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CNN Sunday Morning

Punta Gorda, Florida Tries to Recover; Tropical Storm Earl Threatens Islands in Eastern Caribbean

Aired August 15, 2004 - 07:00   ET

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

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


DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The scene Friday afternoon in Punta Gorda. 145 mile an hour winds of Hurricane Charley blasting the southwest border town.
And the scene in Punta Gorda yesterday after the storm had passed. Now the damage assessment begins. The rebuilding, as this town struggles to recover.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's August 15. Good morning. I'm Drew Griffin.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us today.

Now in the news, far out in the Atlantic, the third hurricane of the season, Danielle, is days away from any land. And it may never make landfall at all. But also out there, tropical storm Earl now threatening islands in the eastern Caribbean. Earl could become a hurricane tomorrow. And our Rob Marciano will have the details in about five minutes.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Florida for Hurricane Charley has reached 13. Four of those deaths are in Charlotte County, where Charley came ashore and slammed into the town of Punta Gorda. Search and rescue teams are combing the wreckage in Punta Gorda for victims. We head there live for an update in just over a minute.

Also, President Bush heads for Florida today to tour the areas heavily damaged by the hurricane. John Kerry sent condolences to Floridians, but said he will not go there immediately because he does not want to get in the way of those recovery efforts.

Pope John Paul says he shares their pain. The pope has joined ailing worshipers at a French shrine that's believed to heal the sick. With his voice weak and his legs shaky, he made a rare reference to his own ailment, saying his health and burden is part of God's plan. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

GRIFFIN: They took a direct hit from a Category 4 hurricane. And President Bush may meet some of those stunned survivors today. He'll tour Southwest Florida, visit the devastated town of Punta Gorda.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is there -- past three days with a live report -- Ed? ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Drew. We expect the president to tour the area, not too far away from where we're standing this morning. This is one of the main drags in the city. And you can see just what kind of devastation this hurricane has left behind in this area.

And there's the -- reconstruction and the clean-up and the coming to terms was what has happened, will continue today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): About two weeks ago, Kim and Gene Kenel started looking for a new home near Punta Gorda, Florida. They wanted to move closer to Kim's aging parents. Now they find themselves picking up the pieces around the elderly couple's home. And they wonder if they'll ever find a house here so they can be close to family.

This is the emotional aftermath of Hurricane Charley.

GENE KENEL, HURRICANE VICTIM: It's something I've never seen before in my life. This is just -- ain't no words. Ain't no words to explain it.

LAVANDERA: The bruising punishment Hurricane Charley inflicted on Florida's southwest coast has rekindled the nightmares of another hurricane. Ask almost any of the emergency team workers if they've ever seen anything like this, and the word Andrew rises from the past.

WAYNE SALLADE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIR.: It's our Andrew. It's our Andrew. It may not be, you know, to the level of Andrew, but it's damn close.

LAVANDERA: Hurricane Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history when it struck South Florida 12 years ago. While officials work on calculating the total damage caused by Hurricane Charley, victims like Jeannie Davis are still trying to calm down.

JEANNIE DAVIS, HURRICANE VICTIM: But I'm just kind of numb. I was very emotional afterwards. I could only think the worst.

LAVANDERA: Every once and a while, natural disasters find ways of leaving images that seem to tell the entire story in one picture. Funny how one missing letter can capture the mood of an entire city and what it's been through.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Well, I think that sentiment isn't too far off for many of the people we've had a chance to speak with, who have been walking the streets, going through neighborhoods. The family we profiled, the Kenel family that we profiled at the top of that piece, it was interesting the entire mobile home park area where they were working on their family's home yesterday was completely deserted. Everyone was gone. That's not too far away from where we are here. They were the only two people working in that area. There's so much to get to. And this is just one of the first days of the clean-up process -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Ed, which leads me to my question, whether or not the help can get there. Are the roads now clear enough that help can arrive?

LAVANDERA: That's a good question. The interstate -- we're actually having to stay in Sarasota, which is several -- almost like 50 miles up the road. The interstate from where we are from Punta Gorda. And you can see that the roadways -- the interstates are working well. In fact, when you drive down the road, you see the cavalry of trucks that are moving in to help rebuild the power lines and all the infrastructure that needs to be repaired here.

So everything seems to be moving well. We haven't heard any reports of anything slowing that process down. The emergency management director here in Punta Gorda said yesterday that he was amazed to see just how quickly -- you walk the streets and you see law enforcement agencies from the Miami area that are -- that were already here yesterday helping out, either in protecting the streets, or patrolling some of the neighborhoods, going through the search and rescue in many of the homes, and helping out in that process.

That director yesterday saying that it was just amazing to see how quickly everyone arrived on scene here.

GRIFFIN: All right, Ed, we'll see much more of you later this morning as the president arrives there for a tour -- Betty?

NGUYEN: And Florida isn't the only state left reeling from Hurricane Charley. Residents along the South Carolina coast also have a lot of cleaning up to do. More now from CNN's David Mattingly in Myrtle Beach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Significantly weakened but still packing a punch, Hurricane Charley made landfall, hitting the South Carolina coast with winds reportedly exceeding 90 miles per hour and with blistering rain. In this frenzied moment, a satellite truck used by CNN is pushed like a toy across a parking lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The truck is moving! The truck is moving!

MATTINGLY: The truck operator jumped for safety and was unharmed.

(on camera): The biggest concern is flooding. Here at the height of the storm, there are dangerous gusts of wind. There are only 4 to 6 inches of rain forecasted, but it seems to be coming in all at once. But as the wind brings it in, you can see how it's whipping across the water here. A tidal surge associated with this storm not that high. But again, the water has already saturated the ground here, and it just keeps on coming.

(voice-over): Charley's latest rampage, however, proved to be brief, moving quickly to the north, downgrading to a tropical storm. But it left behind localized flooding, downed trees, blocked roads and widespread power outages, nothing comparable to the devastation in Florida. And according to local residents, who immediately took to the beaches afterward, Charley's South Carolina run was not much compared to hurricanes of the past.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I lived through Hazel. I lived through -- I wasn't here for Hugo, but my family lived through it.

MATTINGLY (on camera): So this was nothing to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really and truly, for me it was nothing.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Nothing to some, but days of clean-up are ahead, as thousands are without electricity and hotels are scrambling to reopen for what should have been the last big tourism weekend of the summer.

David Mattingly, CNN, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: President Bush will be getting a first hand look at the devastation in Florida. The president's visit today comes after he declared that state a major disaster area.

And for more, we turn to CNN's Elaine Quijano, who's live at the White House. Elaine, this is definitely not a tour anyone looks forward to.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely not. Good morning to you, Betty. President Bush, as you said, heading to Florida to take a look for himself at the devastation there.

Now this was to have been a quiet day here at the White House for President Bush after a week of intensive campaigning on the road, with the president making the decision to visit those hurricane ravaged areas. It was two days ago Mr. Bush declared Florida a major disaster area, freeing up federal funds to help in the recovery and clean-up efforts.

It was also Friday before the full extent of the damage was known that the president offered his thoughts and prayers for those affected by Hurricane Charley. Now Florida, a state where the president's brother Jeb sits as Governor, the president is due to arrive in southwest Florida in a couple of hours. He will take part in an aerial tour of the damage. He is also scheduled to meet with local authorities there on the ground in Charlotte County, Florida and receive a briefing from them on the damage. After that, he will return here to the White House.

But again, a devastating sight awaiting President Bush. He wants to obviously show his support for the folks there. Again, a couple of days ago, that he offered. There you see, President Bush boarding Marine One, just a short time ago, on his way to Andrews Air Force Base for the departure to Florida. But it was a couple of days ago that the president, very somber toned, in Seattle, Washington, after a campaign stop there, once it became clear that Hurricane Charley was, in fact, going to cause a significant amount of damage. The president offering, again, his thoughts and prayers to those who might be affected.

