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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Hurricane Helene About To Slam Into Florida; Cat 4 Hurricane Helene Packing Winds Up To 140 MPH; Marine Deputies Perform Boat Rescue In Fort Myers Beach. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired September 26, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: --because when it started to move quickly, and it's swinging 20, 25 miles per hour, when it does that, now all of the sudden, it has momentum, it doesn't wobble anymore. It's not doing two or three back-and-forth. It has its eye and the arm right here, Bend of Florida.
And as it comes, right on by it's probably very, very close to Saint Marks. And I hope there's no one left in Saint Marks, right now, because I've been in that town, in Ivan, and there was a dozen feet of surge, and it was really bad.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Yes.
MYERS: And if we're going to get 20 feet of surge, that's going to be worse.
COOPER: Chad Myers, thank you.
CNN's coverage of Hurricane Helene continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now. I'll see you, tomorrow.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Good evening. I'm Kaitlan Collins. This is THE SOURCE.
Hurricane Helene is about to slam into Florida, tonight, expected to make landfall, in just a couple of hours from now. It's now an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, and winds are now up to a 140 miles per hour.
If it stays this strong, it will be the strongest storm to ever make landfall, in Florida's Big Bend region. That's the area that we're keeping a close eye on, this hour. More than half a million people there have already lost power. And forecasters are predicting, tonight, that the storm surge, in some areas, could be, quote, unsurvivable, reaching as high as 20 feet.
Surges and high winds were already the reason for the closures of several major bridges in the Tampa area that we saw, tonight. Officials there are telling residents to shelter in place, that it is going to get worse, and don't go outside.
Emergency Managers in one Florida county are being so blunt with their warnings, for those who are in low-lying areas and did not evacuate. They are telling them to write your name and date of birth on your arms or legs, so if needed, you can be identified and your family can be notified. That is how dire the situation is, as we come on the air, tonight.
We're monitoring it all very closely. We have reporters covering every angle of this.
CNN's Derek Van Dam is joining us live from Apalachicola.
Derek, just tell us, obviously you've been there all day, tracking this as the winds are picking up. Tell us what you're seeing right now on the ground.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Kaitlan, this is the most intense rain bands and wind that we've experienced so far, with the approach of Hurricane Helene. And we know that it's only going to go downhill from here, as we remain on the western side of this.
I want to look directly into the camera. Franklin County, where I'm located, is under a mandatory evacuation. So are so many other counties that line the Big Bend of Florida.
If you chose not to evacuate, now is not the time to get out and try to move out of harm's way. You have missed that opportunity. The storm is too close. The conditions are too dangerous. And it is going to go downhill with a vengeance and at pace.
And the reason I say that is because we can see, let's say, buoys in the Gulf of Mexico, about 100 miles offshore from where we're located, with winds that have already topped a 107 miles per hour. There have been waves measured at 26 feet, on the western side of this storm.
And that means that surge is getting pushed up with the strong winds that have moved over the shallow water, the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, that's sitting just over my right-hand shoulder.
A 140 mile per hour winds. That is a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson. That is the potential to bring catastrophic damage. Think about what that can do. That will peel back the roof off of a house. That will topple some sturdy structures. That will also take down power poles and snap trees like they were twigs. So, this is something that people need to be prepared for, as the storm makes its final approach.
Every once in a while, we get some of those stronger bands that come through. And John Berman and I have been talking about this on air for the past couple of hours. It almost feels like a power washer is being taken directly to your body, it just stings every time it hits your opened, exposed skin.
But this is the reason, Kaitlan, why people were asked to evacuate this area, because they knew that this most intense part of the storm was going to approach, in the darkness of night, and it is going to be an incredibly devastating next 12 hours here, across the Big Bend, as this major hurricane makes landfall.
COLLINS: Well, and Derek, we heard from the Franklin County Sheriff, earlier, saying most of the roads were already underwater.
Have you seen anyone, who is trying to make a last-minute evacuation? What have you seen, as far as people being out?
VAN DAM: Kaitlan, we noticed people, onlookers that traversed some of the roads here, in Apalachicola, earlier today, kind of checking out the conditions. Of course, now is the time that they need to move into the interior of their home, away from windows.
[21:05:00]
This is the same advice I'm giving my family, who are several hundred miles inland, in Atlanta, Georgia, this is the time now to bunker down and prepare for the worst of this storm, because it's only going to get worse before it gets better.
This storm means business, Kaitlan. And we're feeling the impacts of it here. Even though we're going to be on the western side. The most extreme winds are really going to impact this Big Bend, and then move quickly inland as well.
COLLINS: Yes. All right, Derek Van Dam, stay safe and stand by. We'll come back to you, and check in with you throughout the hour.
I also want to go now to CNN's Carlos Suarez, who is in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Carlos, obviously, you've been dodging a lot of this, as you're seeing the worst effects of this. What are you seeing, right now, in St. Petersburg?
