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Hurricane Harvey In Texas; President Trump In Corpus Christi; Official: Homes Near Reservoirs Could Be Flooded For Weeks. Aired 1- 1:30p ET

Aired August 29, 2017 - 13:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: -- time ago in Corpus Christi to get updates on rescue and recovery efforts from the massive flooding.

You should be seeing live pictures right now on your screen. This is the room in Corpus Christi, Texas, where we expect the president and Governor Abbott in Texas to receive an update on those relief efforts.

You can see in the room right there, Congressman Farenthold is in that room. Just a few moments ago, we were seeing some pictures of Senator Ted Cruz. So, you see a number of lawmakers from the Texas delegation in the room, on hand from this meeting with the president and the first lady.

She's also on the ground as well. We saw them getting off of Air Force One just in the last several minutes.

This is obviously a very big test, a big moment for President Trump. There were some questioning whether this was the right moment for President Trump to be visiting a disaster area, so soon after Hurricane Harvey came ashore.

I can tell you, though, from talking to sources that the president feels that this is the right thing to do. He did this during the campaign, visited Louisiana after some flooding down there.

And the feeling is, inside the White House -- and you heard this from Sarah Huckabee Sanders just a short while ago. She was talking to reporters on Air Force One. The feeling is that they're far enough away from where the critical response areas are right now. Obviously, that is in the Houston area, around the Houston area and heading into Louisiana.

And what we understand from talking to folks over at the White House, is that the president may indeed visit those parts of Texas and Louisiana over the weekend. Not set in stone yet but we're going to be watching that.

You see Senator John Cornyn who's also sitting down in the room there, just a few folks away from Senator Ted Cruz. So, it appears that they are getting ready for the president's visit there.

But first, let's take a look at the Houston area. Large parts of the country's fourth biggest city are under water after being drenched with more than three feet of water with more on the way. And right now, an ominous order from officials in Columbia Lake. That is just southwest of Houston. Get out now. That is -- you can see that on-screen there. Get out now is what they're telling people in Columbia Lakes. The levees there have breached and residents are being told to leave immediately.

So, if you live in that area or if you know people in that area of Columbia Lakes, please make sure that those folks get out now. That is what you're told by government officials.

Let's also not forget about Louisiana with today being the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Parts of that state are also dealing with devastating floods. More than 500 people, and you can see in some of that video there, they had to be rescued from their homes in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Let's move northeast up from Texas to the Houston area. The city and surrounding suburbs are dealing with record levels of rain. As many as four feet, according to one report. That's a staggering amounted. And more is on the way as Harvey continues to churn out in the Gulf.

Our Brian Todd is there in Houston right now. Ed Lavandera in Galveston Island. And CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri is at our Severe Weather Center in Atlanta.

Brian, as we're looking at these live pictures in Corpus Christi, Texas where the president is expected to arrive at any moment. I only preface that in case we have to jump in as you're speaking, Brian.

You see have seen so many of these rescues over the last several days, just some heroic efforts. Thousands of them so far. What can you tell us about what's happening right now?

Brian Todd, can you hear me, sir? This is Jim Acosta. We are in -- live programming right now. Brian is down in Houston trying to reach out to him. Brian Todd, can you hear me? What can you tell us?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, we are at the Bush Intercontinental Airport. These customs and border protection helicopters are shuttling now over and they're about ready to take off.

ACOSTA: And, Brian, where are they off to next? Can you tell us a little bit about what's taken place, what you've seen in the last several minutes. As you can see there, he's being blown around so it might be tough for him to hear. But, Brian, what can you tell us about everything you've seen today so far?

TODD: Jim, we're here at the Bush Intercontinental Airport. These are customs and border protection helicopters - rescue helicopters getting ready to take off. They're shuttling here, getting ready to take off on another wave of rescue missions.

ACOSTA: And what have you seen so far throughout the day? How many folks of these rescuers picked up so far? How complicated is it right now, in terms of the weather? TODD: Well we've seen a lot of devastation from the air, Jim. When

we went along with these helicopters, there's flooding that goes on as far as the eye can see. Water up to the -- past the windows -

ACOSTA: OK, Brian, we're going to have to cut you off.

TODD: -- of the houses and almost up to the roofs.

ACOSTA: Live programming. We're going to have to cut you off.

Governor Abbott, President Trump, first lady Melania Trump just coming into the room now in Corpus Christi, Texas to get an update on relief efforts in the state of Texas. You can see the president sitting down now with the first lady along with Governor Abbott.

