>> we will never forget the day america changed forever. hijacked planes slammed into the twin towers. the pentagon at a field near shanksville, pennsylvania. we're moments away for the bells willing to a second plane struck the south tower of the world trade center as we listen to family members with the names of those who are lost one by one. good morning, i'm shannon bream live in "america's newsroom." >> i'm jon scott. there is little question this day changed every one of us. the numbers are staggering all these years later.

the thousands of lives lost. this is the first year that president trump a native new yorker observes today's ceremonies as president. first bill hemmer joins us from orlando as irma continues to batter the sunshine state. >> bill: good morning to you. more than 3 million in florida waking without power. it was 24 hours ago the storm came across in key west. it is still a big story and will be throughout the day but it is also a moment where we pause and we reflect. a significant time for reflection for all of us across the country and around the world. september 11th, the day yet again 9/11. we'll see you later in morning in florida. jon and shannon, back to you in new york. >> shannon: he will join us later for more extended coverage of the storm.

a moment of silence to mark the moment united airlines flight 75 was flown into the south tower. president trump and melania will arrive at the pentagon for the ceremony there. vice president mike pence will take part in ceremonies at the flight 93 memorial near shanksville, pennsylvania, where one of the airliners crashed after passengers and crew fought back trying to take control away from the terrorists who hijacked it and trying to head that plane for the heart of washington, d.c. >> as bad as that day was, shannon, it continues to take its toll. about 10 days or so ago the fire department of the city of new york added something like 32 names to the list of firefighters whose lives were claimed by the events of 9/11, many who were working with rescue effort on what they called the pile breathing in noxious fumes and poisonous chemicals which ultimately claimed their lives. >> shannon: a family friend who

was an nypd officer who suffers and fights those health problems he said he would never trade the time he was down there. he said it was important. now let's listen to the moment of silence. >> i'm thinking that here with your families was the best place. last year when your son gregory graduated college and should have been here in the best place watching him get his diploma and then a month later when your daughter, amanda got married, you should have been here in the best place walking her down the aisle and then just six months after that, when your other daughter, jessica, got married you should have been here in the best place walking her down the aisle. are you in a better place, jeff? i really hope so, but again, i'm just not so sure anymore. i guess i'll know in 20 or 30 years. save me a good seat, little brother. we love you and miss you every day. >> bill: richard edward bosco

and my father, ronald carl vazio. your youngest granddaughter is here today reiss. you are proudly named after your dad. he had a heart condition and he loved you and that never stopped him. if he were here today he would tell you the hold the door for others every chance that you get. love, strength and peace to everyone near and far, 143. [bell ringing]

[moment of silence] >> jon: a somber day in this city, in this nation as we remember the victims of the 9/11 attacks 16 years ago today. eric shawn is in lower manhattan live near the memorial where these services are taking place, eric. >> good morning, jon, it has been 16 years but it is as if not one day has gone by. we're again looking at the gathering of the loved ones, officials, family members, relatives and friends who in a

very personal way are remembering those who were lost on this day 16 years ago. as you said, it is a very somber, solemn and emotional ceremony still filled with the pain of all that was lost. the names are being read of the 2,753 people who died. we've heard the very personal tributes from the sons, daughters, brothers to those who were killed in the world trade center towers. there will be, as always, four moments of silence. we've already had two. when both planes hit tower one and two and later this morning when both towers fell. let's take a moment to observe the first moment of silence that happened a few moments ago at 8:46 this morning. [bell ringing] >> it is a very real remembrance of what happened here, as well as the continuing

threat of radical islamic terrorism that attacked our nation and brought these towers down striking at the very heart of the american spirit. earlier this morning we interviewed the new york city police commissioner james o'neill who says the city is safer because of the precautions taken because of this day. how it happened is a reminder to us every day. >> it brings you right back to september 11th, 2001. how it changed the world, changed the city and the nation but it changed the world. today is important for a number of reasons. it's important for everybody to remember. it is also a reminder for us that we have to continue to be vigilant. >> and the attacks that we've seen around the world and the 22 terrorist attempts and plots that have been broken up in new york city since 2001, it is a reminder not only of what we lost on this day 16 years ago, but also of the threat that

still exists. jon. >> jon: sad to say, eric, many of the families of victims of this attack have still not had the satisfaction of a burial. they're still identifying the remains of the victims. >> 40% haven't been identified. the effort has continued. in fact, just last month the latest victim, a male who because of his family privacy decided not to be named public was identified. we went to the medical examiner's office in new york city continuing new dna analysis of the remains they find. we talked with the doctor, the assistant director in charge of the office describing the dna work that is so important and continues on a very special mission. >> as a forensic sign test you're trained to be impartial and biased, not become emotionally or personally involved.

