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Hurricane Sandy Pounds East Coast; Interview With Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker; Latest Conditions Detailed
Aired October 29, 2012 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: These are live pictures, Midtown Manhattan.
This is a building -- this is slated to be the tallest building in New York with residences. This is 157. This is West 57th between Sixth and Seventh. We're going to talk about that because in looking at these pictures before and the after on the left and the right-hand side of your screen, this is evidence of the storm's wrath before the storm even makes landfall.
We're going to do that. Let me tell you this. This storm will be affecting some 60 million people in its path all the way from North Carolina, northward to Maine, $87 billion worth of homes reportedly at risk. And 61,000 National Guard troops have been deployed.
We're getting an update at the top of the hour.
I want to bring in Chad Myers.
You have been watching this. The latest update is?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. No, for a long time we get 5:00, 11:00 updates and something in between.
But now because it's so close we get hourly updates from the Hurricane Center. It's only 80 miles, 85 miles from Atlantic City, New Jersey, where our Ali Velshi is right now. Winds are 90 miles per hour and it's moving at 30 miles per hour, moving forward at about 30, 28 to 30. That means it will be on shore in less than three hours.
BALDWIN: There he is, Ali Velshi.
Ali Velshi, my goodness, can you even hear me, Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I can hear you. I can hear you. It sounds about right what Chad is just said. It's really blowing in Atlantic City.
It's one of those gusts we're getting. It wasn't this way for the whole last couple of hours, but it's getting pretty strong now. This is about as strong as we have seen it.
BALDWIN: Chad, who is that driving along? Is that emergency personnel?
Or, Ali, rather. Forgive me.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Yes. That's right. That's what it was. It was a police vehicle. That's pretty much all (AUDIO GAP) police vehicles and utility vehicles.
I think they're trying to get an early response. We are definitely -- I was on the boardwalk, which is about three-quarters of a mile behind me. I was just there about half-an-hour ago. There are emergency crews out there trying to clear the boardwalk of people.
There wasn't anybody out there, though. They were just making sure everything was OK. Right now all you're seeing is emergency vehicles or work crews like we have got right here.
BALDWIN: Ali, at any moment in time we will yank this if you are at all in danger, if you start seeing anything flying your way. I can just hear the whipping wind. I believe it's Atlantic City where three hours from now there's this mandatory curfew, right?
So, from 6:00 in the evening through 6:00 in the morning people cannot come out, as you point out, except for those emergency vehicles. What else do you see? Who else have you talked to today?
VELSHI: OK. I will tell you, first of all, it really is a lot of wind here. I happen to be next to a building and we're sort of around buildings, so there's nothing likely to come my way given the way the wind is blowing, because we are obviously concerned about being safe.
But all I'm going to get is wind right now. I'm just going to get buffeted around a little bit. We're out of the way of debris. However, when I was at the boardwalk, debris was a real concern. There was debris flying around. Most of the restaurants and shops have done a good job of tying things down.
I could see some siding flying off buildings. We do know that in this county, there are people in shelters, and 400 to 500 people we believe are in shelters. If you didn't leave, you can't leave now because the most direct way mainland is over a causeway, over a bridge, and that bridge is probably flooded right now because about two hours ago it was almost flooded.
You can't get out. If you're in this part of Atlantic City, this is where you are. We're about to see another police vehicle. They're really working around here. They're making sure that nobody is anywhere they are not supposed to be. But they do know that we have taken precautions. We will start to see them all around making sure come 6:00 there is nobody out on the street.
But, frankly, unless you're kind of like us where you're reporting this, there's no reason to be out here. These winds are particularly strong right now, Brooke. And it's only going to get stronger. We are -- we have been doing a survey around. There's not too much damage. I know there were reports of a part of the boardwalk that had been destroyed and upended. We did not see that. There are, however, piers that go out into the ocean. We couldn't get out there.
It was just too rough. But that's possible some of that has been blown off. But generally speaking, everything is pretty solid around Atlantic City and well-built, good infrastructure. We have seen any damage yet. We are not seeing people roaming around and sort of looking around to see what is going on.
MYERS: Hey, Ali, it's Chad Myers. Is that saltwater you're standing in or is that just freshwater flooding from the rain? Because you are still five hours from high tide.
VELSHI: Yes. This is freshwater right now. When we were out at the ocean about half-an-hour ago, obviously, that was saltwater which also had sand in it, so it was pelting us quite heavily. This right now is freshwater.
But you have got a better sense of the water pattern around here and where we will start to get the water from. You can just see, by the way, there's a fire vehicle there, police over here. New Jersey State Police just passed me. So, we're seeing a lot of law enforcement ability. I just saw an ambulance go by.
