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CNN Saturday Morning News
Dozens Missing in Rugged Terrain After Ark. Flood; Oil Spill Menaces Gulf Beaches; World Cup Excites Most of the Globe, But U.S. Yawns; All Spirit Airlines Flights Cancelled
Aired June 12, 2010 - 06:00 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, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. June 12. Good morning, everybody. I'm Drew Griffin.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Suzanne Malveaux. We're both in for T.J. Holmes this morning - two of us. It takes two, I guess. So - well, thanks for starting your day with us.
It's 6 a.m. here in Atlanta, and 5 a.m. in Langley, Arkansas, where at least 16 people are dead in flash floods. Dozens are hurt. Officials hear more people might be trapped. They'll start searching again at daybreak, and we're going to go live to Arkansas in just a few moments.
GRIFFIN: And meanwhile, people all around the world have their eyes fixed on this World Cup. A big game today: U.S. vs. England. Can the U.S. beat the country that invented this sport? We're going to go live to South Africa.
But first, a check on the morning's headlines.
MALVEAUX: Checking our top stories, a violent end to a 55-hour standoff in Sacramento, California. But a 16-month-old baby boy is safe. Last night, police broke into an apartment where Anthony Alvarez had held his cousin's two children for more than two days. They shot and killed the 26-year-old man.
Early on, police got the 4-year-old out of the apartment safely, but couldn't reach the toddler.
In Baltimore, police have an arrest warrant for one of their own in connection with the death of a Marine. Our affiliate, WBAL, is reporting the details, and police say that the off-duty officer shot and killed Tyrone Brown, an unarmed Iraq war veteran. They say Brown allegedly groped the man's girlfriend. It happened outside a nightclub a week ago. Homicide detectives are meeting with prosecutors to decide whether criminal charges will be filed.
And a French fishing boat is on its way to rescue a 16-year-old California teen stranded in the Indian Ocean. Abby Sunderland wanted to set the record as the youngest person to sail around the world solo. But a rogue wave nearly sank her yacht and forced her to send a distress call. Her father says she handled the crisis in textbook style. GRIFFIN: Let's go back to our top story now. Within the hour, searchers will be back looking for victims of this deadly flash flood at a campground in western Arkansas. Sixteen people now are dead, and we're told the state's emergency officials have gotten calls from relatives of 73 people who haven't been heard from since this flooding took place.
CNN's Catherine Callaway is in Langley. That's six miles from the Albert Pike campsite.
Catherine, any word on how many people were actually in that campground?
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're hearing all kinds of - of numbers. Arkansas Governor Beebe was saying yesterday there was believed to be, Drew, some 300 people in that area, but some of the registration papers for those campers were washed away. They're - they're not sure if any locals had come to their cabins.
So we're still uncertain. We're hearing that there are 16 confirmed deaths there, as the Little Missouri River and the Caddo River both rose from some three feet, Drew, to more than 23 feet in just a few hours early Friday morning. And officials now, as you said, still uncertain just how many people are still missing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY (voice-over): ...try their best to cope as officials search for the missing from Friday's horrific flash flooding at a campground in western Arkansas.
Ginger Autry awoke to a phone call informing her that her teenage son was among those unaccounted for. He'd been camping with other relatives.
GINGER AUTRY, SON WAS AT CAMPSITE: I just wanted my baby. That's all I want is - I just want to see his little face and....
CALLAWAY: Although officials say a flash-flooding warning was issued for the area at 2 a.m., most here were sleeping and were caught unaware.
Listen to one witness describe what it was like when the Little Missouri River began to swell, filling the lower-lying campground like a bowl.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Around there, the pavilion, this place over here, the kitchen was destroyed. The bars moved around; the giant refrigerator was knocked over. In the office, the refrigerator they had in there was floating.
CALLAWAY: While he got out safely, for others still waiting for news, they will never be able to look at the area in the same way again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's most the horrific thing I've ever been through in my life. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY: Now, yesterday there were about 30 people rescued from the area. And as soon as daylight arrives this morning, the search for - for more victims and for more survivors will continue.
Drew, I cannot tell you how rural this area is. We have no cell-phone service here. It's very spotty. We get it; we lose it. We are about four miles from the command post, which is behind this two-lane road - down this two-lane road behind me. And the only light that you see way back there is from a fire station. There's obviously no street lights. So we can understand now why the rescue - the search-and-rescue effort has been so difficult.
Communication is a real problem here.
GRIFFIN: Catherine, does it appear that more people are actually missing? Like, they might be looking for bodies today or do you think this 73 relatives looking for people is just kind of a mix-up and - and - and the fact that it is so rural they can't get phone calls out?
CALLAWAY: Yes. That - that's a good point.
But we should remember that with 73 phone calls, so many of those calls may be from the same family, just different relatives. So that could be misleading in some ways.
And - and again, we - we don't even know how many people for sure were in the area. At this point, it is just people trying to find out where their loved ones are. As you said, it may be because of this communication problem. I mean, we're experts at it, and we've had a very difficult time just trying to communicate with the CNN Center. Imagine what it's like - we're on a - a very - a high ground. Imagine eight miles behind me, in - in that valley, there's really no way other than a two-way radio to communicate with each other.
GRIFFIN: All right. Catherine Callaway, live in Langley, Arkansas. Thanks, Catherine.
And deputies from area sheriff's offices as well as state police and National Guard choppers are all part of this search.
MALVEAUX: And Arkansas' Department of Emergency Management in North Little Rock is coordinating the search.
I want to bring in, by phone, Renee Preslar. She's with the public- information office.
And Miss Preslar, if you could start off by telling us - obviously, a lot of worried, concerned people about those who are missing, perhaps those who - who - who are swept away in the water.
What resources do you have that are being put into this search now?
VOICE OF RENEE PRESLAR, DEP. P.I.O., ARK. EMER. MGMT.: Well, any resources that the community needs, that's what we're putting into this search.
You know, we've got search-and-rescue teams out. The state police is out looking for people. This - when this picks up at daybreak, we are still looking for a lot of people. This is still a very much search- and-rescue mission, not a search-and-recovery mission, as of right now.
GRIFFIN: Has the water now completed receded, gone back to its banks? Or are you still dealing with high water?
PRESLAR: I'm not in the area, because I am still in North Little Rock. So I'm not for sure of the water level at this moment. I'll know more at daybreak, when people get back on the scene (INAUDIBLE).
GRIFFIN: OK. And just to wrap this up, you - you are actively search for live people. You're in a rescue mode. We're not talking about recovering bodies.
PRESLAR: Correct.
GRIFFIN: OK. All right. Miss Preslar, thank you so much for joining us with the very latest from Arkansas - Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Well, let's check in with our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.
