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Paula Zahn Now

Americans Brace For Hurricane Dennis; London Searches For Answers

Aired July 08, 2005 - 20:00   ET

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

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. Good of you to join us tonight, as we wrap up the week here tonight.
Millions of Americans face what could be a life-and-death decision, head for shelter or weather a deadly storm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN (voice-over): The first killer hurricane of the season strikes fear in Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they make the decision to stay behind, they're pretty much going to be on their own.

ZAHN: Dennis is set to hit us hard, but where?

And London starts to search for answers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the most experienced anti-terrorist officers on this case.

ZAHN: Who's responsible and how do did they do it?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: We start tonight with a clear and present danger. It's closer than London. And, for millions of people, it's a more imminent threat than terrorists.

Right now, Hurricane Dennis, with its 125 mile-an-hour winds, is roaring across Cuba. We're going to get a report from the island in just a minute or two, but the storm is already a killer and will soon take dead aim at the U.S. The Florida Keys are one possibility and most people in Key West have already boarded up their homes and headed inland.

The wind and surf already are starting to kick up and officials are telling anyone who hasn't left by now, it's too late. They'll have to ride out the storm.

First, though, let's go to Lucia Newman, who joins us from Cuba.

Lucia, how strong is the storm right now?

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Paula, the wind here is humongous. It's just so, so strong. It's blowing stronger than I've ever felt it. And I've been through a lot of hurricanes here in Cuba.

Now, the people of Havana are bracing themselves, because their worst nightmare scenario appears about to become a reality. And that is that this tremendously powerful and destructive hurricane is predicted to plow directly through the most vulnerable part of Cuba before it makes its way out to the Gulf of Mexico. Havana is the most vulnerable part because most of the houses here, as I think you probably know -- you've been here -- haven't been repaired or received any kind of maintenance since before the 1959 revolution.

So, even during a normal storm, a lot of these buildings just collapse. Now, the eye of Hurricane Dennis is expected to pass through here in the next two hours. And authorities are warning of the likelihood of major flooding, too, along Havana's northern coast. Already, some 600,000 people have been evacuated all over the country, taken to shelters or to high areas to stay away, to get as far away from sea surges as possible.

There's already been widespread destruction. Most of the southern coast cities, like Cienfuegos, where Dennis hit earlier today, are totally cut off. There's no power. There are no communications. And there are reports of rivers overflowing. In one small town alone, 9,000 homes were totally destroyed, Paula.

So, President Fidel Castro is on television right now trying to tell people to stay calm, to stay at home. And he also told Cubans that 10 people were killed earlier today in Eastern Cuba. And that was even before the storm made landfall, Paula.

ZAHN: Lucia, the more astonishing number is that 600,000 number you just threw out, people who have already been evacuated. Given the ferocity of the storm, are those folks even safe?

NEWMAN: Most of those people were evacuated -- some of them, rather, started to be evacuated yesterday. And, as the storm passed, some of them began to go home.

But it's been moving from east to west. It's basically affected this whole island. And you have got to remember, this is the largest island in the Caribbean. There are 12 million people here. So, as it plow through all of this island, from east to west, from south to north, we're talking about a lot of people. And, as it moves, people are moved out of their homes and taken to safer areas.

But it is a monumental task. The Cubans, I much say, though, have a lot of experience doing that, getting people out of harm's way. There was a kind of a feeling of shock when President Castro announced that 10 had already died. For Cuba, that's a very, very high number -- Paula.

ZAHN: And it's a very high number given the fact the National Hurricane Center is saying at this hour that the storm has actually weakened a little bit, but the danger is still very real at this hour, isn't it?

NEWMAN: Exactly. I think people are more used to the rain. But what we're seeing here, this is almost like a dry hurricane, is what it feels like a little bit to me. We're seeing much more wind than water. And I think a lot of people just aren't as prepared to deal with that as they are with -- with -- with keeping -- you know, going to high ground, as it were.

So, from what I understand, eight of the 10 people that died were in buildings that simply collapsed because they couldn't resist the wind. The roofs blew off and they were just -- there was no way of saving them, Paula.

ZAHN: Please stay safe as you ride out the storm. We saw a shot of you a little bit earlier tonight. And, boy, those winds seem quite overpowering. Lucia Newman reporting for us from Cuba tonight.

Now, where is Dennis heading next? Let's get the very latest forecast from meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, who joins us from our weather center.

Hi, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Paula.

ZAHN: How does that map look right now?

JERAS: Well, looking pretty ugly, actually.

We heard Lucia talking about how it seems like a dry storm and rather a windy storm for her. But take a look. Here's Havana up here. Here's the center of the storm. You can see most of the wetness is still on the back side of the storm. They're still on the leading edge of this thing. And conditions are going to be getting worse in Havana over the next several hours and the flood threat will continue as we head into the overnight hours for tonight and even into tomorrow.

