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CNN Sunday Morning
Rebuilding New Orleans
Aired September 18, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, everybody on this Sunday from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, September 18th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Good morning, everyone. Take a look at the left side of your screen. All day today, you will see pictures of children who have been missing since the arrival of Hurricane Katrina nearly three weeks ago, Betty.
NGUYEN: And we are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help bring Gulf Coast families back together.
There are parents, though, who don't have updated pictures of the children. So that's why you will eventually see silhouettes with just names and ages.
Now some of you have indeed recognized the children. And we want to thank you for calling in. But if others see someone they know, please call the number that you see on the screen. It's 1-800-843- 5678 or 1-800-THE-LOST.
HARRIS: Let's get started with a look at what's coming up this hour. What military lessons have we learned from the Katrina disaster? Should active duty troops be among the first responders in a natural disaster? Also, we'll see what towns in the Gulf states are doing and exactly what kinds of measures they're taking to make sure unscrupulous contractors don't try to take advantage of the desperate situation. And in historic election in Afghanistan is marred by violence. More on this in our going global report.
NGUYEN: But first up, too ambitious and problematic, that is the warning from the man in charge of the federal disaster relief in New Orleans in response to the mayor's plan to repopulate the city. Mayor Ray Nagin is encouraging 180,000 people to return to their homes and businesses this week. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen says a weakened levee system, a lack of drinkable tap water raises concerns about safety and health.
And in a statement, Allen says, "I urge all residents returning to use extreme caution if they return to consider delaying that return until safer more livable conditions are established."
Now despite Admiral Allen's concerns about residents returning to New Orleans, some business owners are doing just that. They are returning. CNN's Mary Snow is in St. Bernard Parish just outside of New Orleans. And she joins us live with more.
St. Bernard Parish, Mary, obviously as we can see behind you, has been hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Betty, good morning. This was one of the hardest hit by the storm. And certainly, nobody will be returning here any time soon.
But in other parts of New Orleans, yesterday that rephasing began with business owners returning. And the mayor defended his plans, saying it was smooth and successful on day one.
And in response to Vice Admiral Thad Allen's statement, Mayor Ray Nagin said, "The City of New Orleans worked cooperatively with the federal government to develop a sensible re-entry plan for New Orleans." He says he thinks it's the right balance between safety concerns and the chance for people to start rebuilding.
But here in St. Bernard's Parish yesterday, people were getting a first look at the devastation left behind. And they returned to shock and heartbreak. Many people know about St. Bernard's Parish because this is the parish where 34 people drowned in a nursing home.
This area was hit, not only by the storm surge, but also by the levee break. There are about 30,000 homes here in St. Bernard's. The Times-Picayune today saying that it's believed about 75 percent of these homes will have to be razed.
And earlier this week, residents were told by government officials that it will probably be this summer before they can return here to start to rebuild.
Another problem here is an environmental concern. There has been an oil spill. The refineries here. And about 89,000 gallons of gasoline has spilled.
Now most of it has either evaporated, been contained, or recovered, but there are real concerns about that. And there are strict entry into St. Bernard's.
People are being allowed in, in phases to come in, take a look at their homes, and then get out.
Now this is in stark contrast to where we were yesterday in the uptown district. That was one of the areas least damaged by the hurricane. Water has really been pretty non-existent there. And business owners came back yesterday, even though they have no electricity, no water. They have begun or are beginning the first steps at rebuilding -- Betty?
NGUYEN: Mary, which gets me to the question, of course folks are coming back home to see their businesses and, you know, what's left of their houses. But there's that government warning that if you are thinking about returning, why don't you wait just for a little bit? What kind of reaction are you getting there?
SNOW: You know, I think across the board, this shock, even in those areas that were not damaged as much. And I talked to a business owner yesterday who returned to the uptown district. And I asked her about the warning from the federal government. And she said, yes, she is concerned. She said coming into that area, she was surprised by the downed power lines that she had seen that hadn't been cleared. And she said while she was anxious to get into her business, recover some things, she was also anxious to leave and that she was in no hurry to move back right away.
NGUYEN: CNN's Mary Snow in St. Bernard Parish this morning for us. Thank you, Mary. We'll be checking in with you later.
Also later this morning on CNN, we'll be talking to the man in charge, Vice Admiral Thad Allen, director of Katrina relief operations will be on "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER." That is at a special time, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. in the West.
HARRIS: A bipartisan group of congressional leaders are heading to the Gulf Coast region this morning to see first hand the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The group will first visit New Orleans and see how the recovery effort there is going, and will then travel to hard hit Waveland, Mississippi. The contingent includes members of the Homeland Security, government reform, and transportation and infrastructure congressional committees.
President Bush says the Gulf Coast recovery project will be one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen. And it may prove the most costly.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Appealing to the faith of the nation, President Bush, in his weekly radio address, pledged a new beginning for New Orleans.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the life of our nation, we have seen that wondrous things are possible when we act with God's grace. From the rubble of destroyed homes, we can see the beginnings of vibrant new neighborhoods.
MALVEAUX: In the Democrats' response, the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, extended the president an olive branch.
GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO (D), LOUISIANA: I want to take this opportunity to thank President George W. Bush. He has recognized that Katrina was no ordinary hurricane, and that our federal government will have to help us in extraordinary ways. We are prepared to work as partners.
MALVEAUX: How long that partnership will last remains a question, as Democrats and fiscally conservative Republicans tussle with the Bush administration over how to pay for the estimated $200 billion recovery. Democrats argue the country can't afford the Bush administration's tax cuts and are calling for the president to repeal them. A view echoed by some economists.
ROBERT GREENSTEIN, CTR./BUDGET & POLICY PRIORITIES: Given the large costs we're facing, why do we have to have tax cuts that average over $100,000 a year for millionaires? We can't afford that. Shorten the -- there's room for some belt tightening in that area.