They seem well-prepared here in Atlantic City. I think that car is probably right in between us now. In fact, I think there's a car and a trunk. Let me just move over so you can actually see me. But that's what we're seeing here. We are not seeing casual folks around.
We are definitely seeing people with pickup trucks and, you know, checking out their business and things like that, but everything on the boardwalk -- I don't know if you got the video I sent in from when I was on the boardwalk.
Everything is shuttered. Most stores have steel grates in front of them, which they normally use to lock up the stores, particularly because we're in the off-season. Others have got plywood in front. But everybody is hunkered down and prepared for this in Atlantic City.
Like I said, there are about 500 people in the shelters in Atlantic City. Governor Christie has said in New Jersey, if you have pets, they have got pet-friendly shelters. But really at this point -- wow. At this point, if you didn't get out, you're not getting out.
BALDWIN: Ali Velshi, we're going to stay with you. This is pretty unbelievable these pictures we're getting from Atlantic City.
I was talking to the mayor a moment ago. He remembered a storm in 1985 as being pretty bad.
I know, Chad, you have talked about -- we talk so much about Battery Park and some of the areas in Lower Manhattan that could really see that historic storm surge of 12 feet. Here where Ali is, not specifically where Ali is, but in Atlantic City they could have record-breaking storm surge of, what, nine-and-a-half feet?
MYERS: And they will also have a wind tunneling effect where the winds are going to go between those big casinos. Those casinos are fairly high. They're not 80 stories high, but they are high enough to cause that funneling, that Bernoulli effect. And I believe those buildings may start to come apart when these winds get so strong.
Ali, have you seen any damage to buildings yet?
VELSHI: We haven't yet, but, Chad, this is the strongest we have felt the wind so far. It sort of picked up in the last half-an-hour.
This is a band obviously that is coming through. And this is by far the strongest. Look at that. Look at the wind and the water going down the street behind me. This is by far the worst of it so far. If it picks up much more like this, I think you're probably right, Chad. (INAUDIBLE)
BALDWIN: Careful.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Yes. There's good gusts coming this way. Can't see them well, but in this type of wind I wouldn't be surprised to see windows blowing out at some point fairly shortly.
BALDWIN: Ali, we mentioned this mandatory curfew. Have people indicated that they will be following it, those who did stay behind will shelter in place?
VELSHI: Yes. Look, you don't really have a choice. They knew we were coming down here. We checked in with the police as we crossed the bridge into here and the police escorted us most of the way.
You can't be walking around here. Every time we were out there on the boardwalk checking things out, every few minutes we had a vehicle come by, ask us what we were doing. It helped that I have got the big CNN jacket on. They were fine with that. They got some sense we have done this before and we know how to handle it.
But they do not want onlookers. I did see one guy taking a picture a little bit earlier. I don't know whether he was media or he was just taking photographs. The waves are pretty spectacular at this point. They're banging up against the piers. So, it's quite a sight to behold.
And, interestingly enough, the visibility is good enough. I can see the pier. I can't see the ocean because there's a building in the way (INAUDIBLE) but this wind and this rain is really, really picking up right now.
I don't know, Chad, if it's getting much worse than this. We said this is around -- we just checked. We're about 90 miles an hour. We're also about 70 feet above sea level. We're expecting the storm surge in Atlantic City to hit nine- or nine-and-a-half feet. So, that means we're all going to be a little taken up. Obviously, at the sea, at sea level -- we're seven feet above ground. so, in a few hours we will be underwater.
BALDWIN: Ali, we're going to give you just a break for a moment. We will come back to you later in the hour.
Can you, Chad, just answer his question when he was saying it feels like the winds are picking up? My goodness, it looks like they are. It's tough to hear him at points because of the wind.
MYERS: Ali, your wind will pick up for the next three hours, and then that will be landfall, that will be eye landfall right very near you, maybe as far south as Wildwood or Cape May. But you are going to be right in what would be the northern, the dangerous part of the eye wall.
I noticed that maybe there's an area slightly calmer in front of you, if you walk toward the camera. Please, we would to keep the shot on, but I feel that you are in too much wind where you are right now.
Obviously, the truck is safe because it's not shaking. The cameraman appears to be in a safe location. I'm a little bit worried when I saw all that stuff start to fly around, buddy.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: You have guided me through a few of these, Chad, so I will know to get to higher and higher ground. I will put on a few pounds. I will make sure I don't blow away.
BALDWIN: Ali Velshi, please don't. We appreciate it. And we will come back to you a little later this hour here.
