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Isa Soares Tonight
Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall In Jamaica; Israel's Prime Minister Orders Strikes In Gaza; U.S. Reports Attacks On Four Boats In The Pacific; Japanese PM Takaichi Welcomes President Trump; Hurricane Melissa Slams Into Jamaica; Border Patrol Chief Questioned By Federal Judge. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 28, 2025 - 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: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in
Jamaica, bringing heavy rain as well as powerful winds. We are tracking that very storm for you this hour. Plus, Israel's Prime Minister orders
immediate powerful military strikes in Gaza, sparking fears for the fragile ceasefire there.
Then the U.S. says it's attacked four more boats in the eastern Pacific, killing 14 people as it ramps up its campaign against alleged drug
trafficking groups. We do begin this hour with the storm of the century. Jamaica now experiencing the frightening strength of Hurricane Melissa. The
Category 5 storm made landfall just a short time ago.
The second strongest storm ever in the Atlantic with winds so ferocious some trees could be stripped bare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rick Juan(ph)! Rick Juan!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: As you can see there from St. Thomas, Jamaica, the relentless rainfall has already turned many the streets into rivers, with conditions
almost certain to get much worse in the coming hours. Jamaican officials say some areas could see more than 9 meters of rain in just two days.
That's nearly 30 feet of water.
Ahead of Melissa's landfall there, a chilling plea from the U.S. National Hurricane Center warning Jamaicans to take advantage of their last chance
to protect their lives. Jamaica's Prime Minister had this to say to those who chose not to take shelter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW HOLNESS, PRIME MINISTER, JAMAICA: No one can say that the government was not forward-leaning in giving the information to persons who
are in areas of risk. You have been warned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: One official tells CNN, the hurricane presents challenges few had ever had to face on the island.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVAN THOMPSON, PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR, METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF JAMAICA: This is something that we've never experienced, and so no one knows exactly what
to expect at this time. And that's really the biggest challenge that we've never experienced a Category 5 hurricane. We've only seen them on CNN and
other places.
But you know, we really are wondering just exactly how bad it will be and whether we can really get through this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Absolutely terrifying. Our meteorologist Derek Van Dam has been in Jamaica tracking the Hurricane Melissa and has this report for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): What's so destructive about this is that the winds on the northern side of that eyewall that are
penetrating the southern coastline of Jamaica right now, they're going to be from the opposite direction once the other side of the eyewall comes
through, that's the counterclockwise rotation around a hurricane.
So, that will catch people off guard if there's debris already laying on the ground, it's going to be thrown in an opposite direction. So, it will
catch people who are unaware off guard. No doubt. So, we're in Kingston, the capital, and I just want to -- seems that it's windy here, but we're a
100 miles east of where the center of Melissa is taking shape.
The second strongest storm in Atlantic history, the modern-record keeping the strongest storm in Jamaica. There are so many superlatives, so many
facts, little nuggets to throw out there. But Kingston largely spared from the worst catastrophic winds. Good news. A glimpse of good news is because
this is the population density.
A million people here, but 3 million people across the entire country, and what's happening on the western parts of this beautiful island nation is
pure and utter devastation. It's going to be heartbreak to see the aftermath of the storm, but we've got to focus on what people are going to
be dealing with, with the slow-moving disaster as it's moving more or less the same speed as a brisk walk.
So, every once in a while, we'll get these, the rain bands that come through a gust of very powerful tropical storm to near hurricane-force
winds. Right now, as I speak, I can hear some emergency personnel rushing behind me, we'll wait to see where that's coming from, not sure where
they're going, but it's good to see fire trucks, fire engines operating again because we're in Kingston and because we're away from the center.
[14:05:00]
Maybe they're going to go see to something that's happening up the road here, but what's possible over western parts of the country, roads will
likely be inaccessible because of this catastrophic wind, because of the mudslides and landslides that we know are occurring or are about to occur
with this.
This is a farming and agricultural part of western Jamaica that is being hammered right now with the strongest, most catastrophic winds that is
going to have economic impacts, not to mention, Montego Bay is on the north side of the island, and it looks like that could see a direct eyewall hit
from this as it traverses and crosses over the island.
Think about the tourism that is so synonymous with the coastal areas of Jamaica, especially that region, this will be devastating for those areas
and very difficult to recover from.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Derek Van Dam and team. Well, Kingston's mayor says many people have heeded the warnings to evacuate. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ANDREW SWABY, KINGSTON, JAMAICA: In terms of our homeless population, up to last night, we had about a 100 persons in our shelter
that from the homeless population, the other shelters we have accounted for several hundred persons. We -- people at first were a bit reluctant to
leaving, but I'm seeing over the last 24 hours, persons are more going into the -- into the shelters.