MALVEAUX: Fiscally conservative Republicans and some Democrats are calling for the Bush administration to limit spending.
REP. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: I had a bill, for example, since March that says let's postpone this new prescription drug benefit. That's about $40 billion next year. We don't know how we're going to pay for it. And I don't think it's good policy or good politics.
ROBERT REICH, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY: Two hundred and sixty billion dollars of pork last summer. You know bridges to nowhere in Alaska. I mean you've got mobile skating systems set up around parks. I mean this is crazy.
MALVEAUX: While the president refuses to raise taxes or say where he's willing to make federal cuts, administration officials say the president will look to the 2006 budget to squeeze out nearly $20 billion in savings. That budget passed by Congress earlier this year already slashes spending for 12 of the 23 major government agencies.
Tuesday, President Bush will revisit the hurricane damaged areas, where he'll sell his recovery plan. At the same time, the White House lawmakers will continue to weigh the tough economic choices ahead.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And as the Gulf region begins to turn the corner toward recovery, CNN will continue keeping you as close to the story as possible. Beginning tomorrow and all week long, we'll be reporting by zip code, as New Orleans rebuilds.
So tomorrow, we're going to focus on the zip code 70114, the Algiers district. It's known for its modest Creole cottages and has the best view of the downtown skyline and riverfront.
And of course, we will continue tracking developments throughout the Gulf region. So keep it tuned to CNN
HARRIS: OK, Betty. My guess is this will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone. A couple of new storms are forming in the Atlantic Ocean.
NGUYEN: No surprise. It is not welcome, Jacqui Jeras.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Of course, hurricane victims need water, food, and clothing, but some are also craving spiritual healing. Faith based counseling for Katrina victims is the topic. That's live, next hour in our "FACES OF FAITH."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories this morning, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is defending his plan to return up to 180,000 people to the city within a week and a half. But the head of the federal disaster relief effort is calling the idea extremely ambitious and extremely problematic. The polls will be closing shortly in Afghanistan. Voters are electing representatives through their national parliament and local representatives. The weeks leading up to today's election have been marred by violence. Militants have been trying to derail the vote.
And in Iraq, a member of parliament was among three people killed in a drive-by shooting about 25 miles north of Baghdad. In a separate incident, a U.S. soldier was killed in a bomb blast.
An update now on the missing children of Hurricane Katrina. It is chilling. Hundreds of children have been reported missing or separated from the parents since Katrina hit. CNN has been working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help reunite them. And thanks to you, it is working.
The Center says it received 2400 calls yesterday. That's more than triple their usual number. 15 cases were resolved Saturday. 8 of those children were recognized from the pictures we've been showing you.
NGUYEN: Definitely good news there. Well, many Gulf Coast residents are eager to begin the long process of rebuilding their lives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And that means rebuilding their homes and businesses.
One parish is already taking steps to make sure residents are protected from unscrupulous contractors. And joining me now on the phone is Kevin Davis, the president of St. Tammany Parish. We appreciate your time this morning. First of all, what are you doing to make sure that these fraudulent contractors aren't allowed in?
KEVIN DAVIS, PRESIDENT, ST. TAMMANY PARISH: Through both of our permitting departments, which most every government has. We're setting up satellite offices across St. Tammany Parish, little field offices, because we lost our major six story office building that handles that.
And all people are required to go to those locations to get a permit at no charge, but that way, we can monitor the activity of licensed contractors, so that we can try to help protect our citizens.
NGUYEN: So how do you determine that they're legitimate and they're there to do the good work of rebuilding, and not to create scams that are only going to rip off residents? DAVIS: Yes. What we're doing with that office is through that checklist, checking those folks. And then our local sheriff, you have to get occupational licenses. He's done a great job. And he will make sure that there's stickers issued for those contractors. And that way, we know who they are working in our areas.
Municipalities are doing the same thing, because I have seven here in my parish. So their permit offices will be doing the very same things.
NGUYEN: While we understand the purpose, are you at all fearful that these checks and the process that contractors will have to go through will slow down the rebuilding in your area?
DAVIS: Yes, I know. As you know or I've been told, the first week is kind of days. The second week is disaster like this is trying to get ready. And the third week is anger.
So we're not trying to slow anybody. What we're trying to do is protect them. Again, there's no charge for these. It's mainly a process that we know what's happening on the site and who is working on those locations. And we can try to help protect them.
We've -- I've gotten reports of horror stories already. So we've already actually turned in some folks through the attorney general of Louisiana.
NGUYEN: What kind of horror stories? Give us some examples.
DAVIS: Well, like price gouging. Once we've gotten two of them confirmed right now. And we've given those to the attorney general's office. We'll work with our district attorney's office. And we will prosecute you.
NGUYEN: We're looking at some video now. Tell us a little bit about the damage in St. Tammany Parish. What needs to be done there?
DAVIS: It was -- we were devastated. All along our coastline, many homes are just gone. Many thousands, somewhere around 20,000 and maybe more...
NGUYEN: Goodness.
DAVIS: ...are displaced. Many of them are buddying up with family or they've left. They've come back. We opened our parish several weeks ago because I wanted the citizens to get back to start rebuilding.
Schools are going to open October 1st. I have a cell phone that everybody -- most people know of. I've been here five years and as parish president, but it wasn't working. So I just got into today. And I got some messages.
I think the archdiocese is opening their schools come Monday, this coming Monday. I hope I'm correct with that information in my -- for my parish. So -- but it is horrible. The homes, the flooding, all of the first responders are government employees or most of them lost their homes and they're still working and living in either office buildings or local, what we call public works barns.
Or what I'm really trying to get is -- been asking for is housing, temporary housing, be it trailers, travel trailers. FEMA is -- the guy -- the one thing I do want to day, the FEMA folks that are on the ground, that are with us, they're good people. They're trying their hardest.