[13:05:02] They're sitting down. Let's go ahead and listen in and see what they're going to tell us.

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS: Welcome to the president of the United States to the great state of Texas. I want to express my gratitude for our fellow Texans and especially the people of Corpus Christi for giving the president such a warm welcome on his ride over here, showing the gratitude that we all have for the president.

I want to express my deep gratitude to the president for him and his entire cabinet and staff for what they've done over the past couple weeks.

A lot of people see what happens in front of the camera. I want to reveal in just one minute what's been going on behind the scenes, behind the camera for the past two weeks.

About 10 days in advance of the hurricane, even coming into the Corpus Christi area, members of the president's cabinet and the president himself were in contact with me and my office pre-preparing for this catastrophe that was coming our way.

And every step of the way as the hurricane came across the shore, as the flooding began in Houston, Texas, the president and his cabinet remained in constant contact with me and my staff. And they all had one thing to say, Texas, what do you need? How can we help? You can count on us.

What I've learned is we can count on the president of the United States and his staff for helping Texas. Texas has been tested, but our response to this challenge has been made much more effective because of the very effective way the president and his staff has helped Texas respond to this challenge.

So, Mr. President, --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.

ABBOTT: -- thank you. Welcome to Texas.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I appreciate it. It's so nice, Governor, and it's really my honor. This is a very special place and a special state.

And Senator Cruz and Senator Cornyn, thank you very much. Senator Cornyn, for being here, we appreciate it. I know it was hard to get here for both of you. You were trapped in various locations but we appreciate you both being here.

I want to thank my staff, my cabinet. We have quite a few of our cabinet here. You know, Ben Carson, obviously, from HUD and Tom Price and Linda McMahon with small business. Small business which is now big business, because you can be -- when you add them all up, you're going to be helping a lot of the people in Texas and doing a fantastic job. Thank you very much.

But we have had a tremendous group of folks, our acting director, Elaine, thank you very much for the job you've done. And a man who really has become very famous on television over the last couple of days, Mr. Long. We appreciate it very much. You have been just outstanding.

And I can tell you that my folks are telling me how great your representatives have been in working together. It's a real team. And we want to do it better than ever before. We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years from now as this is the way to do it.

This was of epic proportion. Nobody's ever seen anything like this and I just want to say that working with the governor and his entire team has been an honor for us.

So, Governor, again, thank very much. And we won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that. We don't want to congratulate. We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished.

But you have been terrific. You really have. And you've been my friend, too, for a long time.

And with that, maybe you can say a few words.

BROCK LONG, ADMINISTRATOR, FEMA: Mr. President. So, the whole community is coming together. You know, right here, where the brunt of the category four hurricane winds came in just north of Corpus Christi, we're already starting to affect recovery.

Recovery is a slow process but rest assured that we're doing everything we can to unify efforts down to support. You know, the local responder, the first responders that we have here.

Yesterday, I put eyes on the ground down in Rockport. We already have points of distribution flowing. We're working in conjunction with the governor's National Guard where FEMA is supplying meals and water. And the National Guard is helping to run those distribution points. That's how this system works.

All eyes are on Houston and so are mine. We've got a long way to go. We're going to have to set up expectations of the citizens and we're going to have to continue a unified effort now to help the state of Texas ultimately recover. So, very greatly, the objectives stay the same. The event (ph) unfortunately to the north of us is not over. We're still in a life- saving, life-sustaining mission.

We're very aware of the issues at the convention center. But let me be clear, this is not the superdome. The convention center, we are sustaining food. They have food. Security. I have an incident management team inside the city of Houston, as we speak.

And more and more people are being moved to shelters to stabilize the situation.

[13:10:00] The next thing is that we're pushing commodities. Once the water goes down, we'll continue to push not only commodities, but also help to get people registered in the system to receive assistance from all of us. That, you know, assistance that doesn't just come from FEMA. It comes from many organizations who are represented here today by Secretary Price, Secretary Carson and others.

The next thing is that we're looking at, you know, power restoration. We're maintaining security. You know, (INAUDIBLE), you know, mobilized the Homeland Security search, capacity force. With that comes law enforcement to make sure that we're overcoming (ph) and then anticipating any security needs that we have.

And then, also with Secretary Price over here. We're working with not only the governor's disaster medical teams, but we're also sending federal disaster medical teams in. Not only to the convention center today. There was already some on site. But there's going to be multiple areas. Not only for crisis counseling but also to make sure that we're meeting access and functional needs.

