Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Irma's Aftermath; New Sanctions; Refugee Crisis. Aired 11-12p ET
Aired September 12, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:07] BECKY ANDERSON, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: Today the devastation have to be deadly storm, millions left without power in some cases, homes.
The cleanup and aid efforts in the aftermath of Irma. Live reports from some of the worst affected areas. Also ahead, speaking with one voice will
North Korea get the message after the UN threat on top of sanctions on Pyongyang we get reactions from that City this hour. A textbook example of
ethnic cleansing, strong words from the UN on the exodus of Muslim were hinge from Myanmar.
Hello, and welcome, you are watching Connect the World it is 7:00 here in Abu Dhabi, I am Becky Anderson. It is 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast of the
United States which is being the last dregs of what was once hurricane Irma, thankfully that storm no longer the beast that it once was, overnight
tropical storm, force winds and heavy rain poured on the southern US trees crashing the power lines and things that more than 7 million without in the
morning's as crews rushed to restore service. With some coastal states like here in Charleston South Carolina rushing floodwaters filled the
street, so far six people have died in the US from Irma. This are the Caribbean islands where Irma pack the strongest punches in its deadly call
across the Atlantic.
Survivors are only just beginning to sort through what is the wreckage of their homes. And their needs are immense, many are still on the islands
with very little infrastructure, telecommunications, food or clean water. Europe and the US are sending aid and evacuating as many victims as they
can, but those efforts are slow to break the ties of misery. CNN Polo Sandoval has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky this unoccupied airport terminal in San Juan Puerto Rico now serving is the entry point for thousands of
evacuees will be brought here from some of the neighboring Caribbean islands these are areas that has been devastated by Irma, Puerto Rico
spared for the most part of the damages resolve this is been serving now as a staging point, but also as a temporary home for thousands of evacuees.
Catastrophic damage across the Caribbean, a category five hurricane packing winds of up to 185 mph when it roared to this islands late last week. Irma
left almost total devastation in its wake at least 36 people were killed, a number that is almost surely will rise. Thousands of homeless businesses
or wipe out. Many islands there is little food or clean water thousands of American tourist and residents were among those shredded by the storm.
This is St. Maarten today, an idyllic resort turn to rubble overnight. The island of 72,002 took a direct hit from Irma. American officials say they
evacuated about 1200 US citizens from St. Maarten. Carrying them on military transport planes nearby Puerto Rico. For those that remains,
there has been almost no food and water or power for days. And the search for those essentials quickly took a desperate turn. Looters some
reportedly armed and demanded anything from food or working car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The roof is about to pull up, there it is, the whole roof. The whole roof just went flying right off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Irma killed at least eight people when it pummeled the British and US Virgin Islands. U.S. Navy personnel moved into medevac the most
seriously injured perhaps hardest hit, the tiny islands of (inaudible) and Barbuda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just encompassing and it really became at one point a question of whether we need to see to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: The islands Prime Minister said, Irma wrecked quote, total devastation there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't barely hear you. It is coming in strong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Irma heavily flooded the streets of Havana Cuba. Cuban authorities cut off power to part of the City as a safety measure. It is
bad as Savanah was hit, Cuba's northeast coast took an even worst pounding. Just before Irma turn and set it sight on Florida.
SANDOVAL: I haven't spoken to any of this evacuees and make their way here to Puerto Rico, they tells us the biggest challenges some of these are
small islands is communicating.
[11:05:05] There are still many people who are still stranded there many people may not be aware that these evacuation flights are actually
happening so that the challenged law and order also another one as well Becky is one individual told me that their sense of lawlessness in the
streets of many of these islands, so it is definitely feel much safer here in Puerto Rico, Becky.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: Polo thank you for that. Polo reporting that the hurricane ripping apart this small islands of the Caribbean including St. Maarten
which is divided between France and the Netherlands. Now the French President Emmanuel is surveying the damage in Guadalupe, he says the Island
of St. Maarten will be quote reborn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(TRANSLATOR): We put in place since the hurricane is one of the most important bridges and facilities since the second world war, the time is
speaking there are 1900 arms troops in Mactan to secure the location and every day for a significant means with regards to planes, helicopters and
boats that are communicating with metropolitan France to provide a means to survive and emergency services.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Promises being made criticism those promises from that action, coming a little late, the situation especially desperate islanders who have
lost everything in the storm some are now trying to evacuating, including my next guest (inaudible), his home was destroyed on total. Which is that
in the British Virgin Islands. Can we first, are you and your family okay? Are you safe?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From now we are safe. We are in a hotel. We stayed on the bathroom the whole night, through the whole hurricane. We are safe.
