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Isa Soares Tonight
Hurricane Milton Barrels Towards Florida As Hundreds Evacuate; FEMA Administrator Warns People To Heed To Evacuation Orders; Biden And Netanyahu Speak by Phone; IDF Occupies Southern Lebanese Village; Hezbollah Escalating Attacks On Northern Israel; Israeli Orders Evacuations In Northern Gaza; Hurricane Milton Closes In On Florida; Climate Changes Fuels Hurricanes. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 09, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And we start this hour with breaking news on Hurricane Milton which is barreling towards Florida. In the last
few minutes, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to my colleague Dana Bash. I want you to listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Vice President Harris, I believe that you are now on the telephone fresh off of that briefing that we all saw here on CNN. Thank
you so much for being here. What is the most important thing that you learned, that you want to amplify for Americans who are in the path of this
dangerous storm right now?
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE (via telephone): The briefing was very helpful on a number of
fronts. But most importantly, in getting the word out to folks in Florida and to take -- to please heed the advice and direction of your local
officials because this storm is unlike anything we have seen before.
And that's the point of emphasis. This is unlike anything we have seen before. We got a lot of tough, strong people in Florida who have been
through a lot of hurricanes, tornadoes, but this is not like anything they've dealt with before. So, if they have been told to evacuate, they
must evacuate.
We expect that this is going to be catastrophic and deadly. And I would emphasize that, I would also emphasize the information that we received
that even if the designation of the categories shifts from a five to four, that's not actually a downgrade in terms of the danger and the dangerous
potential of it.
And so, let's not have people rely to their detriment on, oh, this sounds like it's going to be less serious than we thought. They made very clear,
Category 5, Category 4 are almost equivalent in terms of the danger and the damage that they will create. So, I would -- I would urge people to really
take that information as well as to note, there are dedicated folks on the ground from FEMA, from the federal state and local agencies that are there
to help you, to help you in terms of advice now, to help you get out, and to help with recovery and rebuilding after this storm and this hurricane
passes.
BASH: And Madam Vice President, I just want to follow up on the FEMA readiness part of this discussion. We heard the Administrator, Deanne
Criswell say earlier today that the agency is down to $11 billion in disaster relief funding because it spent about $9 billion just over the
last week.
Are you confident FEMA has the resources to manage what we are -- never mind what we're about to see in Florida, but of course, that's on top of
Hurricane Helene two weeks ago?
HARRIS: FEMA absolutely has the resources that it needs now and to deal with this hurricane as it hits and the aftermath. And of course, we want
Congress when they come back to do their job of making sure that they pass legislation to provide more aid because again, this is really historic in
terms of what we've seen.
And so, we do need to buff up the aid and assistance that we give FEMA, understanding that this is unusual and may be sadly, the new normal.
BASH: But you don't believe that -- because Congress is not in Washington right now, you don't believe that they need to come back earlier in order
to give FEMA more resources?
HARRIS: FEMA has what they need right now.
BASH: OK, I want to talk a little bit more about what both you and President Biden talked about in this briefing, and each of you has talked
about many times over the past few days, which is this dangerous misinformation that is coming from a lot of corners including your opponent
in the race for the White House.
Several local Republican leaders have been pleading with them to stop. Have you spoken to GOP officials in Florida to figure out how to help combat
that right now as it's about to get a whole lot worse?
HARRIS: Well, I'll tell you. I have spoken with local officials who have been struck, for example, by Hurricane Helene, and they are doing an
extraordinary job in trying to combat the misinformation. And I'm talking about sheriffs, I'm talking about mayors, I'm talking about local
officials. I don't even know their party affiliation by the way.
[14:05:00]
But leaders on the ground who know that it is not in the best interest of the people living in those areas to not know their rights, not to know what
they're entitled to and to be afraid of seeking help. It is dangerous, it is -- it is unconscionable frankly, that anyone who would consider
themselves a leader would mislead desperate people to the point that those desperate people would not receive the aid to which they are entitled.
And that's why I call it dangerous. And we all know it's dangerous, and the gamesmanship has to stop, at some point, the politics have to end,
especially in a moment of crisis and the crises that we've been seeing affect so many people. They've -- I've met people who have lost family
members to Hurricane Helene.
We know the desperation and the fear that the folks who are attempting to evacuate Florida are experiencing. The last thing that they deserve is to
have a so-called leader, make them more afraid than they already are.
BASH: We have been fact-checking, in fact, just before you came on, we did so -- my colleague, Brianna Keilar along with Daniel Dale and Priscilla
Alvarez are doing that and we're continuing to do it. One of my sort of follow-up questions to that is about -- we know what Republicans, many
Republicans are saying that are -- that is just not true.