Tremendous pictures coming in, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
We have so much more to show you, including these pictures here of this partial crane collapse. This is West 57, this is Midtown, crane collapse, dangling precariously there on the right side of this building, which, by the way, is still under construction.
I have questions for you, sir, about some of these buildings, many a building in Manhattan under construction. The glass isn't all the way around. Looks like scaffolding is there. We're going to talk about that after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Breaking news on CNN. Let me just bring you up to speed.
Two pictures on your screen. On the left-hand side of your screen, this is 157, this is what would be the tallest residential building in all of Manhattan. To the right of that building is a crane. It is dangling. It has collapsed, case in point of the damage this storm could wreak here. This is already just several hours before it makes landfall.
On the right-hand side of your screen, these are pictures from Atlantic City, New Jersey. We just have been chatting with Ali Velshi, who was standing in an intersection in Atlantic City, where as he pointed out, Chad Myers pointed out, that city could be seeing record storm surge at 9.5 feet. Given all of this, I want to stay with New Jersey. I want to go to Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who's on the phone with me.
Mayor Booker, let's just begin with -- we have seeing these incredibly compelling pictures in Atlantic City. What does Newark look like right now?
CORY BOOKER (D), MAYOR OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: We're all going through it in the state of New Jersey.
Obviously, the further north you get, the less around the eye. But we have very serious concerns because the storm surge is lining up with high tide in a full moon time set. So we have an intensity of water coming into our city that we anticipate getting worse and worse as the night goes on, especially around 8:00 p.m.
We have areas in our city that do flood, and we're asking people to use this last hour or two before the storm surge really begins to get out, to voluntarily evacuate traditional flood areas in our city, to use precaution and to not endanger rescue workers who may, indeed, have to rescue people who are either trapped in bad situations, or, worse, what I saw a lot during Hurricane Irene, is people try to drive through flooded roads and get stranded and have to be evacuated by Marine rescue.
(CROSSTALK)
BOOKER: Go ahead.
BALDWIN: Forgive me. It seems like other than just simply using common sense and not standing around and being an onlooker here, the other issue is, and the president pointed this out in the briefing, is they want people off the streets, because once this hits in the aftermath, these emergency personnel folks, they need to get out there and they need to start rescuing people.
If folks are out and about on the streets, right, that is bad news. I know you're concerned number one with citizens.
BOOKER: The biggest risk right now is the bad choices being made by individuals, lack of common sense being used, and people not seeing the severity of what's going on and not being proactive in their thinking.
The time to act to prevent a crisis from happening is before the storm happens. And after that, you should hunker down and stay put.
But, clearly, clearly, you want people staying off of roads, staying out of their cars, to let our teams do what they have to do to keep people safe.
BALDWIN: Use common sense. Mayor Cory Booker, thank you very much for calling in. Good luck to you in riding this thing out.
Want to stay with -- want to go to Manhattan here. We have been telling you this story of this partial crane collapse in the West Side of Manhattan, West 57th between Sixth and Seventh streets. This is a live picture. I have got Chad Myers on my right. We have got Ashleigh Banfield in Lower Manhattan.
Let's bring Ashleigh up.
Ashleigh, as we're looking at this picture of this collapsed crane, how bad are the wind gusts right now where you are as people jog by you again?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know. It's crazy.
We're getting about (INAUDIBLE) gusts right now. (INAUDIBLE) But all I can you (INAUDIBLE)
BALDWIN: Ashleigh Banfield, can I get you to do me a favor and put that microphone closer to your mouth? I want to hear you.
BANFIELD: Got it.
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: Which is exactly my point. This wind is so strong. I can't believe these people are out here gawking, Brooke, especially since where I'm standing is in an evacuation zone.
We're fine, but all of the buildings that are around me, 400,000 people have evacuated inside boroughs. So, why these people would be out for a casual run or a stroll is beyond comprehension -- 1.1 million school kids are hunkered down somewhere and riding out this storm with their parents because there is nothing open at this point.
But one thing I want to tell you, Brooke, just take a look at this water here. I'm about probably eight feet to 10 feet up, OK? (INAUDIBLE) They're expecting in a worst-case scenario...
BALDWIN: Ashleigh, I'm going to pull away. I apologize. I'm having tough time hearing you. I think that is precisely your point, though, that the wind is that bad.
I want to stay in Manhattan and I want to go to Deborah Feyerick, because Deborah is there.
Ashleigh was talking about people hunker down, but the thing in New York, it appears, Deb Feyerick, is that not everyone is heeding those warnings to stay put.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, and there's a very good reason for that, and I will tell you why.