And give us a sense, Jacqui, if you will - what are we talking about in terms of the landscape here and just how this happened?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
We're talking about an incredible amount of rain in a very short period of time. And the terrain really played a huge role. In fact, I zoomed in on - on Google Earth, into the campground area, to give you a better idea.
So there you can see the river. You can see how this whole area - this valley is right here, and the river runs through it. And there you can see all the hills surrounding it. So when you get - we're talking about six to seven inches of rain is what radar is estimating, fell in just a couple of hours.
This all runs off from these hillsides and gathers into this one area. That river rose 20 feet in just a few hours.
Here's what the radar is estimating. As you can see - and this is the area I wanted to point out, right where you see that bright purple in there, that is about that six-to-seven-inch-rain estimate. And again, the ground was already very saturated. So every single drop that fell that day happened to run off.
And meteorologically, what happened here, why - why did we get so much rain in - in a short period of time? Well, we have this area of high pressure which developed down here into - into the Gulf of Mexico. And what that did is it brought in winds from the southwest. So it brought in all this moisture from the Gulf. At the same time, we had a little upper-level disturbance which pushed through, and it created what we called an "MPS" - if you've heard use that (ph) - Drew Griffin likes to make fun of me for using it (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: ...fancy words. It's a mesoscale convective complex. And we've got one going on this morning north of that area, in the upper Midwest. And we get these big cluster of thunderstorms. They last for a very long period of time. Sometimes they move very, very slowly, and they dump that heavy rainfall and cause severe weather to go along with it.
MALVEAUX: Sure. And it was hard for them to predict. I mean, it was just too quick when that happened (INAUDIBLE).
JERAS: It was too fast, and it was such a remote area, as you heard Catherine talking about. No cell-phone service. So it was very difficult to communicate to those people. A NOAA weather radio - we talked about this - I'll talk a little more about this later on this morning - if you have one of those that's battery operated, that could save your life in this type of situation, because it will go off and warn you.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks very much, Jacqui - Drew.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, guys.
We're also keeping an eye, of course, on the Gulf this morning. The oil still gushing. Health officials taking steps now to keep beaches safe for visitors.
And our Reynolds Wolf is live in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Good morning, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Drew.
Well, the beaches are open and it is obviously dark. But soon enough, the sun is going to come out; the people are going to come out here, too. And what they're going to be hoping for are some great memories. But what may greet them is a chance of oil coming up on the shore, and unseasonably warm temperatures.
We're going to give you the full story coming up in just a moment.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Can you believe it? Fifty-four days now since that Deepwater Horizon oil right exploded, killing 11 people. Of course, it's still gushing. Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser now criticizing the British Prime Minister David Cameron following comments that Cameron made about the oil disaster in the Gulf. President Obama is expected to discuss the disaster with the prime minister during a phone call scheduled at 11 a.m. this morning. According to BP now, nearly 42,000 claims have been submitted. Half of them have been settled, totaling more than $53 million.
Now, British Petroleum could decide to suspend dividends to shareholders by July 27. And the company hopes to use a secondary containment cap as early as Monday, potentially capturing an addition 5,000 to 10,000 barrels a day.
Rising temperatures now complicating cleanup efforts. Heat-related illness are a major concern.
So how polluted is the water, and is it safe to keep swimming?
MALVEAUX: Well, officials in Florida, Mississippi and Alabama have made monitoring the quality of the water a major priority.
Our Reynolds Wolf, he is live in Biloxi this morning.
Good morning, Reynolds. What are we finding?
WOLF: Well, so far, so good, for the time being.
Check out what we got behind me. We got this big water-trikes thing, a couple of - of kayaks. Never been on the water trikes before. I don't know if you guys have ever given that a shot. Kayaks I have.
But, you know, these are more than just beach toys. These are things that people use to help make some memories, not just here along the Mississippi coast, but also in parts of Louisiana, Alabama and into Florida.
But I'll tell you, a lot of people, a lot of families that are coming out here are hoping for good times. They're coming away with something a little more than they expected.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice-over): It started as a regular day at the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Sand castles, swimming and sunbathing. But a lifeguard's warning came as a wake-up call.
CATHERINE WEAVER, BEACHGOER: We were in the water, and they told us we had to get out because the oil was coming in.
WOLF: Christina (ph) Weaver and her brother Robbie (ph) spent their childhood together on this beach. Having moved away, they'd come back to visit together today.
WEAVER: We figured we'd come see the beach one last time before it was ruined.
(CROSSTALK)
WEAVER: But we got here, and five minutes later, here it was. And it's nasty.
WOLF: Public advisories have now been posted in Alabama and Florida. But beaches remain open.
KIM TAYLOR, ALABAMA DEPT. OF PUBLIC HEALTH: When you see these advisories, those are just as a precaution for anyone who may be in the water, who may be sensitive to oil products, and that might cause irritation on the skin or such.
DR. RICHARD SNYDER, BIOLOGIST, UNIV. OF W. FLORIDA: One of these gets water, the other one gets sediment.
WOLF: Water testing has been part of the routine in Pensacola Beach, Florida, since the spill began.
SNYDER: We're actually talking water samples and sand samples, analyzing them chemically, to look for the oil that people can't see. Because a lot of this oil is dispersed in the water.
WOLF: At an emergency-management meeting almost 150 miles away in Mississippi, officials are tired of waiting.
BRIAN "HOOTY" ADAM, DIR., HANCOCK CO. EMERGENCY MGMT: The solid (ph) samples that we sent in Monday, we got Sunday, we still don't have a result, you know? (INAUDIBLE) took them last time.
WOLF: Hancock County Emergency Director Hooty Adam says he's pushing incident command for faster results, while urging beachgoers to be vigilant.
ADAM: Right now, I'd tell them to go to the beach. Just, you know, be - be wary of what - you know, if they go in the water, just be aware of their surroundings.
WOLF: And that seems to be exactly what lifeguards back in Gulf Shores, Alabama, are doing. Less than half an hour after oil washed up on their beach, swimmers were allowed back into the water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, they said we can go back in, so we're OK now.
Well, I don't see anymore out there right now. It's all on the beach. So I guess we're OK.
WOLF: Christina Weaver isn't taking any chances.
WEAVER: Yes, I don't want to be in the water. It's everywhere.
WOLF: The Weavers were here for fond memories, but are leaving with an unexpected keepsake.
WEAVER: So why are you trying to collect some?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, just to show that I was here when it happened, and - a little memorabilia.
WEAVER: Yes, this is not fun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: You know, a lot of it is just common sense. If you happen to see the oil out there, you want to avoid by - by all means.
I can tell you that two days ago, we were out here in Perdido Key and Orange Beach and there happened to be some oil that had been on the beach, and workers came by, cleaned it up fairly quickly, and the rest of the beach was picture perfect.
Those beaches, however, do remain open, up and down the coast. So if you have plans to come on out, by all means enjoy it. It's beautiful out here.