One of the things that came out of the fire in Hawaii last year was that a lot of the misinformation was reportedly being stirred by foreign
adversaries. Do you have any indication that, that is happening right now?
HARRIS: I do not know. I do not. But whatever the source, Dana, just so we're clear, it hurts the American people, and it's got to stop.
BASH: Madam Vice President, I also just want to ask a little bit more about the federal response to one of the Republican senators from North Carolina,
Thom Tllis, who I should say is not critical of the federal response. He says he believes that President Biden should appoint an active duty
commander to lead the federal response to these storms. Is that a good idea? Should he do that?
HARRIS: I mean, Dana, we've already at -- we've already -- as part of the briefing heard just minutes ago that tornadoes have actually already hit
the area, so now is not the time to necessarily think about restructuring as much as it is to get boots on the ground and the support directly that
is needed as a matter of urgency.
And certainly, all good ideas are welcome, but right now, let's let FEMA, let's let the folks who are on the ground do the work they need to do right
now in real time, that's about assisting with evacuations, getting correct information out, battling sadly the misinformation and putting in place the
resources that can hopefully mitigate against the predictable damage, you know, including, for example, we heard a very good briefing from the
commandant of the Coast Guard.
The work that needs to happen around being concerned about the potential damage to the port in Tampa, that kind of work needs to happen urgently,
and that's where my focus is.
BASH: Yes, and the window for evacuation is definitely closing as we speak. Madam Vice President, before I let you go, I do have to ask you about
another phone call that I believe you participated in earlier today with President Biden, and that is with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Did he talk at all about what his plans are to retaliate -- to retaliate against Iran after its ballistic missile attack against Israel last week?
HARRIS: Well, I'll tell you, I -- it was a classified call, and I don't have any announcements to make about what happened during that call, and
I'm not -- I just can't get into private diplomatic conversations on this - -
BASH: OK --
HARRIS: Channel, but it was -- it was an important call.
BASH: OK, thank you so much. I appreciate you coming on, spending a few moments with us, thank you Madam Vice President.
HARRIS: Of course, thank you and thanks for getting the word out and around-the-clock information to the folks who are in desperate need of
accurate information. Appreciate that. Thank you. Take care.
BASH: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, you heard there from the Vice President Kamala Harris, we want to take you to the White House, a briefing is now underway, we are
expected to hear from the FEMA chief, I think that's in the way. Do we have it? Can we bring that up?
DEANNE CRISWELL, ADMINISTRATOR, FEMA: And that I will be traveling this evening to Florida to be with the team that I have there on the ground as
well as the governor and his team, to make sure that we are working side- by-side to meet the needs of Floridians as Hurricane Milton passes through the states.
[14:10:00]
I want to deliver a very important message to the people of Florida. This is going to be a catastrophic storm. It is going to be a potentially deadly
storm. Please, listen to your local officials as they will be giving you the best information about what you need to do where you are located.
This storm is going to bring deadly storm surge, intense winds, flooding, but it is already bringing tornadoes across Florida. So, if you do get an
emergency message on your phone right now for a tornado warning, please seek shelter immediately. My heart goes out to all of the Floridians who
have been in the path of many storms.
They have had impacts from Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Idalia, and now Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Floridians, they are
no strangers to these storms. But this one, Hurricane Milton, it is expected to be catastrophic. And I promise you that FEMA is ready. FEMA and
the entire federal family will be there to provide those immediate life- saving activities and begin to stabilize the incident after the storm passes.
And again, I will be there on the ground to assess the impacts and prioritize the movement of federal resources to where the state needs them
most. Today, tonight and tomorrow, these are going to be tough as we watch the impacts move across Florida. And again, we're already seeing impacts
from this storm with tornadoes and high winds happening in different parts of Florida.
The most important thing is your safety. And I need everyone listening to do everything you can to protect yourself and your family as Milton passes.
Some of you may still be able to safely evacuate, others, it may be too late. Again, I need you to listen to your local officials, they will know
exactly what you are still able to do.
And if you receive, again, a tornado warning on your phone through a NOAA radio or from your local officials, there are tornadoes that are happening
now. You need to seek shelter immediately. I have also been in contact with Governor DeSantis, Mayor Castor, Mayor Welch and Mayor Dyer, as well as all
the tribal nations in Florida that are in the path of this storm.
The President's swift approval of the pre-landfall emergency declaration for Florida, as well as the Seminole tribe of Florida allows us to be able
to employ the resources that we have staged to immediately begin to save lives and support the response activities. In addition to the thousands of
people that I already have on the ground in Florida for Hurricane Helene as well as the previous storms from previous years.
