first time. an irish wolfhound named bomber. >> i am excited, i know it is a great thing. >> we honor all those who have served on this veterans day. piers morgan is next. are storms like this a sign of things to come? two experts weigh in. and 50,000 people are so far enrolled in obama care, the administration won't confirm the number, is it doom before it even started. i talked to angelina jolie's surgeon, and to cnn's survivor. and anderson cooper is live in the philippines. anderson, thank you very much,

indeed, obviously, you're in manila, about 500 miles north of tacloban. what do you hear about the scale of devastation? >> yeah, we actually were flying into tacloban about two hours ago, that is just the latest concern, another tropical storm coming in, putting more water on the ground, with so many people looking for shelter, so many looking for food and water trying to deal with injuries, as well. the hospital in tacloban has been overwhelmed, as well. they stopped admitting new patients. they were just giving first aid to a lot of patients. relief efforts are under way. but at this point the needs of the people are so great. tacloban is a city of some 200,000 people. we don't yet, piers, have an accurate count of how many people lost their lives, how many are wounded and in need of

immediate assistance, accurate number, we just simply don't have them. and that gives you a sense, we're now into the fourth day since the storm hit and it gives you a sense of how tough the communications are for the philippine government, they're hoping to get the airport running on a 24-hour basis, hoping to get relief out here. that is one of the problems, piers, there were no lights. it is very difficult to fly in there in the type of large-scale operations that are needed. hopefully that will start to move again, with the weather system moving in, in the next six hours that will definitely cause a crimp in the next several hours. we'll continue to follow it in the next several days, though, peers. and obviously, we know the military is sending in aid, the chinese, as well, lots of countries helping now. but how restrictive is it for the moment to get the aid where it is needed, given the current

horrendous conditions continuing? >> i mean, there is so much debris on the ground. it was really the storm surge, when you see it on the ground and are looking at the images, it reminds me of the tsunami we saw both in southeast asia and also japan just a couple of years ago. that water really picks up all the debris and deposits it on the roads. often it is 20, 30 feet high. the piles of debris, you can have a car buried under a house. who knows how many people are buried under this rubble. so even getting a truck-load of aid down the road can take a long, long time. and there is also concerns about security, and people in desperate situations trying to get some of that aid. so it is a very tricky situation on the ground and it will take some time in order to get the aid, get the relief and really get an accurate picture of what the government officials have to deal with here. because there are a lot of communities that we have said over the past several days,

a lot of communities who have not been reached yet, where they really don't have a sense of where those communities are. >> i know you are going to try to get down to tacloban, and i'll leave you with the planning for that. and will probably speak to you later on, thank you very much, indeed. paula, obviously, it looks to us just utterly devastating. what does it look like on the ground? put it in some perspective for me. >> reporter: well, piers, it is quite simply a horrific situation. these people have been to hell and back. one lady told me it was worse than hell. to survive such a horrific storm surge and horrific typhoon, is horrible. but now these people are going through a second disaster. but they're now struggling to survive to get enough food and shelter. and of course, shelter. you can probably see behind me it is torrential rain here. the storm still coming through.

luckily there are no heavy wind s because that could cause more injuries and damage behind me. it is a very desperate situation. more aid is needed. more organization is needed to get it to those people who need it. and there is a very grim task at the moment. a mass grave is being built down the road. we understand from the mayor that 244 bodies have been found in this area alone. they have another 600 bodies they know about, but have not been able to get to it. where we were walking down the road just on monday, there were many bodies lying on the side of the road and clearly have been there for a number of days. the residents are saying, please, take the bodies away. the smell was overpowering. the look of horror on their faces was just too much for the survivors to bear. >> the philippines is the 73rd largest country in the world, at least 7,000 islands in total, of which about 2,000 are inhabited. do they have any idea yet from

