ISLAND.
MEANTIME, THE NIGHTMARE IN THE
BAHAMAS ESCALATES.
AT LEAST 80 PEOPLE NOW CONFIRMED
DEAD.
HUNDREDS STILL MISSING.
30 PEOPLE DEAD.
I MEANT TO SAY 30.
THE COUNTRY'S TOP HEALTH
OFFICIAL SAYS THE FINAL BODY
COUNT COULD BE, ACCORDING TO
HIM, STAGGERING.
MORTICIANS ARE ON THE GROUND
EMBALMING BODIES BECAUSE THEY
DON'T HAVE ENOUGH COOLERS TO FIT
THE STORM'S VICTIMS.
WE'RE HEARING MORE AND MORE
STORIES FROM SURVIVORS THAT WERE
ON THE ABACO ISLANDS WHERE THE
STORM SURGE WAS 23 FEET AND THE
WINDS 185 MILES AN HOUR GUSTING
HIGHER.
A MAN SAID HE WAS TREADING WATER
WITH HIS 5-YEAR-OLD SON TRYING
TO CLING TO THE ROOF OF THEIR
HOME WHEN A POWERFUL GUST BLEW
THE YOUNG BOY INTO THE RAGING
FLOOD WATERS.
THE FATHER SAYS HIS SON WAS
REACHING FOR ME AND CALLING ME,
"DADDY" AS THE STORM SWEPT HIM
AWAY.
OUR STEVE HARRIGAN IS ON THE
GROUND LIVE ON ABACO RIGHT NOW.
STEVE, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?
>> SHEPARD, I'M STANDING IN WHAT
USED TO BE A HOUSE HERE ON ABACO
ISLAND.
THE FOUNDATION IS LEFT WHAT USED
TO BE SOMEBODY'S NEIGHBORHOOD.
AS FAR AS I CAN SEE BEHIND ME
OFF TO THE RIGHT, OFF TO THE
LEFT, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT HERE.
IT'S AS IF SOMEONE TOOK A SNOW
GLOBE AND JUST SHOOK IT OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF
HURRICANE THAT JUST TEARS THE
ROOF OFF A HOUSE.
IT'S THE KIND OF HURRICANE THAT
HIT HERE WITH 185 MILES PER HOUR
WINDS FOR TWO DAYS.
YOU MENTIONED THE BODY COUNT.
THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE
DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE WHEN YOU
STAND HERE, YOU CAN SMELL
BODIES.
I CAN SEE DEAD DOGS FROM WHERE
I'M STANDING.
WHEN I WALK OVER THAT HILL TO A
CHURCH THERE, YOU CAN SEE DEAD
BODIES PROTRUDING FROM THE
ROCKS.
FLOATING IN THE SUN FOR SEVERAL
DAYS HERE.
AS FAR AS THE BODY COLLECTION,
WE'VE SEEN ONE STORAGE TRUCK
HOLDING BODIES AND POLICE WALK
THROUGH WITH MACHETES GUIDED BY
A SENSE OF SMELL TRYING TO FIND
MORE BODIES.
THIS WAS A VERY POOR AREA A LOT
OF HAITIANS HERE IN THIS TOWN ON
ABACO ISLAND.
SO IT'S -- YOU GET A SENSE THAT
PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY
PEOPLE WERE HERE.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE
ARE GONE.
NO ONE REALLY SEEMS TO BE
LOOKING FOR THEM VERY HARD.
WE DID SEE SOME REAL ACTS OF
COMPASSION AND CHARITY AT THE
PORT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE BAHAMAS
BRINGING THEIR OWN PRIVATE
BOATS.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A FLOTILLA OF
DESPERATE PEOPLE TRYING TO GET
OUT.
THEY'RE TAKING WOMEN AND
CHILDREN FIRST.
JUMP ON THE BOAT, NO BAGS.
AT LEASE YOU CAN GET OUT OF
ABACO ISLAND.
IT'S JUST A HELL WITH NOTHING.
WE'VE SEEN PICTURES OF HOUSES
HERE.
WE ASK PEOPLE WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
THEY SAY NOTHING.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING?
YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?
SO WHEN YOU GET IN DISCUSSIONS
WITH PEOPLE, SOMETIMES IT CAN
GET HEATED, VERY EMOTIONAL.
CERTAINLY PEOPLE THAT LOST
FAMILY MEMBERS, LOST HOUSES AND
WHO LOOK AROUND AT THIS
LANDSCAPE, WHICH IS COMPLETELY
CHANGED, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT
EMOTION.
