>> AND NOW, GOING TO CHARLESTON
WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS WAITING, AND WE HAVE MIGUEL MARQUEZ THERE,
AND THE HIGH TIDE JUST AS THE HURRICANE IS SET TO COME ASHORE,
AND WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? >> YEAH, IT IS PRETTY MISERABLE
RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS THE WORST THAT WE HAVE SEEN.
THE WINDS ARE REALLY STARTING TO DUST UP, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
RAIN COMING IN, AND PUSHED BY THE WIND.
WHEN IT IS STARTS TO HURT YOUR FACE AND FEEL IT THROUGH THE
CLOTHING, YOU KNOW IT IS BAD. THIS IS WHAT SOME OF THE BAY IS
LOOKING LIKE, AND THE TIDE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS HIGH AS
THEY THOUGHT EARLIER. IT IS FORECAST TO BE OVER 9 FEET
TODAY, BUT THEY ARE BELIEVING IT IS GOING TO BE 7 1/2 FEET.
ONE BIT FOR CHARLESTON, IT IS LOOKING LIKE THE STORM IS GOING
TO PASS TO THE EAST, AND IT IS GOING TO PUSH IT OUT MORE INTO
THE OCEAN, SO THIS STREET IS BLOCKED OUT HERE, AND SOME FOLKS
ARE OUT AND ABOUT, AND THIS IS NOT A TERRIBLE STORM FOR CH
CHARLESTON SO FAR, AND THERE IS POWER OUT TO SOME PEOPLE IN
DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT IT IS LOW COUNTRY, SO THEY ARE USED TO IT.
THEY ARE NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING CERTAINLY AS BAD AS FLORIDA HAS
SEEN, BUT THEY ARE ON ALERT. RIGHT NOW, IT IS SOME OF THE
WORST OF IT. THEY ARE EXPECTING THAT THEY MAY
SEE SOME FLOODING IN THIS AREA, AND OTHER PARTS OF CHARLESTON,
BUT RIGHT NOW, EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH THIS STORM.
CLEARLY THE WIND IS PICKING UP RIGHT NOW, AND THEY ARE GOING TO
WAIT IT OUT. THEY ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO STAY
HOME, AND ENJOY THE DAY IN THE WARMTH OF YOUR OWN HOME.
>> AND MIGUEL, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, AND IF FOR ANY REASON THAT
YOU NEED TO GO, PLEASE DO SO, AND CHARLESTON IS USED TO
ROUTINE FLOODING AFTER HEAVY RAIN, AND IF FOR SOME REASON
COMPLACENCY SETS IN AND WE WILL RIDE IT OUT LIKE THE LAST ONE,
WHAT IS YOUR SENSE? >> IT IS ALWAYS A FEAR, BUT
BECAUSE OF HOW HARD THIS STORM HIT FLORIDA, PEOPLE ARE ON A
HIGHER ALERT. THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR MUCH
OF THE DAY. THIS IS THE WORST OF WHAT WE
HAVE SEEN IN THIS STORM SO FAR. WE DO SEE A FEW PEOPLE COMING
DOWN HERE TO SORT OF LOOK AROUND.
BUT THE WATER HAS NOT COME UP NEARLY AS QUICKLY AS THEY
THOUGHT IT WOULD, AND SO FAR, CHARLESTON SEEMS TO BE DOING
OKAY, BUT WE SEEM TO BE IN THE WORST OF THE STORM THAT
CHORCHORLZ T
-- CHARLESTON IS GOING TO BE SEEING.
>> AND THANK YOU, MIGUEL MARQUEZ.
AND WE HAVE CHAD MYERS STANDING BY, AND YOU HAVE SEEN MIGUEL
MARQUEZ THERE, AND YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT TIME AFTER TIME AFTER
TIME, AND HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE RAIN COMING IN SIDEWAYS.
WHERE IS HE IN TERMS OF THE ENCOUNTER WITH IAN?
>> HE IS JUST TO THE WEST OF IAN WHICH IS LIKELY SAVED DAMAGES IN
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR CHARLESTON, BECAUSE THE 5:00
A.M. FORECAST WAS FOR THE SURGE, THE TIDE TO GET TO 9 FEET.
CHARLESTON IS FLOODING AT 6 1/2, AND SO YES, WE WILL FLOOD AT A
FOOT, BUT NOT 2 1/2 FEET INTO ALL OF THE HOMES REALLY IN THE
DOWNTOWN. SOME SANDBAGS CAN TAKE CARE OF
THAT. IT IS STILL AN 85-MILE-AN-HOUR
STORM, AP IT IS STILL GOING TO BE MOVING IN SHORE OF THE LOW
COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND LIKELY CLOSE TO GEORGETOWN AND
BIG CITY AND BIG TOWN RIGHT THERE ALONG THE MARSHES THOUGH,
SO AS THE RAIN IS CONTINUING TO COME IN AND PUSHES THE WATER IN,
AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKIING AT THE MERLES ISLANDS, AND THE GOATS
ARE APPARENTLY NOT AS HARD TO EVACUATE AS PEOPLE.
