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CNN Sunday Morning
Hurricane Warning Posted for South Carolina Coast; Bush Plans Rally in West Virginia
Aired August 29, 2004 - 09:00 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: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. And good morning to you. I'm Drew Griffin.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Good morning.
If you're just waking up on the West Coast, it is early, 6:00 a.m. Thanks so much for starting your day with us. First, though, stories "Now in the News."
A hurricane warning is posted for the South Carolina coast. Winds from Tropical Storm Gaston are blowing at 70 miles an hour, and getting stronger. It is expected to become a full-blown hurricane later today. We have a live report in just a moment.
On the eve of his nominating convention, President Bush is courting voters in steel country. He has a rally planned this afternoon in Wheeling, West Virginia. An AP survey shows a majority of the state's convention delegates ranked the economy and jobs as the most important issues facing the next president.
And now to Athens. After 17 days, the Olympic flame will be extinguished, bringing the 28th Olympiad to an end tonight. So far, it looks like the U.S. will finish atop the medal charts with 100 total medals, and 34 gold.
GRIFFIN: In the next hour or so, folks in South Carolina are preparing for an uninvited guest. It is Tropical Storm Gaston, whirling its way toward the coast. Actually, hitting the coast right now. Likely be a hurricane by the time it goes into full strength. We're going to bring you the very latest. As you can see, it is already doing some damage there.
Protests and preparation. Republicans gathering to promote their president. Demonstrators gather to promote their dissent. We will go to New York City for the latest, and answer your political questions.
We will also show you how www could mean winning ways to the Web. We are tracking some of the best political information that is now available online.
Our lead story, though, is Tropical Storm Gaston. He came from nowhere and now appears to be causing trouble. Gaston is about to storm ashore in South Carolina. Rob Marciano watching Gaston's progress closely from the CNN Weather Center. ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Drew, it is making landfall right now. Tropical Storm Gaston packing winds of 70 miles an hour.
There is another advisory scheduled out of the National Hurricane Center that may bump it up to hurricane status. But even if it does that, it won't be for long, because it is now beginning to interact with land mass of the coastal sections of South Carolina.
Rainfall bands all the way into Columbia, South Carolina, and heavy rains at that. Charleston, even though you are on the western flank of this thing, you have been getting hammered with heavy rains and winds gusting near 50 miles an hour really the past two to three, even four hours in some cases. But the worst is about over for you as this thing passing you to the north and east.
Myrtle Beach seeing easterly winds. This thing to come on shore between Charleston and Georgetown, which is a pretty forested area. There's not a whole lot of population there, but all the way up the coastline, from Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, you're going to see the coastline buffeted with this thing.
And on top of that, it is coming onshore during high tide. So that will create a storm surge that is a little higher than normal; three to five, maybe even six or seven feet in spots.
Northerly movement at seven miles an hour. This advisory about two hours old. So they will come up with a new one pretty soon. But winds were gusting to 85 miles an hour as this thing moved north at seven miles an hour. And it is making landfall right now.
What does it do after that? Well, possibly a Category 1 storm in the next one hour or two. Then downgraded quickly to tropical storm status, again, and moving across the eastern part of South Carolina and then out to sea, bringing with it some heavy rains.
This, Drew and Betty, is a serious hurricane. This is Frances, it's well out there in the Atlantic. We'll watch it. It could hit close to the U.S. by the end of this coming week, Category 4 storm, with winds of 135 miles an hour.
That wouldn't be fun if it made landfall. Hopefully not. So Gaston, minimal hurricane, or strong tropical storm right now. We'll keep an eye on things for you.
GRIFFIN: All right. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK.
NGUYEN: We are joined on the phone right now by Joseph Riley. He's the mayor of Charleston, South Carolina.
Good morning to you, Mayor.
MAYOR JOSEPH RILEY, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Good morning, Betty, Drew. NGUYEN: You are getting greeted by a fellow named Gaston. What is he doing to your area right about now?
RILEY: Well, we've had strong winds, and -- and a good bit of rain. But -- but things seem to be going well. We are -- I'm at City Hall. Our crews are out throughout our community. And I think we are going to weather it just fine.
Our citizens know how to be prepared. This happened quickly, but we are watching the weather constantly this time of year. And we expect this to get through this morning and -- or early this afternoon, and be back and in operation tomorrow, and ready for people to visit us.
NGUYEN: Mayor, we are looking at some video right now of the coastline where it is raining along the coast. And we heard earlier reports that roadways, major roadways are shut down, churches have closed for the day, and you are urging people to stay indoors. Is that still what you are calling for at this hour?
RILEY: Absolutely. We -- I was up very early this morning and went on the airwaves to encourage people just to stay home, stay put. If anybody has any emergencies, our police, fire will personally come tend to them. But events like this, the real danger is people going out of doors when they don't need to. And if we -- in Charleston, the next couple of hours, if people sit tight, they'll be just fine.
