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Quest Means Business
Hurricane Milton Just Hours Away From Landfall; Milton Is Now A Dangerous Category Three Hurricane; Iran Braces For Israel's Response To Missile Attack; Hurricane Milton's Storm Surge Begins In Florida; St. Pete Beach Under Mandatory Evacuation Order; Tycoon And Philanthropist Ratan Tata Dies At Age 86; Quest's World Of Wonder In Melbourne, Australia. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired October 09, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:26]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: It's time to shelter in place. That's the warning from the National Weather Service for those who haven't yet left evacuation
zones. The storm surge from Hurricane Milton is starting in Florida.
And Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu have had a direct phone call, their first since late August.
It is Wednesday, October, 9th. I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Richard Quest, and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
Good evening.
Tonight, conditions along the Gulf Coast of Florida are quickly deteriorating as Hurricane Milton approaches the shore. Take a look at
these pictures coming to us right now. These are live pictures of Fort Myers, Florida, which is already getting hit with torrential rain as you
can see.
The storm surge has started to arrive, and Milton's outer bands have spawned several tornadoes. Emergency officials say it's time for people in
its path to now shelter in place.
We know that Milton's size has more than doubled since yesterday, and it is producing sustained winds of 210 kilometers an hour, making it a Category
Four storm.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to CNN earlier urging people to heed the warnings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Unlike anything we have seen before, we've 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Boris Sanchez is in Tampa, Florida. Good to have you there for us, Boris.
So the wind and the rain is already starting to hit. We know that this hurricane will be catastrophic. We're being told it will be deadly. And of
course, the window to leave if you are in those evacuation zones has now ended, right?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely.
The National Hurricane Center has put out the word that it is time to shelter in place. There is no way you can get out if you aren't in an
evacuation zone safely at this point. There are a number of bridge closures, a number of road closures, and we understand that for at least
certain parts of the Gulf Coast in Florida, Emergency Services have been shut down. The wind is simply too strong.
The peak rainfall has begun here. So we're talking about roughly a foot of rain that is expected as Hurricane Milton passes through. You're also
talking about 140-plus mile an hour winds, a potentially 15-foot storm surge, that for Tampa Bay, which is behind me right now, would be
devastating.
We are expecting between eight and 12 feet here. That 15 feet is a bit further down in Sarasota. The other major concern, Lynda, across the state
is tornadoes. You're talking about 90 tornado warnings just today that is across the state. Again, that's more than Florida's ever seen in a single
day, and it's very widespread.
There was a tornado that touched down in Western Broward County, that's on the southeast coast of Florida, that is hundreds of miles from where we are
right now and where Hurricane Milton is set to touch down.
Aside from that, you've also got the leftover from Hurricane Helene. The leftovers, the debris that has not yet been cleaned up. We've seen a ton of
it around where we are. It is likely going to turn into yet another danger that this very powerful Category Four storm holds in store.
KINKADE: Yes. Frightening tornadoes, plus the hurricanes, plus all of that debris from Helene.
Of course, I'm wondering where you and your crew will go when this hurricane makes landfall, which is set to happen in the coming hours?
SANCHEZ: Yes, fortunately, we are in an area where we can get out very quickly if need be. So we are prepared to evacuate as soon as conditions
here get a little bit too hairy for us.
We're in a hotel that is outside an evacuation zone. They told us that they've got all sorts of preparations -- food, water generator, so we
should be in pretty good shape. But of course, it's all about monitoring the conditions and then getting out as soon as possible.
Our crew has been through a number of hurricanes before. We have a set of rules that we follow to make sure that we're safe. It is not a good idea
for anybody that's just at home to go out and be a disaster tourist as one local official told me, the time to shelter in place is now.
[16:05:01]
KINKADE: Exactly heed those warnings for everyone in the path of the storm.
Boris Sanchez, good to have you there for us. Thank you.
Well, the National Weather Service says the time to evacuate is over. Many people have fled to places like Orlando, but even that city is hunkering
down.
Sebring, Florida is one of those inland cities that is attracting evacuees. However, it is still in the path of this hurricane, and it's also facing
tornado warnings.
Well, John Shoop is the mayor of Sebring, Florida, and joins us now live.
Thanks so much for your time.
So the size of this hurricane has doubled since yesterday. Your city, of course, is a couple of hours inland from the coast, but still in the path
of this storm. How prepared are you?
