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JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Pets Lost in Superstorm Sandy; New York City Marathon

Aired November 1, 2012 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight, going home and finding total devastation. We`ve got brand-new footage just coming in right now of people going home and seeing what`s left of their homes for the first time, if there`s anything left.

This as millions face another cold night on the East Coast in the dark.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, the return to wreckage. Many finding they have nothing at all. Millions are still living without power. Frustration`s heating up. And the temperatures are going down. Getting anywhere`s a challenge. Bus lines, snarled traffic. The wait for gas can take hours.

And tonight, we`re trying to help people who lost their pets in the storm. Those extraordinary stories next.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s one thing to hear about damage. It`s another thing to see this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s rough. It`s -- emotionally, it`s devastating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need help out here. I mean, it`s a lot of people out here that don`t have a home to go to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s nothing. I mean, right now it`s -- there`s just water where the house should be. There`s not even sand where the house was. There`s waves where the house was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are thousands and thousands of people...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fuel is running short.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m devastated over this. Devastated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, crisis mode on the East Coast. Millions of Superstorm Sandy victims are facing this reality now, that life is not going to get back to normal any time soon. Millions of Americans without power right now. Some of the survivors are just seeing the damage to their homes for the very first time.

HLN`s Mike Galanos got this interview in Toms River, New Jersey, just a little while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We expected the water to be bad and high and everything like that. I just didn`t expect, you know, the furniture and all of this -- honey, don`t move anything until we take pictures. Until I -- I just, no. I didn`t expect this at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She`s already planning on that insurance. Smart lady.

The survivors who are trying to get back to work and to a regular routine are faced with extreme challenges.

Good evening everyone. JANE VELEZ-MITHCELL coming to you live.

Lines to get gasoline are miles long. That`s right. Miles. Some cars are running out of gas before they even get to the pump. Plus, some stations are cash only, so you can only get 20 bucks worth of gas.

Look at the line at the bus stops. This is unbelievable. Take a look at this. Aerial footage of a line to a bus. One of our producers decided no way she was waiting in line for that. She`d still be waiting. And she walked five miles to midtown Manhattan to catch a cab.

But then watch this video of people who were trying to get on a bus. You can feel the tension.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable.

The death toll from Superstorm Sandy is now up to 88 people in the U.S. And sadly authorities did find the bodies of those two little boys who were ripped out of their mother`s arms when the storm surge basically sent waves over -- over their SUV in Staten Island.

This is a desperate situation right now. And I got to tell you that we`re going to go to the mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He is just joining us now as we speak.

Mayor Cory Booker, do we have you right now, sir?

MAYOR CORY BOOKER, (D) NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (via telephone): Yes, you do.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mayor Booker, obviously, this is unprecedented. New Jersey`s the hardest hit. We have seen the president tour. We`ve seen the governor of New Jersey tour.

You are doing something unique to try to help the people in your neighborhood. You are literally tweeting "What do you need?" And when they need medicine, when they need anything, you, the mayor of Newark, you`re running to them and giving them what they need, sir?

BOOKER: Well, first of all, it`s not just me. There`s hundreds of community activists, leaders, city council people and others that are doing the same.

This is a city where neighbor`s helping neighbor, where friend is helping friend, where strangers are jumping in cars and trying to get supplies out to people.

When you don`t have power to over 100,000 people still, over half our city right now, there are real urgencies. Newborn babies, seniors that might be trapped in high-rises.

So I`m very inspired right now by the human spirit and the grit and the -- just the kindness being evidenced by so many people. And I`m just happy to do my best to keep up with the standard being set by my residents.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I`ve got to tell you, mayor, some people have talked about looting. What I have noticed is the absence of. How we`re talking millions and millions of people in the dark. And there has been precious little criminality. This is extraordinary in the level of cooperation that Americans are giving fellow Americans in this time of crisis. Would you agree, Mayor?

BOOKER: I would agree. And I`m experiencing just that -- that beauty here in Newark. Usually on a weekend night or a weekend like this, we would see around Mischief Night so many calls for service, police engaged in so many things.

But right now our police have really been liberated, to a large extent, to help out, to be proactive. We`ve seen no real crimes of opportunity, no looting. And I just feel so blessed by what happened in the spirit of crisis within the city of Newark. So many people stepping up to be of service. And it`s just a very good thing to recognize.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is. Absolutely, Mayor. Thank you so much for joining us. And you`re absolutely right. Because if there was any kind of significant looting, you would see it. With cell phone cameras the way they are today, it would be on our air in a second. And we haven`t seen any of that. And it`s been four days, essentially.