And the rains have been heavy. Not quite as heavy as they could have been expected to be, but substantial amounts of rain.
And the wind, as you all reported, gusting up to 80 miles an hour. So it's no place to be out, no time to be out of doors. Debris, tree limbs blowing around. It's -- it's dangerous, but it's moving at seven miles an hour. And for our area, in the next couple of hours, things should settle down substantially.
NGUYEN: Yes. I want to ask you about that, because, unlike Charley, which you experienced a couple of weeks ago, Gaston is moving pretty slow. Is that causing some problems just with the enormous amount of rain that's coming down? You guys are already saturated, correct?
RILEY: We are saturated. We've had a good bit of rain. And that is of concern.
We are monitoring our low-lying areas, but the rainfall, while I think we probably had two inches now, is -- doesn't appear to be, at least in our area, going to produce the six, eight inches of rain that -- that was feared. Now on the northern end of the storm, 30 or 40 miles north of us, they could have more rainfall. And I think -- I know there's a flood watch for the interior counties north and east of us that are saturated, and their water sheds are already, you know, quite full.
NGUYEN: All right. Mayor Joseph Riley, there in Charleston, we thank you so much for your time. And stay safe. GRIFFIN: Counting down to the first gavel of the 2004 Republican National Convention. Our troops stationed in and around the convention site. For example, Bob Franken here in Madison Square Garden. Deborah Feyerick is keeping watch over the thousands of protesters.
First to you, Bob. We made it sound like a war.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you what, it's hard to figure out what has the larger group, cops or journalists. I think it's the journalists, though. That's usually the largest group at these things. But it's all about the delegates, of course.
And once the street demonstrations have played out, if they do, the story will move inside Madison Square Garden. But this is the day before the convention begins, and there's a lot of political maneuvering going on. Of course, most of it by the Republicans; it is their convention, after all.
And the big event of the day promises to be the arrival of the vice president, Dick Cheney. He's supposed to come in at 11:00 Eastern from New Jersey, and then on to Ellis Island at 12:00.
Of course, he is the number two man on this ticket. Number one isn't here yet. George W. Bush, the president, makes his speech on Thursday night.
Now, speaking of presidents, there's a former president, Bill Clinton, who just happens to be going to church this morning, the Riverside Church, where he will just happen to make a speech, which is described as being political. So there's a lot of maneuvering going on. But, of course, the spotlight is on the Republicans this week because the Democrats had their spotlight last month -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Thank you, Bob.
The president sitting pretty good right now. If polls were open today, a "TIME" Magazine survey shows voters would slice it down the middle, with 46 percent, though, going for George Bush, 44 percent for John Kerry, five percent for Ralph Nader. A sampling error of four points makes this pretty much a dead heat.
NGUYEN: Well, not only are thousands of delegates converging on New York. So are thousands more. Demonstrators protesting a plethora of causes and issues. Our Deborah Feyerick is taking a pulse of these protests, and she joins us now live from New York.
Good morning. Have you seen any problems so far?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a couple of dozen people right now. It's still pretty early.
Just to situate viewers, we are about 10 blocks or a half a mile away from Bob Franken in Madison Square Garden. The march begins at around noon. As I said, a couple of dozen people here so far. The people in the yellow shirts just behind me, they are marshals for the group United for Peace and Justice, the organization that put this whole thing together. It's a diverse group, actually. Eight hundred diverse groups, as a matter of fact, from across the country: women's groups, labors groups -- labor groups, 9/11 families, families who lost sons and daughters in the war in Iraq.
Leslie Cagan is the national coordinator for United for Peace and Justice.
Tell me what the message of today is.
LESLIE CAGAN, NATIONAL COORDINATOR, UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE: Today is a very clear message. On the even of the Republican convention, we are saying no to the Bush agenda, no to the war in Iraq, no to regime change by our government, no to preemptive war, no to the economic policies, no to the war on immigrants in this country, no to the Bush agenda.
FEYERICK: OK. You are expecting about 250,000 people. There was to be a rally. You wanted it in Central Park. That permit was denied. Why not hold the rally over on the west side highway, where arrangements were made?
CAGAN: Well, some arrangements were made, but they were not good arrangements. We felt in the end that it was better to not have a rally than to have a rally in a situation that would not work for people.
There's no water over there. People would be out in the hot sun. And they expect it to be a hot, sunny day today here in New York.
It would just -- would not be a good place to bring such a large number of people to stand for hours in a rally. We felt that instead of putting people into a not only an uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous situation, it was just simply better to not have the rally.
FEYERICK: Now, you need to strike a very delicate balance today, because obviously you are expecting so many different groups. There could be some that are here just to cause trouble. That could give the entire protest a bad image. What is your...
CAGAN: Well, we don't think so. We think that people that are coming here are coming in the name of peace, in the name of social and economic justice. People are coming because we know there are ways to peacefully resolve conflicts between people.