the time that this hit the islands, how many of those islands have been affected? >> reporter: at this point, no. people still don't know. because this storm and this typhoon just had such a wide berth. and there were no communications in most of these places. it is just the worst combination of factors. no electricity or communication. such an enormous storm, record-breaking storm. so it is really difficult on the ground for people to know what is happening. you really only know what is happening in a very tiny area. and this is what officials are telling us. that they're struggling to get the information. and they say the reason it is taking so long to try to get the aid to people who need it, the first responders who usually cope in this type of situation, they're the victims. so the supplies have been completely destroyed and they're basically having to start from scratch. >> and finally, paula, if people are watching this and want to

know how they can help, what is the best way to accept right now? -- to help right now? >> reporter: it has to be through the international aid agencies. i mean, clearly on the ground, the organization has to be at a higher level. it is probably no good just coming here trying to help, because you just add to the problem. if you can support the international aid agencies, maybe support the governments who are trying to set things in motion, you know the u.s. military is here, the marines on ground, they're bringing in the c-130s on the ground, the forklifts, the pallets to get the goods out. so i think it has to be done in an organized fashion. >> thank you very much indeed. >> james reynolds is a cameraman and devoted his life to chasing storms around the world. he barely escaped the typhoon with his life. this is never before seen footage, welcome to you now. this footage we're watching now, nobody has seen it before. it really gives a graphic idea of what is going down. what is your thought as you were taking it?

>> reporter: hi, piers, as the scene unfolded it was really one of those critical situations. you know, i was primarily there to document the storm. and in the height of the storm, as the storm surge was rushing in and flooding our hotel, we could hear the piercing screams of a woman in a desperate situation, smashing the windows of her hotel room, trying to escape with her family from the rising surge. so it was really a case of -- i was with two colleagues of mine, and a cnn crew. and it was really just a case of kind of putting down the cameras and getting in there and helping these people. because you know, it was one of those situations which was terrifying to be involved with, piers. >> i mean, it seems as though nobody can really have a handle on the death toll or how many injuries. what is your opinion of what is going on, on the ground? >> reporter: absolutely correct, piers, in the immediate

aftermath, rumors were flying around, people were terrified. there was no concrete information at all. no official presence, no police, very little government getting in. so it really is just every person for themselves, survival mode. there was another rumor that another tsunami was coming in. people were just in a desperate, desperate situation. and any idea of what the final death toll now is just completely impossible. the storm, before it hit tacloban hit a town to the east which had over 10,000 people in it. and there were aerial surveys that showed it was completely destroyed. but no communications out of there that i heard of, piers. >> and in terms of the technology used, is there much substantial difference between a massive storm surge like this and a tsunami? >> reporter: really just small technicalities. the destruction, the death, the carnage is essentially the same. the water rose with alarming

speed, and as i mentioned just caught these people, in our hotel alone, just completely off guard with water up to their waist, they couldn't open the door or windows. and a few minutes later, a foot or two higher, and those people would have drowned. unfortunately, some of the other people living right by the coast who didn't evacuate obviously had no chance against this force of the rising water, 15 feet high. winds over 150 miles an hour, just a horrendous situation, piers. >> it certainly is, james reynolds, thank you indeed for coming on and showing us this extraordinary footage, thank you very much indeed. and more tonight on the political disaster of obama care. will the dismal enrollment cause problems with obama's health care? >> and what this would look like if a super storm like haiyan hit

this country. >> and later, amy robach reveals her breast cancer diagnosis. and we'll talk to angelina jolie's surgeon, and also a survivor. when our little girl was born,

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the city of tacloban is devastated tonight. the city council member is married to the mayor. she and her two little girls were trapped by the flood waters, they survived by hanging onto the roof for hours until help came. she joins me now along with her

uncle, the congressman. christina, if i cloudy start with you. this is the ultimate nightmare, the philippines gets between ten and 20 typhoons a year, but nothing like this scale, when did you realize this was a massive storm? >> well, we were already getting ready for the massive storm because we knew it was a very strong super typhoon, since we got all the information. so we were meeting with all the local government department heads a few days before. and even already evacuating people three days before, and letting them stay at the evacuation centers. so we were just getting ready, you know, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, so to speak. and hoping you know, it would divert, still. but when we were actually there,

and we heard the strong winds around before 8:00 in the morning, and hearing and feeling how strong it was, shaking our roofs, you know. and that is when i realized yes, this is it. >> and christina, you with your two little girls, it must have been a very terrifying experience. describe to me the power of this typhoon. >> yes, my 14 and 10-year-old girls -- >> and what was the feeling like? >> oh, the wind, i can describe the sound like -- i just -- very scary, the sound was like sort of like you know, like it was mad. and it was so loud. and when you look outside you couldn't see a thing. it was just nothing. and you could barely see the trees. you know that everything was being pushed. the trees were being pushed. you know, it was so scary.