At the President's direction, I sent an additional 1,200 search and rescue personnel, six incident management assistance teams, multiple power
assessment teams and dozens of medical facility assessment personnel into the area pre-landfall. We've also staged over 500 ambulances and the search
and rescue teams include high-water vehicles and air assets as well as boats to support those life-saving activities in the first hours after this
storm passes.
As you heard Karine say, we've also pushed millions of meals and liters of water into Florida to support those immediate needs. And let me be clear,
the movement of these resources and these commodities are not taking away from our ongoing response and recovery efforts in North Carolina and the
other states that were impacted by Hurricane Helene.
We are built for this. We have managed multiple simultaneous catastrophic incidents before, and we are prepared to do this again. And I want the
people to hear it from me. FEMA is ready. Our agency is postured to respond to this storm and maintain our current response and recovery efforts for
Hurricane Helene-impacted states.
And we will be providing -- and I will be providing regular updates to President Biden and Vice President Harris as the storm passes. So, we can
make sure that we are getting all of the federal resources that are needed to support their response. May have directed me as they always do, to make
sure that Floridians continue to get everything they need.
I want to be clear, we at FEMA stand ready to both continue our support to Hurricane Helene and respond to the impacts from Hurricane Milton.
[14:15:00]
This is what we do best. We manage complex incidents, we coordinate, we communicate and we respond. And again, I will be traveling to Florida later
today so I can join my team as well as our state partners that are in the field preparing for the impacts from hurricane -- my team -- my leadership
team, they are the best of the best.
They are trained to work across multiple states and support the impacts that states are going to be feeling. And I want to know -- I want everybody
to know that we are prepared for what we need to do to support Florida as well as all of the other states. Before I take questions, I just want to
emphasize once again, because this is extremely important.
People need to listen to their local officials. They need to take this storm seriously. It's going to hit the west coast of Florida as a major
hurricane, and it will still be a hurricane as it departs on the eastern coast of Florida. There will be flooding, there will be tornadoes storm
surge. Take the actions you need to, to protect yourself and your family.
We do not need to lose any lives as a result of this storm. We have the time to prepare, make sure that you're taking those actions now. And with
that, Karine, I'll take any questions.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Thank you so much, administrator. I just want to remind folks that she can only hear us, can't
see us. So, I'm going to start calling on folks right now. Go ahead Ken(ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, appreciate you. Making some -- do you have an estimate of the universe of how many people are not heeding the evacuation
orders and remain at risk?
CRISWELL: I think that I have an estimate, but what I can tell you is that I was in Florida on Monday, I met with the mayor of Tampa and the mayor of
St. Petersburg, and I saw people leaving the area. People are listening. They are leaving, but we know there's always a few that want to stay behind
and protect their home.
This storm is different. The storm is going to bring deadly storm surge. And so, I want people who still have time to evacuate to make sure that
they're doing so, but doing so safely under the guidance and the advice of their local officials.
JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, MJ.
MIN JUNG LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, administrator, this is MJ Lee with CNN. The White House has been talking a lot about the threat
of misinformation, disinformation as it relates to storm recovery efforts. Can you talk to us about whether there's one piece of incorrect information
that you think in your view has been most damaging that you think would be most important to clarify?
CRISWELL: Well, honestly, I think all of it is damaging to our ability to be able to reach people. It's intentional to create distrust and that level
of distrust is, as the President said earlier today, un-American. And what we need to do is make sure people can get the assistance that they need and
they deserve.
And so, I want people to be able to come to us, register for assistance, so we can help them on their road to recovery.
JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Mandidah(ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you Karine. Administrator, you have said that FEMA has enough money to get through both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but
that you're assessing how much more you need from Congress. Is there an assessment that you can share with us?
CRISWELL: We're continuing to make that assessment as we do not know what it's going to cost us right now to get through Hurricane Milton. I think as
I briefed all of you before we went into immediate needs funding in August of this year, that allowed me to make sure I had enough money for this
response, and I needed that for Hurricane Helene.
Without going into INF, I probably would not have had enough money to support Hurricane Helene. With the full authority to spend against the
President's fiscal year '25 budget, I've been able to start paying the recovery projects that we put on hold. But the amount that we're spending
for Hurricane Helene and the amount that we anticipate we're going to spend for Hurricane Milton, we are watching that very closely and assessing it
every day so we can have a good estimate of how much more that we will need to be asking for in a supplemental.
JEAN-PIERRE: Go, Salina(ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karine, thank you, Administrator Criswell, Salina(ph) with "ABC News". Could you give any specific examples about the
real world impact that this misinformation is having both in terms of -- are you seeing people who aren't taking precautions because they don't
trust the government or FEMA or NOAA, and then in terms of the threat to FEMA workers, have you seen examples of threats against them on the ground?