And that's a tone we have been setting. And we are expecting massive numbers of people to be in that mood. Yes, chanting, yes, making their voices heard, yes, being strong about the messages. But, no, we're not seeking any kind of conversation here today.
FEYERICK: OK. Leslie Cagan, the national coordinator for United for Peace and Justice.
This is actually the third such march that this group has planned in the last year and a half. They had a big march back in February of 2003; 100,000 people, though, the estimates were much higher. The second march that they had right after the war began, that was about 300,000 people.
Organizers today expecting at least 250,000 people, if you can follow those numbers. Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Deborah Feyerick. Thank you.
Well, do you have questions about the Republican convention? You can e-mail them to us now at wam@cnn.com. A little later this hour, CNN's Al Hunt and Mark Shields from "CAPITAL GANG" will provide answers from New York.
GRIFFIN: You have a question about where John Kerry will spend this week? Our CNN coverage of the Republican National Convention launches tonight. An investigative look at the president. "The Mission of George W. Bush" airs at 8:00 p.m., followed by a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE."
At 10:00, it's Wolf Blitzer and Judy Woodruff for an "America Votes 2004" special, a preview of the Republican National Convention. And maybe John Kerry will be watching tonight as he is in one of his many homes in Nantucket, Massachusetts, after completing a campaign swing through the West.
Kerry will stay off the campaign trail during part of the GOP convention. And then he is scheduled to deliver a speech at the American Legion on Wednesday.
The president's day, as we mentioned earlier, he is in West Virginia. Let's get more details on his day by checking in with Suzanne Malveaux, who is with us by phone -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Drew.
President Bush later today will be traveling through Wheeling, West Virginia. This is a very important stop for the president.
West Virginia, interestingly enough, is predominantly Democratic. But he did take West Virginia back in 2000 by about six -- six percentage points to Gore. But the real focus here is it's all about the politics of steel.
Essentially, he is going to be going before workers, reminding them that he imposed tariffs on imported steel for the last couple of years. And he believes that that has really helped the steel workers in this state. But there are some unions and many steel executives who say that that just didn't go far enough. But he is trying to convince voters in the Rust Belt that his economic plan is the one that will allow the economy to continue to grow, and he'll also contrast that with his opponent's plan as well.
GRIFFIN: All right. Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president in West Virginia, or at least on their way. Thank you. NGUYEN: Here's what's happening right now.
Gaston is making its way to the South Carolina coastline. We want to give you a live look at the forecast right now, the radar.
This is along Charleston, South Carolina, where it's already hit land there. Winds up to 70 miles per hour. Lots of rain. We'll have much more on this storm throughout the hour, including a live report from Georgetown. That's coming right up.
Plus, a little later, we are debuting our new segment, "The Best of the Web." Today, how you can learn which presidential candidate your neighbor is supporting. CNN SUNDAY MORNING is back in just 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Here's a look at top stories at the quarter-hour.
Whirling winds are causing a world of worry. Gaston is heading straight toward the Carolina coast and will likely be a hurricane by the time it gets there. Actually, it's already hit some areas of South Carolina, including Charleston. We will have a live report just ahead.
Rounds of protests will ring throughout New York City. As many as 250,000 people could attend a demonstration just one day before the start of the Republican National Convention.
Organizers denied the right to assemble on Central Park. And they hope to chart a circular course of protests through the city. It could be the Big Apple's biggest demonstration in some 20 years.
And in Chechnya, still hours to go before the polls close. But a Moscow policeman appears headed to victory in the breakaway republic's presidential election. Earlier today, violence marred the election after one Chechen rebel tried to bring a bomb to a polling station. He died when it detonated.
GRIFFIN: Let's get right back to our top story. Meteorologist Rob Marciano has joined us on set to track this storm.
MARCIANO: Want to see the latest radar image?
NGUYEN: Yes, we do. Bring it on.
MARCIANO: Because it's pretty cool looking. And good news, it hasn't been upgraded to a hurricane.
NGUYEN: Good.
MARCIANO: So it's still...
GRIFFIN: So that's it, right?
MARCIANO: That's it. It should be weakening as it moves on, onshore. I'm sorry, this is the satellite imagery, but you get the idea.
There it is, a swath of clouds moving across South Carolina. And there's the radar -- thanks -- between making landfall between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. And the eye wall now just becoming -- just about to move in.
We do have a reporter in Georgetown, which is very close to where Hurricane Charley came ashore last weekend. Her name is Erin Kienzle. She's with our affiliate, WCSC, and she joins us live with a report from the coast.
Erin, what's going on?
ERIN KIENZLE, WCSC: We are about an hour to the north of Charleston. And the rain has started to come. We are starting to see the outer bands of the storm, plus the wind.
Now, we are on the boardwalk here at Georgetown, and we are a little protected. It's on an inlet. But you can see the driving winds, and some onshore winds, just kind of whipping up some waves. And also with that, bringing the water.