In fact, many locations, into western and central parts of Cuba, could see well over a foot of rainfall from this storm. It's continuing to track up to the west-northwest about 15 miles per hour, still packing winds of 125 miles per hour. So, that makes it a Category 3 storm. It was a Category 4 earlier.

We'll tell you the difference in just a minute. I want to talk about that forecast track, because, tonight, the hurricane will be moving back over open water. And while it has weakened now, it's done so because it's moved over land. As it moves back over the water, that warm water, into the Gulf of Mexico, that's the heat engine. That's what provides the energy for this thing, so more strengthening will be expected.

The official forecast still has it as a Category 3 storm as it makes landfall, but don't be surprised if we see this pushing back into the Category 4 strength once again, likely sometime in the afternoon on Sunday. If it hits a little eastward, it is going to be later -- or earlier, rather. And if it hits a little farther westward, it will be later. So, really, everybody in this area along the Gulf Coast needs to be on high alert, not to mention all of those folks in the Florida Keys.

You guys are under a hurricane warning at this time from the Seven Mile Bridge on westward, with hurricane watch extending on up towards Ocean Reef and then from the Pearl River, extending on the way to the Steinhatchee River. That is where we have the hurricane watch in effect, which means hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours.

Let's get back to that Category 3 stuff, winds at 111 to 130 miles per hour, storm surge of about nine to 12 feet. And this will damage small homes. Low-lying areas, escape routes are going to be cut of hours before this thing already hits. We heard about the Keys, that it's too late for you guys to get out. But it's not too late for you to continue your preparations along the Gulf Coast. You want to do that. You've got time.

You have got tonight. You've got tomorrow. But, Sunday, forget about it, as the storm gets a little bit closer and makes landfall. Seeing some heavy showers and thunderstorms over South Florida. Here, you can see a tornado watch in effect. That lasts until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Hurricanes, especially as they move in the Gulf of Mexico, have a real good probability of producing some tornadoes.

So far, we haven't seen any of that. Our primary concerns right now have been tropical storm force winds across the Florida Keys, even into South Florida. Miami, last hour, you had a 50-mile-per-hour gust. We have got 40-mile-per-hour gusts all across the Keys right now. Storm surges throughout the Keys expected to be somewhere between about three and six feet. However, if it deviates from that track and moves a little bit more off to the east, we'll be real concerned about the Keys.

So, we'll be watching this very closely now as it continues to move over Cuba and heads back into the open waters for tonight -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jacqui, I guess whether the storm deviates from the path or not, the bottom line is, most of the people who will be subjected to its wrath are people who have confronted this time and time again. I feel so sorry for them.

JERAS: Yes. They really have.

And, you know, we just had Cindy, too, by the way, make landfall along the Gulf Coast. And keep in mind that that area is very saturated from all the rain from Cindy. So, flooding will be a big concern as Dennis makes its way inland, too.

ZAHN: Well, we wish them luck and hope they're paying attention to these warning to clear out, if they need be.

Jacqui Jeras, thanks so much for the update. We'll be checking back with you a little bit later on tonight.

Now let's go to one of the likely targets if the storm stays on course, Pensacola, Florida.

And that's exactly where we find Randi Kaye at this hour.

Randi, are people beginning to heed this warning?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are, Paula.

I'm standing right here on Pensacola Beach. There is the Gulf of Mexico right there behind me. You may recall that Hurricane Ivan hit this area pretty hard back in September. And we are expected to get hit hard here again. Even just flying in today, you can still see much of the damage that Ivan left behind. You could see boats on their sides in the wetlands and plenty of blue tarps still on the rooftops.

We just learned they're actually closing this beach at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. We have to evacuate this area by 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, which is especially frustrating for some families here, including the Marshburns (ph), who have been in and out of their homes dozens of times with each passing storm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (voice-over): Debbie (ph) and Ronnie Marshburn (ph) just moved back into their Pensacola home a few months ago. Hurricane Ivan's power pushed them out last September.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first, we only had one sink in the house and one bath -- one commode. And then we finally got that other sink in the hall hooked up.

KAYE: Last month, when Tropical Storm Arlene was about to (INAUDIBLE) the Marshburns told CNN they were staying put. This time, with Hurricane Dennis threatening to slam Pensacola again, they aren't take any chances.

Their most precious belongings will be stored in the attic, the very attic Debbie and Ronnie and their grandkids took shelter in during Ivan.