There are times where it just feels like a small drizzle is affecting you. But then at other times a huge gust of wind will come and it's overwhelming, it's overpowering. We have a crane that we're looking at, and everybody is nervous. Every time one of those strong gusts of wind come our way, everybody is kind of looking up, because what you really have to be careful about are the tree branches, are things flying off of the roofs. The Hudson River, just over there across, and it's still very powerful. We see a couple of boats that are in the water. They're sort of -- they're making their way up. But they look like they're being anchored down. That's how slowly their progress is.
I spoke to somebody out on Long Island, however, the situation there, very, very different. That's what we're seeing with this storm. Right now, very calm. In other pars, no. Places that usually flood, they're getting hit. Spoke to somebody over in Long Island. They're already in flood conditions.
But for the most part here in Manhattan, people are kind of used to this. You look over here, Brooke, this is considered an evacuation zone. One block over, however, it's not an evacuation zone. We see some boarded up, some sand, people are kind of riding this out. But take a listen. We spoke to a couple people a little earlier today. Take a listen.
We don't have it. We don't have it, Deb. Sorry about that. What did they say?
(CROSSTALK)
FEYERICK: You know what they're talking about?
Yes. Well, what they basically said is, look, one woman came out and here, she said, look, it didn't feel bad. There's going to be a point where people are going to stay indoors. But New York City still has a pulse, people coming out.
They're sort of -- they're not being not smart, let's put it that way, but once they know that it's too bad, they're coming out. But a lot of people are home right now. You have got children. They're got the day off from school. The subways are closed, so nobody's getting anywhere. The buses aren't running.
They have closed the Holland Tunnel, which (INAUDIBLE) of course the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. So, you can't get to New Jersey that way (AUDIO GAP) that way.
BALDWIN: That's right.
(CROSSTALK)
FEYERICK: ... periodically shutting down, Brooke.
BALDWIN: That's right. Those tunnels are closed. They were closed as of about an hour and 20 minutes ago.
Deborah Feyerick, we will come back to you. We appreciate you there in Manhattan. It's incredible how different one picture was in Manhattan from another, isn't it?
We are also keeping our eye -- and I know a lot of you are tweeting me about that crane. I'm @BrookeBCNN. A lot of you are worried about the crane. We are worried about the crane. We will keep a close eye on it.
But we also want to take you to Delaware. It's really picking up in Delaware.
We have you covered here on CNN all the way from North Carolina northward to Maine.
Hurricane Sandy on her way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Want to show you an image now from Chesapeake Bay. This is Kent Island, Maryland. This just across the bay from Annapolis. Look at these waves, this video coming into us here at CNN just about an hour or two ago.
Again, Kent Island, Maryland, now one hour closer to landfall with Hurricane Sandy. About 90 minutes ago, the president declared a state of emergency in Delaware. And all along Delaware's coast, flooding had started in earnest this morning.
Brian Todd is there for us. He is in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Brian, how are conditions where you are?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not too good, Brooke.
Right now, it's a driving rain. It's been like this all day. The rain keeps switching directions because the wind keeps switching directions. That's a hurricane. Right now, I'm standing on the boardwalk of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Officials here are very worried about how this boardwalk will hold up. As I walk past the gazebo here, I will be out of your sight for just a second. As I walk toward the surf, the surf and the beach erosion are what they're worried about as it relates to the boardwalk and the hotels and businesses along here.
Just a short time ago, when it was high tide, this surf was pretty hellacious. It was coming up right about where I'm standing and washing completely past the dunes here and up toward the boardwalk.
There's a lot of sand on the boardwalk. What they're worried about is beach erosion. Earlier this year, they expanded this beach. They reconstructed part of it with the Army Corps of Engineers. They built it out about 300 feet toward the ocean.
And they said, if they hadn't done that, right now, this boardwalk might be pretty much shot, because 20 years ago a nor'easter came and pretty much splintered this boardwalk apart. They're worried about it because, of course, this boardwalk is really big for tourism here and summer visitation.
And they are very concerned about whether it will hold up. They said if they hadn't expanded this earlier this year, then this could be pretty much torn apart right now. But they are worried about it because the storm surge is going to return. We had a high tide here a short time ago and the waves were much higher, the surf was much closer in. It's going to come back in a few hours.