with the world trade center bring the scientists that work on the remains to meet the families and to show the scientists that the families, you know, they support us and still want us to continue with this kind of work. >> they're doing special and important work over there. of course, there are all those who have been sickened and died. the world trade health center program has registered 37,000 first responders, volunteers and others who suffered from cancers and various diseases. a marvelous program, 1,000 or so first responders and others so far have died from the effects of the toxic fumes and the dust here at the world trade center on september 11th. it's a special effort that continues. >> jon: it is a day that will always be seared into our memories. tell us about your recollections from that day, eric. >> we were on the air together. i was walking to work at fox

news when the first plane flew over my head. it was very low and loud on fifth avenue. i looked up and he was crabbing to the right as he made a right turn heading toward the world trade center and went on the air together that morning. what has made me so angry as a new yorker and american all these years is that this was not the first radical islamic terrorist attack on our country. the first was november 5th, 1990. the assassination of -- the bombing of the world trade center in 1993 and sadly to say it is something that we still face today and will continue to do so. jon. >> jon: eric shawn reporting from the ceremonies to lower manhattan. ceremonies also underway in pennsylvania and washington where you're originally from. >> shannon: over the weekend the governor was talking about what he saw that day. you were on the air for hours moment by moment as we were

getting the realization of what was happening. the reality of it. and governor pataki said he have two feelings that stay with him. horror at what he said but pride in the way the people acted in the face of this unspeakable evil being down there and seeing the first responders working for hours and days at a time. and what hope and faith that gave him in america. two sides of the coin like we've seen in houston recently as well. >> jon: i grew up out west. always thought of new york as this cold, heart city and on that particular day new yorkers really reached out to one another and helped one another, lifted each other up. offered anybody, total strangers, whatever help they could. an amazing day. >> shannon: you were on the air as the realization was coming that it was the freak accident, that first plane. i can't imagine how you felt in the chair that day. you were a strong, steady voice

that day. >> jon: you know, these days anything seems possible in the world of terrorism. back then you didn't think that somebody would be just heartless enough to fly an airplane full of innocent people into a building. that didn't come to one's mind. so when the first plane hit we thought it was an accident and i was speaking to an expert, an ntsb expert telling me all the reasons it could be an accident and then the second plane hit and you knew it was deliberate. >> shannon: all doubt was erased at that point. joining us now to talk about his thoughts on that day and moving forward as well new york congressman peter king member of the house homeland security committee. congressman, great to have you with us on this somber morning. your reelections on that day and where we go from here moving forward. >> a day none of us should forget. i lost many friends and neighbors that day. it's important that we honor

the memory of those who died and stay in contact with their families and just as importantly we have to remember this war goes on. we can never let our guard down. we're much at war now with terrorism as 9/11. we're much safer but the threat is greater. they're constantly attempting to find ways to attack us. we can't let our guard down. >> shannon: it's notable this morning catherine herridge out of d.c. notes that the trial date for the five remaining 9/11 suspects. they remain at guantanamo. the trial date is expected in 2019. hung up on a lot of issues regarding the original detention of these suspects. you know, that would place this almost 20 years after the events have happened. are we talking the right course of action with these remaining suspects? >> well, i think first of all it's important they be detained and important we have the trials. they have to be brought to justice. i think there has been too many

delays, too many people seem more interested in what they perceive to be civil rights of those who killed innocent americans but we are going to persevere. the trials will go ahead and we owe it to those who died and their families and we also have to send a signal to the world we won't be intimidated by political correctness or islamist terrorism. >> shannon: how do you think we're doing in the fight against terrorism moving forward, the threats bubbling out there constantly morphing and spreading to new frontiers? >> back on 9/11 you are talking about one enemy force, al qaeda in a few caves in afghanistan. it is now a worldwide movement. al qaeda, isis, boko haram, a list of islamist terrorist groups that morphed from al qaeda. having said that they are on the run. we can't be apologizing or backing away. i'm not trying to say this in a

partisan way but i think the obama administration too often we backed away or we didn't want to -- in some ways very aggressive but others apologetic. we can't be. we have to stay on offense all the time kill them before they kill us and there is a threat in the united states. it is important that organizations like the nypd, f.b.i. and other police organizations do monitoring and surveillance. there is an enemy that lives amongst us and we can't allow them to get the upper hand. >> shannon: we know our law enforcement officers and intelligence operators are working in 24/7 in ways we don't even know. we appreciate it and thank them but know they are constantly fighting threats we never know about because they don't come to fruition. backing this up to the source, how do we go about changing the ideology, philosophy that drives and motivates these groups to give their lives up? >> first of all we have to win it on offense. we have to stop them militarily

