Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Hurricane Milton to Make Landfall in Florida; Director of National Hurricane Center Warns of Damage Hurricane Milton is Likely to Cause; Florida Residents Fleeing Ahead of Hurricane Milton. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired October 08, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: We could see Orlando get two months worth of rain just through Thursday. Tampa could get five months of rain. So we're looking at potentially even more flooding damage, billions of dollars in losses. And Florida has their own flood insurance problems, right? We've seen rates skyrocket there. Some people who had flood insurance, they don't have it anymore because they've been dropped by their carrier. So it's a really, really big problem highlighted by all this extreme weather.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, especially when the Florida governor just said the entire peninsula portion of the state is under some watch or warning as they're heading into this.

EGAN: It's incredible.

BOLDUAN: It is incredible is right. Matt, thank you very much.

EGAN: Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

Breaking this hour, the National Hurricane Center out with a new update on hurricane Milton. The track, the intensity, when it is making landfall, and the center calling it a once in a lifetime event.

And this has to stop, that are the words of and that is what we were just told by the head of FEMA on this show about the false rumors swirling about the agency and disaster relief rumors being pushed by Donald Trump.

And with 28 days until the election, voting groups are concerned how natural disasters like Milton will be impacting your vote and voter registration.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman. Sara Sidner is out today. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we do have breaking news. We just got a brand new updated forecast on hurricane Milton. The major hurricane is still a category four storm, a very powerful category storm with potentially catastrophic winds as well as an extremely dangerous storm surge threat. In minutes we're going to speak directly to the director of the National Hurricane Center to get the very latest on the track and the timing and the strength.

But the bottom line is the time to get ready is now, is right now, and you are running out of time. There's kind of an exodus underway from western cities in Florida. And just moments ago, FEMA administrator in a really good interview with Kate Bolduan said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: So we are prepared for this. We planned for this. I'm not saying it's not going to be a challenge, but I know that we are going to be able to meet everybody's immediate needs as hurricane Milton comes in. We're pre-positioning resources like search and rescue teams, health care assessment teams, the Army Corps of Engineers for power assessment and generator support, and a lot of different resources to meet the immediate needs for the people in Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, let's get right to CNN's Carlos Suarez in Fort Myers, very much in the extreme danger zone here. Carlos, what are you seeing right now?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, good morning. That's exactly right. So for the folks that live in Fort Myers, Florida, in Lee County, the biggest concern for them is going to be the six to ten foot storm surge associated with the hurricane. Now, just two years ago, this part of southwest Florida, Lee County, was devastated, was -- a good part of it was destroyed by hurricane Ian.

And so the folks out here have been getting ready. Essentially, what you're looking at is some of the prep is underway. But to give you a sense of where the water got about two years ago, hurricane Ian brought a storm surge about, probably about to here. So the expectation is that the water that will be associated with this storm is probably going to be at this level, if not slightly above. And so the businesses here in downtown Fort Myers, they're all getting ready for this hurricane.

Now to the north of where we are, the preparations, the evacuation orders there went into effect and began in earnest yesterday over in Sarasota County, Manatee County, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County. The folks there began moving inland yesterday. Traffic cameras really showed just the number of folks that were taking to the roads trying to get to northern Florida, central Florida. Folks are trying to get over across to the east coast and south Florida. In fact, on our drive in from Miami here to Fort Myers, the traffic really did not let up across Alligator Alley, which connects both coasts of the of the state of Florida. And so the line of cars really was from Naples, Florida, on the west coast all the way into Broward County on the east coast of Florida.

One of the biggest concerns going into this storm is the debris that was left over by hurricane Helene which hit about just two weeks ago. We were in the Tampa area just last week doing a story on some of the damage there, and emergency officials really have been concerned about the fact that in Pinellas County and in Hillsborough County, there just has not been enough time to get all of that debris out. And of course, those folks there are expected to get a more direct hit by hurricane Milton if that forecast track holds.

[08:05:03]

And so if you've got all of that debris laying out, laying around in neighborhoods, it becomes a safety concern for the tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of folks that have been ordered to leave their homes. And for the folks that stayed behind, the last thing they want to deal, of course, is all of that debris, which, again, has yet to be picked up. And you can only imagine what the damage that could cause in a hurricane with these kind of -- these kind of winds. Guys?

BERMAN: All right, Carlos Suarez for us in Fort Myers. Carlos, terrific work. We'll check back in with you shortly. Thank you. Kate?