Brooke, that's what they're worried about here. Inland flooding also a big concern as we get another gust of wind coming toward me right now. Inland flooding not far from here in Lewes Beach, Delaware. A lot of roads are closed because they're pretty much flooded out, coastal roads running parallel to the ocean pretty much unusable right now.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for this area, everyone within a three-quarter-of-a-mile radius from the shore inland ordered to get out. They're not sure how many people did get out. But the manager, the city manager here at Rehoboth Beach told me he thinks most of the people who live here year-round did because they know the score here when a storm like this comes onshore, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Good. They heeded the warnings. Brian Todd, thank you in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Brian, just quickly here, he mentioned inland flooding. According to our folks in the Weather Center, our guys in the Weather Center, that is the number-one killer, inland flooding, in these landfalling tropical systems, just something to keep in perspective.
This hurricane, it is clipping along, last check, 28 miles per hour. It's setting this low-pressure record. It's slowly gaining power. But much of this crucial information comes directly from these people who fly. in these hurricanes. They're the hurricane hunters. These are the men and women who go straight smack-dab into the middle of these massive storms.
On the phone with me now, a NOAA flight meteorologist, Ian Sears.
Ian, in talking to a lot of people about this hurricane, the biggest fear it sounds like is some of the record-breaking, potential record- breaking storm surges. Do you agree?
IAN SEARS, NOAA: Absolutely. Storm surge is a big concern and inland flooding is also a big concern.
We picked the storm up in the Bahamas and we started flying missions around the clock on Friday. And what we were seeing is kind of a disorganized storm that started to grow in size as it came up the East Coast of the United States there. And we were making sure that we're getting all the information to the National Hurricane Center, the Modeling Center, the emergency managers, so that they can use that information to warn the folks that are in the path of those hazards that you are talking about like inland flooding and storm surge.
MYERS: Ian, it's Chad Myers.
I want to talk about the flight you had last night and how you watched the storm intensify right over when it got over the Gulf Stream. But also when you're flying these missions, you not only fly the eye, you fly away from the eye to see how big the wind field is. Believe it or not, Nassau County, Suffolk County up in Long Island now, 81-mile-per-hour gusts hundreds of miles from the center. Have you seen a storm with the wind field ever this large?
SEARS: In my experience flying hurricanes, this is the biggest hurricane that I have seen.
BALDWIN: Oh, wow.
SEARS: We would fly 150, 200 miles away from the center of the storm and we were still picking up tropical-storm-force winds last night.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: And how long have you been doing this, Ian?
SEARS: This is my fourth season.
BALDWIN: OK, Ian Sears.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: It's a very impressive storm. We were watching this storm deepen yesterday.
Did you ever get to see an eye last night when you were there or did you leave before it actually occurred?
SEARS: No, we picked up the eye. We were the first flight in that started seeing the eye form after we started seeing it on satellite. It was really impressive.
We starred seeing it from about 150 nautical miles, 200 nautical miles out on the radar. And it gave us a really good target to head the plane in. And while we were out there, we saw the convection burst on the north side of the storm. It was a very impressive sight to see on radar and being that far north, and as you were mentioning, starting to interact with the Gulf Stream there a little bit, so maybe giving it a little bit of extra energy to intensify last night.
BALDWIN: In the middle of this hurricane, he flew. Ian Sears, thank you for jumping on the phone as we continue to cover here, again, expected landfall of this hurricane some time between 8:00 tonight and 2:00 in the morning. Of course, that's Eastern time.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: I got an update.
BALDWIN: Update that. Go for it.
MYERS: It's going to make landfall within three hours.
BALDWIN: Within three hours.
MYERS: Yes, absolutely. BALDWIN: Within three hours, you heard it here from Chad, this landfall from this hurricane.
After this quick break, I want to talk. We apparently have a reporter who is standing by near this crane. This is -- again, this is West 57th between Sixth and Seventh avenues in Manhattan -- because of the wind. We will talk to that reporter after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We are three hours away from landfall of this hurricane and you are looking at live pictures, once again.
This is Manhattan. This is perhaps just foreshadowing of more damage that we could be seeing over the course of the next 24 or so hours.
This is West 57th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The structure on the right-hand side of this residence, which by the way will be the largest in all of Manhattan, is clearly dangling. This is because of the winds.
We're working on getting a reporter on the street who is standing very near that and we'll talk to her or him about that.
In the meantime, Chad Myers, let me just quickly go to you. Give me an update as far as where this storm stands.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Many trees down in Massachusetts already. Getting reports in Rhode Island, as well.
Water flooding into Long Island Sound will eventually flood Manhattan. I'm sure that's going to go over the break walls there into Battery Park, for sure. Many even saying that it could be very close to getting in the subway.
The center of the eye, right there, not that far away. We'll call it the center there. But this would be New Jersey right here. Here's Cape May. Here's Lewes where the Lewes ferry comes through and it's going to be coming onshore somewhere Southern New Jersey with the worst part of this storm right in the megalopolis right through here.
