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Natural Disasters Can Strike Anywhere; In Florida, Taxpayers Could Be Insurer Of Last Resort; Protecting Your Home and Family From Storms; Home Inspections Before Storms Are Important; How To Protect Your Pets During A Severe Storm

Aired June 03, 2006 - 09:30   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone.
A developing story out of Baghdad, gunmen attacked a diplomatic car carrying five Russians. A Russian diplomat was killed. The other four Russians were kidnapped. The incident happened near the Russian Embassy in the city's Mansour neighborhood.

The Army says U.S. troops will not face charges in a raid in the Iraqi town of Ishaqi. Officials say troops came under attack in March. They fired back, first on the ground, then from the air. The military says as many as a dozen Iraqi civilians may have been killed.

Take a good look at this man. Desmond Turner is wanted by Indianapolis police in connection with the murders of seven family members. The victims, four adults and three children, were killed late Thursday. Another man believed to be the accomplice is in custody.

Stay right here, "OPEN HOUSE" is next with tips to make your home safe this storm season. If you haven't done the proper planning, now is the time to prepare and protect your home from major storms. That's next on CNN, followed at the top of the hour by more CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's day number three of the 2006 hurricane season and summer storm season is well under way. If you haven't done the proper planning, now is the time to prepare and protect your home from major storms.

Good morning, everyone, I'm Gerri Willis, and this is a special edition of OPEN HOUSE: HURRICANES: PREPARE & PROTECT.

Miami is often a target for hurricanes. In fact, the state of Florida has been hit by nine hurricanes in the past two years alone, but the southeast and Gulf Coast of the U.S. are just two of the regions most likely to have to deal with these deadly storms.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Storms and hurricanes have become a permanent fixture on the U.S. radar. And though Florida and the Gulf Coast have taken the biggest hits in recent times, if you live along the South and North Carolina coast, you also live in a hurricane danger zone. Carolinas are oriented southeast to northeast, literally sticking out as a target for a storm headed up the East Coast. Further up the coast, New York and Maine also jut out into harm's way, though fewer hurricanes make landfall here because of colder water temperatures. This makes the northern states safer; but with ocean temperatures rising, it doesn't mean they are safe.

While storms and hurricanes strike mainly in the east, water does damage in the west, too, mostly through flooding caused by snowmelts and rainstorms. According to USGS, floods cause an average of $6 billion in losses each year.

Inland it's not water, but the lack thereof that can cause a catastrophe. Severe drought is rare, but devastating. According to the USDA, drought is spreading across the Great Plains. And as you can see on this map, it extends all of the way east along the Gulf Coast to Florida. And with drought comes the danger of fire with the mid to southwestern states being most vulnerable.

Another danger in living in parts of the Midwest is Tornado Alley, as a strip of land from north Texas to Kansas is known. Tornadoes frequently touch down here.

And if you think you're safe from a tsunami, think again. Tsunamis have struck North America before and are likely to strike again. Tsunami danger zones include the five Pacific states, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Flooding is obviously destructive, but understanding wind and the speed at which it causes various amounts of destruction is important.

CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in the CNN Weather Center.

Reynolds, let's start at the speed at which wind really starts causing structural damage. At when will I get, say, damage to the roof or maybe damage to windows?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Damage to the roof or damage to windows, Gerri, I would say probably when it gets -- you could argue that as soon as it reaches Category 1 level, which would just be 75 miles -- or 74 miles per hour or higher.

As soon as the wind is able to pick up things, like branches or boards or any kind of debris, that's going to cause some damage when it gets picked up and smashed into windows or perhaps even the roof of your house. So even a Category 1 could cause some problems. And the higher up it goes, the more damage it can inflict.

WILLIS: And so for people out there who are wondering at what point they've really got to start thinking about getting things out of the yard, you know, it's very clear that you know trashcans, patio chairs can cause damage because they become missiles in strong wind. When does that occur? WOLF: I would say that really begins to pick up when the storm reaches about 100 miles per hour, if not stronger, somewhere in that level, about a Category 2 or a Category 3. And you know you've really hit on a very good point. You talked about removing debris from your yard. Yard furniture, anything that's not really tied down or secured, you want to get that out of the way.