but that was before the water came in. the wind. i didn't know that the roof had already flown off. so we got scared. i took my kids out of the room -- out of the house, you know, worried that some debris or something inside the roof might fall on their head. so i was trying to protect my kids. so i went into -- i saw a car outside the house. and i went into -- i brought my kids into the car initially -- i did not know that the water was going to come in. so i brought my kids in the car. and you know, maybe to get some more protection to protect our heads from the debris that might hit us. so after a few minutes, i see this water gushing in, gushing in really fast. not thinking that the water was going to be rising. i thought maybe this is a flood or a storm surge. it was rising. and then it was getting into almost half of the car that we were in.

so i realized it was not safe to be here. just get out. so i took my kids out. my kids are swimmers. we live by the beach. we all know to swim. we were swimming together, my staff was with us, the driver was with us. we were all helping each other. and the water was just rising and rising with waves, waves like you know -- the water would push you out. all of a sudden the cars that were there, we had maybe like five or six cars in there, floating, floating and the cars being pushed. and we were -- the cars were like pushing -- almost like getting into us. into my kids. and pushing us. and so that the boys that were there were trying to push the cars away. because it might hit the cement and might topple down. because the house -- all of us, they were trying to push. the water went so high it reached the ceiling. so we were just there hanging on. and trying to fight the waves that were pushing us out.

>> absolutely terrifying. martin, for people who want to help and i asked this question earlier, but you're in a great position to answer it because you're actually there and your family has been exposed to it. what do you think is the most desperate need right now? >> well, actually the desperate need, of course, is food, water, shelter right now. because all the homes are destroyed. no one has been spared. our homes are destroyed. we know that relief efforts are on the way, on the ground. but i believe the problem right now is the proper distribution. there is a serious problem in the distribution. because a lot of material and equipment have already landed in tacloban. and it is a big challenge to get it out to the far-flung municipalities. because this hit tacloban, but there are other areas that are similarly devastated.

and yet there, there is no access to clean water, food, medication or shelter. so we really need to help out in the distribution. and in clearing the roads, it toppled power lines. trees, debris, houses literally strewn across the pavements of the highways. so we just have to get that going. but short of that, i believe an air drop in these various municipalities are what is in order. we can't wait. people have gone almost three days without any clean water, food and medication. people are getting desperate. there is an exodus out of these storm-ravaged areas. people are just trying to make their way out. and it is causing a big, big jam in the areas people use. the people really need the food, the equipment, the medication, the shelters.

out to these people. >> well, we'll certainly do what we can to promote that. it is obviously an ongoing, devastating situation. we'll get the message out to the red cross and other organizations. there we have details on screen now. we're trying to get ahold of the philippine red cross, or e-mail them. and thank you both very much indeed. christine i'm just so glad that you and your children are okay after all that. this is what it looked like, the storm struck america's east coast, absolutely massive. so how worried should we be? joining me now, a senior scientist, journalist, author, and environmental correspondent for the nation. let me start with you, dr. roy spencer. they're saying this is the biggest recorded tropical cyclone that has ever been recorded in history. what does it tell us coming on the back of hurricane sandy? the monster storms that we've seen.

