FEMA: ‘If You’re in the Low-Lying Area, Even If You’re Miles from the Coast, Get Out Now’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT FAULKNER Fox ░░░░░░░░ alert millions of people ░░░░░░░░ getting ready along the ░░░░░░░░ Coast for impact A ░░░░░░░░ hurricane Florence begins lashing ░░░░░░░░ Carolinas it s already ░░░░░░░░ now And then urgent ░░░░░░░░ warnings of catastrophic flooding ░░░░░░░░ life threatening storm surges ░░░░░░░░ that storm picks up ░░░░░░░░ ocean and pushes it ░░░░░░░░ that tender coastline and ░░░░░░░░ it into an area ░░░░░░░░ yes they have prepared ░░░░░░░░ yes for the most ░░░░░░░░ they have evacuated but ░░░░░░░░ ve got livelihoods and ░░░░░░░░ that may be different ░░░░░░░░ the rest of time ░░░░░░░░ this thing hits That ░░░░░░░░ the reality regardless of ░░░░░░░░ category we are being ░░░░░░░░ by authorities that you ░░░░░░░░ on your screen It ░░░░░░░░ the size and the ░░░░░░░░ Now live from FEMA ░░░░░░░░ Daniel Kaniewski I want ░░░░░░░░ make sure I get ░░░░░░░░ right FEMA s deputy ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for letting ░░░░░░░░ take a moment to ░░░░░░░░ your last name correct ░░░░░░░░ we look at these ░░░░░░░░ now things are starting ░░░░░░░░ rapidly change On the ░░░░░░░░ of the screen is ░░░░░░░░ Beach in North Carolina ░░░░░░░░ struggle today is the ░░░░░░░░ to keep people tuned ░░░░░░░░ to which message KANIEWSKI ░░░░░░░░ s right What we ░░░░░░░░ worried about is the ░░░░░░░░ and the water The ░░░░░░░░ is hurricane force winds ░░░░░░░░ damaging The water can ░░░░░░░░ deadly We have the ░░░░░░░░ surge as you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ to 13 feet in ░░░░░░░░ areas that could come ░░░░░░░░ the land that you ░░░░░░░░ not going to be ░░░░░░░░ to outrun by the ░░░░░░░░ and is the number ░░░░░░░░ contributor to fatalities during ░░░░░░░░ hurricane In addition we ░░░░░░░░ inland flooding here which ░░░░░░░░ after the storm passes ░░░░░░░░ the coastline we are ░░░░░░░░ to have flooding for ░░░░░░░░ inland So if you ░░░░░░░░ in the low lying ░░░░░░░░ even if you re ░░░░░░░░ from the coast get ░░░░░░░░ now FAULKNER We were ░░░░░░░░ talking with the mayor ░░░░░░░░ Myrtle Beach they ve ░░░░░░░░ this inlet section So ░░░░░░░░ the water comes in ░░░░░░░░ joins that inlet you ░░░░░░░░ got flooding in two ░░░░░░░░ zones immediately in that ░░░░░░░░ city I totally get ░░░░░░░░ you re saying and ░░░░░░░░ people will heed all ░░░░░░░░ the warnings they have ░░░░░░░░ few hours to evacuate ░░░░░░░░ some of these areas ░░░░░░░░ are at FEMA headquarters ░░░░░░░░ now And I think ░░░░░░░░ people think They probably ░░░░░░░░ in right about the ░░░░░░░░ the storm hits How ░░░░░░░░ have you been there ░░░░░░░░ what is the activity ░░░░░░░░ of the storm at ░░░░░░░░ government level KANIEWSKI We ░░░░░░░░ been here for days ░░░░░░░░ a couple of hundred ░░░░░░░░ behind us are very ░░░░░░░░ employees of FEMA and ░░░░░░░░ all federal agencies in ░░░░░░░░ United States federal government ░░░░░░░░ well as our partners ░░░░░░░░ non governmental organizations T ░░░░░░░░ American Red Cross is ░░░░░░░░ right behind me We ░░░░░░░░ been activated for days ░░░░░░░░ 7 These folks are ░░░░░░░░ 12 hour shifts to ░░░░░░░░ sure we are supporting ░░░░░░░░ state and local governments ░░░░░░░░ the ground FAULKNER I ░░░░░░░░ see that activity behind ░░░░░░░░ and one of the ░░░░░░░░ will be utilities It ░░░░░░░░ is We thought with ░░░░░░░░ which is more wind ░░░░░░░░ and surge driven then ░░░░░░░░ In any event on ░░░░░░░░ back side of things ░░░░░░░░ have to be able ░░░░░░░░ sustain Otis FEMA do ░░░░░░░░ terms of the trailers ░░░░░░░░ all of that even ░░░░░░░░ a situation like this ░░░░░░░░ can t put anything ░░░░░░░░ place yet KANIEWSKI