NGUYEN: There's just a lot of work to be done.
DAVIS: Right.
NGUYEN: And obviously, we're going to be following it every step of the way. Kevin Davis, president of St. Tammany Parish, we wish you the best of luck. Take care.
DAVIS: Thank you so much.
HARRIS: Well, the good news. We're saying bye-bye to Ophelia. Now here's the bad. A storm that could be called Rita might be right on its heels. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has an update next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Here, we've been spending a lot of time talking about all of the activity in the Atlantic with good reason.
NGUYEN: Yes, because these storms, they just won't quit, it seems.
HARRIS: Right. But I tell you what, Jacqui Jeras is about to show us a map, but there was a lot of activity going on across the rest of the nation.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Children helping children in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
CNN'S Kathleen Koch has a heartwarming tale of one Maryland teenager who is doing her part one toy at a time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAKENZIE SNYDER, FOUNDER, CHILDREN-TO-CHILDREN: Basically the duffel bag is because they don't have much to carry their stuff in. And so like, and I thought the stuffed animal was a really, really good touch, like because when I'm sad and lonely, and I'm, you know, I'm -- I'm looking for something that I can cuddle.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fourteen-year old Makenzie Snyder, along with her family and cheerleader friends, spent the weekend in Bowie, Maryland packing bags of stuffed animals for Louisiana and Mississippi.
SNYDER: My uncle, my aunt...
KOCH: Also helping seven evacuees from New Orleans, relatives of Naikia Lewis-Wilson of Bowie.
NAIKIA LEWIS-WILSON, VOLUNTEER: We figured it would be, you know, a small way that we could help out people that have been through the same thing that we've been through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we need a bunch of people sitting here. Doesn't matter if you're sitting or standing to buy stuffed animals.
KOCH: Makenzie's brother Brook brought his fraternity brothers to help.
BROOK SNYDER, BROTHER: People are boxing them up. And then they're putting how many numbers and loading them right back into the truck. So it's pretty efficient.
KOCH: As soon as Makenzie learned of the extent of the devastation, she was moved to act.
M. SNYDER: It was horrible. Like I couldn't imagine being in their situation. So I just felt like it was in my place to do something for them.
KOCH: This isn't the first time Makenzie has reached out to children in need. When she was 7, she founded the group Children-to- Children.
M. SNYDER: And we give duffel bags and stuffed animals to the kids in foster care, so that they don't have to carry their stuff in trash bags.
KOCH: Her benefactor is the Freddie Mac Foundation. And stuffed animals are donated from around the country. Makenzie's mother couldn't be more proud of her daughter's selfless spirit.
MARGIE SNYDER, MAKENZIE'S MOTHER: I'm very proud of her. I just can't wait to see what she does when she is grown up.
KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And as we move into the next half hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING, we are going to take you live to Afghanistan, where the polls are open and the people are choosing new leaders since the fall of the Taliban.
NGUYEN: Plus, federal officials go on record against the New Orleans mayor's plan to start letting business owners come back home. The story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone, to the CNN center in Atlanta. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. All weekend long, we have been looking at pictures and showing you those pictures on the left hand of your screen. These are children separated from their families when hurricane Katrina struck.
HARRIS: We are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help reunite the kids with their families. Sometimes you'll see a silhouette, like right there, right now. That's because the parents either don't expect to be separated from their children or don't have recent picture. If you recognize any of the photographs, please, call the phone number you see there on your screen, 1-800-843-5678. That's 1-800-the-lost.
NGUYEN: Now in the news, Federal and local officials don't see eye to eye on the return of New Orleans residents to the beleaguered city. Mayor Ray Nagin wants to repopulate parts of his city starting tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Federal official in charge of relief, Vice Admiral Thad Allen, urges caution, saying health risks should be considered first.
A car bomb that killed 30 Shiites is just one of many deadly incidents in Iraq over the past 24 hours. Also, an Iraqi parliament member and two associates were shot dead last night north of Baghdad. A drive-by shooting in Baquba killed three civilians. Three insurgents died while trying to place a roadside bomb and in a separate incident, a U.S. soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device. A lot going on there in Iraq, a lot of violence.
And the polls are set to close this morning in Afghanistan. There voters are electing local and national representatives. Now voter turnout and security have been heavy with the U.S. military helping Afghan police at more than 6,100 polling places. For weeks now, militants have tried to derail the democratic process through violence.
HARRIS: As we mentioned, city and Federal officials in flood- ravaged New Orleans are at odds. CNN's Sean Callebs has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin earlier in the week said he wants his city to breathe again.
MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: We're opening up this city and almost 200,000 residents will be able to come back and get this city going once again.
CALLEBS: But on the day when some residents in the business district started trickling back in, Federal officials yanked the welcome mat out from underneath them. In a statement, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who's heading up the recovery effort, said health concerns are still a threat, and said, I urge all residents returning to use extreme caution if they return and to consider delaying their return until safer, more livable conditions are established. Utilities here are spotty, at best. Emergency services, a big question mark, and foul, polluted water lingers. Hassan Khaleghi and his wife Zori (ph) own the Moonlight Cafe in the garden district and another restaurant uptown. Reopening right now is out of the question.
HASSAN KHALEGHI, OWNER, MOONLIGHT CAFE: It's going to be tough, most of my employees gone. I'm trying to reach some of them.
CALLEBS: The Moonlight Cafe was also damaged by looters, but bigger issues remain. No electricity, no gas and biggest of all for the restaurants, no running water and no indication that safe drinking water will be available in New Orleans in the coming weeks, perhaps even months. The mayor wants to open four areas of the city, including the historic French quarter, within 10 days. So it's confusing for some to now hear Federal authorities say that basic services are not adequate and can't meet the needs of businesses and homeowners. Betsy Mouk run a toy store uptown.