ANDERSON: Just walk us through what happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were check in at 9:00 and the next morning, we feel the winds coming through, so I said to my family. Let's get out. We went
to the hotel about 4:00 a.m. And as soon as we check in, the winds came in and it was just horrible, I mean the kids were screaming and I was live on
Facebook for a little while. I have about 800 viewers and as the eye came through, it just destroyed the whole hotel room where I was in, the doors
came in, we just run into the bathroom, and it was a scary moment.
ANDERSON: We had been looking at your pictures that you send on the aftermath. Everything is destroyed. We are looking at video now of the
island I been to that island. And when I saw some of the drone footage I couldn't believe it. How are authorities responding? And do you feeling
after this is being done what do you need next?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are now evacuating like the women and children. I have four kids and I have my mother-in-law, my wife, I would love for them
to just leave and be safe from the whole situation. I mean we have no food, I am in here, but what I am seeing, and I was just driving around,
not seeing any actions or given us any rational food for us. Supermarkets here had doubled the prices. The gas station had doubled their prices. So
we had run out of cash. My bank was drawn out, we have no way of getting any. What I really like to get right now is help to get my family out and
others people family out to safety before the whole situation gets worst.
ANDERSON: I mean this terrible, your bank is gone, has very little food on the shelves. The food had doubled in price you say, I know that you are
also pretty concerned about the possibility of violence, am I correct in saying that, have you seen evidence of losing for example?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. There is looting happening. Most of the shops here had been open, people are stealing TV, and some supermarkets have looted.
I saw police yesterday, arrested a guy who was looting clothes shop, one in the shops in town. It is just scary and I am almost out of gas. I am
going to buy a gas for my motor bike, a scooter came up and pulled out a gun. He want to get gas first and my family in the car, it is a scary
moment. What could happen in time or two weeks' time? I don't see any food given to anybody. I would like to get help and get the women and
children out to safety. And the rest of us who can maybe try to rebuild the country.
[11:10:52] ANDERSON: He is on the ground and appealing for help from the British government and explaining just how devastated the situation is and
we wish you the best as looking at some of this images from the island which are just devastating and to watch and I can imagine what it feels
like to be that sir. Keep in touch, thanks for joining us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Let us get you to Florida now where Irma first roared ashore in United States. Florid Keys were directly in this storm's path and
everywhere you look today you can see devastation. Emergency official's estimate 25 percent of the homes on the island near Miami were completely
destroyed while another 65 percent suffered major damage. CNN's Brian Todd visited one couple who stayed in their home, look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Much of Benita Springs Florida is underwater. This small community between Fort Myers and Naples. It was
slammed with Irma's highest winds and unrelentingly rain. When the (inaudible) River flooded, so did this mobile home neighborhood. The
Imperial Benita States, when we come upon (inaudible) caretaker of the mobile homes, she is worried about an elderly couple who decide to stay in
their homes. Water sometimes comes up to our waste, water contaminated with oil, chemicals, and garbage. We travel into a mile of the
neighborhood, homes are inundated, badly damaged, some are completely overturn. We meet Doreen Wriggles husband Roger. Also a caretaker of the
mobile homes, but couldn't get to that couple, he is shaken with the condition of his neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a lot of damage.
TODD: We finally make it to the home of Eda and Edna Lappa, she is 88, he is 93 and has Parkinson's and diabetes, the waters lapping the front door
of the trailer, the alarm of their flooded cars is buzzing.
You want us to call the fire department or police department?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, we are fine.
TODD: She said they knew they have probably have flooding. We ask why they didn't leave when most of their neighbors did.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible).
TODD: And the question we often ask of disaster victims like Eda and Ed. Did they want to continue to live in a place so devastated?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been here for 27 years, this is home.
TODD: We repeatedly offered food and water, we offer to call the police and the fire department for them. We even offered to carry them out of the
neighborhood if they wanted to. They said no, they have plenty of supplies to last for several days and they said they have flood insurance so they
are optimistic about how is this going to turn out, but the Mayor told us, they are still trying to get Fire and Rescue crews to neighborhoods to see
who is stranded or possibly injured, Brian Todd CNN, Benita Springs, Florida.