BOLDUAN: And joining us now with the latest on hurricane Milton is the director of the National Hurricane Center Michael Brennan. Michael, thank you so much for joining us. Once again, we got your update yesterday. What is the latest, what would you say is most significant for people to know about where the change in track, intensity, any of it, that people need to know today?

MICHAEL BRENNAN, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Well, really things are pretty much on track, unfortunately, for Milton to be a significantly impactful hurricane with multiple life-threatening hazards for the Florida west coast. Still, a powerful category four hurricane this morning. Track forecast has really not changed very much. We're still expecting a powerful major hurricane to reach the west coast of the Florida peninsula tomorrow evening or overnight tomorrow night into the early morning hours on Thursday. We have storm surge warnings in effect, with the potential for 10 to 15 feet of inundation above ground level for much of the Tampa Bay region, down to Sarasota. So that's where those evacuations are ongoing there.

We've just expanded hurricane warnings across the peninsula now all the way over to the east coast, including the metro Orlando area, the Melbourne area, all the way up to places like Saint Augustine, Ocala now under hurricane warnings, Daytona Beach. So we're going to see a substantial wind event across much of the Florida peninsula, potential for widespread power outages, wind damage, also the potential for life threatening flash flooding with up to 18 inches of rain, especially along and just north of the track. So that again puts that I-4 corridor and areas of north Florida in play for that hazard as well.

BERMAN: That is the entire I-4 corridor right there in these hurricane watches and warnings. So many people live there. Obviously, the storm out in the Gulf now over these incredibly warm waters. What may or could impact the track or the strength before landfall Wednesday night into Thursday morning?

BRENNAN: Well, in terms of what's going to happen in the next day or so, We have these very intense category four or five hurricanes, they go through these eyewall replacement cycle where you have an outer eye form, the inner eye dissipates, and then it can weaken get bigger, and then strengthen again. And that's what were likely to see play out over, say, the next 12 to 24 hours. We could see Milton again become a category five hurricane or be a high-end category four.

Then as it gets closer to Florida, were expecting the upper level winds to get a little stronger and the environment to get a little less favorable for maintaining such an intense hurricane. But the trade-off is that the storm is going to grow in size. The wind field is going to at least double in size from what it is now. And that's why we're expecting such widespread impacts across much of the state of Florida. In terms of the storm surge that just expands the risk of seeing that life threatening inundation, not just near and to the right of immediate location of landfall, but hundreds of miles south. That's why we have that storm surge warning that's in effect all the way down to places like Naples, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, and even the risk is now extends up north of Tampa up to places like Cedar Key.

BOLDUAN: Reinforcing something that you just made when you. When you see the map that it shows, and I'm looking at it, one of our walls over here, it's Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. a category four. Then Thursday at 2:00 a.m., a category three. You see less intensity, and you know that so many people think, thank goodness. But what you're saying is less intensity, but a bigger storm basically is a wash out in terms of if it's looking better. It's just as dangerous.

BRENNAN: In some ways it's actually worse. It affects more people. You're going to have surge, winds, heavy rainfall over an even larger area than you would if you had a smaller, maybe even more intense storm. So it really does increase the risk. Again, look at those wind watches and warnings. Weve got tropical storm warnings in effect all the way from the Florida Keys up through Miami, the southeast coast, and then hurricane warnings in effect for much of the central portion of the peninsula, just going to see a vast area of impacts, and again, impacts that are going to last several days. You think of those power outages, the wind damage, the trees that are going to go down. And especially concerned about that I-4 corridor, Tampa, Orlando, Daytona Beach is seeing potentially some of the most severe impacts for multiple hazards.

BERMAN: What are you looking at in terms of rainfall totals?

BRENNAN: Yes rainfall totals are going to be pretty extreme in some areas. Especially along and just north of the track, we could see up to 18 inches of rain in some isolated locations. And again, this area you see here in pink is our highest level of risk for flash flooding that we could see play out from Wednesday into Thursday. And that again includes that Tampa, Orlando, Daytona, Ocala area. We're expecting widespread rainfall totals of five to 12 inches with the potential for significant flash flooding across much of the Florida peninsula as well.

[08:10:00] BERMAN: All right, Michael Brennan, we really appreciate this update. It is very, very helpful, and I hope people are paying attention. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: His information, his clarity, and his ability to come on and give these updates is so critical in these final moments.