BETSY MOUK, TOY STORE OWNER: It has been very frustrating, but I think it's very difficult for the people that are in charge, too, because it's such a huge, huge catastrophe.
CALLEBS: Business owners like Khaleghi say they've dealt with the storm and vandalism and they will also overcome this latest SNAFU.
KHALEGHI: I'm not going to give up.
CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And later this morning on CNN, we'll be talking to the man in charge. Vice Admiral Thad Allen, director of Katrina relief operations will be on "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer. That's at a special time, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. in the west.
NGUYEN: Well, Tony, as the Gulf region begins to turn the corner toward recovery, CNN will continue keeping you as close to the story as possible. Beginning tomorrow and all week long, we'll be reporting zip code by zip code as New Orleans rebuilds. Tomorrow, we're going to focus on this zip code, 70114. You may be familiar. It's the Algiers district. It's known for its modest Creole cottages and has the best view of the downtown skyline and river front. And of course, we're going to continue tracking developments throughout the Gulf region.
HARRIS: And time now to check some of the other top stories making news around the globe this morning. We're following violent developments in Iraq and historic developments in Afghanistan.
NGUYEN: A lot on the table. For the latest, let's turn it now over to the international desk and CNN's Hala Gorani. Good morning.
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony and Betty. It's been a violent day in Iraq once again with an Iraqi political leader among the victims this time. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest. First off Jennifer, a quick update on what's happened in the last 24 hour, but also why have we seen such an upsurge of violence in the last few days across the country?
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, as the daily run down of violence continues this weekend in Baquba, northern Baghdad, three civilians were gunned down by masked assassins in front of their restaurant. In a separate incident, also in Baquba, two people killed after a grenade attack on a busy street in a largely Shiite neighborhood. On Saturday as you mentioned, a member of Iraq's parliament was among three people fatally shot while traveling in a convoy to Baghdad from Mosul. A second MP was also wounded in that attack.
And also, almost at the same time, a remotely detonated car bomb exploded in a market in an eastern suburb last night. Police put the number of dead at 30 and 38 wounded. Now that attack took place also in a predominantly Shiite area. And Hala, these latest grisly incidents in nearly a week-long wave of deadly attacks here in the capital and other cities. It comes amid growing concerns over mounting sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Arabs.
On Saturday, a Shiite tribe voiced outrage over sectarian tensions and on Friday, a powerful Sunni group, the Association of Muslim Scholars, issued a denunciation of Abu Musab al Zarqawi and his terror group for declaring war or Shiites. Now the association also called on all Iraqis to unite against those who seek to tear the country apart and also today Hala, the U.S. military said a U.S. soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device Saturday while on patrol. He was taken to a hospital where he later died from his wounds. Hala.
GORANI: All right. Jennifer Eccleston live in the Iraqi capital. Thank you Jennifer.
The polls in Afghanistan have just closed in the nation's historic parliamentary and local elections. The elections have not been without their troubles, as Taliban forces try to disrupt the vote with violent attacks. CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in the Deh Chopan valley and joins us now live by videophone. So we heard the Taliban making threats, wanting to disrupt the poll. Has turnout been low as a result, Ryan?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The interesting thing is, we're right in the Taliban heartland here in the Zabul province in the Deh Chopan Valley and people have turned out to the polls. About 20,000, 25,000 people are eligible to vote here in the valley and earlier today, about 810 -- that might not seem like a very large number, but still 810 of the people from this area went through this door into this polling area to vote in Afghanistan's first parliamentary elections in more than 30 years. Now, the polls just closed but there's still a lot of people hanging out in front of the polling stations. It's really quite an event here. For many people, this was the first time they ever voted. It is really quite a spectacular feat, the turnout here when you consider that the last time there had an election in the Deh Chopan Valley was back in October when they elected President Hamid Karzai. That was also the first election in a very long time. That time Hala, only three of the people in this region turned out at this polling station. So election officials say they are very happy with the turnout, particularly considering, they say, that the Taliban was out intimidating people telling them not to the come to the polling station today. Hala.
GORANI: Ryan, a quick word on the mood there. What are voters telling you is going through their mind as they're casting their ballots?
CHILCOTE: They were very enthusiastic. One thing that was clear is they were very confused inside the polling station and I can show you why. This is the ballot here. This is one of the ballots and take a look. Voters here in the Deh Chopan Valley had to choose one candidate for the parliament from basically a pool of a few dozen.
Now, if you look next to their names, you see the pictures of the candidates. That's to help illiterate voters and the vast majority of voters here are illiterate identify the candidates that they want to vote for. The problem here in Deh Chopan is that none of the candidates actually came here to campaign, because they were afraid of the Taliban. So none of the voters could actually identify any of the candidates.
They've never met these people. They don't know the issues that the candidates stand for. So inside the polling stations, very interesting, I witnessed as people, just as they were marking their ballots, were talking to one another, saying, who did you vote for? Who do you think I should vote for? There was really this last-minute, 11th hour decision-making process going on. Democracy may be in its infancy, but nonetheless, it was quite an interesting scene inside the polling station here.
GORANI: All right. Thank you for your report, Ryan Chilcote live from the Deh Chopan Valley in Afghanistan on this historic day.
Well, history could also be in the making in Germany, which is holding its national election today. Germany could get its first woman chancellor. Public opinion polls give an edge to the conservative challenger Angela Merkel. But 25 percent of those responding, and this is crucial say they still haven't made up their minds. The outcome of the vote will determine if the incumbent, Gerhard Schroeder, will be able to put together a governing coalition and it will definitely have an impact on the relationship Germany has with the United States, definitely something to watch in Germany.
HARRIS: Which was frosty in the run-up to the Iraq war.
GORANI: Yes, it was.
HARRIS: As we all remember.
GORANI: Absolutely and even some might say in the last few years as well. Tony and Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Hala Gorani, thank you. We'll check in with you later.