But there are some closures - not closures - closures not for swimmers, but rather for boats, especially over near Perdido Pass, so they'll have plenty of room for the traffic in terms of some of the skimmers, some of the - the ships used to keep the oil away from the shore. They have - they have some restrictions there, just to allow those ships to move through and do what they need to do.
But again, that's the latest we have from the coast. Let's send it back to you in the studio.
MALVEAUX: Reynolds, one thing I didn't understand, one of those officials who said, 'If you're sensitive to oil products,' I guess, that you should stay out of the water or be careful.
I mean, wouldn't that apply to everybody? That you just should not be exposed to this - this kind of stuff, this oil?
WOLF: You'd think so. But I - I think they're also thinking about people who would be - that have issues with respiratory problems. I mean, you can definitely smell - when the wind shifts a little bit, Suzanne, you can really get a - a huge whiff of that - that - that oil, that petroleum smell that comes - comes across the water. So I imagine anyone who suffers from emphysema would certainly have those issues.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
WOLF: People with very sensitive skin, who - who suffer from skin ailments, obviously, their skin would be irritated a bit more readily than some of us - than some others, no question about it.
But again, it's just common sense; if you happen to see oil blobs...
MALVEAUX: Sure.
WOLF: ...that are out in the water, you want to get to shore. They come - and you know, the thing that's funny, too, Suzanne, is, it's not as though it all comes on shore in one big rush. It comes up, like, in little pieces, little bits - bursts, so to speak.
And - I can tell you though - but much of the time that we've been out here, the water has been just picture perfect, save for the exception that we had yesterday, seeing that little bit come on shore on parts of the Alabama coast.
MALVEAUX: Do we think they're going to close some of these beaches? Do we anticipate that they'll be more that they're closing, or are they widely going to stay open for the weekend?
WOLF: So far, so good; they do expect to remain open. But the big thing they're waiting for are for those water samples, the test results to come back in. And there really is no time limit on that. There's really no - no exact time that they expect those results to - to return.
And I can tell you, they're certainly waiting - waiting with bated breath. But for now, they're going to enjoy the good news that the beaches do indeed remain open.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you so much, Reynolds.
Well, the biggest sporting event in the world kicked off yesterday, and it is not - no, for - for those of us who are wondering, it's not the Super Bowl. This is the World Cup.
So if you are left scratching your head about the game of soccer, we have the answer: World Cup 101. I've been studying. I've been studying up on this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The biggest single sporting contest in the world is under way, and it is a big day, a very big day for the U.S. The showdown in a major rivalry.
GRIFFIN: Yes, U.S. vs. England.
MALVEAUX: Do you know what I'm talking about? OK (ph).
GRIFFIN: The World Cup.
MALVEAUX: Hey, I'll make a wager for dinner - who's going to win?
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: You know, the big question is, who's going to watch and who's going to know what's happening? Right, Josh?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Drew doesn't want the hate mail from all these people knowing that any of us might possibly root the U.S. won't win. I'm pretty sure all of us are - are rooting for the U.S., even if the odds are a little bit against us based on history.
Let me do this: I know a lot of you want to know what the deal is, right? We're all getting schooled in the basics of World Cup. So I'm going to talk you through a few basics right now, and then we're going to show you some cool animations. First of all, real basics. It's kind of like the Olympics in this sense: It happens every four years. But it lasts exactly one month. So this year, June 11 to July 11.
Now, the structure of it is this: You start with 32 teams, and there's all these qualifiers that determine which 32 countries are going to get to participate. And then they're drawn into eight groups of four each. And it's the winners that get - the top two within each group get to go on to the top 16.
Now, the first U.S. game is today. We have an animation. Let's go to this. It's taking place at Royal Bafokeng Stadium. That's the name of it. And thanks to Google, we have some really good images that show it.
You know, this is happening all over South Africa at a whole series of different cities and different stadiums. So that is right there, where a big game will be today.
Now, if you're following it, there are some phrases you're going to hear shouted out sometimes, maybe by the commentators, or maybe by people in the bar with you. For example, this one: "He missed a sitter."
GRIFFIN: He missed a sitter!
LEVS: We wanted to - he missed - Drew's yelling it across the newsroom. We want to know what these things mean.
So yesterday, I was joined by members of the Atlanta Silverbacks to talk me through it, and they told me about an exchange. I had to dress the part.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA FEDRIGO, GEN. MGR., ATLANTA SILVERBACKS: It basically (INAUDIBLE) - means you missed a freebie goal. Meaning it was sitting on your foot. All you had to do was pass it in (ph), and you missed the - you missed it.
LEVS: It was sitting right there. You could have just kicked it in.
FEDRIGO: It was sitting right there.
LEVS: It was sitting right there.
FEDRIGO: Mm-hmm.
LEVS: All right. We got one more for you here. "It was a blatant dive." And that's not what it sounds like. It's not like diving. But what does that mean?
FEDRIGO: Well, it kind of is, and it isn't. Essentially, a player can take a dive, meaning they can overexaggerate a trip or a bump in order to get a foul call, or a card. And so, when they dive, sometimes they scream; sometimes they yell; sometimes they grab their ankle and go down. Anything to exaggerate the injury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: It was a good day yesterday in the newsroom.
Now - so these are a few basics. I want to let you know, you can see a ton more at CNN.com/worldcup. It is packed with interactives.
And let's say you can't make yourself sound like an expert. You might be able to make yourself look like a soccer expert,, thanks to JibJab. We can go out on this.
Take a look at this video, guys. The good folks at JibJab have put our faces into it. You got Suzanne; you got Jacqui; Drew. There we are. Look at me. I love that my glasses stay on even with that (INAUDIBLE) going on on my head.
Anyway, JibJab.com having a great time in advance of the World Cup.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: Where's Drew? Oh!
LEVS: That's you, dude (ph). I think that's you.
GRIFFIN: Woah.
LEVS: Oh, and Fredricka's playing with us there, too.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: Oh, I missed a sitter.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Oh, there I go.
LEVS: It was a dive.
MALVEAUX: What's up with my hair, man? I mean (INAUDIBLE). Oh, here I - (INAUDIBLE).
LEVS: Look at my hair.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Oh, that's fantastic. See, but we're all dressed the part, you know?
LEVS: I love it.
MALVEAUX: You know, we must know what we're talking about . GRIFFIN: Missed a sitter. Took a dive.
LEVS: We're learning what we can (ph).
MALVEAUX: So Josh, why don't you get dressed today with that soccer outfit? That was like, a - South Africa, is that right? That - that jersey you were wearing?
LEVS: Yes, it's in the bag. We'll see. I don't know. They just brought it along. It was the rule; I had to wear it. (INAUDIBLE).
MALVEAUX: You're going to whip that out later today. I think - I think it's appropriate.
