FORECAST AT IN MORE DETAIL AS WE
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.
RIGHT NOW I’LL HAND IT BACK
YOU TO GUYS. YOU.
>> THANK
SHE MENTIONED ROBERT ARNOLD
BEING THE SEASONED HURRICANE
REPORTER HE IS. WANT
WE TO CHECK BACK WITH HIM LAKE
LIVE IN CHARLES
MORNING. THIS GIVE
ROBERT, US A RUN-THROUGH OF
WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED OVERNIGHT
AND WHAT ARE CONDITIONS LIKE
RIGHT NOW. IT’S
>> Reporter: REALLY HOW
STUNNING LAURA BEEN ABLE HAS
TO RETAIN SO MUCH OF HER OF
STRENGTH.
A LOT THESE HURRICANES WE
SEE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE RIGHT
ALONG THE COAST IS THEY COME
HARD BUT THE IN MINUTE HIT THEY
LAND, LOSING THAT
STRENGTH, NICE WARM
LANDMASS KIND OF SUCKS SOME STRE
THE STORM. WITH
NOT LAURA. BEEN INCREDIBLE
IT’S TO SEE JUST
HOW CONSISTENTLY STRONG THE BEEN
WINDS HAVE THIS
WE’RE STILL
HURRICANE. SEEING THIS. STARTED
WE GETTING REALLY, STRONG
REALLY WINDS COMING IN
AROUND 11:30, MIDNIGHT AND HERE
WE ARE.
WE’RE STILL EXPERIENCING INTENSE
INCREDIBLY WINDS.
THAT’S WHY WE’VE SEEN DEBRIS
THROWN JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE
AROUND HERE.
IT’S ALSO A VERY STRANGE IN
SITUATION IS BECAUSE WE’RE
THE PARKING GARAGE, GENERATORS K
ARE LIGHTS ON BUT HEAR THINGS
YOU OUT THERE
THE METAL SOUNDS
CRASHING. CRASHING, OTHER
THINGS THAT YOU ARE NOT
SURE WHAT IT IS REALLY OR WHAT I
HITTING BUT YOU KNOW THERE’S OF
LOT TOSSED WITH ME AS
AROUND.
BEAR I WALK DOWN
HERE, I’M NOT SURE EVEN WHAT
THIS IS WITH YOU -- BUT THIS IS
ONE CAME IN THE UP
LAST HOUR.
THAT’S SOME BEING STUFF WRENCHED
OFF SIDE OF THE BUILDING. FROM
THE STREET LIGHT DOWN IN
THE PARKING LOT, THE
GENTLEMAN HELPED ME THANK YOU, F
WHAT OUT THAT IS.
THOSE ARE THE OF KIND THINGS
BEING PICKED UP AND TOSSED
THE HOTEL,
AROUND. THE GOLDEN NUGGET HAD OF
TAKEN ALL LARGE UMBRELLAS PUT TH
AND HERE, SMART
MOVE.
YOU CAN’T HAVE THEM EXPOSED ASTO
DURING LIKE THIS.
THEY’LL JUST GET TOSSED
EVERYWHERE AND CAUSE MORE
THE WIND EVEN HERE IN THE
DAMAGE. PICKED THEM
GARAGE, UP, TOSSED
THEM AROUND.
YOU SEE BARRIER GATES DONE. ENTI
THE SIDE, ALL THE SIDING
ON THIS OF THE PART GARAGE, BEEN
THAT’S RIPPED OFF. SEEN
WE’VE SOME OTHER BITS OF RIPPED
METAL OFF. SIGN DANGLING
THE THERE. THINGS WERE BOLTED IN
THOSE
THE CEILING ON THE THICK STEEL A
CABLE THAT
WRENCH OFF. SIGNS ON THE OTHER
THERE’S OTHER
SIDE OF THAT.
MY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER, BARREN
NICHOLLS, WE CAN AND WALK WE’LL
SEESHOW YOU, MANY OF WERE THEM
WRENCHED OFF.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE ABOUT HOW TH
WE WERE CONCERNED THE
YOU CAN
NIGHT. SEE HOW IT TWISTED ALL
THE STEEL CABLES.
MANY SIGNS ARE GONE.
THEY STAYED ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
THAT’S HOW RELEARNS -- HAS
RELENTLESS THIS BEEN.