Up to this morning, I know that Jamaica Fire Brigade Services had been -- had taken some persons, so they are heeding the call, would have wished
that they would have come a little bit earlier. But it is what it is, our infrastructure will certainly take a battering. I'm a bit -- I'm much more
optimistic, however, because in terms of planning, for example, last year in Beryl, it took some time for us to recover in terms of electricity in
some communities.
The Jamaica Public Service so far had garnered 60 persons from our neighboring -- one of our neighboring Caribbean countries to be in the
island from now so we can respond. So, in terms of preparation, all the agencies are prepared, all agencies are working together, and so, we will
certainly try our best to recover, to make sure normalcy come back to the island.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The mayor of Kingston speaking to us earlier. Well, Brian Bogart is the Director of the World Food Program's Caribbean Multi-Country Office.
He joins us now from Jamaica's capital. Brian, great to have you on the show, really appreciate you taking the time. Give us a sense, first of all,
of what you are seeing, of course, on the ground as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall just in the last hour or so.
BRIAN BOGART, DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM CARIBBEAN MULTI-COUNTY OFFICE: Thank you, Isa. Indeed, I think your reporter captured it very clearly. We
are looking at one of the most devastating hurricanes that the Atlantic has ever seen. Here in Kingston, we do have heavy wind and rain, but it's
really in the western parts of the country where it's very hard to imagine what people must be going through.
We're beginning to get images coming to us from people in the western parts of the country. There's already major infrastructure devastation. People
are being hammered by this storm, and we really just pray for the best for the population of Jamaica.
SOARES: Yes, and then we heard a similar thing, of course. Brian, from our meteorologist saying the south coast is expected to be the hardest hit.
Tough to listen to, of course, what you are saying, some already seeing utter devastation. I imagine we'll be seeing also landslides and the
collapse of infrastructure.
This, of course, Brian, will complicate matters for the World Food Program and so many others in terms of access, right? So, give us a sense of how
the World Food Program, in terms of the preparation prior to the landfall and then post landfall. What are you -- how are you prepared here?
BOGART: So, what we focus on prior to the landfall event is making sure that we have supplies that are moving through the supply chain. We have a
regional logistics hub in Barbados, for example. We're looking at airlift capacity, maritime transport so that we can move supplies from our U.N.
partners and NGOs from governments across the region so that we can have it here in Jamaica as soon as ports and airports open up.
Now, the second point, which I think you've highlighted here is critical. We can't really anticipate what the level of damage will be to roads,
bridges and other transport infrastructure, which will be absolutely essential for us to deliver that assistance to people in need. So, we are
also moving mobile warehousing units ten-ton trucks transport assets so that we can actually help the government of Jamaica stand up this response
in areas that are directly affected by the hurricane.
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SOARES: Yes, and I saw I think it was from one of your press releases, Brian, that I didn't know this Jamaica imports much of its food. So, I
imagine a lot of this is involved, plenty of preparedness, of course, ahead of this. Are there shelters that have been set up in places? I'm thinking
here, specifically in the south coast by the World Food Program or by some of the teams you work with, ahead of the landfall.
BOGART: Well, the government of Jamaica has organized shelters for the population across the country, and people have been encouraged, I think, as
one of the previous speakers, indicated to shelter in these locations, it's also easier to reach people with lifesaving assistance --
SOARES: Yes --
BOGART: If they are concentrated in shelters immediately after the storm. But indeed, I think one of the key challenges is actually sending up food
supply post-event, particularly if we have damage to infrastructure. And we are working with the government, with the private sector to ensure that
there is food supply, and that there's transport capability to get that food into the communities that will be really most directly affected.
I think in addition, we need to look at the situation in the south of Jamaica, that was devastated by Hurricane Beryl last year in St. Elizabeth
Parish, for example, which was one of the most productive agricultural areas of the country. We need to really be prepared to invest in sending
that part of the country back up so it can produce food for Jamaica.
SOARES: Yes, and look, so many people still trying to recover from Hurricane Beryl that this, of course, just knocks them even further. As we
look ahead, of course, to this ferocious winds, the fears of course, a heavy rainfall, of course. What is your biggest concerns in the hours
ahead, Brian?