I want to go to Mike Galanos. You are in Toms River, New Jersey. You`ve had some extraordinary conversations with people returning to their homes and seeing for the first time that they either have no homes or homes that are just almost complete wreckage. Tell us what you`ve seen and heard.

MIKE GALANOS, HLN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was heart-wrenching, Jane. It was so emotional. And I had a chance to walk in with a mother and a son. It`s their whole life. And they didn`t know what they were going to run into.

I was next to the mom, Christina (ph), and she looked at me before she went in and she said, "Mike, I don`t even know if I want to go in." We had to help them push the door open, Jane, as four and a half feet of water flooded into their house.

And she tried to be strong. She told jokes. She tried to make us laugh. But at the end of the day, a mother was hit with the emotions of a life shattered. Let`s listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cried last night. I cried myself, you know, to sleep. Because I know -- I knew it was going to look like this. Then I knew that the water was four or five feet high. I mean, I know my house. I know what`s in my house. And I was here for the storm in `91. So I saw the damage that that did. And that was only two and a half feet. So when I knew that it was four to five feet, I knew; I knew I would have nothing.

But I have -- I`m a single mom. His dad is nonexistent. So he`s all I have. So that`s I guess where my strength comes from. I have to be strong for him. You know, what are you going to do? This is his first time experiencing anything like this. Mine, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALANOS: Jane, it`s hard to hear that one more time. You know, to stand there with the mother and a son. Our crew, we helped them lift up their -- their refrigerator just to try and do something. I didn`t want to leave. And as we helped them lift the refrigerator, all this food came tumbling out. And as we left, there was a mother and son left to pick up the pieces.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mike, you`ve been doing extraordinary work out there. I know you`ve been operating with no sleep. And that interview just -- it just brings it home. It`s so rough for people out there. And our hearts go out to them.

Thanks, Mike Galanos, reporting from New Jersey.

Sandy`s damage has made getting anywhere a nightmare in several states. New York City commuters are being forced to walk miles, I`m talking miles to work or home. Traffic deadlocked. Swaths of New York subway systems totally shut down, still. Although parts of it are open. And it`s moving minute by minute.

The gas is scarce, though. This is where the real problem is lying right now. The tempers are getting short.

Take a look at this. We`ve got some amazing footage near Queens. People pushing; in some cases, elderly riders are getting shoved out of the way just so somebody can get on a city bus. People are desperate to avoid long waits for another bus or have to work. I mean, walk because people have to get to work and have to get home from work.

Listen to the frustration as it`s boiling over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Rita Cosby, you`re at the Brooklyn Bridge. What are you seeing right now?

RITA COSBY, HLN CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you, things have been quite chaotic. And you can see over my shoulder people are kind of walking in and out. You can see people; there`s somebody on a bicycle. And what`s been happening is because it`s been difficult -- there is no mass transit for them going from Brooklyn into Manhattan. So it`s made the go-ahead very, very difficult for people.

Subways are not working here. This is the area predominantly without power, too. Nearly half a million people in New York City without power, most of them here in Lower Manhattan. So people have had to get creative how they`re going to get here.

And I will tell you a funny story, Jane. The way I got here, I found a good Samaritan who recognized me from television. She was picking up other people. I couldn`t get into a cab. Every single cab was taken. It was packed. It has just been a nightmare. And she actually picked me up. She said she has been literally going all day, 24/7, just driving people, helping people, not charging a dime because she just wants to help out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Another example.

COSBY: ... extraordinary way that even myself and others -- I know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Another example of people really coming together.

And this is extraordinary. The lack of criminality that`s being reported. Don`t underestimate it. This is a really wonderful thing to come out of this horror.

More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a guy right here. Sir, what are you saying? I can`t hear you. What are you telling me? He said the problem is ridiculous. I`m not allowed actually to talk to them. The cops told me don`t stop traffic. He`s saying the problem is ridiculous. You can see him right there. He`s picking those people up. He picked them up for free? Right. He had to go back to the base, get somebody for free to take them into the city. Wow. This is the frustration. You`re seeing it live. This is a guy that...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just trying to do his job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s upset now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who wouldn`t be upset?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s from earlier from WABC, our local affiliate. And basically what happened was there was confusion. People were not allowed to drive into the city unless they had three people in the car. But supposedly, livery cabs were exempt from that because they get to the bridge and they`d be told, no, after waiting an hour and a half you can`t. So there was a communications mix up. And that`s just one of the frustrations.

