very delicate situation here. The President expected to visit on Wednesday. And what he will see is an area that badly needs aid, that badly needs help to get back on its feet.

WALKER: It's incredible to see that boat washed up right there on concrete behind you. Boris, thank you. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:00]

WALKER: Changes are coming to the NFL is concussion policies after that scary set of injuries to the Dolphins' quarterback this past week. Coy Wire here this morning with this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT." Hi, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Hi, Amara. At least one change already being made. Yesterday, the NFL and NFL Players Association say they begun conversations around the use of the term Gross Motor Instability within their concussion protocol. It's one of the league's gauges by which doctors determine whether a player can return to play after head trauma.

The NFL PA has reportedly fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who cleared Dolphins' quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to return to the game against Buffalo last Sunday after he hit his head on the turf and then stumbled off the field. The league and the Dolphins they both maintain that those protocols were followed last Sunday though the investigation still ongoing into what went on.

Four days after that hit, Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field in a stretcher after his head slammed on the turf Thursday night against the Bengals, diagnosed with a concussion. He was cleared by doctors at the hospital and flew back to Miami with the team. All right, we will continue to follow that story.

Now, to some college football. The number one Georgia Bulldogs in a catfight with the unranked Missouri Tigers. They're down by 10 in the fourth when Georgia's Stetson Bennett connects with Dominick Blaylock for a huge play to set up this score. The running back plunging into the endzone there. Missouri has another chance but the dogs defense, the difference all game long, holding Mizzou to five field goals. It's a second straight week of (INAUDIBLE). And overtime lost week and now barely fall into the defending champs 26-22.

Number 14 Ole Miss up just three hosting number seven Kentucky. This one down to the wire. Final minute, Kentucky holding the lead, but Jared Ivey stripping the ball from Will Levis just as he's about to throw the ball. And check out the fans in Oxford, the sea of red. And how about those Ole Miss coaches up in the booth. Let loose, fellows. It's a big win. They held on to win 22-19.

All right, from coaches feeling happy to coaches feeling scrappy. Up 49 to 10, Ohio State fake punt and ended with a punter that leveled it out of bounds. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano runs over to Ohio State's Ryan Day sideline to let him know he didn't appreciate that call. Well, they said after the game that it wasn't a cold play. His punter did it on their own -- on his own and he still apologize as well.

Congratulations to USC Trojans, Amara. They're 5-0 for the first time since 2006. And how about Boris Sanchez's Syracuse Orange, for the first time in 35 years, they're 5-0. See, you got some good mood out here.

WALKER: Not a good luck. I'm such a bad USC alum because I had friends texting me photos and I was like oh great. We did so well.

WIRE: I got a work in the morning. Let me know how it goes.

WALKER: Coy, thanks so much. Good to see you.

WIRE: You too.

WALKER: Well, for many of us, dogs are our family. They bring us so much joy. But for many aging seniors, caring for their dog and worrying about what will happen when they pass becomes a real challenge. That's where this week's CNN Hero comes in.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Peace of Mind Dog Rescue has a dual mission, helping senior dogs and senior people. We take in dogs from senior citizens who can no longer care from them or who have passed away. And we also take in senior dogs from animal shelters.

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Yes, definitely a Peace of Mind Dog.

We have found homes for almost 3,000 dogs and we have helped close to 2,000 senior citizens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She looks happy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In our society, sometimes the elderly, whether that is senior people or senior dogs, get ignored. And so, we really want to cherish all of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: And to see all of the many ways that carry us helping senior citizens and senior dogs, go to cnnheroes.com.

Still to come in the e next hour of NEW DAY, additional evacuations are planned today for some of the hardest hit areas of Florida following Hurricane Ian. We're live in Southwest Florida with the latest.

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