and through intelligence. we have to change the mindset. we can't do it by being apologetic. we need to find leaders in the muslim world who are willing to stand with us and be very forceful and not apologetic themselves. it will be a long, hard fight. we stand up for american values and showing that we do stand for a far superior belief that the views of islamist terrorism are evil and those who suffer the most are the muslims and reach out to solid muslims who want to reject islamist terrorism and show them that we'll win. otherwise in some ways they look for protection. we've seen that in afghanistan and other countries. people who don't support al qaeda or the taliban or isis nevertheless give them some support because they'll afraid they'll be murdered if they don't. >> jon: i remember in the weeks

and months and maybe year after 9/11 the 9/11 attacks there was a great coming together in this country. we were not republicans, democrats but we were americans. it seems in the intervening years that's fallen by the wayside and this country is very polarized. how do we go about fixing that? >> if anything good did come from 9/11 it was tremendous unity. i always hope when we recall the attacks we can get back some of that spirit realizing how much we have in common. realizing who the enemy is, and not have people trying to undercut the police, f.b.i. and others fighting against the enemy. for those of us who feel strongly about this to be outspoken and remind people how horrible it was on september 11th. we never thought we would have divided again but we have been. the enemy is united, we have to

be united and win this and remember that america has to come first and that we are again the greatest nation. nothing to be apologetic for. whatever faults we have we're far superior to anybody else and that's what is important to keep in mind. >> what would you like to see come out of washington right now that would ensure that we aren't attacked like that again? >> to make sure that the f.b.i. and our local police right here in this country have all the resources they need and their hands are not tied. because of political correctness they're not kept from doing the job they have to do, to defect and find those in our society, the bombers or others who attempt to destroy us from within and also to give our military leaders all the power and authority they need to destroy isis and al qaeda and all those affiliates overseas. >> jon: do you feel there is a shortfall in that regard?

>> i think there had been somewhat of a shortfall. i think the president -- i'm not trying to be partisan. i think the president and general mcmaster and general kelly, secretary mattis are doing an outstanding job and i know what the police in new york are doing and state police all doing a phenomenal job. >> jon: new york police department has its own terrorism department. take us back to your memories of 9/11, 2001. >> i was actually in washington heading to the capitol. i heard on the car radio that the tower had been attacked -- hit by a plane and like you i thought it was an accident. by the time i got to my office the second plane was hitting. my immediate worries my wife. she was on the runway at

laguardia that day. i was wondering was that her plane? no way of making contact with her. my son worked in the commerce department. a rumor a bomb had gone off there. i was thinking personally for the first half hour. after an hour i realized they were safe then it suddenly hit me wait, there are thousands of people in that building and all day long i got calls from friends and family and friends and neighbors who were killed and it became one horrific period of days and weeks and months of wakes and funerals, memorial receives and also being in washington trying to get our defenses up, making sure that we did all we could be doing. i don't think george bush did enough credit for the job he did. if anybody had told us on september 12th that we wouldn't be attacked again for all these years nobody would have believed it. those are all my memories. my immediate one was trying to

find out where my wife was that day. >> jon: we're looking at images from the lower manhattan memorial service as you're speaking. we've seen bill deblastio and the former mayor mike bloomberg and senator schumer, not trying to leave anybody out i'm letting our viewers know who we're seeing. >> shannon: you've seen so many family members. congressman, are you still there? >> i was going to say. i was up there with all of them. more than all of us politicians, what's important we see the family members are there, the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters of those who died on 9/11 and it is so moving and it is so -- it means so much to see them and the anguish they still suffer all these years later. >> shannon: so striking this morning saying them read the names and share personal members of the family member they lost.

as we remember the tragedy in new york there is a humanitarian crisis unfolding in florida. bill hemmer is in orlando tracking hurricane irma. good morning, bill. >> there will be updates throughout the state of florida throughout the day and really it will change by the hour. we're about 315 miles due north of key largo where about 140 south of jacksonville and a sense of the scale of the story we're trying to cover today. the very beginning of the florida keys once you leave south florida we're getting word from the mayor down there that cell service is bad. not a clear check of everything there. they believe 25% of the residents who live in the keys rode the storm out as it struck land as a cat 4. a lot of communications getting established here, there are no reports of injuries in the florida keys. now, granted, it is early.