CRISWELL: Yes, I think the biggest thing is that what I am hearing is people that are not coming to us and asking us for assistance. They're not
registering for the help that they need or they are afraid to approach some of our staff because they are unsure of what the government is doing. I
think one of the biggest ones that I continue to hear is that we're going to take their land from them, simply untrue.
[14:20:00]
When you register for assistance, we give you an initial amount of money, $750 to help support those immediate needs. And there were rumors out there
that if you receive this money and you didn't pay it back, that we would take your home, simply untrue. This is a series of assistance that we give
over time, those immediate needs. We've already given out over $60 million in North Carolina alone for people's property losses as well as this
immediate assistance.
We will continue to give that money out. And as it relates to my staff, I mean it's just demoralizing. I think that if they take it personally, they
have left their families and their homes to come here and support people in need. But they're focused, they continue to stay focused on why they're
here.
They know their purpose, and that is to help people and will continue to do that.
JEAN-PIERRE: OK, go ahead, Ken(ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, administrator. You said before that you have dealt with misinformation in the past. Why do you think that misinformation
is so rampant this time around? Is it because of the election? Is it because of certain politicians? Has it become -- because of tech platforms
or is it because of potentially a foreign actor?
CRISWELL: Yes, I mean, I have definitely seen misinformation before.
SOARES: We've heard there the FEMA chief taking questions, of course, as Hurricane Milton huddle towards Florida. We've heard a very important
message that she felt -- her word, delivering important message to the people of Florida. She said this is going to be catastrophic and
potentially a deadly storm.
And this storm she said is different, say they're very concerned of the storm surge, wind flooding already. They're seeing tornadoes, telling
people to heed the warnings, to listen to officials. At the end of that question there also, take questions on misinformation. Of course, we heard
the Vice President Kamala Harris just speaking to our Dana Bash in the last 20 minutes or so, basically saying that it is unconscionable for leaders to
push hurricane misinformation.
Important to point out, we are only weeks away, of course, from a U.S. election. I want to bring in CNN's Brian Todd, who is in Tampa in
Washington -- from Washington is CNN's Kayla Tausche. And Brian, first to you, give us a sense of what you are seeing on the ground.
We've seen the Milton's size in the last few minutes has more than doubled since yesterday.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Isa, well, right now, just as you threw to me, we're getting pelted by kind of another band of wind and rain
here in Tampa. You know when you're out in conditions like this, when the rain starts hitting you sideways, that you're starting to get into
hurricane-like conditions.
And that is what is happening here in Tampa with the storm not expected to hit in earnest or make landfall for a few more hours. But look, you can see
volumes of rain of like look over my left shoulder, a photojournalist Jake Shire is going to show you -- look at the volume of rain coming down there,
and it's starting to blow sideways here.
This is Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa. Now, there's good and bad news for the residents of this area. The good news is that maybe, according to our
forecasters and officials here in Tampa, that the storm surge may not be quite as high in Tampa as they thought it might be originally. That's good
news.
That means that maybe the storm surge here in Tampa, it was expected to be up to 15 feet, may not be quite as high, so maybe some of these areas could
be spared some flooding from that. But again, don't take that for granted. The storm surge is going to -- still going to be dangerous here.
It just could be a little bit lower. But here, the real danger is the sheer amount of rainfall, and again, take a look at the volume of rain coming
down, and this is just the beginning here. I just spoke to one of our CNN forecasters. He says that Tampa could get up to 12 inches of rain. What
does that mean? That means that canals are going to overflow, drains, sewers are going to overflow.
That's where the flooding is going to come from here in Tampa. So, as we walk along here, I'm going to have Jake(ph) kind of backup with me as we go
up this little walkway here. Jake(ph), if you can pander to your left here, just show this bridge. This is another danger here, officials saying that
they're going to start to close these bridges very shortly here because they're not going to be passable for much longer.
The sunshine, the skyway bridge over Tampa Bay has already been closed. Another key figure that officials are telling us and residents here, the
number 45, 45 miles an hour when the wind is that high or higher, that means that first responders cannot get out and help you if you call them.
So -- and 45 miles an hour is much lower than the peak winds that are going to hit this area.
We may be getting some of that type of wind speed already right now in the hours ahead of this storm. So, again, bridges and roads here along Bayshore
Boulevard in Tampa, houses along that boulevard there that are right by the water are in danger of flooding, storm surge may not be quite the issue,
but again, it will be still bad in some areas and we're told in St. Pete -- St. Petersburg across the Bay, the storm surge could be worse and of
course, Sarasota to south of here where the storm really could make landfall. That could be the point of impact. The storm surge there is going
to be much worse. Isa.