BOGART: I think you know, we are -- we are used to wind and rain being the principal concerns in a hurricane. What we don't really understand yet is
what the impacts of storm surge will be --
SOARES: Yes --
BOGART: And that could have really critical impacts on coastal communities. I know that there have been efforts to relocate people away
from the direct areas that are under threat of storm surge, but the consequences of storm surge, if what the projections are telling us come
true, could be almost unimaginable.
SOARES: Yes, and this is something that we have been discussing here on the show, just in the last 48 hours. Patrick, I appreciate -- Brian, you
sticking with us and bringing us the very latest. Keep us posted and the very best, of course, to you and your team, thank you very much indeed.
Now, Cuba is next in the path for Hurricane Melissa with more than 100,000 people evacuated from their homes as the storm barrels towards the island.
Cuba's military preparing to support the country with rescue as well as recovery efforts. All public transport has been suspended, while locals
flocked to stock up on vital supplies. Our Patrick Oppmann is in Santiago de Cuba and filed this report just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): You know, we're getting the extreme outer bands, it's just a slow pickup of rain, you
can't see the mountains, which are actually Cuba's highest mountain ranges, Sierra Maestra. Usually you would see them all around the city of Santiago
de Cuba.
And so, the threats to the city are numerous. It is a coastal city, and so, of course, there's going to be storm surge here that could wipe away
houses. So, we've seen over the last day or so, officials convinced people to leave -- some people live off little islands off the coast. And then on
these low-lying areas, they are being evacuated tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated now to higher ground
throughout the day yesterday.
It was actually sunny day and we saw people lining up to buy food, lining up to buy water, lining up to get money out of the scarce ATMs there were.
And now, as the rain picks up, people are staying closer to home. The city is Cuba's second largest city, really feels like a bit of a ghost town
and there's this -- just this gray weather that is slowly overtaking the city.
Everyone is extremely concerned about Melissa's progress, because this would be the strongest storm that anyone has seen here in a generation.
When you talk about a Category 5 storm, you are simply talking about a force of nature that many structures that you see around me, many of the
old buildings that are in this city will not be able to withstand.
I'm seeing across the rooftops here, people going down and trying to secure tiles, take objects off the rooftops that will essentially become shrapnel
when those winds pick up. And so, that is a very scary part of this, that you will not be able to be outside because you have roof tiles just going
with incredible speed, perhaps in the darkness when we expect the storm to be at its strongest here.
And so, I think by tonight and probably into much of tomorrow, people will have to be inside. They will have to be hunkered down. That is what the
government has told them to do.
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But as experience as Cubans are with storms, very few people here have ever seen a storm as powerful and as potentially deadly as Melissa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Patrick Oppmann there in Santiago de Cuba. Well, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas continues to break down.
Happening just a short time ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered, quote, "immediate powerful strikes in Gaza".
And this comes after Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire when it returned hostages' remains that did not belong to any of
the 13 hostages still unaccounted for. Earlier, Hamas said it would hand over another hostage -- body of a hostage, but that has now been postponed.
Our Jerusalem correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins me now with more.
So, Jeremy, just bring us up to speed here. What has led Netanyahu to this decision? Is it just to do the fact that Hamas has failed in its promises
to return the bodies of the hostages, or is there some tit-for-tat in terms playing out in Gaza?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly seems like the slow pace of returns of the remains of deceased hostages is one major
factor, as well as the fact that yesterday specifically, we saw Hamas return, what it said was the remains of a deceased Israeli hostage.
The Israeli government after conducting DNA analysis said that this was not one of the remaining 13 hostages, but rather additional remains related to
a deceased hostage that Israel had already recovered in late 2023. In addition to that, we're also told that there was an exchange of fire today
between Israeli forces and Hamas militants with an Israeli military official accusing Hamas of attacking Israeli forces who were positioned
east of that yellow demarcation line inside of Gaza.
This military official telling me that there was RPG and sniper fire directed at these Israeli troops. And so, you put all of that together, and
you have this picture that the Israeli government is painting of violations of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas, and therefore a decision by the
Israeli Prime Minister to carry out, quote, "immediate and powerful strikes inside of Gaza".
We are already beginning to get preliminary reports of strikes that are taking place inside of Gaza. We've yet to hear from the Israeli military
about these as of yet. We also know that Hamas was supposed to return the remains of an additional deceased Israeli hostage tonight, but Hamas has
said that they will now postpone that as a result of what they call, quote, "the enemies violations".
