Whos in homa, louisiana. Derrick, talk to us about whats happening on your end. Reporter yeah, okay, people are leaving this area and rightly so because they know what is looming. They know what is 250 miles off the coast of where im located. Just hearing these very ominous words from the Louisiana Governor really just perked my ears and my crews ears up but it certainly perked up anybody who decided to stay and ride out this storms ears as well. Take a listen. This will be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit anywhere in louisiana since at least the 1850s. We can also tell you that your window of time is closing. It is rapidly closing. And just like we said yesterday, by the time you go to bed tonight, you need to be where you intend to ride this storm out. So its still questionable whether or not the individuals behind me, who are currently sandbagging, are expected to leave. We had a mandatory Evacuation Order set in place at 6 00 a. M. This morning. Mandatory curfew at 6 00 p. M. In the Terrebonne Parish. But obviously people of heeding the warnings because they know whats coming. They are going to protect their life, their property at all costs, their businesses as well. Thats why they are sandbagging behind me, taking advantage of the Terrebonne Parish dumping off fresh sand every couple of hours here and hopefully getting out and listening to the Evacuation Orders. This is very interesting. We in louisiana have had a particularly difficult time with the Covid Pandemic as well. Very low vaccination rates here, 41 roughly across the state, and very high hospitalizations as well. We talked to a nurse who did not want to be interviewed on camera, but she told us shes a nurse here within the houma, louisiana, location. She told us that she has never seen a mandatory evacuation aside from katrina. During that particular storm, they were able to take patients from the hospitals and move them to nearby hospitals out of the way of the path of the storm. The difference with this storm is all of the hospitals in this area are completely full. So theres nowhere to bring and evacuate the patients. Jim. All right. Derek van dam. Lets try to go back to Tom Sater and see if we got that mic situation solved. Tom, give us the latest on ida. This is shaping up to be a massive storm. We heard governor edwards warning about this, just how far wide across it is. This is a scary storm thats about to come ashore. No doubt, jim, this is going to be a multimillion dollar devastating effect and ongoing for days. Many people will be without power and uninhabitable for weeks. As this makes landfall, its expected as a category 4. The Wind Core will be providing stronger winds than we had with the landfall of katrina, but katrina is a much different beast. In fact it had a longer life cycle. At one time it got up to a Category 5 so there was much more water welling under katrina. It was carrying with it much more water and on a different approach to create those Storm Surges that are much greater than well see with ida. Those were 17, even 20. We are not going to see that. Were going to be looking at an impact thats going to be quite something and really its unfortunate thats the state of louisiana. As this makes landfall as a hurricane, this means it will be the fourth out of five hurricanes to hit the u. S. , will hit the state of louisiana. The last two major hurricanes, Thats Category 3, 4 and 5, the last two Hit Louisiana. Laura cat 4, zeta is a cat 3. Laura caused 17. 5 billion of damage. There are still thousands of residents in the Lake Charles area that have blue tarps so very vulnerable. You have many in fema trailers that are still sheltering a year ago from this system. If you even want to look at the last nine major hurricanes to strike the u. S. , they were all in the gulf of mexico, it wasnt on the atlantic side. So again, everything is really dependent on a couple of variables. The environment right now is conducive for further development. Last year and a big sign of climate change, rapid intensification just before landfall. So were expecting maybe ida to be a 3 tonight and a 4 tomorrow. You can see where well have the inundation. If theres a place where you have landfall, No One wants it but lets finds a spot thats less populated. All these parishes and all these inlets, you have got to leave because the Dark Red is complete inundation. If you stay behind with this inundation, be prepared to be on your own because Response Cruise and first responders are not going to be able to get there because the roads not only will be covered with high Water But Debris and Power Outages, so get out of this region. Warm waters get warmer and warmer and warmer as you head toward the coastline. Some of the warmest water we have is areas of texas over across louisiana to mississippi. So as this makes landfall, and the governor mentioned this in his Press Conference in the last hour, his Concern And Mine as well is the power at landfall that continues well inland. We could have well above 50mileanhour winds at jackson, mississippi. So tonight were going to get more information at 5 00 p. M. , the next latest