And keep in mind, Gerri, we'd like people to get that out of the way when the storm is on the way, not when you have a Category 5 storm right off the coastline. You want to do this days and days in advance, if possible.

WILLIS: And the beauty of that, of course, with a hurricane is that you do get warning. These aren't things that crop up quickly and you don't have any time to prepare, right?

WOLF: You're absolutely right. But see the big problem that we fall into, so many people get complacent. They think, well, the storm is still a thousand miles away, there's a chance it's not even going to hit my home and why should I even worry about that? And see that's the trap. That's the problem that we have when these storms do make landfall, they -- everyone thinks it's going to land somewhere else, it's going to affect someone else, another neighborhood, another community.

The best thing is to go ahead and take those precautions. Secure those things in your yard. Put them up. Put them in your -- say, in your garage. Make sure they're tied down. Whatever you have to do to avoid having these things become projectiles, so when they get picked up by the strong winds and bash into your homes, your windows, your roof, et cetera.

WILLIS: Reynolds, thank you so much for that.

WOLF: No problem, -- Gerri.

WILLIS: When strong winds do bring down structures, hopefully your insurance will cover the damages. But some insurance companies have begun refusing policies to those most vulnerable to damaging storms.

Florida's CFO Tom Gallagher came up with a plan after Hurricane Andrew where the taxpayers would actually be the insurer of last resort, a plan which has caused quite a bit of controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (on camera): So, Tom, let's talk a little bit about Hurricane Andrew setting up Citizens. Why was it important to take some kind of statewide action after Andrew?

TOM GALLAGHER, CFO, STATE OF FLORIDA: Well, the first thing happened is 11 companies went insolvent. There was $500 million worth of claims that were not going to get paid and so we had to figure out how to pay them.

WILLIS: Now that was 1992. That's several years ago now.

GALLAGHER: '92.

WILLIS: Citizens has grown, it's not just the insurer of last resort, it's the largest insurer in the state. Premiums have risen and risen dramatically.

GALLAGHER: Yes.

WILLIS: Is the system working, -- Tom?

GALLAGHER: There are two sides to the system when you talk about insurance. You talk about availability and you talk about affordability. And certainly I don't think anybody would say it's working on the affordability side because insurance is becoming extremely expensive.

WILLIS: It seems that people in the middle of a state, people maybe who don't have a lot of means, may be on fixed incomes are actually subsidizing the people along the coast who may have those fabulous, multimillion-dollar mansions. Is that the right thing?

GALLAGHER: It's one of the reasons that the premiums have gone up so much for Citizens policyholders throughout the state. But it's interesting that the first time Citizens actually did an assessment was after the 2004 storms and the center of the state got crisscrossed and much of the damage was in the center of the state.

WILLIS: It's just not a problem in Florida, though, obviously. I mean there is hurricane activity up and down the East Coast. I think everybody is looking for a solution right now. And it seems to me that your solution here, while it's worked for a few years, may not be adequate for the rest of the country.

GALLAGHER: Well, what we've seen is that other states -- Louisiana has started a Citizens Property Insurance. In fact, they copied our law almost identically.

WILLIS: Right.

GALLAGHER: Mississippi and Alabama are looking at something similar because they now have no one selling insurance in their area, especially near the coast. All the way up the East Coast and into New York and Connecticut, homeowners are getting their insurance non- renewed so that they're facing a crisis. And so they're all going to have to do something in those states. It's a national issue and that's why we believe there should be a national catastrophic fund.

WILLIS: How likely, though, is it that something like that can happen?

GALLAGHER: Well, you know, we had 115 declared emergencies throughout 30 states in the last two years. So it looks to me like many other states, besides Florida and the Gulf Coast, are going to need this also. The alternative is that FEMA comes in. And when FEMA comes in, they end up giving people money. WILLIS: Let's look at this neighborhood for just a second. What is the likelihood that these people are going to have the insurance coverage that they need going forward?