[14:25:00]
SOARES: And Brian, as you were talking, we could see -- I could still see so many cars on the road just behind you. Are people heeding those calls?
Are they listening to the advice?
TODD: You know, it's hard to tell. There are still -- you know, this is Florida. A lot of people like to be out in this stuff. They like to come
out and drive around and look around before the storm hits, Floridians are pretty savvy about this stuff. They know that the roads are passable now,
and that's why you see some vehicles out here.
But they'll probably know when to hunker down and get inside in the next few hours, but still some people not heeding those warnings, some people in
those really dangerous zones that they're telling you, if you don't get out, you're going to die. Some people still stay at home, and that's really
where the danger is, and that's what officials are warning about.
But I will say this that local Florida officials have said in the last 24 hours, they are pleased with the numbers of people who have evacuated. They
say a lot of people have heeded these evacuations because Hurricane Helene that came through a couple of weeks ago was kind of a wake-up call for a
lot of people.
Again, that's going to be a factor, although here too, here in Tampa and elsewhere, those remnants from Hurricane Helene, that --those huge piles of
debris here and in other places still haven't been picked up yet. So, when the -- when the storm really hits here in earnest in a few hours, a lot of
that debris is going to be flying around. It's going to make it all that much more dangerous.
SOARES: Brian Todd and team, please stay safe. Thanks very much, Brian, appreciate it. Of course, like Brian was saying, Floridians have seen many
storms before. But as we heard from the FEMA chief, this is expected to be catastrophic. Let me go to Kayla Tausche here. And Kayla, as we've heard,
not just from Vice President, we heard today also from President Biden and now from the FEMA chief.
It does seem that the White House is kind of operating on two fronts, right? Pre-positioning resources, advising people on what to do, but then
having to combat disinformation on the wake of Hurricane Helene. Just speak to those challenges.
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is certainly been a challenge for the administration, Isa, as they try to not only
preposition those resources as you note, but also deal with the fact that this is taking place with the backdrop of four weeks before a presidential
election, meaning that American politics is inevitable and being injected into this situation for better or worse.
So, as for the resources, that first part of the question, we know that the Biden administration has been stationing 300 ambulances, members of urban
search and rescue teams, coast guard rescue teams, the Army Corps of Engineers to try to conduct some other rescue operations as well as to deal
with impacted infrastructure in the immediate term.
But they're all positioned in the northern part of the state with the expectation that once Hurricane Milton exits the eastern part of Florida,
then those resources would travel down to the hardest hit areas to get to work then. That will only happen I'm told from officials once the storm
exits the eastern part of the state.
But then, of course, there is the ongoing response to Hurricane Helene and the disaster programs that have been deployed in the last two weeks since
Helene began ravaging the eastern seaboard of the United States as well of some territory farther inland that rarely if ever sees storm action like
this. And of course, they've come under fire from Republicans, saying that they didn't spring into action quick enough.
And also suggesting -- which the administration has been quick to come out and say that it's irresponsible, it's dangerous, it's exploitative of
victims of these storms, as some of these claims that have been unfounded, that for instance, the government could reclaim your home if you
participate in a relief program that provides you money on behalf of the federal government to help rebuild.
And earlier today, we heard the Homeland Security Secretary say that, that type of rhetoric is already impacting the number of individuals who have
begun applying for some of these types of aid, even though it's still early days. So, they're seeing a material impact in terms of people not taking
these programs for what they are because of what they believe to be true from what is being discussed in the political sphere.
So, certainly, the administration has been going full court press to tamp down on that with -- we'll see with what effect.
SOARES: Yes, it is incredibly dangerous and it's putting people's lives at risk, and that is the reality. Kayla Tausche, appreciate it, thank you very
much.
TAUSCHE: Sure.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, it's their first conversation in a week, saying it could affect the trajectory of multiple wars. We'll tell you
about a critical call between the United States President and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. We are still waiting to hear what came out of a critical call today between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Biden earlier said the call would happen after Israel decides how to respond to Iran's unprecedented missile attack. Although, it's unclear if
any plans have been finalized.
Meantime, new clashes are reported in Southern Lebanon between Israeli forces and Hezbollah as the IDF expands its ground war there. An Israeli
ministers say soldiers have now occupied one village sharing an image of IDF troops hoisting an Israeli flag.
For its part, Hezbollah is escalating attacks on Northern Israel. Israel's National Emergency Service says two people were killed by rocket fire
today.
Let's get more on both these strands. Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv, Oren Liebermann is at the Pentagon. And, Oren, let me start with you and that
call between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden, both men, of course, haven't spoken for some seven weeks. Do we have a readout of what
came out and how significant this could be?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: We don't have a readout yet from the American side on the call, but obviously, we were watching it very
closely. We know it lasted less than -- or just under an hour between President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And of course, it
was significant. To give you an idea of that significance, Vice President Kamala Harris was on that call, Secretary of state Antony Blinken was also
on that call.