Now, you have to understand, Brooke, the wind is going to be significant, too, right through here. That's Wilmington, Philadelphia. That's Baltimore. There's the nation's capital right there.
You're already feeling big gusts every time the storm comes by, but in probably 10 hours for you, D.C., eight for Baltimore, six for Philadelphia, that's when your maximum wind gusts are going to probably be 80-miles-per-hour, maybe even higher in some spots, gusts higher, maybe to 100.
Lots of trees down, millions if not higher, tens of millions, I'm not sure yet, without power by the end of I'd say tomorrow night.
BALDWIN: OK. Chad, don't go too far. We're going to come back to you, but I want to bring in this guest who is to my right who I have the pleasure of sitting next to here.
This is General Russel Honore. You commanded the military in New Orleans, post-Katrina. You know a thing or two about emergency preparedness and destruction on the scale which we will likely see, so welcome and it's nice to see you.
Before we talk about preparedness and the president's point about how they've been working so hard to pre-position a lot of these resources, let me just begin with this story of the coast of North Carolina.
This massive ship, there were 16 people onboard. Here's a picture of it. And it began to sink and, so, there was a distress call and, the next thing they know, the Coast Guard ends up getting called in to try to rescue.
Here are the pictures here from atop this Coast Guard helicopter. Tell me what you know. What do you make of this?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL RUSSEL HONORE, U. S. ARMY (RETIRED): This is what the Coast Guard does that nobody else can do other than some of your active duty military. Go out and save mariners.
It's a part of their national mission. Nobody does it better. And thank God for the Coast Guard to get out there this morning and save the majority of the people.
And the story is not over with, h w that ship ended up in the location it was in, but they were able to get some of them out there and, hopefully, this story will end better than what it is now.
But the Coast Guard did a fantastic job, much of that through advanced technology, Brooke. We couldn't do this 60 years ago.
BALDWIN: So, because of that, we have now 14 people who are A-OK. Two people still missing, so we're keeping in close contact with a reporter who's been following this story.
But, talking about the military and all that they can do, how crucial -- walk me through what these different sort of groups and jurisdictions are doing in anticipation of the landfall.
HONORE: Well, let me say this to start of with. This has been the philosophy, of Administrator Fugate. All disasters are local.
As we speak, the local first-responders are working their response plan. Up to this time, we've been doing a lot of what we call risk communications, advising people, taking actions to move people without rides, people in vulnerable populations, risk communications and preparedness and evacuation.
So, we've been dealing with strategy and tactics. This time tomorrow, we'll be dealing with the hard part -- logistics. And there's an old saying. Amateurs spend a lot of time on tactics, but real pros deal with logistics.
We'll see who was really prepared from the government side at the local, state, and federal partners tomorrow when we start reacting.
I think there are going to be closer to 15 million to 20 million people without power.
BALDWIN: And who knows ...
HONORE: I think we really underestimated the impact of that, but that will be a logistics operation. It will have impact on people, infrastructure, folks in hospitals.
And I disagree with what one of the previous politicians said. Most people who will be rescued tomorrow morning will be rescued by neighbors, not by police. There aren't enough police and first- responders to go around.
I would strongly suggest they go back and relook at that because, when the power is out tomorrow morning and the eye of the storm has moved off and we've got power down and people need help, it will be neighbors helping neighbors, Brooke, who will save most of the lives.
BALDWIN: So, as you have the neighbors and, General Honore, thank you.
I want to move onto a story because we've been watching some of these pictures here. This is hours before this thing even makes landfall and we're already seeing streets that look like canals and in these canals along the sides you have homes and there is a home.
There is a home -- not this picture, but there is another picture. There was a house fire already, so this is just the beginning. This is the beginning of the wrath that is Sandy. That's next.
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BALDWIN: We'll get you back to that crane collapse in just a moment. I know a lot of people are asking about that, but I want to go straight to Long Island to Jim Gallagher. He is the fire chief in Lindenhurst, New York.
And, Jim Gallagher, explain to me what it looks like where you are because I've seen a heck of a lot of water and a house fire. Yes?
JIM GALLAGHER, FIRE CHIEF, LINDENHURST, NEW YORK (via telephone): Yes. Basically, part of our water area is totally flooded in right now. We have 2 or 3 feet of water down there.
And, earlier this morning, we had a house fire that we had to fight. It was about 2 or 3 feet of water we had to go into to get to this house.
BALDWIN: Can you tell me how the house caught fire?