is it really getting worse or is this a predictable weather pattern that recurs from generation to generation? >> well, first of all this was not the biggest, probably typhoon tip from 1979 was the biggest in terms of sheer size and the lowest pressure in the center of the storm. this one was probably up near the top for the highest peak wind speeds. they really don't know because we have suspended the flights of the aircraft, the reconnaissance aircraft into typhoons years ago. so their existence is just based on cloud top temperatures. which are reasonably accurate for this type of storm. but i believe there will be a debate on how strong exactly this storm was. but it was one of the strongest, now, on the subject, can we expect worse storms? you know, the consensus of the climate research community is

still out on that one in terms of the effects of typhoons. because so far we haven't seen a long-term trend. we thought we did in 2005 which was a very active year. and then since then, the global cyclone activity has dropped off considerably, and we're at record lows. the news has not reported there were many hurricanes in the atlantic. >> and the debate is continuing, very vocal on both sides as to whether the climate change is playing a part in the monster storms. many scientists believe it is, many believe it is not. and that actually what you're seeing is no different to previous centuries. what is your view? >> well, my view is that of those that interview scientists. and i beg to differ with them if they say it is not. the fact of the matter is there is an overwhelming consensus that climate change is man-made, it is real, and that it is happening now and it will produce far more powerful storms as we go forward.

now, is it too soon? we don't know yet exactly how the scientists will finally come out on this particular typhoon, how much of it was caused by global warming. but at this point in 2013, because global warming is so advanced, every weather event on the earth has some relationship to that. and certainly all the climate scientists and the consensus opinions that just came out from the u.n. governmental panel on climate change would lead us to expect just what we are seeing now. last year with hurricane sandy. now with typhoon haiyan. and on and on and on. we have overheated the atmosphere, and we'll see stronger storms. how much of this storm was because of global warming, is it 10% or 90%? that is something we need more scientific research into, to find out. but to deny there is some kind of connection is at this point i think very irresponsible.

it doesn't do justice, the terrible suffering we're seeing on the air right now on your program. >> well, indeed, let's play this clip from george clooney, the actor who talked about this today. >> if you have 99% of doctors who tell you that you are sick, and 1% who says you're fine, you probably want to check it up for the 99. you know what i mean? the idea that we ignore -- that we are in some way involved in climate change, is ridiculous. what is the worst that can happen? we clean up the world a little bit? >> doctor, back to you, good point, we can over-compensate for that. but what is the result of under-reacting on climate change, in the end more dangerous? >> well, even though i'm a skeptic, i don't know of anyone that has denied climate change. it has always changed. george clooney's analogy to medical use is misused, because we have millions of examples of

diseases that we know when they occur, how to cure some of them. how not to cure some of them. in the case of global warming, we have one patient. the earth, the earth is a little warmer right now. we're not exactly sure whether it is 100% due to mankind or 50% due to mankind, 50% due to nature and by chance, today we had -- >> dr. spencer, that is not true, sir. that is not true. you are misstating the facts. >> which part is not true, mark? >> you should not do that, sir. to say we don't know, listen to what the ipcc just said in its report. that humankinds' activities are now responsible for most of this. frankly, i don't know why, dr. spencer, i believe you don't even agree that climate change is man made, last time i checked. if you revised your position i would love to hear about it. >> well, you're wrong about that. i believe that we don't know --

>> that a man-made climate change you reject that 99 -- so you stand against the 97% of scientists who say this. and piers, i have to tell you as a journalist, you know, we don't talk -- >> no, mark, i'm part of the 99%. >> i don't think we should talk to climate deniers about climate stories. that is journalistically irresponsible. >> mark, did you know i'm one of the 97%, that includes people who believe that some portion of climate change is man made. and i do believe some portion of it is. >> you think it is a very small portion, sir. do you deny that you stand in opposition to the overwhelming scientific consensus on this? if so you need to read more scientific papers. >> i have a feeling i have read more than you, mark. >> well, i suspect you have. but i think i have interviewed a lot more scientists than you have, sir. and it is -- >> and i think based on your

job, i know which kind of scientists you interview. because your job depends on you interviewing those on one kind of the story. >> see, this is the conspiracy thinking that you must retreat to in order to say in the year 2013 that climate change is not man made and happening now and causing great suffering in the philippines. great suffering. and we have not o-- dealt with this for 20 years because of this kind of nonsense talking about how there is no human fingerprints on this. that is not what 97% of the scientists on this planet say. and piers, i repeat, journalistically, this is malpractice, having somebody on saying this is 50%, and 50%, when nobody in the scientific community takes the view -- that climate change is not related to stronger storms -- >> well, this is an interesting debate. i think it is actually journalistic malpractice to not have a fair debate. but thank you for the lecture on journalism.

thank you both very much. >> and when we come back, a storm brewing. and later, amy robach's shocking diagnosis after having a mammogram on television. [ male announcer ] this is pam. her busy saturday begins with back pain, when... hey pam, you should take advil. why? you can take four advil for all day relief. so i should give up my two aleve for more pills with advil? you're joking right? for my back pain, i want my aleve.