We also have this we want to tell you about. Hurricane Milton, as we know, is already one of the top ten strongest storms ever recorded. And as Derek Van Dam put it, it's about to have a T-bone collision with the Florida coast, expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, just two weeks after hurricane Helene devastated parts of the state.

Now, a veteran meteorologist out of Miami in reporting about this became visibly emotional when seeing the latest updates on this monster storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MORALES, METEOROLOGIST: Just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped 50 millibars in hours. I apologize, this is just horrific.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That is meteorologist John Morales. He's with NBC 6 out of Miami, as I mentioned, and he later posted, John, on Twitter that he was shaken, and that extreme weather driven by global warming has changed me. Just someone who sees a lot of it, right, and is overcome by it.

So the warning from Tampa's mayor about this storm we're talking about is straight and to the point. She said Helene was a wakeup call, and that people who don't get out of the evacuation zone now are going to die. CNN's Ivan Rodriguez is there in Tampa with much more on this. Ivan, what are you seeing. and what's the latest on evacuations?

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, evacuations are pretty much found all over the Tampa Bay region. Right behind me, over my left shoulder, people are filling up sandbags here at a distribution center. We're right here on Davis island, and a lot of people here have been going to these sandbag distribution centers for the last 24 hours or so. And you mentioned sort of how officials haven't been mincing words. We also heard from Florida's attorney general making the remark that people who choose to stay behind in their homes and those evacuation areas, those mandatory evacuation areas, she suggested writing with a sharpie on their arm their first and last name so that they're easier to be identified.

We know that in the last 100 years, there hasn't been a major hurricane to make landfall within 50 miles of Tampa Bay, so it really is nothing like any one here in the area has seen their entire lives. And I can tell you, a lot of people are taking this seriously, Kate. Many people not only going to those sandbag stations, but also hitting the roads. Bumper to bumper traffic we're seeing in the Tampa Bay, getting out of the trajectory of hurricane Milton, either heading north or south, but just really wanting to get out of the way. We also spoke with one resident who said they're taking this even more seriously than last time with Helene, and all the damage that Helene caused when it made landfall less than two weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE RODGERS, EVACUATING AHEAD OF HURRICANE MILTON: The last storm we went two-and-a-half feet under in the house. I already lost almost two cars. So hoping that, because with all the stuff on the street, it's going to fly around, probably knock a couple of these buildings, and I don't want to be a part of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODRIGUEZ: In about 45 minutes or so, Tampa Bay International will suspend operations until it's safe to reopen. Sarasota's airport will be closing later this afternoon as well. But the other biggest concern we're looking at here is all the debris that was left behind from hurricane Helene. Just to get to where we are here in front of this boat ramp area, we saw piles of debris in neighborhoods in front of homes and also apartment complexes. We know the state of Florida has several agencies working around the clock to try and clean up a majority of that, but just the dangers that will be with that debris left behind, we're expecting when Milton comes, heavy winds. Those winds could pick up that debris. Dangerous projectiles if not clogging up a lot of those roads. Kate? for sure.

BOLDUAN: For sure. Ivan Rodriguez, thank you very much. John?

BERMAN: All right, new fights to reopen voter registration for states hit hard by hurricane Helene including Florida. But Governor DeSantis says there is no need.

The Supreme Court decides to take up a controversial Second Amendment case over so-called ghost guns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:19:08]

BERMAN: This morning with Milton bearing down, Governor Ron DeSantis said Florida is not planning to extend its voter registration deadline which was yesterday.

CNN's Marshall Cohen has this story. Why, Marshall?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hey, John. Good morning.

The governor, Ron DeSantis basically said the rules are the rules. So the deadline was yesterday. The voting registration window in Florida is now closed, even as some residents are still reeling from Hurricane Helene and bracing for Hurricane Milton. That's why some voting rights groups and liberal organizations sent a letter to the governor, pleading with him to extend the deadline by just eight days. They wanted to give folks who might be displaced from the storm more

of an opportunity, more flexibility to get registered in these final weeks of the election, but the governor held firm and said no.

Take a listen to how Ron DeSantis explained his decision yesterday at a press conference in Tallahassee.

[08:20:05]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): After the storm, we will see what damage is there and if I have to do a similar executive order that I did in Ian and that I did for Helene, we are happy to do it, but we are not going to change any registration deadline.