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kaitlan, so we are in Pinellas County, which has effectively been cut off from the mainland.
That's because several bridges that connect Pinellas County over to Hillsborough County, which is the Tampa area, as well as Bradenton to the south, they have been closed because of the strong winds and all of the flooding associated with the storm.
In fact, with this hurricane, to the north of where we are right now, at this hour, you can still see all of this water being pushed in, from the Gulf as well as the Tampa Bay. All of this is associated with that hurricane.
We're talking about at least four feet of storm surge, earlier today. And we're told, our meteorologists tell us that we could be getting anywhere between three to four more feet of storm surge. Again, all of this is taking place with the storm effectively having passed Pinellas County, and not hit the area directly.
Now, here in St. Pete, much of the neighborhood that we've been driving around is without power.
And we're at a marina, where the damage is quite evident here. You can see a portion of the dock, a portion of the sea wall here, was cut in half, it was broken apart, in this afternoon's strong winds and the storm surge and all of that water that just continues to rush in. It's been pushed up against this, what's left of that seawall here.
It's really dark out, so you really can't see far from where we are. But all of that side is underwater. It's filled with debris. We've got buoys from some of these boats that have all pushed up along shore here.
We're being told that a lot of this water, really, is not going to recede until about 5 or 6 o'clock, tomorrow morning.
And if the folks that live, in Pinellas County, think that they're really done with this storm surge? Here's a fun fact. High tide is not going to kick in until about midnight, or 01:00 in the morning, which means that the water levels that we're seeing not just here, but over in Gulfport, which is about 15 to 20 minutes to the south and the west, that water is only going to get higher.
Because you've got high tide coming in, around midnight, 01:00 in the morning, and then it's not really going to go back down until about 05:00 in the morning or 06:00 in the morning.
So, for folks that decided to stay put, in this evacuation zone? Well, chances are you're not going anywhere. You're probably in the dark. And once you wake up, tomorrow morning, then you're really going to get a sense of such of the -- a part of the cleanup effort.
And then, we've still got to see just when these bridges might reopen. Because again, right now, if you live in Pinellas County, you cannot get out to Hillsborough County, which is home to Tampa, and you can't get down to Bradenton.
Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Yes, not very much of a fun fact. Hope everyone there is staying safe.
Carlos Suarez, we'll continue to check in with you as well.
John Mills from FEMA is here, joining us now.
And it's great to have you, John. I know you're very busy, tonight. So, thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
I just want to, first, get your reaction to the update that we're seeing that in the last 24 hours, this storm has gone from being a Category 1 to now a Category 4, with a 140 mile per hour winds that we're seeing in the update that we just got, moments ago.
What can you tell us about the latest that you're seeing?
JOHN MILLS, FEMA SPOKESPERSON: Kaitlan, this is a very large storm. This is going to be a catastrophic storm, in some areas. This is potentially an historic storm that's about to make landfall in Florida.
COLLINS: What's the biggest concern you have as of this 09:00 p.m. hour? MILLS: Because of the very serious situation here, we already have Incident Management Assistance Teams deployed all across the likely path of this storm. We have teams, right now, in Florida, Georgia, Alabama. We have staff here in North Carolina, where I am, South Carolina. And we're closely monitoring the progress of the storm, and potential impacts in even more states.
Along this path, you could see very serious impacts, not only in Florida, but all the way up throughout Georgia, including places like Albany and Columbus and Macon. Even the very large city of Atlanta, could see various serious impacts.
[21:10:00]
Here in North Carolina, the state is very concerned about potentially historic record flooding, in the foothills and mountains, in the western part of the state. Think about the Asheville, North Carolina area. Such a picturesque and wonderful community there, now facing some potentially historic record and life-threatening flooding, just in the coming hours, in the next, say, 24 to 36 to 48 hours, as we watch the path of this storm.
COLLINS: And are they prepared for that right now, John?
MILLS: So, FEMA has commodities. Our warehouses are stocked and ready. We've deployed power restoration teams.
We have Urban Search and Rescue Teams, deployed across the possibly affected areas. They're going to supplement the work of the states and local first responders, to conduct search and rescue operations, as needed.
We also have Health and Medical Assessment teams, ready to go to work. And we have personnel deployed, across the entire Southeast United States, that can move at a moment's notice, depending on which states asked for help.
COLLINS: Yes, so you're kind of watching it, to see which states need your help the most.
But John, as I was looking at this, as landfall is happening, in the next few hours, people are starting to go to bed, usually, right around now. So, I just wonder, what's your message to people, who are worried about this is -- a lot of this is happening, when it's dark outside, and the progression that this storm is having, during throughout the night.
MILLS: And that's what makes this storm particularly dangerous, because so many severe impacts are going to happen in the overnight hours.