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the holidays can be an especially difficult time. everything's different now. sometimes i feel all alone. christmas used to be my favorite. i just don't expect anything. what if santa can't find me? to help, sleep train is holding a secret santa toy drive. bring your gift to any sleep train, and help keep the spirit of the holidays alive. not everyone can be a foster parent, but anyone can help a foster child. epitom we'll turn to some of our other big stories tonight, the nation honoring its veterans as president obama laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown earlier today at arlington. the commander-in-chief pledging to provide more support. the wall street journal reports that fewer than 50,000 people have successfully enrolled in

obama care on the exchange. the numbers are not confirmed. but pretty awful. just how bad are the numbers? joining me now is john king, so john, the rumor is that just 50,000 people in america have enrolled into obama care. if that is true, that is pretty appalling, isn't it? >> it is a dismal number. the administration, as you know, won't confirm the numbers, and they're not disputing them. they are putting numbers out and will take that bitter pill on the numbers, if you will. 50,000 have signed up for the federal exchange, and about twice that, maybe 60,000 have signed up for the state exchange in the dozen-plus states. we know the numbers for those states. you have somewhere in the ball park of 100,000 people, and the administration had hoped to have well over 500,000 people signed up by now. they need 7 million by march is the big goal. they're somewhere less than 10% of that or just approaching 10% of that right now. the numbers don't lie.

that is just a dismal sign for a program. it is not just a sign for how dismal the numbers they are counting, it is the financing of the program, and it is also the credibility of the program. so they're in a ditch. >> if the figures stay at that number, will you buy stock in kathleen sebelius? >> look, there is no question the president will stay with her during this storm. he will not give the republicans a body on this right now. she is in the middle of the storm. the president defended her saying she doesn't write the code for the website. she is not the person responsible for the problems right now. she is the president's person now, she has sort of led the department into this ditch and it is her job to lead it out. how long does she last? it is a question between the president and kathleen sebelius. the question is, if he let her go now or if she walked away, he would have to re-nominate

somebody and have them confirmed by the senate, with a lot of nervous republicans, so good luck with that. >> and with the number this low, they're going to have to extend it, aren't they? they can't just expect the vast majority of americans to pay fines because the system is so deeply flawed? >> the last point you make on the fines is the most likely thing politically for the administration to do, is to extend the deadline another year or six months, whatever it is, you wouldn't pay a fine yet if you haven't signed up. the administration right now, piers is resisting all calls for that, saying give us more time. another month for the website. they do insist. they put out metrics saying yes, it is still not right but it is getting better. they hope as they improve the website and the other communication that the numbers will get better. they keep insisting march is the real deadline, not the dog days of october when you have the dismal days of the beginning. however, that is the policy side of it and the process side of

it. multiply that or factor in the politics side of it. the president's problem now is that you have a dozen democrats in the senate. and look for that number to increase. they are demanding at least a kind of change or investigation. and the republicans are playing this pretty smartly, maybe cynically, but they're trying to drive the numbers down, increase the panic among those senators knowing that the democrats, never mind the republicans. the members of the president's own party will demand either extensions or delays or other changes to the law. >> yes, i would imagine for one that senator cruz will be licking his lips at the numbers tonight. john ke king, thank you very mu for those numbers. and coming up, a shocking diagnosis for amy robach. the day she told viewers that a mammogram she had on the show revealed breast cancer. >> i decided to take one for the team. this was about public service, because as you know i didn't