Lines to get gas have been nothing short of ridiculous. Listen to how long some people had to wait.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long did it take you to get to the front of the line to fill up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been here since 10:30 this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten thirty this morning. And it has been what -- 10:30...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four hours.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long to get to the front of the line?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three hours. A lot of patience and a lot of sanity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Some gas stations are limiting people to $20 worth of gas in cash. So you`re waiting for an hour and a half, two hours, three hours, and get there and get $20 worth of gas. That`s got to sting a little bit. That`s not even a quarter of a tank for some people.

Straight out to our producer, Kaylin Rocco, who has been visiting gas stations in New Jersey. What are you seeing tonight, Kaylin?

KAYLIN ROCCO, JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL PRODUCER: Hi, Jane.

Yesterday I saw lines at two gas stations wrapped around the block half a mile long. Today one of those gas stations had no fuel at all. The other I`m told got more this morning and ran out after just a couple of hours by 10 or 11 in the morning.

People were in lines up there before the tanker got to that gas station to replenish the supply. I`ve also talked to several people in New Jersey who are driving out to Pennsylvania to fill up there, because there are more places that are open. And they have very little wait.

I have to say that overall, people are getting very nervous and frustrated about the fuel situation, because they want to make sure they can get somewhere in their cars. They want to make sure they can keep their generators running. And it`s scary to see that, you know, the few places that are open are running out of gas so quickly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s absolutely extraordinary. The things that we take for granted are not there. That`s one of the definitions of a crisis. Things that we just think are always going to be there are not there. And things that we think are never going to be there are there. Like a wave down your block.

And there is growing desperation in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Particularly, people there are hard-hit. Homeless many of them. Those who have homes have no power, no heat. It`s getting cold. The emotion, the frustration is running higher and higher. Staten Island`s death toll is rising. It keeps on rising. And huge parts of this island are without power.

The Staten Island borough president went off on the American Red Cross today, accusing the Red Cross of ignoring Staten Island`s desperate residents. Watch this footage that aired on WNBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The American Red Cross is nowhere to be found. So all the American Red Cross, all these people making these big salaries, these big salaries should be out there on the front line. And I am disappointed.

And my advice to the people of Staten Island is do not donate to the American Red Cross. Let them get their money elsewhere, because we have hundreds of people, hundreds and hundreds of people in shelters throughout Staten Island. And many of them, many of them when the shelters closed, have nowhere to go because their homes are destroyed. And no one`s talking to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, people are so angry. But the American Red Cross told us they understand the frustration. But they point out they are housing thousands of people and providing basic necessities to a lot of people affected by Sandy.

I want to go straight out to CNN`s Brian Todd. He is live in Staten Island tonight.

Brian, it is really bad. What are you seeing tonight?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jane, this is the New Dorp Beach section of Staten Island, completely devastated by this storm. Look at this wreckage behind me. This is the corner of Cedar Grove Avenue and Marine Way. There`s a deck behind me that was just collapsed. This house, there`s flooding in the street behind me. You can`t really see that in the darkness too well.

But about half of this other house over here is gone. I can just show you some of the remnants of the house on this lawn.

I don`t know if you can see that red container there. That container was in a church parking lot several -- I`d say about a hundred yards over this way. Got blown into this lawn. Hit down over there. Took out part of that house. Another container about the same size hit this house and went down the street.

So house after house in this neighborhood and in this section of Staten Island, just complete devastation. Some houses completely destroyed. Others severely damaged. We`re told the numbers of houses damaged is in the hundreds.

You mentioned the death toll. The death toll, we understand at this hour, is at about 19 people, 19 people just on Staten Island, just in this borough have been killed.

They did pull the bodies of two young boys, 2 and 4 years old, out of a marsh this morning. Those boys have been missing for a couple of days. They`ve been washed away. Their mother was clinging onto them. They got washed away in the storm, missing for a couple of days. Unfortunately, those bodies were found just a short time ago, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, two little boys ages 2 and 4, truly heartbreaking. They were with their mom, and the mom was holding them. And this wave came by and literally swept them away. Our hearts go out to that family.