Back to you, Betty.

NGUYEN: John Kerry is not going to be touring Florida though, right, Elaine?

QUIJANO: We don't have any information on that, Betty.

NGUYEN: OK, thank you, Elaine Quijano at the White House. Drew?

GRIFFIN: Picking up the pieces, one man's livelihood destroyed by Hurricane Charley. We'll tell you what he's going to do.

NGUYEN: Plus, weathering a storm, a first hand account of living through the hurricane. See this storm chaser's tale when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Hurricane Charley is barely a tropical storm now. It's expected to blow over southeastern New England this morning, reaching Boston around noon Eastern time. But when it was a powerful Category 4 hurricane, Charley hit Florida with a vengeance. 13 people are confirmed dead. Officials say many are missing and thousands are homeless. Damage is estimated in the billions of dollars.

President Bush plans to get a first hand look at Florida's destruction this morning. He's already declared a major disaster area in the state.

Hundreds of miles to the north, Charley battered the Carolina coastlines, causing little damage there.

GRIFFIN: Well, this morning, many Floridians are cleaning up, catching up, and as Anderson Cooper reports, for one man in Punta Gorda, taking care of business, which has a special meaning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): When David Drake stepped through the broken window of his ice cream parlor, it was worse than he'd imagined.

DAVID DRAKE, BUSINESS OWNER: Oh, it's just devastating. You know, it's just -- you know, you never expected this at all, and then all of a sudden, you know, it wipes out the -- you know, everything all at once.

COOPER: The ceiling was destroyed, the sitting area a mess. Almost nothing was salvageable. DRAKE: It's scary because, you know -- you know, this was obviously our livelihood. I mean, this is where we made our living.

COOPER: David and his family survived the storm hiding in a closet in their home.

DRAKE: You see these things on TV, and you think, you know, This is something that -- you know, that you don't realize what the people, you know, that are in those -- that this has happened to really go through.

COOPER: His house remains intact. His business is ruined.

DRAKE: You know, we laugh about it because, you know, you're tired of crying. You got to do something different, you know?

COOPER: With the toll of destruction in Punta Gorda still being calculated, David knows, for him and his family, Hurricane Charley could have been much worse.

DRAKE: You know, there hasn't been any major injuries or anything like that, so we're -- we're happy about that. It's going to be tough for -- you know, for the next few months, until...

COOPER (on camera): So do you think you'll make it?

DRAKE: Oh, we'll make it.

COOPER: Anderson Cooper, CNN, Punta Gorda, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And we have other news to tell you about this morning. He's America's golden boy at the Olympic Games. The world eyes are on Michael Phelps and his chance to break the three decades old medal record held by Mark Spitz. We have a live update from Athens right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: The summer games are in full speed in the land where the games began. Athletes competing in the 28th Olympiad are already striking gold. China leads the medal pack in Athens. Australia and the U.S. are right behind. And CNN's Mark McKay is in Greece's capitol with an Olympics update.

No doubt all eyes are going to be on Michael Phelps?

MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about it, Becky. Good morning to you. Day two of the full competition here at the Athens games. And once again, we are focused on the Phelps affair. The Baltimore based swimmer Michael Phelps may have said that he'd be satisfied with just one gold medal, but we all know what he really wants. Just about three hours ago, Phelps qualified for the semi- finals of the 200 meter free style, as he is in that race behind -- fifth place behind world record holder and fellow Athens gold medal winner Ian Thorpe of Australia.

Now Saturday night at the Olympic Aquatic Center, it was all about Michael Phelps, as he put on quite a show in winning his Olympic medal and the first gold of these games for the U.S. team.

The 19-year old was spectacular in claiming the 400 meter individual medley finals, winning at a time of four minutes, 8.26 seconds. Phelps lowered his own world record and beat the silver medalist, Eric Vendt by more than three seconds. Vendt didn't seem too put off with the silver, while his teammate won the gold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC VENDT, WON SILVER IN SWIMMING: It's a great honor to get in a race against him because I think after this meet, he will be recognized as the greatest swimmer in the history of our sport. I already think it and so does pretty much the rest of the guys team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKAY: Now a couple of notes away from the field of play. The Iranian World Judo champion, who had threatened to withdraw from the games, instead of facing his first round opponent who hails from Israel, didn't make his weight. So he won't be competing at all here in Athens. And the Greek Olympic Committee withdrew sprinters Kostas Kinteras and Ekaterini Thanou, pending Monday's ruling from the International Olympic Committee concerning the pair's missed drug test -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Let's get back to Phelps. Possibly the greatest swimmer of all time, what is it about this guy?

MCKAY: He is charismatic. He actually has what has been called a prototype swimmer's body. I mean, this guy is a lanky, 19-year old. In fact, his coach had a four to eight year plan with his parents back at the Sydney Games. He came away from Sydney with not a single medal, Betty. And that certainly has spurred him, as he's come here to Athens. Of course, as we know, it's well documented, that Phelps is looking to surpass Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals. He's hoping for eight. And he would certainly go down in the annals of Olympic history as one of the best.

NGUYEN: Ah, yes, if anyone can do it, he can. All right, Mark McKay, thank you.

GRIFFIN: Olympic races we go now to the race of the presidency and sex, weather, and stumps in the battleground states, all part of the political front this week.

Andrea Seabrook, congressional reporter for National Public Radio, joins us as always. Good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA SEABROOK, NPR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Good morning. GRIFFIN: The bombshell of the week, one which had us all stunned, actually happened off the campaign trail in New Jersey. A Democratic governor steps down, admitting he had a gay affair and is now going to resign from office. This is a state that votes Republican, votes Democrat, goes either way. Is this going to make an effect in the national election?

SEABROOK: Well, the national election should be very interesting. That's what both Republicans and Democrats are betting on right now. The John -- the campaign for John Kerry for president has been pressuring, according to people I've spoken to, pressuring the Jim McGreevey, the guy who stepped down to hang on to his office at least until after September 2 so that the lieutenant governor, who will be taking his place, won't have to face a special election in November.

That would put -- if that happened, which is what Republicans would like to see, and there is a strong drive in the state right now to try and get McGreevey to step down before that, so that there would be a special election in November, what that -- what it would do is take the sort of gay rights issues, the gay marriage issue just the gay issue in general and make it a referendum on the New Jersey ballot, which is something Republicans would like to see, because it would pull out their base they think.

GRIFFIN: All right, let's move to the sound byte of the week, I guess. Came from Vice President Dick Cheney. Basically mocking Senator Kerry's remarks about fighting a sensitive war. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Senator Kerry has also said that if he were in charge, he would fight a more sensitive war on terror. America has been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was won by being sensitive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: The vice president contender, John Edwards coming out in defense of Senator Kerry, saying he spilled his blood for this country. Was it the sharp political attack over the bounds? Or is this fair game in the political election?

SEABROOK: You know what? Where are the bounds is my question? But at the same time, this was sharp. I mean, this is a sharp attack. You've got the word right.

I think, you know, it's very interesting that several reporters that I know have also dredged up tape of President Bush saying that to execute this war in Iraq, there needs to be a very sensitive balance between intelligence and actually fighting, I believe, that's what the quote if paraphrase.

And so President Bush has used the word sensitive in talking about how he would approach the war as well, or would like to. And you know, I think that what you're seeing here is just the fact that it's coming down this sort of ideology of fighting the war. It's like both sides are -- it's like a race to be the most hawkish. And that the Kerry campaign used the word sensitive at a time that they're both raising to be hawks is something that the Bush campaign picked up on and is going after.