really want to have the mammogram. and just a few short weeks later, words i never expected to hear, i was told i have breast cancer. >> amy robach will have a double mastectomy, something my next guest, zoraida sambolin has dealt with. she is cnn's co-anchor. she had a double mastectomy a couple of years ago. this must have brought it all back. >> i got a text from a friend saying have you heard? i instantly went on line to get more information. and when i saw amy's face as she talked about this process and told her loved ones, that is when it brought it all back. i really felt for her at that moment. that was such a complicated time to tell the people you love that you have breast cancer. >> from what you went through, what is the hardest things that you dealt with, and how did you get through it? >> gosh, i guess it depends, at what point we're talking here. early on it is just the

diagnosis. because so many things go through your mind. she has children. i have children. and that is the first thing you think about is your kids. and you think about living and dying a lot. and so you have to go and work through all of those emotions. that was the toughest time, thinking how will i tell them and how will i survive this? what is my game plan to survive this? >> incredibly, you have carried on being a great mum, working ridiculously hard. as i'm sure amy will do, too, is that part of the process trying to get back and live a normal life. how easy is that to do? >> i think, i called cancer a bit of a blessing because it bit of a blessing because it puts your life in perspective. you think about things you never really thought about before. so from that standpoint, it is a good thing. it made me hype focus on what was really important and valuable.

i tell you, the thing i focused on was getting stronger, making the decision, the double mastectomy, and reconstruction. it is a long process, a long healing process, as well. that is really where you are kind of focused. and you think about it, luckily she will probably have the same experience that i had here. that was work telling me take your time, focus, get stronger and better. >> and for women, it is an ultimate nightmare in many ways to have a double mastectomy. what is the reality like? >> you know, i would imagine it is different for different women. for me, it was a decision that came pretty easily. you know, at first, i wanted a double mastectomy immediately because i wanted the cancer gone. and all i could think about was i need to sleep at night. so i only had a cancer diagnosis in one breast, the left breast and chose to have a double mastectomy, because there were areas of concerns in the other breast. it was a really good decision for me because i ended up with cancer in both breasts. but the reconstruction was something i thought i wanted to have right away. i did have it right away.

it is a process and something you have to get used to. and that, i never really expected. i never expected that that would be a challenge, as well. >> another question, how are you feeling? >> i feel great, my prognosis is excellent. i chomped at the bit when they asked me to come on piers. because i think that amy's stories really kind of crystallize for women that you have to get a mammogram. when you turn 40 years of age, that is the best gift you can give yourself and your family. because look at the situation, they found the cancer and hopefully they found an early cancer and she will live a long, beautiful life. >> stay with me, we'll talk to others who dealt with cancer. we'll talk to dr. kristi funk, the surgeon who operated on angelina jolie. [ male announcer ] you'll only find advil, the #1 selling pain reliever, in one cold medicine. advil congestion relief. it delivers a one-two punch at pain and sinus pressure

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we were sitting in that office, and i was saying i don't have a connection to the disease, should i be the one to do this, and wow, boy.

>> amy robach on "good morning america" today. women across the country were shocked to hear her cancer diagnosis. and zoraida sambolin, also had a breast cancer diagnosis. and dr. kristi funk, who was angelina jolie's doctor. welcome to you, dr. funk. obviously, you have two high profile tv people, going through this in exactly the space of a month. how important is early detection and immediate action? >> you know, prevention does not yet exist. so early detection is our best defense against this disease, and our only chance at a cure. so it is incredibly important, and by early detection, mammograms every year beginning at age 40, and self breast exams every single month, and clinical exams every year with your

docto doctor. >> and angelina jolie had a positive exam, not a positive diagnosis. >> and angelina jolie had surgery after the positive gene, not the diagnosis. so it is a huge, positive move for women to do this. but do you think it is essential in cases like that? >> absolutely not. i recommend things on an individualized basis. for cancer, her breast cancer risk was up to an 87% lifetime risk, which was just too high for her to take one day at a time. it is not necessarily the recommendation to all women. particularly, when you individualize it, you find out what her breasts might mean to her in terms of sexuality, and breast feeding. has she had her children yet, a lot of things come into play before women choose mastectomy, if ever. brca positive women, under a higher surveillance will still have positive lymph nodes, when they're diagnosed, 30% of the

