I WANT TO GO LIVE RIGHT NOW TO FT. MYERS, FLORIDA, WHICH IS
JUST GETTING INUNDATED WITH WATER RIGHT NOW.
YOU HEARD JENNIFER MENTION HOW NAPLES WAS ALREADY SEEING A
RECORD STORM SURGE, THAT IS SOUTH OF FT. MYERS.
FRANK LONI IS JOINING US AND WHO IS AN ARCHITECT FROM
CALIFORNIA WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN FT. MYERS WORKING AND HE TOOK
SOME VIDEO. THANKS FOR JUMPING ON THE LINE
WITH US. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT
YOU ARE SEEING? >> ABSOLUTELY.
THE STORM SURGE IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
WE'RE SEEING CARS AND BOATS FLOAT DOWN THE STREET.
WE'RE SEEING TREES NEARLY BENT IN HALF.
THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF CHAOS ON THE STREETS.
AND WINDS, SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD GUSTS THAT ARE WELL OVER 100
MILES PER HOUR. AND I'M SORRY IF I'M SPEAKING
VERY LOUD BECAUSE IT IS VERY HARD TO HEAR DUE TO ALL THE
NOISE OF THE DISASTER OUTSIDE. >> HARD TO SEE THESE IMAGES.
YOU TALK ABOUT CARS AND OTHER THINGS HUGE JUST FLOATING IN THE
STREET. AND SO DISTURBING.
>> YEAH, WOULD HE SEEING A STORM SURGE OF ABOUT 5 FEET HIGH ABOVE
GROUND LEVEL. AND IT IS TAKING GARBAGE
DUMPSTERS AND OTHER ITEMS -- >> AND WE'RE HEARING SOME PLACES
18 FEET. SO THREE TIME WHAT IS YOU ARE
SEEING THERE IN FT. MYERS RIGHT NOW.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CHAOS ON THE STREETS?
IN THER >> THERE ARE QUITE A FEW
UNFORTUNATELY HOMELESS PEOPLE SEEKING SHELTER AND ALMOST
APPEARS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND THEIR WAY INTO BILLIONS
THAT COULD AFFORD THEM SHELTER. I'M PERSONALLY IN A STEEL
REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING. AND SO WE ARE SAFE.
AND YOU ARE SEEING THE FOOTAGE TAKEN HERE FROM THE BALCONY
LOOKING TOWARDS THE EAST SIDE OF FT. MYERS BEACH.
YOU ARE SEEING IN THAT FOOTAGE THE BAY.
WAVES ARE THE GULF SIDE ARE INCREDIBLY HIGH AND SOMETHING
I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. >> AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE PEOPLE
UNDERSTOOD JUST HOW BAD THIS WAS GOING TO GET?
>> WE ARE HERE FOR THE AFTER MATH OF HURRICANE CHARLIE.
WE HAD EVACUATE DURING THAT STORM.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE RIGHT NOW APPEARS TO BE MUCH WORSE
DAMAGE THAN WHAT CHARLIE DID TO THIS ISLAND.
WE HAD TO EVACUATE THAT LAST HURRICANE AND THIS ONE APPEARS
TO BE MUCH GREATER STRENGTH. >> WHAT IS YOUR PLAN AS FAR AS
RIDING OUT THE STORM AND THEN WHAT?
>> WELL, WE KNOW THAT EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE SHUT DOWN TO THE
ISLAND, SO WE DID STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES.
WE HAVE WATER, UNPERISHABLE FOOD.
AND OUR PLAN IS TO JUST STAY IN THIS BUILDING AS LONG AS THE
STORM AND WINDS ARE THIS EXTREME, AND ONCE THINGS CALM
DOWN, WE'LL HEAD OUTSIDE AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT NEEDS
HELP. AND WE WON'T GO DO THAT UNTIL IT
APPEARS TO BE SAFE TO GO OUTSIDE.
AT THIS MOMENT IF I STEPPED OUTSIDE, I'D HAVE A DIFFICULT
TIME STANDING UP WITHOUT HOLDING ON TO A RAILING OR WALL.
YOU CAN'T STAND UP WITHOUT BEING TOSSED OR BLOWN AWAY.
BUT WE'LL RIDE IT OUT UNTIL THINGS CALM DOWN AND WE'LL GO --
I'M HERE WITH SOME FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AND WE'LL
SEE IF ANYONE NEEDS HELP ONCE IT PASSES OVER.
>> I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE
ENDURING AND YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE SAFE.
BUT IT DOES SOUND LIKE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN
FT. MYERS. FRANK, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU
HAVE LIMITED BATTERY LEFT ON YOUR CELLPHONE, SO I WON'T TAKE
MUCH MORE TIME. BUT ARE YOU CONCERNED AT ALL
ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS ASPECT OF ALL OF THIS?
>> YES, UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST POWER IN THIS BUILDING ABOUT AN
HOUR AGO AND THEY SHUT OFF THE WATER AS WELL BECAUSE I BELIEVE
THAT THE PUBLIC WATER HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED FROM THE STORM.
SO, YES, WE HAVE LIMITED POWER AND LIMITED BATTERY.
WE ARE PREPARED WITH SOME MEANS OF CHARGING OUR PHONES, YOU
AB -- BUT EVERYONE HAS TO SHARE THAT
RESOURCE AND GENERALLY WE'LL BE SAFE AND RIDE IT OUT WITHOUT ANY
ISSUES. >>> I'M IN TAMPA WHERE IT IS
POURING BUT SOUTH OF HERE THE PROBLEM IS STORM SURGE, THE
LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM. IN NAPLESS ABOUT 150 MILES
SOUTH, WE JUST GOT THESE PICTURES IN FROM THE NAPLES
POLICE FORCE. YOU CAN SEE THE STORM SURGE,
RECORD STORM SURGE ALL RIGHT THIS NAPLES.