that can change but that's the early word now from the mayor down in the far southern part of the state of florida. and the far northeastern part of the state in jacksonville we're watching the remnants of what is tropical storm irma. you are see it on the radar system. and the flooding in jacksonville is a bit stunning. we saw the water coming off the ocean overnight last night into the early morning hours and that is the scene in jacksonville as they're dealing with the storm surge that has come around as these bands have whipped their way up the central spine of florida as it starts to exit it's way out of the state. this is truly remarkable. you know, shannon, we started four days ago guessing where was the best location? where do you go? miami, the keys, do you hang out in tampa or naples? we decided orlando because the storm seemed to be so large and so big and so all encompassing and yesterday when we were broadcasting we watched the

radar system cover the entire state. you could literally throw a dart on the map and find a news story as it relates to irma, as it relates to florida right now. i mentioned three million without power right now. that will change throughout the day. some of the power is shut off intentionally. they don't want to overload the system. in order to get it back online they have to go slowly and take it step-by-step. i would turn our viewers based on the large scope of geography in florida to a couple of areas. watch for more news out of florida keys. let's see how miami beach recovers after the flooding of yesterday. let's see what the damage is on marco island. aluminum siding ripped off of homes and flooding as well. let's see what happens as a result of now what is the first time that we have seen sun in about two days here in orlando. then as we move further inland up and around atlanta, georgia. for the first time ever you had a tropical storm warning for the city of atlanta.

that is just unheard of. but that's what we're dealing with right now and we'll keep an eye on the coast with savannah and charleston and what kind of surge they get, too. the sun is out for the moment in orlando. still windy but we think we've done pretty well all things considered if you go back five or six days earlier, shannon. >> shannon: i've been doing the bed checks on my family across the state. no damage for them but a lot of folks without power. we're glad they're safe and that you're safe, too. we'll check back in a little bit. >> jon: at the pentagon president trump and first lady melania are set to lead a moment of silence. his first 9/11 memorial ceremony as commander-in-chief. kristin fisher joins us now from the pentagon memorial. so what do we expect to hear from the president at the pentagon today, kristin? >> well, jon, 16 years ago today president trump watched

the twin towers fall from inside trump tower in new york city. last year he was at ground zero as a candidate. this year he will be remembering all of the lives lost there in pennsylvania and here at the pentagon as commander-in-chief. now, the plan is for president trump to arrive here in just a few minutes. he is going to be taking part in a wreath-laying ceremony and observe a moment of silence. then the speaking portion of this observance is going the take place. it will start with the general joe dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. secretary mattis and president trump will speak where the great big american flag was unfurled this morning. it has become a tradition here every year on the anniversary of 9/11. president trump is expected to speak for about 10 or 15 minutes. as for what he will say, i would expect him to say something very similar to what he said when he declared today

patriots day on friday. he will, of course, remember and honor the 184 lives lost here 16 years ago today but he will also pay tribute to the men and women that are continuing to take the fight to terrorists all over the globe. what he said in that statement is, quote, on this anniversary i invite all americans to thank our nation's incredible service members and first responders who are on the front lines on our fight against terrorism. the spirit of service and self-sacrifice in americans who nobly demonstrate on september 11, 2001, is evident in the incredible response to hurricanes harvey and irma. the message there really clear. the focus, of course, on the 184 lives lost at the pentagon. you can hear their names being read around with the sounding of the bell behind me. but the focus will also be on remembering all the first responders that responded in

the wake of 9/11 and how that spirit can really be felt and seen in the first responders that have saved their neighbors from the floods in harvey and law enforcement and first responders in the state of florida today. >> jon: they've done amazing work. at the pentagon they did that day and they continue to do it. presidents george w. bush and barack obama both received briefings about the terror threat level every september 11th. does president trump intend to continue that tradition? >> he will. he will receive a briefing about the current threat environment at some point today at the white house. one of the people that will likely be in his briefing is tom boss art. he was asked what the terror level is this 9/11. he said just because we have all these hurricanes taking place and all these natural

disasters going on, no terrorist should view us as vulnerable right now. that's the farthest thing from the truth. that's what boss ert said and likely one of the people briefing president trump today. just in case we needed one more reminder of the current terror threat taking place especially in afghanistan. just this morning five u.s. troops wounded at the air base in afghanistan, the largest u.s. base in afghanistan. >> jon: that war launched in the immediate aftermath started after 9/11. the nation's longest war ever. >> shannon: let's bring in -- >> it is a sad day. >> shannon: where do you think we are 16 years later in this

fight. >> i'm glad to see the coverage. pentagon ceremony. just behind that in arlington national cemetery in section 60 where iraq and afghanistan veterans are buried. and, you know, this is our nation's longest war as we've mentioned. our fathers and grandfathers fought in world war ii, korea and vietnam. this war on terror, this is my generation's war. the difference here is it's still ongoing. it hasn't ended 16 years on and unfortunately i think we're just in the beginning stages of it. >> jon: the question i was going to ask you, it's jon scott, colonel waltz, in the fight against terrorism do you see the glass as half empty or half full? >> it depends on how you look at it. on the one hand we haven't had another 9/11. an attack of this magnitude.