We are really encouraging people to listen to their state officials, and listen to their local officials. If local officials issue evacuation orders, we're strongly encouraging people to heed those evacuation orders, follow the requests of local officials. If roads are closed, and there's really any amount of water, over those roads, do not drive through that water. We've already seen some of that in Florida. We've already seen some of that in North Carolina. People driving through floodwaters. And that's how you can lose your life. Historically, in these storms, water, flood water can kill more people than the wind of a devastating hurricane.
COLLINS: Is water your biggest concern? Because I do think some people think, Well, maybe I'm not in the path of the wind as much anymore, or that part of it has passed us.
But when you're seeing what we were just seeing in St. Petersburg. I was reading earlier that the storm surge is predicted. It could get up to 20 feet in the Big Bend. Obviously, when Katrina, one of the deadliest storms to ever make land in the U.S., there was about a 28- foot storm surge.
So, what's your concern level there?
MILLS: Some of these storm surge forecasts are very concerning. I was in Fort Myers, Florida after Hurricane Ian. The water in some places in Florida, for Helene, are forecast potentially to go even higher than that, possibly 15 to 20 feet, in some of these areas.
But also, keep in mind the size of this storm. As you follow the path, you may have significant impacts, serious flooding, tornadoes, strong gusting winds, far away from the center of this storm. So, that's something people should pay very close attention to. In some places, unfortunately, it may be too late, for people to evacuate. In some areas you may still have time.
So, that's why we're really encouraging people, in any of these affected communities that have the potential to be affected, to listen to the instructions of their local officials, their local emergency management officials, local first responders, people who are giving you that very local information, about steps you need to take. Listen to what they're telling you to do now.
COLLINS: Yes, heed those warnings.
John Mills, thank you. I know you're busy. I really appreciate you taking the time to join us tonight.
MILLS: Thanks for having me.
COLLINS: I want to go to CNN's John Berman, who is in Tallahassee, for CNN, right now.
John, we just learned that Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, is going to -- going to be holding a press conference to give an update. Tell us what you're saying, on the ground, in Tallahassee, where you are.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is interesting, because the Florida governor is based here, of course, in the capital, Tallahassee.
Tallahassee could get a direct hit, from this hurricane, in a few hours. And Tallahassee, in the last 20, 30, 40 years, hasn't suffered from sustained hurricane force winds. Almost certain to happen, tonight.
We've had gusts here of 35, I would say 40 miles an hour. There was one, just before you came to me, Kaitlan, that kind of pushed me off my feet a little bit. You know, I'm a big guy, 6'4", 220. So that wind, very powerful, or starting to get more and more powerful. And the rain bands are beginning to move through.
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The real concern here in Tallahassee, not the storm surge. That's going to happen some 20, 25 miles south of here. Serious, very serious there.
Here, it really is the wind and the rain, because of the tree canopy here, these beautiful live oaks that line Tallahassee that are -- Tallahassee is famous for. They're expecting thousands, thousands of trees to come down, hundreds of road closures. Power could be out for some time here.
And the ground is just saturated. It's been raining here for the last few days. And they could get six to 10 inches more of rain, as this storm passes through, putting even more trees down.
Everyone's been told to go home, right now. If you're out and about, in the town, tonight? Not a good idea. Get into your house, because it is going to be a long, long night here. This city of some 200,000 people, most I think stayed or stayed around, they're just trying to be as safe as they can.
Florida State, I know you're a college football fan, Florida State University, the football team, they got out and got to Jacksonville, so they can fly to their game. I think they're going to SMU, in Dallas. But they need to get out of here, so they can get to there. And FSU, the campus, the students have been removed from their dorms, and put into a local shelter to ride this out.
But as I said, Tallahassee has not been through something like this. And they're hoping, they're hoping it's not too bad when they wake up tomorrow.
But again, it's picking up. It's going to be a long, long night, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Yes, and who knows how long those power outages can last.
John Berman, you are 6'4", 220. But please be careful. And we're going to continue--
BERMAN: Yes. I will.
COLLINS: --to check in with you, as you are on the ground.
John Berman, doing the Lord's work down there. We do have breaking coverage that is continuing, right now. I'm going to be joined next by a mom, who rode out Hurricane Idalia, last year, while she was pregnant. She is now choosing to ride out this storm as well, with her Hurricane baby, her husband, her other children, saying that tonight they are prepared for the worst. That's next.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Back now with our breaking news coverage. As we are covering Hurricane Helene. This is what the eye of Helene looks like, right now, from space. You can see the intense lightning strikes around the eyewall there.
And this is new video that was just posted, from Hurricane Hunters, showing a flyby as of course, you can tell, from watching this, that storm is fast-approaching, tonight. We are waiting for it to make landfall.
Joining me now is Jules Carl, who is with her family in Florida. She rode out Hurricane Idalia, last year, while she was pregnant. And she is now riding it out, tonight, with her 1-year-old baby.
Obviously, we are watching all of this very closely, as officials there have been very worried about people who stayed on the ground.
We're actually working to make sure we have Jules' connection. So, stand by as we'll speak with her in a moment.