And so, Hamas has also been accusing the Israeli government of violating the ceasefire throughout its two-and-a-half weeks since it has been in
effect. I do think it's important to note that, you know, this is obviously not the first time we've seen Israel carry out strikes accusing Hamas of
violations inside of Gaza. It happened, you know, about nine days into the ceasefire that Israel carried out strikes, then killing 45 Palestinians.
And while it certainly put the ceasefire in a tenuous position, it didn't break down altogether. And so that is one of the questions now, you know,
this ceasefire has not broken down altogether. It certainly is once again in a very fragile position. But it doesn't necessarily mean that the
ceasefire will break down going forward. It will be something to watch though very closely in the coming days and weeks.
SOARES: Yes, indeed. And I do wonder then at this point, Jeremy, what you're hearing from your sources of whether these -- I mean, we've been
told there will be immediate and powerful. How limited will these strikes be because, of course, that puts into question, of course, how long the
longevity of the ceasefire and whether indeed it can hold.
DIAMOND: Yes, and I think it's quite clear that the Israeli government is trying to send a message with these strikes, as they did with those strikes
that took place about a week-and-a-half ago as well. And we've also seen that the United States has been, you know, allowing Israel to carry out
some actions, but limiting them on others.
When Israel carried out the strikes last time, they also sought to restrict the flow of humanitarian aid, the United States very quickly pulled Israel
back effectively off of that decision. I have been told by U.S. officials that Israel did notify the United States of the strikes that it intended to
carry out tonight, and so, that obviously indicates that there is a back- and-forth conversation about what the nature of Israel's response will be.
And certainly, we've seen a very clear commitment from the United States over the course of the last couple of weeks to ensure that the ceasefire
does remain in place, to make clear that it is a priority of the U.S. government. We've also heard warnings, of course, from President Trump as
well, that Hamas needs to, you know, start returning more remains of deceased hostages.
And so, perhaps the United States, you know, green-lighting some kind of a limited set of Israeli military strikes in Gaza in order to send that
message, but trying to play a kind of delicate balancing act here to ensure that the ceasefire doesn't collapse altogether.
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Yes, and the President, of course, is in the Asia-Pacific region. As soon as we hear from him, we'll bring that to your -- to viewers
attention. But good to know ahead that they were informed of this, of course. Jeremy, appreciate it, thank you. And still to come tonight, a
disaster in the making. Hurricane Melissa pummeling Jamaica with catastrophic winds as well as flash floods. This hour, we'll have more live
images from the island.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: The U.S. military says it hit four alleged drug smuggling boats in the Pacific Ocean. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says 14 people were
killed in Monday's strikes, and there was one survivor. This apparently marks the first time multiple strikes were conducted on the same day as the
actions expanded beyond the Caribbean, if you remember, last week.
The White House says these attacks are necessary to stop drugs from entering the U.S., critics say they're a violation of international law
that amount to extra judicial killings. Our Zachary Cohen joins me now from Washington with more. So, Zach, just bring us up to date, first of all, on
this latest strike on what the government is saying here.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, the U.S. military saying it conducted three strikes against four boats in the
eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 14 individuals who Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has labeled, quote, "narco terrorists".
Now, as we've seen in the other dozen or so strikes that we know about so far in this region, the U.S. government has not provided any proof or
evidence to support their theory that these individuals are not only drug traffickers, but that they pose an imminent threat to U.S. national
security.
Also, interestingly, we do have apparently one survivor from this latest round of strikes which were conducted on Monday. The whereabouts though and
the status of that survivor remain unclear at this stage. Hegseth has said that the Mexican authorities have assumed responsibility for the search and
rescue mission involving this individual.
Mexico's President has acknowledged that the Mexican Navy is in fact looking for a survivor from these strikes in the region it was conducted.
But so far, there's no indication that a survivor is in Mexican custody. So, that's something we will continue to watch. But big picture if you zoom
out here, this is now the 13th U.S. military strike that's been conducted since this campaign began in early September.
There have now been 57 individuals that we know of that have been killed as a result, and three survivors. You may remember last week, there were two
survivors from a U.S. military strike in a similar area in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
[14:25:00]
Those survivors were originally detained by the U.S. Navy, and then quickly repatriated to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia. It remains to
be seen if that -- if something similar will happen once this survivor is picked up, if they are rescued.
SOARES: And we've got a graphic, I think you were talking of the 13 strike, we have been keeping taps, of course, on these strikes. We've only
been covering it on the show. I'm going to ask my producer to bring it up so viewers can get a sense, you know, when it started in September 2nd,
just how many people like you said, Zach, 57, have been killed.