LEVS: I'll see you in a couple hours with that.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Very interesting, Josh. Thanks for all that...
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
GRIFFIN: ...interesting information.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: We'll be watching.
Well, coming up new at 6:30...
GRIFFIN: You will be?
MALVEAUX: Oh, you know, if it's at the pool, I will.
GRIFFIN: Yes, if a Yankees game isn't on, I might watch it.
MALVEAUX: OK.
We're going to take some other news. The governor of Arkansas is describing why that flash flooding at a campground there happened at the worst time of the day. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Welcome back. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: I'm Drew Griffin. Thank you for starting your day with us. Let's get to the top stories.
There has been a violent end to a 55-hour standoff. This is in Sacramento, California. A 16-month-old baby boy is safe. Last night, police had to break into an apartment where Anthony Alvarez held his cousin's two children more than two days. They shot and killed the 26-year-old man. Early on, police got a four-year-old out of the apartment safely. They just couldn't reach the toddler at the time, but again the toddler is safe.
In Baltimore, police have an arrest warrant out for one of their own in connection with the death of a Marine. Our affiliate WBAL reporting the details, police say the off duty officer shot and killed Tyrone Brown, an unarmed Iraq war veteran. They say Brown allegedly groped the man's girlfriend. It happened outside a nightclub a week ago. Homicide detectives are meeting with prosecutors to decide whether criminal charges will be filed.
The pilots of Spirit Airlines went on strike this morning. If you are flying them, guess what? You are not. The Airline Pilots' Association says the strike comes after negotiations with the airline management reached a stalemate. Supposedly those talks have been going on for four years. That strike at a low-cost carrier went into effect at 5:00 a.m. Eastern. The airline has canceled all of its flights. We are told there's about 150 flights a day, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Right now, searchers are preparing to resume the search for victims of that deadly flash flooding at the campground in western Arkansas. The Little Missouri River rose 20 feet from 11:00 Thursday night to 3:00 o'clock Friday morning. As 16 people are dead as a result of this, officials say that that death toll could rise. Our CNN's Catherine Callaway is in Langley, that six miles from the Albert Pike campsite.
And, Catherine, what do we know about the attempts to find others who might have been in that campsite?
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At this point, they still don't know even how many campers were there. When daylight arrives this morning, the search and rescue efforts will continue. Of course, we have the Arkansas National Guard here with helicopters. We have three counties, also, emergency management agencies here working on this search and rescue.
And one of the things that has been a real problem, Suzanne, for the people here has been communication problem. Cell phones just do not work in this area. We're hearing that the Arkansas Governor Beebe is going to try to bring in some temporary cell phone towers for the area to aid in that search today. And one of the reasons why people come to the area this time of year because it's so green and lush and beautiful. That, however, makes it very difficult to see as these Arkansas National Guard helicopters fly over and look for these missing campers.
We're waiting to hear more information on how many are missing. We know that the Arkansas state emergency management office did field at least 73 calls yesterday and into yesterday evening, from relatives who were concerned about people that they thought were camping in the area. Family members they have not heard from. That could be a little bit misleading, Suzanne, because it could be several of the same -- members of the same family calling.
And we just had a number of people come through here as you could see. Very quickly. State police, and I notice they had a lot of three wheelers, several of those, there's a four wheeler. So all of these going in this morning as the sun arrives to help search for those campers.
ANGELA CHARISS, FLOOD SURVIVOR: It was nine of us and we were on a -- like an island. And so, when the dam broke, they said a major dam broke. When it broke, the water was in front and behind us, and when it come up on the island put us in the dead center of the river flow. And the water rose eight feet in about three to five minutes.
My 16-year-old son was camping 100 yards from us. We were screaming because we couldn't get to him, the water was coming up so fast. And he came floating down the river with his little buddy that camped with him. He said, Please, save me. Help me, I'm drowning. My husband wouldn't let go of me. We were in the tree and I had my 13-year-old and we were just clinging for life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY: Yeah, that was just one family member, one survivor, talking about their ordeal yesterday morning. We've heard so many stories of rescues of children on top of cabin roofs, people standing on top of their cars that were wedged between cars. There were rescues and we certainly hope there will be more today, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And, Catherine, you were saying that this is a very rural area. Obviously, complicates the search because you were mentioning communication is hard. And give us a sense of the campground area itself. Is it difficult to find people, to actually get around, to know where you are?
CALLAWAY: Yes. We are several miles from just the command post and then beyond that several miles from those rivers. But Suzanne, those rivers are in a -- come to a valley like this. Here's one river, here's the other river. The campers were in the center. Even if they received that alert that there was a flash flood warning issued, it seems very unlikely they would have been able to escape that area quickly enough because bridges were washed away, because of just simple terrain there, trying to get them out of that valley area.
And that is the problem that search and rescue people are having, as well. Trying to by able to encompass the area and look for people washed downstream or up to higher ground. Even if they had their cell phones, they would not be able to call and tell relatives where they are.
MALVEAUX: OK.
CALLAWAY: So, many, many problems.
MALVEAUX: All right, Catherine Callaway, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
GRIFFIN: Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe calls this an unprecedented tragedy in his part of the state. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE BEEBE, ARKANSAS: It happened at the worse possible time because it was in between 2:00 and 5:00 o'clock in the morning, and obviously all of those campers were asleep. All those vacationers that were camping along that river were asleep. And so they had no way to know. The weather service had issued a warning at 2:00 a.m. But unless you were awake with a radio, the odds are you never would have known that.
And even then, we're not sure whether or not people would have reacted to it so it was just a horrible convergence of a number of events, and as a result of it, you see a huge loss of life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: President Obama released a statement on the tragedy. He said, "Michelle and I would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives during this horrible flash flood, and we offer our prayers for those who anxiously await news of loved ones still missing. State and local first responders continue their critical life-saving efforts on the ground. I have instructed FEMA to be in close contact," the president says, "with Arkansas Emergency Management officials and to report back concerning any unmet needs ensuring that FEMA continues to coordinate with our state and local partners throughout this tragedy."
Well, let's give you a little good news this morning. And it's breaking news. We have just gotten word that the French trawler, the French fishing boat that was trying to reach that 16-year-old girl Abby Sunderland, has reached her. The parents of the California teen stranded at sea say she has been rescued.
Lawrence Sunderland, the father of Abby Sunderland-she's just 16, remember-told reporters outside his home that early Saturday he had been contacted to confirm the rescue of his daughter in heavy seas in the southern Indian Ocean.
Abby was trying to go around the world. She set off a distress signal Thursday. I think her mast was broken, she was having trouble with her satellite phone. 20 hours of non-communications, but now we are learning good news this morning, that she has been rescued.
MALVEAUX: Another big story following, obviously, the oil spill in the Gulf. The president keeping his eye on that and cleanup effort that is ongoing. Reynolds Wolf is live in Biloxi this morning with one of the major challenges that workers there are dealing with.