As we're tracking all of this. You can see this storm moving very closely into the Big Bend area. That is exactly where Steinhatchee is. It is in Taylor County, right there. That's an area that we're watching very closely, tonight. As we wait to get Jules on the line with us.
I do want to go to CNN's Derek Van Dam, because there is now an extreme wind warning that is in place, for exactly along where these areas are in Steinhatchee. That is in the Big Bend area.
Derek Van Dam, what can you tell us about this extreme wind warning, and what it means now for people who did choose to stay behind, like Jules?
VAN DAM: All right. So, Kaitlan, these extreme wind warnings are reserved by the National Weather Service, to only issue them at the most important moments, the most extreme moments for the approach of a storm of this magnitude. They really reserve them, because the verbiage talks about how you need to treat this like an extreme wind, as if a tornado was approaching your area.
So, what do you do when the tornado comes knocking on your door? You go to the interior of your home, away from windows. You protect yourself by putting blankets, perhaps even bedding over top of you. You need to take action to protect your life and the life of your others in your home with you. Now, the safest place that they're talking about, during this extreme wind warning is in a reinforced interior. That's maybe perhaps under a table, if that's not a possibility.
So, this extreme wind warning, again, it's reserved for these most extreme moments. And that is what we anticipate to do take place, just east of Apalachicola, where I'm located, along the Big Bend.
We're feeling the brunt of tropical storm force winds that are teetering on hurricane force. But it's a miracle that we still have power. That is not the same for hundreds and thousands of people, here across the State of Florida, that will be plunged into darkness, as the most intense part of Hurricane Helene makes its way on shore, here in the coming hours.
We're really focusing in on that Taylor County area, very low-lying, susceptible area to storm surge. But the catastrophic wind threat, the potential to peel back roofs off of buildings, to topple structures, and even topple power poles and trees is real, Kaitlan.
And this storm, it's coming. And if you haven't evacuated--
COLLINS: Well, Derek.
VAN DAM: --now is the time to take shelter.
COLLINS: Can I ask you, because this warning, they're saying, treat this like a tornado warning.
[21:25:00]
I grew up in Alabama. Obviously, we had tornadoes, very regularly, during tornado season. But they're more sporadic, like it happens and then it's gone.
When it's a hurricane, and you're being told to treat it like a tornado, and it's a sustained storm? I mean, what kind of difference does that make for people who are trying to shelter in place?
VAN DAM: Well, think about a tornado that can be so erratic, you know, coming from Alabama, that they can often hop and skip and jump over properties.
Well, that's not what happens with hurricanes. I mean, if you look at the diameter of the hurricane winds that are associated with Helene, it's over a 100 miles. So, in essence, you could think of that as a low-end EF-0, or even an EF-1 hurricane -- tornado approaching, but over a 100-miles swath, right? So that's significant.
Whereas a tornado would only be a couple of hundred yards across, creating that consolidated damage path. But a hurricane of this magnitude, this size, and this intensity, will create what a tornado with similar winds would create, but over a much larger area.
My favorite hat, it's ridden out so many hurricanes. I'll get that later. All right, guys, so now -- now, as I speak, and my hat flies off the top of my head, we're starting to hear these familiar signs (ph) sounds. And just you can see some of the debris starting to flow behind me. I mean, this is -- this is what's going to increase, in severity here, in the coming hours.
And now, we need to be very mindful of what's upwind from us. And I'm seeing this building behind me, with metal roofs, and wooden pallets on the ground. These are things that can become projectiles, in the strongest of winds. We're very cognizant of that. We have the ability to get in and shelter in place, if we need to.
But this is the reason why officials here, in Franklin County, enforce this mandatory evacuation, of the entire county. And if you chose not to actually evacuate from this hurricane, it's now time to treat it as if it's an approaching tornado, and shelter in place.
Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Derek, sorry about your hat. We can replace the hat. Please stay safe, as you're out there, now.
VAN DAM: Yes, that's OK.
COLLINS: And there's this extreme wind warning that we're tracking very closely.
We'll continue to check in with Derek, and make sure he and his crew are safe, while they're on the ground.
Jules Carl is also here with me. As I just mentioned, she is sheltering in place, with her family, in Steinhatchee, Florida.
Jules, I know you rode out the last storm, pregnant, last year. You have Baby Kai now, as you're sheltering with the rest of your family.
But you hear from Derek there, saying that there is this rare extreme wind warning that is now in place exactly where you live. And they're saying, basically, to treat this like it's a tornado.
Just tell me how this is different from other storms you've seen and what you're seeing tonight.
JULES CARL, RIDING OUT THE STORM: It's funny, you mentioned it being like a tornado. Because with us originally being from Kansas, that's something we've experienced quite a bit of. And we were both originally storm-chasers, before moving to Florida, about 10 years ago.
So, we've got it set up, interior room in the house. We got a safe place for the kids. We got a closet set up for them to be in, and, of course, life jackets just in case, God forbid, the water does get up to the house. But we just recently got new hurricane straps, and had the house re-leveled and lifted above the flood levels. So, we should be safe here.