we've had the other inspired attacks in san bernardinoino and others but not another 9/11. in that sense defensively it has been a success and a lot of credit should go to our intelligence agencies and law enforcement officers for making that happen. offensively, of course, we've taken outlawed bin laden and we've he limited a lot of al qaeda sanctuary but it has turned into a global movement. on the soft power side we need to do a lot more to undermine this ideology of islamic extremism. we did that against the ideology of communism. it took several decades. i want to see things like girls' education, women's' empowerment. things that go to the heart of that extremist ideology that has bastardized islam.

it is the longer-term strategy is how we can do a lot more but it will take quite some time and we're seeing with afghanistan in particular, but in other places, that this is now becoming a generational war. my soldiers in the early stages of afghanistan are now sending their children off to this effort and i think we're going to continue to need to see national leadership on what it is going the take to win this long war. >> jon: i suppose the american population of the 1940s could never imagine that the germans and the japanese would one day be our best friends. so it is possible to defeat an ideology and change those who adhere to it. >> that's right. but it takes time and i think it takes a concerted effort in a different way. again, you know, on the hard power side we have to keep up the pressure. we cannot ever put the gloves back on and those folks that

have been radicalized already need to be either killed or captured, i'm sorry to be that blunt. on the soft power side it's the next generation i think about. it is education, economic empowerment. it is getting to those folks that have yet to be radicalized and that's where we can do more. to your analogy, right, i don't think ike or truman could have predicted we would be in south korea 60 to 70 years. i was proud to see president trump saying we can't fight the war based on time lines or political imperatives. we have to base it on conditions on the ground and when the threat to the united states recedes and when our allies -- in this case the afghans can stand on their own.

>> jon: colonel, you mentioned economic empowerment. aside from the staggering military costs of our engagement in afghanistan, there has been an awful lot of aid money and reconstruction money poured into that country and a lot of observers say it is not accomplishing anything. do you see it that way? or are we getting good bang for our taxpayer buck there? >> don't get me wrong, there is a lot of things that we could have done better and should do better going forward. but on the other hand, you know, when we started in that country, girls were not allowed to go to school. now we have millions going to school. we have had achievements across the board in the sense of there was no -- people were riding bicycles in downtown kabul. now you have traffic jams. people's lives have improved. the people of that country do not want a return of the taliban in the wake of their

return, al qaeda and isis. but on the other hand, you know, again there are things we could do better. at this point i think the strategy is correct to focus on supporting the afghan army. they are fighting a hard fight but they need our support in terms of air support, medevac, you know, intelligence and other enablers that only the united states can support and i think while we can say that a lot has been wasted, on the other hand if we just pull out and we allow the taliban to resurge, al qaeda and isis will surge in their wake and they will threat en the united states again. >> shannon: we're watching on screen as the president is taking part in the wreath laying at the pentagon. let's listen in for a moment there.

the president and first lady at the pentagon taking part in the ceremonies that will continue. we'll hear from the president at some point. colonel. while we still have you talking about the situation in afghanistan. talk to us about pakistan and how critical that is as, you know, again what john mentioned there is a lot of aid that has flowed into that country and a lot of people feel it is not a reliable ally to make sure there aren't terrorist havens there. that the taliban is very active and doesn't seem super motivated to get to the negotiating table. >> that's a great point and, you know, i tell people all the time, look, iraq has been

incredibly tough for us. population there about 25 million, population in afghanistan about 30 million. population in pakistan over 200 million. 10 times the size of iraq with a nuclear arsenal and as afghanistan goes, if it completely destabilizes in the wake of an american withdrawal, pakistan will go as well and now we're talking a nuclear arsenal. so that's what's at stake. in terms of our policy, i do believe we must take a much harder line. pakistan must back away from using extremism as a tool of its foreign policy trying to control the region. while we've tried for years and i was part of this when i served in the white house to offer carrots, i think now it is -- there still needs to be a mix. we do not want to make pakistan our enemy but there needs to be -- this still needs to be carrots but we need to bring out the sticks. >> shannon: weeks ago as the

president was considering his afghanistan strategy and just ahead of what has been identified as additional u.s. troops heading in there. the taliban issued a statement saying don't send a troop surge, it won't go well for you. let's listen in to ground zero, another moment of remembrance there. [bell ringing]

>> jon: marking in manhattan as well as the pentagon, the moment the pentagon was struck. by the aircraft. >> shannon: now continuing the reading of the names in manhattan which takes quite a long time when you are talking about nearly 3,000 innocent people who lost their lives that day. these are family members and friends who come to the podium to speak the names of those lost and to share their memories. as you watch on the other side of the screen is the president and first lady heading to the podium for remembrance. i want to ask you about the taliban. boldly saying hey, if you're considering a surge to the president, don't do it, it won't work. we're not in any place that we are coming to the negotiating table. they were defiant. >> the taliban right now think they're winning and in many areas in parts of afghanistan they are.