More breaking news on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh! Oh, my God! (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our tree!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It hit your car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God! It hit my car?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It hit your car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got that all on film!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks to iPhones, we are now getting a sense of what people really, really felt and saw as this storm walloped their neighborhoods. And it was terrifying for many.

The lack of power in the east is crippling entire cities. There are still huge power outages in at least ten states plus D.C. That means 4.8 million Americans still without power right now. A staggering statistic. That`s like every single person in the city of Houston, Texas, being without power.

Sixty percent of homes in New Jersey are without power right now. Governor Christie wants it fixed now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I told them that they weren`t leaving the building until they gave FEMA the list of personnel they would need in order to get power restored much more quickly than what they`ve announced publicly so far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: He smacked down some of the heads of the utilities and says, "We want it done faster."

New York`s largest power company, Con Ed, says most of its customers will have power by November 11. Yes, that`s ten days away after the election.

All right. I want to go out to Rich Dool, who`s one of our producers here on our show, and he`s in Hoboken, New Jersey. Of course, that`s a basin; it`s right across from Manhattan. And it`s suffering tonight a lot. Tell us about that.

RICH DOOL, JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL PRODUCER (via telephone): Well, Jane, the good news is that the water on the streets has receded. Those high flood waters we saw all week long are not there anymore on the streets. And so I`ll tell you that most of the town is still in the dark, without power.

I`m at one of my friend`s apartments right now, one of the very few with power. I live a few blocks away with no power. I can see out of the window from here to Main Street in Hoboken, which is Washington Street, and it`s completely dark. There`s no lights anywhere.

The big concern right now, Mayor Don Zimmer is pleading for supplies: any nonperishable foods, blankets, water, baby formula, diapers, generators, gas, anything. Because like you said earlier, it`s getting colder, and people don`t have heat. Very few people have power.

While I was here, one of my friends called and said their power was just turned back on. That`s the first case I`ve heard of anyone getting power back. But you still look out the window at a very small minority of people. It`s black out there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. Stay safe, Rich Dool, one of our producers on this show.

Tonight, the top priority of coastal cities, clearly the No. 1 priority, has to be getting the water out. Belmar, New Jersey, which is less than 70 miles from Manhattan, brought in huge pumps -- I`m talking big pumps -- to clear all the flood water and put it back into the Atlantic Ocean where it belongs.

Let`s go out to meteorologist Tom Sater. Now, what got me today is when I turn on the TV, and I`m hearing people talk about -- you, too, another storm on the way? Unbelievable.

TOM SATER, HLN METEOROLOGIST: It is unbelievable. Though, in fact, for the most part, Jane, it`s almost too far out to really sound the trumpets. But I want to show you a few things here.

The numbers right now, the winds continue to pick up, and they will pick up for the weekend. That could cause fits for power crews, you know, when they`re on those cherry pickers trying to restore those lines. That could put off the restoration of power.

But it`s 49. The temperature goes down. Those cold winds are going to drop the mercury in the days ahead. No longer are we going to be highs in the 50s. In fact, we`re going to be in the 40s and mid-40s. And look at the lows. It`s hard to sustain any warmth when you`re in the 30s day after day.

Now, let`s talk about this possibility of a storm. We have long-range computer models. When they come to agreement, then it`s better to sound the alarm and put out a forecast. This is one of the long-term models, Jane, that grabbed a hold of Sandy early on.

Now, this is six days out, all right? This little disturbance slides quickly by. But on election day thunderstorms in key states, Florida, North Carolina, but watch what happens, Jane. This could become a nor`easter. That means for the barrier islands, you know, there`s no barriers for the surf so that`s going to mean more erosion, more flooding, and winds could be 65 miles per hour. That could create additional power outages.

More to come, though. We`re going to watch this one closely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, like the governor of New York said, it seems like every couple of years we`re getting a storm of the century. More and more extreme weather all around the country.

SATER: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People should definitely take their pets with them no matter what. If it`s not safe enough for them, it`s not safe for their pets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what if your beloved pet has gone missing due to the storm, how do you track them down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are still some people that are holding out, some elderly with their pets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we shouldn`t be near that water, your pets shouldn`t be near that water.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How`s the dog doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dog`s doing great. He`s getting a lot of attention.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s not a waste of time. When people are already stressed, sometimes they just want to be near their pet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news in our continuing coverage of Superstorm Sandy`s devastating aftermath. We`re going to get to the animals in a moment. First we want to update you, 88 people in the United States now dead as a result of Sandy. And as we speak 4.8 million Americans are still without power right now. Thousands remain in shelters tonight; still others returning to their homes to find nothing there or extreme wreckage and long lines for gas. Transportation, basic supplies, there is growing frustration and even tears.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I knew that it was four to five feet, I knew. I knew I would have nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But there`s also this. Extraordinary acts of kindness. There`s a woman in a shelter who was caught on camera being reunited with her pet. And it was an emotional moment. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that my cat? Oh, my God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Oh my God.