ANDERSON: Some people in Florida, you wanted to evacuate but couldn't had to ride out the storm in their homes enduring this severe weather and
floods and power outages CNN's Ed Lavandera has more from the village of Goodland in Florida.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Goodland Florida which is on the eastern edge of Marco Island this is a small fishing community several
hundred people who live here full time. And this is an area that really show some of the most intense destruction that we're seeing in the path of
hurricane Irma, this tree that you see behind me crushed the home behind us the people who own the house working here at the time but thankfully there
was one man at home just in the house next door, he was spared because on the north side of the storm when this tree fell over the windows blowing
from the east to the west, knocking the tree down this way. The man who lived next door, he told us the wind is blowing the other direction he
might not have been alive to tell the story of how he endured hurricane Irma here on this island.
[11:15:03] Officials tells us some 40 people rode the storm out here on this island, incredibly treacherous stories that they had to share? For
the rest of Marco Island, a lot of trees and power lines down and that sort of thing, a lot of clean up left to do and authorities are urging people if
they can to stay away, the bridge on the island is open, but without power or electricity, officials are urging people to stay away as long as they
can until those services are restored.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: Ed Lavandera reporting from Florida for you, still to come tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are done trying to ask the regime to do the right thing. We are now acting to stop it from having the ability to continue
doing the wrong thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Will this latest in a long line of United Nation sanctions do anything to prevent North Korea goal of becoming a nuclear power. Next we
will take a look at what is being called the toughest merges yet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
We cut out the results there because we couldn't give a (inaudible). Did Britain one of the world's biggest economy just taken a giant leap towards
Brexit. We will get that to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You are watching CNN this is Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson, you are very welcome. Deja Vu you will be forgiven if
(inaudible) stories sounds like something you had heard before. A North Korea missile launch or nuclear test followed by international condemnation
and punishing functions from the United Nations. Just yesterday the UN Security Council pass yet another round of tough sanctions against the
Regime they came, one week often Pyongyang claim that successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. CNN Matt Rivers, takes a look at the measures of the world
tries to contain the North Korean nuclear threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The American ambassador to the UN is calling the new UN sanctions levied against North Korea "strongest ever and
yet the way they are more of the same. Let us explain. Financially this sanctions will hurt the Kim Jong-un regime start with textile exports now
ban currently reported to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year in revenue also tens of thousands of North Koreans that work overseas will
now eventually be sent home. The U.S. said the wages they sent back to the regime total more than half $1 billion each year and with natural gas
import is now banned outright and refined petroleum imports top at 2 million barrels a year the regime will have a slightly harder time fueling
its missile and nuclear ambitions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:20:03] NIKKI HALEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We are done trying to pry the regime to do the right thing we are now acting to stop
that from having the ability to continue doing the wrong thing. We are doing that by hitting North Korea ability to fuel and fund its weapons
program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: But despite all that consider all of these sanctions don't do. Our first draft from the United States called not just for a tap but for an
outright ban on all oil import. They called for North Korean ship suspected of carrying illicit cargo to be inspected using all means
necessary including forced and called for an immediate ban on all North Korean overseas labor immediately and thought the blacklist Kim Jong-un
himself treating his assets and restricting travel had it been approved the sanctions without the power to have a potentially serious and immediate
impact and yet none of them made the final draft.
If you are wondering why these didn't get pass, look no further than China and Russia, both countries hold veto power on the Security Council meeting
that gets pass if they don't want to and both countries are skeptical that severe additional sanctions would make the tens nuclear standoff any
better. Plus China is North Korea's only major trading partner, trucks rumbling over the border each day, the regimes economic lifeline in convoy
form. So the U.S. had to tone down its original wish list, perhaps studying the passing any sanctions are better than passing none at all. So
where does that leave us well we've got new sanctions in place, they are stronger than before. The U.S. said Bill immediately cut more than $1
billion of revenue for the regime and yet at the same time doubts remain, whether these incremental measures will be enough to force Kim Jong-un to
stop what he is doing.