GALLAGHER (via telephone): We didn't really investigate that part right now. My guess is probably the electrical because it was underneath the water and the electrical probably shorted out. BALDWIN: How much of this do you anticipate over the next couple days, certainly with all this water, issues with utility, issues with electricity? Is this just the beginning of a long couple of days, sir?
GALLAGHER (via telephone): Yes. It's going to be a long couple of days with this.
Definitely, it's -- we're having the power outages -- a lot of power outages right now, little flashes here and there, but I think as the storm gets bigger there are going to be more power outages, especially as we go long into the night.
BALDWIN: Jim Gallagher, we will be touch with you as I know many water rescues are underway, also, in your neck of the woods. Thank you, Jim.
We're going to take you back here to the crane collapse. We have someone who can talk about this, as we're watching here as this crane is dangling above West 57th Street in between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan.
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BALDWIN: The crane, this partially collapsed crane in Manhattan, we've been watching it. I know so many of you have been tweeting me about this. Many are fearful here, obviously, if it could, in fact, break as we await this storm to really truly hit the East Coast.
I want to go to HLN's Ryan Smith. He is nearby on the streets in Manhattan. Ryan, I understand you talked to the building manager. What do we know about this crane right now?
RYAN SMITH, HOST, HLN'S "EVENING EXPRESS" (via telephone): Brooke, I didn't talk to the building manager. I talked to the manager of a restaurant that's directly across the street.
And it's construction that's been going on for a while. She said that she called police earlier today to say that the crane had been shifting back and forth and that police just showed up a couple hours later when you saw that crane first start shifting.
I actually was just walking down the street and happened to walk right under it, took a picture as I saw it moving, and then police and fire department rolled up at that moment and started clearing the street.
I talked to a police officer who was about 20 feet away from the crane who said glass had started to pluck off the building, as well, so they're trying to block off as many blocks as they can.
But they're having trouble, Brooke, because the big thing is the wind keeps shifting directions and they can't predict where that crane might go if, in fact, it does start to tip.
BALDWIN: So, for now, the situation is that they are simply blocking off as much as they can in and around the ground area directly the crane. So, if it falls, it wouldn't at least land on something. Is that correct?
SMITH (via telephone): Something, you can't be sure because it's such a densely -- it's a heavily commercial area.
BALDWIN: What's down there?
SMITH (via telephone): It could not fall on someone because they've cleared everybody off the street. And, so, they first started by clearing off the path directly across from it and, now, I'm seeing that they've cleared off a block or two at least in our direction going west and it looks like they're starting to clear off the direction going south.
But typically, when a construction starts to tip it -- they've had this incident happens sometimes in Midtown Manhattan. They know to clear off one area, but the wind is the problem, so they're having to clear as much as they can.
BALDWIN: Hey, Ryan, one more question, just back to a point you made about the glass. Are you saying glass, in addition to the crane situation, this building, this 157 building, there was glass flying off?
SMITH (via telephone): The police officer who pulled me off of the street -- I was going to walk into another building to take shelter -- a police officer told me you don't want to go in there because glass has been flying in the area.
So, that was when he told me in telling me to try to get off the street and get back as far as I can.
BALDWIN: OK. Ryan Smith, thank you for calling in. So many people are asking and they're concerned about his building.
And, if you know Manhattan, there are a lot of buildings under construction here and there are many a crane. So that certainly is one concern here as we are within that three-hour window before this hurricane makes landfall.
Before we go to break, let me let you know we will take you back to Ali Velshi's live shot. Here he, Ali Velshi, is in the middle of a very desolate Atlantic City.
Ali, we're going to take a quick break. We're going to check in with you and the wind and the rain after this.
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BALDWIN: Roughly two hours now, roughly two hours from landfall of Hurricane Sandy. We've been taking you up and down the Eastern seaboard painting a picture of what's happening right now.
You're looking at Ali Velshi in a very desolate Atlantic City, New Jersey, intersection. And, Ali Velshi, if you can hear me, tell me since the last time we talked how strong -- how much has the wind picked up? ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, I can hear you. I don't know if you can hear me very well.
The wind's picked up dramatically since the last time we talked. I don't have a way of measuring it, but I heard Chad saying it was about 90-miles-an-hour, gusting last time, substantially stronger than that.
If I were to guess, I would say we're now closing in on 100-miles-an- hour. We've got a little bit of a calmness, so I can stand here for a second and then you'll feel these gusts going through.
You can look down while there's relative calm right to the end of the street there and that would be the ocean. That's the Atlantic ocean Over there. Waves are much bigger around there.
I will tell you, Brooke, I've had a number of people have said, why are you doing this? It seems unsafe. We are surrounded by buildings which, as Chad will tell you, will sometimes exacerbate the wind situation, but we are sheltered from debris at the moment. Unless windows start breaking (INAUDIBLE).