GALLAGHER: Most of these people are going to have to have insurance because many -- most everyone has a mortgage. And the problem is making sure that they can afford the insurance that they must buy. And our job is to, one, make sure insurance is available and do everything we can to do that. And the second thing is we have to be concerned about the affordability of it.

WILLIS: Tom, I hope you have a very quiet hurricane season.

GALLAGHER: So do I. So do I.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: You can be sure that the insurance issue will be in the news a great deal this hurricane season. We'll keep an eye on any developments in the insurance industry and Tom Gallagher's plan.

Coming up on this special edition of OPEN HOUSE, we'll go shopping for all of the supplies you'll need to prepare your family and your home for the big storm. Plus, you'll learn how to inspect your house so you can prevent damage before it happens.

But first, your "Tip of the Day."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Disasters can strike quickly and without warning, so make sure you and your family are prepared for the worst.

Establish an evacuation route and a meeting place in a familiar area. In case you're separated, have an out-of-state contact. It may be easier to make a long distance phone call than one across town. Be sure each member of your family knows the number and has coins or a pre-paid phone card in case cell phones go down.

If you have children, ask about the school's disaster plan. This way you know where your child will be taken to in case of an evacuation.

For more information, go to ready.gov or check with your state's emergency department.

And that's your "Tip of the Day."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Inspecting your home long before the storm can both save you money and save the lives of your loved ones.

We turn to Rob Davis from Flash.org for the important information you need to know.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (on camera): So, Rob, let's talk about the roof here, big vulnerability. How do I know if I might have a problem?

ROB DAVIS, ENGINEER, FLASH.ORG: Well there are several things you can do. If you can get up on the roof, check for missing, broken or loose shingles or tiles. And...

WILLIS: Well we've got some over here on this house.

DAVIS: That's exactly right. And it looks like there's some gentlemen up there repairing it right now. It's the hip and ridge tiles that you can see. And that -- those had the most problems during Hurricane Charlie.

WILLIS: Let's talk about something that is really simple and that's items that can turn into projectiles in your yard. We've got a lot of stuff sitting out here that you'd want to bring in, in a storm. What would you do here?

DAVIS: Just go out with your family and walk around the house. And anything that you possibly think might fly up in the air, go and pick it up and put it inside.

WILLIS: Let's get rid of the flag.

DAVIS: Get rid of the flag, the lighting right there, the garden hose. This canopy over here, it might stay, but I'd take it off. You don't want it to...

WILLIS: I'd get rid of these plants over here, too.

DAVIS: I'd get rid of the plants there. Any patio furniture up here needs to come down.

WILLIS: Exactly.

DAVIS: Porch swing needs to come down. Absolutely. Take everything out and put it inside the house.

WILLIS: Windows are a big vulnerability. How do I keep my family safe?

DAVIS: We like to see code-approved shutters. There are tons of options these days. That's the good news. You can do metal corrugated shutters, clear plastic shutters. Also impact glass is a great way to go. It's...

WILLIS: It's a little more expensive, though.

DAVIS: It definitely is a little bit more expensive, but it does provide the protection without the installation procedures before and after the storm with the shutters.

WILLIS: Now I know you could cover this up with wood. Why wouldn't we just do that?

DAVIS: Wood, it's only good for temporary emergency board-up procedures. And there are a couple of things you need to remember with that. You need to make sure you have the correct thickness, 5/8- inch plywood is sufficient. And you have to fasten it, install it correctly to the side of the house, otherwise,...

WILLIS: Don't you need a pretty good margin around the edge of the window, too?

DAVIS: You absolutely do. Because you have to remember that whatever protection you put up there is going to move, it's going to bow in and out with the wind. And if you have it too close, your window protection could actually break your window.

WILLIS: This is not a great material for protecting your home during a hurricane.

DAVIS: No, no, that's right. When this gets wet, it's going to turn to oatmeal and just dissolve, which...