Meanwhile in a statement published in state media North Korea's Foreign Ministry said that the new sanctions "Cost the U.S. the greatest pain and
suffering", Matt Rivers CNN Beijing.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: As Matt mentioned there is a fiery new rhetoric from North Korean official database on that top new sanctions. Let us get more
reaction from inside North Korea's. CNN Will Ripley is the only western TV journalist currently in Pyongyang and he brought us this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
WILL RIPLEY, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Becky, look at this from the North Korean perspective, why would yet another matter UN Security
Council sanctions, push them to denuclearize program they've invested considerably and that they written in the Constitution if they are going to
be a nuclear power, program that they feel is there ticket to international survival certainly the survival of the regime led by Kim Jong-un and why
would yet another round of U.N. Security Council sanctions caused them to just say okay, we give up. From the US perspective they think that this
really will put on more financial pressure by prohibiting North Korea from selling textiles. To add that to the list of things that they are
forbidden from selling. Textiles along with coal and iron and led and seafood according to the US ambassador at the U.N. Nikki Haley, cutting
North Korea's legally reported exports by 90 percent of all this is fully implemented. There is no oil embargo which is what the U.S. wanted which
would had been catastrophic from certainly the people living here. Probably has slowed the North Korean nuclear missile programs because they
told me repeatedly those will be the last things that they cut Kim Jong-un the North Korea's supreme leader wasn't named in the sanctions, that would
have been tantamount to an active war from North Korean perspective but Russia and China wouldn't would allow either of those two steps they were
considered those two destabilizing. They even insisted that North Korea's national carrier Air Curial continues to sell diplomats back and forth from
Russia and China along with business people tourist and journalists and other visitors to North Korea.
To the end what you have is yet another round of sanctions that from North Korean perspective or more of the same they have proven. Very adaptive,
getting around sanctions and finding ways to make money despite an international pressure and there's no indication on the ground here that
they will do anything differently moving forward. Will they respond some other way, they had threaten the United States with pain and suffering
unbearable consequences, the kind of fire rhetoric used to hearing. South Korea does think they could be ready to launch an intercontinental
ballistic missile at any moment. They thought it might happen over the weekend, it didn't. It did not happen. The immediate aftermath of the
sanctions both, but perhaps this will just be more of the same Becky or could this sanctions actually be the one round that actually works that
stops South Korea from moving forward with their missile program and nuclear program. From my advantage point here I wouldn't put my money on
it Becky.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: Will Ripley, reporting for you from Pyongyang. Now the longest word ever used formally in Britain's Parliament is, and bear with me,
(inaudible), let me try that again, oh I can't.
[11:25:03] In the early hours of Tuesday morning, lawmakers were having trouble with getting out a much more simple word, let me tell you, I yet,
that is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To the I (inaudible).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Eventually they did handing the government a badly needed victory on a law in the making to help the country ease out of the EU nice
and gently by taking a lot of European rules and laws with it on Brexit day. Well with Big Ben going silent, there is new sound that is going
through Westminster and surely a sign of relief emanating from Downing Street. That is where we find CNN's Bianca Nobilo, dealing with the critic
and while the government might be celebrating but the vote at midnight was just the first heard, what is next?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN PRODUCER: It was, it was just the first head on finish line is quite far off. Theresa May manage to get it through with a
majority of 30-6 which is a little bit better. Some had hope considering her majority had been 13. So what is next? That is where MP's will go
through the bill, line by line and then amendment will be debated. This morning, more than 100 amendment had been tabled for this bill. That is
going to be the process. Then after that the bill will bounce back between the (inaudible) and the comments until they are happy with the final
wording. Then you will have the final reading, final vote, if it approves then it will go forward to (inaudible). It has been a very contentious
bill and it will continue to be so. The main opposition party, the labor party had criticized one thing in particular and that is the (inaudible).
Let us take a listen to one labor MP had to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would argue that this is a wrong way to Britain to leave the European Union. This piece of legislation is not a general
enabling bill, it is a fully thought, complex and democratic piece of legislation. One of the most fundamental problems of this bill, is that
when it bounce to yes a (inaudible) by this government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Let us not forget Becky it is not just the opposition that had a problem with this. It is many MP's within Theresa May's own party that is
also really concern, so the next few months, getting this bill to parliament is not going to be easy at all.
ANDERSON: (Inaudible), can you say that?
NOBILO: Becky I am not going to try.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: It is up here on the front and it would be unfair to make you try say it. All right Bianca thank you. The latest world news headline
are just ahead. Plus we will return to some of the hardest hit island in the Caribbean. We will hear more about hurricane Irma wrath.