We're about seven feet above sea level right now. We're expecting the storm surge in Atlantic City to be about nine-and-a-half feet. You're probably going to see a vehicle drive right between us. Those tend to be emergency vehicles or utility vehicles. Looks like he's going to do a little three-point turn right here.
They're around, checking to make sure nobody is roaming the streets because, Brooke, at 6:00 p.m., Atlantic City goes into a full curfew, so they're making sure nobody's around. A lot of emergency vehicles around, 400 to 500 people in the county are in shelters
We know there's a travel ban and, if you haven't left (INAUDIBLE), you're not getting out of here because the roads are generally over- washed.
So (INAUDIBLE) we're going back to high dry in Atlantic City. But for the most, it's empty and the winds are picking up.
BALDWIN: It's incredibly dangerous. It's incredibly dangerous where you are, but I'm glad you point out that you are surrounded by buildings.
You also point out you are two hours away from that mandatory curfew that's been put in place for folks in Atlantic City. Did you get a chance for the people who did not heed the warnings who will be sheltering in place, how nervous are they?
VELSHI: Well, you know, the good thing is, these governors in the Northeast, Chris Christie here and the governors in Pennsylvania and New York and Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Massachusetts, everybody's taking this very seriously, as is the president. National Guard is actually just here not too far from us.
Everybody's been very clear on what you're supposed to do. Most of these cities wanted people out of here by yesterday evening. They shut down all (INAUDIBLE) ...
BALDWIN: Be careful.
VELSHI: If you weren't out, you're not getting out.
Yeah, I got it. Letting some cars pass the road.
BALDWIN: Ali, we're going to pull away from you. I want you to hunker down on the side. We're going to pull away for just a moment.
I want to go to Maggie Lake. Maggie Lake is in Asbury Park and, Maggie, tell me about the conditions where you are.
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Brooke, we're also seeking shelter right behind a wall right here to protect from the wind while we wait.
But if I step out, the conditions certainly have worsened since we last talked. If you look behind me, you can see the ocean now starting to come up to the boardwalk. The sea foam now up on the boardwalk, the tide coming up and we are still a ways from high tide, Brooke.
The ocean waves now look to be about 10 feet high and they are coming straight toward the boardwalk. Certainly, we are not experiencing the coastal flooding where they were just in Atlantic City and I have family and relative there is. I was just speaking to a fireman there and they're very concerned about those residents.
But the people here are very much concerned that we will see a similar situation, the tide and the ocean coming up over the boardwalk into the low-lying areas.
Right now, we have horizontal rain and wind and sand, Brooke. This is the other problem with these coastal communities. If you look at the boardwalk right, we've got a big layer of sand coming up as the wind just blows. The beach erosion is going to be tremendous here, as you can imagine.
But, of course, it is the property damage, the flooding and also the power outages. We already know -- we just spoke to the public officer from the fire department here who told us they've already started to get calls about downed limbs, not too many yet and most of this area still has power for the moment, but they are anticipating problems.
Many people have left, but many still have stayed. They're concerned. They want them to stay inside. We have seen a few curiosity-seekers, but the conditions are getting bad enough now, Brooke, that most people have taken refuge inside.
And, again, underscoring what Ali said, we are still a few hours away from the storm making landfall. People feel like it's a hurricane already, but it's going to get a lot worse from her here, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Right. This is just the beginning here as we are just about within that two-hour window before this thing makes landfall. Maggie Lake, thank you. Maggie Lake in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
We're going to take you back to that crane collapse here in just a moment.
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BALDWIN: Back to this breaking news, back to this picture of this crane collapsed. It is dangling alongside this building. It's 157th. This is West 57th between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
Talking to Ryan Smith who was down on the ground talking to folks around, what he could tell us is the fact that there were fire, there's police converging on the scene, kind of trying to block off some of the areas down below, but the problem, Chad Myers, clearly is the wind. I mean, at this late in the game, you can't dismantle this.
MYERS: No, nobody's going up there right now, absolutely not. The highest wind gust we've even seen was 66-miles-per-hour at JFK. It's going to go higher than that.
BALDWIN: We said this is an 80-some-story building. How high do you think the wind -- how fast is the wind up there?
MYERS: A gust up there could easily get to 90 within the next couple of hours.
BALDWIN: OK, Chad Myers, I know you have a busy, busy night in store for you.
I thank you so much for staying with us, folks. This is just the beginning here of a horrendous storm.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. We're going to send you to Washington now.
"THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts right now.