advisory, but high winds will be stronger with katrina if this continues to be a category 4 at landfall. Thats massive Power Outages that will last for weeks. As the governor said, 10,000 linemen are ready and they have another 10 on contract ready to be standing by and moving in right away. Forgive me if the katrina comparisons are not perfect here, obviously were talking about two different storms. I covered katrina, i remember it just parked over top of us for hours and hours. Yes. That was what was so devastating about it. What about ida . Might it just rip through the area more quickly and that might potentially be less devastating . How is that looking . Youre exactly right with katrina. Harvey did the same thing. You could outwalk harvey when it flooded parts of houston. It made landfall as a category 4 and that flooded rockport. This is expected to slow down and thats not a good sign either. Were watching the systems slow as they move into landfall so that means ongoing hours and hours of Wind And Rainfall that just makes it worse for anyone who is trapped and will need some help. Its going to continue to keep pretty strong winds all the way up to the border and areas of tennessee. So again, its going to keep its power. When michael made its way to mexico beach, it was still a category 2 north of atlanta. This could do the same thing several hundred miles inland. We have another advisory at 5 00 p. M. All right, tom, thanks so much. Derek van dam, thanks for that report as well. I want to bring in Vice Admiral steven d. Pooland. He was commander of the Coast Guard atlantic area. Vice admiral, thanks so much for being with us during this very critical time. I see youre in mobile, alabama, which will be feeling some of the effects of Hurricane Ida. The Coast Guard often responds to these natural disasters providing Search And Rescue. What is your message to people who are in the path of this storm and are choosing to ride this out . My message is very clear. Comply with state and local Emergency Management officials and evacuate when theres a mandatory or even a voluntary evacuation. Its as simple as that. And how are Coast Guard crews preparing to move into these areas for Search And Rescue mode . Because that is obviously whats next for you and the men and women you work with. First off, thanks for having me. Our lines of effort are very clear. The first is to save lives. Thats what the Coast Guard always does and thats what well do in this situation as well. The second is to respond to any marine pollution events that arise because of idas impact. And the third is to try to get the waterways and the ports reopened as soon as possible after the storm passes. We have flowed forces into the northern Gulf Coast. Weve got 34 rotary Air Wing Aircraft ready. Many are in mobile or houston ready to respond. Thats in addition to some of the shallow watercraft and other boats we have prepositioned. And we talked to an Emergency Official with the city of New Orleans earlier on in this program and he was cautioning people in that area that they may have to take care of themselves for 72 hours after this storm hits, that they need to be prepared to do that. I suppose after that point, i guess, passes, folks like yourself will be able to conduct Rescue Operations. Or can you conduct Rescue Operations sooner than that . What does that look like for you . Our thoughts are with everybody here on the northern Gulf Coast area, especially in louisiana. I was down here last year when we responded to laura, zeta, delta, all of the historic hurricanes that impacted the Gulf Coast last year. We are going to respond as soon as its safe to do so. Were not going to put our crews in harms way. Our crews are heroes. They assume a lot of risk but were not going to take any unnecessary risk. We will get our aircraft and our planes flying as soon as the weather allows after the storm passes. And the new Orleans Infrastructure Administrator says the Citys Levee System is better equipped for flooding than it was during Hurricane Katrina. Im sure you remember all of those images, what unfolded during Hurricane Katrina when those levees failed. Are you concerned about what could happen if the city sees massive amounts of rain in a short period of time, even with that improved Levee System . Im really proud of what the Coast Guard did in Hurricane Katrina. We saved over 33,000 people. We are going to continue to respond to save lives in this case, irrespective of where the impact is, whether its Flash R surge, and ive also moved aircraft over from florida. Were trying to flow resources in here so we can be agile and ready to respond. We also have Combat Craft that are shallow water capable as well that were prepositioning in the likely impact area. Admiral, thanks to you and the men and women you work with, as you said, they do heroic work on behalf of the american people. Thank you for moving all those assets into place. Im sure its going to be a long stretch here in the days ahead, but thank you so much for the work that you do. Thanks for allowing me to highlight what the Coast Guard is doing. Thank you. Thanks so much. Good luck