The access is a challenge to getting all the supplies in. Once the roadway systems come out, we amassed quite the federal force to be able to support the local and state effort. For example, the governor pulls 12,000 National Guard troops in. We're pulling units out of Fort Hood as the federal government, federal DOD forces are coming in as well.

We pulled several hundred trucks and staff just from assets right here in the state of Texas. And that's how the system works. This recovery is going to be frustrating. We're going to be here with you to help you guide you through it. It's going to be - it's going to be tough to navigate all of the programs as they become available. But we're here to help.

So, with that, I'd like to pass it along to our friends at the Coast Guard.

Mr. President, good afternoon, sir. This is where your Coast Guard, sir, is at its best. We've got a bias for action. We are here in the state of Texas to support the state of Texas and the federal emergency management agency and the federal agency.

So, we have full Coast Guard men and women across the country, capabilities, helicopters, quick (INAUDIBLE) response and the management specialists. And they're on deck to serve Texas here, getting after the task at hand.

(INAUDIBLE) telling you that. As you look, obviously the landfall here. Phase one was down here in the canal (ph). We've seen this (INAUDIBLE) folks. (INAUDIBLE) will speak to you more about that. Up in Houston, we are in with a challenge there around - we brought (ph) everything to the fight (ph).

The weather for the next couple of days will be our main challenge. You'll probably see average rainfalls for the year, 50 inches, before week's end. And I don't think we know what that looks like. But if I can tell you, the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security team, the DOD Force and National Guard has spent Sunday and Monday with the governor in different locations.

We are (INAUDIBLE) latched up with the state. We are getting better every day. And it's a problem of catastrophic proportions that I don't think we've done before. But I can tell you, we are all (INAUDIBLE) and I'm very encouraged about how this thing is going to forward with your (ph) cooperation.

With that, sir, I'd just like to give (INAUDIBLE) a couple moments here. He's (INAUDIBLE) give you a perspective on (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Corpus Christi but also the (INAUDIBLE) commander for our unified command. Our unified command provides over 150 federal, state and local agencies. And we also (INAUDIBLE) partners in there so we make sure we're covering all the bases and (INAUDIBLE.)

So, I want to walk through a timeline of our activities that we've done over the course of Hurricane Harvey just to let you know where we're at.

So, on Tuesday, the storm shifted and became a hurricane. And our job is to really assess (INAUDIBLE.) And that's what we started doing on Wednesday. We started making preparations and lockdown facilities. We'd get assets and we drag (ph) vessels out to sea (INAUDIBLE.)

(INAUDIBLE) evacuating all (INAUDIBLE.) We took our forces out of harm's way or people so we can come back in after the storm to help as soon as we can.

On Friday, we moved our boats and aircraft away from the storm so they could immediately respond. So, now, we're -- Harvey was upgraded to a category four hurricane. Our team was hunkered down in (INAUDIBLE), Texas. We will confidently (ph) move operations across town about 20 miles or so from here. And we've practiced that many times so we're ready to be there.

In prior to making landfall, several ships and (INAUDIBLE) and mariners in distress were calling us for help. At that point, we had to wait for the parameters to change and we sent our helicopters north and we saved 19 mariners' lives that night.

Later on Saturday morning, we began our port assessment. When conditions weren't good to put the boats on the water but (INAUDIBLE) and among the damage, we noted (INAUDIBLE) front of the Corpus Christi channel (ph). So, that's a major challenge for us.

We continued over (INAUDIBLE) respond to search and rescue calls on Saturday. When the weather conditions wouldn't allow us (INAUDIBLE) trying to (INAUDIBLE) but we're working on that.

So, Sunday, now the storm shifted up to Houston.

[13:15:04] So we start all our search and rescue research out of all in Texas up to Houston. And, you know, we're helping everyone we can with that effort by certain research. We're using our (INAUDIBLE) assets down here to run logistics run all over the state to make sure there can be an operation management and research over --

(OFF-MIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We patiently, we brought our boats up from south so we can start our operational activities here now (INAUDIBLE). So Monday we started to check our water operations with our partners. It's a huge emphasis to get report on commerce and every -- all the activity employed. So our partners with the army corps have already begun their surveys on the channel checking, facility obstructions, (INAUDIBLE) navigations. And we start their (ph) evaluations, starting the (ph) waters with all the facilities and channel markings, just to making sure we opened the ports safe.