MAYOR JOHN SHOOP, SEBRING, FLORIDA: We're very prepared. We've been -- this is not the first time we've gone through a hurricane, so our town and the
people in the town and the area are ready to go and ready for this thing to be over.
KINKADE: Of course, there's so much debris, as we've seen from Hurricane Helene, scattered in piles across that area, which is going to be slammed
by this hurricane. How concerning is that, those projectiles that will be flying in the air?
SHOOP: Our Public Works in our cities -- we have three cities in Highlands County, but they were all out last week cleaning up any kind of large
debris that was laying around, picking up cones, picking up anything that could happen. So we've been very proactive in getting ahead of the game as
far as projectiles go.
KINKADE: Of course, a storm surges is predicted right along the West Coast of Florida, certainly just on the coastline from you around Tampa, it's
expected to reach upwards of 12 feet. What could that look like in your city, especially considering you also have lakes in your area.
SHOOP: Fortunately, we don't have a storm surge here. We do have flooding, and it's more rain driven flooding in the lower lying areas, so we will not
see -- you know, the main lake is Lake Jackson in Sebring and we have other lakes in the communities, but they do not have a storm surge. They will
have some wind and wave action.
But really, we're very fortunate, from that standpoint that we don't have what the coast is going to get, and we'll see that. You know, there are low
lying areas that have it, but we're very, also very fortunate to be on the ridge of Florida, where all the water runs downhill.
KINKADE: That is certainly a positive. Of course, we have seen these tornado warnings, multiple tornado warnings across the state. How much of a
concern is that?
SHOOP: It was a big concern. We just were pulled off the tornado warnings. But we did have, I believe we had three or four that did touch down, one
hit a small mobile home park that did some collateral damage, but with just a minor injury. We had referenced that another couple homes lost, some
roofs, some docks have been lost, but that seems to have passed by now.
KINKADE: We're hearing that your city has welcomed a lot of evacuees that have fled areas along that coastline.
SHOOP: Yes.
KINKADE: How are you handling that influx of people? How many have arrived? And where are they sheltering?
SHOOP: It is hard to say how many have arrived, but it started a couple of days ago. Our hotels were all full within the last two days. We do have
shelters that are open. It will accept people from other areas, but it seems whenever there's a major event like this, we are a destination.
We do take a large hit, but it seems we do come out pretty good.
KINKADE: And talk to us about supplies, because we've been reporting about towns along the coast that are running really low, if not out of gas and
out of water and other food items. What is the situation where you are?
SHOOP: Our stores, they have been tasked to keep full, and we're very fortunate that there's still food here. We do have gas at our gas stations.
Some of the gas stations are out, but we're very fortunate that many of them have had and maintained gas, and along with the stores that we have,
there's plenty of food and supplies there.
KINKADE: John Shoop, mayor of Sebring, Florida. Appreciate your time. We wish you and everyone there all the very best over the coming hours.
SHOOP: Well. Thank you, Lynda. We appreciate that. Thank you for all your prayers.
KINKADE: Well, a few feet of storm surge already underway in parts of Florida. Some areas of Florida's Gulf Coast are expected to face storm
surges of up to 13 feet or higher. That's about four meters.
CNN's Kate Baldwin demonstrates just how towering that could be.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: One of the biggest concerns with Hurricane Milton is storm surge. The National Weather Service forecasting life-threatening
storm surge levels here.
[16:10:06]
So the basics, a storm surge is a rapid rise in water levels caused by strong winds pushing water on shore. In parts of Florida, we're talking 12
to 15 feet of water from this storm in a surge.
I want to give you an idea of what that really means beyond just the numbers. This shows you a storm surge of about two feet. At this level,
low-lying coastal roads would be inundated with water. The next stage would be a surge of five to eight feet. This is enough to submerge cars, but
remember, Milton is expected to bring much worse storm surge of 10-plus feet in places, and this is taller than a city bus.
The average first floor of a commercial building is typically around 14 feet high, and Milton's storm surge could reach a foot higher than that.
So, it is impossible to know with certainty at this point where this is all going to hit and when. But the places that are facing these catastrophic
levels of surge are from Tampa on south. We're talking Sarasota, Venice, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda. This is how high it could get there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, since that was taped, officials have updated their forecast. The storm surge is now expected to reach up to 13 feet, not 15, but still
incredibly dangerous.
Elisa Raffa joins us now live with an update from the CNN Weather Center. So Elisa, the hurricane is growing in size. It's doubled since yesterday.
We know that the wind and rain has already started to hit parts of Florida. How's it looking?
ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We still have a major hurricane on our hands. It's a Category Three right now with 125 mile per hour winds. But
even though the wind in the center might go down, the ocean is not going down at all, because, like you mentioned, we have a storm that is double
the size of what it was yesterday.
The tropical storm force winds now extend 310 miles across. That is more than two times what it was yesterday, right? It was an intense hurricane,
but it was small. As the winds have kind of wavered, the storm has gotten bigger, and what that means is that more people will get in on these
damaging winds.
They will have a far -- a much bigger arm, more reaching. We have gusts already up to 47 miles per hour in St. Petersburg, gusts nearing 50 miles
per hour in Naples and in Miami.
These outer bands today have been nasty. We have had the most tornado warnings for the state in a day. I mean, it has just been incredible. And a
lot of these warnings have had a tag for considerable damage, because the tornadoes have just been so discreet and just so dangerous, causing damage.
I mean, look at all of these little nubs that you see, these discrete cells, those are all capable of tornadoes. This is common with a hurricane,
but today we have seen it on steroids, a lot of these tornado warnings. A Tornado Watch in effect until nine o'clock this evening for most of the
peninsula.
Again, the wind field we're very worried about because it is wide. Hurricane force winds will extend across the entire peninsula. You have
110-plus mile per hour winds possible from Tampa down to Fort Myers in the purple, but the hurricane force winds get all the way to the east coast of
Florida. That's how wide reaching this is.
And because of the wide reaching wind field and the intensity that the storm has packed since yesterday, it is going to drag the ocean with it.
That is the storm surge, and that's why these numbers are not coming down.
Nine to 13 feet from Sarasota down towards Venice, you've got that eight to 12 feet of storm surge that could funnel into Tampa Bay, even as far south
as Naples and Marco Island, storm surge could get up to eight feet.
This is the un-survivable part. This is the most deadly part of any hurricane, is the storm surge, and this is what officials are so worried
about.
This front that's been dragging Milton into Florida will exacerbate a lot of these problems. It's what's causing the wobble a little bit north, a
little bit south that we've been watching all day. It's also going to funnel in more moisture for the heavy rain, and could increase some of the
winds as well.
We'll find that center coming on land sometime around midnight tonight, you know, maybe an hour before or after, so overnight hours, then it treks
across the state, through the overnight into tomorrow morning, dumping all of that heavy rain.
I mean, rain totals could get up to a foot, six to 12 inches in some locations, that would cause flooding, even again, well inland, not just at
the coast, and it could cause flash and urban flooding, even in the city, even places that are not near rivers or near the ocean.
So we have this high risk in effect today for the rain from Tampa through Orlando again, from coast to coast. This high risk is very rare. It's only
issued four percent of the time, but it's responsible for 40 percent of our fatalities and 80 percent of the damages.
So again, we've got water that would be powerful from the ocean, but also from the rain -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Certainly, a lot to stay across. Elisa Raffa, busy night ahead for you. Thanks so much for that update.
Well, as we noted, the US National Weather Service says that the time to evacuate is now over.
[16:15:07 ]
CNN's Brian Todd is in Florida, highlighting the struggles of those who decided to leave and those who decided to stay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tonight, Florida bracing for impact as Hurricane Milton begins to come ashore.
Milton's outer band, bringing multiple tornadoes today, with more likely to come as the storm gets closer to landfall, forecast to hit as at least a
Category Three hurricane in just a few hours.
The National Weather Service is warning that Milton could be one of the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit West Central Florida. Millions have
been urged to evacuate. Long lines of cars and backed up traffic from the areas expected to be hit the hardest, showing that many have been
listening.
JARED PERDUE, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We are glad that people chose to leave seeing where they lived and were evacuating to
get to safety.
TODD (voice over): But even for those who decided to leave, challenges on the way. More than 1,700 gas stations in Florida were already out of fuel
Wednesday morning.
BREEZY CALVILLO, NOT EVACUATING HOME: I would prefer to be at the house than to be stranded in the middle of the street somewhere where that's just
as dangerous.
TODD (voice over): And even those who feel confident in their decision to stay admit there's only so much you can prepare for a storm like Milton.
TODD (on camera): What else is kind of having you and your family a little bit worried right now?
CHASE MCBRIDE, NOT EVACUATING HOME: Definitely a north move in the track. You know, if it keeps coming north, you know we could be in trouble.
TODD (voice over): And officials reminding those that stay that when the worst of the storm hits, they will be on their own.
SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA: When you make that call for help, I can't imagine what you would feel when you ask for help
and it's too dangerous and help is not coming. Don't be that person.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to Brian Todd there.
Well, the leaders of Israel and the US spoke to one another for the first time in weeks.
It comes as Israel plans to respond to Iran's missile attack. We'll have more on what the White House described as an important call.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden held their first conversation in more than a month. It comes at a crucial time
for the Middle East.
The White House saying that the half-hour phone call was a very direct and productive call, but didn't go into detail. According to a new book by Bob
Woodward, Biden has criticized Netanyahu in private, calling him a liar and a bad guy.
The White House said the two spoke today about Israel's planned response to Iran's missile attack. Mr. Biden has said it should be proportional.
Israel's defense minister suggested today that it would be lethal, precise and surprising. Our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson joins
us now live from Tel Aviv. Good to have you with us, Nic.
So, of course, this phone call between Biden and Netanyahu comes after we read the account published by Bob Woodward, the investigative journalist,
who says Biden used some pretty colorful language to describe Netanyahu after previous calls.
What do you know about this call today and who instigated this?
[16:21:10]
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the White House hasn't given us any indication that suddenly trust between the pair has
been rebuilt and that President Biden has a new reformed confidence that the Israeli Prime Minister is actually listening to him.
They talked about, you know, President Biden offering condolences about October 7th to Prime Minister Netanyahu, they talked about the, should be a
proportional response so there, we have no details about what was discussed about that response. Israel's response to Iran's missiles fired here just
over a week ago.
We know that President Biden has previously said that he doesn't want to, he doesn't think it's appropriate to target Iran's nuclear site or is it
appropriate, he thinks, to target their oil production facilities.
So what does leave? Possibly the implications that one might infer that are being talked about are a like-for-like military target, military sites, but
really this. The readout from this call has given us no clues whatsoever.
And I think, perhaps, the best insight we have about where the mood within the Israeli government may lie at the moment was what you said from Yoav
Gallant, the defense minister, went to the intelligence headquarters after that phone call and is reported to have said that that would be a powerful
strike, it would be a precise strike.
He noted that Iran's strikes on Israel hadn't been precise. It would be surprising. He said they wouldn't understand what happened or how it
happened, alluding to some sort of stealth operation, perhaps.
But very clearly, what hasn't changed here at all is Israel's intent to strike back and how much pressure and influence this direct conversation
has had on the Israeli prime minister to meet the United States' wishes that it doesn't escalate tensions further in the region.
We don't have a sense of that. And I think, realistically, we may only have a sense of it after Israel has struck back at Iran. And then we can measure
against what the prime minister was believed to want, to be able to strike the nuclear sites. We can only measure then how much influence this call
and difference this call actually had.
KINKADE: And that's the point, right? The US president has been trying to use all diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation, the tensions in
the Middle East. But the situation keeps intensifying.
We know that the US says it's not going to push to revive these ceasefire talks. Do we know if that came up in the discussion at all today?
ROBERTSON: We know that US officials have a huge concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and in particular, Northern Gaza, where the
IDF has renewed its offensive in three large urban areas. There are about 400,000 people have been affected. New evacuation orders have gone into
effect. Hospitals in the north have been told to evacuate.
And the message from US officials today -- and it's not clear that this precisely was communicated this way by President Biden to Prime Minister
Netanyahu -- but it's an obligation to abide by international humanitarian law, which is to make sure there's enough food, make sure there's enough
water getting through, make sure all the humanitarian requirements of the people in Gaza, particularly Northern Gaza, are getting what they need.
And I think, if you measure the pressure that the United States has put on Israel in the past to achieve that, and the lack of results therein, it
does seem to indicate that, even when President Biden has applied what he believes is a lot of pressure, what his critics say isn't enough, it
doesn't bend the will of the Israeli government very far. That's how it appears.
And Doctors Without Borders, MSF, today have said, as far as Northern Gaza goes, they have supplies that they could, that they would like to be able
to distribute, but they can't get into northern Gaza. Other U.N. agencies are saying they haven't been able to get into northern Gaza for over a week
to distribute aid.
So, that impression of a humanitarian constriction and pressure on the population there to move yet again in the face of another offensive,
really, the fact that that's going on does fly in the face of the rhetoric that we hear from the White House and US officials, that it is, in a large
part, as far as we see, has little effect.
KINKADE: Yeah. And we have been hearing that frustration from aid agencies we have been speaking to this week, one year into this war in Gaza.