WILLIS: So this is OSB.

DAVIS: That's OSB, short for oriented strand board. It's really just a lot of wood particles glued together.

WILLIS: And -- but this is the plywood. This is what you want.

DAVIS: This is your 5/8-inch plywood. Absolutely, that's what you want to look for for window protection.

WILLIS: What do I need to know about soffits?

DAVIS: Soffits in the newer construction homes are really just thin pieces of aluminum and vinyl that have vents. And, unfortunately, they're just kind of hanging up there. During Hurricane Charlie, a lot of them were sucked out, blown in and provided wind and the horizontal rain to come right in the attic. And then it...

WILLIS: So it became an opening and then, like, a lever?

DAVIS: And then it rains down your ceiling. That's absolutely right.

WILLIS: So what do I do about that?

DAVIS: Well, you need to go up inside and block them off better. You just need to get a contractor in there, find a roofing professional and get in there and just secure them more. That's absolutely the way to go. And they also have little vents in them to allow the attic to breathe, but they can be covered up during the storm to prevent the rain intrusion.

WILLIS: Rob, people think about the outside of their house, but what about the inside? DAVIS: Well the inside definitely needs to be inspected as well. You want to make sure it's in top shape for hurricane season or any extreme weather coming through.

If you have safe access to the attic, it's good to get up there and just look around to see if you see any broken or cracked pieces of wood up there. Look at the nails. See if you have any nails sticking out, straight nails. And we're talking about the longer nails here, not the shorter roofing nails. See if you have any roof leaks. If you have any roof leaks, it's definitely something that says your roof isn't as strong as it should be.

WILLIS: OK. What about glue? People say you can actually keep your house together with regular carpenter's glue. Is that possible?

DAVIS: Absolutely. It's a great intriguing measure to go up there and it really provides a lot of strength for your roof. You just take some industrial adhesive and it's basically gluing the roof down to your frame.

WILLIS: That's amazing.

DAVIS: It is amazing. It's like a strong super glue. And we recommend using an industrial adhesive. And you can find a lot of information on that at Flash.org.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Still ahead, how to protect your pets during a severe storm. We have important tips you won't want to miss. And you'll learn exactly what you need to buy to protect your home from wild weather. "Weekend Project" is next when this special edition of OPEN HOUSE comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: It's important to take proper steps to prepare your home for a hurricane or storm before one strikes. Making sure your house is stocked with the right items could not only save you a lot of money, it could also save the lives of you and your family.

I went shopping with Sgt. First Class Kevin Fowler for the vital items you'll need to weather the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: So everything we need is on this list. Let's go shopping.

So, Kevin, you say that you can't be going shopping the day before the hurricane hits or even the same day the hurricane hits, right?

SFC. KEVIN FOWLER, NJ EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS BUREAU: That's correct. Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. You should be planning right now. WILLIS: How many days should I have in the back of my mind that I'm planning for?

FOWLER: When you're planning for a disaster or hurricane, you should be planning for three days and expect that you should be self- sufficient for that period of time.

WILLIS: So, Kevin, we obviously want a first aid kit, right?

FOWLER: Absolutely. Yes.

WILLIS: What should be in it?

FOWLER: Well, first of all, you want to talk about water. Everyone in your house should have at least a gallon of water to two gallons of water per person, per day.

WILLIS: And meds.

FOWLER: Meds, yes. You want to make sure that those medications stay up to date. You don't want to have medication in there for two years if there's no disaster, and then when it's time to use them, they're outdated.

WILLIS: That means I'm going have to check this kit, like, at least every year, right, and make sure everything's updated?

FOWLER: Every six months. Another thing that's not bad to put in there, believe it or not, is a whistle, like this one.

WILLIS: Why would you want a whistle?

FOWLER: Well you could be stranded there and you want to alert emergency responders to where you are, and something like a whistle would be able to gain their attention.

WILLIS: That could have helped a lot of people in Katrina, after Katrina,...

FOWLER: Sure, sure.