HARRIS: Much more to come on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. The Gulf coast is still reeling from Katrina and now comes concern about another storm brewing in the Atlantic. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras will have the latest.
NGUYEN: And it's a very costly lesson to learn. What would the military do differently if a hurricane as powerful as Katrina heads toward land again? We'll find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Welcome back. I'm Jacqui Jeras in the CNN weather center keeping an eye on the tropics at this hour. Tropical depression number 18 has developed and could become tropical storm Rita in the next 12 to 24 hours. It's packing winds of 30 miles per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Cayucos and southeastern Bahamas, but hurricane watches in effect in the northern and western Bahamas, as the storm is forecast to strengthen to a hurricane we think by Tuesday at least, possibly as early as late Monday night.
There you can see the forecast track, bringing it through the Florida straits, but keep in mind this margin of error really bears watching here as the intensification of the hurricane will likely get very strong. The Florida Keys and south Florida needs to monitor this very, very closely over the next couple of days.
We also have another tropical storm. This is Philippe and this one is expected to be moving in a more northerly direction and it looks like at this time best estimates, keep away from the United States. We'll keep a close eye on that one for you. Back here at home for today, strong to severe thunderstorms moving across much of the nation's midsection.
We also have some foggy conditions across parts of the Ohio Valley, a live picture now from Cincinnati and show you some of that fog in the background there, visibility about 2 1/2 miles. It's usually right around three where you start to get a little bit restricted with your vision. So take it easy as you're heading out this morning, 59 degrees is your temperature in Cincinnati. But that fog should be burning off we think by about 10:00 or so, should be sunny this afternoon, high temperature around 82 degrees. We can't complain about that too much.
Also, a little foggy for Seattle and Portland this morning, also down towards San Francisco. Hot conditions are going to return to parts of the southwest, Phoenix, getting close to the triple digits once again, 70 in Salt Lake, 81 in Denver. Check out these temperatures here for Dallas and Houston. It's going to be very muggy also. It will be feeling like the triple digits. Take it easy, get your exercise done this morning rather than in the afternoon hours, 93 in New Orleans today, 90 in Atlanta and the northeast after kind of a lousy start to the weekend, what a beautiful end, 82 degrees in New York City.
NGUYEN: Not hearing any complaints there today Jacqui. Nice! Thank you.
Recent headlines have been filled with finger-pointing when it comes to what went wrong in the government's response to Katrina.
Now the military is looking ahead to future natural disasters and gearing up for a much different kind of response. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr will explain after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, after failing to heed warnings about hurricane Katrina, disaster apparently struck and in the first days of the crisis, local, state and Federal officials did not seem to be communicating or at least cooperating well. But as CNN's Barbara Starr reports, at least one plan for the future may be taking shape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush says in the next national catastrophe, he wants the military to play an increased role.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater Federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces.
STARR: The focus now is on how to send active duty troops into a devastated region without first waiting for a state governor it ask for help. In the wake of Katrina, officials say too much time went by. It was days after the levees broke before active duty military was finally ordered in. The senior military commander for hurricane Katrina relief says changes are likely, especially when the job is saving lives.
LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, JOINT TASK FORCE KATRINA: There's an opportunity here to make some adjustments and rather than wait for the state to request something, that we will have an option.
STARR: The Coast Guard admiral leading civilian relief agrees.
VICE ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN, DIR, HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF: I don't think there was any precedent for this event but the threshold on which an event might be so catastrophic and the consequences so great, it might warrant more action ahead of time than we've been able to do before, I think is certainly an area of inquiry.
STARR: No one is sure if new laws are needed, but in the wake of the disaster, the commander of the 82nd airborne division is acknowledging for the first time that chaos on the ground when his forces arrived.
MAJ. GEN. BILL CALDWELL, U.S. ARMY: We had a difficult time finding where to go to latch (ph) all the other agencies. STARR: Those problems could have spelled crisis. CNN has learned the 82nd came to New Orleans equipped to deal with riots. They had helmets, shields and tear gas, but had there been riots, it is not clear civilian and military authorities could have communicated.
Quicker use of active duty military forces may not have averted the problems at the Superdome and convention center, where thousands were stranded. The city was not prepared. The questions still linger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why weren't the buses there three days earlier?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were you going to find the buses at, mister?
STARR: The military is beginning to wrap up some of its work and could be out of the area within weeks. But for the commander leading the military effort, the ultimate lesson learned -- make sure the plan can work.
HONORE: Thereby, you have to go from plan to execution, because talking about it isn't equal to doing it.
STARR: If there is another disaster of such a catastrophic magnitude, it's now clear the U.S. military may be the only entity with the muscle and manpower to provide massive relief in the opening hours and days. Barbara Starr, CNN, with joint task force Katrina, Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Betty?
NGUYEN: Yes?
HARRIS: We have proof this morning that the spirit of Louisiana is alive and well!
NGUYEN: Oh, yeah. Show it! Don't you just love seeing that? Not even Katrina stopped the beginning of the festival season. We'll let the good times roll when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Oh, boy! Louisiana is making time for a party and the festivals, Arcadians and Lafayette, and that's the way I heard a person from Louisiana say it.
NGUYEN: Lafayette.
