IF LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST THI COULD BE THE AREA.
>> LET'S GO RIGHT TO THE MAYOR OF ROCKPORT RIGHT NOW.
HE'S ON THE LINE. C.J. WAX.
MAYOR WAX, HAVE YOU HEARD THESE REPORTS?
>> YES, I HAVE. >> WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
THEM? >> ABOUT WHAT YOU'D EXPECT FROM
A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ARRIVING AT YOUR FRONT DOOR WITH 130 KNOT
WINDS. THERE'S WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION.
WE HAD BUSINESSES AND HOMES THAT ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, AND
CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED
SIGNIFICANTLY. MY TEAM THAT WAS IN THE PUBLIC
WORKS CENTER WAS HUNKERED DOWN. I HEARD SOME OF YOUR COVERAGE
PRIOR TO THIS. WE HAD ABOUT 26, 20 PEOPLE IN
THERE, IN A HURRICANE RESISTANT BUILDING THAT HAD JUST LEFT THAT
STRUCTURE FOR THE FIRST TIME, ABOUT 30 MINUTES AGO.
WE STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT WIND AND RAIN EVENTS GOING ON.
WE HAVE CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS THAT ARE OUT TRYING TO ASSESS
THE DAMAGE AND DETERMINE WHAT IS NEEDED TO BEGIN THE RECOVERY
PROCESS, BUT IT IS STILL TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS AND
BLINDING RAIN, AND NOW THE BAD PART IS, THIS STORM IS STALLING,
AND IT IS THEN GOING TO RETURN BACK TOWARD THE NORTH AND EAST,
WHICH WILL PUT ROCKPORT ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE AGAIN AS IT
EXITS AND GOES BACK OUT TO THE GULF, IF IT STAYS ON THAT LONG.
WE'RE ANTICIPATING HIGH WINDS FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY, AND
FLOODING RAINS POSSIBLY AS LONG AS TUESDAY.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF 10,000 PEOPLE, WHEN THIS ALL BEGAN.
WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REMAINED BEHIND.
WE DID HAVE A REFUGE OF LAST RESORT THAT HAD ABOUT 24 PEOPLE
IN IT. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TRIED TO
SHELTER IN PLACE. WE HOPE THEY ARE SAFE.
THEY DO NOT KNOW. I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONFIRMED
DEATHS BUT THAT MAY BE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE
TEAMS OUT TO ASSESS. >> SO YOU'RE SAYING THEY FIRST
GOT OUT ABOUT 30 MINUTES AGO. WHAT IS THE POWER SITUATION AS
FAR AS YOU KNOW? WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN TERMS
OF BEING ABLE TO GET AROUND THE ROADS EITHER AS A RESULT OF
FLOODING OR TREES DOWN OR POWER LINES DOWN?
CAN YOUR TEAMS MAKE IT AROUND ROCKPORT?
>> ALL OF THEIR UTILITIES ARE DISRUPTED, CELLULAR SERVICE
IS -- MAJOR PORTIONS OF CELLULAR SERVICE IS DISRUPTED.
INTERNET OF COURSE IS DOWN. ALL OF THOSE UTILITIES ARE
SIGNIFICANTLY DISRUPTED ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DISRUPTED
THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. OTHER AREAS AROUND US, I HAVE NO
REPORTS ON AND HAVE NOT BEEN IN CONTACT OUTSIDE OF ANYBODY ON MY
OWN TEAM. >> I HEARD A REPORT IN YOUR HIGH
SCHOOL IN TOWN HAS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OF THE
STRUCTURES. CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT AND DO YOU
HAVE ANY OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS? IS THAT THE ONLY ONE IN TOWN?
>> THIS IS ONE CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS
ADJACENT TO IT, AND THEN WE HAVE THREE OTHER PRIMARY LEARNING
CENTERS. ONE OF THE PRIMARY CENTERS WAS
OUR REFUGE OF LAST RESORT FOR OUR CITIZENS.
OUR SECOND ONE WE COULD HAVE USED IF NECESSARY.
THE HIGH SCHOOL SUSTAINED DAMAGE.
I HAVE THAT REPORT FROM THEIR SECURITY FORCES.
WE ALSO HAD A HOTEL WHERE A WALL COLLAPSED, BUT THOSE ARE --
THERE'S SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE
COMMUNITY. >> MAYOR, HAVE YOU HEARD ANY
REPORTS THAT YOUR FORCES, YOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND
POLICE ARE GOING TO GET OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE?
IS THERE ANY WORD OF THE NATIONAL GUARD OR FEMA OR THE
COAST GUARD SENDING PEOPLE IN? >> I HAVE NOT HEARD YET, AND I
CANNOT CONFIRM THIS, BUT I AM TOLD THAT THE ROADS LEADING IN
TO ROCKPORT ARE CURRENTLY FLOODED AND IMPASSABLE.
>> IF YOU GET HELP, IT HAS TO BE FROM THE AIR OR THE SEA?
>> RIGHT NOW, AND COMING IN FROM THE SEA IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
>> WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR CREWS THE SAME THING, THAT YOU CAN'T
GET IN. I WANT TO GIVE OUR VIEWERS A
SENSE OF WHERE ROCKPORT IS. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT AS CLOSE TO THE POINT AT
WHICH THIS HURRICANE MADE LAND FALL.
>> THE EYE OF THE STORM WENT ON TOP OF OUR CITY AT 11:30 LAST
NIGHT. >> MAYOR, THERE'S A BUNCH OF
TOWNS SOUTH OF YOU DOWN THE PENINSULA.
HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ANY OF THOSE MAYORS?
>> I HAVE NOT. >> OKAY.
WE WISH YOU THE BEST. I KNOW YOUR GUYS ARE OUT THERE
RISKING THEIR LIVES AND TRYING TO SAVE LIVES.
WE WISH YOU THE BEST. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THAT'S THE MAYOR OF