THE TREE BRANCHES WENT EARLY.
WE SAW TREES PICKED CLEAN OF
LEAVES AND BRANCHES AS THE WINDS
JUST KEPT INTENSIFYING,
INTENSIFYING, INTENSIFYING.
WE STARTED SEEING
BRANCHES LARGER SNAP.
THOSE STARTED FLYING THROUGH THE
AREA. SEEN A LOT
WE’VE OF STYROFOAM
FROM WHAT IS CONCEIVABLY
SIGNS IN OTHER THE COME AREA DOW
SOME THINGS ON THE SIDE THIS GAR
OF VERY, VERY
THEN YOU STARTED
EARLY. SEEING LARGER OF EQUIPMEN
PIECES LARGER
THINGS START TO COME LOOSE AS
WELL.
THE LAST TIME WE TALKED, WE’RE
LITTLE FARTHER A OUT IN THE
PARKING LOT BECAUSE WE’RE VERY T
CLOSE TO TO SEE IF ANY
OF THAT IS COMING IN.
THANKFULLY IT IS NOT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WERE WE
WATCHING ALL NIGHT WAS TO SEE IF
THE WOULD PUSH INTO
THE PARKING LOTS AND SO FAR I NO
HAVE SEEN IT COME TOO FAR
IN.
YOU CAN’T GET ALL THE WAY THE DO
TO EDGE OF THE POINT BUT
IT’S CLOSE ENOUGH TO KNOW IT’S
NOT A PROBLEM.
THE REASON WE PICKED THIS GARAGE
PARKING IS BECAUSE IT’S
15 FEET OFF THE GROUND, THAT DID
PROTECT US FROM STORM SURGE AND
IT DID SHIELD US FROM SOMEWHAT A
DEBRIS FROM THE WIND BECAUSE
THE WAY THE WINDS WOULD COME IN
AND WRAP AROUND, WE AT LEAST GOT
SOME BUFFER INSTEAD OF BEING OUT
THERE HAVING DEAL WITH TO IT
NONSTOP HOUR AFTER HOUR. DEBRIS
SOME HERE. SIGNS WHICH
THE DIRECT THE WAY
TRAFFIC FLOWS THROUGH THIS
GARAGE, THOSE WERE RIPPED OFF
VERY EARLY ON AND SINCE GETTING
DOWN INTO THE LOWER LEVELS AS
WELL AS THE LEVEL WE’RE ON RIGHT
NO SIGN AT
NOW. ALL OF LAURA REALLY
DECREASING OR GIVING US ANY KIND
OF A BREAK FOR QUITE A WHILE AS
BRITTA WAS EXPLAINING, WE CAN
SEE IT FIRSTHAND.
THIS IS AN AMAZINGLY POWERFUL
HURRICANE THAT IS JUST NOT
LETTING UP AT ALL AT THIS POINT.
>> WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DID
DECIDE TO EVACUATE AND HEED THAT
ADVICE FROM OFFICIALS THERE
BECAUSE THEY REMEMBER THE DAMAGE
CAUSED BY RITA.
WE KNOW THAT YOU WERE AT BOTH
STORMS.
HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE TWO?
>> Reporter: HONESTLY, UNTIL
WE CAN GET OUT AND SURVEY.
RITA WAS TRULY AWFUL.
SO MUCH OF THE AREA WAS
INUNDATED BY WATER.
SO MUCH WAS DAMAGED BY THE HIGH
I’M
WINDS. SURE IT’S GOING TO BE JUS
AS BAD.
BUT I REALLY WON’T KNOW UNTIL WE
CAN GET OUT AND SURVEY THE AREA.
THAT’S ONE OF THE FRUSTRATING
PARTS OF THE HURRICANE COVERAGE,
YOU KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF YOU KN
DAMAGE, THERE ARE
PEOPLE IN TROUBLE, THERE ARE
NEIGHBORHOODS IN TROUBLE BUT YOU
CAN’T REALLY GET OUT IN IT UNTIL
THE WINDS START TO DIE DOWN OR
AT LEAST WE GET SOME SO DAYLIGHT
WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA WHERE
WE’RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE.