[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The top stories this hour and hurricane Irma decimated the tiny islands of the Caribbean including the French territory San Martin.
President Emmanuel Macron said the island would be reborn during a trip to survey the damage. He says France has evacuated some 2,000 people to
safety.
Well, Florida Keys say most of the damage from hurricane Irma and emergency officials says 25 percent of homes there were destroyed and 65 percent were
damaged. The search and rescue process now underway for people you may have chosen not to evacuate.
North Korean officials are warning the U.S. could face unbearable consequences after the U.N. Security Council adopted new sanctions on
Pyongyang.
The resolution drafted by Washington limits North Korea's oil imports and bans its textile export. This comes a week after Pyongyang carried out its
sixth and biggest nuclear test.
Well the Arab League is calling for dialogue ahead of the Kurdish referendum on independence from Iraq. That referendum planned for
September 25th.
Iraq's parliament has voted to reject the referendum and authorize the prime minister to quote, take all measures to preserve Iraq's unity.
Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session before the voted and after would said they rejected the decision.
Well, according to the U.N. refugee agency, 370,000 Rohingya have now fled to Bangladesh because of the ongoing military operation against them in
Myanmar. On Monday, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights called the situation a quote, textbook example of ethnic cleansing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And those clinked to neighboring Bangladesh who quickly realizing it may not be the safe haven they hoped for. Aid agencies there
are struggling to deal with the growing refugee influx and calling for urgent assistance as many Rohingya seek shelter on roadsides and turn to
local communities. Alexandra Field has more on what is their desperate situation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's no hope they can save anything but themselves, hundred of thousands of a treacherous journey threatened by
boat into Bangladesh night after night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We fled into the mountains and hid there for a couple of days. When we went back to our houses, we saw
everything was burned down. They kill people by stabbing, slaughtering and starting fires.
FIELD: While camping on the other side of the river in Myanmar's Rakhine State is captured by satellite images that show entire villages burned to
the ground. This is home to the Rohingyas, people often called the world's most persecuted.
The minority list of group in a predominately Buddhist country, fought of a deadly journey over water through the jungle, and under fire to escape a
living hell.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): One of my relatives when she was fleeing, she came back to get her (Inaudible). The army fired rocket
propelled grenade and she died.
FIELD: The exodus counted for almost a third of Myanmar's Rohingya population in just two weeks. Nearly 300,000 Rohingyas fleeing on foot,
bodies including children are pulled from the Naf River that leads refugees to Bangladesh.
As many as 80 refugees are believed to have drowned. This Rohingya man tells us he's working to find and remove landmines laid along the border.
Meaning those are escaping.
A weapons expert confirms that he's holding two live mines, some of the perils for 30,000 Rohingyas who are now stranded in hill fight without
food, without supplies, unable to get the river cross and too fearful to turn back. Other are stuck in villages across Rakhine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): Now we have reached another village and it is safe yet.
[11:35:00] But we don't know when they will start shooting and setting fire to this village but we hope we will stay safe here.
FIELD: CNN cannot verify these accounts. The government is not allowing media access to Rakhine but the United Nations estimates at least 1,000
people have died in the violence that broke out at the end of August.
Triggered by a militant attack on border guards, the military responded with an intensified campaign that they say targets terrorist. Human rights
groups call it ethnic cleansing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They are killing us because we are Muslim. They want to destroy all Muslims in the Rakhine State. We don't
want to go back. They will kill us.
FIELD: The Rohingyas now rapidly leaving the country where they have lived for generations, a place where they aren't recognized as citizens, the
second exodus in a year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They burned everything. They killed my husband. They beat him to death.
FIELD: Like the rest, (Inaudible) says she has nothing to go back to. She was desperate to leave. Alexandra Field, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So much loss while thousands of Rohingyas flee to Bangladesh. Some have already made a life for themselves in Pakistan with 55,000 of
them are believed to be living after fleeing other conflicts.
And violence over the last several years -- five years more -- 35 years more on that story and some powerful images written by some of our
excellent reporters here at CNN.com.
I'll get you back now -- excuse me to the massive cleanup efforts just beginning in the aftermath of hurricane Irma. It made landfall in Cuba on
Friday as category five storm we all remember, killing at least 10 people.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins me now live from Havana. And I watched you get to battered around, Patrick, in what was the eye of that storm. Things
look a lot calmer ownership but clearly, the aftermath is going to take a long time, correct?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It looks a beautiful day and certainly this is a lot nicer whether to be talking to you from.