they've taken more territory than they had since 9/11 and i think that's frankly been a result of america telling the world over the last eight years we're leaving we're leaving. in terms of the ceremony we're recognizing our fallen today and recognizing the first responders and our military members but i want to recognize those in our intelligence community and --♪ and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ o say does that star-spangled banner yet wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, the united states air force chief of chaplains, major general kostin. >> jon: so many stories of heroism came out of the events of the pentagon. in so many ways this was the most awful terrorism attack that our country has ever suffered. i like to think that in many ways it was not successful in that the section of the pentagon that was attacked on that particular day was under renovation. there were a lot of offices that should have been filled that day that were not. there were a lot of seats on that plane that should have been filled that day that were not. as horrible as it was, it was not as bad as it could have been. >> shannon: i recently went down and visited the 9/11 memorial. you've spent a lot of time and done a special there. as we heard this morning from

family members they continue collection there. it is an active collection site. with the advances in technology they continue to identify more and more remains and eric shawn spoke earlier a few weeks ago of being able to identify remains there. a family said we want him to stay there with his friends, with his people that he perished with and to be at this site they now consider to be hallowed ground. for so many families that's the decision they make. you are looking live as the vice president and his wife arrive in shanksville, pennsylvania. knowing the folks who fought to make sure it did not go down. >> jon: the memorial near shanksville, pennsylvania. if you haven't made your way there yet it is sobering, touching. i can't think of the words to describe the place but yes, those heroes on board flight 93 who knew that they were being

used as a flying bomb essentially fought back against the hijackers, took that plane down rather than let it be used as the missile that it was intended to be against probably the united states capitol building, possibly the white house. >> shannon: you look at the photos that day and the images of new york of people running through the streets. the same there in washington people evacuating the capitol, the white house not knowing what was coming next. if you think back to that day there was so much in flux. we have 2020 hindsight now but that day with so many planes in the air not knowing where they were headed, not knowing which ones had evil terrorist actors on board versus those just trying to get people to safety. we've learned so much in the 16 years since then and now we look live at the pentagon as we will hear from general joe

dunford and james mattis and then the president as well. >> most importantly, to the family and friends of the fallen and to those gathered here who survived the attack on the pentagon, good morning. it is an honor to join you as we pause to reflect all those who lost their lives on september 11th, 2001. at this ceremony we're particularly mindful of the 184 who died here in the halls of the pentagon and aboard flight 77. 16 years ago when terrorists attacked the pentagon, world trade center and attempted other attacks in washington, d.c., they did so with a sense of purpose. they were attacking symbols that reflect our way of life and our values. the terrorists believed these attacks who shake our commitment to those values. as president bush said hours after the attacks, the terrorists thought they could frighten us into chaos and retreat. but they were wrong. instead of retreat the tragedy

of 9/11 produced in us a resolve. instead of homelessness, our mourning turned into action and strengthened our commitment that the freedom of many should never be endangered by the hatred of a few. so this morning as we recall the events of 9/11, it is appropriate for those of us still serving to to remember and honor those who died. those who continue suffering from injuries, and those left behind. but if we truly want to honor those remembered today, each of us will walk away from this ceremony with a renewed sense of commitment to our values in the cause of freedom. each of us will walk away from this ceremony reminded that the war is not over and further sacrifice will be required. in each of us we'll walk away with resolve to strengthen our personal commitment to protect our family, friends and fellow citizens from another 9/11. it's now my privilege to

introduce someone spending his life demonstrating personal commitment to protecting our values and our way of life. our secretary of defense, the honorable james mattis. [applause] >> thank you, general dunford, mr. president, mrs. trump, our first lady, fellow secretaries of the president's cabinet. first responders and a heartfelt welcome to the 306 family members gathered to remember their loved ones lost 16 years ago today. we are here to honor those 2,977 lives claimed by the brutal attacks of september 11th, 2001. men and women who woke that day never anticipating an attack on their place of work or against this country.