THEY GOT RIGHT IN. AND SO, SOME OF THIS IS GOING TO
BE FLOODING FOR 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN AND PUT DOWN 2 TO 3 FEET
WORTH OF SURGE IN PARTS OF NORTH CAROLINA, AND THAT IS SOMETHING
TO BE CONCERNED WITH. AND THE WINDS WILL GUST INTO
HURRICANE STRENGTH FROM MYRTLE BEACH TO GARDEN CITY ALL OF THE
WAY TO CHERRY GROVE. HERE IS THE WINDFIELD BLOWING
AGAIN, AND IT IS GOING TO BE BLOWING INTO THE CAROLINAS AND
GET THE TREES DOWN INTO VIRGINIA FOR SURE LIKELY, AND BELIEVE IT
OR NOT, JOHN, THIS IS GOING TO START TO RAIN IN NEW YORK CITY
TOMORROW MORNING, AND IT IS GOING TO BE ALL OF THE WAY NORTH
HERE. THIS IS THE LATEST FORECAST BY
THE RADAR MOVING UP FROM RALEIGH TO SHORT, AND WHEN THE CELLS GET
HERE, THERE IS WIND 40 TO 50 MILES PER HOUR FROM NORTH
CAROLINA, VIRGINIA AND POSSIBLY UP TO INTO, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA,
DELMARVA AND WITH THE BIGGER CELLS THE WIND WILL COME IN.
AND ANOTHER THING TO SHOW YOU, EARTH CAM FROM MYRTLE BEACH.
EARLIER, THE TIDE IS WAY OUT HERE, AND NOW WITH THE HIGH TIDE
AND THE SURGE RIGHT UP TO THE MARSH AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT
THE PICTURES COMING IN FROM SURF SIDE, AND COMING IN FROM GARDEN
CITY, THE WATER IN THE STREETS RIGHT NOW, OVER THE TOP OF THE
DUNES, BECAUSE THE DUNES DOWN THERE IN THE LOWER PART OF THE
LOW COUNTRY OF THE GRAND STRAND A LOT LOWER DOWN THERE, AND THE
WATER IS OVER THE TOP OF SOME OF THOSE DUNES.
>> CHAD, A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE, AND LET ME ASK YOU, WHEN IT HIT
SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA, AND WE HAVE ALL OF THE HEAVY DAMAGE OF
SANIBEL, AND YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT COAST, THE JAGGED
COAST OF THE ATLANTIC, AND NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND IT HAS
CROSSED THE FLORIDA PENINSULA, BUT YOU HAVE MORRIS ISLAND TO
THE SOUTH, AND THE ISLAND OF PALMS GOING UP, AND THE INLETS
AND THE RIVERS AND HOW DOES IT COMPLICATE THINGS?
DOES THAT AREA HELP TO PROTECT THE COAST OR DOES THE WATER
RESUPPLY POTENTIALLY DAMAGING TO THE COAST?
>> DUE TO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE BUILD ALONG THE INTERCOASTAL,
WATER IS COMING IN FROM THE OTHER SIDE, AND SO, YES, IT DOES
HELP HELP, BUT YOU HAVE TO STAY AWAY
AND AS THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LIVE BY THE WATER, NOT BUILD SO
CLOSE. >> THANK YOU, CHAD.
WE WILL KEEP YOU CLOSE THROUGHOUT THE NEXT FEW HOURS
AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND. >>> AND AS SOUTH CAROLINA IS
WAITING, FLORIDA IS SUFFERING. OUR JOHN BERMAN TOOK TOUR IN
PLACES WHERE BUSINESSES STOOD JUST DAYS AGO.
>> ALL OF THE DEBRIS IS LITTERED EVERYWHERE.
THIS WERE BUILDINGS RIGHT THERE? >> THERE WERE BUILDINGS,
RESTAURANTS AND WHAT USED TO BE THE FORT MYERS PIER.
THE EMPTY SPOTS THERE WERE HOMES.
>> I AM SORRY, SO THESE, THESE ON THIS BEACH HERE, THIS WERE
HOMES? >> THESE EMPTY LOTS, RIGHT
THERE, THOSE LOTS WERE HOMES. THOSE WERE HOTELS, AND THOSE
WERE REAL PROPERTY, TWO, THREE, FOUR OR FIVE-STORIES HIGH WASHED
AWAY. >> RANDI KAYE IS THERE IN FORT
MYERS, FLORIDA, AND RANDI, IT IS DEVASTATING TO SEE JOHN BERMAN'S
VIEW FROM ABOVE, AND YOU ARE AT THE GROUND LEVEL AND SEEING MORE
OF IT. >> YES, WE CERTAINLY ARE, JOHN.