HARRIS: Lafayette is said to be the biggest Cajun festival in the world and there are plenty of partygoers doing the two-step, as you can see. Nearly all of Lafayette's 150,000 people are helping shelter Katrina evacuees from New Orleans. NGUYEN: And speaking of New Orleans, in that city which is the site of the city's annual jazz fest, it is still under water, but uprooted musicians are betting the stages will be all set for next year's event which takes place in April.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In New Orleans you can be a horn player and be BB King.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were supposed to go home in three days, and no home to go to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Musicians are all dislocated. We're all spread out around the country. It's one thing to be on the road but this is no tour.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because New Orleans is geographically so small, everybody has to live close to each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all of these people playing music, you're bound to run into somebody that plays something different than you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you absorb other peoples' cultures and it just becomes -- just a whole different thing in itself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, nobody can record a record in New Orleans and all that material is sort of like on hold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The impact is huge. It's huge. And I hope and pray that musicians can have survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it going to sound like next year? What are the records going to sound like? Are they going to have more passion?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a real scary thing. We're so used to having that place not change at all. You might need a lot of corporate money to come in and help build a city, you know, just to help get us back on our feet. Is that going to affect the soul of New Orleans? There's something special about playing in New Orleans that you can't get anywhere else. It's an honor to be a horn player in New Orleans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Goes back to Louis Armstrong and the days of when that music was being played. We have such a lineage down there to live up to. They're going to rebuild that city and it's going to be better than it ever was and the people are going to come back. I'm going to be there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: How do they say it down there Tony, laissez the bon temps roulez (ph). Let the good times roll and that's what they're doing.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: You only get it once.
HARRIS: Think we can get it in the next hour?
NGUYEN: We'll see.
HARRIS: The next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, the 18th day of September. Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to take a look at the left side of your screen. All this weekend, you've been seeing pictures of children who have been missing since Hurricane Katrina struck.
HARRIS: We are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help reunite these children with their families. Sometimes you'll see silhouettes. That's usually because the parents didn't have a recent picture.
If you recognize any of the pictures, please call the phone number you see there on your screen, 1-800-843-5678. That's 1-800- THE-LOST. We'll have a live report from the Center's headquarters in just a few minutes, but first a check of the morning's headlines.
Now in the news, more tropical storms are in today's weather picture. Tropical Storm Philippe is far out in the Atlantic, and for now, at least, no threat, but forecasters are keeping close tabs on tropical depression 18, which popped up overnight near the Bahamas. Jacqui Jeras has the complete weather picture in just a few minutes.
In Iraq, two civilians were killed and five others were wounded today in central Baquba. Attackers threw grenades and other explosives at a busy shopping area in a Shiite neighborhood. In a separate incident, a U.S. soldier was killed while on patrol in western Iraq. His Army combat team was hit by a roadside bomb in a volatile insurgent region near Syria.
The polls closed just a half hour ago in Afghanistan. For the first time in decades, Afghan citizens cast votes for a national legislature and for local lawmakers, and there have been voting despite threats of violence by Taliban rebels.
NGUYEN: This morning, there are conflicting messages coming from local and federal officials out of New Orleans. This, while the first wave of business owners have begun trickling back into the Garden District, French Quarter and Uptown areas. Vice Admiral Thad Allen, who is in charge of the Gulf recovery effort, is urging caution, extreme caution for anyone returning. He also asks them to consider delaying that return until safer, more livable conditions are established. But New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin wants to bring people back in much more quickly. He says the city of New Orleans worked cooperatively with the federal government to develop a sensible re- entry plan for New Orleans. Nagin, though, has since said he will abide by and defer to what federal officials suggest.
Now, one thing nearly everyone involved can agree upon is that the situation on the ground is improving, but by how much? Just south of New Orleans, in St. Bernard Parish, that is one of the many areas hard-hit by both winds and floodwaters. We want to go now to CNN's Mary Snow, who is live in St. Bernard Parish, for more.
Mary, there's a lot left behind, but not much of it is very good with all the sludge that's there.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Betty. And to give you a sense of how conditions here have improved -- a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to stand here. There were reports of water of 13 feet, and you can tell by the water marks on these homes that entire first floors were inundated with water. Some of these homes were ripped from their foundation and thrown about 15 feet from where they stood.
Now, starting this weekend, residents have been trickling in here to see for themselves firsthand and for the first time the damage that was done here, and it is severe. Take a look at some of the sights that they are witnessing, sights like cars piled on top of each others. People are using words like "decimated." And the latest prediction from "The Times Picayune," saying that about 75 percent of the 30,000 homes here in St. Bernard will probably have to be razed. And on Monday, residents here were told that they could probably not return to this area to start even rebuilding until this summer.
Besides the total devastation here, because of water damage, also there are environmental concerns. There was a gasoline spill; 89,000 gallons of gasoline had spilled because there were refineries here. About 80,000 of that, most of it has been contained or recovered, but there are real concerns along the way. And this is one of the worst- hit areas around New Orleans.
Now, this is in stark contrast to what else has been going on in other parts of New Orleans. Yesterday, business owners began trickling in to areas in the Uptown District, also the French Quarter and the Central Business District. These were areas not as hard-hit by the flooding. Business owners were allowed in to see for themselves the shape of their businesses, and this is all part of a plan to get back in and start to get things running again, but there too they face pretty daunting challenges -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Oh, the devastation -- we were looking at that -- is just beyond belief, and I imagine the camera doesn't even begin to show you all of it. Mary Snow, thank you.
Now, for the latest information on the Gulf Coast recovery effort, be sure to join Wolf Blitzer for a special "LATE EDITION." That's at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. And joining Wolf will be Vice Admiral Thad Allen, the federal official in charge of the post-Katrina relief effort. That is a special edition of "LATE EDITION," 11:00 a.m., right here on CNN.
HARRIS: Some key members of Congress will get a firsthand look at the Gulf Coast this morning. The 16-person delegation will tour New Orleans, followed by a visit to Waveland, Mississippi. Viewing the damage will be members of the Homeland Security and Government Reform Committees, along with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. As the Gulf region begins to turn the corner toward recovery, CNN will continue keeping you as close as possible to the story, beginning tomorrow. And all week, we'll be reporting zip code by zip code as New Orleans rebuilds. Tomorrow we focus in on 70114, the community of Algiers. Are you familiar with it? It's known for modest Creole cottages and the best view of the downtown skyline and riverfront, and of course we'll continue tracking developments throughout the Gulf region.