in the next few days. We appreciate it. Coming up next, an alarming warning from President Biden. He says another attack at the Kabul Airport is highly likely within the next 36 hours. This as u. S. Troops remain on the ground trying to get people out. Well have more right after this. Youre live in the Cnn Newsroom. Whether its ensuring food arrives as fresh as when it departs. Being first on the scene, when every second counts. Or teaching biology without a lab. We are the leader in 5g. 1 in customer satisfaction. And a partner who includes 5g in every plan, so you get it all. Without tradeoffs. Unconventional thinking. Its better for business. When you think of an airline, you think of the big things. And for the last year weve all been dealing with the biggest thing yet a virus we cant even see. So as you return to the world, were making sure you do so safely. In ways big and small, the world has changed. But our commitment to getting you safely out in it . That never will. Trading isnt just a hobby. Its your future. So you dont lose sight of the big picture, even when youre focused on whats happening right now. And thinkorswim trading™ is right there with you. To help you become a smarter investor. With an innovative Trading Platform full of customizable tools. Dedicated Trade Desk pros and deposit, plan and pay with easy tools from chase. Simplicity feels good. Chase. Make more of whats yours. A troubling new warning from President Biden today. He says his commanders assessed that another Kabul Airport attack is highly likely in the next 24 to 36 hours. This as The Pentagon reveals that two high Profile Isisk militants were killed and one wounded in a u. S. Air strike in afghanistan overnight. The aftermath seen in this exclusive video obtained by cnn shows the damage around a building and inside it. President biden says that strike will not be the last one. Im joined by Susan Glasser and cnn senior Political Analyst and former advisor to four president s, david gergen. David and susan, great to have both of you and your insights on this afternoon. Susan, if the intel is pointing to an imminent Followup Attack at the airport, then what did i suppose the question could be asked what did this Drone Strike overnight accomplish at this point . Well, look, obviously this is a grim and even chilling warning from the president. I would point out that actually the White House made similar stark warnings in the days leading up to the first attack by isisk on the airport. You know, its just such a chaotic scene there. They havent yet unspoold ex exactly what happened but they were unable to prevent that. The reality is you Cant Bomb a Terrorist Group into submission, we know that. If Theres Anything we learned from 20 years of an endless war on terror, i think its that. Its that you cannot destroy an ideology with a series of bombing strikes no matter how many people you kill. Remember in the last few hours and days of this operation Kabul Airport before the deadline the president has set to withdraw, if anybody wants to take a Pot Shot at american troops, this is their last foreseeable chance to do so and i think thats why youre hearing these stark warnings from the White House. But its going to be a Nerve Racking Couple of days, i think. David, isisk, they obviously have to understand that if they carry out more attacks, there will be more counterattacks by the united states. President biden has made that very clear. What is your sense of how the president is handling this right now, given what were seeing in the last 24 hours, and the stark warning from the president that we may see another Terrorist Attack in the next day or two . Well, jim, i just had the opportunity to speak to someone high up in the administration. That is rare ive heard anybody in government be preoccupied in a grave sense taking this warning from the president very literally and so theyre preoccupied with two things. One is the threat and also these last days when theres likely to be more chaos and people realize and afghanys realize the gates to hell are closing on them very, very quickly and theres a huge amounti of pressure coming at them the next couple of days, susan is right about that. Susan, this note that we received in the last hour or so, i guess the taliban is saying they dont approve of what the united states are they kidding . Do they have any say in this . Obviously this is standard Operating Procedure for the united states to carry out these kinds of counterattacks when something like this happens. Well, first of all, lets remember that the taliban swept to power in part because the afghan national government essentially collapsed. Many soldiers and government officials essentially left their posts. There is no at the moment legally constituted government of afghanistan, so the taliban is still trying to consolidate their power. Obviously having the u. S. Operate as a free Fire Zone inside of this territory, attacking isisk at will, which we have the physical possibility to do so, this idea that the taliban and the united states are temporarily converging in their interests in going against isisk, i think thats an