So, so far we covered 180 grounded vessels. Now, those are major concerns is that large close (INAUDIBLE) channel. Last night when the tide came up which came under the vast (ph) and the storm and actually -- and actually raised itself and drifted on the other side of the channel.

So, (INAUDIBLE). Additionally, we're working with Texas channel main office on all the pollution activities. So far, the good news is we've not seen anything mainly driven (INAUDIBLE). So in closing, about one-third, we've govern our channel service with the army corp. Once we complete the survey and salvage the grounded ship we'll be in good position over to deploy. Right now our biggest challenge right now is (INAUDIBLE) operations. So, we're really looking at those --

(OFF-MIC)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I want to tell you, and I can speak for the governor because we spoke about it, we are very proud of coast guard, the job being done, with the lives that you save, we're very, very proud of you all. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, a couple thousand rescues a day ruled up with everybody else in this economic issue, of course, we are in with border protection agency. We're in with the facility donors, the pilots on the waterways, the conditions right now are not amenable. We get the points over. We recognize that as a national priority and will keep that from a --

(OFF-MIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. TRUMP: Fantastic. Thank you.

BROCK LONG, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Mr. President, at this hour before the press pool pulls out, there's the information that I like to share in regard to how citizens will get involved so the -- or give us the whole community. Neighbor helping neighbor is going to be needed in helping Texas overcome.

So very quickly, if you -- if you would like to register for assistance underneath the governor's declared counties, there's 18 declared counties for individual assistants underneath the president's disaster declaration. That's disasterassistance.org. That puts in -- excuse me. Disasterassistance.gov. I apologize. Disasterassistance.gov, that's the FEMA individual assistant center -- system.

There's also ways, if looking to volunteer in nvoad.org, N-V-O-A- D.org. There's also within the State of Texas, onestarfoundation.org. There's also -- and we'll leave it at that or redcross.org as well. So thank you, and at this time this well this concludes the press briefing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. And there you have it, the president being briefed by federal officials on the relief efforts in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. You saw the FEMA administrator there and other officials, coast guard officials as well.

We want to go back out to see how things are on the ground in the Houston area. Our Ed Lavandera is live in Galveston. Ed, yesterday we saw you traveling around with the National Guard troops. So what are you seeing today? It still looks pretty bad where you are. That road behind you, you can tell, it's just completely flooded.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We're out here on Galveston Island just off of the main thoroughfare, Broadway Avenue that takes you through much of the eastern section of the island. And there has been so much rainfall here this morning on Galveston Island. That there are a number of neighborhoods, not all of the island by any means, but there are number of neighborhoods that are looking like this, these floodwaters rising very quickly.

I spoke with a couple people who have been trying to manage their way and get through these areas here in the last couple of hours. They say in many places, the water is chest high and that many homes here in this area are taking on water as well.

So there has been so much rainfall since noon yesterday throughout this region that it just keeps coming and coming. And that's why we're seeing these floodwaters. In fact, on the main thoroughfare that takes you through part of the island here that connects into Interstate 45 and takes you back on to the mainland, a lot of that road has been under water. And in the strand district which is the entertainment district here on Galveston Island as well.

We're hearing reports, they haven't been able to make it there ourselves. But we're hearing from various people here on the island that there's a great deal of water in that area as well. So this is what we're seeing, chest-high water. Again, here in so -- actually this is really the most serious flooding we've seen so far on Galveston Island since the storm made its way from Corpus Christi and Rockport and started moving eastward toward where we are.

[13:20:17] So, hopefully it's not a harbinger of things to come in the coming hours. But the intensity of rainfall and the relentless of it -- relentlessness of it over the last couple of hours has really been dramatic here as we've seen these floodwaters and a number of emergency vehicles, we've seen repeatedly making their way through the streets here of Galveston Island this morning. So we'll continue to monitor the situation here, Jim, and see how it develops.

ACOSTA: All right. Ed Lavandera, it looks bad where you are and the rain is still coming. We appreciate it very much. The scope of the disaster in Houston is slowly coming in to focus. Some 6,000 rescues have been performed already, with thousands more still waiting for help. Some shelters are now overflowing and there are shortages of food and fuel.

CNN's Scott McLean is in Houston where fresh evacuations are underway. Scott you're also standing in some water there. You've been out with the so-called Cajun Navy out rescuing folks. What can you tell us where you are?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Jim. So, yes, there's lots of folks here associated with the Cajun Navy which is really just a grassroots group of volunteers that have their own boats. And then there's some people who just came on their own hoping to help.