COLLINS: And, of course, as hurricane--
CARL: Or as -- as safe as possible.
COLLINS: Well those hurricane straps are what help further secure the roof to -- for wind, when they are picking up as high as they are.
I mean, does it feel different tonight, from what you're seeing outside? Can you tell the difference from the storms that you've seen in the past, in the last 10 years that you've been there?
CARL: No, not really. Not yet, anyway. The water is still doing the same thing it basically did with the last two that we rode through. Granted, we're in a more protected spot, where this house sits.
We're kind of behind a giant hill, so we don't take the full force of the wind, here at this house, thankfully, which is part of the reason we felt like we could stay. I know, like with Debby, we've even got a camper out front, and it wasn't even rocking at all during Debby.
So, it might get rough here, tonight. But I don't think that it's going to -- we're not going to blow away, not at this house anyway.
COLLINS: A lot of people who are watching are wondering, how do you make the decision whether or not to evacuate or to stay? Obviously, it's different for families. You've got pets. You've got your belongings and whatnot, that people think about.
CARL: Exactly.
COLLINS: But how do you make that decision? It's a tough one.
CARL: It's not easy. Like you said, it's tough. It's, you weigh a lot of different factors before you make the decision. And of course, my husband and I, since last Monday, have been going back and forth on whether we should be trying to get out of here, or stay.
[21:30:00]
But we feel like as big as this storm is, and with at least the knowledge that we have with storms, we'd rather be in a town, where we know our elevation, we know our weak points, with our wind and our water, and that kind of thing, and have resources. And we've got friends in town as well, which are basically like family here. This whole town is like family.
So, between that and our pets, we just felt like it would be wiser to stay, knowing our grounds here.
COLLINS: How is Baby Kai doing, tonight?
CARL: He's doing great. And he's just sitting in his bouncer, making his cooing sounds.
COLLINS: How many of your neighbors decided to stay back as well?
CARL: Actually, quite a few of them. Even ones that hadn't stayed for previous storms. And I think, again, the sheer size of this thing has part of what was the deciding factor for them.
Because most of them, even where they go, I mean, if you go inland, the wind rating on the houses and stuff is less than what it is out there, on the coast, like we're at. So it's almost like, if you try and go inland, you could be going to a building that's less -- rated for less wind, even though this thing is going to be hurricane force all the way up into Georgia.
COLLINS: And Jules, Steinhatchee, I mean, you know better than anyone else watching, it's a low-lying place. And we heard from officials there, earlier, in a--
CARL: It is, yes. There's a lot of flood plain.
COLLINS: Yes, yes, a lot of -- a lot of that.
And officials there earlier, send out a pretty scary message, saying that the people who stayed behind, they said, use a permanent marker, and write your name and your date of birth on your arm or on your leg, in case that's needed. A pretty chilling message. They didn't really have to spell it out.
I just wonder how you hear something like that?
CARL: The first time hearing that, it was absolutely terrifying. The first time I heard that was with Idalia. And of course, I was, 34 weeks pregnant at the time. And so, that was really terrifying, knowing as heavy and big as I was, it's not going to be easy to try and get away from waves or whatever. And that was really chilling at first.
But then, after making it through Idalia, and seeing where the weak spots in town and where the high water was in town, after that, I feel more comfortable with this one.
COLLINS: Jules, obviously we want you to stay safe. Baby Kai, stay safe. Everyone, the pets, everyone who's there. Please keep us updated. And obviously -- I know you said the lights were flickering earlier, as the wind was picking up. So, we're just hoping for all of you guys to stay safe.
CARL: Yes.
COLLINS: Thank you for joining me.
CARL: Thank you.
COLLINS: And we'll continue to check in with all of our reporters.
We're also going to get a live update from the National Hurricane Center ahead, as we are expecting to hear from Governor Ron DeSantis, later on, this evening.
[21:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Back to our breaking news, this hour, as we are tracking Hurricane Helene.
This is new video, tonight, of a boat rescue that happened in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Marine deputies set out to go rescue a resident, in the flooded area, who called 9-1-1, and needed that help.
Expect to see more images like this, obviously, and how this puts those emergency officials in danger, when they do have to go out and rescue people. That is something that is why you see so many of these evacuation orders coming from officials that we've seen throughout the day, from Governor DeSantis on down.
Tonight, I want to bring in Jamie Rhome, who is the Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center.
And Jamie, thank you for being here.
We're watching a boat rescue, like the one that we just saw, starting tonight.
Tell us what you're seeing. And what these emergency officials who may be having to go out and rescue people, what are they having to deal with, right now?
JAMIE RHOME, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Yes, conditions are going downhill really, really quickly, as the eyewall starts to approach the shoreline, and move ashore over the next couple of hours. And when the eye comes ashore, you're going to get the major hurricane force winds.