Good morning. What are we seeing?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, right now, pretty nice conditions, 81 degrees, under partly cloudy skies. But as you well know as the sun comes up, temperatures are going to go up, too. In fact, possibly in the 90s with the heat index well above the century mark.
Coming up, we are going to let you know how the workers are dealing with it. You are watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) GRIFFIN: Look at that. That video kills me.
MALVEAUX: Yeah. It's upsetting. Oil from BP's broken well, it is still gushing into the Gulf. And of course, we are dealing with the painstaking work to clean it up. That slogs on.
GRIFFIN: Adding to the problem, things are starting to heat up. I mean, literally heat up. CNN Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf at Orange Beach, Alabama, found out officials have a tough, new task to deal with.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice over): Sun, surf, a hot sunny day. Another beautiful day at the beach unless, of course, you're one of these guys.
(On camera): Well on this part of Alabama coast, you can see things have been pretty busy this morning. A lot of bags, as far as the eyed can see, these bags filled up with sand, filled up with oil and then stacked in big piles like this. Tall task, but then when you bring in the high heat and the humidity, it makes a difficult job even tougher.
BRIAN SIBLEY, SPOKESMAN, JOINT INFO. CTR.: We have 50 percent humidity, 107 degrees air temperature. 141 degrees is the heat index.
WOLF (voice over): The thousands of men and women charged with cleaning the nearby coastline are fighting another battle, keeping cool while still being productive.
SIBLEY: The workers are, you know, wearing long pants, hard soled shoes. The heat does affect them much more differently than it does the beach goers.
WOLF: Brian Sibley, a spokesman for the Joint Information Center, says the heat is just another danger to the workers that they have to take into consideration. Tents, fans and lots and lots of water make up the first line of defense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to drink one bottle of water every break.
SIBLEY: The way we are supporting them in terms of keeping safe from the heat is they work in very short shift, usually 15 to 20 minutes. And they get out of the sun and they get rehydrated, rested, and ready to go back out. Safety is the absolute first priority on all of these crews.
WOLF: But with this kind of extreme heat expected through the weekend, and with no end to the cleanup in sight, workers expect a long, hot summer ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: And CNN photojournalist Dominic Swan is behind the camera. Dom, let's show all the good folks at home these-the numbers. Right now, live around 80 degrees, maybe a touch above. Humidity extremely high and we also have CNN meteorologist, one of the best on the planet, Jacqui Jeras, with us.
Jacqui, let's give these guys some good news. We have a little break in the heat, don't we? At least, in the long term?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, it's not looking great through the weekend, Reynolds. The heat advisory still in effect for New Orleans and all the way up to Memphis. We'll continue to stay in the hot stuff probably for the next couple of days.
On the thermometer, it is not as bad. Only about 93 degrees expected, but when you add in that high humidity it is going to be feeling like 100 to 105 at times. So, this heat will continue to spread across the Eastern part of the United States. Right through the weekend, as well.
Now, a lot of people wanting to hit that beach. Here's the bad news that I can tell you and that is high pressure is in control. So we don't have a lot of triggers in terms of bringing in additional showers and thunderstorms. So we think relatively dry weather here. All the action will stay on to the northern tier, so it's the weekend. A lot of folks wanting to head to the beach and what can you expect for your beach weather and your beach forecast? A lot of people want to know if the beaches are open. For the most part, all of the beaches are open.
Biggest problem we have is that there are some swim advisories so some of the beaches, for example, in Alabama that is where they're thinking you shouldn't be getting into the water. Of course, at most of the beaches you go to, if they're life guarded beaches, they will have the flags posted and you know what you should be doing and most open. Go ahead. Go on the beach. Use caution and common sense.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Well, a very touching moment from the first lady of the United States as she delivered a high school commencement address.
GRIFFIN: Yep. Hear what topic almost brought her to tears.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: The first lady fought back tears as she told an emotional story from her childhood in South Chicago.
MALVEAUX: Michelle Obama was at the commencement and she was the speaker at Anacostia High School in Washington, D.C. They are doing some amazing work there, and here's some of what she shared with the graduating class.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Growing up, there were plenty of times that I doubted my capabilities. And those doubts were fueled by a lot of people around me. Kids teasing me when I studied hard, teachers telling me not to reach too high because my test scores weren't good enough. Folks making it clear with what they said and didn't say that success wasn't meant for a little girl like me from the south side of Chicago.
But let me tell you something. Something else I remember. I remember my mom pushing me and my brother to do things she'd never done herself. Things she'd been afraid to do herself. What I remember is my father getting up every day and going to work at a water filtration plant, even after he was diagnosed with MS, even after it got hard for him to button his shirt, and to get up and walk.
See, I remember my parents sacrificing for us. Pouring everything they had in us, being there for us, encouraging us to reach for a life they never knew. And it is because of them and because of the support I got from teachers and mentors that I am standing here today.
(APPLAUSE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Security forces are on the streets of Tehran this hour. It is the first anniversary of that disputed presidential election and extensive street protests. Our Reza Sayah says some of those protesters feared for their lives and are now in hiding.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just days after millions in Iran protested the presidential elections last year, Internet blogger Kianoosh says he became a wanted man by the Islamic Republic.
KIANOOSH (through translator): Obviously, it was terrifying. I knew if they found me I would get more than a beating. I had heard about what happened to people who were in prison. I knew this time it wasn't a joke.
SAYAH: The 30-year-old who asked us not to show his face said he took these pictures of protests and posted them on his blog. Nine days after the disputed vote, Kianoosh says his neighbor called and said security forces were at his door, asking where he was.
KIANOOSH (through translator): I was shocked and I didn't know what to do. It was the first time that I had gone through something like that.
SAYAH: While the protests continued, he says he spent 27 days hiding inside a friend's basement, then paid $500 to be smuggled across Iran's border. A final meeting with his parents was too dangerous, he says.
KIANOOSH (through translator): I didn't say good-bye. I turned my back and ran. I didn't want to see them. It would have been too painful. I just put my head down and prayed not to get shot with a bullet.
SAYAH: To protect his family, Kianoosh asked us not to reveal his location. Human rights groups say thousands of opposition supporters fled Iran after the disputed vote, to escape a government campaign to intimidate and arrests journalists, activists and artists.
MOHSEN, IRANIAN POET (through translator): It's very hard when you leave your country. Because you don't know if you'll ever go back.
SAYAH: These days, 31-year-old poet Mohsen writes about what he calls Iran's repressive regime while outside of his country.
"Whips and lashes, executions, threats by the leader have left my voice shaken," reads a line from Mohsen's latest poem. He, too, paid to be smuggled out leaving his family behind.
MOHSEN (through translator): Believe me when I say we cried together for one hour. Because we knew we may never see one another again.