I think you'll see -- I wouldn't be surprised to see the Democrats, the John Kerry campaign, come out and defend themselves vigorously, at the same time try and pick up a few sharp points of their own in the coming months.

GRIFFIN: The campaigns, both of which you have been on, have been kind of searching for a message, searching for a definitive kind of message to reach voters. It does seem now it's going to be almost more than 50 percent -- 90 percent about the war.

SEABROOK: Yes.

GRIFFIN: Whether it's the Vietnam War or the Iraq War, I'm not really sure, but it seems like this is going to be the major issue as we approach November.

SEABROOK: Well, you know, I think that both campaigns have picked up on something that many Americans have been feeling since September 11 again that this country is a different place.

You know, many of us grew up without really having to think about war on our own shores. I mean, there is certainly many people in this country who have dealt with it themselves and served with valor, but there is a whole generation of people that I include myself in actually who didn't really understand that the United States could be attacked at all. And those people are the ones I think that are in part what these campaigns are looking towards, people who want someone at the top who can lead the military fight, if that happens.

GRIFFIN: Andrea Seabrook, congressional correspondent, political correspondent for National Public Radio, thanks for your insight this morning.

SEABROOK: Thanks, Drew.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Helping to rebuild lives and livelihoods, the American Red Cross' effort in Florida and what the organization is doing to minimize the suffering and help folks move on.

GRIFFIN: And hurricane history, can lessons learned from Andrew a dozens years ago help Florida recover from Charley today? CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this. Ever wonder who's behind the camera of these incredible shots of damage from Hurricane Charley? We'll introduce you to one dedicated storm chaser. That's just ahead. Welcome back. I'm Betty Nguyen.

GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin. We'll have that story in a minute. But first now in the news.

President Bush this morning left the White House just about half hour ago. He will be in Florida this morning, touring the hurricane damage left by Charley. 13 people there are confirmed dead. Thousands losing their homes.

Damage estimates in the billions. The once powerful hurricane barely a tropical storm now. It's on a path to swipe Southern New England this morning.

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth named storms of the Atlantic hurricane season are out at sea. Tropical storm Danielle formed Friday, developed into a hurricane yesterday still several days from land. Tropical storm Earl came to life yesterday. It's taking aim at the Caribbean Islands.

A frail Pope John Paul II struggled to get through mass today near the shrine of Our Lady of Lords in France. Several hundred thousand pilgrims, some in wheelchairs, were there with him. It's a sight often linked to miraculous cures. The pontiff is on a two day visit.

Iraqi leaders meeting this morning to discuss democracy when insurgents launched a mortar attack just outside Baghdad's Green Zone. One person was killed. 17 wounded, but no one at the conference hurt. The session is now in recess scheduled to resume later today. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

NGUYEN: Not everyone was trying to get out of the way of the hard charging Hurricane Charley. Some people literally through caution to the wind to document the sound and the fury.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM REED, STORM CHASER: Oh, my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. OK, right now, the time here is roughly 4:37. We are watching a neighborhood disintegrate. This is Hurricane Charley. For the past five minutes or so, we have been experiencing winds in excess of 100 miles an hour. It has carried off roofs.

Category 4 hurricane. I hope I'm reporting. This is -- it's leaning on us right here. Hurricane Charley, August 13, 2004. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) inside us. Category 4 hurricane, this is it. Oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Wow, now that is dedication. The person who shot that video said it was his 10th hurricane and he's never experienced anything like it -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Wow. Well even as those winds blew in southwestern Florida, the Red Cross was putting itself on the front lines of that disaster. The organization setting up 250 shelters to help victims.

On the phone with us from Punta Gorda, Chris Paladino is the agency's national spokesperson.

Chris, maybe you can tell us exactly what your agency is doing in terms of housing for so many of these people?

CHRIS PALADINO, RED CROSS: Well, good morning, Drew. We still have a number of those shelters open. We've consolidated them into those that still have power and running water.

That is our first concern right now, making sure people have a roof over their heads. We're also providing meals. We've served as of yesterday -- we served 49,000 meals in just a 24 hour period.

GRIFFIN: Do you have any estimates or hard numbers on how many people have been displaced?

PALADINO: No, we're still in that assessment phase as well, even as late as yesterday, there were still a number of neighborhoods that we were unable to travel in. We do have trained disaster assessment teams out in those neighborhoods trying to get a better count and mainly trying to reach those who are affected and let them know where they can assistance.

GRIFFIN: Has accessibility been a problem? Will it be today? Are we talking about power lines not going in some of these areas? Or is it actual debris blocking roadways?

PALADINO: It's both. There's lines down. That's -- we're unable to tell if they're alive or not. There is still debris in roadways. There are some sections of town that the police department has told us it's unsafe to travel in still.

GRIFFIN: So what happens now? You're meeting the immediate demands of the people or the immediate needs, food, some shelter. What happens long term?

PALADINO: Well, long term, of course, one of our big concerns will be mental health recovery. It will be having counselors -- there are already counselors here at our shelters. More arriving, who help people deal with the emotional toll. We'll also help people through the process of beginning to rebuild their lives. We can provide them financial assistance for a number of things. We can also help them access FEMA and other programs that are available.

GRIFFIN: Chris, I'm wondering, on the mental health front, a lot of this area's retirement area. Do you have special needs with these elderly folks in terms of mental health? Or are they tougher since they've lived such long lives?

PALADINO: Always a very good question, but you know, every person's an individual. And every individual has their own needs, based on their previous experience and what they experience the storm.

So age isn't as much as factor, as you know, their personal experience.

GRIFFIN: Well, Chris, we certainly wish you and your agency good luck as you help the people there.

PALADINO: Thanks very much.

NGUYEN: Surviving a hurricane is rarely the end of the story. It's often the beginning. And surviving the rebuilding process can be just as difficult.

The author of the book, "In the Eye of the Storm -- an Oral History of Hurricane Andrew," says the real stories about Charley are only now starting. Eugene Provenzo survived Andrew, which ravaged South Florida in 1992. And he's with us from Miami this morning.

Good morning to you.

EUGENE PROVENZO, IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: : Good morning.

NGUYEN: You survived Hurricane Andrew. So you have an idea of what these folks are going through. Give us an example of what's going through their minds as they wake up and see everything gone?

PROVENZO: Well, I think the question is how do I start over again? And also, I think issues of protecting one's family, figuring out how to deal and cope on a day to day basis with the incredible events that have occurred. And just sort of trying to get things in perspective. I think it's a pretty complex and difficult process.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Not only is it physical trying to get the house back intact, but as we just heard in Drew's interview, it's the emotional side of it. How do you begin with that?

PROVENZO: Well, you know, thinking about it and having gone through it myself, it's a very difficult process. I mean, you have to go back to neighborhoods that have been destroyed to personal property, photo albums, things that are important in your life. And I think you have to start saying things like family, personal involvement. You know, what's really important in my life? You know, I survived. My family survived. I need to move on.

NGUYEN: Big obstacles for a lot of folks out there. What's the hardest part in all of this? Of course we talked about the emotional side, but when it comes to physically getting the house back in order, making plans to possibly even rebuild?

PROVENZO: Well, you've got problems in terms of getting services. You have this huge amount of destruction. Everybody's gone through this. This isn't like having a house that's caught on fire and being able to call in other people who can provide you with some support and help.

All of the people are under stress in the community. I think that one of the things that really needs to be emphasized here is that a storm like this affects the entire community. Service people are affected. And so, you can't just simply go to police or support people in terms of builders and things like that. Everybody's been equally affected to a large degree. And they're all trying to cope at the same time. So it makes it much more difficult.