We ░░░░░░░░ got personal command commodity ░░░░░░░░ outside the impact areas ░░░░░░░░ we can move quickly ░░░░░░░░ the storm passes In ░░░░░░░░ our state and local ░░░░░░░░ and our and local ░░░░░░░░ are there and they ░░░░░░░░ prepared They doing everything ░░░░░░░░ possibly can to make ░░░░░░░░ they are providing that ░░░░░░░░ response immediately after a ░░░░░░░░ We are here to ░░░░░░░░ them and we will ░░░░░░░░ here to support them ░░░░░░░░ I ve talked with ░░░░░░░░ Amanda Faulkner with the ░░░░░░░░ guard yesterday She said ░░░░░░░░ it was like nor ░░░░░░░░ for Jenny they move ░░░░░░░░ assets out of the ░░░░░░░░ I know the uss ░░░░░░░░ that deliver the tomahawk ░░░░░░░░ into Syria after the ░░░░░░░░ weapons were used on ░░░░░░░░ there I know they ░░░░░░░░ there as reason to ░░░░░░░░ as July I know ░░░░░░░░ ve got a hit ░░░░░░░░ lot of huge assets ░░░░░░░░ the region They can ░░░░░░░░ in How will you ░░░░░░░░ those assets Is that ░░░░░░░░ federal government that does ░░░░░░░░ is that local state ░░░░░░░░ does it look like ░░░░░░░░ It s a partnership ░░░░░░░░ state has the lead ░░░░░░░░ under our system of ░░░░░░░░ management in this country ░░░░░░░░ are looking to the ░░░░░░░░ of these affected states ░░░░░░░░ tell us what they ░░░░░░░░ They have taken a ░░░░░░░░ of actions on their ░░░░░░░░ but they are going ░░░░░░░░ need help They have ░░░░░░░░ working with us very ░░░░░░░░ over the past week ░░░░░░░░ tell us what their ░░░░░░░░ needs are If they ░░░░░░░░ any potential shortfalls In ░░░░░░░░ I just got off ░░░░░░░░ 12 30 video teleconference ░░░░░░░░ all of the governors ░░░░░░░░ all the affected states ░░░░░░░░ well as our interagency ░░░░░░░░ here in the federal ░░░░░░░░ talking about just that ░░░░░░░░ make sure we are ░░░░░░░░ to go right now ░░░░░░░░ How is that different ░░░░░░░░ what are the changes ░░░░░░░░ have come from lessons ░░░░░░░░ here recently KANIEWSKI Sure ░░░░░░░░ learned a lot from ░░░░░░░░ hurricanes last year certainly ░░░░░░░░ in particular working more ░░░░░░░░ with the private sector ░░░░░░░░ have an emphasis on ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure You mention power ░░░░░░░░ will mention a couple ░░░░░░░░ Water and communication We ░░░░░░░░ we need to be ░░░░░░░░ lashed up with those ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure owners and operators ░░░░░░░░ s the thing most ░░░░░░░░ those types of infrastructure ░░░░░░░░ owned and operated by ░░░░░░░░ private sector 85 in ░░░░░░░░ are owned and operated ░░░░░░░░ the private sector We ░░░░░░░░ FEMA and we across ░░░░░░░░ entire federal government need ░░░░░░░░ be there to support ░░░░░░░░ The private sector To ░░░░░░░░ sure they can get ░░░░░░░░ services back online quickly ░░░░░░░░ the hurricane passes FAULKNER ░░░░░░░░ s such an interesting ░░░░░░░░ especially when it comes ░░░░░░░░ water You think that ░░░░░░░░ what they will be ░░░░░░░░ with but when water ░░░░░░░░ with groundwater and those ░░░░░░░░ that go in your ░░░░░░░░ and you get water ░░░░░░░░ your house it s ░░░░░░░░ whole lot more than ░░░░░░░░ water It s sewage ░░░░░░░░ s everything else What ░░░░░░░░ are talking about the ░░░░░░░░ sector being responsible for ░░░░░░░░ of those things it ░░░░░░░░ very important to work ░░░░░░░░ them I didn t ░░░░░░░░ the number was that ░░░░░░░░ 80 KANIEWSKI It s ░░░░░░░░ team effort here That ░░░░░░░░ why we are in ░░░░░░░░ court nation with them ░░░░░░░░ make sure that we ░░░░░░░░ t getting in their ░░░░░░░░ We are supporting What ░░░░░░░░ might need there shortfalls ░░░░░░░░ if we can get ░░░░░░░░ the cellular telephone providers ░░░░░░░░ example back online faster ░░░░░░░░ providing fuel or other ░░░░░░░░ that they might need ░░░░░░░░ s good for everybody.”