Nic Robertson for us. Good to have you there. Thank you.
Well, some Iranians are striking a defiant tone in the face of Israel's promised retaliation.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen went to the streets of Tehran to see how people there are responding.
[16:25:01]
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After Iran's massive missile strike targeting military installations inside
Israel's territory, Iran is now bracing for what the Israelis say will be a strong response.
On Tehran's streets, some concern and a lot of defiance.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language)
PLEITGEN (voice over): "Everyone's mind is busy thinking of what might happen," this man says and if Israel makes a move, we will certainly
respond to it.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE speaking in foreign language.)
PLEITGEN (voice over): And this woman says, "I am not concerned about war because I believe in my country and our leadership. I know if anything
happens, nothing will threaten the Iranian nation."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
PLEITGEN (voice over): "If there is a need to protect our soil and our land, like our fathers and brothers who participated in the eight-year war,
we will go to war as well," this man says, "And you will see the result of the jihad that has been ordered."
"If you want war, we are the masters of war," this poster in Revolution Square reads both in Farsi and in Hebrew.
Iran's capital, is also plastered with billboards pledging to stand by Hezbollah after the killing of the group's longtime leader, Hassan
Nasrallah.
PLEITGEN (on camera): The Islamic Republic of Iran and its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are making very clear that despite the current struggles of
the Hezbollah organization, they will continue to support Hezbollah against Israel.
(BENJAMIN NETANYAHU speaking in foreign language.)
PLEITGEN (voice over): Israel's government has vowed to hit Iran week's missile attack, when the Revolutionary Guard used around 200 ballistic
missiles, some hitting Tel Aviv and an air base inside the country, sparking fears of a wider conflict, possibly pitting the US and Iran
directly against one another.
An Iranian member of Parliament sending a warning to the US.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
PLEITGEN (voice over): The US is aware of everything the Zionist regime does," he says. "We would suggest that, firstly, the US stop the military
help, stop the arms, and the backing of the Zionist regime, and then secondly, for the US to force Israel into a ceasefire."
But so far, the risk of escalation continues in a region already on edge.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come as Hurricane Milton approaches, Florida residents are already seeing the effects. Tornadoes are tearing across the
state. We will have the latest next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:31:00]
KINKADE: Returning to our top story now. Hurricane Milton is approaching the west coast of Florida and it's already causing destruction. Multiple
tornadoes have torn through the southern part of the state.
This video shows a tornado in Clewiston about 60 miles or 100 kilometers east of Fort Myers. And the hurricane could cause extended disruptions.
These are live pitches from St. Petersburg, Florida. The mayor there is warning that water, sewer, and electric services could be out for weeks.
Our Bill Weir is in St. Petersburg on the Tampa Bay.
Good to have you there for us, Bill. So this hurricane has been described as super supercharged because of the warming oceans that are fueling it.
What's expected where you are?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're bracing for storm surge here in St. Petersburg. The thing is, historically, because of the
prevailing trade winds blowing offshore, this part of Tampa, St. Pete, its dense population center, has never taken a direct hit in modern history.
It's been since the great storm of 1921 that this region took a pounding like this. And back then, just for perspective, there are about three-and-
a-half fewer, three-and-half million fewer people in this region.
And the seas were a foot lower. As a result of planet cooking pollution in the atmosphere, as we all know, I talk about it constantly, every second of
every day the equivalent of about 10 to 12 Hiroshima sized atomic bombs is being absorbed by the ocean. All that warm water is hurricane fuel. And it
doesn't necessarily mean for more for hurricanes, but the ones we get one after another now are shattering records.
They just set a storm surge record here less than two weeks ago and the forecast is that they will shatter it today. Just to give you a perspective
of where we are in terms of altitude here, spin around for me, guys. Spin around this way. My PJ Carlos can't hear me over this wind. This would be
about -- this would be about a 12-foot storm surge right to here, to give you perspective.
Out at the end of that pier is a very nice fine dining restaurant called Tik. I was trying to Google if it was built to category five standards
because it is about to get tested. And even if the wind speed, Lynda, dies down, people get hung up about the wind speed, the categories, those sorts
of thing, the inertia, all the physics, all of that energy from category five winds 500 miles from here has been pushing this mountain of water this
way.
So we're really worried about St. Petersburg being cut off from folks leaving to the north. All the bridges around St. Pete and Tampa had been
closed once those winds get to 40 miles an hour. And so now we just hope. We just hope that those folks who were riding this thing out are blessed,
are lucky, and that Tampa-St. Pete is spared once again.
