. WE APPRECIATE YOUR REPORTING.
>>> JOINING US BY PHONE, BILL NELSON OF FLORIDA.
MR. SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME THIS MORNING.
WE APPRECIATE IT. THE SUN IS UP OVER FLORIDA THIS
MORNING. 7:22 FLORIDA TIME.
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AS THE SUN RISES?
>> IT'S HOWLING OUTSIDE. WILLIE, FIRST LIGHT, THE HIGHEST
WINDS, MOTHER NATURE HAS A MIND OF HER OWN.
SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO UP THE WEST COAST NORTH OF FORT MYERS,
SHE SUDDENLY DECIDED OTHERWISE, CAME INLAND AND HEADED FOR
BETWEEN ORLANDO AND TAMPA, SO AT 1:30 IN THE MORNING WE WERE
GETTING WINDS OF 100 MILES PER HOUR, AND IT WAS HOWLING THEN,
LOW AND BEHOLD, IT IS STILL HOWLING NOW.
>> SO WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST CONCERNS RIGHT NOW, SENATOR?
OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED FURTHER
SOUTH. YOU STILL HAVE AN ACTIVE LIFE
THREATENING SITUATION IN NORTHERN FLORIDA NOW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. AND THIS STORM HAS COVERED UP
ALMOST THE ENTIRE STATE, EXCEPT FOR THE WESTERN PANHANDLE OUT
HERE PENSACOLA. SO IT'S GOING TO BE MASSIVE
DAMAGE. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF
PEOPLE DISPLACED. THERE ARE GOING TO BE MILLIONS
AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALREADY WITHOUT POWER.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO GET BACK TO NORMAL.
FEMA IS REALLY GOING TO HAVE A JOB, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THEY
STRETCHED TO TEXAS. NOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A HUGE
TASK IN FLORIDA. >> SENATOR NELSON, IT'S TOO
EARLY FOR AFTER ACTION REPORTS. THE SUN HAS ONLY JUST COME UP
AND WE'LL START TO SEE THE DAMAGE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS, FOR
EXAMPLE. AND OBVIOUSLY NO CAUSE FOR
CELEBRATION WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DAMAGE, BUT WHAT CAN YOU SAY?
WE TALKED TO TAMPA'S MAYOR ABOUT THE PREPARATION THAT GOT YOU
READY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA FROM YOUR OFFICE AND THAT OF THE
GOVERNOR AND MAYORS AND CITY COUNCILMEN UP THE COAST OF
FLORIDA. >> I AM VERY PROUD OF
FLORIDIANS. THERE WAS A SEAMLESS WORKING
TOGETHER BETWEEN FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS.
FROM THE PEOPLE'S STANDPOINT, THEY WERE PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE
IN THE SHELTERS, A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY NEAR NAPLES SUDDENLY
OPENED ITS GYMNASIUM FOR A NEXT DOOR AGRICULTURAL, VERY POOR
COMMUNITY IN FLORIDA. BROUGHT THOSE RESIDENTS IN ON
THAT UNIVERSITY'S OWN SO THEY COULD SHELTER.
THAT'S THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE.
I'M VERY PROUD OF FLORIDIANS. .
>> OBVIOUSLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL BE A BIG PART OF
THIS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS AND MONTHS OF REBUILDING.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FEDERAL AND STATE KROEL IN TERMS OF GETTING
THE CITIES BACK ON THEIR FEET? >> WELL, IT WAS WHITE KNUCKLE
TIME BEFORE THE STORM. FEMA WAS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY
LAST FRIDAY. FORTUNATELY WE GOT THE $15
BILLION PAST, BUT THAT'S ONLY GOING TO LAST A FEW WEEKS AND
THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO ANOTHER EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL
APPROPRIATIONS. AND THAT'S ONLY GOING TO LAST SO
LONG. SO THIS KIND OF COSTLY CLEANUP
AND TENDING TO THE STORM IN THE AFTERMATH, THAT'S GOING TO GO ON
FOR MONTHS. >> SENATOR BILL NELSON, SENIOR
SENATOR OF THE STATE OF FLORID