I spoke to an analyst on my show yesterday from United States in Washington. In fact, he was saying, these are tactics that are devoid of
strategy. You said something there when you were talking to me. You said, you know, there is no proof, they haven't shown any proof of any -- or
evidence. How is this then, from a political standpoint, how is this being accepted down the aisle? I mean, what questions are being asked?
COHEN: Yes, frankly, it's not being accepted by either Republicans or Democrats in Congress who have repeatedly demanded answers from the Trump
administration, but so far have not received any. Notably, Republican Senator Rand Paul has been consistent in demanding that the Trump
administration show the evidence, show the Intelligence that not only supports the idea that these are drug traffickers, but that they were
headed to the continental United States.
Rand Paul has alleged that the administration hasn't even really shown evidence that they know who these individuals are, which speaks to the sort
of murkiness that exists here. And look, we've heard since the beginning of these strikes, since early September that there are serious legal questions
involved here.
We've reported that there is a classified legal opinion that the Trump administration put together, essentially justifying this campaign, drawing
a comparison between drug traffickers and terrorists. And that's something, again, we heard the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth allude to today, and
labeling these individuals as narco terrorists, essentially trying to use the same playbook as the U.S. war on terror to justify these strikes.
And again, though, there's also concerns that the U.S. may be preparing for something much larger beyond targeting these drug boats. We know a U.S.
aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford is in transit, apparently headed to the same region in Latin America, which presents questions about the kind
of firepower the U.S. will have in and around Venezuela and in Latin America itself, as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has suggested
publicly that the U.S. is attempting to topple his regime.
So, a lot of complicating overlaying factors here, from the legal to the strategic as far as what the Trump administration's true intentions are,
and how they plan to justify the actions that they're taking, seemingly on an accelerated basis.
SOARES: Yes, it's quite a show of force off the coast in the Caribbean. Zach, really appreciate it, thank you. Well, "this woman is a winner".
Those are the words -- how U.S. President Donald Trump is describing Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. He praises Mrs. Takaichi as he
spoke to thousands of U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington, a Naval base in central Japan.
Japan is the second stop on the Trump-Asia tour. Later, he's set to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. But all eyes are on a planned meeting
with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. President Trump says he thinks, quote, "it's going to work out very well". Our Hanako Montgomery has more for you
from Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): There is a lot of pomp and pageantry at this first bilateral meeting between President Donald
Trump and Japan's new leader, Sanae Takaichi. They sang a lot of praises for one another throughout Tuesday, and also clearly built a strong
personal bond in just a matter of hours.
But there was also purpose to this trip. Trump, for example, announced aboard the USS George Washington that Toyota, Japan's largest car-maker was
going to invest billions of dollars into the United States. Listen to this.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank Japan because Japan is making big investments into the United States. And I was
just told by the Prime Minister that Toyota is going to be putting auto plants all over the United States to the tune of over $10 billion.
MONTGOMERY: Now, at a working dinner with Japanese business leaders, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also announced that Japanese companies
were going to invest $490 billion in the United States. Now, this is very similar to the trade agreement that we saw agreed upon between Japan and
the U.S. earlier this year.
It is part of that same trade agreement, but we do have a little bit more detail about what kind of industries these investments will be put in. The
secretary announced that the industries include nuclear development, engineering and construction services, semiconductors and A.I.
infrastructure industries.
So, again, it's clear that in this first meeting between Trump and Takaichi, they were building a strong personal rapport, much like we saw
under the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who Trump has called previously one of his best friends.
[14:30:04]
But also, it is about reaffirming the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance, bringing it to new heights, making it this really the golden era of the
U.S.-Japan alliance, especially in the face of heightened tensions with China, Japan's neighbor. And also, given the fact that, of course, Trump
has a very difficult meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, the man on trial for killing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has admitted to the charges, that is according to the state
broadcaster NHK. Japan's longest-serving modern leader was shot with a homemade gun in July 2022 while delivering a speech in the western city of
Nara. Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested at the scene of the alleged assassination. He blamed Abe for promoting the unification church, a
religious group against which he held a grudge.
And still to come tonight, catastrophic damage. Jamaica's prime minister speaks with CNN as Hurricane Melissa roars ashore. We have live images from
this powerful Category 5 storm just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. It is the second strongest Atlantic hurricane in history and the strongest storm on record to ever hit Jamaica.
We are now returned to our ongoing coverage of Hurricane Melissa.