But you know, there is still some danger here. Ten people -- those ten people who died here, most of them died in building collapses and it's
right now, Becky, when these buildings that have been soaked in torrential rain.
They took a drive and they buckle, and drop, so there are still a lot of work to be done here and only right now is Cuba beginning to lift itself
up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPPMANN: Irma left the part of Cuba but she left behind only bad memories. She slammed into Cuba as a monster category five hurricane, the most
powerful storm to hit the islands in over 80 years.
Days later, Cubans are only now just beginning to pick up and dry out. Olga Ruiz Gomez lives across the street from the sea in Havana with her
daughter and two grandchildren.
Irma dumped two feet of water in her ground floor apartment. The water broke the down she says, it broke a lot came and contaminated system.
Irma hit half way down the island from the Havana blasting the island with 180 mile an hour winds. It took down trees into grassroots.
The Cuban government prides itself on hurricane preparedness but the death toll in Cuba now stands at 10, the most of any country hit by the storm.
The Cuban government says it evacuated hundreds of thousands of people ahead of the storm but Irma struck nearly the entire Cuban coastline.
Cuban differences were simple overwhelmed by the storm.
Cuban President Raul Castro has called on country to rebuild and there are hopeful signs, cadets clear rabble from the streets and classic American
cars are again shining in the bright Cuban sun.
Antonio Guillermo (ph) share a park bench and a cigar while sandwich between fallen trees. The island of Cuba he says, the Cuban archipelago is
used to hurricanes.
And we have until November, there could be more. So Cubans will keep a close eye on the sea for additional hurricanes as they begin the long walk
to recovery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPMANN: And, Becky, one bright spot in all this tragedy in the structure in the Havana airport is due to open next hour that allow so many of
trapped tourist to finally get home and hopefully allowable resources to come in and help with this very dire situation here.
ANDERSON: Yes, which is sorely needed that help.
[11:40:00] All right, thank you for that. I'm glad -- I'm glad you're OK as well. Well Irma killed four people in the U.S. Virgin Islands were it
slammed ashore as a monster category five hurricane.
Our next guest recently moved to Saint Thomas. Her home was leveled by the storm as well as the hospital that she worked in. Jennifer Stephens Cooper
joins us now on the line before we talk about the storm and its aftermath, are you OK?
JENNIFER STEPHENS COOPER, NURSE, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (via phone): Yes, yes. We are all fine.
ANDERSON: Good. Talk to me about what happened that night and in the aftermath. What you're living for now?
COOPER: We -- we rode out the storm and our neighbor's downstairs apartment which was basement raise because the top four where live is when
we rode out the storm and when eye wall hits, that is when our house ripped apart.
The wind must have been easily at 200 miles an hour and at that point when our roof flew off, the downstairs apartment started flooding, so we spent
the next six to eight hours in water up to our ankle until about 7:30 when we were able to get out.
The roof landed on our car and the other half of the roof landed at the door so we had to take it out just to be able to get outside.
ANDERSON: Well, we're looking at some of the images that you send to us of both your home and indeed of the hospital where you worked. Once you were
able to get outside, I guess you went to where you work as a nurse. Just describe what you found at the hospital.
COOPER: We were able to get out a couple of days later. The picture of the hospital on the exterior, it looked like it's still standing but
pictures from the inside were sent to me from a nurse that went there on the fourth floor medical work during the storm.
The roof blew off the hospital flooded, the first floor flooded, the nurses had to evacuate the patient down to the third floor. She said it was very
scary. The pictures of the hospital now are -- it's unbelievable to see the damage.
Luckily, all the patients were able to be evacuated to (Inaudible) Florida but the hospital itself is not -- it's not safe there. There is now no
hospital in Saint Thomas.
ANDERSON: This is just terrible to hear. What you need at this point and how are authorities coping?
COOPER: What we needed is -- we need to make sure that there's plenty of food and water. I know that the military had landed and they are going
house to house to check on people and make sure people have supplies.
There are a lot of pets here, too. We need pet food. I know that we're getting food and water for people but there are lots of pet here as well.