Yes. Thank you. Thank you guys so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hero police officers rescuing animals because that`s what they do -- they rescue. Hundreds of animals have been reported missing however tonight. Many families separated from their pets during a storm desperate to find them. Families are reaching out to anyone who can help.

Straight out to HLN`s Ryan Smith. You`re out there in the field. And you are covering a disaster at animal clinic. Tell us about this situation.

RYAN SMITH, HLN CORRESPONDENT: Jane, it broke my heart to see this. We were in Long Island City, that`s in Queens. And this is an area that was hard hit by Superstorm Sandy. They did everything they could to prepare. And this is an animal hospital.

So downstairs, Jane, that`s where they performed their surgeries. They had all their instruments. They had all their pet food. Destroyed -- the water rose beyond the level of the basement a couple of feet up to the first floor taking out everything.

And I spoke to Jason Rago (ph), he`s the head of the pet hospital, he`s the manager. And he said this is just going to cost them tens of thousands of dollars. But the real cost are the animals because now they can`t have their surgeries there.

He did say, Jane, that there was a little blessing in this. I asked him, well, what`s a blessing when you`ve lost everything like this. He said thank goodness this storm happened on Monday. If it happened on Sunday or Saturday, usually we have the animals in that basement prepped and ready for surgery. And they may have lost their lives from the flooding.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So that is wonderful. You`re saying no animals died. That`s good news.

SMITH: None. Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I am so happy to hear that, Ryan. And thank you for all the amazing work. I know you`ve been going around the clock without sleep for days. That`s a beautiful story. It makes me happy that we saved those lives just by an accident of timing.

Volunteers and rescue workers are on the ground right now searching for missing animals. There is a large online community that`s also trying to rescue animals through Facebook and Twitter. And it`s been very effective. They`re filled with postings from worried owners who have lost their pets during the storm and others who found cats and dogs.

For example, there`s the Facebook page -- and I`ll tell you about it in a second.

Here it is. Hurricane Sandy Lost and Found Pets -- Hurricane Sandy Lost and Found Pets. Some pages are specific to cities like there`s a Baltimore Facebook page. And undoubtedly there are other cities where every city`s going to have a Facebook page. If you`ve lost your companion animal, go on Facebook and spread the word. And look for your animal.

Straight out to Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States and author of "The Bond" -- your organization, the Humane Society of the United States, I think it`s the biggest animal organization in the world, one of them certainly. What are you doing tonight to help find lost companion animals?

WAYNE PACELLE, PRESIDENT, HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, Jane, as you`ve set this up so beautifully, when people are at risk, animals are at risk because our lives are bound together. We live in the same places. We live in the same homes.

Right now we`ve deployed to Monmouth County, New Jersey. We`re doing an assessment there. We`re going to be doing we think some door-to-door work tomorrow because some people are now reporting that, yes, I left my animal behind. The area is flooded. And then it`s going to be a race against the clock to get them in time just as it was in New Orleans with Katrina.

Other coastal counties as you`ve reported are devastated. We`re in Nassau County, you reported in Staten Island. So, Jane, we`ve got a big, big swath of land to wrap our arms around. We`re going to be working with the emergency management officials who are leading the human rescue. The animal rescue is part of this.

We`ll have more announcements tomorrow. People can follow us at humanesociety.org. They can follow us on Twitter @humanesociety and use the hashtag, #Sandypets.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Yes, the Humane Society and I`m not good with memorizing hash tags. You just go "humane society" on Google and at Facebook or Twitter and all that information will come up.

Now, I`ve got to tell you that there was just a wonderful story of Mildred Schwartz. She`s a 91-year-old woman from New Jersey. She was evacuated earlier this week. She refused to leave her beloved dog behind. And the fact is by law any state that wants FEMA funding, which is basically every state involved in this disaster, must accommodate pets. That is a new law that went into effect after Hurricane Katrina.