KINKADE: You know, Bill, over the last few years, the governor there, Ron DeSantis, has been spending millions in communities trying to help them
adapt to these new climate reality. Yet he has referred to reducing carbon pollution as left wing stuff. The problem is without any like real effort
to address the climate crisis, these sort of climate-induced disasters, especially in states like Florida, will get worse, right?
WEIR: Absolutely. Absolutely. It's, you know, the subject of this has been politicized for generations because the folks making the biggest profits in
human history kind of like it that way, like that we argue about whether to talk about it. But this is exactly what scientists have been warning about
for a very long time. And the political will to step in and convince the public. You know, the modern -- the fuels that built the modern world were
great, but now they're ruining everything outside and we have to transition.
That is happening politically around the country. But you're right about the governor of this state, which is particularly vulnerable to climate
change, has been really mixed on this right now.
[16:35:05]
So we just hope for the best. But at the end of the day this is not the end of this. You know, these are just going to keep coming, and folks have to
prepare.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Bill Weir, our thanks to you and your crew there. Stay safe. We'll speak again soon. Thank you.
Well, just a few miles away from where Bill is standing, the fire chief for St. Pete Beach is warning that buildings that were weakened by Hurricane
Helene may collapse from Hurricane Milton. The city is under a mandatory evacuation order. Access to all the barrier islands west of St. Petersburg
shot down Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. local time. Officials are warning emergency crews will not be able to reach those who choose to stay behind.
Well, Marc Portugal is the public information officer of St. Pete Beach.
Thanks so much for joining us.
MARC PORTUGAL, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So an eight to 12 foot storm surge is expected to hit that Tampa Bay area. How vulnerable is St. Petersburg?
PORTUGAL: Very vulnerable. We are barrier islands, so we are going to take the first brunt of that storm surge like we did with Helene and most of our
seawalls are only five feet high, so you can imagine how much water comes in through the island. We are in a very difficult and dangerous situation
coming off the heels of Helene where thousands of structures between homes and local businesses were affected by water and ultimately had to put
debris out.
We've been working on removing that debris as fast as we possibly can, but now we're at a point like Bill said, where we're bracing and we're going to
be tested again with the height of that storm surge along with hurricane- force winds.
KINKADE: And of course, it's not just this monster hurricane. There are multiple tornadoes. Just tell us about the risks given that there still is
a lot of debris from Hurricane Helene on the ground there.
PORTUGAL: Our crews were out working as soon as they possibly could and then we actually had the National Guard come in to help us with additional
cleanup. There is still some debris out on the ground and with the force of those winds, they could become projectiles which we're afraid of but we did
the very best that we could to clear as much as we can. And obviously, as you mentioned, we're under an evacuation order, so hopefully as many people
heeded the order as possible and won't be in a position to put themselves in danger.
KINKADE: So this hurricane will hit later tonight, described as a once in a century event. What's the plan for the day after? We know 8,000 National
Guard troops will be activated. What happens at daybreak?
PORTUGAL: At daybreak our emergency operations teams, our fire rescue teams go out for what they call an early and rapid assessment of the island to
see -- look for things like the stoplights being out, to see if roads are impassable, to see what roads are flooded. And then from there, we can
deploy our facilities teams, the National Guard, and other personnel accordingly.
KINKADE: All right. Marc Portugal, we wish you and everyone there at St. Pete Beach all the very best. Thanks so much for your time.
PORTUGAL: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, former Tata Group chairman and philanthropist Ratan Tata has died at the age of 86. The Tata Group announced his passing today, calling
him an uncommon leader, who not only shaped the conglomerate, but the very fabric of India itself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE (voice-over): Ratan Tata is best known for putting Indian business on the world stage. The business icon, philanthropist, and former chairman
of Tata and Sons globalized India's most influential business group.
Born in 1937 in Mumbai, he studied architecture and civil engineering at Cornell University in New York, returning home as a potential successor to
the family business. But he got a humble start, shoveling limestone in a steel mill.
RATAN TATA, FORMER CHAIRMAN, TATA AND SONS: It was in the blast furnaces, near the furnace. Every nook and cranny of the disco works. It was terrible
at that time, but if I look back on it, it's been a very worthwhile experience.
KINKADE: In 1991, he became chairman after the death of his uncle, JRD Tata.
TATA: I have always been a nationalist and a believer in a new India. We just have to make it happen.