And just take a look at these incredibly powerful waves in Kingston, the capital Jamaica. Melissa has Officially made landfall as a Category 5
storm. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holmes tells CNN the impact of the storm will likely cause, quote, "catastrophic damage."
[14:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW HOLNESS, JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER: There is no infrastructure in this region or maybe anywhere in the world that could withstand a Category
5 hurricane without some level of damage. And for Jamaica, a Category 5 hurricane, particularly where the impact is direct and in the area of the
impact, there will be catastrophic damage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well earlier, CNN's Zain Asher spoke on the phone with a local restaurant owner. Listen as he describes the devastating scene unfolding on
the southwestern coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVROL CHRISTIAN, OWNER, LITTLE OCHIE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT: We're seeing sea rising up to 15 feet above, going over walls and going over houses in
alligator pond. It's going to be a very dangerous storm. And after I talk to you, I'm going to higher ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let me take you now to meteorologist Derek Van Dam who is with us from Jamaica. And, Derek, just give me a sense, first of all, of what
you're seeing, because winds clearly picking up where you are.
VAN DAM: Yes, Isa, I'm using this -- what's called an anemometer to help measure the wind speeds here. We're getting top gusts about 45 kilometers
per hour, but it's definitely gusted higher than that. I just got this out for the first moments, a couple of minutes ago to see what we could see.
Look, we're in Kingston, the capital of the country, and we're really about 100 kilometers -- 150 kilometers east of where the most catastrophic winds
are taking shape right now. We know that this has come down to the strongest landfalling hurricane in modern record keeping in Jamaica. And
the disaster that's unfolding across the western parts of the country is just unthinkable.
We've heard these soundbites from people describing what they're experiencing there, but the power and the communications is going to be a
real challenge and the access to those areas going forward, because when you're talking about a high-end Category 5, the upper threshold of what is
possible in this physical world to form, you're starting to reaching those limits. You know that when that makes landfall, the destruction is there.
What we have seen here in Kingston is -- even being 150 kilometers away has been these gusty winds. There's been just minor structural damage, some
tree limbs that have come down. But if we think about what a Category 5 hurricane has done in the past and what it is likely doing now to the
places like the Westmoreland Parish, the St. Elizabeth Parish over the western portions of Jamaica, where this hurricane has made landfall, it's
likely stripping the trees of vegetation. It's likely taking off the bark off of these trees.
This area will not look the same once the storm passes. And an important caveat for the passing of this storm is that it is still in full swing.
Even though it's weakened slightly, it is moving its eye wall, which is the core of the strongest winds through a populated area. Montego Bay, for
instance, is getting the northern eye wall as we speak. That's a popular tourist center. There's an airport there, serviced internationally. You
know, who knows what's happening there? One can only just assume the worst because of the history that this storm has had so far.
We know that we're going to try our very best to get over there in the days to come, but it may be very, very difficult. So, we're going to do our
very, very best, Isa. And, you know, reporting on the ground, the only reason we can give you live pictures is because we're far enough away from
the most intense part of the storm. Otherwise, what we're doing right now would be virtually impossible.
SOARES: Indeed. And as you're talking -- appreciate it. I'm talking, we're looking at images coming to us from Montego Bay, of course, looks
absolutely ferocious. We'll keep we'll keep on top of these live images. Thank you very much, Derek. I'll let you go, of course, to continue news
gathering.
I want to stay, though, on the story and these images from Montego Bay. Let me bring in our meteorologist, Chris Warren, who's tracking the latest
developments from Atlanta. And, Chris, it's starting to pick up, right? We have seen, of course, Montego Bay. Those images are speaking to the -- to
representatives of the World Food Programme, who is incredibly concerned about the southern coast of Jamaica. Speak to what we are seeing in in
those key areas.
CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, there are huge differences depending on where you are. So, we'll take it from here, where on the far
eastern part, where Kingston is and where Derek is. This is essentially a bad day, assuming that we don't get much more rain. Now, we're not out of
the woods in terms of the rain. Let's just talk about the wind right now and the storm surge.
[14:40:00]
So, here's the bad day. You get into this section right here. This is damaging. And this right here, right in that circle, that smaller area,
that is the catastrophic, life-changing type winds that we're dealing with here. This is the part of the hurricane that gives it that 165-mile-per-
hour gusts to 220-mile-per-hour Category 5 hurricane.