innocents who hailed from 90 nations and all walks of life. attackers perpetrating murder that fateful day. but heroism and compassion were boundless on 9/11. patriots from all background and all walks of life responded with speed, with courage, and with compassion. in the aftermath of the attack our service members, our nation rallied together as one, for while we had never asked for this fight, we are steadfastly committed to seeing it through as president trump has made abundantly clear. with no more temperizing as our example of leadership galvanizes other nations to stand united against this threat to all humankind. maniacs disguised in false religious gash thought they could scare us that day but we americans are not made of cotton candy, we're not seaweed

drifting in the current, we are not intimidated by our enemies and, mr. president, your military does not scare. our nation's troops today are worthy successors of our revolutionary army at valley forge, sailors at midway and marines -- men and women of your armed forces america having signed a blank check to the protection of the american people and to the defense of our constitution, a check payable with their very lives, your military stand ready and confident to defend this country, this experiment in democracy. and we will continue to do so using all means necessary and as long as necessary. so today we remember the loss of so many in new york city, in

a somber field in pennsylvania and here in this very building behind me. and in many battles since and some of those battles are still raging. as former secretary of defense rumsfeld observed, on 9/11 every year we again are mindful and resolute that their deaths, like their lives, shall have meaning and that is in how we carry forward our responsibility to protect america. to the families of those who perished, the loss you have endured drives us in our mission today and every day. and it is in that spirit, ladies and gentlemen, that it's my honor to introduce our commander-in-chief, the president of the united states, donald trump. [applause]

>> president trump: thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. i want to thank you, secretary mattis, general dunford, members of the cabinet, members of the armed forces, first responders, and most importantly to the families and to the survivors. it is an honor to join you on this very, very solemn location. this is an occasion that is extraordinary and it will always be extraordinary. before we begin i would like to send our nation's prayers to everyone in the path of hurricanes irma and to everyone suffering through the devastation of hurricane harvey. these are storms of catastrophic severity and we're marshalling the full resources of the federal government to help our fellow americans in florida, alabama, georgia, texas, louisiana, tennessee and

all of those wonderful places and states in harm's way. when americans are in need, americans pull together and we are one country. and when we face hardship we emerge closer, stronger, and more determined than ever. we're gathered here today to remember a morning that started very much like this one. parents dropped off their children at school, travelers stood in line at airports and getting ready to board flights. here at the pentagon and at offices all across the country, people began their early meetings. then our whole world changed. america was under attack. first at the world trade center, then here at the pentagon, and then in

pennsylvania. the horror and anguish of that dark day were seared into our national memory forever. it was the worst attack on our country since pearl harbor. and even worse because this was an attack on civilians. innocent men, women and children whose lives were taken so needlessly. for the families with us on this anniversary, we know that not a single day goes by when you don't think about the loved one stolen from your life. today our entire nation grieves with you and with every family of those 2,977 innocent souls who were murdered by terrorists 16 years ago. each family here today represents a son or daughter, a

sister or brother, a mother or father, who was taken from you on that terrible, terrible day. but no force on earth can ever take away your memories, diminish your love, or break your will to endure and carry on and go forward. though we can never erase your pain or bring back those you lost, we can honor their sacrifice by pledging our resolve to do whatever we must to keep our people safe. [applause] on that day not only did the world change, but we all changed. our eyes were opened to the depths of the evil we face. but in that hour of darkness,

we also came together with renewed purpose. our differences never looked so small, our common bonds never felt so strong. the sacrifice grounds on which we stand today are a monument to our national unity and to our strength. for more than seven decades the pentagon has stood as a global symbol of american might. not only because of the great power contained within these walls, but because of the incredible character of the people who fill them. they secure our freedom, they defend our flag, and they support our courageous troops all around the world. among the 184 brave americans who perished on these grounds

were young enlisted service members, dedicated civil servants who had worked here for decades and veterans who served our nation in korea, in vietnam, and in the middle east. all of them loved this country and pledged their very lives to protect it. that september morning, each of those brave americans died as they had lived, as heroes doing their duty and protecting us and our country. we mourn them, we honor them, and we pledge to never, ever forget them. [applause] we also remember and cherish the lives of the beloved americans who boarded flight 77

at dulles airport that morning. every one of them had a family, a story, and beautiful dreams. each of them had people they loved and who loved them back. and they all left behind a deep emptiness that their warmth and grace once filled so fully and so beautifully. the living, breathing soul of america wept with grief for every life taken on that day. we shed our tears in their memory, pledged our devotion in their honor, and turned our sorrow into an unstoppable resolve to achieve justice in their name. the terrorists who attacked us thought they could incite fear and weaken our spirit. but america cannot be intimidated and those who try will soon join the long list of

vanquished enemies who dared to test our metal. [applause] in the years after september 11th, more than five million young men and women have joined the ranks of our great military to defend our country against barbaric forces of evil and destruction. american forces are relentlessly pursuing and destroying the enemies all civilizeed people ensuring, these are horrible, horrible enemies, enemies like we've never seen before. but we're ensuring that they never again have a safe haven to launch attacks against our country. we are making plain to these savage killers that there is no