NGUYEN: But at the same time, since everyone is going through it, does it make it a little bit easier because everyone can relate, everyone can understand it? Hopefully everyone wants to help?

PROVENZO: Well, I think that there's a sense of community in the sort of shared experience that draws people together. One of the things about a storm like this is it's a great equalizer.

But at the same time, there is the problem of, you know, just sort of coping and getting around and finding the resources you need for your family. And again, it's enormously difficult. You just -- you can't get around on roads. And it's the rebuilding process that's the really difficult and challenging thing.

The -- there was a T-shirt that was available throughout Dade County after Hurricane Andrew, which says I've survived Hurricane Andrew.

NGUYEN: Yes, I remember it.

PROVENZO: But it's the rebuilding process that's killing me.

NGUYEN: So since you've been through this, you've walked in those shoes, what kind of advice do you have for all of these who are dealing with it right now?

PROVENZO: I think deal with each day patiently. It's probably going to be hard to think of anything but the storm for six months, a year, perhaps a year and a half, depending on how profoundly you were affected.

I think put your priorities in order in terms of getting your own personal life in shape. I think learn to laugh a bit more. Learn to be more patient with other people. Learn to get a little distance from one's job. And realize what's really important in life, which is one's family and being part of a community.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And though it's devastating, quickly, these types of situations can provide memorable moments, moments where you see other people helping in ways that you've never seen before. Can you share just a little bit of that with us about your experience with Andrew?

PROVENZO: Absolutely. There are heroic moments that come up in situations like this and important stories to be told. But I think that the really interesting stories are the stories that develop over a long -- the long recovery process and where we see really an attempt to reformulate a community and rebuild a community.

There's -- you know, there's the -- there are the headlines that come from the storm hit it. And that's always, you know, the thing that leads in terms of the news. But what's really important, I think, is the next three, six, 12 months in terms of the process of rebuilding and the stories that are being told there.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Eugene Provenzo, author of "In the Eye of the Storm." Thank you for that insight this morning.

PROVENZO: Sure. Pleasure to be here.

NGUYEN: Drew?

GRIFFIN: His hands blown away in Iraq, but this Marine says his life is far from shattered. He just wants to get back to work. This week's hero, ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

But first, some of that devastation left behind from Hurricane Charley.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Time now to fast forward to some news you'll be seeing in the coming week. Tomorrow on Capitol Hill, both the Senate and House Committees will convene hearings on 9/11 Commission recommendations. The committees will hear testimony on reorganizing U.S. intelligence activities based on those recommendations from the commission.

Also on Monday, criminal trials set to begin in Houston for two Enron and four Merrill Lynch employees, charged with creating a sham business deal to make it appear Enron met its earnings targets.

On Tuesday, we'll get some major economic news from the government. The consumer price index and real earnings reports for July and last month's new residential construction report.

NGUYEN: Checking out top stories at this hour, more storms are building strength over the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Danielle is off the West Coast of Africa and still several days from land. Now tropical storm Earl is weaker, but moving quickly toward islands in the Caribbean.

Iraq's most influential Shi'ite cleric is in stable condition, after undergoing heart surgery. Ayatollah Sayet Ali Al-Sistani is in a London hospital.

And President Bush is set to announce a major reduction and redeployment of U.S. forces around the world. Pentagon and administration officials say most of the cutbacks will happen in Europe and Asia. Troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan, well, they won't change.

And a mortar attack near the Green Zone in Baghdad leaves one person dead, at least 17 more wounded. That attack happened just after the opening of the Iraqi National Conference focusing on choosing Advisory Council members.

GRIFFIN: We want you to meet Corporal Wright. He lost his hands and injured his legs in a firefight in Iraq. Now four months later, he can't wait to get back to work. Corporal Wright is this week's hero when CNN Sunday morning returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: He lost his hands in the Iraq War, but he hasn't lost his faith. CNN's Bill Tucker has the story of a true American hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This image, a moment of respect during the mourning for President Reagan. Corporal James Eddi Wright just back from Iraq.

JAMES WRIGHT, MARINE CORPORAL: I'm trying to go up and down the rows.

TUCKER: The elite reconnaissance Marine now relearns everyday tasks, like picking something up off the floor.

WRIGHT: If this is food I'd had it a long time ago.

TUCKER: His hands blown off, his legs severely injured during an ambush and fierce firefight in April near Fallujah. Despite his wounds, he led his Marines, kept his cool, kept giving orders, pointed out Iraqi machine gun nests, even instructed others to tourniquet his bleeding stumps.

WRIGHT: It's not the end of the world. Your life still goes on.

TUCKER: Now, he helps out other troops recovering at Walter Reed Army Hospital. And they help him.

He wants to stay in the Corps and can't wait to get back to work.

WRIGHT: I can help to train some of the new guys coming into the unit. There's a lot of things I can do.

TUCKER: At the Iwo Jima Memorial, he received a Bronze Star for heroism from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The whole crew survived, I think, because of his coolness and presence of mind.

TUCKER: In the audience, his Air Force father and fiance.

COLONEL JIM WRIGHT, FATHER OF JAMES WRIGHT: I knew he had it in him. He was always one to keep his head when stuff went down; to persevere; to do the right thing.

SERGEANT DONETTE MATHISON, JAMES WRIGHT'S FIANCE: He's my rock. He gives me strength. And we're supposed to be strong for him, but he's strong for us. He's amazing.

TUCKER: Corporal James Eddi Wright: a soft-spoken hero doesn't take credit, he gives it, to his company of Marines.

WRIGHT: It's easy to be strong when you're fighting with your buddies, with your brothers. You do whatever it takes to make it out of there.

TUCKER: Bill Tucker, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We bring you heroes stories every week on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: And here's another story for you. Holiday on hold, Charley forces a family vacation setback. That's when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: For Florida vacationers who endured Hurricane Charley, what can you do when you want to soak up the sun, but wind up just getting soaked? Well, you make some tourist detours. And as CNN's Jason Bellini reports, many Florida visitors are not letting the damp conditions dampen their spirit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside Wet and Wild, it was a bit like the Griswold summer vacation. Tourists who came all the way from England discovered the park was closed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was a bit disappointing, really.

BELLINI: Yes? Were you looking forward to Wet and Wild?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I like going on the rides and that.

BELLINI: Does this ruin the vacation?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It won't ruin it. It'll put a damper on it, but it won't ruin it.

BELLINI: It's dad's job to put a happy twist on the situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you got a nice equalizer for the hurricane called a Budweiser, so we stayed at the bar last night.

BELLINI: Others in the family aren't so easily entertained.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because we meant to go swimming with the dolphins, so we can't do that with the debris in the water and stuff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait and watch the football. There's not much you can do.

BELLINI: Sneak him all the way to Orlando, you're staying in your hotel room?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. BELLINI: Tourists got little advanced warning the hurricane would pass through Orlando. Hotels Friday remained packed with people riding out the storm.

(on camera): In this city of 116,000 hotel rooms, tourists didn't want to waste a single day of their holidays. Even though the storms drift through last night, they expected the themes parks to be open today. And in most cases they were.

(voice-over): The Universal theme park had a decent Saturday crows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, well this is the first place we tried today. So obviously the traffic -- it took us three hours to get here.

BELLINI: Seaworld opened late, but it did open. Disneyworld reports its park opened at 9:00 a.m. with the exception of Animal Kingdom. It stayed closed for the day because not enough employees could get to work.

For many tourists, the hurricane has been overall an exciting adventure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been before to Florida, but we've never met a storm like this before.

BELLINI: Vacations are about memories, this one more wet and wild than most.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Orlando, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN Definitely one you can write home about.