overly simple view of the problem. The Bottom Line is that the taliban has been committing atrocities as we know for many years in afghanistan. Difference of opinion with isisk. Sometimes they have been on the same side both attacking the united states. Sometimes not. But i would not be so naive as to think that, well, the taliban and the united states are going to be working hand in glove even over this next couple days. That would be a wrong assumption. David and susan, i wanted to get your thoughts on the names of the fallen Service Members being released today by The Pentagon. The president will be making those heartbreaking calls to the families. David, youve advised four President S. I dont think President Biden needs to know needs us to tell him what to say, but what are your thoughts upon learning the names of these heroes . Well, one of the things that struck me looking at the names, how young they were. 20, 21, 22. These are really just young adults who are coming to promise and coming into themselves, so this is really tough, i think, to see that. I noticed there was only one woman in the group and i was pleased about that. It might have been a much higher number. Let me go back to what you originally asked, jim, and how overall has biden been handling this . I think history is going to be very mixed. You know, he got half his mission done. Hes pulling us out of afghanistan, out of these forever wars. Thats what the country wanted and hes getting it done. Its also true, and we should remember this as we criticize the administration for its management, that they did in the space of 11 days get about 120,000 people out. Thats remarkable. Now thats the good part. But the bad part is all of this came at huge costs. Huge costs in the sense that the Veterans Community is frustrated, angry, that were violating the pledge we made right at the beginning that No One will be left behind. We have Tens Of Thousands of afghany citizens we are leaving behind in great jeopardy for their lives and we seem to be walking away from it saying thats life. I think the Veterans Community has the right idea saying we should be taking this much more seriously than we are. The president is going to be under pressure now both on his credibility and his competence. And thats going to be by international folks as well as here. Susan, final thought from you . Yeah, i think david has it exactly right. This is the trial my fire. All presidencies encounter international crises in their first year in office. One of the things biden sold the american people on is the contrast with Donald Trump and the idea that his long experience in international affairs, his personal competence and the competence of his administration, that there would be a different tone. Weve seen an extremely partisan country thats really unable, i think, to come behind any unified vision. You know, its a tragic thing to watch unfolding. But im really struck by the urgency of that warning. Im very worried about the next couple of days, i have to say. That is certainly true. Susan glasser, david gergen, lets hope that warning does not come to pass. Thank you both very much. We appreciate it. People across the u. S. Are Marching Today demanding Congress Pass sweeping Voting Rights lengislation. It comes 58 years after Martin Luther King jr. Delivered his I Have A Dream speech. A live report from washington is right after this. Youre live in the Cnn Newsroom. For better Frangrance Control than febreze plug. Take control of your fragrance with air wick. Life is full of surprises when you least expect it. woman laughs and open. What happened to all your things . I know you needed a place to study, so. And other times, it pays off knowing what to expect. At university of phoenix, you can count on fixed, affordable tuition from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program. Learn more about our Tuition Guarantee at phoenix. Edu upbeat music [narrator] this is kate. She always wanted her smile to shine. Now, she uses a capful of therabreath healthy smile oral rinse to give her the healthy, sparkly smile she always wanted. Crowd Cheering therabreath, its a better mouthwash. At walmart, target and other fine stores. Ok everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. Whoo hoo ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, now introducing ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. Growing up in a little red house, on the edge of a forest in norway, there were three things my family encouraged kindness, honesty and hard work. Over time, ive come to add a fourth be curious. Be curious about the world around us, and then go. Go with an open heart, and you will find inspiration anew. Viking. Exploring the world in comfort. Exactly 58 years ago the reverend Martin Luther King jr. Was telling the world he had a dream at the march on washington. Today his legacy lives on with more activism. Right now demonstrators around the country are participating in marches for Voting Rights. Theyre hoping to pressure lawmakers into passing voting Rights Legislation. Suzanne malveaux reminds us how civil rights leaders did all of this so many years