The U.S. has been trying to get a better sense of what Israel's retaliation plans against Iran look like and when those might be carried out. The U.S.,
of course, very interested in that because of the regional dynamic and also the potential to carry out or set up additional defensive measures for U.S.
forces in the region and prepare for a possible response to that attack from Iran, which the U.S. has helped Israel with already twice now, on
April 13th and just a few days or about a week ago. So, all of that is built into the dynamic of this call.
Key, of course, there is the first thing I mentioned, the U.S. trying to get a sense of what Israel's response might look like. Could they go after
nuclear sites, natural gas or oil sites, IRGC sites? All of this is what the U.S. is trying to figure out.
As recently as just a couple of days ago, the U.S. assessed that Israel had not yet made up their mind on how they would respond to that attack of some
180 Iranian ballistic missiles. Now, the it's beyond that. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was supposed to be here today. Netanyahu delayed that visit,
demanding that he first spoke with Biden on the phone. So, that visit now could happen either in the coming days or sometime after the Jewish holiday
of Yom Kippur this weekend.
[14:35:00]
All of that at play here. Again, it might be several days now, a little more than that since the Iranian ballistic missile attack. And yet, in no
way has that cut away from the tension throughout the region, especially as the U.S. watches what's happening in Lebanon and let's not forget Gaza as
well.
SOARES: Indeed. And on Gaza, stay with us, Oren, let me just bring in Jeremy into this conversation on Gaza. I'm just seeing here, Jeremy, that
Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, said, and I'm quoting him here, "The United States government has had very urgent
discussions with the Israeli government about the humanitarian situation Northern Gaza and the need," he says, "to comply with international
humanitarian law." And his words, of course, come as we have seen the Israeli military once again, Jeremy, kind of ramping up its operation in
Northern Gaza, calling on people in the past 48 hours or so to evacuate. What's the very latest that you're learning?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, not only have there been deadly airstrikes in Northern Gaza, the movement of Israeli troops
encircling and now beginning to move into the city of Jabalya in Northern Gaza, but it is not just the airstrikes that people in Northern Gaza have
to be concerned about as the Israeli military issues mass evacuation orders for the majority of that area, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to
potentially flee or remain. And, of course, it is also the dangers that they face as they flee that are so present.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIAMOND (voice-over): Civilians fleeing a war zone. Suddenly, sprayed with bullets. The Israeli military ordered these people to leave Northern Gaza
and move south, but the hail of bullets they faced now a testament to why so many are choosing not to leave, or simply cannot.
Nine-year-old Dana is among those wounded in the attack. Her pink shirt smeared red with her own blood after she was shot in the neck. At the
hospital, her mother says an Israeli drone opened fire as they were fleeing south.
The quadcopter started shooting intensively, she says. Everyone was running. There were so many bullets. Even my children's backpacks were full
of bullets.
The Israeli military declined to comment. But the attack came as it ordered nearly all of Northern Gaza to evacuate, even as it says its renewed ground
offensive is focused on just one city, Jabalya.
But many are trapped like 15-year-old Zamzam (ph). For anyone who hears my voice, help us, try to get us out, she pleads. She says her mother was
killed by Israeli forces. I watched her take her last breaths, and I couldn't do anything, she cries.
Calls for help are flooding into Gaza's ambulance service. But this medic explains his team will be shot at if he tries to mount a rescue. The tanks
are there. They will fire at the cars. Just get to the street and I will reach you quickly, he promises.
Inside Kamal Adwan Hospital, a dire situation risks getting worse. As 17 people wounded in an Israeli strike pour into the hospital's emergency
room, the hospital's director says he's been given 24 hours to empty the hospital.
The Israeli army is now demanding that we evacuate these patients and move them elsewhere. This will endanger their lives, and it is a catastrophe for
these children.
Human rights groups now warning that the military sweeping evacuation orders risk forcing more than 400,000 people out of Northern Gaza and into
a humanitarian zone that is already overcrowded and under resourced.
Where do we go, this woman asks. In Southern Gaza there are assassinations, and in Western Gaza they are firing shells at people. Where do we go?
Gaza City, others say they will not leave.
I will die and not go to the south. I have 20 family members. I have children. Where do they want me to go? He says he would rather die than be
displaced for a sixth time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Wow.
DIAMOND (on camera): And these amid the questions from those Gazans about where they can go. There are still more questions about why the Israeli
military has directed such mass evacuations from Northern Gaza. So, far, the Israeli military has said that their offensive is focused on Jabalya.