PEOPLE BASICALLY DON'T KNOW
WHERE THEIR HOUSE WAS THIS IS
SUCH A JUMBLE AT THIS POINT,
SHEPARD.
.
>> Shepard: IS IT POSSIBLE FOR
YOU TO SHOW US AROUND THERE, THE
AREA WHERE YOU ARE?
>> LET'S GIVE A SLOW PAN AND
JUST TRY TO LOOK AT SOME OF WHAT
WE'RE SEEING HERE.
IT'S REALLY AN ENTIRE
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS GONE, THIS
IS THE WORST OF IT.
YOU'RE JUST SEEING FOUNDATION
AFTER FOUNDATION, CAR AFTER
RUINED CAR.
IN SOME OF THESE RUINED CARS,
WHICH HAVE BEEN FLIPPED OVER AND
BATTERED, YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE
SITTING INSIDE BECAUSE THAT'S
THE ONLY PLACE THEY HAD TO SIT.
YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE WALKING DOWN
THE STREET, CARRYING WHATEVER
ITEMS THEY HAVE.
GAS IS IN SHORT SUPPLY.
YOU BASICALLY -- WHATEVER YOU
HAVE, YOU'RE CARRYING ON YOUR
BACK OR IN A SHOPPING CART, IT'S
REALLY LIKE SCENES OUT OF MAD
MAX HERE.
THE TREES ARE DOWN.
THE SHIPPING CONTAINERS WERE
THROWN OVER FROM THE PORT.
SO EVERYTHING IS REALLY IN A
JUMBLE.
THE PEOPLE SEEM A LITTLE BIT
STUNNED.
IT SMELLS BAD HERE.
AS SOON AS YOU STAND HERE,
YOU'RE LIKE OH!
IF YOU'VE BEEN TO RWANDA DURING
THE GENOCIDE, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO
HAITI AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE, YOU
KNOW THAT SMELL.
RIGHT HERE ON ABACO ISLAND, YOU
HAVE THAT SMELL, SHEPARD.
>> Shepard: STEVE, I MUST ADMIT,
WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT YOU MADE
IT THERE TODAY, I WAS SO
RELIEVED BECAUSE YOU EXPERIENCED
THE THINGS YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT
FOR DECADES.
YOU'VE BEEN IN WAR ZONES AND
NATURAL DISASTERS.
THOUGH WE'VE SEEN THE PICTURES,
WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A
FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT.
I WAS HOPING YOU COULD BE THERE.
>> THANKS, SHEPARD.
WHEN YOU SEE IT, IT'S DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN READ AN A.P. BODY
RECORD.
BUT WHEN YOU GO TO THE BAPTIST
CHURCH 500 YARDS AWAY AND YOU
SEE ARMS AND LEGS STICKING OUT
OF THE STONES -- PEOPLE WHO WERE
PROBABLY TRYING TO TAKE REFUGE
IN A CHURCH AND THEY'RE DEAD.
THEY'RE STILL SITTING THERE.
YOU GET A FEELING THERE'S A LACK
OF URGENCY.
ONE BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT TO
REACH.
BUT THESE ARE THE POOREST OF THE
POOR.
THEY'RE DEAD.
NOBODY KNOWS WHO THEY ARE AND
HOW MANY THERE ARE.
THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A LOT
OF URGENCY TO TRY TO FIND THEIR
BODIES AND GIVE THEM A BURIAL.
>> Shepard: NOT TO CAST A
ASPERSIONS, WHAT IS STRIKING
FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY, YOU
DON'T SEE ANYONE OUT THERE
TRYING TO GET ANYTHING DONE.
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT
IF ANYONE IS IN CHARGE OR
WHEN --
>> NO, NO.
I TELL YOU, I SAW GOOD THINGS.
I SAW PEOPLE GETTING ON BOATS,
PEOPLE TRYING TO ESCAPE THIS.
THIS IS BASICALLY A HOT TIN PAN
OF DESTRUCTION AND DEAD BODIES.
PEOPLE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET
OUT OF HERE AS FAST AS THEY CAN.
WE'VE SEEN HELICOPTER PILOTS
FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD
CARRYING PEOPLE OFF THAT WERE
EITHER SO WEAK OR SO TRAUMATIZED
THEY CAN'T EVEN WALK.
SO WE HAVE SEEN HEROISM.
KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS A TOUGH
PLACE TO GET TO.
THE AIRPORTS ARE DOWN.
THE HARBORS HAVE SUNKEN VESSELS
IN THEM.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, FOR A DISASTER
OF THIS LEVEL, IT'S DEAD QUIET
HERE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE A PLAY ON
WORDS.
BUT YOU WOULD THINK THERE'S
BULLDOZERS AND ACTIVITY.
IT GETS WORSE.
>> Shepard: WE HEAR BY BOAT IT'S
NOT FAR.
YOU WONDER IF THERE'S ISN'T -- I
CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE
THAT HAVE --
>> YEAH.
IT'S A HARD THING TO DO.
IT'S HARD THING TO TALK TO
PEOPLE.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, EVERYONE HAS
BEEN THROUGH THE SAME SITUATION
HERE.
THE GUY WHO IS DRIVING US
AROUND, WE FOUND HIM.
YOU'RE ALMOST HESITANT TO SAY
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
DOING WELL?
YOU KNOW, I SWAM TO SAFETY WITH
MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN IN MY
ARMS.
YOU KNOW, HE'S DRIVING US
BECAUSE HE NEEDS MONEY RIGHT
NOW.
HE'S BEEN THROUGH HELL.
JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HERE HAS.
WE'RE JUST SEEING THEM WALK AND
PICK THROUGH AND SEE WHAT THEY
CAN FIND HERE.
I'M LOOKING AT SOME OLD CLOTHES,
TOILETS, SOME LOOSE SHOES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF
HURRICANES, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF
STORMS.
TO SEE IT JUMBLED LIKE THIS,
BASICALLY TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN IS
A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF
DESTRUCTION.
IT'S HARD TO SEE HOW THIS GETS
BACK TO ANY SENSE OF NORMALCY
HERE FOR SOME TIME TO COME,
SHEPARD.
>> Shepard: YOU WERE OVER IN
NASSAU.
THERE'S MOUNTING EFFORTS FROM
THERE.
IS THERE A FLOTILLA THAT WILL
COME OR -- I'M TRYING TO GET A
SENSE OF HOW THE FUTURE MIGHT BE
BETTER IN SOME WAY TO CLEAN IT
UP AND BURY PEOPLE.
>> I THINK WE'VE SPOKEN TO SOME
PEOPLE HERE ON THE GROUND WHO
HAVE REALLY EXPRESSED THEIR
GRATITUDE TO THE U.S. COAST
GUARD WHOSE PILOTS HAVE BEEN
FLYING AROUND THE CLOCK TO
AIRLIFT THE SICKEST AND THE
WEAKEST AND THE MOST INJURED OUT
OF HERE.
THAT BEING SAID, A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHOSE MEDICATIONS HAVE RUN OUT.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HELICOPTERS
TAKING THEM IN AND OUT.
WE'VE SEEN VOLUNTEERISM FROM
BAHAMIANS BRINGING THEIR BOATS,
THROWING FOOD ON SHORE AND
TAKING PEOPLE ON BOARD.
THE NEED IS HUGE.
THE NEED IS DRAMATIC.
IT'S JUST TOO QUIET.
THESE PEOPLE ARE TOO DESPERATE.
WE'VE SEEN HOW THIS STORY PLAYS
OUT WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE FOOD,
DON'T HAVE WATER.
THINGS CAN SPIRAL BADLY QUICKLY.
I GET THE REAL SENSE THAT HELP
IS ON THE WAY.
IT'S NOT AS URGENT AS ANYBODY
WOULD LIKE.
WE SAW PEOPLE MAPPING OUT THE
FLOOR OF THE OCEAN NEAR THE
PORT.
I EXPECT WE'LL SEE LARGER SHIPS
IN.
I EXPECT WE'LL SEE PLANES IN ON
THE RUNWAY.
BUT RIGHT NOW, LET'S STICK WITH
WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
WE'RE SEEING ZERO HERE.
WE'RE SEEING A FEW HELL
CONTINUERS AND WE'RE SEEING DEAD
BODIES, ARMS AND LEGS STILL
PROTRUDING SIX DAYS AFTER A
STORM, SHEPARD.
>> Shepard: STEVE HARRIGAN AND
OUR PHOTOGRAPHER, BOTH VETERANS
OF THIS SHOWING US WHAT WE KNEW
WAS COMING.
IT'S JUST SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT
TO SEE IT ONCE ITS THERE.
TO ALL OF THAT'S THAT HAVE