GRIFFIN: Yes, I guess so. Hopefully they'll have some sun today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: And the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired August 15, 2004 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The scene Friday afternoon in Punta Gorda. 145 mile an hour winds of Hurricane Charley blasting the southwest border town.
And the scene in Punta Gorda yesterday after the storm had passed. Now the damage assessment begins. The rebuilding, as this town struggles to recover.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's August 15. Good morning. I'm Drew Griffin.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us today.

Now in the news, far out in the Atlantic, the third hurricane of the season, Danielle, is days away from any land. And it may never make landfall at all. But also out there, tropical storm Earl now threatening islands in the eastern Caribbean. Earl could become a hurricane tomorrow. And our Rob Marciano will have the details in about five minutes.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Florida for Hurricane Charley has reached 13. Four of those deaths are in Charlotte County, where Charley came ashore and slammed into the town of Punta Gorda. Search and rescue teams are combing the wreckage in Punta Gorda for victims. We head there live for an update in just over a minute.

Also, President Bush heads for Florida today to tour the areas heavily damaged by the hurricane. John Kerry sent condolences to Floridians, but said he will not go there immediately because he does not want to get in the way of those recovery efforts.

Pope John Paul says he shares their pain. The pope has joined ailing worshipers at a French shrine that's believed to heal the sick. With his voice weak and his legs shaky, he made a rare reference to his own ailment, saying his health and burden is part of God's plan. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

GRIFFIN: They took a direct hit from a Category 4 hurricane. And President Bush may meet some of those stunned survivors today. He'll tour Southwest Florida, visit the devastated town of Punta Gorda.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is there -- past three days with a live report -- Ed? ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Drew. We expect the president to tour the area, not too far away from where we're standing this morning. This is one of the main drags in the city. And you can see just what kind of devastation this hurricane has left behind in this area.

And there's the -- reconstruction and the clean-up and the coming to terms was what has happened, will continue today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): About two weeks ago, Kim and Gene Kenel started looking for a new home near Punta Gorda, Florida. They wanted to move closer to Kim's aging parents. Now they find themselves picking up the pieces around the elderly couple's home. And they wonder if they'll ever find a house here so they can be close to family.

This is the emotional aftermath of Hurricane Charley.

GENE KENEL, HURRICANE VICTIM: It's something I've never seen before in my life. This is just -- ain't no words. Ain't no words to explain it.

LAVANDERA: The bruising punishment Hurricane Charley inflicted on Florida's southwest coast has rekindled the nightmares of another hurricane. Ask almost any of the emergency team workers if they've ever seen anything like this, and the word Andrew rises from the past.

WAYNE SALLADE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIR.: It's our Andrew. It's our Andrew. It may not be, you know, to the level of Andrew, but it's damn close.

LAVANDERA: Hurricane Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history when it struck South Florida 12 years ago. While officials work on calculating the total damage caused by Hurricane Charley, victims like Jeannie Davis are still trying to calm down.

JEANNIE DAVIS, HURRICANE VICTIM: But I'm just kind of numb. I was very emotional afterwards. I could only think the worst.

LAVANDERA: Every once and a while, natural disasters find ways of leaving images that seem to tell the entire story in one picture. Funny how one missing letter can capture the mood of an entire city and what it's been through.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Well, I think that sentiment isn't too far off for many of the people we've had a chance to speak with, who have been walking the streets, going through neighborhoods. The family we profiled, the Kenel family that we profiled at the top of that piece, it was interesting the entire mobile home park area where they were working on their family's home yesterday was completely deserted. Everyone was gone. That's not too far away from where we are here. They were the only two people working in that area. There's so much to get to. And this is just one of the first days of the clean-up process -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Ed, which leads me to my question, whether or not the help can get there. Are the roads now clear enough that help can arrive?

LAVANDERA: That's a good question. The interstate -- we're actually having to stay in Sarasota, which is several -- almost like 50 miles up the road. The interstate from where we are from Punta Gorda. And you can see that the roadways -- the interstates are working well. In fact, when you drive down the road, you see the cavalry of trucks that are moving in to help rebuild the power lines and all the infrastructure that needs to be repaired here.

So everything seems to be moving well. We haven't heard any reports of anything slowing that process down. The emergency management director here in Punta Gorda said yesterday that he was amazed to see just how quickly -- you walk the streets and you see law enforcement agencies from the Miami area that are -- that were already here yesterday helping out, either in protecting the streets, or patrolling some of the neighborhoods, going through the search and rescue in many of the homes, and helping out in that process.

That director yesterday saying that it was just amazing to see how quickly everyone arrived on scene here.

GRIFFIN: All right, Ed, we'll see much more of you later this morning as the president arrives there for a tour -- Betty?

NGUYEN: And Florida isn't the only state left reeling from Hurricane Charley. Residents along the South Carolina coast also have a lot of cleaning up to do. More now from CNN's David Mattingly in Myrtle Beach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Significantly weakened but still packing a punch, Hurricane Charley made landfall, hitting the South Carolina coast with winds reportedly exceeding 90 miles per hour and with blistering rain. In this frenzied moment, a satellite truck used by CNN is pushed like a toy across a parking lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The truck is moving! The truck is moving!

MATTINGLY: The truck operator jumped for safety and was unharmed.

(on camera): The biggest concern is flooding. Here at the height of the storm, there are dangerous gusts of wind. There are only 4 to 6 inches of rain forecasted, but it seems to be coming in all at once. But as the wind brings it in, you can see how it's whipping across the water here. A tidal surge associated with this storm not that high. But again, the water has already saturated the ground here, and it just keeps on coming.

(voice-over): Charley's latest rampage, however, proved to be brief, moving quickly to the north, downgrading to a tropical storm. But it left behind localized flooding, downed trees, blocked roads and widespread power outages, nothing comparable to the devastation in Florida. And according to local residents, who immediately took to the beaches afterward, Charley's South Carolina run was not much compared to hurricanes of the past.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I lived through Hazel. I lived through -- I wasn't here for Hugo, but my family lived through it.

MATTINGLY (on camera): So this was nothing to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really and truly, for me it was nothing.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Nothing to some, but days of clean-up are ahead, as thousands are without electricity and hotels are scrambling to reopen for what should have been the last big tourism weekend of the summer.

David Mattingly, CNN, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: President Bush will be getting a first hand look at the devastation in Florida. The president's visit today comes after he declared that state a major disaster area.

And for more, we turn to CNN's Elaine Quijano, who's live at the White House. Elaine, this is definitely not a tour anyone looks forward to.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely not. Good morning to you, Betty. President Bush, as you said, heading to Florida to take a look for himself at the devastation there.

Now this was to have been a quiet day here at the White House for President Bush after a week of intensive campaigning on the road, with the president making the decision to visit those hurricane ravaged areas. It was two days ago Mr. Bush declared Florida a major disaster area, freeing up federal funds to help in the recovery and clean-up efforts.

It was also Friday before the full extent of the damage was known that the president offered his thoughts and prayers for those affected by Hurricane Charley. Now Florida, a state where the president's brother Jeb sits as Governor, the president is due to arrive in southwest Florida in a couple of hours. He will take part in an aerial tour of the damage. He is also scheduled to meet with local authorities there on the ground in Charlotte County, Florida and receive a briefing from them on the damage. After that, he will return here to the White House.

But again, a devastating sight awaiting President Bush. He wants to obviously show his support for the folks there. Again, a couple of days ago, that he offered. There you see, President Bush boarding Marine One, just a short time ago, on his way to Andrews Air Force Base for the departure to Florida. But it was a couple of days ago that the president, very somber toned, in Seattle, Washington, after a campaign stop there, once it became clear that Hurricane Charley was, in fact, going to cause a significant amount of damage. The president offering, again, his thoughts and prayers to those who might be affected.