What's interesting about this neighborhood in northeast Houston is that, there's a bit of an island of dry. So, on this side you can see a lot of those houses. They're not flooded. They probably don't have water inside them. And there's not very many basements, if any, in this part of the world.

The problem is in order to get out, you got to go down here, and hang a left and walk about a mile, or may be even farther than that. So you can see these folks here, they're on boats right now. But depth changes a lot. And so you'll have some deeper spots and some shallower spots. And so it's a bit of a challenge to get out. So you might have to walk a part of it if your boat bottoms out.

I want to introduce you quickly here to Alden Cleveland. He's been working to try to get people out using his paddle board. I just got to ask you, did you ever think you'd use in this to get people out of here?

ALDEN CLEVELAND, RESCUER: Not at all. It's much more fun in go gulf shores, Florida, out on the gulf, in the sunshine. But it literally called for anything that will float. So, it floats. I can get people on here. I can get their stuff on here. And help them get out.

MCLEAN: You told me earlier that you were focusing on sort of elderly people that can't walk out on their own. What have you seen as you've been out, you know, getting people out of here?

CLEVELAND: What we're trying to do right now is, I'm literally paddling door to door, and asking people if any of their neighbors are immobile, in need of emergency assistance. We had some folks that were on dialysis a little earlier. One street over that we managed to get out. We just saw a lady in a walker that was getting out.

So, right now we're focusing on anybody, medical infirmed, elderly folks or little kids that just need to get out. And I provide a little adventure for them. They get to ride a surfboard first time in their life. Not optimal conditions but, you know, everybody is doing whatever they can do.

MCLEAN: Yes. And just quickly, you mentioned that there's also a mobile home park as well, maybe a mile or so back. What did you see there yesterday?

CLEVELAND: Yes. I'll go up there. I'm going up there next as soon as we get this neighborhood cleared. I paddled up there yesterday. There were people on top of their roofs. There was two or three helicopter evacs going on back there. But there were some people that we just couldn't get to yet. There's a greens bayou runs between this neighborhood and just on the other side of that mobile home park.

I'm going to go check that out right now and see if there's anybody else that can get out because I can get back there into some of these locations that are a little more shallow than the air boats or the other boats. And then what I do is literally go door to door, comeback out to the main street as well. And flag down a boat and say I need some help.

And everybody is helping. I got people from Louisiana, from Alabama. I don't know what they're calling themselves like the Cajun Navy or something. But it's working. We're helping anybody we can.

MCLEAN: Well, keep up the good work. Thanks for chatting with us as well.

And so, Jim, I got to tell you, a lot of people are simply just choosing not to leave. If their home is dry or even it has a little bit of water in it they are saying, hey, we're going to sit tight. And one other thing that's complicating things. I just spoke to one woman who is trying to arrange to get food for one family, a large family. They don't want to leave, because they're undocumented and they are concerned that if they do, that perhaps their immigration status might be known to the authorities. So that's just one more wrinkle in an already complicated process here in Houston.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. It has to be complicating relief efforts as well. Scott McLean in Houston, thank you very much. We appreciate that. [13:24:50] Days after Harvey made landfall, tireless rescue workers continue to pluck flood-ravaged Houston residence from their homes like the gentleman we saw there a few moments ago doing that with his paddle board, when we come back, a live report on the scene of some of the latest rescues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Thousands of rescues are happening in parts of Texas that are under water because of tropical storm Harvey. South of Houston, the levee at Columbia lakes has been breached and residents there are being told to get out. You can see that notice on-screen right there.

Our Pedram Javaheri is at the severe weather center in Atlanta. Pedram, what can you tell us about what we're seeing right now? This is a dire situation, when you have levees being breached.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Yes, you know, it's a slow motion disaster. What we typically referred to at when you see these sort of flooding events. And of course, the historic rainfall has already come down. We'll see sunshine hopefully come back in a couple days.

But when you breakdown exactly what we're looking at across and going to Houston, closer perspective across this region because of course, we've talked about the buffalo bayou. But there's Houston right there, well meander with the buffalo bayou back towards the reservoir here about 30 miles back. We've got couple of reservoirs and dams across this region.

[13:30:00] This is one of them. This is the attic. Here is the bar curve across this region as well. Across this area, you put this together. They're capable of holding about 130 billion gallons of water. But they're typically bone dry as well. So, there's actually baseball field down across this, it's essentially attachment, baseball field, dog parks, you name it --