(on camera): What do you remember feeling when you were in the attic?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just unbelievable. You just -- we didn't know. We had no idea, are we going to drown? We didn't know if the water was going to stop coming up. I mean, we sat in our attic with the stairs down and our life jackets with flashlights on our garage windows watching that water slowly inch up.

KAYE (voice-over): And there are still nightmares. Ronnie dreams about sharks and snakes swimming through his home.

(on camera): So, have you had enough? Is that why, this time, you said there's no way we're sticking around for Dennis? Is it enough, finally? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's enough. We have learned. We have had hurricane 101. We've learned about hurricanes. And although we've lived here all of our lives, we have never experienced a hurricane like Hurricane Ivan. Well, Pensacola has never been hit by a hurricane like Ivan. And so we don't want to take that chance with our lives ever again.

KAYE (voice-over): Leaving home behind is not an easy choice. Just last night, Debbie and Ronnie ate their first meal at home in 10 months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We ate right here at our new bar. And I cooked our meal in our new kitchen.

KAYE: With four feet of water in their house, the kitchen was destroyed, the cabinets gone, the countertop ruined.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we still have -- the trim carpenter has to come back and put the -- a trim wood edging around -- all the way around our countertops. He also has to put our microhood in. And he has to finish putting the oven in. And we have to kind of, you know, put the pieces down at the bottom.

KAYE (on camera): Are you sure you want an oven again?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I have been waiting for this new -- I had a nice stove before, but, oh, I'm just so glad to get this nice oven. And it's just a dream. So, maybe it will still be here when I come back.

KAYE: You know, what's concerning is, when you look around your neighborhood, there's still a lot of debris that hasn't been picked up.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's frightening, isn't it?

KAYE: And what is going to happen with that when Dennis rolls through, if he does?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we're so scared it's going to become missiles.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had a big pile. But my husband -- we've really worked on getting our debris up because of this very reason. And -- but some of the people have gotten so much, that they just can't take it in truckloads to the dump.

KAYE: To come home to your home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is -- it is so nice. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We really love our home. And we've been very happy since we've been here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: They only had hurricane insurance, which did not cover the flooding in their home. And Debbie and Ronnie told me today that they had to spend their life savings repairing their home.

And, Paula, there is still so much work that needs to be done here. The Pensacola Bay Bridge, which connects Pensacola Beach to the mainland, was just repaired in January, but these are only temporary repairs. And the folks here fear that that bridge and those temporary repairs will not hold up to Hurricane Dennis.

Also, many people here are still living in FEMA homes. They're not in their permanent homes. And also, just driving around, you see that there's still much debris that still needs to be cleaned up from Hurricane Ivan. So, when you combine that debris with the heavy winds expected from Hurricane Dennis, that could be very, very dangerous -- Paula.

ZAHN: So, all we can do is hope and pray that that area is spared. Hopefully, the storm will lose some strength.

I'll tell you, looking at your staggeringly beautiful shot of the sunset, it's so surreal to me, having been through many hurricanes. It really indeed is that calm before the storm.

KAYE: And it's especially quiet here. You just sort of feel that everybody's expecting something. Even though some folks are in the water and along the beach here, you just know something bad is coming.

ZAHN: Well, good luck to you all. Thanks, Randi, so much for bring that story to us tonight.

KAYE: Thank you.

ZAHN: This is too much deja vu for a lot of Florida residents. They still are recovering from what Randi was talking about, the year 2004, which in fact was the costliest hurricane season on record.

First, Charley hit on August 13, with sustained wins of 150 miles an hour. Then Frances hit Florida twice, the East Coast on September 5, and then the Panhandle the next day. And then Ivan hit Gulf Shores, Alabama, as well as Florida's Panhandle on September 16. Finally, Jeanne came ashore on September 25.

And all four storms are blamed for more than 3,200 deaths in the U.S. and the Caribbean and $45 billion in damage.

Just ahead, we change our focus. We go straight to London for the latest developments in the terror bombings there, how investigators hope to track down the bombers and amazing tales of survival. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUSTAFA KURTULDU, BLAST SURVIVOR: There was glass everywhere. It was like the carriage was gutted. And there was someone lying on the floor, alive or dead I don't know,

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: So, what does it feel like to cheat death?

Plus, men with machine guns, how many were there on your train this morning and who were they? Stay with us for some answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Back to our coverage now on the terror in London.

There is a strong probability that whoever is responsible for the London bombings is still at large in Britain or elsewhere in Europe. Investigators think yesterday's four explosions were not caused by suicide bombers, but by explosives that were left on three trains and a bus. The attacks killed at least 50 people, wounded 700.

And, as Matthew Chance shows us, solving this mystery is a lot like finding four needles in a haystack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): London is a city under watch, blanketed by nearly 2,000 security cameras -- every train station, every street corner, it seems, routinely videotaped. Now, every face is a suspect.