Back to you, Betty.

NGUYEN: John Kerry is not going to be touring Florida though, right, Elaine?

QUIJANO: We don't have any information on that, Betty.

NGUYEN: OK, thank you, Elaine Quijano at the White House. Drew?

GRIFFIN: Picking up the pieces, one man's livelihood destroyed by Hurricane Charley. We'll tell you what he's going to do.

NGUYEN: Plus, weathering a storm, a first hand account of living through the hurricane. See this storm chaser's tale when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Hurricane Charley is barely a tropical storm now. It's expected to blow over southeastern New England this morning, reaching Boston around noon Eastern time. But when it was a powerful Category 4 hurricane, Charley hit Florida with a vengeance. 13 people are confirmed dead. Officials say many are missing and thousands are homeless. Damage is estimated in the billions of dollars.

President Bush plans to get a first hand look at Florida's destruction this morning. He's already declared a major disaster area in the state.

Hundreds of miles to the north, Charley battered the Carolina coastlines, causing little damage there.

GRIFFIN: Well, this morning, many Floridians are cleaning up, catching up, and as Anderson Cooper reports, for one man in Punta Gorda, taking care of business, which has a special meaning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): When David Drake stepped through the broken window of his ice cream parlor, it was worse than he'd imagined.

DAVID DRAKE, BUSINESS OWNER: Oh, it's just devastating. You know, it's just -- you know, you never expected this at all, and then all of a sudden, you know, it wipes out the -- you know, everything all at once.

COOPER: The ceiling was destroyed, the sitting area a mess. Almost nothing was salvageable. DRAKE: It's scary because, you know -- you know, this was obviously our livelihood. I mean, this is where we made our living.

COOPER: David and his family survived the storm hiding in a closet in their home.

DRAKE: You see these things on TV, and you think, you know, This is something that -- you know, that you don't realize what the people, you know, that are in those -- that this has happened to really go through.

COOPER: His house remains intact. His business is ruined.

DRAKE: You know, we laugh about it because, you know, you're tired of crying. You got to do something different, you know?

COOPER: With the toll of destruction in Punta Gorda still being calculated, David knows, for him and his family, Hurricane Charley could have been much worse.

DRAKE: You know, there hasn't been any major injuries or anything like that, so we're -- we're happy about that. It's going to be tough for -- you know, for the next few months, until...

COOPER (on camera): So do you think you'll make it?

DRAKE: Oh, we'll make it.

COOPER: Anderson Cooper, CNN, Punta Gorda, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And we have other news to tell you about this morning. He's America's golden boy at the Olympic Games. The world eyes are on Michael Phelps and his chance to break the three decades old medal record held by Mark Spitz. We have a live update from Athens right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: The summer games are in full speed in the land where the games began. Athletes competing in the 28th Olympiad are already striking gold. China leads the medal pack in Athens. Australia and the U.S. are right behind. And CNN's Mark McKay is in Greece's capitol with an Olympics update.

No doubt all eyes are going to be on Michael Phelps?

MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about it, Becky. Good morning to you. Day two of the full competition here at the Athens games. And once again, we are focused on the Phelps affair. The Baltimore based swimmer Michael Phelps may have said that he'd be satisfied with just one gold medal, but we all know what he really wants. Just about three hours ago, Phelps qualified for the semi- finals of the 200 meter free style, as he is in that race behind -- fifth place behind world record holder and fellow Athens gold medal winner Ian Thorpe of Australia.

Now Saturday night at the Olympic Aquatic Center, it was all about Michael Phelps, as he put on quite a show in winning his Olympic medal and the first gold of these games for the U.S. team.

The 19-year old was spectacular in claiming the 400 meter individual medley finals, winning at a time of four minutes, 8.26 seconds. Phelps lowered his own world record and beat the silver medalist, Eric Vendt by more than three seconds. Vendt didn't seem too put off with the silver, while his teammate won the gold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC VENDT, WON SILVER IN SWIMMING: It's a great honor to get in a race against him because I think after this meet, he will be recognized as the greatest swimmer in the history of our sport. I already think it and so does pretty much the rest of the guys team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKAY: Now a couple of notes away from the field of play. The Iranian World Judo champion, who had threatened to withdraw from the games, instead of facing his first round opponent who hails from Israel, didn't make his weight. So he won't be competing at all here in Athens. And the Greek Olympic Committee withdrew sprinters Kostas Kinteras and Ekaterini Thanou, pending Monday's ruling from the International Olympic Committee concerning the pair's missed drug test -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Let's get back to Phelps. Possibly the greatest swimmer of all time, what is it about this guy?

MCKAY: He is charismatic. He actually has what has been called a prototype swimmer's body. I mean, this guy is a lanky, 19-year old. In fact, his coach had a four to eight year plan with his parents back at the Sydney Games. He came away from Sydney with not a single medal, Betty. And that certainly has spurred him, as he's come here to Athens. Of course, as we know, it's well documented, that Phelps is looking to surpass Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals. He's hoping for eight. And he would certainly go down in the annals of Olympic history as one of the best.

NGUYEN: Ah, yes, if anyone can do it, he can. All right, Mark McKay, thank you.

GRIFFIN: Olympic races we go now to the race of the presidency and sex, weather, and stumps in the battleground states, all part of the political front this week.

Andrea Seabrook, congressional reporter for National Public Radio, joins us as always. Good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA SEABROOK, NPR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Good morning. GRIFFIN: The bombshell of the week, one which had us all stunned, actually happened off the campaign trail in New Jersey. A Democratic governor steps down, admitting he had a gay affair and is now going to resign from office. This is a state that votes Republican, votes Democrat, goes either way. Is this going to make an effect in the national election?

SEABROOK: Well, the national election should be very interesting. That's what both Republicans and Democrats are betting on right now. The John -- the campaign for John Kerry for president has been pressuring, according to people I've spoken to, pressuring the Jim McGreevey, the guy who stepped down to hang on to his office at least until after September 2 so that the lieutenant governor, who will be taking his place, won't have to face a special election in November.

That would put -- if that happened, which is what Republicans would like to see, and there is a strong drive in the state right now to try and get McGreevey to step down before that, so that there would be a special election in November, what that -- what it would do is take the sort of gay rights issues, the gay marriage issue just the gay issue in general and make it a referendum on the New Jersey ballot, which is something Republicans would like to see, because it would pull out their base they think.

GRIFFIN: All right, let's move to the sound byte of the week, I guess. Came from Vice President Dick Cheney. Basically mocking Senator Kerry's remarks about fighting a sensitive war. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Senator Kerry has also said that if he were in charge, he would fight a more sensitive war on terror. America has been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was won by being sensitive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: The vice president contender, John Edwards coming out in defense of Senator Kerry, saying he spilled his blood for this country. Was it the sharp political attack over the bounds? Or is this fair game in the political election?

SEABROOK: You know what? Where are the bounds is my question? But at the same time, this was sharp. I mean, this is a sharp attack. You've got the word right.

I think, you know, it's very interesting that several reporters that I know have also dredged up tape of President Bush saying that to execute this war in Iraq, there needs to be a very sensitive balance between intelligence and actually fighting, I believe, that's what the quote if paraphrase.

And so President Bush has used the word sensitive in talking about how he would approach the war as well, or would like to. And you know, I think that what you're seeing here is just the fact that it's coming down this sort of ideology of fighting the war. It's like both sides are -- it's like a race to be the most hawkish. And that the Kerry campaign used the word sensitive at a time that they're both raising to be hawks is something that the Bush campaign picked up on and is going after.

