Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Helene and Alex Stone from ABC News is joining us
and I know at last count Alex it was not
good clearly, and.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It looks like it's climbing.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
So yeah, one hundred and twenty one dead right now,
thirty five in one county around Asheville, North Carolina. And
there were a lot of warnings it was going to
be bad, is as the storm was coming in and
it was going to dump an incredible amount of rain,
and it really did. But seems that the world is
just really understanding now how bad it is. And as
somebody who covered the Hurricane Katrina and the many weeks
(00:31):
after it in New Orleans, I can tell you took
a long time there as well and sometimes to really
get the scope of it, which I think we are
now getting that we're understanding how bad this was. Thirty
five are dead in one county alone, and the numbers
are going up. Flooding has been described as being biblical.
Ashville is cut off. There's no cell phone service for
(00:52):
people to connect with loved ones. That's playing a role
in the number of people who are missing, about six hundred.
There is no gas, no clean running water, no electricity.
Deaths are over many different States. Canton, North Carolina's mayor
saying this, describing the.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Scene, this is apocalyptic. Not Despertine, but the entire.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Region and around Ashville. The county manager, they're telling us
it's been a slow response from the federal government. FEMA
is sending in more search and rescue teams. They're en
route from fire departments nationwide. California is dispatching them, Nevada
is dispatching them. So really I'm in coast to coast.
They are coming and they're on their way right now.
But the county manager is.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Saying, we need food and we need water. My staff
has been making every request possible to the state for support,
and we've been working with every single organization that has
reached out.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
And Ashville is a beautiful mountain area. And it's not
just the flooding mark. It is that the mud slides
as well. In the mountains where mudslides are wiped out roads.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
There's a danger of more landslides today. Go to a
designated public shelter if you have been told to evacuue
you feel it is unsafe to remain in your home.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
And the power company a Duke Energy, they've been saying
that they can't get crews in because the roads are
completely cut off to try to get the electricity restored
because of all those mud slides. So they got to
get that cleaned up, but still there is so much flooding.
Randall Houghton is in Nashville and he was told he
had to.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Go good morning.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
They told us we had to vacate because they were
worried about the dam breaking.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
We vacated.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
The damn didn't indeed break four hours after I left
the building. The building I slept in the night before.
The water is up to the ceiling.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
So today the county is going door to door checking
on those who have been reported missing. Verizon has now
come in with a mobile cell tower set up try
to get service back. Former President Trump was in Georgia
today touring storm damage. President Biden says he'll be in
the region later this week. Harris says she's gonna be going.
So they're trying to set up these stations right now
for clean water and Wi Fi and charging cell phones.
(02:59):
World Central Kitchen from Chefjose Andres. They're arriving now to
begin giving out what they do in war torn areas.
They're going to be doing as well to get hot
meals out three meals a day to all of those
who need them. So a lot of help is flowing in,
but it is bad.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
So Alex, the supplies in essence have to come in
by boat, right, I mean bridges are out, roads are
washed out.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, I mean most of it by chopper is how
they're getting it in because I mean even the boat
rides aren't safe necessarily, some of it if they can
get up to where the floodwaters are and then boat
in from there. Yeah, but a lot of it, and
especially getting people out the evacuations. That's mainly military choppers
that are getting people out. And some of those reports,
I mean we've seen today where they've reported one chopper
(03:44):
has taken out hundreds of people in different trips that
they've gone back and forth. They're still getting a lot
of people out.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, And then I don't so do you happen to
know with regard to the choppers, how are they getting people?
I mean they you know, you have to have a
certain you know, mobility or zeke to you know, as
far as you know ladder, I mean they're not doing
that right, They're not climbing like ladder.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
No, No, so they're using mainly Blackhawk helicopters, which are
low to the ground. They've got a big area, flat
area on the inside of them, so they can put
them right in the back, and whether they're in a
wheelchair or they they can walk on their own, they
can just kind of get in the back, lift off,
take them a couple of miles away, put them down
when they get away from the floodwaters. But it's it's
gonna take a lot of work because of all that.
(04:27):
It's not just the water, but it's getting to people
getting beyond those mud slides and and the not knowing
a lot of those six hundred missing are probably okay.
They just have no way to make a phone call
and say hey, you know, I'm all right right because
all the cell services down, landlines are down, none of
it's working.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, and obviously millions of people without power, and for
all intents and purposes, they were saying it could be
years before some of these bridges are rebuilt or roads.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
I mean, yeah, they'll probably have temporary bridges before then,
but actually rebuilt. Yeah, it's going to be a long time.
And I mean it's very different than New Orleans. And
then what they went through, But think about how many
years it took to really get the infrastructure they're going again.