And yet, we are seeing a much wider area in Northern Gaza being directed to evacuate. And the Israeli military hasn't provided any other reason for
that other than the that Jabalya offensive.
We should note that there is a plan being pushed by some former generals, like General Island (ph), calling for Northern Gaza to be emptied out, for
the area to be laid siege to. I ask the Israeli military if that is what is happening here, they said that there is no connection to that plan. Isa.
[14:40:00]
SOARES: I know you will keep pressing them, no doubt. Jeremy Diamond for us in Tel Aviv. Oren Liebermann, thank you to you both. We'll have more after
this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. As you'd expect, we are continuing to cover the latest on Hurricane Milton. The powerful Cat 4 storm is on a collision
course with Florida, as you can see there. And the window to evacuate may be over. The U.S. National Weather Service says it's time to shelter in
place.
The storm is already impacting the mainland. This large tornado touched down near Lake Okeechobee, just not on the coast and sits significantly
inland. Just to give you some perspective, it is one of several tornadoes already reported. And we heard that from the FEMA chief in the last 20
minutes.
Meanwhile, the water around Tampa Bay is getting choppy. Florida was already reeling from Hurricane Helene, if you remember, almost two weeks
ago, and it's projected Milton could be even worse. We've heard from the vice president, we heard from the president, we heard from FEMA chief
saying this could be catastrophic.
Let's get more on this. Joining me now is Carlos Buqueras, he's a chairman of the Florida Ports Council, which oversees all ports in the states. He's
also the port director of Seaport Manatee. Carlos, thank you for being with us.
Can you tell us how you and your team are preparing for what looks like it's going to be a monster hurricane here?
CARLOS BUQUERAS, CHAIRMAN, FLORIDA PORTS COUNCIL: Oh, thank you for having me. I think that planning is what we always do, and the resiliency of ports
in Florida is world renowned. You know, we plan for these events, we train for these events, and then we hope they never happen. But in this
particular case, we're ready.
SOARES: Yes. And I would suspect, you know, Carlos, that you would, as chairman, would be going through and planning through these events, whether
weather related hurricanes, but we are hearing this could be like nothing else we have ever seen.
So, have you adjusted some of those scenarios? Have you adjusted some of your -- of your preparation in light of the strength of this hurricane?
[14:45:00]
BUQUERAS: And most ports do adjust, because if it's just a -- you know, a breeze, so to speak, that looks like maybe a tropical storm, the
preparations are a little bit different. When you have a Category 4 or 5, the preparations and in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, FDOT in
Florida, and FEMA are much more stringent. So, we plan accordingly and we take additional precautions if the intensity of the storm is going to be,
you know, much higher.
SOARES: Yes. And as you were talking, Carlos, we are seeing live pictures from Key West and that man standing there, goodness knows why, more than
one, goodness knows why they're there, putting themselves and their lives on the line. I wonder if you could flesh out and tell us a bit more in
terms of the preparation, what has that involved? What exactly, in real terms have you been doing?
BUQUERAS: Well, what we do, all ports, in coordination with FDOT, The Florida Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Coast Guard go by,
essentially, the procedures to hunker down the port. So, we move the containers inland. We move our cranes away from the water. We secure the
warehouses to make them as watertight as possible. We evacuate personnel that's not essential. You know, and then we essentially hunker down and
maintain that presence at the port or ports sometimes by monitoring from an emergency operations center or sometimes right there in -- you know, on
site.
SOARES: And, Carlos, can I ask on a personal note, where are you? I saw that your phone -- I think you said Florida, but where are you? Are you
hunkered down? Are you OK? Do you have enough? I mean, I know fuel was a concern.
BUQUERAS: Yes. In fact, Seaport Manatee brings in a lot of fuel, along with the port of Tampa Bay. So, one of our major resiliency, because it's about
resiliency, we can't control the elements, but we can certainly control how we respond to them during and after the fact is about fuel and food. And
so, we know.
I'm literally, you know, in the middle of Manatee County, the port is about a few miles from where I am now. And so, we know what's coming and we're
preparing for it. And so, we're hoping for the best and we've planned for the worst. But I think that everybody's safe, all my staff is safe. Florida
ports are very accustomed to this. This is not our first hurricane. And there's a really well oil established procedure that shows, you know, what
we need to do in any given event.
SOARES: And we hope, of course, that everything turns out to be OK, that you and your team are safe. Carlos, appreciate you speaking to us. Thank
you very much. Do keep us posted. We know, as you were talking there. Thank you, Carlos.
We are looking, I think, it was live pictures. Do we still have them? If we can just show them. From Naples there you can see how choppy the water is.