If we pan back this way, as I said, we're on the boardwalk. Just within, I'd say, the last 30 minutes, we have seen the water rise about two feet. Down there, I don't know how well you can see it, but the water is starting to lap into this parking lot up here.
And if we continue to look over, residents here know that this is the area in Georgetown that is prone to flooding, because some of them have already put up their sandbags. I don't know if it will be necessary or not today, but it is definitely a good precaution.
Now, it looks, as the storms track, as if Georgetown, where I'm at, will kind of be on the edge of the worst tropical storm winds. However, we are feeling some pretty strong gusts.
Now, that's it right now live from Georgetown. I'll send it back to you in Atlanta.
MARCIANO: Erin, give us an idea what's between you and Charleston? I mean, there -- it's a national forest from what I understand. Are there resort areas? Are there beaches where people -- where it's actually populated between you, and south towards Charleston?
KIENZLE: Yes. Right to the north of Charleston, there is the isle of Palms Beach. Also That was hit pretty hard earlier this morning. There's also a little town called McClellanville, kind of a shrimping town. That has been hit pretty hard.
And you also mentioned the Frances Marion National Forest getting the brunt of the storm. So, yes, we are just waiting and seeing how long this is going to last, and tally up the damage later on.
MARCIANO: OK, Erin. Thanks very much. Another couple of hours and you should be out of it. And that water should come up another couple of feet. Hopefully not much past her feet there.
But it's not -- it hasn't been upgraded to a hurricane. It's a tropical storm with winds of 70 miles an hour. So that's good news.
NGUYEN: Powerful.
MARCIANO: But it's going over an area that had the rain. That's what we've been harping on time and time again.
NGUYEN: They don't need anymore of it.
MARCIANO: And so it doesn't -- you don't need a lot of wind for those trees to topple over, take down power lines, and the -- you know the whole routine.
NGUYEN: All right, Rob.
MARCIANO: We'll see you in about a half an hour.
NGUYEN: OK. Thank you.
GRIFFIN: Thank you, Rob.
We are in the last leg of the 28th Olympiad. Actually, the last foot, really. It's all wrapping up today. Live from Athens Greece for your up to the minute medal count here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
And then at 10:00 Eastern, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY." Judy Woodruff comes to you from site of the Republican convention.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Time now to -- there we go -- fast forward and take a look at some stories likely to make news next week.
On Monday, marks the deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for the government of Sudan to stop militias in the Darfur region. Now, according to estimates, up to 30,000 civilians have been killed since the violence started back in February of 2003. More than a million people are homeless and hungry.
Ray Charles left us something to remember him by. The late singer's final album comes out on Tuesday. It's called "Genius Loves Company." It includes Charles' hits with Norah Jones, Elton John and Gladys Knight, just to name a few.
And on Wednesday, in Baghdad, the 100-member Iraqi interim parliament is scheduled to hold its first session -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: They are about to reach the finish line. The summer games wrapping up. They run the men's marathon and that's it. We're going to go live to Athens ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Just a few hours now remaining for the 2004 summer games in Greece. Then the Olympic flame will be put out until 2008, when the games go to Beijing, China.
Larry Smith of CNN Sports is in Athens with a rundown of today's final athletic events.
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's the final day of the 28th Olympiad, as you mentioned. Tonight, the closing ceremony, and that is where Mia Hamm will make Olympic history. The retiring, two-time gold medal-winning soccer player will become the first ever soccer player to serve as Olympic flag bearer in the games for the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIA HAMM, OLYMPIC MEDALIST: To have your peers vote you to be the one, it's one of the biggest -- I mean, the biggest honor I have ever received. And, you know, hopefully I'd love it if the other four could be standing there next to me, because without them, this journey wouldn't have been as memorable as it has been.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Hamm referring to her four teammates who helped her win two Olympic golds, Olympic silver, and two World Cups as well.
U.S. men' basketball, they've lost their dream team tag here in Athens, but they managed to salvage a bronze medal, beating Lithuania 104-96. They forced 20 turnovers in that game. U.S. women, by the way, beat Australia to win gold for the third straight time.
Men's 100-meter -- four by 100-meter relay, and what a finish it was. Watch the finish here.
Great Britain is in the blue. U.S. in the white. Maurice Greene trying to make up some ground after a bad exchange cost the U.S. some time between the second and third legs. The U.S. Gets beat, though, by one-one hundredth of a second. Great Britain's first win in the 400 relay since 1912, the year that Titanic sunk.
One more medal today as well, as we go back to you in Atlanta. Light heavyweight boxer Andre Ward taking gold this afternoon in the final day of these Olympics.
Let's go back to you.
GRIFFIN: All right, Larry. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, it is your chance to ask questions about the Republican convention, and actually get some answers. Coming right up, Al Hunt and Mark Shields of CNN's "CAPITAL GANG."
Stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired August 29, 2004 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. And good morning to you. I'm Drew Griffin.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Good morning.
If you're just waking up on the West Coast, it is early, 6:00 a.m. Thanks so much for starting your day with us. First, though, stories "Now in the News."
A hurricane warning is posted for the South Carolina coast. Winds from Tropical Storm Gaston are blowing at 70 miles an hour, and getting stronger. It is expected to become a full-blown hurricane later today. We have a live report in just a moment.
On the eve of his nominating convention, President Bush is courting voters in steel country. He has a rally planned this afternoon in Wheeling, West Virginia. An AP survey shows a majority of the state's convention delegates ranked the economy and jobs as the most important issues facing the next president.
And now to Athens. After 17 days, the Olympic flame will be extinguished, bringing the 28th Olympiad to an end tonight. So far, it looks like the U.S. will finish atop the medal charts with 100 total medals, and 34 gold.
GRIFFIN: In the next hour or so, folks in South Carolina are preparing for an uninvited guest. It is Tropical Storm Gaston, whirling its way toward the coast. Actually, hitting the coast right now. Likely be a hurricane by the time it goes into full strength. We're going to bring you the very latest. As you can see, it is already doing some damage there.
Protests and preparation. Republicans gathering to promote their president. Demonstrators gather to promote their dissent. We will go to New York City for the latest, and answer your political questions.
We will also show you how www could mean winning ways to the Web. We are tracking some of the best political information that is now available online.
Our lead story, though, is Tropical Storm Gaston. He came from nowhere and now appears to be causing trouble. Gaston is about to storm ashore in South Carolina. Rob Marciano watching Gaston's progress closely from the CNN Weather Center. ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Drew, it is making landfall right now. Tropical Storm Gaston packing winds of 70 miles an hour.
There is another advisory scheduled out of the National Hurricane Center that may bump it up to hurricane status. But even if it does that, it won't be for long, because it is now beginning to interact with land mass of the coastal sections of South Carolina.
Rainfall bands all the way into Columbia, South Carolina, and heavy rains at that. Charleston, even though you are on the western flank of this thing, you have been getting hammered with heavy rains and winds gusting near 50 miles an hour really the past two to three, even four hours in some cases. But the worst is about over for you as this thing passing you to the north and east.
Myrtle Beach seeing easterly winds. This thing to come on shore between Charleston and Georgetown, which is a pretty forested area. There's not a whole lot of population there, but all the way up the coastline, from Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, you're going to see the coastline buffeted with this thing.
And on top of that, it is coming onshore during high tide. So that will create a storm surge that is a little higher than normal; three to five, maybe even six or seven feet in spots.
Northerly movement at seven miles an hour. This advisory about two hours old. So they will come up with a new one pretty soon. But winds were gusting to 85 miles an hour as this thing moved north at seven miles an hour. And it is making landfall right now.
What does it do after that? Well, possibly a Category 1 storm in the next one hour or two. Then downgraded quickly to tropical storm status, again, and moving across the eastern part of South Carolina and then out to sea, bringing with it some heavy rains.
This, Drew and Betty, is a serious hurricane. This is Frances, it's well out there in the Atlantic. We'll watch it. It could hit close to the U.S. by the end of this coming week, Category 4 storm, with winds of 135 miles an hour.
That wouldn't be fun if it made landfall. Hopefully not. So Gaston, minimal hurricane, or strong tropical storm right now. We'll keep an eye on things for you.
GRIFFIN: All right. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK.
NGUYEN: We are joined on the phone right now by Joseph Riley. He's the mayor of Charleston, South Carolina.
Good morning to you, Mayor.
MAYOR JOSEPH RILEY, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Good morning, Betty, Drew. NGUYEN: You are getting greeted by a fellow named Gaston. What is he doing to your area right about now?
RILEY: Well, we've had strong winds, and -- and a good bit of rain. But -- but things seem to be going well. We are -- I'm at City Hall. Our crews are out throughout our community. And I think we are going to weather it just fine.
Our citizens know how to be prepared. This happened quickly, but we are watching the weather constantly this time of year. And we expect this to get through this morning and -- or early this afternoon, and be back and in operation tomorrow, and ready for people to visit us.
NGUYEN: Mayor, we are looking at some video right now of the coastline where it is raining along the coast. And we heard earlier reports that roadways, major roadways are shut down, churches have closed for the day, and you are urging people to stay indoors. Is that still what you are calling for at this hour?
RILEY: Absolutely. We -- I was up very early this morning and went on the airwaves to encourage people just to stay home, stay put. If anybody has any emergencies, our police, fire will personally come tend to them. But events like this, the real danger is people going out of doors when they don't need to. And if we -- in Charleston, the next couple of hours, if people sit tight, they'll be just fine.
And the rains have been heavy. Not quite as heavy as they could have been expected to be, but substantial amounts of rain.