ago. Reporter the voting Rights Act of 1965 was quietly brokered between President Johnson, reverend Martin Luther King jr. And other civil rights leaders. One of those leaders and one of kings closest advisers, former u. N. Ambassador andrew young, recalls the critical turning point. A secret white House Meeting between President Johnson and king. We went to see him, and we were talking about Voting Rights. And he was tied up with the war in vietnam. Reporter young says he and king urged johnson to put forward a strong voting Rights Bill before congress, but the president was reticent about the potential political pushback,ing of just signed a sweeping civil Rights Act of 1964. He agreed with us and said but i just dont have the power. And when we left the White House walking out, i said, look, the president is right. He cant go back to congress. He really doesnt have the power. Reporter Kings Response stunned him. He said were going to get the president some power. Thats the most arrogant thing ive ever heard you say. Youre going to get the president some power . And then i realized he was serious. Reporter the power, king surmised, would come from some irrefutable evidence, that black people were being denied their constitutional right to vote. King targeted selma, alabama, where less than 2 of black residents were registered to vote. The first attempted march for Voting Rights from selma to montgomery drew several hundred to the edmund pettus bridge. No money, no real plan. But i was thinking politically and practically. He was thinking spiritually. Reporter as the marchers crossed the bridge, they were brutally beaten and tear gassed by Alabama State troopers and local police. Bloody sunday, broadcast around the world, providing johnson the political momentum he needed to urgently get the voting Rights Legislation back in play. There is no negro problem. There is no southern problem. There is no northern problem. There is only an american problem. Reporter the voting Rights Act passed about five months later and was signed into law on august 6, 1965, forbidding racial discrimination in voting. And Martin Luther Kings son, Martin Luther King iii was here leading a march to remind people that blacks did have a constitutional right to vote. It was the state laws that appeared neutral but were actually restrictive to get black voters to count Jelly Beans or pay a penalty. Thats why he says the Voting Rights must include the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to restore some of those provisions. One person we didnt see, reverend jesse jackson. He is recovering, Battling Covid with his wife. Ive been in touch with Family Members and they say both are responding to the treatments here, but it was a Moment Of Silence and prayers from activists who wished them well. We wish the best to reverend jackson to his Family And Hope he pulls through. Suzanne, thanks for that excellent report. Let me bring in the number three democrat in the house, democrat jim clyburn. Thanks for being with us. Todays marches show the sense of urgency is not letting up on the democratic side but the Gop Side is fighting Tooth And Nail on this. Texas is on the cusp of seeing these new Voting Restrictions enacted. Why isnt that urgency resonating, do you think, with some democrats in the senate who are frankly holding up this legislation . First of all, thank you very much for having me. You know, 58 years is a long, long time in an individuals life. But then life of a country, any country, not so long. I think that one of the things we have to always keep in mind is that this countrys movement, its movement toward a more perfect union, is never on a linear plane. It has always been like a pendulum on a clock. It goes right for a while, it goes left for a while and then back to the right. Thats the way it has always been. And the only way that keeps that in check is the participation of the citizenry and we do that by voting. Any impediment to voting should never be a part of this democracy that we all hold dear. And if we know from history that the filibuster has been used to deny Voting Rights, that has been the big thing. Other civil rights as well. So we cannot go into this Election Season without protections from people who we see in texas, in georgia. In fact, 49 states have proposed some kind of Voting Restrictions all unleashed by the Supreme Court in its socalled shelby v. Holder decision of over nine years ago. The Supreme Court knows full well, especially those six conservatives, that what theyre doing is giving a license to people who wish to suppress voters of color. Theyre giving a license for states, like texas and georgia, and we have had problems here in South Carolina to a lesser extent. But we cannot allow Voting Rights to be turned over to a Statebystate Approach and thats what is happening with the Supreme Court. I would hope that congress will do what it can. Now, weve done it in the house. The senate has got the bill. It is time for the senate to say that if you want to stay in power, appeal to a majority of the voters. Dont try to rig the system, and thats whats going on in texas. Theyre trying