So, here's Montego Bay right here. This is the southern portion, that southwest coast where landfall happened, where there was likely some
serious storm surge. Also, the heavy rain in here, but it's that blue and that yellow and green color. That is the strongest, most catastrophic winds
that we're seeing. And look where that's heading. It's getting closer and closer to Montego Bay. It's getting a little bit smaller. It's not as big
as it was, but that is the most dangerous part of this.
So, where landfall happened, down here near New Hope, around 1:00 this afternoon here, Eastern Time, Black River. When you're on the side of the
storm where the winds are pushing the seawater onshore while the rain is falling up here and trying to drain out, likely some serious flooding. We
don't know the extent of things there, but this is what's next. Montego Bay. Here's the airport right here. A lot of resorts even out to here. A
lot of development.
So, as we go through the next few hours, the wind and the rain, still both the combination. Very serious here on the northwest part of Jamaica now.
And, Isa, as we watch this, we're going to be seeing these winds still potentially, Montego Bay, stronger than 100 miles an hour. Possibly gusting
to 110 here in the coming hours before and eventually by late tonight into tomorrow, we'll be watching eastern Cuba.
SOARES: Yes. And what was interesting, Chris, and I wonder if you can explain that to our audience around the world, and Derek was mentioning
this, is that it's not only, of course, the wind speed, like you mentioned, which is terrifying, 185 miles per hour, as you said, but also it's how
slow it is. I mean, Derek talked -- spoke about a speed of a brisk walk. Explain that to our viewers.
WARREN: There's two aspects to that. So, I'm going to go back here and show you just the map of Jamaica. So, two aspects to that. There's the wind
and then there's the rain. Well, also three. We can throw in the storm surge as well.
So, a storm that moves very quickly doesn't have as much time to drop a lot of rain. So, essentially the rainfall totals are going to go up. Now, in
terms of the wind, the wind is putting stress on structures, whether it's trees, whether it's on people's homes and businesses, you get a quick blow
that comes through. There might be some damage and then it moves on. But if it keeps going and gets a little bit weaker and a little bit weaker, maybe
some shingles start to come up and then 20 minutes later, it goes off and now, the wind's getting into the house and now the roof comes off. So, a
longer duration event with the rain and the wind are both very serious. It's just more stress, whether it's stress on drainage systems, whether
it's stress on structures.
And then like in Black River, Treasure Beach, a slow-moving system has more time to push more of this seawater on shore. And that can just increase the
storm surge, increase that saltwater going in as the rain is trying to come out and it can't get out because the seawater is coming in. So, it spreads
out and you can get some very serious flooding as well. So, yes, slow- moving systems are extremely dangerous, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and we're seeing as you're talking, Chris -- I'm just going to ask my producer to bring that shot back up. As you were talking and
explaining that there, we were seeing images of the roof in Montego Bay, the tiles basically coming off that roof, just the ferocity, of course, of
Hurricane Melissa. Chris, really appreciate you laying around and making sense of it for us. Thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight, Amazon announces huge corporate job cuts. We'll tell you about how many people are being let go and how many more jobs may
still be affected. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: A federal judge in Chicago spent part of the day grilling Donald Trump's chief immigration enforcer. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol chief
Gregory Bovino was in court to defend the tactics his officers are using to deal with protesters in Chicago. The judge had laid out very specific rules
for immigration agents to follow and says it appears they are not adhering to her guidelines.
The judge seems especially concerned about the use, you can see there, of tear gas against protesters. Bovino himself was seen, as you can see,
throwing what appeared to be a tear gas canister into a crowd just last week. Our Priscilla Alvarez has been tracking the story for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A federal judge in Chicago ordered a top Border Patrol official, Gregory Bovino, to brief her in person every
weekday for the next week on the operation that is ongoing in the Chicago area. It's an immigration enforcement operation that has prompted some
clashes and confrontations between federal agents as well as protesters.
Now, the federal judge requiring that he come in every afternoon to write a rundown of what is going on that day. This after there have, again, been
incidents where Bovino himself has been shown to throw a tear gas canister at protesters. The Department of Homeland Security saying that that was in
response to objects being thrown at him and federal agents.
But all the same the concern remains, and the judge conveyed that concern, that she does not want her temporary restraining order to be violated. And
that order says that tear gas as well as other tactics cannot be used unless there is an imminent threat. Now, the judge also said that the
agents should be wearing those body worn cameras and saying that he should as well. He had said he didn't.