THE STREETS, YOU KNOW THEY’RE
GOING TO BE BLOCKED BY DOWNED
TREES, PROBABLY DOWNED POWER
LINES, OTHER PIECES OF DEBRIS
AND THAT’S JUST LIKE A MINE WHEN
FIELD IT’S PITCH BLACK OUT
THERE, EVEN WITH LARGE
HEADLIGHTS AND A LARGE TRUCK,
LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE, YOU CAN
STILL VERY EASILY RUN OVER
SOMETHING YOU DON’T WANT TO RUN
OVER.
THAT’S WHY WE STAY PUT UNTIL
FIRST LIGHT.
>> THAT’S ALSO THE REASON WHY
THE EMERGENCY CREWS WANT TO
ISSUE EVACUATION ORDERS AS EARLY
AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT
GET THERE TO HELP WHO ANYONE
MAY BE IN TROUBLE. EYE
THE SOUTHERN WALL IS STILL
PASSING THROUGH.
I KNOW IT’S A COUPLE HOURS UNTIL
I
SUNRISE. KNOW WE’LL HAVE TO BE P
FOR LITTLE LONGER.
>> Reporter: THAT WAS ONE
THING.
I HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH
THE SHERIFF, TONY MANCUSO,
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE
THINGS GOT REALLY CRAZY.
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. REASON HE
THE WANTED THEM TO
HEED THE MANDATORY EVACUATION
ORDERS AND THE REASON THEY
DIDN’T OPEN THE SHELTERS IN
CAMERON PARISH OR CALCASIEU
SOUTH OF US, THE REASON FOR
THAT, IF THEY GET IN TROUBLE
ONCE THE WIND HIT
HOUR 40 MILES PER SUSTAINED, THE
THEIR PEOPLE OUT TO HELP. SOMEBO
IF IN TROUBLE,
THEY DIAL NOBODY
THAT CAN 911 THERE’S HELP THEM U
WINDS DOWN AND WHERE IT’S
SAFE FOR DEPUTIES AND PARAMEDICS
TO GET BACK OUT ON THE ROADS.
RIGHT NOW CAN YOU IMAGINE THE
AMBULANCES AND HIGHER VEHICLES L
BEING BUFFETED BY WINDS
THIS, IT WOULD JUST CREATE MORE
DANGER.
>> WE HEARING FROM CALCASIEU ARE
PARISH THEY THE FOR
CALLS HELP FROM WHO PEOPLE
DECIDED NOT TO EVACUATE AND
YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THEY’RE
SAYING LOOK, WE HAVE NO WAY TO
GET YOU TO. TO
TRY STAY PUT, STAY SAFE BUT MUCH
THERE’S SO IN THE NO WAY FOR US
ROADWAYS, THERE’S
TO ACCESS WHERE YOU ARE
NOW.
>> Reporter: IT RIGHT WAS REALLY
IN CALLING THE SHERIFF. WAS BREA
IT MY HEART TO SAY
THAT TO SAY WE CAN’T GET YOU TO
BECAUSE TO TO WHEN YOU GET
YOU NEED US AND IT
REALLY BREAKS MY HEART TO SAY
THAT IN THIS TIME.
IT WAS INTERESTING, HE SAID HE S
BECAME IT WAS HIS FIRST
YEAR IN OFFICE AS SHERIFF WHEN
RITA CAME THROUGH.
HE SAID OKAY, HOPEFULLY IS THIS
JUST A
WE BANDED WE GOT TOGETHER AND
THROUGH IT AND HE GOES, I DIDN’T
HONESTLY THINK WOULD I
SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN. R
YOU COULD IT IN HIS
VICE.
HEDID VOICE.
HE WAS BELEAGUERED HE WOULD HAVE
TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE AGA
RITA
IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG VERY
ROAD TO RECOVERY. TOUGH
>> THAT’S THE PART ABOUT
THE EVACUATIONS, YOU CAN’T
RIP PEOPLE FROM JUST THEIR HOMES
THEY TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
YOU JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. GOING
ROBERT, WE’RE TO LET YOU
GO AND WE’LL COME BACK TO YOU IN
A LITTLE BIT.
AS ALWAYS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME AND WATCHING BUT SAFE
THROUGHOUT WHILE YOU DO THAT,
GREAT REPORTING. ARNOLD ON
ROBERT THE SCENE
LAKE IN CHARLES, LOUISIANA. YOU,
>> THANK ROBERT.