It takes a long time.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah man, yeah, I like Stone.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
ABC News thanks for the very latest on Hurricane Helene
and the devastation happening, especially in the in North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Thanks you, Thanks brother,
Helene and Alex Stone from ABC News is joining us
and I know at last count Alex it was not
good clearly, and.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It looks like it's climbing.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
So yeah, one hundred and twenty one dead right now,
thirty five in one county around Asheville, North Carolina. And
there were a lot of warnings it was going to
be bad, is as the storm was coming in and
it was going to dump an incredible amount of rain,
and it really did. But seems that the world is
just really understanding now how bad it is. And as
somebody who covered the Hurricane Katrina and the many weeks
(00:31):
after it in New Orleans, I can tell you took
a long time there as well and sometimes to really
get the scope of it, which I think we are
now getting that we're understanding how bad this was. Thirty
five are dead in one county alone, and the numbers
are going up. Flooding has been described as being biblical.
Ashville is cut off. There's no cell phone service for
(00:52):
people to connect with loved ones. That's playing a role
in the number of people who are missing, about six hundred.
There is no gas, no clean running water, no electricity.
Deaths are over many different States. Canton, North Carolina's mayor
saying this, describing the.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Scene, this is apocalyptic. Not Despertine, but the entire.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Region and around Ashville. The county manager, they're telling us
it's been a slow response from the federal government. FEMA
is sending in more search and rescue teams. They're en
route from fire departments nationwide. California is dispatching them, Nevada
is dispatching them. So really I'm in coast to coast.
They are coming and they're on their way right now.
But the county manager is.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Saying, we need food and we need water. My staff
has been making every request possible to the state for support,
and we've been working with every single organization that has
reached out.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
And Ashville is a beautiful mountain area. And it's not
just the flooding mark. It is that the mud slides
as well. In the mountains where mudslides are wiped out roads.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
There's a danger of more landslides today. Go to a
designated public shelter if you have been told to evacuue
you feel it is unsafe to remain in your home.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
And the power company a Duke Energy, they've been saying
that they can't get crews in because the roads are
completely cut off to try to get the electricity restored
because of all those mud slides. So they got to
get that cleaned up, but still there is so much flooding.
Randall Houghton is in Nashville and he was told he
had to.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Go good morning.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
They told us we had to vacate because they were
worried about the dam breaking.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
We vacated.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
The damn didn't indeed break four hours after I left
the building. The building I slept in the night before.
The water is up to the ceiling.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
So today the county is going door to door checking
on those who have been reported missing. Verizon has now
come in with a mobile cell tower set up try
to get service back. Former President Trump was in Georgia
today touring storm damage. President Biden says he'll be in
the region later this week. Harris says she's gonna be going.
So they're trying to set up these stations right now
for clean water and Wi Fi and charging cell phones.
(02:59):
World Central Kitchen from Chefjose Andres. They're arriving now to
begin giving out what they do in war torn areas.
They're going to be doing as well to get hot
meals out three meals a day to all of those
who need them. So a lot of help is flowing in,
but it is bad.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
So Alex, the supplies in essence have to come in
by boat, right, I mean bridges are out, roads are
washed out.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, I mean most of it by chopper is how
they're getting it in because I mean even the boat
rides aren't safe necessarily, some of it if they can
get up to where the floodwaters are and then boat
in from there. Yeah, but a lot of it, and
especially getting people out the evacuations. That's mainly military choppers
that are getting people out. And some of those reports,
I mean we've seen today where they've reported one chopper
(03:44):
has taken out hundreds of people in different trips that
they've gone back and forth. They're still getting a lot
of people out.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, And then I don't so do you happen to
know with regard to the choppers, how are they getting people?
I mean they you know, you have to have a
certain you know, mobility or zeke to you know, as
far as you know ladder, I mean they're not doing
that right, They're not climbing like ladder.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
No, No, so they're using mainly Blackhawk helicopters, which are
low to the ground. They've got a big area, flat
area on the inside of them, so they can put
them right in the back, and whether they're in a
wheelchair or they they can walk on their own, they
can just kind of get in the back, lift off,
take them a couple of miles away, put them down
when they get away from the floodwaters. But it's it's
gonna take a lot of work because of all that.
(04:27):
It's not just the water, but it's getting to people
getting beyond those mud slides and and the not knowing
a lot of those six hundred missing are probably okay.
They just have no way to make a phone call
and say hey, you know, I'm all right right because
all the cell services down, landlines are down, none of
it's working.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, and obviously millions of people without power, and for
all intents and purposes, they were saying it could be
years before some of these bridges are rebuilt or roads.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
I mean, yeah, they'll probably have temporary bridges before then,
but actually rebuilt. Yeah, it's going to be a long time.
And I mean it's very different than New Orleans. And
then what they went through, But think about how many
years it took to really get the infrastructure they're going again.
It takes a long time.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah man, yeah, I like Stone.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
ABC News thanks for the very latest on Hurricane Helene
and the devastation happening, especially in the in North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Thanks you, Thanks brother,
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.