Finding the bombers will be a painstaking search, but thousands of hours of these images are being closely examined, say police, to find and prosecute those responsible.

ANDY HAYMAN, LONDON METRO POLICE: We have the most experienced anti-terrorist officers on this case, and we have the best community here in London to help work with us to achieve that aim.

CHANCE: But with multiple bomb sites, three trains and a bus, this will be a complex and lengthy investigation. So far, only a few fragments have emerged from the chaos. Police say initial forensic evidence suggests each of the four bombs contained less than 10 pounds of explosives, small enough to be carried in a backpack. They also believe the devices were placed on the floors or the seats of the trains and the bus, but there is no evidence so far, they say, of a suicide bomber, or of who carried out the well-planned and coordinated attacks.

IAN BLAIR, LONDON METRO POLICE COMMISSIONER: There is, likely, it would still be a cell. Whether these people are still in the United Kingdom is a question, and we will remain vigilant. We must remain vigilant. This is a national issue. It's not just for London and the Metropolitan Police Service. CHANCE: And the specter of this man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has been raised, not by the British police, but by a U.S. intelligence official to CNN. At this point, it's still just speculation, but Iraq's most prominent insurgent may be extending his reach, says one U.S. official, into Europe.

Terrorism analysts say the forensic search will now focus on how the bombs were made and what that says about who made them.

PAUL SLAUGHTER, TERRORISM ANALYST: What they're looking for is the evidence to actually put it on individuals, whether it's one person or two or three people. So, they'll be going through all the devices, trying to find out the fingerprint of the actual bomb makers. And once they've got that, then hopefully there will be sufficient evidence to try and trace them, and then to prosecute them.

CHANCE: But in the end, the best intelligence, say police, will come from the general public. Information on suspicious activity and tips that may help bring the London bombers to justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And we certainly hope those tips materialize. Matthew Chance reporting for us.

There were far fewer people than usual on London's trains and buses today, as you might imagine. Service was also limited. A lot of Londoners coped by simply take date off, but not Richard Quest. He's still on the job. He joins us now from King's Cross station, site of the second bombing. We do know it's about the 1:00 in the morning there.

But describe to us how you thought the city reacted to yesterday's sheer terror.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the simple answer is, it reacted with typical British stoicism. There was just a feeling of, it had been expected, it had happened and we had to get on with everyday life.

Tonight, Paula, you're quite right. It is just coming up to 20 past 1:00. King's Cross, because of the number of subway trains and communications here, this would normally have been packed with people tonight on their way home from bars and from clubs. The taxi driver that brought me here, people I've been talking to say things are much quieter.

People are out and about, but there's not the same, if you like, spirit in the city. And that's probably quite understandable. Paula, I want to show you the morning newspapers, because you're seeing them, if you like, several hours before the British people will even see them. This will be horribly familiar to those in New York and from 9/11.

One of the British papers has a front page of those who are still missing, unaccounted for from the explosions yesterday. But this one, "The Daily Express," shows, perhaps, the mood of the British people, the bomb in Tavistock Square with the bus, but the words couldn't be more graphic. That is summing up how British people are feeling.

And, Paula, look at this, her majesty the queen very quick off the mark to visit those people in hospital. And ,as the queen said, they'll not change the way of life in Britain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, ENGLAND: Sadly, we in Britain have been all too familiar with acts of terror. The members of my generation, especially at this end of London, know that we have been here before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: And an irony in that, Paula, that the capital is actually being thronged with thousands of veterans in London for the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day from the Second World War.

ZAHN: I guess that's why the response has been so interesting to me, because this is a city that hasn't been immune to carnage, World War II during the Blitz, of course, and then the constant barrage of IRA attacks.

And let's talk a little bit about the British public's reaction to the emergency response. I think back to 9/11 here and there was a lot of second-guessing that took place, that perhaps we just -- well, not perhaps, that we weren't proactive enough. What are folks saying there?

QUEST: Exactly the same thing. Had the threat level been reduced in recent weeks? Were the police on top of, if you like, the preparations, the investigation beforehand, the preparatory measures, if you like.

One thing is clear, though. The way they responded once it had happened, that has seemed to be exemplary. They had prepared. They had planned. They had practiced. Now, they didn't know where it was going to happen, but when it did happen, there was no chaos. There was no panic. And that's something that can be taken from the events of yesterday. But in terms of how did it happen, why was there not enough information, Paula, there will be investigations about that, because, frankly, that remains the crucial question.

ZAHN: Well, I know it wouldn't take long for that headline to reign supreme: "Go to Hell." That was very much the sentiment here after September 11.

Richard Quest, thank you so much for the update.