And the wind, as you all reported, gusting up to 80 miles an hour. So it's no place to be out, no time to be out of doors. Debris, tree limbs blowing around. It's -- it's dangerous, but it's moving at seven miles an hour. And for our area, in the next couple of hours, things should settle down substantially.
NGUYEN: Yes. I want to ask you about that, because, unlike Charley, which you experienced a couple of weeks ago, Gaston is moving pretty slow. Is that causing some problems just with the enormous amount of rain that's coming down? You guys are already saturated, correct?
RILEY: We are saturated. We've had a good bit of rain. And that is of concern.
We are monitoring our low-lying areas, but the rainfall, while I think we probably had two inches now, is -- doesn't appear to be, at least in our area, going to produce the six, eight inches of rain that -- that was feared. Now on the northern end of the storm, 30 or 40 miles north of us, they could have more rainfall. And I think -- I know there's a flood watch for the interior counties north and east of us that are saturated, and their water sheds are already, you know, quite full.
NGUYEN: All right. Mayor Joseph Riley, there in Charleston, we thank you so much for your time. And stay safe. GRIFFIN: Counting down to the first gavel of the 2004 Republican National Convention. Our troops stationed in and around the convention site. For example, Bob Franken here in Madison Square Garden. Deborah Feyerick is keeping watch over the thousands of protesters.
First to you, Bob. We made it sound like a war.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you what, it's hard to figure out what has the larger group, cops or journalists. I think it's the journalists, though. That's usually the largest group at these things. But it's all about the delegates, of course.
And once the street demonstrations have played out, if they do, the story will move inside Madison Square Garden. But this is the day before the convention begins, and there's a lot of political maneuvering going on. Of course, most of it by the Republicans; it is their convention, after all.
And the big event of the day promises to be the arrival of the vice president, Dick Cheney. He's supposed to come in at 11:00 Eastern from New Jersey, and then on to Ellis Island at 12:00.
Of course, he is the number two man on this ticket. Number one isn't here yet. George W. Bush, the president, makes his speech on Thursday night.
Now, speaking of presidents, there's a former president, Bill Clinton, who just happens to be going to church this morning, the Riverside Church, where he will just happen to make a speech, which is described as being political. So there's a lot of maneuvering going on. But, of course, the spotlight is on the Republicans this week because the Democrats had their spotlight last month -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Thank you, Bob.
The president sitting pretty good right now. If polls were open today, a "TIME" Magazine survey shows voters would slice it down the middle, with 46 percent, though, going for George Bush, 44 percent for John Kerry, five percent for Ralph Nader. A sampling error of four points makes this pretty much a dead heat.
NGUYEN: Well, not only are thousands of delegates converging on New York. So are thousands more. Demonstrators protesting a plethora of causes and issues. Our Deborah Feyerick is taking a pulse of these protests, and she joins us now live from New York.
Good morning. Have you seen any problems so far?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a couple of dozen people right now. It's still pretty early.
Just to situate viewers, we are about 10 blocks or a half a mile away from Bob Franken in Madison Square Garden. The march begins at around noon. As I said, a couple of dozen people here so far. The people in the yellow shirts just behind me, they are marshals for the group United for Peace and Justice, the organization that put this whole thing together. It's a diverse group, actually. Eight hundred diverse groups, as a matter of fact, from across the country: women's groups, labors groups -- labor groups, 9/11 families, families who lost sons and daughters in the war in Iraq.
Leslie Cagan is the national coordinator for United for Peace and Justice.
Tell me what the message of today is.
LESLIE CAGAN, NATIONAL COORDINATOR, UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE: Today is a very clear message. On the even of the Republican convention, we are saying no to the Bush agenda, no to the war in Iraq, no to regime change by our government, no to preemptive war, no to the economic policies, no to the war on immigrants in this country, no to the Bush agenda.
FEYERICK: OK. You are expecting about 250,000 people. There was to be a rally. You wanted it in Central Park. That permit was denied. Why not hold the rally over on the west side highway, where arrangements were made?
CAGAN: Well, some arrangements were made, but they were not good arrangements. We felt in the end that it was better to not have a rally than to have a rally in a situation that would not work for people.
There's no water over there. People would be out in the hot sun. And they expect it to be a hot, sunny day today here in New York.
It would just -- would not be a good place to bring such a large number of people to stand for hours in a rally. We felt that instead of putting people into a not only an uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous situation, it was just simply better to not have the rally.
FEYERICK: Now, you need to strike a very delicate balance today, because obviously you are expecting so many different groups. There could be some that are here just to cause trouble. That could give the entire protest a bad image. What is your...
CAGAN: Well, we don't think so. We think that people that are coming here are coming in the name of peace, in the name of social and economic justice. People are coming because we know there are ways to peacefully resolve conflicts between people.