I think you'll see -- I wouldn't be surprised to see the Democrats, the John Kerry campaign, come out and defend themselves vigorously, at the same time try and pick up a few sharp points of their own in the coming months.

GRIFFIN: The campaigns, both of which you have been on, have been kind of searching for a message, searching for a definitive kind of message to reach voters. It does seem now it's going to be almost more than 50 percent -- 90 percent about the war.

SEABROOK: Yes.

GRIFFIN: Whether it's the Vietnam War or the Iraq War, I'm not really sure, but it seems like this is going to be the major issue as we approach November.

SEABROOK: Well, you know, I think that both campaigns have picked up on something that many Americans have been feeling since September 11 again that this country is a different place.

You know, many of us grew up without really having to think about war on our own shores. I mean, there is certainly many people in this country who have dealt with it themselves and served with valor, but there is a whole generation of people that I include myself in actually who didn't really understand that the United States could be attacked at all. And those people are the ones I think that are in part what these campaigns are looking towards, people who want someone at the top who can lead the military fight, if that happens.

GRIFFIN: Andrea Seabrook, congressional correspondent, political correspondent for National Public Radio, thanks for your insight this morning.

SEABROOK: Thanks, Drew.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Helping to rebuild lives and livelihoods, the American Red Cross' effort in Florida and what the organization is doing to minimize the suffering and help folks move on.

GRIFFIN: And hurricane history, can lessons learned from Andrew a dozens years ago help Florida recover from Charley today? CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this. Ever wonder who's behind the camera of these incredible shots of damage from Hurricane Charley? We'll introduce you to one dedicated storm chaser. That's just ahead. Welcome back. I'm Betty Nguyen.

GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin. We'll have that story in a minute. But first now in the news.

President Bush this morning left the White House just about half hour ago. He will be in Florida this morning, touring the hurricane damage left by Charley. 13 people there are confirmed dead. Thousands losing their homes.

Damage estimates in the billions. The once powerful hurricane barely a tropical storm now. It's on a path to swipe Southern New England this morning.

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth named storms of the Atlantic hurricane season are out at sea. Tropical storm Danielle formed Friday, developed into a hurricane yesterday still several days from land. Tropical storm Earl came to life yesterday. It's taking aim at the Caribbean Islands.

A frail Pope John Paul II struggled to get through mass today near the shrine of Our Lady of Lords in France. Several hundred thousand pilgrims, some in wheelchairs, were there with him. It's a sight often linked to miraculous cures. The pontiff is on a two day visit.

Iraqi leaders meeting this morning to discuss democracy when insurgents launched a mortar attack just outside Baghdad's Green Zone. One person was killed. 17 wounded, but no one at the conference hurt. The session is now in recess scheduled to resume later today. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

NGUYEN: Not everyone was trying to get out of the way of the hard charging Hurricane Charley. Some people literally through caution to the wind to document the sound and the fury.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM REED, STORM CHASER: Oh, my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. OK, right now, the time here is roughly 4:37. We are watching a neighborhood disintegrate. This is Hurricane Charley. For the past five minutes or so, we have been experiencing winds in excess of 100 miles an hour. It has carried off roofs.

Category 4 hurricane. I hope I'm reporting. This is -- it's leaning on us right here. Hurricane Charley, August 13, 2004. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) inside us. Category 4 hurricane, this is it. Oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Wow, now that is dedication. The person who shot that video said it was his 10th hurricane and he's never experienced anything like it -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Wow. Well even as those winds blew in southwestern Florida, the Red Cross was putting itself on the front lines of that disaster. The organization setting up 250 shelters to help victims.

On the phone with us from Punta Gorda, Chris Paladino is the agency's national spokesperson.

Chris, maybe you can tell us exactly what your agency is doing in terms of housing for so many of these people?

CHRIS PALADINO, RED CROSS: Well, good morning, Drew. We still have a number of those shelters open. We've consolidated them into those that still have power and running water.

That is our first concern right now, making sure people have a roof over their heads. We're also providing meals. We've served as of yesterday -- we served 49,000 meals in just a 24 hour period.

GRIFFIN: Do you have any estimates or hard numbers on how many people have been displaced?

PALADINO: No, we're still in that assessment phase as well, even as late as yesterday, there were still a number of neighborhoods that we were unable to travel in. We do have trained disaster assessment teams out in those neighborhoods trying to get a better count and mainly trying to reach those who are affected and let them know where they can assistance.

GRIFFIN: Has accessibility been a problem? Will it be today? Are we talking about power lines not going in some of these areas? Or is it actual debris blocking roadways?

PALADINO: It's both. There's lines down. That's -- we're unable to tell if they're alive or not. There is still debris in roadways. There are some sections of town that the police department has told us it's unsafe to travel in still.

GRIFFIN: So what happens now? You're meeting the immediate demands of the people or the immediate needs, food, some shelter. What happens long term?

PALADINO: Well, long term, of course, one of our big concerns will be mental health recovery. It will be having counselors -- there are already counselors here at our shelters. More arriving, who help people deal with the emotional toll. We'll also help people through the process of beginning to rebuild their lives. We can provide them financial assistance for a number of things. We can also help them access FEMA and other programs that are available.

GRIFFIN: Chris, I'm wondering, on the mental health front, a lot of this area's retirement area. Do you have special needs with these elderly folks in terms of mental health? Or are they tougher since they've lived such long lives?

PALADINO: Always a very good question, but you know, every person's an individual. And every individual has their own needs, based on their previous experience and what they experience the storm.

So age isn't as much as factor, as you know, their personal experience.

GRIFFIN: Well, Chris, we certainly wish you and your agency good luck as you help the people there.

PALADINO: Thanks very much.

NGUYEN: Surviving a hurricane is rarely the end of the story. It's often the beginning. And surviving the rebuilding process can be just as difficult.

The author of the book, "In the Eye of the Storm -- an Oral History of Hurricane Andrew," says the real stories about Charley are only now starting. Eugene Provenzo survived Andrew, which ravaged South Florida in 1992. And he's with us from Miami this morning.

Good morning to you.

EUGENE PROVENZO, IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: : Good morning.

NGUYEN: You survived Hurricane Andrew. So you have an idea of what these folks are going through. Give us an example of what's going through their minds as they wake up and see everything gone?

PROVENZO: Well, I think the question is how do I start over again? And also, I think issues of protecting one's family, figuring out how to deal and cope on a day to day basis with the incredible events that have occurred. And just sort of trying to get things in perspective. I think it's a pretty complex and difficult process.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Not only is it physical trying to get the house back intact, but as we just heard in Drew's interview, it's the emotional side of it. How do you begin with that?

PROVENZO: Well, you know, thinking about it and having gone through it myself, it's a very difficult process. I mean, you have to go back to neighborhoods that have been destroyed to personal property, photo albums, things that are important in your life. And I think you have to start saying things like family, personal involvement. You know, what's really important in my life? You know, I survived. My family survived. I need to move on.

NGUYEN: Big obstacles for a lot of folks out there. What's the hardest part in all of this? Of course we talked about the emotional side, but when it comes to physically getting the house back in order, making plans to possibly even rebuild?

PROVENZO: Well, you've got problems in terms of getting services. You have this huge amount of destruction. Everybody's gone through this. This isn't like having a house that's caught on fire and being able to call in other people who can provide you with some support and help.

All of the people are under stress in the community. I think that one of the things that really needs to be emphasized here is that a storm like this affects the entire community. Service people are affected. And so, you can't just simply go to police or support people in terms of builders and things like that. Everybody's been equally affected to a large degree. And they're all trying to cope at the same time. So it makes it much more difficult.