SAYAH: Some analysts say each opposition supporter that leaves Iran is a win for the government but Kianoosh and Mohsen both now seeking asylum say they'll keep speaking out against the regime in Tehran. Kianoosh with his blog, Mohsen with his lyrics.
MOHSEN (through translator): We can't stay silent in the face of injustice. If we stay silent then there's not much difference between us and animals. We have to protest.
KIANOOSH (through translator): It is important to understand there's something you give and there is always something you gain.
SAYAH: What these two men gave up is their country. What they have gained, they say, is a movement for civil right that won't go away any time soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Reza Sayah joins us live from Islamabad, Pakistan.
Reza, you know, there was so much hope in Iranian communities across the world last year that this protest would grow into a movement, that the movement would just continue to get bigger. Now it seems like it's over.
SAYAH: Well, I think some people would disagree. They say the movement has changed and it's morphed from a protest that initially focused on street protests, and that initial outrage after the election. And changed into an underground, online campaign to raise awareness about civil rights, raise awareness how people would be better off without what they call this repressive regime.
The question is, what form will it take shape next? How will it manifest itself now, Drew?
GRIFFIN: All right. Reza Sayah, live from Islamabad, thanks.
MALVEAUX: All right. Soccer fans, we're just hours away from the United States' first match at this year's World Cup. It's a game against one of the world's top teams, a big rivalry. We'll go live, that's right, live to South Africa for a preview of U.S. versus England. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Good morning, guys. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is June 12. I'm Drew Griffin.
MALVEAUX: And I'm Suzanne Malveaux. We're both in for T.J. Holmes this morning.
So, thank you for starting your day with us. It's 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta.
We do have some breaking news from high above, you could say. Hundreds of pilots with Spirit Airlines went on strike this morning and all flights today from that airline are canceled.
GRIFFIN: The pilots complained of low wages, walked off the job after they couldn't reach an agreement. It's not a huge airline, Josh Levs, but it is an airline. They had flights. And this could affect a lot of people.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And you know what? We have seen this before. I mean, even when there's a handful of flights delayed for the day, it can have a cascading effect on the entire country and the entire world. So, when we're talking about an airline shut down, it is quite possible that it will affect travel in a broader way, certainly in a region.
Let me start off from this map right here. This is from Spirit Airlines and I'll show you this quickly. But basically what we're seeing here is where it flies and where it does not fly. So, this is the general section where it has a lot of flights in the country. And you can see it's based in Miramar, Florida, and there's a lot of flights around here.
It's designed to be ultra low cost. It costs an average, according to them, $100 less per ticket than everyone else. We have a live airport cam right now I want to show you. Basically it's where -- oh -- OK, it's not ready.
So, let's do this. Let's go back to that video. I'll talk to you a little bit about Spirit Airlines. Some things you should know about them and we'll go through some of the basic facts about it.
It was founded in 1980 as you're seeing there, 40 destinations total, and has just over 2,300 employees. So, as the airlines go, not all that huge. But again, one can affect all the others. It has 150 domestic and international flights every day.
And the point of this airline, what they're all about, is being ultra low in fares. Their headquarters are in Miramar, Florida.
So, one thing we're looking for today is how widespread is the affect that stems from it? Now, I want to tell you, before I'll show you more things, that we're encouraging you to send iReports today if you're affected by this, go to iReport.com. Also, you can tweet me. A couple of things you should know about each side is saying in this. First of all, if you go to the Spirit Airlines Web site right now, they have a big statement right here. But the one thing you need to know is in this section and they're telling you if you're scheduled to fly today, basically, you're not only going to get your money back, but you're also going to get $100 future flight credit. So, if you were scheduled to fly there, then go to SpiritAir.com and you can learn all about how you get that credit.
Also, a little bit of information we have here from the Airline Pilots Association which represents pilots in their negotiations. They're saying their negotiators had already agreed -- we have the airport cam?
OK. Let's go to that. We'll show the airport cam. This is out of Atlanta.
And the basic idea here is this is one of the places where Spirit Airline flies. You might see some flights if it were not for them being grounded in the strike. That is a pretty shot.
While we look at that, I'll just tell you, the Airline Pilots Association, they say negotiators agreed to extend the strike deadline twice in order to review final proposals that would put forth by both sides. They say in the end, both sides could not reach agreement. And they're also saying -- the Airline Pilots Association is saying this strike comes after nearly four years of contract negotiations and attempt to work something out.
So, Spirit Airlines today, a lot of people didn't see this coming. If you are one of the thousands who was planning on flying there, first, go to SpiritAir.com. Take care of your stuff, and then go to iReport.com and share your story with us.
So, Drew and Suzanne, throughout this day, what we'll be looking at is how widespread is the impact on flying all over the country, especially in that southeastern area where Spirit Airlines does a lot of its flights. And we'll let you know all day long.
GRIFFIN: All right, Josh, thanks.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
MALVEAUX: Well, the search for victims of the deadly flash flooding in a campground in western Arkansas resumed at daybreak. There are 16 people who are dead now. And we are told that the state's emergency officials have gotten calls from relatives of 73 people who have not been heard from since the flooding.
Our CNN's Catherine Callaway is in Langley. That is just six miles from the camp site with her report.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Suzanne. As you can see, the sun is up now, and within the next 30 minutes, search and rescue efforts will start up again. They were suspended during the nighttime hours and this time, they will be covering air, land and actually using canoes on the water, searching for survivors, searching for victims.
The problem is they are still unsure this morning just how many people they are looking for.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY (voice-over): Desperate families best to cope as officials search for the missing from Friday's horrific flash flooding in a campground in western Arkansas.
Ginger Autry awoke to a phone call informing her that her teenage son was among those unaccounted. He'd been camping with other relatives.
GINGER AUTRY, SON WAS AT CAMPSITE: I just want my baby. That's all I want. I want to see his little face.
CALLAWAY: Although officials say a flash flood warning was issued for the area at 2:00 a.m., most here were sleeping and were caught unaware. Listen to one witness describe what it was like when the Little Missouri River began to swell, filling the lower lying campground like a bowl.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Around here, the pavilion, this place over here, kitchen destroyed. The bar's moving around. A giant refrigerator is knocked off. In the office, the refrigerator there was floating.
CALLAWAY: While he got out safely, for others still waiting for news, they will never look at the area in the same way again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the most horrific thing I've been through in my life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Arkansas's governor Mike Beebe calls this an unprecedented tragedy in that part of the state. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE BEEBE, ARKANSAS (voice-over): It happened at the worst possible time because it was between 2:00 and 5:00 in the morning and, obviously, all those campers were asleep, all those vacationers that were camping along that river were asleep. And so, they had no way to know. The weather service issued a warning at 2:00 a.m., but unless you were awake with a radio, the odds are, you never would have known that. And even then, we're not sure whether or not people would have reacted to it. So, it was -- it was just a horrible convergence of a number of events and as a result of it, you see this huge loss of life.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: I want to bring in our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras about the weather that led to that flooding.