NGUYEN: As we continue our weekend push to reunite missing children with their families in the aftermath of Katrina, we have some amazing results to report. So far, 15 children have been reunited with their family members, 8 of them a direct result of CNN's efforts, which you see on the side of the screen.
CNN's Kimberly Osias is at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and joins us live. That is the kind of news that we want to hear: Children being reunited with their families. You have to be happy about that, Kimberly.
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. I mean, when it happens, it's a feeling unlike any other, Betty, and good morning to you, by the way.
You know, this is not a push similar to many that you see on the air. Basically nobody here is asking for money. They're really asking for you to sort of search your memory, see if anything gets jogged, search your heart to try and take action and make any kind of connection, because it's sort of an amalgamation of those clues that can result in a successful resolution or reuniting of a child with a parent. And since we have been on the air, eight successful resolutions have been attributed to CNN, which is amazing to actually be part of a good story like that, the good part of this rather obviously incredibly grim story that has been so for so many days.
And just yesterday, Betty, when I was here, it was amazing to be part of little Tyrielle Guillot, she's 7 years old, to her successful reunion with her mother. Now, her mother, they were in New Orleans and they got separated. Her mother ended up in Corpus Christi, and little Tyrielle ended up with her grandmother all the way in Houston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY GUILLOT, GRANDMOTHER: I was watching the news, and to my surprise, there was a picture of my granddaughter. And...
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: So you knew her mother had to post it. GUILLOT: Exactly. Exactly. So I in turn called the number on this morning, and from that point, you know, we wound up here. She has spoken to her mother, I have also, and we're just anxious to see them reunited.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OSIAS: Peggy Pittel (ph), one of the volunteers right in the middle behind me, she is a mother of seven herself, she actually took that call. Yesterday was her first day volunteering here. What an amazing day, and she's back again for her second day.
I want to tell you a little bit about these volunteers. Many are former law enforcement officers, but they've also received special training in the psychological arena as well, in the behavioral sciences area, so they're really able to help deal with families in crisis, that are in panic, help sort of talk them down, and elicit all that critical information, critical in helping to make those connections.
Let's take a look -- I want to introduce you to two children who are still missing. Children -- this one, little Kiarra Roberts, is a child looking for her parents. Not a whole lot is known oftentimes, because they simply don't have a number of pictures, or they don't have -- the case workers don't have the ability to really get full detailed information from the parents.
She was separated in New Orleans, adorable little girl. Take a look and meet Kayla Green 9 years old, hazel eyes, about 4 feet tall, also missing from New Orleans, seeking her parents. So if you have any kind of information or any of this sort of spurs your memory into action, make that phone call -- Tony.
NGUYEN: We had 15 yesterday that were resolved. Let's triple, quadruple those numbers today. Thank you, Kimberly.
HARRIS: Got to get those phones going, though.
NGUYEN: Yeah, get those phones ringing.
HARRIS: They were ringing off the hook yesterday, weren't they?
NGUYEN: That's the key to it. And keep looking at the screen. Hopefully, you'll recognize someone there and you'll make that call.
HARRIS: Need some action, some action.
Still ahead, a family reunited after the storm, only possible by the generosity of friends and strangers alike.
NGUYEN: Also coming up, big storms are on the rise. Why is Mother Nature becoming so ferocious? We'll have some answers.
Good morning, Jacqui Jeras.
(WEATHER REPORT) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, if it seems that you're hearing a lot about monster-size hurricanes lately, you're right. There has been a marked increase in the intensity of storms during the last few years. CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg takes a look at why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After years of relative quiet in the Atlantic, monster hurricanes seemed to be breaking out all over. Now a study in the journal "Science" appears to confirm there really has been a greater number of strong hurricanes in recent years.
PETER WEBSTER, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: Let's assume that we have 250 for the heck of it.
SIEBERG: Peter Webster, Judy Curry and colleagues crunched the numbers on 35 years of data from hurricanes and cyclones all over the globe. The data suggests the number of storms per year has remained relatively stable over time. But in recent years, the strength of the storms has spiked.
WEBSTER: The intensity of hurricanes in all of the basins, including the Atlantic Ocean, have increased substantially so that there are more Category 4 and 5 hurricanes.
SIEBERG: So what's behind the more powerful hurricanes? Well, scientists say natural climate cycles like El Nino and La Nina play a big role. The study says the spike in storm intensity mirrors a rise in ocean surface temperatures which, in turn, may be linked to global warming. But it's too soon to make that link conclusively.
JUDITH CURRY, GEORGIA TECH: There's certainly a significant component that is associated with greenhouse warming. How much is associated with natural variability? That just hasn't been sorted out.
SIEBERG: Other scientists point to a government-funded study that suggests global warming will affect hurricanes gradually over the next 100 years or so.
CHRIS LANDSEA, NATL. HURRICANE CTR.: So, if that's the case, I mean, that may be good news that global warning may not have an appreciable impact on hurricanes.
SIEBERG: Whether it's global warming or cyclical, most experts agree that the monster hurricane trend is not going to ease up anytime soon.
Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: It's kind of frightening to hear.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Well, while the federal government tries to figure out how to pay for the Gulf Coast reconstruction, plenty of religious organizations are pitching in.
HARRIS: Yeah, they are providing food, clothing, shelter, and perhaps some spiritual guidance. "Faces of Faith" is next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: This morning in our "Faces of Faith," nearly three weeks after Hurricane Katrina chased them from their homes, many storm survivors are still housed in shelters. Certainly their physical needs are met, but what about their spiritual and mental needs? Joining me from Baton Rouge, Louisiana is Tonja Myles, the co-founder of Set Free Indeed Ministry. Tonja, good to see you this morning.
TONJA MYLES, SET FREE INDEED MINISTRY: Good morning, how are you?