So you saw, or I heard you talking about, in earlier segment, we issued an excessive wind warning. What that means is it's no longer safe to flee the hurricane. You have to, at that point, shelter in place and hunker down. So, it's just getting really tough there, right at landfall.
COLLINS: So, with that extreme wind warning, that basically means, if you're like Jules, who I was just talking with, who decided to stay with her family, in Steinhatchee, you can't leave your home, at this point?
RHOME: Correct. It is completely unsafe to leave your home, at this point. You have to start sheltering in place.
So, a couple things you've got to do, you got to protect yourself from the wind. So, you got to move to the interior of the house, almost like a tornado, right? Protect yourself from the wind. And if you're in the surge zone, you got to get vertical, right? You got to get above the storm surge. So, if you got -- if you got a second floor of your home, you got to move up, or try to get up above the storm surge.
Bur fleeing your home, at this point, is just not safe.
COLLINS: Well, and we were hearing, from Jules, who was saying it's a tough call to make, whether to leave or to go. She was saying that they've made preparations that they feel are good. And that they have life jackets, for their kids, who are in the house, in case it comes to that.
Is that a situation that a family, like that, that did decide to stay, could see, tonight, where they're having to put their kids, in life jackets, because of the storm surge?
[21:40:00]
RHOME: That's never what you want to hear, in this situation. We hope and strive so hard here, at the National Hurricane Center, to give people the necessary information, the data, ahead of time, so that they can make good decisions. I'm almost stunned to hear someone say that they're going to put their children in life jackets.
COLLINS: What do you say to someone, like that, who made a bad decision, and stayed, and now doesn't know what to do next. What's your message to them, if they're watching, right now?
RHOME: They're just going to have to do everything possible, to protect themselves, for the next several hours. And they're not going to be able to call for help. Emergency Services are not going to be able to get out and to them in those conditions. So, they're just going to have to take every necessary precaution, do everything imaginable, to protect themselves, for the next several hours.
COLLINS: Jamie Rhome, it's a scary message. Thank you. You're the Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center. Thanks for taking the time, to join us, and inform us of that. It's really helpful.
I want to go now, to CNN's John Berman. He's in Tallahassee, as we just noted tonight.
John, tell us what you're seeing now that we're -- it's getting -- I mean, just even from moments ago, when we last saw you, it seems noticeably different on the ground.
BERMAN: Yes, I'm not seeing much, frankly, because the rain is coming, right into my eyes, Kaitlan.
This is a very serious band, the most powerful we've seen yet, with just this whipping, whipping rain. And the winds have picked up. You can see, sort of the winds taking the branches of these trees, all around me and pushing them down.
This is really just the beginning. I don't think the wind gusts have pushed up much higher than 45 miles per hour. And once this storm, once this hurricane, makes landfall, about 20 miles south of here, will make landfall as a Category 4, will push up here. But they're going to get winds here, wind gusts that are north of 100 miles per hour. So, three times what we're seeing now.
And you can see how powerful it is already with this, with this driving, driving rain, though, the water pooling here, and they're going to get so much more of this rain, six inches more, over the course of this very long night, which is going to be such a problem, with all these trees, these live oaks that line Tallahassee. And again, they're expecting thousands and thousands of trees to come down.
But we just saw this, this band coming in here. And this is, I think, unfortunately, Kaitlan, just a small taste of what's to come.
COLLINS: Well, and John, I was listening to Governor DeSantis, earlier, who was saying how worried you do have to be about trees coming down.
And he was saying, essentially, if you're in your home, and you start to hear limbs snapping, and he said it almost sounds like fireworks, he was saying, to treat that like a tornado, by getting into the center of your house and taking those precautions, because that is a lot of times the deaths that you see in a storm injuries. Certainly as a tree falls on a house after as much rain as wind, as you're seeing right now, in Tallahassee.
BERMAN: Yes, that was such a vivid description, wasn't it, what he was saying? Listen for the cracking of those limbs in those branches. It is such a sign that danger is on the way.
I was here, 13 months ago when Hurricane Idalia passed by, or passed through not far from here. And there really just were trees down everywhere. And you saw these giant live oaks, sitting on roofs and limbs that had crashed through windows. It's one of the dangers of living in this area, as they're getting this relentless series of storms that are passing through.
And yes, you need, if you're going to sleep tonight, you want to sleep this storm out? Do it in the center of your house. Do it away from the trees. Do it in a place that will be safe, in case one of the trees does come down, while you're sleeping. And clearly, that's what you have to watch out for here, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, a lot of people go to sleep with their tennis shoes on, because you never know what you might wake up to, in a situation like this.
John Berman, we'll continue to check back in with you.
I want to go to Jane Castor. She is the Mayor of Tampa.
And Mayor, I know you were saying earlier that Tampa was already in the throes of Hurricane Helene. Can you just tell us, give us a sense of what the conditions are like there, right now?