And what do we know about the area and just how -- what kind of situation those people are in who are camping?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, this all happened really, really quickly, Suzanne. You know, in just a matter of minutes, that river rose 20 feet, you know. This was a huge amount of water in a very short period of time and the ground was already saturated.
Now, I want to talk a little bit about the terrain because that was a huge part of this whole thing. And we put on Google Earth. Here you can see the valley and the river. Here's where the campground is. And look at the hills all surrounding it.
So, when you get as much as six to seven inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours, all that rain that's in the mountainside drains down into the tributaries and then goes into the river. And so, that's why this was such a problem in the area. And now, here you can see the estimated rainfall totals and in that pink area that you can see right here, that's the six to seven inches of rain that we were talking about and it was a big complex, a big cluster of thunderstorms that came through in the overnight hours.
We had high pressure which set up shop over here into the eastern gulf and that's just pumped in the moisture. So, very high dew points. You knew it was a muggy, sticky day out there and then we have this little upper level disturbance that came on through and triggered it and moved very slowly around that high, which is why we had so much rain in such a short period of time.
Now, we heard the governor talking about that this happened in the middle of the night. Here's one thing that can help you and possibly even save your life. This is a NOAA weather radio. And they make different varieties of these. They have portable ones that you can take this with you camping. You can take them out on your boat with you and if you set these and program them properly, they will go off and wake you up in the middle of the night, and certainly could save your life.
So, this is a huge thing if you're a camper, if you're a boater. I think everybody should have these in your homes, as well.
Drew and Suzanne, back to you.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Jacqui.
Well, the clock is ticking for the United States first game of the World Cup this world. We are live in South Africa next with more on the hype building up today's game against England.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC) GRIFFIN: Yes, the World Cup is upon us. It is the biggest thing, I'm telling you, since sliced bread. It's the first time that it's ever been hosted on American soil.
MALVEAUX: African soil.
GRIFFIN: African soil, as I was saying. I read all about the World Cup --
MALVEAUX: He knows all about soccer. He really does, Drew.
GRIFFIN: Up to it.
MALVEAUX: Yes, absolutely.
GRIFFIN: African soil.
MALVEAUX: We've been studying all morning.
GRIFFIN: You know, ball spins the opposite way on African soil, I'm told just like the toilet.
MALVEAUX: And you believe this? Oh, no.
There are two huge games that are scheduled today. So, we imagine a lot of people are going to be paying attention. The United States is going the find out how far that we've come in this sport when we play England in their opener today. And then, the other game, two-time champs Argentina, they're going to take on Nigeria -- arguably one of the most entertaining teams out there.
Our Pedro Pinto is joining us from Ellis Park, Johannesburg, where all of this is taking place. A lot of excitement there now.
I know that Nigeria's team, I guess, the Super Eagles are taken on Argentina. There's some bad blood between them. They got some big- name players that are happening.
Tell us about the mood there. What is it like?
PEDRO PINTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the mood here has been simply electric. Ever since Africa was awarded this World Cup, Suzanne, people have been looking forward to this like there's no tomorrow.
Can you imagine six years of anticipation compressed into one day? That's a lot of energy.
Here at Soccer City Stadium where the first match took place, we had over 94,000 people filling the stadium for the opening game between South Africa and Mexico. You mentioned that one of the big games of this group phase is taking place later today, 2:30 Eastern Time back in the States. It's the United States versus England. And these two countries have been allies socially, politically, economically. Today, though, they're going to be rivals.
And there's so much of an atmosphere of party and excitement around this game which will take place is Rustenburg, which is around 100 miles from Johannesburg here. Forty-two thousand people will be packing into that stadium to check out these two teams going head to head.
And these two teams actually, Suzanne, are the favorites to go through to the knockout round. So, one stat, the United States won't want to pay a lot of attention to is the fact that England had won seven of nine meetings between the two nations. One stat that Americans will want to remember, however, is the only team these -- the only time these two teams faced off in a World Cup, America won one-to-nothing back in 1950.
GRIFFIN: There you go.
MALVEAUX: OK. So what are the chances here? I mean, looks like --
GRIFFIN: There you go.
MALVEAUX: You know, it looks like a big party over there. We've never won the World Cup. And the best we ever did was third place back in 1930 or something. I mean, what are the odds here? Where do you put the odds?
PINTO: Well, compared to previous World Cups, this is the 19th edition. The first one in Africa, as you mentioned earlier. The last World Cup was in Germany in 2006.
And I really get a sense that there's a different buzz about this World Cup, and the word "buzz" is appropriate because I'm sure you've been hearing this blaring and this buzzing of the vuvuzelas, a horn typical here in Africa. And everybody has been blowing these things. I'll show you one because we've actually been personalizing several of these horns. We got the CNN logo on there.
GRIFFIN: Blow it, man. Let's hear it.
PINTO: The amazing so understood that this makes, like an elephant.
You really want me to blow this thing?
GRIFFIN: Yes!
MALVEAUX: Of course!
GRIFFIN: Come on! You can't tease us.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: Come on, buddy. Let's go.
PINTO: OK. I'm not practically good but here we go. OK.
(HORN)
PINTO: That was a bit --
MALVEAUX: That's a party.
GRIFFIN: That's an honest reporter. You're not very good.
(LAUGHTER)
PINTO: I'm not very good. I do assume that. I'll give it to you.
But 90,000 people blowing these things in this stadium behind me yesterday, it was something like I've never heard. Just imagine being in a giant hive, OK? That's what it sounded like, definitely a different buzz about this World Cup.
MALVEAUX: Is that the craziest thing you've seen out there, Pedro? What's the -- what's the wildest thing you have seen so far?
PINTO: It is definitely the craziest World Cup day. I was out at the first World Cup in Asia back in 2002 in Korea and Japan, and, obviously, people there were so excited, as well. But it didn't really have the same volume.
I did see thousands of people with ear plugs at the stadium because it was necessary. It was that loud. I was standing next to a colleague of mine inside the stadium in the first half. You literally could not talk to them. They could not hear me even though we were just a few inches apart. So, you get an idea of how crazy it was in there.
GRIFFIN: All right, man. Well, listen, you are one horn-toting cat, dude. I'm digging that sound.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: All right. We're going to move on now, right, Suzanne?
Thanks a lot, buddy. We'll see you later.
A French fishing vessel has gotten to a remote area in the Indian Ocean rescuing that stranded California teen. This is good news breaking this morning on our show. Abby Sunderland's brother says rescue workers found the 16-year-old and she is in good health.