time. >> amy talked about how she drew strength from robin roberts. obviously, not a club that you want to be a member of. >> how important is it for public figures to be as courageous as you have been and others in that position like angelina jolie? >> well, it was angelina jolie who gave me the courage. and her op-ed piece was front page news, and it allowed me to have a voice. i had struggled for weeks to tell the viewers i'm going to have a double mastectomy and will be out for a few weeks. it is not casual conversation. it doesn't come up with your co-anchor in the morning. she allowed me to talk about this decision. i was very hesitant, she talked about sexuality, which really hit me hard. i was struggling with that. i was embarrassed to struggle with that, piers, i've had my kids, my breasts served their function in life. i thought my breasts should not matter that much to me.

yet it really did struggle, and those words in particular really helped me talk about this. and it was really healing to be able to talk. >> and dr. funk, finally for you, have you spoken to angelina recently? how is she doing and how is she coping, having announced this to the world and what the reality of her life is? >> you know, i think she said it best in her op-ed, she is no less of a woman. we all know she is in australia directing an amazing movie right now. and she is busy and back to life as usual. >> thank you very much for both of you. what time are you getting up? >> 1:30, really soon here. >> good to see you. >> when we come back, the latest on the typhoon disaster in the philippines. i'll talk to the country's embassy to the u.s., when told that the death toll may be as high as 10,000 people.

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i experienced a lot of typhoons, but this is the worst thing. >> a lot of people are dead, our friends are dead, some of our family members are dead. >> i am the only survivor of the family, and i want to know if they are still alive. >> continuing rescue efforts beginning all over the philippines right now. survivors of typhoon haiyan trying to pick up the pieces. welcome, mr. ambassador, this is truly a terrible tragedy that has come to the philippines. can you give us any indication of the amount of the disaster? >> thank you, piers, the official reports from the management commission, 174,000

dead, about 60,000 people displaced from their homes. over 9 million people have been affected by the typhoon. and thousands have been injured. most of the hospitals in the area are overflowing. there is a shortage of medicines. and food -- as well as drinking water. by the government -- but the government, of course is working with local government officials to address this problem. >> and obviously, there are a number of typhoons every season in the philippines. is this the worst that you can ever remember? >> yes, this has been the strongest typhoon ever, as far as i can remember. we have about 20 to 24 a year. but we've not seen anything like this in the past. >> and are you getting the international help that you need, and is it coming fast enough? >> oh, yes, we have 22 countries

that have already pledged financial assistance, medical assistance. rescue and relief volunteers, temporary shelters like tents and so on. but of course, we also have to be able to bring these supplies, materials from manila to tacloban, which is one of the hardest hit cities. and the airport is only partially open. most of the other airports have been reopened. so we need to move the materials and supplies, even faster. >> mr. ambassador, there are 3.4 million people of filipino descent living in the united states. what is the best way they can get that information? >> well, we're urging them to contact the google website that has been set up for missing

persons. the embassy and the consulate also provide numbers that they can contact in case they want to get information from us. we have also a unit that has been set up by the department of foreign affairs, which is 24/7, so they can contact that unit for information that they need. they may need. >> mr. ambassador, thank you so much for joining me. and our hearts go out and our prayers to all the people in the philippines. thank you very much. >> thank you very much, piers. >> we'll be right back. i'm a careful investor. when you do what i do, you think about risk. i don't like the ups and downs of the market, but i can't just sit on my cash. i want to be prepared for the long haul. ishares minimum volatility etfs. investments designed for a smoother ride. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses.

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this is cnn breaking news. >> good evening, everyone, i'm anderson cooper reporting live from manila. throughout this hour, we're going to have extensive coverage of the disaster here in the philippines. typhoon haiyan causing untold devastation. at this point we do not have an accurate death toll. there have been some estimates, as many as 10,000 people may have been killed in tacloban alone. some government officials say that may be an over-estimate. the bottom line is there are no accurate figures. and anything else is just speculation. right now, the immediate needs are for people in a number of places.