You can register today and there doesn't need to -- there is no reason to open that up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So look, that's the position of the governor. He said he is willing to have some flexibility depending on the damage from Milton, to maybe extend the hours at some polling sites or move the locations of polling sites if there are damage to some of those spots.

But voting registration window is now closed in Florida, but if you are watching at home and you don't live in Florida, you can Google CNN Voter Handbook. We have state by state information. There are different rules in different states, and you can still register in a lot of places in this country -- John.

BERMAN: That is a very useful plug right there. Go ahead and take a look at that immediately.

What about North Carolina, Marshall, in terms of the impact of Helene on election and campaign stuff there?

COHEN: Yes, from the last storm, the Hurricane Helene impact on the election is something we are closely watching. Election officials in North Carolina provided an update yesterday. They said at least 10 early voting sites in North Carolina have significant damage or are simply inaccessible.

They are just down roads that may no longer exist or you just can't travel down. They are still assessing the situation, so that number may increase.

Additionally, some of the sites that were designated to be early voting locations are now -- have been transformed into disaster relief locations and they're saying they are going to need another $2 million, John, from the state and the Feds to pay for all of these last minute changes.

BERMAN: All right, Marshall Cohen, again, these pictures still, the damage is overwhelming with this other storm still yet to hit. Marshall Cohen, appreciate your work.

So we do have an update on the forecast for Hurricane Milton -- where it is headed, when it will make landfall, and the latest track. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:26:38]

BOLDUAN: Back to our breaking news of Hurricane Milton.

Moments ago, the director of the National Hurricane Center joined John and me, and he said that this storm will bring "multiple life- threatening hazards" and his big message to everyone in this moment is do not let the fact that this storm may weaken just before it makes landfall to a Category Three. Don't let it fool you. His words, it will actually make it worse.

CNN's Derek Van Dam back with us now.

Derek, can you help us understand what the director of the National Hurricane Center is getting at and everything that we learned from him earlier in the show.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: So a weakening storm means an expanding wind field, and that means that the impacts of Hurricane Milton will be felt over a larger area. That's basically what he is describing.

We've got the latest 8:00 AM update, and what we are noticing is the fluctuations in intensity as anticipated, could regain strength to a Category Five, but we are also starting to notice that subtle east northeasterly change in direction, the dreaded northeasterly turn that will bring it eventually and inevitably into the West Coast of the state of Florida.

Also, new at 8:00 AM is the hurricane warning has been extended from the West Coast of the Florida Peninsula to the East Coast of the Florida Peninsula. So we are expecting hurricane conditions across a large swath of the Central Florida Peninsula late Wednesday into the day on Thursday. That is the time frame. We are quickly losing time for your preparations and evacuations.

Now, this wind field will expand. It is going to double in size compared to its compact size that it has now, and that means it will be realized at its most maximum potential.

So wind threat, the catastrophic major winds will be felt well inland from the shoreline and it will push up a significant amount of water twice my height, in fact, depending on exactly where that eyewall makes landfall.

There is a lot of rain associated with this, and Kate, we've got a rare high risk of flash flooding across the central parts of Florida come Friday. Here is a satellite view of Hurricane Milton in the Gulf and also forest fires and heat out west. The fingerprints of climate change written all over this weather forecast today.

BOLDUAN: That is quite an image right there.

Derek, thank you very much for all the updates -- John.

BERMAN: All right, don't gamble with your and your family's lives. Strong words from the Hillsborough County sheriff ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall as you just heard, Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

And Sheriff Chad Chronister joins me now.

Sheriff, thank you so much for being with us.

That warning, what do you mean by it? Expand.

SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY: Well we know with this catastrophic storm comes with 10 to 15 feet storm surge, 130 mile per hour winds, five to ten inches of rain, I worry about the flash flooding, the downed electric lines that some people got electrocuted during this last hurricane.

And with storm surge rising that rapidly, the hey-listen-I-think-it- is-time-to-leave is going to be too late. The difference between this storm and the last storm was the sustained winds never got above 25 miles an hour, so we were able to continue our service. We were able to continue those rescues. This storm is going to be different.

If you're in an evacuation zone, please get out. Don't gamble with you and your loved ones' life. Make the preparations. Find a hotel. Find a family member. Stay at a friend's house.

Worst case scenario, stay at a shelter. There are plenty of them open, but you you're better off being inconvenienced and uncomfortable yet alive.

[08:30:08]