KINKADE: He started making some gutsy acquisitions. Tata acquired European steel giant Corus, Tetley Tea, and British luxury automobile brand, Jaguar
and Land Rover, shaking up the automotive industry.
TATA: When we acquired Jaguar and Land Rover, it was a company that produced the lowest cost car. What was it doing with the two premium
brands?
[16:40:02]
KINKADE: Then Tata Engineering turned its focus to producing homegrown Indian cars, launching the Tata Nano in 2008. With a $3,000 price tag, the
Nano was the world's cheapest car.
TATA: This has been referred to as one man's dream.
KINKADE: But violent protests marred the Nano's rollout, and it was later discontinued. Another blow came in November 2008 when terrorists struck
Mumbai, attacking a series of targets, including the historic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, owned by the Tata Group.
For three days and nights, Ratan Tata stood outside the hotel in solidarity with his staff and hundreds of guests who were under siege inside. In the
three years that followed the deadly attacks, Ratan Tata grew his company's revenue to more than $100 billion. In 2012, he brought Starbucks to India
after inking a partnership with the U.S. coffee giant.
Tata dedicated much of his fortune to philanthropy.
TATA: The wealth we have created from our companies, it goes back into education, medical, alleviation of poverty or rural development.
KINKADE: Ratan Tata's lasting impact on business and philanthropy both in India and the world will be his legacy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And that is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta. We of course will be tracking Hurricane Milton over the coming hours as it
makes landfall on the Florida coast. Before that, "Quest's World of Wonder" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I'm Richard Quest. I love traveling the world. Broaden the mind, open the heart.
It really is quite something to see all this.
[16:45:01]
And I'm not done yet.
It's time to embrace new adventures. Find the fun. Seize the moments.
Spectacular.
In this WORLD OF WONDER.
Glorious.
The last time I was in Melbourne was the summer of 1992. Thirty odd years later, and I'm back, this time in the colder months.
Melbourne sits in the southeast corner of the Great Southern Land. It's Australia's second largest city, second only to Sydney, of course.
The great city debates. L.A., San Francisco, London, Paris, Sydney or Melbourne. Melbourne absolutely is the more cultured they would say. Here
they're about the arts.
KRANKY KEV, CAMERAMAN: What do you call people from Melbourne?
QUEST: I think Melbournites, are they?
KRANKY KEV: Is it not Melbournians?
QUEST: No, no, no.
Kranky Kev is down under with me.
People from Melbourne, Australia are commonly referred to Melburnians.
KRANKY KEV: Ask it, who's better, Melbourne or Sydney?
QUEST: Melbourne or Sydney? Well done, Meta. There eternal debate. Both are amazing cities. Melbourne, cultural capital, foodie paradise, coffee
culture. That's just what I said.
Did someone mention coffee?
Look at that.
KATE REID, LUNE FOUNDER AND CO-OWNER: Cheers.
QUEST: In a city known for its coffee culture, Kate Reid has taken the perfect cup of coffee, added a croissant, and turn it into a Melbourne
must-have. If anyone can rival my espresso nerdery, it is she. 21.3.
REID: You know what, I'm a perfectionist. So we're going to do this.
QUEST: Count to 20.
REID: Yes.
QUEST: In Melbourne, as in much of Australia, it is the flat white for which there is a particular penchant.
I love your wiggle.
REID: I like my wiggle, too.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: Can I have a go?
REID: Yes. That's what we're here for.
QUEST: All right.
KRANKY KEV: Show us your wiggle, Richard?
QUEST: There'll be no wiggling going on with me.
REID: Wait, hang on. You're not going to pour it straight into the cup.
QUEST: My barista skills got pretty good during the pandemic.
REID: See, it's not bad. I'm pretty impressed actually.
QUEST: It's very good.
REID: Hey.
QUEST: Your milk is absolutely much better.
REID: But made it to the nose.
KRANKY KEV: It's got a little bit. Just a little bit of Melbourne.
QUEST: You know who your friends are when you have a milk mustache. Never mind as my frothing met the Melbourne standard.
Coffee is nothing without a croissant which is the perfect pairing that Kate calls a moment of joy.
Is it really hard to make?
REID: Yes. It's why most people don't do it very well. So it's a three-day process. We create 27 layers of dough and butter within three millimeters
of pastry.
QUEST: Kate will no doubt outmaneuver me here hands down. She used to be a Formula One racing engineer until an experience in a French cafe inspired
her to change careers. She reversed engineered what the critics called the world's best croissant.