We would like to leave the island. Were supposed to leave on Saturday, I hope that the airport is up and running. From what I hear relief like they
are starting to come in. So people are starting to get to think that they need, it's just a slow process.
ANDERSON: Well we wish you, your family and your friends the very best very much.
COOPER: Thank you very much. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Jennifer. Well, if you want to find how you can help hurricane Irma victims, do log on to CNN.com/shareimpact.
You can donate one -- that's one of the charities that we have vetted or indeed you can volunteer anytime, more good stuff. We are here in Abu
Dhabi.
This Connect the World. You can get as if you took the amount Apple is worth and had spend a dollar a week every week since the universe began,
you'd just be spending a lot to keep up. Well let's hope to top up to lower that cash. We're expecting to meet some new iPhones today, all of
the details just ahead.
[11:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:50:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Watson, come here I want to see you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well those the very first words to go through a telephone as we know it. Today it fast forward 100 years or so and we got things like
this. Cool, sure.
But also let's face it, kind of big, kind of ugly and it kind of slow, especially compared to these. Today's models like this, the iPhone. We
first got eyes on them 10 years ago. Can you believe it?
Just 10 years ago, how time flies and just a few hours from now, this 10th anniversary, we expect them to see some new models but before we get you
the details on that, well this. Enjoy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(IPHONE COMMERCIAL)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well there's one man who has no use for alarm clock with its unlimited battery life. He simply never sleeps as this other impressive
feature as well, suit yourself, beaming to us right now from right by Apple's headquarters is CNN's Samuel Burkels (ph).
We call him Burkels (ph), it's really Burke. There's -- there's talk of one new version costing about 1,000 bucks. What will that enormous price
gets?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, that price tag is what everybody's talking about here. I got to tell you there is one price tag
that's bigger, $5 billion, that's what it cost to build this new camp.
It's our first time here. Right behind me is the Steve Jobs theater and this is likely the last project that you will see that Steve Jobs had a
hand and he participated in the design of this new campus.
If you look a little behind the theater, you will see the main building, it really looks like a spaceship has landed here on earth, 12,000 employees
will work there when it's all finished.
How can they afford $5 billion to build a campus? Because we're paying for iPhones up to $1000, so what were expecting today, Becky, are three
different iPhone, the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8+ and the iPhone X. That's the one that could cost $1,000.
What will you get for that? Facial recognition, we become so lazy, we don't even want to use our thumbprints to get into the phones, Becky, just
our faces, on top of that, wireless charging.
Again, you see the lazy trend here? We don't even want to plug our phones in anymore, so maybe a wireless doc, where you just set your phone home
when you get home, Becky.
There are features that a lot of other phones already have. So Apple is playing catch-up here and the last one I want to mention is augmented
reality camera.
So kind of a snapshot facial filters, this will be a camera that looks very Becky Anderson's nose, it will know exactly where it is and it will put
that filter on top of it, Becky.
ANDERSON: For goodness sake, the iPhone briefly has a huge impact on people's lives on way that you and I work but is it now late an innovator
or a follower?
BURKE: Yes, when the iPhone first came out, there was nothing like it on the market. Everybody had to play catch-up. It completely revolutionize
how we do computing.
Now under Tim Cook as compared to Steve Jobs, he's made an incredibly successful company, financially speaking. They figure out a model if we
don't have to do it first, we can do it best.
Everything I just mentioned to you, basically is available even from the Chinese competitors which have taken over the market, Huawei for example,
they have a dual lens camera before Apple did. But they have this model waiting, perfecting the technology maybe not first.
[11:55:00] But doing it best and then squeezing every last penny out of us, $1000 sounds like a lot to all of us but the truth is, the most expensive
model right now a 256 -- 256 Gigabyte already out on the market cost about 950 bucks.
And there is a whole range, Becky, you can get the cheaper one last year's model, and they have some lower market one for, you know, big time green
like my boss.
ANDERSON: That was cheap -- cheaper the price I guess. All right, Mr. Burke, thank you very much indeed for that.
Before we go viewers, U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with the Malaysian prime minister this minute comes as the U.S. Justice Department
investigates Najib Abdul Razak in connection with a corruption scandal and because of that we visit truly some sharp criticism.
The White House has said to visit, intended to improve bilateral relations with Malaysia and expand regional cooperation they say. I'm Becky
Anderson. That was Connect the World. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching. See you same time, same place tomorrow.
END