She had wanted to set the record as the youngest person to sail around the world alone. But a rogue wave, and if you're a sailor, you know what that is. A rogue wave came out of nowhere and nearly sank her and forced her to send a distress call. Her father says the family is waiting to get more details before they figure out where they're going to meet up with Abby. But again, she is safe.
MALVEAUX: Good for her.
Well, a nonprofit organization is on tour around the country to help homeowners find solutions for their mortgage problems.
GRIFFIN: We're going to tell you where they'll go to next and what you need to participate. It's free. So, get a pen and pencil ready (INAUDIBLE).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Some more good news this morning. Help and hope coming to struggling homeowners in certain cities.
MALVEAUX: It's the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America. That's what it's called. It's making stops in various cities offering pointers on how you can modify your loan and restructure your mortgage. And it's happening 24 hours a day.
We talked with one man who told us how this nonprofit actually helped him out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning!
CROWD: Good morning!
PHIL OWENS, NACA PARTICIPANT: I got here 11:00 last night. I was having problems. I've been trying to go through the lender trying to modify the loan. I was going back and forth for over a year now and I was also given a foreclosure date for next month and I just felt like these guys were maybe my last hope.
BRUCE MARKS, FOUNDER AND CEO OF NACA: It's a three-step process. Step one: orientation, to learn about the overall process. Step two: you sit down with a counselor and you determine affordable mortgage payment base on your income and your expenses. Step three: you go to the lender to get your solution.
OWENS: Part of it started last year with the economy was at its worst. I got behind for a month. I set up a repayment agreement. Then my employer went out of business.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here until 3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., 24 hours. And our service is free.
OWENS: I had lowered by adjustable rate mortgage from -- which it was as high as 11.5 percent, currently 9.75. I lowered it to 5.75 today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
MALVEAUX: Well, the NACA mortgage mar marathon continues here in Atlanta until Wednesday. After that, its summer tour is heading to Florida and then Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and then wraps up in Sacramento in September.
Now, joining us now is mortgage expert Clyde Anderson.
And, Clyde, give us a sense when you go to a mortgage aid summits or if you're meeting one-on-one with a counselor, what is the best strategy here?
CLYDE ANDERSON, MORTGAGE EXPERT: The best strategy is to be prepared. I think that's the biggest thing you have to do. And some of the things that they're asking for, you need to verify your income. So, you're going to need about 30 days' worth of your pay stubs to verify your income
But if you're self-employed, you're going to want to provide six- months worth of income. And a lot of times, it's just going to be a profit-and-loss statement to show that.
But you also want to bring that mortgage statement so they can see who your servicer is, how much you owe, and what the monthly payment is. And that's going to help them work those things out.
But you're also going to want to make sure that they have information about your property, they know exactly what the property taxes are, and they can get all of these things together to help you modify that loan.
MALVEAUX: Now, tell us a little bit about that guy in the piece and how that worked out for him.
ANDERSON: It's amazing. You know, they're really restructuring these loans for people and that's the key. To be able to restructure the loan and get them a new loan that's actually affordable. And so, a lot of times, you know, when you're going into this, people are skeptical.
But it's a lot of people that need help and they're there and they have the counselors on spot. You heard the lady there right there on the piece saying they're 24 hours. So, I think that's a great thing for them to be there to be able on the scene to help these people. And a lot of times, they don't have any way out, and I think one of the benefits is there's no really criteria or qualification for it. They're going to look at everybody to see who can qualify for this.
MALVEAUX: Is it worth it, Clyde, do you think, for people to wait in that kind of line and get through? Are people being processed fairly quickly?
ANDERSON: I think it's definitely worth it. Processed quickly? I would say, no. You think about the masses of people that are out there doing this. A lot of people need help. The foreclosure epidemic is a big crisis. And so, now, we're talking about this, really trying to stop the bleeding.
And I think, you know, I really applaud them for taking this effort to stop the bleeding. But, yes, quick, it's not going to happen quickly. You got to have a lot of patience when you're dealing with something like this. I mean, we're talking about restructuring a loan. A lot of times, they're going to take the amount that you're behind, put it on the back end of the loan. Maybe you're your rate from 8 percent to 9 percent and take it down to 5 percent, 4 percent or 3 percent in some cases.
So, you're saving a lot of money. People are able to stay in their home. You heard the guy there on the tape that he had lost his job. He just didn't have that income. So, they're going to look at everybody on a case-by-case basis and see what they can do for these people to help them out.
MALVEAUX: What other cities are actually holding these events? I know we got -- we're watching very closely what's happening here in Atlanta. But this is something that's spreading, it's catching on.
ANDERSON: Right. It definitely is. The tour is going to several places. It's going to Sacramento. It's going to Washington, D.C. It's going to L.A. It's going down to south Florida.
So you really have to be prepared. Take a look at it. You know, follow them on -- go to the Web site at Naca.com. You can find out what the cities that they're going to.
Now, another benefit here is that maybe you're not in one of those cities. You can actually do this online. You can apply online. They'll provide you with a pin number that will actually allow you to go in, have your own account, and upload this information.
And so, they can get the information right there online. You even call their 1-800 number. So, I think that's a benefit.
So, don't feel like just because it's not coming to your city, that you can't take advantage of this option. You know, definitely take a look and see how it could benefit you.
MALVEAUX: All right, Clyde, as always, very useful tips. We really appreciate.
And, of course, you can catch Clyde here every Saturday. You can shoot him a question and follow him on Twitter, as well.
Thanks, Clyde.
ANDERSON: Thank you very much, Suzanne.
GRIFFIN: And those folks that had to sit out in the sun yesterday were in 90-some degree heat. It is blistering in many parts of the country. Jacqui Jeras is going to have that for you -- next.
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MALVEAUX: I think it's you.
GRIFFIN: Well, we're going to toss to Jacqui Jeras right now for the weather.
JERAS: All right. Hot stuff out there today, guys, huh?
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
JERAS: Oh my gosh. I mean, heat advisories. It's going to be feeling like 100 degrees plus -- even up to 105.
Look at the heat advisories here -- Memphis, down through Mississippi and into New Orleans. So, this heat is really building. It is going to be pushing eastward over the next couple of days, as well. So, do expect to see the 90s move into Atlanta, up towards Charlotte and really spreading throughout much of this region.
Now, showers and thunderstorms another big story here today across the nation's midsection, a big cluster moving across the I-29 corridor here, from Omaha stretching over towards the Des Moines area. Now, nothing severe at this time, but do expect to see some of those really heavy downpours.
And the severe weather threat will continue across the nation's midsection and spread through the Ohio Valley. We think that storm system actually is going to kick together throughout the day today and more redevelopment as we head into the afternoon.
So, storms, heat, people wanting to head to the beach. We'll talk a little bit more about beach weather next hour.
MALVEAUX: All right. Great. Thank you, Jacqui.
More top stories at the top of the hour when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
But, first, "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." begins right now.