WE ARE AT FORT MYERS BEACH AND JUST BEHIND ME, YOU ARE SEEING
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN ALONG THE WAY, AND CAPTAIN TONY'S FISHING
ADVENTURES IS A POPULAR TOURISM BOAT, AND MEANWHILE, IT IS ON
GROUND, AND PUSHED OUT OF THE GULF AND ON TO DRYLAND.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS ANOTHER BOAT BEHIND IT, THE
SMALLER BOAT, AND THE TRAILER, AND THE SMALLER BOAT WAS ON THE
TRAILER, AND ALL OF IT WAS PUSHED ON TO DRY LAND, AND THEN
THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER BOATS BEHIND THERE, AND BOTH OF THEM
ARE 50 TONS, ACTUALLY. WE SPOKE TO THE OWNER, AND THIS
IS HIS BUSINESS AND IT WAS LIKE A FLOATING HOTEL, AND HE
ACTUALLY RODE THE STORM OUT ON ONE OF THE BOATS WHICH NOW HAS A
GIANT HOLE IN IT, AND HE WAS ON IT AS HE WAS CARRIED TO DRYLAND,
AND WE SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER. >> IT WAS WINDY AND A LOT OF
RAIN OBVIOUSLY. IT WASN'T JUST -- WE HELD OUR
OWN FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL ABOUT 3:00 OR SO, AND WE KEPT THE BOAT
IN THE SLIP WITH THE ENGINES AND THEN THE TIDE CAME HIGH EAR AND
THE WINDS REALLY RAMPED UP, AND THE BOAT RELEASE AND WE CRUISED
ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. >> HE SAID IT WAS INCREDIBLE,
AND HE WAS NOT THAT SCARED BECAUSE THE BOAT WAS MADE OF
STEEL, AND HE DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE STORM WOULD THAT BE BAD, BUT
HE SAW THE BUILDINGS COLLAPSE INTO THE WATER, AND OTHERS THAT
HAD BEEN IN DRY LAND. AND THIS IS ALSO WHAT WE ARE
FINDING A MARINA THAT IS NOW SHATTERED AND RESTAURANTS THAT
ARE SHATTERED. WE SAW BOATS THAT ARE BASICALLY
THAT HAVE BEEN TOSSED AROUND LIKE TOYS IN THE TREES AND ON
THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE IS A BUNCH OF TWISTED
METAL AND BOATS DOWN THERE, AND WE ARE NOT FAR FROM THE GULF.
IF WE WENT THIS WAY, WE WOULD GO RIGHT ON TO THE ACTUAL BEACH OF
FORT MYERS WHICH JOHN BERMAN WAS FLYING OVER.
THERE IS SO MUCH DESTRUCTION AND SO MUCH DEBRIS IN THE ROAD THAT
THEY ARE TURNING PEOPLE BACK, JOHN.
THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF SOMEBODY IN HIS STORY TO TELL
THAT WE ARE SEEING ALONG THE WAY HERE IN FORT MYERS BEACH.
>> BEFORE I LET YOU GO, RANDI, I WILL WANT TO GET YOUR
PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND GOING OUT TO
BARRIER ISLAND AND THE CAUSEWAY DESTROYED AND THE PICTURES
COMING IN, AND WHETHER IT IS SANIBEL OR WHERE YOU ARE IN FORT
MYERS AND DAY ONE, DO WE NEED TO FIND PEOPLE AND RESCUE PEOPLE,
AND THE DAY TWO IS WHOA, AS YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE DEVASTATION
AND TRYING TO HAVE SOME CONTEXT AND THEN YOU TRY TO ADD IT UP,
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST, AND WHEN CAN
I GO HOME IF MY HOUSE IS NO LONGER THERE, AND WHAT DO YOU
SEE? >> ABSOLUTELY.
AND WE HAVE SEEN THIS STEADY STREAM OF TRAFFIC WHICH IS
PRETTY REMARKABLE, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL BEING TURNED AWAY WHEN
THEY GET TO THE BEACH. SOME OF THEM ARE CURIOUS PEOPLE,
AND THEY WANT TO SEE SOME OF THE DAMAGE, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE THE
HOMEOWNERS TO WANT TO GO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE HOMES
AND WHAT IS LEFT OF THEM CERTAINLY AT FORT MYERS BEACH,
AND THE BOAT OWNER, AND THE POWER COMPANY CAME BY, AND THE
POWER LINES ARE WHAT STOPPED HIS BOAT FROM GOING FURTHER TO WHERE
WE ARE ACROSS THE STREET. SO HE IS SITTING ON POWER LINES.
SO THERE IS SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE AND SO MANY QUESTIONS FROM
PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT IS NEXT, JOHN.