Just ahead, their morning commute became a nightmare, gripping tales of survival from the London attacks when our coverage of the London bombings continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Welcome back.

Just ahead, on their way to just another day at work, London's commuters instead found chaos, carnage and courage. We'll hear one man's amazing survival story and see the startling photos he took.

And on our "Security Watch," in the wake of attacks in Spain and England, how safe are America's trains?

But, first, at 26 minutes past the hour, time to check out the latest headlines from Erica Hill.

Hi, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Paula.

The terrorist murder of a top Egyptian official is bringing strong condemnation from the U.S.. Ihab al-Sherif was Egypt's top envoy to Iraq, kidnapped last Saturday in a Baghdad ambush. He was murdered this week. His militant Muslim kidnappers called him an enemy of God. Al-Sherif was one of two Muslim diplomats targeted last week, a new turn in Iraqi violence.

Private Lynndie England, notorious for her pictures with abused prisoners at Abu Ghraib, signed a confession, but the jury in her case will never see it. A military judge at Fort Hood, Texas, says she didn't understand her rights. After many delays, including a botched plea deal, the judge set a date in stone for her trial, September 22.

For men taking Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, a new warning tonight. The FDA has been approved a new label and warns of the possibility of sudden loss of vision for those who take the anti-impotence drugs.

And, in New York, hundreds of mourners stood in a gray drizzle today to pay their respects to singer Luther Vandross. Stevie Wonder and others sang tributes to the singer who sold more than 25 million records. Luther Vandross died last week. He was 54.

And that's the latest from Headline News -- Paula, back over to you.

ZAHN: And, boy, did he ever have a gift, didn't he?

HILL: He did. Touched so many people.

ZAHN: He did. Those lyrics spoke to a lot of us.

Erica, thanks so much. See you in about 20 minutes or so.

Just ahead, he barely escaped death on the London underground and then he grabbed his camera. What did this survivor see? His story and his pictures when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: After the day of terror, the British have a reputation for keeping a stiff upper lip. So, I want you to watch the eyes of the man in our next report. He has quite a story to tell. And if you look into his eyes, they say it all. So will the pictures he took with his cell phone.

Here's Paula Hancocks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KURTULDU: There was glass everywhere. It was like the carriage was gutted. And there was someone lying on the floor, alive or dead I don't know, male or female, I don't know. Young and female possibly. Covered in soot, wasn't moving. Whether she was dead or not, I don't know.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mustafa Kurtuldu relives a moment he will never forget.

KURTULDU: It's still like a bad dream, you know. I mean, we were coming through like out the underground station. I sort of, literally, did a walk around this complete block.

HANCOCKS: Disoriented, Mustafa was taken to hospital. It was only then, that he started to realize what had happened.

KURTULDU: I started taking pictures as soon as we got to the train. You can see this picture was just outside of the train and going down the tunnel towards Algate.

HANCOCKS: That was actually underground.

KURTULDU: That was underground in the tunnel. And you can see the train and some wreckage.

HANCOCKS: What were you thinking in that particular picture?

KURTULDU: I don't know. I just went on autopilot. I was just thinking, what's going on? And you don't really think about it, you just do it. I mean, like I said, I'm a designer. So, I mean, you're always thinking about visual stuff and seemed as a means to take my mind off of what was going on.

Walking up the platform and then walking up the stairs of the station and then, obviously, outside as well. That's when people were starting to break down and cry and stuff. And, you know, the ambulance and cars everywhere. Fire brigade. It was quite chaotic.

HANCOCKS: Mustafa says this isn't the first time he's cheated death. He survived the 1999 earthquake in Turkey where more than 17,000 lost their lives, pulled out of a collapsed three-story building by his father.

KURTULDU: It's a very similar feeling. There's a panic and shock.

HANCOCKS: Mustafa is certainly true to his name. His first name means the "Chosen One" in Arabic. His surname is Turkish for the word escaped. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And that was Paula Hancocks reporting. The last bomb that exploded yesterday in London was on a doubledecker bus in Tavistock Square, that's right outside the office of Dr. Sam Everington. He ran out immediately to help. And he joins me now from London.

Good to see you, doctor. Thanks so much for being with us tonight. What happened once you heard the blast?

DR. SAM EVERINGTON, BOMBING WITNESS & RESCUER: I knew it was a bomb straight away. And I just dashed out with a few other doctors. We were having meetings at our headquarters. And just started trying to deal with the casualties.

The whole of the back of the bus had been blown apart. And there were casualties all over the road clearly, blown right out of the bus. And it was very clear right in the beginning there were a number of people that we couldn't do anything for.

We had about ten very seriously ill casualties, about ten more with what we call walking wounded. One doctor described it later as a kind of field hospital. And that's what it felt like at the time.