to rig the system in order to stay in power. Congressman, if you dont see what you want to see happen in the senate and if you dont get relief in the courts and at the Supreme Court, what is the alternative . What are you left with . Might this potentially become a huge motivating factor for the civil rights community, for the africanamerican community in this country to show up and vote in these upcoming elections to show that these various restrictions around the Cup Country Wont stand in the way . Jim, let me mention to you you talk about kings speech, I Have A Dream speech. If you remember, when he finished talking about the dream, he said at The End of that speech, i am going back to the south where governors lips are dripping with vilification. Thats what he called for. Thats whats going on today. Look at the Georgia Law that they passed. Its nullification. Its giving an individual or a group of individuals the right to overturn election results. That is to nullify an election. No amount of participation. You could have 100 participation of people of color and they could elect anybody they want to elect. If you give someone the power to nullify that vote, which is what they did in georgia, what good does it do . So thats what im saying to the senate. This is not just about turning out in record numbers and overcoming what theyre doing, you cannot overcome nullification. Its impossible. And congressman, let me just ask you because i know youre close to President Biden. What are your thoughts on how he has handled the final days of this withdrawal from afghanistan . Have you been providing any advice to him . And what do you make of this warning from the president that we might see yet another Terrorist Attack within the next 24 to 36 hours . I think that we might. I think the president is being transparent. He is being honest with the american people. He is telling us exactly what we can expect. And thats what americans want. They dont want lies. They want people in office who will be straight with them and not tell them things that they know not to be true. And so i applaud President Biden for being transparent and open. Yes, it is uncomfortable. But it is an honest approach to governance and thats what we need in this country. All right, congressman james clyburn, thanks as always for joining us on this program. We appreciate it. Look forward to talking again soon. Thank you very much for having me. Thank you, sir. Louisiana is expected to take a direct hit from Hurricane Ida tomorrow, the very day Hurricane Katrina hit 16 years ago. Ida, however, is expected to be even stronger when it makes landfall. The governor of louisiana joins us next. Youve live in the Cnn Newsroom. Welcome back to milkshake mustaches, high fives and high dives. To 3on 3s. 2on2s. And 1on1s. At aspen dental, we see all the moments that make us smile so we make it easy to share your smile with convenient, total care all in one place. And flexible hours that work with your life. Right now, new patients get a complete exam and xrays free without insurance, and everyone saves 20 on their treatment plan. Welcome back to lifes best moments. Call 1800aspendental or book online today. I looked on ancestry and just started digging and found some really cool stuff. It was just a lot of fun. 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And now save up to 700 on adjustable mattress sets. Over the years, mercedesbenz has patented thousands of safety innovations. Crashtested so many cars weve stopped counting. And built our most punishing Test Facility yet, in our effort to build the worlds safest cars. Weve created Crumple Zones and autonomous braking. Active Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot assist. Weve introduced airbags, Side Curtain airbags, and now the firstever rearmounted frontimpact airbags. All in the hope that you never need any of it. Right now Hurricane Ida is barreling toward the Gulf Coast, set to Slam Louisiana Tomorrow as a category 4 storm. Winds up to 150 miles an hour along with devastating storm surge. Up to 15 feet are expected. The national Weather Service Warning now some areas might be, quote, uninhabitable. Thats the word theyre using at the national weather service. Uninhabitable for weeks or months after the storm. The governor of louisiana, John Bel Edwards is joining us now. Governor, thanks for jumping into place for us, we appreciate all your work this afternoon. What is your message now to the people in your state and what do people need to know right now ahead of this storm . Obviously, jim, first of all, thank you for having me on. And what were telling people is you just have a few more hours really to prepare because early Tomorrow Morning were going to have the weather degrade rather rapidly. Tropical Storm Force winds well inland by about 8 00 a. M. So we are asking people to evacuate, if you need to evacuate. But really where you go to bed tonight, you need to be prepared to ride out the storm. The storm is going to be very severe. It will be a category 4 when it makes landfall. It should make landfall about 7 00 p. M. Tomorrow night. About 140mileanhour winds. That