5 TO 7 FEET AND IT COULD GET WORSE.
JUST DEVASTATING, INUNDATING THE CITY OF NAPLES WHICH IS WHY YOU
CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE DECLARED A CURFEW, THEY WANT
PEOPLE INSIDE AND STAYING INSIDE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE
BECAUSE THE SITUATION IS TOO DANGEROUS AS THE HURRICANE
BEGINS TO MAKE LANDFALL. THE HIGH HAS EYE HAS TO GET HAL
OVER BEFORE IT GETS BETTER. AND BILL WEIR, I KNOW THAT YOU
ARE BRACING FOR IT AS WELL. AS YOU SAY IAN IS HERE.
>> Reporter: YEAH, IT IS RECALL HOWLING.
WE'RE IN THIS PARKING GARAGE AND THE WINDS ARE CIRCLING AROUND.
AND I'LL HAVE TO ASK THEM TO TURN UP THE CAMERA MIC.
AND YOU CAN HEAR THE TRAIN HUM THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT AFTER
THEY HAVE RIDDEN OUT A STORM OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
YOU CAN SEE THE POWER. THERE PALM TREE IS THE MEMORIAL
FOR HURRICANE CHE THATTERLY WHO CHARLIE, TOOK 15 LIVES AND
DESTROYED 11,000 HOMES. AND AS A RESULT, THERE WILL
ANOTHER BE ANOTHER HURRICANE NAMED CHARLIE.
THEY RETIRED HAD NAME. AND I WILL BET YOU A DOLLAR THAT
THEY WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER HURRICANE NAMED IAN.
I'M SO WORRIED FOR THE PEOPLE WHO EITHER COULDN'T LEAVE OR
WOULDN'T LEAVE BECAUSE, YEAH, THE WIND MAKES FOR DRAMATIC
PICTURES, BUT IT IS THE BLOWING WATER THAT WILL MAKE THE MOST
DIFFERENCE TO THE PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR THE NEXT FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
WHEN THIS WIND DIES, SUBJECT COMES OUT, THE NIGHTMARE IS JUST
BEGINNING FOR A LOT OF THESE FOLK.
THEN COMES THE FLOODING WATER AND THE MOLD PROBLEMS AND THE
LOST DAYS OF WORK. THIS STORM WILL HURT, JOHN.
ALL YOU CAN TO IS JUST HOPE FOR MINIMUM, MINIMUM BLOOD, SWEAT
AND TEARS. I'LL HAVING TROUBLE STANDING UP.
I CAN'T TELL WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING TO ME OR NOT.
>> IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, IS THE WATER ALREADY A PROBLEM?
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT IS GOING ON?
ALL RIGHT. BILL WEIR OIG, YOU CAN GET A
SENSE OF THE POWER. THE WIND AND STRENGTH AND IT IS
REALLY JUST THE FRONT EDGE OF IAN AS IT BEGINS TO MAKE
LANDFALL. WIND GUSTS UPWARDS OF
100-MILE-PER-HOUR OR MORE AND IT COULD GET WORSE THAN THAT.
TO BILL AND HIS TEAM, PLEASE STAY SAFE.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE VICE MAYOR OF VENICE, FLORIDA.
NOT TERRIBLY FAR FROM WHERE BILL IS.
IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
>> BASICALLY WE'RE SEEING PRETTY STRONG GUSTS RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF UP ROOTED TREES. WE LOST POWER HERE ON THE
NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET
EVERYBODY TO SHELTERS AND WE'RE PRETTY MUCH AT THAT POINT
THOUSAND WHERE EVERYONE IS SHELTERING IN PLACE AND WE'RE
JUST KIND OF HUNKERED DOWN READY TO GO FOR THE STORM.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT, GREAT PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM, OUR PUBLIC WORKS
DEPARTMENT IS READY TO GO AS SOON AS THE STORM PASSES WE'LL
BE OUT EN MASSE TO CLEAR THE ROADS AND GET OUR CITY BACK UP
AND RUNNING. WE DO HAVE TACTICAL TEAMS READY
TO GO. AND SO WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING
THAT WE CAN TO PREPARE FOR IT AND NOW JUST TIME TO SIT AND
PRAY AND HOPE THAT WE ALL COME OUT OF IT IN GOOD SHAPE.
>> WE'RE GETTING WORD ARE NAPLES OF STORM SURGE ALREADY AROUND 7
FEET. HOW MUCH OF THAT ARE YOU SEEING
AT THIS POINT? >> WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING SOME
IN- INLAND FLOODING.
KIND OF SEEING A LOT OF THE REVERSE WHERE THE WATER HAS BEEN
PULLING BACK SO I IMAGINE AT SOME POINT WE'LL START SEEING
THE SURGE. WE HAVE ALL OF THE CREWS LOCKED
DOWN BECAUSE THE WIND GUSTS. SO I'M SURE THAT WE'LL BE SEEING
SOME MORE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT ONCE WE GET CREWS OUT IN THE
FIELD. >> AND YOUR MESSAGE FOR THE
PEOPLE OF VENICE RIGHT NOW? >> MOST IMPORTANTLY, JUST BE
SAFE. DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES WITH YOUR
LIVES. IF YOU ARE SHELTERING, STAY
SHELTERED IN PLACE. HUNKER DOWN, DON'T GO OUT INTO
THE STORM PRP . IT CAN MAKE GREAT PICTURES BUT
PICTURES AREN'T WORTH YOUR LIFE. SO PLEASE MAKE SAFETY EASIER BY
STAYING WHERE YOU ARE. AND IF THE EYEWALL GETS TO US,
YOU WILL FEEL THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.
BUT STAY INSIDE BECAUSE IT IS NOT OVER.