NBC Nightly News - 2009-03-27 - 1 of 2

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Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:01] On the broadcast tonight, relentless

[0:03] river. It's come down to this. Record

[0:05] flood waters versus the exhausted

[0:07] sandbaggers. It's getting desperate in

[0:09] the Midwest tonight. Caught on tape. Did

[0:12] this really have to happen? A story that

[0:14] might make your blood boil. It's about a

[0:16] traffic stop, a cop, and a family that

[0:18] desperately needed to get to the

[0:20] hospital. Living on the edge for folks

[0:22] on the short end of this bad economy.

[0:24] Hard times are forcing some hard

[0:26] choices. And making a difference. How a

[0:29] father and son have found the good for

[0:31] others in this bad economy. Nightly News

[0:34] this Friday night begins now.

[0:40] From NBC News world headquarters in New

[0:42] York, this is NBC Nightly News with

[0:45] Brian Williams. Good evening. Tonight's

[0:48] statement from the National Weather

[0:49] Service warns of possible approaching

[0:52] disaster for some of the folks along the

[0:54] Red River between Minnesota and North

[0:56] Dakota. The river is presently above

[0:58] record levels and it's still rising. And

[1:01] tonight we can show you the latest

[1:03] predictions, the potential for flooding

[1:05] along the river. Remember, the Red River

[1:07] runs from south to north. It is clear

[1:10] this story is going to be big, perhaps a

[1:13] tragic event for a lot of people over

[1:15] this weekend. We begin our coverage here

[1:18] tonight with NBC's Kevin Tibbles on the

[1:20] Fargo, North Dakota side of the Red

[1:22] River tonight. Kevin, good evening.

[1:25] Good evening, Brian. I'm standing in

[1:27] front of one of the main dikes that

[1:29] protects the downtown core of Fargo,

[1:32] where all day long trucks and bulldozers

[1:34] have moved dirt in here to essentially

[1:37] raise the wall in anticipation of these

[1:39] higher water levels that are already

[1:42] beginning to cause damage.

[1:45] In Oakport Township, Minnesota, there's

[1:47] water everywhere you look. So, it's from

[1:49] airboats that rescue crews do their

[1:51] work. It is wet and frigid. The airboats

[1:54] are the only way that we can get around

[1:55] a lot of place because of this ice.

[1:57] >> While some scramble to salvage what they

[1:59] can and Dolan is forced to leave

[2:01] stranded neighbors behind.

[2:03] >> Can't even get over to help them.

[2:05] >> Many have made their way to shelters.

[2:07] >> It is probably the second most

[2:09] gut-wrenching thing I've ever been

[2:10] through because I had a beautiful home

[2:12] with 18 acres and now I'm homeless.

[2:15] >> The Bower family has decided to head for

[2:17] higher ground.

[2:19] >> I still thought it would never reach

[2:20] this far. So, I'm I'm pretty surprised

[2:22] and a little stunned right now.

[2:25] >> Across the river, North Dakota's

[2:26] governor urged residents to consider

[2:28] leaving.

[2:29] >> They won't arrest you if you don't go,

[2:31] but they're strongly encouraging you to

[2:34] go.

[2:35] >> As a precaution, some elderly residents

[2:37] and hospital patients were flown on a

[2:39] donated charter to Bismar.

[2:43] And the sandbagging continues. 3 million

[2:46] bags in a wall that stretches for 12

[2:48] miles and counting. We are continuing

[2:51] our flood 09 coverage live.

[2:54] >> Local radio stations update flood news.

[2:57] >> I've been reminded again that to mention

[2:59] the volunteer services number

[3:01] >> and make sure those who need help get

[3:03] it.

[3:04] >> Is this last night?

[3:06] >> Betty Schaw was told to leave her home

[3:08] at 3 this morning, but she came back to

[3:10] collect a few belongings.

[3:11] >> Thanks, Jamie. We're not going to go

[3:13] down without a fight. We've been

[3:15] fighting too long. And it's a fight

[3:18] that's going to carry on for some time.

[3:22] >> And the National Weather Service says

[3:24] that the next 48 hours are absolutely

[3:27] critical here. If those water levels do

[3:29] reach that 40 foot 43t height, it's

[3:32] going to be putting tremendous strain

[3:34] not only on this dyke, Brian, but every

[3:36] other break wall that's been built up

[3:38] and down along the side of the Red River

[3:40] here. Brian,

[3:41] >> it's a story we'll be covering all

[3:42] weekend long. Kevin Tibble starting us

[3:44] off in Fargo tonight. Kevin, thanks. We

[3:46] turn our attention next to Washington.

[3:49] There were two initiatives at the White

[3:51] House today to tell you about both of

[3:52] them on the news. The financial crisis

[3:55] and the war in Afghanistan. White House

[3:57] correspondent Savannah Guthrie on duty

[3:59] for us tonight. Savannah, let's start

[4:00] with the bigname visitors from Wall

[4:02] Street and beyond.

[4:05] >> Brian, the president invited 15 of the

[4:07] banks uh CEOs to the White House for a

[4:10] meeting with him. Both sides said it

[4:12] went well, but it was a frank

[4:13] discussion. and the president

[4:14] emphasizing to the CEOs the anger that

[4:17] is out there in the country about the

[4:18] issue of executive compensation. CEOs

[4:21] said the meeting went well, but they do

[4:23] have their differences with the

[4:24] president. They're open to his plan that

[4:25] he announced this week to have them sell

[4:27] off their bad assets, but they want more

[4:30] details. The president's message to

[4:32] them, Wall Street and Main Street are in

[4:34] this together. And then the other big

[4:36] issue here at the White House today, the

[4:37] president outlining a new strategy for

[4:39] Afghanistan and Pakistan announcing a

[4:42] new mission there.

[4:45] We have a clear and focused goal to

[4:48] disrupt, dismantle, and defeat