And that's a tone we have been setting. And we are expecting massive numbers of people to be in that mood. Yes, chanting, yes, making their voices heard, yes, being strong about the messages. But, no, we're not seeking any kind of conversation here today.
FEYERICK: OK. Leslie Cagan, the national coordinator for United for Peace and Justice.
This is actually the third such march that this group has planned in the last year and a half. They had a big march back in February of 2003; 100,000 people, though, the estimates were much higher. The second march that they had right after the war began, that was about 300,000 people.
Organizers today expecting at least 250,000 people, if you can follow those numbers. Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Deborah Feyerick. Thank you.
Well, do you have questions about the Republican convention? You can e-mail them to us now at wam@cnn.com. A little later this hour, CNN's Al Hunt and Mark Shields from "CAPITAL GANG" will provide answers from New York.
GRIFFIN: You have a question about where John Kerry will spend this week? Our CNN coverage of the Republican National Convention launches tonight. An investigative look at the president. "The Mission of George W. Bush" airs at 8:00 p.m., followed by a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE."
At 10:00, it's Wolf Blitzer and Judy Woodruff for an "America Votes 2004" special, a preview of the Republican National Convention. And maybe John Kerry will be watching tonight as he is in one of his many homes in Nantucket, Massachusetts, after completing a campaign swing through the West.
Kerry will stay off the campaign trail during part of the GOP convention. And then he is scheduled to deliver a speech at the American Legion on Wednesday.
The president's day, as we mentioned earlier, he is in West Virginia. Let's get more details on his day by checking in with Suzanne Malveaux, who is with us by phone -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Drew.
President Bush later today will be traveling through Wheeling, West Virginia. This is a very important stop for the president.
West Virginia, interestingly enough, is predominantly Democratic. But he did take West Virginia back in 2000 by about six -- six percentage points to Gore. But the real focus here is it's all about the politics of steel.
Essentially, he is going to be going before workers, reminding them that he imposed tariffs on imported steel for the last couple of years. And he believes that that has really helped the steel workers in this state. But there are some unions and many steel executives who say that that just didn't go far enough. But he is trying to convince voters in the Rust Belt that his economic plan is the one that will allow the economy to continue to grow, and he'll also contrast that with his opponent's plan as well.
GRIFFIN: All right. Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president in West Virginia, or at least on their way. Thank you. NGUYEN: Here's what's happening right now.
Gaston is making its way to the South Carolina coastline. We want to give you a live look at the forecast right now, the radar.
This is along Charleston, South Carolina, where it's already hit land there. Winds up to 70 miles per hour. Lots of rain. We'll have much more on this storm throughout the hour, including a live report from Georgetown. That's coming right up.
Plus, a little later, we are debuting our new segment, "The Best of the Web." Today, how you can learn which presidential candidate your neighbor is supporting. CNN SUNDAY MORNING is back in just 60 seconds.
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NGUYEN: Here's a look at top stories at the quarter-hour.
Whirling winds are causing a world of worry. Gaston is heading straight toward the Carolina coast and will likely be a hurricane by the time it gets there. Actually, it's already hit some areas of South Carolina, including Charleston. We will have a live report just ahead.
Rounds of protests will ring throughout New York City. As many as 250,000 people could attend a demonstration just one day before the start of the Republican National Convention.
Organizers denied the right to assemble on Central Park. And they hope to chart a circular course of protests through the city. It could be the Big Apple's biggest demonstration in some 20 years.
And in Chechnya, still hours to go before the polls close. But a Moscow policeman appears headed to victory in the breakaway republic's presidential election. Earlier today, violence marred the election after one Chechen rebel tried to bring a bomb to a polling station. He died when it detonated.
GRIFFIN: Let's get right back to our top story. Meteorologist Rob Marciano has joined us on set to track this storm.
MARCIANO: Want to see the latest radar image?
NGUYEN: Yes, we do. Bring it on.
MARCIANO: Because it's pretty cool looking. And good news, it hasn't been upgraded to a hurricane.
NGUYEN: Good.
MARCIANO: So it's still...
GRIFFIN: So that's it, right?
MARCIANO: That's it. It should be weakening as it moves on, onshore. I'm sorry, this is the satellite imagery, but you get the idea.
There it is, a swath of clouds moving across South Carolina. And there's the radar -- thanks -- between making landfall between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. And the eye wall now just becoming -- just about to move in.
We do have a reporter in Georgetown, which is very close to where Hurricane Charley came ashore last weekend. Her name is Erin Kienzle. She's with our affiliate, WCSC, and she joins us live with a report from the coast.
Erin, what's going on?
ERIN KIENZLE, WCSC: We are about an hour to the north of Charleston. And the rain has started to come. We are starting to see the outer bands of the storm, plus the wind.
Now, we are on the boardwalk here at Georgetown, and we are a little protected. It's on an inlet. But you can see the driving winds, and some onshore winds, just kind of whipping up some waves. And also with that, bringing the water.