will happen between Terrebonne And Lafourche parishes in southeast louisiana. So we just have a lot of work to do between now and then. Storm surge will be up to 15 feet which will test all of our Protection Systems down along the coast, which is why were evacuating people from those coastal areas, the ones that you were just referring to is the ones that will be uninhabitable for some period of time to come. Governor, i just want to follow up on something you were just saying a few moments ago. It sounds as though youre saying that people who live in this area, in the Storm Zone where Hurricane Ida is going to hit, that they really just have hours if theyre going to evacuate to make that decision, pack up and go. But the good news is those Parish Leaders made Decisions Yesterday around Evacuation Orders. We have been watching the Traffic Flow on the interstate system and u. S. Highway system out of that area all day. People are heeding that guidance and leaving and theyre moving to points north, East And West out of the central area. This is going to be a very large storm so there will be winds that we believe will reach 110 miles per hour sustained, which is category 2 itself, but around Baton Rouge and as far west as lafayette and as far east as New Orleans. And when you talk about rain totals, that could be up to 15, 16 inches. And in isolated areas, above 20 inches. With that kind of rain, that kinds of storm surge, that kind of wind, this is just a very serious storm. It will be one of the very strongest storms to Hit Louisiana since the 1850s. Ironically its scheduled to make landfall on the 16th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Right. And that adds another layer of emotional difficulty on top of what people would normally be going through otherwise with this storm right now. How is your state prepared for this . You were mentioning that some people will make the decision to hunker down and ride out this storm. Have the preparations been made to get law enforcement, first responders, those types of folks, rescuers, to those parishes, to those areas where people did ride out the storm and are now struggling to get out . Well did i lose you there, jim . No, youre good. Thats okay. We still have you, sir. Happens to me all the time. Look, we actually have the entire National Guard mobilized. More than 4,000 soldiers and airmen right now, more than 5,000 before landfall tomorrow. We have 650 first responders comprised of a team from louisiana, but 15 teams from another other states actually, for urban Search And Rescue that will commence as soon as possible after the storm passes. One of the real challenging things we have this time that we havent faced before to this extent, we had four hurricanes last year during covid but we had a small fraction of the number of people in our hospitals that we currently have. We have more people in the Hospital Today, 2,450 with covid than we had at any point before this current surge. When Hurricane Laura hit last year, we only had about 300 in the hospitals. So evacuating hospitals is not going to be possible because theres nowhere to bring those patients to. Theres no excess capacity anywhere else in the state or outside the state. And so were really worried about prolonged Power Outages. The good news is we have about 10,000 linemen in the state already. Another 20,000 poised to come in as soon as possible and as necessary. But restoring power will be critically important in order to keep these hospitals up. Were going to need to restore power as soon as possible and thats one of my biggest concerns going into the storm. Governor, you touched on something and i want to follow up on that. When youre talking about these emergency rooms, these icus that are full in your hospitals across the state, we didnt have this problem during Hurricane Katrina and some of these other hurricanes weve had in the past in your part of the country. What does that mean, though . What are you hearing from hospital officials, the folks who are running the hospitals in your state who are going to have to deal with this, potentially losing power with covid19, very desperate covid19 patients who are maybe clinging to life in some cases . Well, first of all, we work with our hospitals every day during covid. As weve approached Hurricane Season our communications have increased. Certainly since this forecast came out for a hurricane yesterday morning. But as the forecast actually, you know, was refined and we know the track, we know the intensity, a lot more concern for the hospitals but theyre all doing tremendous work. They have been stocking up on supplies that they need in order to function. They have been testing their generators and so forth. And so its going to be a real challenge, and were likely to need some help with respect to our hospitals. And then you have people who may be injured as a result of the hurricane itself. And so we need to make sure we have some capacity for them. The good news here is weve got 450 less patients in the Hospital Today with covid than we had just 11 days ago. So we freed up a little bit of capacity, but we still have a very, very