HARRIS: Well, I'm curious about the name, Set Free Indeed Ministry, how did you settle on that name?
MYLES: Again, we believe whom the Son set free is free indeed. I know firsthand how it is to be set free from any kind of addiction or destructive behavior. So we believe that people can be set free.
HARRIS: Help me understand what it means to be a faith-based organization? What does that mean? For example, in your case, you help folks with whatever their needs may be, and then what? Do they receive some spiritual guidance? And in this case, are we talking about Christian faith, Muslim faith, clerical -- is it treatment in a pamphlet? I don't mean to be facetious about that, but give me a sense of what it means to be a faith-based provider.
MYLES: Meaning that we put a strong emphasis on faith -- the holistic, spirit, mind, body and soul. We believe what the Bible says. And we believe that people can be set free. We believe in meeting the needs of that whole person, a holistic approach.
HARRIS: A particular faith? Or is it non-denominational?
MYLES: No, sir, non-denominational, non-denominational.
HARRIS: OK. So what are you seeing, Tonja? What kinds of needs are you addressing?
MYLES: Well, everybody's talking about the brick and mortar, rebuilding New Orleans and Mississippi, and that's great, we need that. However, people have been traumatized. You have people who have been displaced from their homes. They're in an unfamiliar environment. Some of them didn't have a lot to begin with; now they have nothing.
After 9/11, we saw a high increase in substance abuse, sleep disorder, post-traumatic stress, acute post-traumatic stress. We need to deal with those issues. We have people in shelters who are in a daze, and we need to meet those mental and spiritual needs of those people who have been displaced.
HARRIS: Depression, drug and alcohol abuse?
MYLES: Depression. Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, it's on the rise. Again, I heard of a story last night where a guy when he came to the shelter, he was in great spirits. He said, you know, I can do this, I can go back, I can start my business. But then when he went home and he saw how his house in New Orleans was in disarray, he came back in a state of depression. And we have to meet the needs of those people. If not, we're going to have people traumatized all over again like never before.
HARRIS: OK, meeting those needs, how are you doing that? Do you have counselors on hand?
MYLES: Yes, we do. We have licensed counselors. Not only do they believe in a holistic approach, but those best practices, along with the word of God. We have a great staff. We're getting together counselors from all over the country to come down and help meet the mental need of the displaced citizens of New Orleans. And not only that, but just disperse them throughout the country.
Another thing that we need to deal with that in the church we have not dealt with that much is the issue of race. And that's another thing that we want to address.
I thank God for those people who have let the people in from Utah and Montana, but most of them have never had to deal with cultural issues. Those issues need to be addressed, because if not, you're going to have displaced people coming back to this state of Louisiana because lifestyles and those kinds of issues were not addressed.
HARRIS: I'm curios, are you concerned that children are being resettled in schools before they have an opportunity to talk about what they've been through?
MYLES: I am, I really am, because again, we have to address -- we have to sit down and tell people, how do you feel? Do you have anger, you have people just -- whose hands are they in? They don't know what to do. I heard of a little girl who had never been out of her neighborhood. Now she's in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And she doesn't know -- she doesn't know what to do. Everything around her is no longer familiar. So we put people in those positions, and if we don't deal with some of those challenges, we're going to have people coping using drugs, using alcohol, and just in a state of despair.
HARRIS: Tonja Myles is the co-founder of the Set Free Indeed Ministry. Tonja, good to talk to you this morning. Thanks for taking the time.
MYLES: Thanks for having me.
HARRIS: Sure.
NGUYEN: Well, we see it time and time again, the kindness of the human spirit and the generosity of people in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Thanks to the efforts of some residence in California's Bay area, some displaced New Orleans residents are reunited again. Tony Zarrella of our affiliate station KRON has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY ZARRELLA, KRON-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They say home is where the heart is, and that, more than anything, is why the Jones family of New Orleans is able to start over here in the Bay area.
Eleanor Jones, arriving with her five children tonight, joining her brother Alfred and his family, who moved here two weeks ago.
ELEANOR JONES, KATRINA VICTIM: We've never left the city of New Orleans before, so they didn't know what to expect, so we're here and I just thank God, and I thank God for Lisa, I thank God for my brother, you know, for helping me to come this far.
ALFRED JONES, KATRINA VICTIM: After begging and pleading with her and getting in contact with different people, especially like she mentioned, Lisa. I mean, Lisa has been incredible throughout this whole ordeal. And she kind of like helped me convince my sister that this was the right move for her.
ZARRELLA: Lisa Maria and her good friend Erika Matz spearheaded the welcome wagon, getting the community of Santa Rosa to donate everything from a house to furnishings, to food, to clothing, even baby supplies.
LISA MARIA, ORGANIZED RELIEF EFFORT: I felt like I was driven to just do work. And I don't know why I was doing it, I just felt moved to do it. And now that it's done and the family is here, I feel relieved.
ERIKA MATZ, ORGANIZED RELIEF EFFORT: Just the community. It was just amazing. We would mention it to someone like in line at the supermarket, they would mention it to someone else. Then the next thing you know, someone was coming by with a donation.
ZARRELLA: In fact, 16-month-old Kiki has already connected with the neighbors.
For at least a couple of weeks, all of the Joneses will be together under one new roof, until Eleanor and her children move into their own new home, finally leaving tragedy behind and starting over with a lot of help from a lot of new friends.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: That's what I'm talking about.
NGUYEN: Kindness of the human heart right there. That was Tony Zarrella of our affiliate station KRON.
Well, here's what's new next hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If somebody told me two weeks ago you're going to be running the largest shelter in U.S. history, I would have said they're nuts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: They weren't, and he did. We'll introduce you to the team behind Houston's rapid response.
HARRIS: And coming up next on "HOUSE CALL," survivors of the storm face their next challenge as they begin to rebuild their lives. CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns at the top of the hour.
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