NGUYEN: But at the same time, since everyone is going through it, does it make it a little bit easier because everyone can relate, everyone can understand it? Hopefully everyone wants to help?

PROVENZO: Well, I think that there's a sense of community in the sort of shared experience that draws people together. One of the things about a storm like this is it's a great equalizer.

But at the same time, there is the problem of, you know, just sort of coping and getting around and finding the resources you need for your family. And again, it's enormously difficult. You just -- you can't get around on roads. And it's the rebuilding process that's the really difficult and challenging thing.

The -- there was a T-shirt that was available throughout Dade County after Hurricane Andrew, which says I've survived Hurricane Andrew.

NGUYEN: Yes, I remember it.

PROVENZO: But it's the rebuilding process that's killing me.

NGUYEN: So since you've been through this, you've walked in those shoes, what kind of advice do you have for all of these who are dealing with it right now?

PROVENZO: I think deal with each day patiently. It's probably going to be hard to think of anything but the storm for six months, a year, perhaps a year and a half, depending on how profoundly you were affected.

I think put your priorities in order in terms of getting your own personal life in shape. I think learn to laugh a bit more. Learn to be more patient with other people. Learn to get a little distance from one's job. And realize what's really important in life, which is one's family and being part of a community.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And though it's devastating, quickly, these types of situations can provide memorable moments, moments where you see other people helping in ways that you've never seen before. Can you share just a little bit of that with us about your experience with Andrew?

PROVENZO: Absolutely. There are heroic moments that come up in situations like this and important stories to be told. But I think that the really interesting stories are the stories that develop over a long -- the long recovery process and where we see really an attempt to reformulate a community and rebuild a community.

There's -- you know, there's the -- there are the headlines that come from the storm hit it. And that's always, you know, the thing that leads in terms of the news. But what's really important, I think, is the next three, six, 12 months in terms of the process of rebuilding and the stories that are being told there.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Eugene Provenzo, author of "In the Eye of the Storm." Thank you for that insight this morning.

PROVENZO: Sure. Pleasure to be here.

NGUYEN: Drew?

GRIFFIN: His hands blown away in Iraq, but this Marine says his life is far from shattered. He just wants to get back to work. This week's hero, ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

But first, some of that devastation left behind from Hurricane Charley.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Time now to fast forward to some news you'll be seeing in the coming week. Tomorrow on Capitol Hill, both the Senate and House Committees will convene hearings on 9/11 Commission recommendations. The committees will hear testimony on reorganizing U.S. intelligence activities based on those recommendations from the commission.

Also on Monday, criminal trials set to begin in Houston for two Enron and four Merrill Lynch employees, charged with creating a sham business deal to make it appear Enron met its earnings targets.

On Tuesday, we'll get some major economic news from the government. The consumer price index and real earnings reports for July and last month's new residential construction report.

NGUYEN: Checking out top stories at this hour, more storms are building strength over the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Danielle is off the West Coast of Africa and still several days from land. Now tropical storm Earl is weaker, but moving quickly toward islands in the Caribbean.

Iraq's most influential Shi'ite cleric is in stable condition, after undergoing heart surgery. Ayatollah Sayet Ali Al-Sistani is in a London hospital.

And President Bush is set to announce a major reduction and redeployment of U.S. forces around the world. Pentagon and administration officials say most of the cutbacks will happen in Europe and Asia. Troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan, well, they won't change.

And a mortar attack near the Green Zone in Baghdad leaves one person dead, at least 17 more wounded. That attack happened just after the opening of the Iraqi National Conference focusing on choosing Advisory Council members.

GRIFFIN: We want you to meet Corporal Wright. He lost his hands and injured his legs in a firefight in Iraq. Now four months later, he can't wait to get back to work. Corporal Wright is this week's hero when CNN Sunday morning returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: He lost his hands in the Iraq War, but he hasn't lost his faith. CNN's Bill Tucker has the story of a true American hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This image, a moment of respect during the mourning for President Reagan. Corporal James Eddi Wright just back from Iraq.

JAMES WRIGHT, MARINE CORPORAL: I'm trying to go up and down the rows.

TUCKER: The elite reconnaissance Marine now relearns everyday tasks, like picking something up off the floor.

WRIGHT: If this is food I'd had it a long time ago.

TUCKER: His hands blown off, his legs severely injured during an ambush and fierce firefight in April near Fallujah. Despite his wounds, he led his Marines, kept his cool, kept giving orders, pointed out Iraqi machine gun nests, even instructed others to tourniquet his bleeding stumps.

WRIGHT: It's not the end of the world. Your life still goes on.

TUCKER: Now, he helps out other troops recovering at Walter Reed Army Hospital. And they help him.

He wants to stay in the Corps and can't wait to get back to work.

WRIGHT: I can help to train some of the new guys coming into the unit. There's a lot of things I can do.

TUCKER: At the Iwo Jima Memorial, he received a Bronze Star for heroism from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The whole crew survived, I think, because of his coolness and presence of mind.

TUCKER: In the audience, his Air Force father and fiance.

COLONEL JIM WRIGHT, FATHER OF JAMES WRIGHT: I knew he had it in him. He was always one to keep his head when stuff went down; to persevere; to do the right thing.

SERGEANT DONETTE MATHISON, JAMES WRIGHT'S FIANCE: He's my rock. He gives me strength. And we're supposed to be strong for him, but he's strong for us. He's amazing.

TUCKER: Corporal James Eddi Wright: a soft-spoken hero doesn't take credit, he gives it, to his company of Marines.

WRIGHT: It's easy to be strong when you're fighting with your buddies, with your brothers. You do whatever it takes to make it out of there.

TUCKER: Bill Tucker, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We bring you heroes stories every week on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: And here's another story for you. Holiday on hold, Charley forces a family vacation setback. That's when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: For Florida vacationers who endured Hurricane Charley, what can you do when you want to soak up the sun, but wind up just getting soaked? Well, you make some tourist detours. And as CNN's Jason Bellini reports, many Florida visitors are not letting the damp conditions dampen their spirit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside Wet and Wild, it was a bit like the Griswold summer vacation. Tourists who came all the way from England discovered the park was closed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was a bit disappointing, really.

BELLINI: Yes? Were you looking forward to Wet and Wild?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I like going on the rides and that.

BELLINI: Does this ruin the vacation?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It won't ruin it. It'll put a damper on it, but it won't ruin it.

BELLINI: It's dad's job to put a happy twist on the situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you got a nice equalizer for the hurricane called a Budweiser, so we stayed at the bar last night.

BELLINI: Others in the family aren't so easily entertained.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because we meant to go swimming with the dolphins, so we can't do that with the debris in the water and stuff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait and watch the football. There's not much you can do.

BELLINI: Sneak him all the way to Orlando, you're staying in your hotel room?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. BELLINI: Tourists got little advanced warning the hurricane would pass through Orlando. Hotels Friday remained packed with people riding out the storm.

(on camera): In this city of 116,000 hotel rooms, tourists didn't want to waste a single day of their holidays. Even though the storms drift through last night, they expected the themes parks to be open today. And in most cases they were.

(voice-over): The Universal theme park had a decent Saturday crows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, well this is the first place we tried today. So obviously the traffic -- it took us three hours to get here.

BELLINI: Seaworld opened late, but it did open. Disneyworld reports its park opened at 9:00 a.m. with the exception of Animal Kingdom. It stayed closed for the day because not enough employees could get to work.

For many tourists, the hurricane has been overall an exciting adventure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been before to Florida, but we've never met a storm like this before.

BELLINI: Vacations are about memories, this one more wet and wild than most.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Orlando, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN Definitely one you can write home about.

GRIFFIN: Yes, I guess so. Hopefully they'll have some sun today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: And the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.

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