ZAHN: Doctor, obviously with the kind of surgery you do, you were trained to do trauma work. Was there anything that prepared you for the scale of the injuries and casualties that you witnessed?

EVERINGTON: No. Nothing prepares you for this, because most of the time you might be in casualty and you have got lots of people to help you, you have all of the equipment. We had none of that. We just had simple sheets, very basic equipment to try and deal with this situation and had to make very quick decisions about what needed to be done to ensure that casualties had the greatest chance of survival.

ZAHN: How many lives do you think you and your team were able to save?

EVERINGTON: I have no idea. I mean -- I hope we saved lives. There's no way of telling. But all of the doctors did the best they could. And in a sense it was lucky they were doctors, but it's impossible to tell.

And when we did a debriefing yesterday afternoon as is very typical for doctors, they kept on thinking about, you know, what they could have done and could they have saved more lives. That's what was going through their minds.

ZAHN: And now that you've had some 24-hours to digest the work that you had to do, describe us to on an emotional level what's going through your mind.

EVERINGTON: It's impossible to believe how somebody can do this to ordinary people on their way to work: black, white, Muslim, all sort of religions and backgrounds. How people could do that to these people. I just can't understand. I can't even begin to understand. The other side of it was -- it was really quite fantastic how all of the doctors, all of the people at the staff at the house jumped in immediately and helped, did Anything they could to help. And that was the other side of the coin. And that made you feel quite proud, actually, to be part of a society where that's the sort of response people gave just to jump in and help and also.

And also, I mean, quite typically British, just get on with it. You know what I mean, a bit of a stiff upper lip is how I think most people would call it.

ZAHN: But it is so interesting to see how tragedies often bring out the very best in humanity. Dr. Sam Everington, I know that a lot of victims feel very grateful that you and your team were in place. Thank you for sharing your story with us tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: The driver of that bus that was bombed not only survived, he tried to help some of his passengers. George Psaradakis describes it this way. "There were many people who were trying to get on the bus at once. Suddenly there was a bang, then carnage. I tried to help the poor people. There were many injured people. And at first I thought, how am I alive when everyone is dying around me?"

Psaradakis also says he won't be intimidated by terrorists. And he intends to keep on driving a bus.

Coming up on the "Security Watch," in the wake of the attacks on the London Underground, a ride through one major American city subway to see how security has changed here.

And then there are a half million of these all over London. How they fit into the fight against terrorism. And whether they're effective at all when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: The scenes from London today, some 24-plus hours after yesterday's attacks. Makeshift memorials springing up all over the city. And for millions of people today, riding the subway was more than a matter of routine or necessity. It was a small act of defying terrorism. And here in New York there was a big, noise, in your face act of defiance. Jason Carroll watched it happen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York City Police on high alert.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody make sure you read the terrorist awareness bulletin.

CARROLL: These officers are part of what the police department calls a surge deployment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay out there until you get relieved.

CARROLL: A massive show of force.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we're deploying into the subways, We're stepping up visibility.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a cop on every train. At least a cop on every train.

CARROLL: The subway is inspector Vincent DiMarino's turf.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to be doing (INAUDIBLE), right?

CARROLL: He's in charge of pulling together counter-terrorism operations for the city's transit systems.

(on camera): So what is she doing here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's part of what we call a TOM sweep. Train order maintenance sweep. There are police officers spread out throughout the entire length of the platform. As every train pulls into the station, the officers will pop their head in, look around, make eye contact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen. We have police on the train.

CARROLL (voice-over): There are 468 subway stations in New York, 700 miles of track and more than 6,000 subway cars, carrying millions of passengers every week -- literally a city beneath the city.

(on camera): How do you try to get a handle on something like that?

VINCENT DEMARINO, NY POLICE: Of course, the main thing that we're trying to do is prevention. You know, the best terrorist incident is the one that doesn't happen. So every -- a lot of what we're doing is prevention. Get the word out, get the public, get the employees of the transit system to be our allies in this.

CARROLL (voice-over): Inspector DeMarino says improvements police have made in fighting crime also have made them better at fighting terrorism.

(on camera): But the terrorists are getting better as well, are they not? I mean, for them, it's just something as simple as walking onto a train or a platform, leaving a bag that may not look suspicious or a backpack, and walking away. And I think a lot of people wonder, how do you prevent something like that from happening?

DEMARINO: Well, I mean, I don't know if anyone is ever going to give you 100 percent assurances that we can guarantee that nothing will -- can happen.

CARROLL (voice-over): With prevention the priority, heavily- armed officers from the department's counterterrorism division are also deployed underground. They're a specially-trained unit called Hercules.