WILLIS: ... because people died because nobody knew they were in their houses.

FOWLER: Exactly.

WILLIS: Good idea.

So, Kevin, what do you have?

FOWLER: Flashlights.

WILLIS: Four?

FOWLER: At least four, if you have a family of four. If you have a family of five, then five. WILLIS: So one per person.

FOWLER: Sure, you don't know how long you'll be without power and you might need that light.

WILLIS: And you need batteries.

FOWLER: Plenty of them.

WILLIS: We're going to have to get a lot of batteries, right?

FOWLER: Yes.

In your kit you should have a radio, because you won't have power, and one that runs on batteries. A TV, perhaps, to keep you abreast of what's going on with the hurricane.

WILLIS: So, I can imagine that after you've been out of power for a few days, you might be wondering how you're going to eat?

FOWLER: Correct. Yes.

WILLIS: So what do you do?

FOWLER: Get a grill. Get a grill and get some charcoal and some lighter fluid. And if not that, a propane grill. Because if you have a natural gas grill,...

WILLIS: Yes.

FOWLER: ... you might be out of luck. Or you might lose electricity if you have an electric stove at home, so a grill is not a bad option.

WILLIS: OK. So we'll be eating well at the very least. OK.

FOWLER: Yes.

WILLIS: So, Kevin, in the southeast, they all have these shutters they put on their houses that protects their windows. But I don't have that here in the northeast and I have a ton of windows. What can I do to protect them?

FOWLER: Well the next best option is plywood. And what we recommend is at least a 1/2-inch to 5/8-inch thickness of the plywood.

WILLIS: That's thick. OK, well let's get some of this stuff down. Let me put my gloves on. So this would be some good protection maybe for the furniture from water?

FOWLER: That's great. And also if you were to lose some roof tiles during the storm, it's a good temporary fix that keeps the moisture out of your house.

WILLIS: So, Kevin, I want to get a generator.

FOWLER: Not a bad idea, but there are some things you should be aware of safety-wise.

WILLIS: Well, like what?

FOWLER: Well, first of all, I wouldn't attempt to hook up a generator to your entire service, electric service at home. That could be very dangerous. And you should only do that with an electrician, a licensed electrician.

WILLIS: Well, any other safety considerations, because that seems pretty easy to avoid?

FOWLER: One of the things that we're really concerned about is carbon monoxide poisoning. We should never bring one of these generators into your home.

WILLIS: So, Kevin, I think we have got everything we wanted.

FOWLER: I think we're set.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: This list is very important and quite long. In case you missed it, you can find it any time on our Web site, CNN.com/openhouse.

And, as always, if you have an idea for a "Weekend Project," send us an e-mail at OpenHouse@CNN.com.

Coming up on this special edition of OPEN HOUSE, how to prepare your pets for storms and hurricanes.

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

A huge terrorism sweep in Canada. Police arrest at least 10 people in the Toronto area. A news conference is coming up at the top of the hour. We will bring it to you live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Don't forget to include Fido and Fluffy in your hurricane and storm preparation plans. Since evacuation shelters generally don't allow pets, you'll need to make arrangements in advance. Make a list of veterinarians and animal boarding facilities that can take your pet. Many hotels and motels accept animals, too.

Your pets should be wearing up-to-date identification at all times and include your phone number and the number of someone outside the area. If you have to evacuate, tape the location of the shelter you're going to on the back of your pet's I.D. tag.

And finally, make sure you have a sturdy cage or carrier available so you can transport your pets safely.

We want to hear from you. Send us your comments or questions to OpenHouse@CNN.com. And you'll find more on today's guests and topics on our Web site, CNN.com/open house.

Of course hurricanes and severe weather are no laughing matter. Stay with CNN, your hurricane headquarters, for the most complete coverage of the 2006 hurricane season.

As always, we thank you for spending part of your Saturday with us. OPEN HOUSE will be back next week.

Don't go anywhere. Your top stories are next on "CNN SATURDAY." Have a great weekend.

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