So if any authority`s telling you, you cannot take your pet, you turn around and say, "You`re wrong, I can. It`s the law." Remember that for future disasters as well.

I want to go to Micah Kaplan. I understand that your precious two-year-old dog Arthur went missing in this superstorm. Tell us where you are. And let`s see some pictures of your dog. We`re going to put that up. We`re going to try to help you. Micah, tell us the story.

MICAH KAPLAN, SEPARATED FROM COMPANION ANIMALS (via telephone): Hi, thanks for having me. I`m actually bunked out with my friends in Williamsburg right now because I have no power. I was walking Arthur, my new beagle who I just got a week ago. He`s a shy little dog. And we were walking like 3:00 before the storm really was going to hit. And a big gust of wind came and struck him right in his face and he kind of backed out really quick because he got scared and he slipped out of his collar. I went down to reach to grab him, but at that point he just sprinted.

He ran maybe seven avenues away, you know, farther than I could possibly see him. People saw him as he was going. But nobody could quite catch up. So, you know, I`m here with my friends. We`ve been trying to post fliers everywhere around we lost him. We went to the police and fire precincts with fliers. We try today go to the animal shelters many of which were closed because they didn`t have power.

We went out to --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have you tried Facebook? Have you been Facebooking?

KAPLAN: Yes. We have a number of Facebook pages, which is one of the ways how we got on this show thankfully actually. We`re quite surprised and very, very happy to see how much exposure that`s actually gotten. That`s actually been the best tool we`ve been able to use so far.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Micah, tell us, I know this is a national program. In fact, it`s seen in many, many countries. But your dog went missing at what corner? And which direction did Arthur head?

KAPLAN: I live at Seventh and C. And he sprinted west across Seventh all the way to Cooper Union. At which point somebody said they saw him go south. So he could be anywhere in the Soho, you know, area. I mean he`s new to the city. So I don`t know if he knew to come back east. If he went, you know, south --

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. It`s right around New York University. So if you`re --

KAPLAN: Right. Right. Yes, I mean hopefully.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

KAPLAN: I couldn`t really tell.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wayne, you`re the president of the Humane Society. What should Micah do?

PACELLE: Well, I think he`s doing a lot of the right things. I mean, you know, posting on Facebook. You know, letting the word out through our Twitter account at Humane Society so we can be apprised of it. We`ll be working with the other animal welfare agencies, with other emergency management authorities. And our goal is really to hit the street, hit the homes especially in the flooded areas and to find these pets who are in need, who are alone, and then reunite them.

So many people did the right thing in this setting and they took their animals. But it`s inevitable with so many thousands of miles here that have been affected, there are going to be cases like this and so many others.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And it`s so important to microchip your dog.

On the other side of the break, we`ve got an amazing rescue to tell you about. A lost pet reunited.

Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re going to have an incredible rescue up next. But this dog, Arthur -- look at this angel. He is missing somewhere around NYU or Soho in Lower Manhattan. And there is his human companion desperate to find him. If you know anything, go on Facebook. This guy has several Facebook pages already.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that my cat?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Oh. Oh, my God.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It`s mine. Thank you.

Thank you, you guys, so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So emotional. Patty Hunter and her husband -- this is another story, their two daughters as well, they left Baltimore, Maryland, to take cover as Sandy was coming in. They drove to a family member`s house in Virginia with their beloved husky, Nina. Then at the height of the storm Nina got spooked and ran outside and vanished before they could find her.

I want to go to Patty Hunter. Tell us about the amazing way that you found this beautiful, beautiful member of your family?

PATTY HUNTER, REUNITED WITH COMPANION ANIMAL (via telephone): Oh, we were so lucky. We got Nina right after we lost our first child and I was devastated. And my husband got Ni because he said you can`t cry every day if a puppy`s licking your face. And since then it was just such an immediate bond.

So when she ran out in the middle of the storm, my heart broke. So we did everything that we could think of. We posted a Facebook page. We called all of the shelters, all of the husky rescues in Virginia. We were really worried because of course that`s not our home. So even if she`s trying to run home, she`s unfamiliar with the area. And we weren`t even sure she survived the storm.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is one of the most beautiful stories. Look at this picture. Tell us about this reunion.

Hunter: Oh, this morning -- I`m a teacher. I got a call right as the children were walking in the door that her chip -- she`s microchipped, her chip had been activated. And then within 30 seconds I got a call from the New Baltimore/Virginia Animal Care Hospital telling me that a couple had just brought in my dog. And in front of all of my students I cried. I was so happy.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my God.