LT. CHRIS HIGGINS, NYPD: In some respects, it is a shock and awe type of deployment. It is, in fact, a psychological warfare tool as well.

CARROLL: But the sight of armed police doesn't make every subway rider feel safer.

LAUREN BARKEN, SUBWAY RIDER: You know, it probably should, but it doesn't. I think it just makes you aware that there's, you know, that there's danger, or they think that there's danger, anyway.

CARROLL: Inspector DeMarino says it's not the armed police officers people should be concerned about.

DEMARINO: A lot of what we're trying to do is to reassure the public, make them relax, and not so relaxed that they let their guard down. We should all be very vigilant.

CARROLL: In the end, he says, the public is the first line of defense.

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ZAHN: And I think we're hearing that advice loud and clear all across the country tonight. That report from Jason Carroll.

Still to come, a key tool against terrorists in London, and there are 500,000 of them, but is it really effective? Stay with us.

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ZAHN: Living in an age of terrorism requires all of us to make compromises. Longer lines, security guards, and a compromise that isn't as visible, but many people find even more disturbing. As David Ensor shows us, nowadays, you're probably being watched, and no place more so than in London.

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DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the 1980s, the IRA began a bombing campaign aimed first at the leaders of the country. They almost succeeded in killing Prime Minister Thatcher and her cabinet.

MIKE BOWRON, ASSISTANT POLICE COMMISSIONER: And then later in that day, the IRA issued a statement, which went along the lines of, "Today, you were lucky, but just remember you've got to be lucky all of the time. We only have to be lucky once." And I quietly repeat that mantra to myself every day.

ENSOR: Mike Bowron is the assistant commissioner of the City of London Police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, gents. How are we doing?

ENSOR: His force is charged with guarding Britain's economic heart, which was the IRA's target in the early 1990s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a bomb at Bishop's Gate Road. This is not a hoax.

ENSOR: The first step, make London's financial hub easier to defend. Over 100 streets leading into the city were reduced to what is now less than 20.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See if we can zoom in on it.

ENSOR: New technologies were deployed, especially closed circuit TV cameras, used first in Belfast, cameras that soon became omnipresent as both government and business bought them by the thousands.

(on camera): Walking along this street or any street in the city of London, one thing is almost certain: You're on camera. A person living and working here can expect to be filmed dozens of times each day, either by police or by privately-run surveillance cameras.

An independent closed circuit operator's group estimates that Britain has at least half a million live cameras. That's one for every 120 people.

Are there people here who regard that as an intrusion?

BOWRON: No, I think by and large the public of Britain realize that those cameras are actually discriminating against thieves, potential terrorists.

STELLA RIMINGTON, FORMER DIRECTOR, MI-5: Most people understand that these things are there to help sort of protect them against serious threats.

ENSOR (voice-over): Dame Stella Rimington was the director of MI-5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, which fights terrorism by spying on Britons far more extensively than the FBI does in the U.S.

(on camera): Where would you say the line is drawn in this country in that age-old debate between how much security you have and how much liberty you're allowed?

RIMINGTON: Yes, I think the line -- the line is moving. More of our civil liberties are being intruded on, as the government takes responsibility for trying to look after us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: The line is moving and then some. That was national security correspondent David Ensor.

This Sunday, as part of CNN's 25th anniversary, he will be reporting in an all-new documentary, "CNN PRESENTS: Winning the War on Terror." Again, that gets under way at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific. Hope you'll join us then. Right now, though, we're about 12 minutes away from "LARRY KING LIVE." Hi, Larry. Who's joining you tonight?

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Hi, Paula. We have got a panel of observers of the tragedy yesterday, a panel of experts, and a visit with Tom Ridge, the first and former secretary of homeland security. We'll also going to include viewer calls. That's all right at the top of the hour following the delightful, intelligent, resourceful and beautiful Paula Zahn. Other than that...

ZAHN: Did my mother pay you to say that, Larry?

KING: Other than that, I have no opinion of you.

ZAHN: Well, thank you. I'm grateful that you feel that way. Have a good show. We'll see you at the top of the hour, Larry.

Still to come tonight, the latest on the destructive path of Hurricane Dennis. We'll show you exactly where he's supposed to hit our country after taking a pretty good whack at Cuba. It's a very dangerous storm at this hour. We'll have the latest right after this short break.

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ZAHN: Still ahead, we're still tracking Hurricane Dennis. The latest information on the hurricane that's hit Cuba hard, now hurdling towards Florida, but first, time for the other headlines from Erica Hill of HEADLINE NEW -- Erica.

HILL: Thanks, Paula. Space Shuttle Discovery will stay on its launch pad despite the coming of Hurricane Dennis, and today NASA said the London terror attacks will not heighten security measures. NASA put restrictions on information and roads in the area after the 9/11 attacks, but not for the shuttle's return to space. It is scheduled for next Wednesday.