MAYOR JANE CASTOR, TAMPA, FLORIDA: Right. Well, we're not seeing much rain, right now. And we are still having the wind gusts, but they're not as severe as they were a couple of hours ago.
Our issue, right now, is widespread flooding from the storm surge. All of our bridges are closed. Our first responders have been called off of the streets. And we are seeing massive flooding throughout the entire region. We're also under tornado warnings, because on the bottom bands, as Helene moves into the Panhandle, we're getting those bottom bands that are coming around, and pulling massive amounts of water into the Tampa Bay region.
[21:45:00]
The saving grace for us, right now, is the fact that we only have one tide today, and low tide was a couple of hours ago, and it's rising very, very slowly. But we will see flooding, not just this evening associated with, but all the way into tomorrow evening as well.
COLLINS: OK, so the low tide, that is a bit of good news there.
But how do you deal with that dual threat, of being this worried about flooding, as you said, is your main concern, but also tornado warnings, having essentially a dual threat of both of those potentially coming your way?
CASTOR: Right. You just deal with it as it comes. We're fortunate that we aren't in the direct path of Helene. But, again, we are dealing with the storm surge and the flooding related to that.
Fortunately, the majority of our residents have either been through these types of events before, or they paid attention and heeded the warnings that we gave them, and went to higher ground, getting away from the storm surge. Again, hiding from the wind and running from the water. So, I would count ourselves fortunate, although there's going to be a lot of property damage.
COLLINS: You said first responders are off the road. How long do you think that those first responders aren't going to be able to go out right now?
CASTOR: They'll be off the road until the sustained wind gusts come down to about 40, 45 miles an hour, and they'll be able to go back out. They'll respond to calls for emergencies, throughout our community.
We have a lot of electrical outages spread out. But the electric company was working prior to the wind gusts. They're off the roads now, and (inaudible) get the (inaudible) gone.
COLLINS: OK. So, power companies are off the road. First responders are off the road. Bridges shut down. Obviously, big changes to life there, in Tampa.
Mayor, thank you so much for joining us. And obviously, please, we do hope everyone in your community stays safe tonight.
Up next. We're going to get the very latest on the forecast track. We have just learned a better estimate of when Hurricane Helene is going to make landfall. We're also expecting to hear from Florida's governor. All of that ahead after a quick break.
[21:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Back to our breaking news, tonight, as Hurricane Helene is about to make landfall, we are told, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, tonight.
We are also expecting to get an update from Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, on the conditions in his state. We last heard from him a few hours ago. We'll take that live, of course, when that happens.
Right now, I want to go to CNN's National Correspondent, Michael Yoshida.
He is in the coastal town of Steinhatchee, Florida. That is right in that Big Bend area that we have been looking at, all night. We were just talking to someone, who actually lives in Steinhatchee, and decided to stay and not evacuate.
What can you tell us about what it's looking like on the ground there, right now?
MICHAEL YOSHIDA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kaitlan.
At this point, we've really started to see those winds and rains pick up. We just lost power, in this part of town, just a few minutes ago. You see, we brought out all our lights to try and give you a sense, a visual of how things are deteriorating here, in Steinhatchee, for most of the day.
We were further down. You see those buildings in the distance. That's right along the Steinhatchee River. And that's where all the concern is with this storm surge, because that leads right out into the bay, into the Gulf. So, as Helene is making its way, towards Florida. And that's why the officials were warning about those 15, potentially 20 feet of storm surge.
You mentioned the people you spoke with, who are staying here. While we've been here, the last day and a half, we had a chance to speak with some, who were considering and deciding to ride out the storm.
Officials, a few days ago, put in that mandatory evacuation order. And it was because of the water, because of these winds and that potential loss of power.
Short time ago, we learned still hundreds have decided to stay here, in Taylor County, where Steinhatchee sits. And just conditions quickly changing and deteriorating as that storm moves closer.
COLLINS: Hundreds of people decided to stay even though there was that mandatory evacuation?
YOSHIDA: Yes, that's what Emergency Management with the Sheriff's office put out a short time ago, talking about, for those who had decided to stay, they were requesting that if you did choose to try and ride out the storm, reach out to us with information, about where you were, how many people were with you, if they did need to do those rescues, once the -- once the storm hits. So, not the news that Emergency Management or the Sheriff's office was hoping to hear.
We also know earlier today, pretty sobering message from them as well, saying, if you were one of those riding out the storm, they wanted to take a permanent marker, write your name, your date of birth, other identifying information, on your arm and leg, just in case things took a turn for the worse. So, a very sobering message from them.
And as you can see, conditions starting to go downhill here.
COLLINS: Well, and Michael, is the sense that they can tell how many people did not evacuate, because when they had sent out that message, Write your name on your arm and your date of birth, so we can identify you, if we need to, and to tell your family? They were also saying, Let us know if you didn't leave. So, if we do come, when we can get out, and the emergency officials can get out there, they know where to look, essentially.