Let's do it.
REID: OK. Like this.
QUEST: Yes, I'm holding it like that.
REID: You're going to use your thumb and your forefinger, kind of like a heart to create a fortune cookie shape like that. Gently tip it over using
a fluttery motion, finishing with the noise, tucked just under, that slap is important.
KRANKY KEV: How many have you done, Richard?
QUEST: None. Zero. Zilch.
REID: Sorry. Yes, yes, yes. That's it. That's it.
QUEST: We've got a little bit. We've got it done.
REID: Yes, that's it. That's it.
QUEST: Not bad, Quest.
REID: If you're going to eat a croissant it's going to be 10 minutes out of the oven, which for me is the perfect moment.
QUEST: Look at that. It's beautiful.
[16:50:01]
REID: A looming croissant is 43 percent butter. Did you get a moment of joy for making it?
QUEST: Very much. Very much.
And back to that flat white that turns Melbourne a spot amongst the world's best.
REID: Good coffee is just ingrained in everyday culture for every single Melburnian now.
QUEST: It's not this pretentiousness.
REID: I think that that peak of pretentious specialty coffee has come and gone. And now it's just come down to a level of a really high standard
everywhere.
QUEST: Coffee and croissants. Me thinks Melbourne and me are going to get along just fine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: I'm in Australia, one of my favorite places. There's street busker playing some lovely music.
And of course coffee galore.
You're really kind. Thank you. Look at that. That's pretty.
Oh, look. What on earth is that car doing? Did you see the car in the left lane?
There's something peculiar happening on Melbourne's city center streets.
KRANKY KEV: Where's he come in?
QUEST: I don't know.
It's not immediately obvious, but watch closely.
No, he shouldn't be doing that. No, no, no.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: That could be an accident.
They are doing the hook turn.
And if you don't really know about the hook, you're hooked.
An intimidating road maneuver they say to keep traffic and trams flowing.
KRANKY KEV: Don't go in the hook.
QUEST: No, no, no.
The hook turn. When turning right, drivers pull into a separate box on the far left and wait. Only when the light changes can you make your turn and
cross all lanes of traffic.
KRANKY KEV: For those who are about to hook, we salute you.
QUEST: We got a hook coming up. The hook.
KRANKY KEV: How can you tell?
QUEST: Wait, wait, light. So the light has gone red. Start his move. They move. Start his move. And it works. This is more excitement than humans
should be allowed.
Leave it to Australia's capital of culture to expect sophistication even with its traffic rules.
Having survived the hook turn, I'm headed outside the city. I'm off to meet some new friends.
Look at those claws. Is it going to climb?
Kevin, he's doing it.
I've carved out two hours southeast of Melbourne to Phillip Island. It was going to be a quick stop and then fell in love.
I recognize that move. That was all too much like hard work.
KRANKY KEV: What happened?
QUEST: Look at the stretch really on the particular round.
KRANKY KEV: The scratch.
QUEST: Another scratch. And then.
Koalas eat a little and sleep a lot. So when they move, I'd better move fast to watch.
Look at this.
I've been to Phillip Island once before back on that visit in 1992. Then I had encounters that have stayed with me decades.
[16:55:09]
I have returned to see again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now they're forming their groups in the water and we'll usually hear that before we see them.
QUEST: Have really your eye nor your ear.
Every night at dusk for centuries Mother Nature has hosted a grand parade.
This is incredibly exciting.
And like clockwork, the stars of the show arrive.
Look at them. And look at it. Take a look. There they go. You go, boys. They are just adorable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You see which are more brave and which are more shy. Their body language is a bit lower.
QUEST: The little penguins waddle and strut all the way up the beach. Phillip Island is home to the largest colony in the world, somewhere around
40,000 of these comical, cute, little penguins live here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're having a little look for their land box, which why do I want to go?
QUEST: They stay out at sea fishing for days, sometimes weeks, and each night some of them come ashore to return to their burrows to rest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're so clumsy and ridiculous, I think that's why we like penguins because they're clumsy. They're relatable.
QUEST: It's just --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never gets old.
QUEST: It really doesn't.
I was in my 20s when I first experienced the penguin parade. I am now in my 60s and still relishing every moment of this event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can't leave here grumpy no matter what. You're looking at penguins. It's great.
QUEST: Once again, I'm bowled over by Australia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper, and we start this hour with breaking news and a brand new forecast for Hurricane Milton,
which is just hours away from landfall.
END