HUNTER: And so we, of course we live in Maryland, we live far away. We left work today and we drove all the way down here, took us about three and a half hours. And we found her.

She was in a very nice couple`s house. They had taken such good care of her since they got her after the storm -- an amazing house. And we walked in the door and she just went nuts. Oh, she jumped on all of us. Gave us kisses from head to toe. It was the most wonderful thing in the whole world.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And these are the actual reunion pictures and video we are showing you. Look at that. Look at that. A member of the family reunited. And it just shows you the importance, Patty, of microchipping your pet so that no matter -- you were in another state by that time. So tell us --

HUNTER: Yes, we were.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What would you tell Americans about microchipping your dog or cat?

HUNTER: Microchipping is the only reason we have her. She went so far away. All they did is they put this little itty bitty tiny microchip in her side. It`s the size of your pinky nail. And what it does is when you go to an event or a shelter, they have a little scanner like what you`ve seen at a shopping center checkout line. And instantly contacts the microchip company, the one that we used was actually based in Ontario, Canada --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve got to go, Patty. But we`re so happy for you and your family reunited and it feels so good.

On the other side, we`re talking New York City marathon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first thing I just want to show you some of the damage here on this street. This is Madding (ph). Nick, walk with me. I want you to take a look at this. This looks like someone`s home was just picked up and moved due to the storm surge. This isn`t someone`s home. This is the Sugar Shack. This is a bar from Breezy Point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Take a look at that -- so much frustration. We need something to say, hey, we`re going to make it through this. That`s why New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said no matter what, the marathon is going to go on as scheduled this Sunday. Listen to the mayor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK CITY: The marathon`s not going to redirect any focus by keep in mind, by Sunday we`ll have electricity back downtown, that will free up an enormous number of police. Also a lot of the transportation needs that we have during the week aren`t there on the weekend

This city is a city where we have to go on. There are an enormous number of people here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That has become a huge controversy. A lot of people are saying, hey, the marathon should be postponed. So I`m here with Tom Holland and he`s the author of "The Marathon Method"; he`s a marathon man. Here`s your number. Let`s show it to the folks.

TOM HOLLAND, AUTHOR, "THE MARATHON METHOD": Ready to go.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right here, right? You`re running. What do you think? Should the show go on, should the marathon go on?

HOLLAND: The show has to go on, Jane. This is about my eighth or ninth New York 60 plus marathons and after September 11th, you know, the show went on. New Yorkers, Mayor Bloomberg -- were just amazing. They`re amazing. The show goes on.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But what about people saying, the cops and everybody else, they should be helping people who have lost their homes?

HOLLAND: You know, I think that`s obviously important. I think Mayor Bloomberg is so good, the city is so good at doing many things at once. And I think they can do both. It brings in $360 million to the city so you don`t want to lose that money. You can`t postpone it. You just keep moving forward.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you there. Just right where my mom lived the Russian Tearoom Carnegie Hall hotels have been closed. They`re hemorrhaging millions and millions dollars.

HOLLAND: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve got to turn it around. I walk around with tourists around me all over the place speaking French, Italian, Spanish -- they want something, right?

HOLLAND: It`s something to be -- it`s a positive, right? In all of this chaos and all of this sadness, it`s a positive thing again just like it was after September 11th. It brings a lot of money into the city. Takes your mind off of it for a day -- it`s a positive thing. It`s a win-win.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Controversy tonight as the New York City marathon scheduled to go on as planned this Sunday. Our own marathon man, Tom Holland, you shot this video. A lot of people are wondering will the 20,400 runners expected make it here?

HOLLAND: A lot will. When I took the train in here to Grand Central, I was in the men`s room with about ten guys from Belgium. They`re all wearing their jackets they made up for the day. I ran into a guy who was wearing my jacket from the Y Iron Man. A Japanese fellow came up to me and said, "You did it too."

So he`s -- they`re here, they`re coming. You know, they love this race. It`s such a big deal for them. So they`re coming.

All right. So this Sunday we`re going to be all over it. We`re going to tell you how it goes. First of all, have a great run.

HOLLAND: Well, thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: 26.2 miles.

HOLLAND: It`s going to be a great day.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And it`s a way to show that we`re going to triumph over all of this.

Nancy`s next.

END