If we pan back this way, as I said, we're on the boardwalk. Just within, I'd say, the last 30 minutes, we have seen the water rise about two feet. Down there, I don't know how well you can see it, but the water is starting to lap into this parking lot up here.
And if we continue to look over, residents here know that this is the area in Georgetown that is prone to flooding, because some of them have already put up their sandbags. I don't know if it will be necessary or not today, but it is definitely a good precaution.
Now, it looks, as the storms track, as if Georgetown, where I'm at, will kind of be on the edge of the worst tropical storm winds. However, we are feeling some pretty strong gusts.
Now, that's it right now live from Georgetown. I'll send it back to you in Atlanta.
MARCIANO: Erin, give us an idea what's between you and Charleston? I mean, there -- it's a national forest from what I understand. Are there resort areas? Are there beaches where people -- where it's actually populated between you, and south towards Charleston?
KIENZLE: Yes. Right to the north of Charleston, there is the isle of Palms Beach. Also That was hit pretty hard earlier this morning. There's also a little town called McClellanville, kind of a shrimping town. That has been hit pretty hard.
And you also mentioned the Frances Marion National Forest getting the brunt of the storm. So, yes, we are just waiting and seeing how long this is going to last, and tally up the damage later on.
MARCIANO: OK, Erin. Thanks very much. Another couple of hours and you should be out of it. And that water should come up another couple of feet. Hopefully not much past her feet there.
But it's not -- it hasn't been upgraded to a hurricane. It's a tropical storm with winds of 70 miles an hour. So that's good news.
NGUYEN: Powerful.
MARCIANO: But it's going over an area that had the rain. That's what we've been harping on time and time again.
NGUYEN: They don't need anymore of it.
MARCIANO: And so it doesn't -- you don't need a lot of wind for those trees to topple over, take down power lines, and the -- you know the whole routine.
NGUYEN: All right, Rob.
MARCIANO: We'll see you in about a half an hour.
NGUYEN: OK. Thank you.
GRIFFIN: Thank you, Rob.
We are in the last leg of the 28th Olympiad. Actually, the last foot, really. It's all wrapping up today. Live from Athens Greece for your up to the minute medal count here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
And then at 10:00 Eastern, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY." Judy Woodruff comes to you from site of the Republican convention.
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NGUYEN: Time now to -- there we go -- fast forward and take a look at some stories likely to make news next week.
On Monday, marks the deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for the government of Sudan to stop militias in the Darfur region. Now, according to estimates, up to 30,000 civilians have been killed since the violence started back in February of 2003. More than a million people are homeless and hungry.
Ray Charles left us something to remember him by. The late singer's final album comes out on Tuesday. It's called "Genius Loves Company." It includes Charles' hits with Norah Jones, Elton John and Gladys Knight, just to name a few.
And on Wednesday, in Baghdad, the 100-member Iraqi interim parliament is scheduled to hold its first session -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: They are about to reach the finish line. The summer games wrapping up. They run the men's marathon and that's it. We're going to go live to Athens ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
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GRIFFIN: Just a few hours now remaining for the 2004 summer games in Greece. Then the Olympic flame will be put out until 2008, when the games go to Beijing, China.
Larry Smith of CNN Sports is in Athens with a rundown of today's final athletic events.
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's the final day of the 28th Olympiad, as you mentioned. Tonight, the closing ceremony, and that is where Mia Hamm will make Olympic history. The retiring, two-time gold medal-winning soccer player will become the first ever soccer player to serve as Olympic flag bearer in the games for the U.S.
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MIA HAMM, OLYMPIC MEDALIST: To have your peers vote you to be the one, it's one of the biggest -- I mean, the biggest honor I have ever received. And, you know, hopefully I'd love it if the other four could be standing there next to me, because without them, this journey wouldn't have been as memorable as it has been.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Hamm referring to her four teammates who helped her win two Olympic golds, Olympic silver, and two World Cups as well.
U.S. men' basketball, they've lost their dream team tag here in Athens, but they managed to salvage a bronze medal, beating Lithuania 104-96. They forced 20 turnovers in that game. U.S. women, by the way, beat Australia to win gold for the third straight time.
Men's 100-meter -- four by 100-meter relay, and what a finish it was. Watch the finish here.
Great Britain is in the blue. U.S. in the white. Maurice Greene trying to make up some ground after a bad exchange cost the U.S. some time between the second and third legs. The U.S. Gets beat, though, by one-one hundredth of a second. Great Britain's first win in the 400 relay since 1912, the year that Titanic sunk.
One more medal today as well, as we go back to you in Atlanta. Light heavyweight boxer Andre Ward taking gold this afternoon in the final day of these Olympics.
Let's go back to you.
GRIFFIN: All right, Larry. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, it is your chance to ask questions about the Republican convention, and actually get some answers. Coming right up, Al Hunt and Mark Shields of CNN's "CAPITAL GANG."
Stay right here.
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