California has stopped issuing I.D. cards for medical marijuana users. A recent Supreme Court decision affirmed the federal government's power to prosecute pot users even in states where therapeutic use was legalized.

Meantime, in Aruba, the search continues for Natalee Holloway, but her mother apologized to the people of Aruba today. Beth Holloway Twitty has generated a protest after she criticized the Aruban legal system and called the released suspect a criminal. She says she was frustrated.

And once again, they are bullish. In Pamplona, hundreds of thrill seekers hopped down the streets in day two of the traditional running of the bulls. The good news here, no one was gored today. Amazingly, only 15 people have been killed in the last 95 years.

And that's the latest from HEADLINE NEWS. Paula, back over to you.

ZAHN: It's always amazing, Erica, thanks so much, that anybody survives the running of the bulls.

Coming up next, we'll go back to Havana, where Hurricane Dennis has hit and hit hard, now on its way to Florida.

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ZAHN: Back now with the latest on Hurricane Dennis, Cuba taking a direct hit from this very strong storm. Before we go to "LARRY KING LIVE," let's get an update from our Havana bureau chief, Lucia Newman, who has lived out probably the worst of it. Lucia, what's happening right now?

LUCIA NEWMAN, HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Paula, I can hear the winds shrieking louder and louder as the eye of the storm approaches Cuba's northwestern coast, and the city. It's supposed to exit Cuba within about an hour or two. Cubans who are known for their ingenuity, are using anything they can to protect their homes here in Havana. Headboards from their beds, slide screens, anything they can, because there are no hardware stores here to buy plywood or even a roll of tape to protect the windows.

Now, it's still too early to get a good grip on the damage so far since Dennis made landfall earlier this afternoon. We do know that there are 10 victims so far. We also know that banana crops, the television and communications towers and electricity are down in much of southern Cuba. But you may be surprised to hear that some Cubans are looking at what they see as the good side, and that is that Hurricane Dennis has at least put a damper on the drought, the worst drought they've had here in over a century, an extreme remedy for an extreme situation, Paula.

ZAHN: That's a unique way of looking at a very powerful and bad storm. Lucia Newman, hope you're safe along with the 600,000 other people who have been evacuated in Cuba. It's going to be a very long night there, and an anxious weekend all along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Let's get a quick update on the storm's track from Jacqui Jeras, who's standing by at the CNN Weather Center. Jacqui, how does it look?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Paula, it's weakened more. That's great news, down to 115 miles per hour, but don't be caught off guard, because even though it has weakened, it's just because it moved over land. And there you can see the forecast track, moving it back over the open water, and that means it will intensify again, likely becoming a major category 3 hurricane again before it makes landfall along the U.S. coastline, somewhere here along the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle, extending over towards maybe somewhere around the Mississippi River.

So still quite a bit of uncertainty.

The good news, though, is that it has weakened significantly; 115 miles per hour, so that still makes it on the low end of the category 3 hurricane. That starts at 111 miles per hour.

It slowed down just a touch, down to the northwest at 14 miles per hour. It was 15 miles per hour just two hours ago. So one mile per hour, not a whole heck of a lot, but we'll take anything that we can get at this point so that it will continue to weaken. We want it to slow over land, not for the Cubans, unfortunately, but for us. And hopefully, it will keep it down just a little bit. And further weakening is going to be likely until it makes its way back over the land.

Now, the rain has been very heavy at times across the Florida Keys already. This is live radar coming in out of Key West. You can see the heavy showers and thunderstorms across South Florida, and as some of these stronger storms move through, you can expect to see wind gusts on the range of maybe 50 to 55 miles per hour.

Rainfall amounts will also be very heavy over the next 24 hours or so. You can expect to see maybe 4 to 8 inches across the southern Keys.

At this time, the storm continues to progress on up to the north. Should be over open water, we think, through the overnight hours for tonight, and our best estimate at this time will likely be sometime in the afternoon on Sunday for this to make a U.S. landfall -- Paula.

ZAHN: A long, anxious weekend ahead. Jacqui Jeras, thank you so much for the update.

I just want to let you know all of CNN's team will be on duty throughout the weekend to keep you all posted on the track of the storm. We'd love for you to stay with us for more news on Hurricane Dennis and the London terror investigation.

Coming up, though, in just about 20 seconds, time for "LARRY KING LIVE," Larry asking a question on everyone's mind, how safe are we?

Thanks again for joining us tonight. We will be back on Monday night, with the latest on the aftermath of the hurricane and the latest on the terror investigation out of London. In spite of all that, we hope you try to have a good weekend. Good night.

END

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