The wind -- we saw from my Brian Todd, the wind's picking up the rain as well. But yes, people there wanting to have a look at what it looks like.
And we heard from FEMA that today, tonight, and tomorrow will be tough as we expect Milton to make landfall about 11:00 p.m. Eastern, that's what,
nine hours or so for now. Yet, people think this is a moment to be taking selfies and photos.
We will stay across this. We'll have more news after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Well, Hurricanes Helene and Milton have underscored the impact of climate change, which has served as rocket fuel for these powerful storms
in the span of, as you've seen, just two weeks. I want to welcome in Porter Fox, the author of "Category Five: Superstorms and the Warming Oceans That
Feed Them."
Porter, thank you very much for being with us. Just give us, first of all, your thoughts and your fears as we watch the speed with which this
hurricane is intensifying.
PORTER FOX, AUTHOR, "CATEGORY FIVE: SUPERSTORMS AND THE WARMING OCEANS THAT FEED THEM": Thanks This is a monster hurricane. Absolutely horrific. And I
really feel for everyone on the ground there. What it is not is a surprise. We have been kind of assembling the ingredients for these massive storms
for decades now, and the science has been proven that these storms will continue to increase. The more heat we kind of trap on the planet and in
the ocean.
So, they're going to keep growing. We kind of act surprised when we see them every time and yet, the writing has been on the wall for some time
now.
SOARES: Yes. And these are incredibly dangerous. I mean, we've seen, what, 200 plus dead just from Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago. And I saw that
you wrote for The New York Times. I'm going to read it out, supercharged hurricanes are no longer outliers. Freak disasters are storms of the
century. Fossil fuel pollution has made them a fixture of life in the United States, and they're going to get worse.
I mean, from a science and a data led point of view here, Porter, how -- just speak to the ingredients that make a hurricane. Because I know that
you've been sailing through storms, you're looking at research labs, you've been speaking to captains who have, you know, been sailing the Gulf Stream.
Just talk to that.
FOX: Yes. I mean, I started this book talking to sailors that were noticing changes on the sea, changes in planetary cycles like the Gulf Stream, like
trade winds, and certainly seeing stronger storms and taking that into the labs of Noah and ECMWF in Europe. I found, lo and behold, that there is
more energy in the system.
We have put that energy in the system by adding heat to the planet. 90 percent of that heat that we've created is absorbed into the ocean, and
heat in the ocean is just gasoline to these storms. It's what they survive on. And the more that we infuse into the oceans, the more storms like this
we're going to see.
SOARES: Do you feel on a personal note -- and I've had this conversation a couple of times with our climate correspondent, Bill Weir, do you feel like
you're just -- you know, at times just banging your head against the wall because no one seems to be listening to the warnings that you've been
talking about for some time?
FOX: Yes, not necessarily about climate change, but absolutely. It's -- we have this collective amnesia where we've already forgotten last year's
hurricane season. We already forgot two years ago. In the last six years, the U.S. has suffered more major hurricanes than it did in the 50 years
prior to that. The spike in extreme weather and in these very powerful hurricanes could not be more obvious. It has become the most expensive and
deadly natural disaster in the United States.
In the last 50 years alone, the U.S. has spent over a trillion dollars on these storms and lost over 7,000 people, 7,000 dead. And we've forgotten
this. We've already forgotten Katrina. We've forgotten Ian. We've forgotten Dorian. It happens every year. And this year, it is especially bad. And in
years to come, it will continue to be.
SOARES: On that point, then, Porter, I wonder then whether the frequency -- and I know people are forgetful given what's happened, whether the
frequency and the force or the intensity of these hurricanes, you think, will force kind of political voices, the climate deniers in the United
States, to address the root cause. Do you see this leading to any change at all, politically?
[14:55:00]
FOX: It's hard to say. I mean, America, in a lot of ways, has cast its lot. They have put politicians in power that do not believe in climate change or
are paid to not believe in climate change, and they're not helping FEMA. They're not helping the small business association with disaster loans.
They're not helping recovery efforts. This misinformation that's going around is hampering recovery efforts as well. And the people in North
Carolina, the people in Florida, the people who have really been right in the crosshairs of these storms are the ones who are paying the price.
And six months from now, I would say six days from now, you're going to have a hard time tracking exactly what is happening in this hurricane
country. We just kind of move on and forget about it. I would say if we're going to put those politicians in power and we are going to see bigger
storms, we need to help the victims of these storms, number one.
SOARES: Really appreciate you being with us, Porter. I wish we had more time. If you have time, go and read his guest essay in The New York Times,
Hurricane Milton is Terrifying, and it is just the start. Thank you very much, Porter. Thank you. Appreciate your insight.
That does it for us for this evening. Do stay right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