challenging situation here across the state of louisiana. If you have a lot of injuries, governor, from the storm, 450 beds might not be enough. I guess thats right. You could have a situation, weve seen this prior to this hurricane coming in, where youve had hospitals having to make these terrible decisions about who they can admit because their icus may be filled with a lot of covid patients. Yeah. And they just dont have the ability to accept transfers. So our tier 1 hospitals that are equipped for more serious Health Situations are unable in many cases to accept the transfers. And so patients are left in the hospitals that are smaller, without some of the expertise, some of the technology needed to adequately treat them. And thats happening all across the country to one extent or another. But you certainly never want to go into a storm like Hurricane Ida with that situation. So weve got a lot of work to do, and i will tell you the partnership with the federal government has been great. The president signed my request for a prelandfall declaration yesterday. Fema already has additional generators and other things moving in, ambulance teams to help us evacuate Nursing Homes from those lowlying coastal areas. Thats been taking place all day today. Thats a lot of work. The other thing i want to say about that, we have a Hurricane Risk Reduction system now around the most populated portions of orleans and jefferson parish, the greater New Orleans area, that we didnt have when Hurricane Katrina hit. None of the modeling that we hit shows that anything inside the Hurricane Risk Reduction system is going to be threatened by storm surge, and so that takes a big Load Off of us and allow us to focus on those coastal areas more in terms of the evacuation. So we have more Protection Systems in Place Today than weve ever had before and they will be tested like they have not been tested up to now. Governor John Bel Edwards, we hope the system passes the test and hope the best for you. Good luck, sir, in these coming days. We appreciate you coming on and speaking to the people of your state and that region, which has been hard hit by so many hurricanes. Appreciate your time, sir. Thanks very much, governor. Thank you. And we have reporters already in louisiana and even more headed there now preparing to cover this storm. Do not go anywhere, you are live in the Cnn Newsroom. You founded your Kayak Company because you love the ocean not spreadsheets. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. Indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. Visit indeed. Com hire were learning more about some of the u. S. Service members who lost their lives in the attack outside Kabuls Airport this week. Its easy to generalize, saying our servicemen and women carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, but they carry so much more on that, literally. U. S. Marine lance corporal Jared Schmitz was just 20 years old. Every day he loved to meet his 9yearold special Needs Sister at the Bus Stop and he would carry her backpack on his shoulders as they walked home together. She would make the backpack heavier and heavier just to mess with him. But his dad says jared turned that into training to the marines. Marine Sergeant Nicole Gee was 23 years old. Her friend is expressing disbelief. Just last week on Instagram Sergeant Gee wrote i love my job. It shows her carrying an afghan baby as she assisted in the evacuation. 20yearold lance corporal Rylee Mccollum and he was three weeks away from the birth of his first child. He always wanted to be a marine ever since he was a kid so hed carry a Toy Rifle when walking in his diapers and cowboy boots. Then 22yearold lance corporal hunter lopez. His mother shared a recent exchange she had with her son when he sent her a photo of him and a small afghan boy. He told her he scooped up the boy and carried him on his shoulders for five miles to safety. Right now all 13 fallen u. S. Service members are being carried themselves. The pentagon saying their remains are on one last journey home. And we thank all of them for their service to this country. We offer our condolences to their families. We appreciate everything that they have done for all of us. Thats the News Reporting from washington. Im jim acosta. Ill see you back here tomorrow at 3 00 p. M. Eastern. Pamela brown takes over the Cnn Newsroom live after a quick break. Have a good night. For as little as 25 a month. And the best part . Its powered by verizon. But it gets crazier. Bring a friend every month, and get every month for 5. Which is why i brought them. Two 5amonths right here. both hey. Plus the players in my squad. Hey. Whats up . Then finally, my whole livestream. Boom 12 months of 5 wireless. announcer visible. Unlimited data as low as 25 a month. Or bring a friend and you both get a month for 5. Wireless that gets better with friends. Monitor, check and lock down you money with security from chase. Control feels good. Chase. Make more of whats yours. And there you have it woah. Wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. Wow big deal . 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