YOSHIDA: For sure, that was the -- that was the reasoning. So, in their messaging, they're talking about how, yes, they've started to receive those emails, those messages, from those people spread out across Taylor County here, where individuals, again, decided to ride out this storm.
[21:55:00]
You talk about those first responders, the messaging from the Sheriff's office, from Emergency Management was when these conditions really started to deteriorate, and when you got to those 45 mile per hour or so sustained winds, that's when they weren't going to be able to respond. So, it's a not a great situation.
And, again, we saw the power go out, maybe five, 10 minute ago, as these winds have really ramped up, in the last half hour or 45 minutes.
COLLINS: Michael Yoshida, in Steinhatchee, Florida, please stay safe, and we'll check in with you.
I do want to see the track of Hurricane Helena, and where this is going. We have our Meteorologist, Chad Myers with us.
Chad, what can you just tell us, from what you're seeing in the Weather Center, right now?
Chad Myers, if you can hear me, go ahead, yes.
All right, we're going to make sure we have Chad's audio for a second.
I do want to see, where this is going as it is projected to make landfall. Obviously, it's being felt in many other areas as well.
We've got Mayor Bo Dorough with me. He is the Mayor of Albany, Georgia.
And Mayor, this has been a question for your community as well, given Albany is shown along the projected path.
We'll check in with Chad Myers on what that looks like.
What is your biggest concern right now?
MAYOR BO DOROUGH, ALBANY, GEORGIA: Well, obviously, the safety of our citizens is always our top priority.
We have prepared for this event. I think our citizens have been compliant with the instructions they've received. And we are ready. We've learned, over the years, that you can control what you can control. And that is being prepared for a storm event like this. And I'm convinced that we are.
COLLINS: And you've got a curfew in place. How long does that curfew go?
DOROUGH: Until 07:00 in the morning.
COLLINS: And so, is that your message, People, do not leave your house, unless it is absolutely necessary until 7 o'clock in the morning. What do you want people, to hear from you, tonight?
DOROUGH: Well, every elected official that spoke, tonight, said the same thing. Stay at home, get in the interior of your home, remain there until it passes. And that's the instructions we're providing our citizens.
We're watching, as you are, the model. It appears, there were projections that the eye of the storm would pass, right over Albany, as did Hurricane Michael. But it appears now that the path is moving somewhat to our east.
COLLINS: How much further to your east does it look like to you, right now, from what you're hearing?
DOROUGH: I don't know if it's 10 miles or 20 miles. But the Emergency Management Director has explained to me that this means the intensity, and speed of the winds will be lower than anticipated. And that means, of course, there'll probably be much less structural damages, fewer power outages. However--
COLLINS: Yes.
DOROUGH: --the amount of rainfall might be more than what was anticipated.
COLLINS: Well, and obviously that's the tricky things with these storms is maybe you think it's wind. The next thing it's the water that is actually going to be the biggest threat.
Mayor, standby for a moment.
Because I do want to go to Chad Myers, who we've gotten his audio.
Chad, you were just hearing the Mayor say he thinks that the storm is actually further east of Albany, than they were initially anticipating.
MYERS: It is.
COLLINS: What can you tell us?
MYERS: It is going to move right over our reporter, in Steinhatchee, and those families that you were talking to. So, kind of a, on the right side of the cone kind of motion, right now, heading toward Perry. Even though your gust is only 43 that will gust well over 100 miles per hour, just in the next hour.
There will be some tornadoes, tonight. All of this, every single storm here, is rotating, including the center of the storm itself, about to make landfall here, I would say, probably within the hour. Yes, we do have that high wind warning here. That is, Just take shelter. This is not a surge. This is going to be a wind like a tornado, because you're going to be in the eyewall.
One more thing that he was just talking about, the amount of rain that is still to come. We've had four to seven inches of rainfall already, not even associated with the hurricane, over the past 24 hours across the southeast, from Asheville, Charlotte, Atlanta, heavy, heavy rainfall, part of a cold front.
[22:00:00]
Well, now we're going to push all of this tropical moisture, all of this hurricane moisture, on top of it. And there is a high risk for flash flooding. And even for Macon. I've never seen this before. Hurricane warning, a 150 miles inland for Macon. That means you're going to get hurricane force winds, and higher than that for gusts. Even in Atlanta, we'll see gusts to 75 miles per hour, so far away from the coast, so far away from landfall.
There are biggest towns in here, Valdosta, Thomasville, Thomaston, all the way up toward Macon. There will be millions, I think, people, of customers without power.
COLLINS: I mean, one of the scariest things I think that can come out of your mouth is, I've never seen this before.
MYERS: No.
COLLINS: Chad Myers, obviously, I know you're going to have a long night. Please keep us updated, throughout the evening. Thank you.
MYERS: I will.
COLLINS: We'll have you standby, in the Weather Center.
MYERS: I will.
COLLINS: Thank you all for joining us this hour.
Our breaking news coverage will continue. "CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.