And also going on to say that, well, she doesn't want to micromanage the situation and realizes that she herself is not on the streets doing these
enforcement actions, the judge very clearly stating that she is concerned about the conduct of federal agents and the safety of everyone around those
operations. So, again the federal judge ultimately making clear that she has Bovino who's heading the operation as well as his federal agents under
a microscope as this case continues. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Thanks very much, Priscilla. Now, Amazon has announced 14,000 corporate jobs will be cut and more layoffs could be on the way. This
represents about 5 percent of the company's 350,000 corporate employees. The company says these cuts are to prepare the company for the adoption of
A.I. technology.
However, Amazon also says it will be hiring after restructure and would prioritize those who were laid off. Amazon senior vice president says the
company needs to operate more efficiently to adapt to A.I. and other technological advances. Joining me now is Anna Cooban.
And so, Anna, I remember reading yesterday that we were expecting something 30,000 jobs, but this obviously slightly better, but still a considerable
amount of people losing their jobs. What is the CEO -- how is the CEO framing this?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, Andy Jassy the CEO of Amazon, has basically said, you know, that he wants the organization to
be more lean. He's talked about wanting to cut, you know, bureaucracy. He didn't name A.I. by name but he did back in June when he released this blog
post basically saying that A.I. is going to change the way that Amazon works. He said that we need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are
being done today. So, pretty blunt statement there about A.I. adoption with Amazon.
[14:50:00]
And he's not the only tech company doing this. We've seen A.I. related layoffs with Accenture and Salesforce earlier this year too.
SOARES: Do we know in what sectors, what roles have been impacted?
COOBAN: This is the corporate workforce.
SOARES: Just the corporate?
COOBAN: Yes. And it's important to remember --
SOARES: Global?
COOBAN: Yes. So, this is important to remember that during the pandemic, Amazon, like other tech companies, massively went on a big hiring spree
because people were in their homes and they needed to, you know, things delivered to their door. So, this is also a course correction for that as
well.
SOARES: But this of course -- and I'm sure people will be screaming it, you know, their TV screens what -- and you and I've discussed this before,
I think it was even last week, concerns, drive further concerns over A.I. in the workforce and pushing out jobs, right?
COOBAN: Yes. And there was this open letter that was signed last week by many people across industries, you know, warning of human economic
obsolescence, which is just a really fancy way of saying that people are scared that their jobs are going to be taken. It's not just the tech
industry, it's things in entertainment as well, even the A.I. actress that we saw being unveiled to the public earlier this month.
SOARES: But explain that because I think their earnings -- their Q2 earnings, I think were pretty good, right? So, why cut when you're doing so
well as well, and then hire again? What sectors are they hiring in?
COOBAN: Well, they are, you know, looking toward a future where A.I. will be the dominant technology. And like many tech companies, Amazon is
funneling money into these A.I. data centers. And many companies are over investing, because they fear that if they were to under invest, actually,
they will be behind the pack further down the line.
SOARES: Anna, thank you very much, indeed. And still to come right here tonight, Hurricane Melissa wreaks havoc as it makes landfall in Jamaica,
the latest just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: We'll return to our top story this hour. Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica. Powerful sustained winds as well as torrential
rain are soaking the islands. You can see authorities are warning of storm surge flooding as well as mudslides. Officials say at least three people
died while cutting down trees earlier. Four deaths from Hurricane Melissa have also been reported in Haiti as well as the Dominican Republic.
After warnings to evacuate, Jamaica's prime minister is now advising people to stay in place and ride out the storm. Have a listen.
[14:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLNESS: So, for those residents who have decided to stay, I'm encouraging them to batten down, take all the necessary precautions to keep themselves
safe. Don't worry about property at this time because there's nothing that you will be able to do in a Category 5 storm to protect your property. Keep
your lives safe.
Immediately after the threat has passed, our Jamaica Defense Force, our fire brigade and other emergency services will be rapidly mobilized to see
if we can rescue persons and assist those persons who may be marooned.
At this time, I'm encouraging all our residents to stay inside, batten down, keep safe, and now is not the time to try to protect property.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And hopefully, of course, people are heeding that call and that warning. Let me show you some images that we've had come to us just in the
last -- well, in the last 10-15 minutes of Montego Bay. Just really terrifying images. Winds, as we've heard from our correspondents in the
field, but also meteorologists, about 185 miles per hour winds, absolutely terrifying. We've seen roofs, of course, coming off as Melissa storms --
makes landfall in Jamaica.
We've heard the U.N. agent describing it as a storm of the century, absolutely terrifying. If you're in Jamaica, please stay safe.
That does it for me for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