dark corner beyond our reach. no sanctuary beyond our grasp, and nowhere to hide anywhere on this very large earth. since 9/11, nearly 7,000 service members have given their lives fighting terrorists around the globe. some of them rest just beyond this fence in this shrine to our nation's heroes on the grounds of arlington national cemetery. they came from all backgrounds, races and faiths but they were all there to dedicate their lives and they defend our one great american flag. [applause] they and every person who puts on the uniform has the love and

gratitude of our entire nation. today as we stand on this hallowed ground, we're reminded of the timeless truth that when america is united, no force on earth can break us apart. no force. on the morning of 9/11, pentagon police officers isaac hoto and a special person, was one of the many heroes whose love for his fellow americans knew no bounds. he was a mile away when he got the call over his radio that a plane had crashed into the pentagon. he sped to the scene and raced into smoke and fire. few people would have done it. he ducked under live electrical

wires and trudged through puddles of jet fuel only steps away from sparks and vicious flame. in the pitch black he began calling out people in need of help. isaac heard faint voices and he wanted to answer those faint voices. one by one he carried people out of the burning rubble. he kept going back into the smoldering darkness calling out to anyone who could hear, anyone who was alive. he saved as many as 20 people who had followed his voice. he carried eight himself. for nearly 36 hours, isaac kept on saving lives serving our nation and protecting our

safety in our hour of need. and today isaac continues to do exactly that. isaac still works at the pentagon now as a sergeant. he is on duty right now and he has joined us here today for the ceremony. and this morning all of us, and all of america, thank isaac for his service. where is isaac? [applause] thank you, thank you, isaac, thank you. [applause] to isaac and every first responder on a attack you carry

on the legacy of the friends you lost, you keep alive the memory of those who perished and you make america proud, very, very proud. to the family members with us today, i know that it's with a pained and heavy heart that you come back to this place, but by doing so, by choosing to persevere through the grief, the sorrow, you honor your heroes. you renew our courage, and you strengthen all of us. you really do. you strengthen all of us. here on the west side of the pentagon, terrorists tried to break our resolve. it is not going to happen. but where they left a mark with fire and rubble, americans defiantly raised the stars and stripes, our beautiful flag

that for more than two centuries has graced our ships, flown in our skies, and led our brave heroes to victory after vick re in battle. the flag that winds us all together as americans, who cherish our values and protect our way of life. the flag that reminds us today of who we are, what we stand for, and why we fight. woven into that beautiful flag is the story of our resolve. we have overcome every challenge, every single challenge, every one of them. we've triumphed over every evil. and remained united as one nation, under god. america does not bend. we do not waiver. and we will never, ever yield. so here at this memorial, with

hearts both sad and determined, we honor every hero who keeps us safe and free, and we pledge to work together to fight together and to overcome together every enemy and obstacle that is ever in our path. our values will endure. our people will thrive. our nation will prevail and the memory of our loved ones will never, ever die. thank you, may god bless you. may god forever bless the great united states of america. thank you very much. [applause] thank you, thank you.

>> jon: the first remarks from president trump as commander-in-chief at the pentagon memorial honoring those who gave their lives on 9/11, 2001. >> shannon: as he was speaking you may have heard the bell willing to as we were taking you live to shanksville, pennsylvania, 10:03 eastern time marking the moment flight 93 went down there in what most believe was an act of heroism. the hijackers taken control of that plane. people on board getting word about what had happened at the pentagon and new york and deciding they wouldn't let the plane get to its intended target. vice president pence in shanksville at that hallowed ground where they are remembering the heroes of flight 93. >> jon: 184 people, primarily members of the service, but civilians as well. died at the pentagon. some eloquent words there i thought in particular from the defense secretary mattis, who said we never asked for this

fight but we are steadfastly committed to seeing it through. and then he went on and talked about the -- what the terrorists thought they would accomplish by striking at the pentagon and the world trade center. he said we are not cotton candy, mr. president, your military doesn't scare. >> shannon: the president following up in his remarks saying when america is united, no force can break us apart. joining us now political analyst brit hume. certainly that's a message that could be used today and much beyond about this country and the moments that do bring us together. >> it certainly did bring us together at that time, shannon. in fact, i spent much of that day, that fateful day in this very studio where i'm coming to you from now, and hearing jon scott's voice in my ear as he anchors with you this morning is a similar reminder of what that day was like, jon handled so much of the duty, the anchor

duty that day and what an astonishing moment it was. it was one of those days i think you'll both agree, once what was happening became clear, that it was no accident, that this was an attack, we knew that things were not going to be the same and they never have been and they still are not. we've made an amazing recovery as a nation from that, but as general mattis and the president made clear, the struggle against this scourge still goes on. and we think about it every day and it affects our lives, our budgets, our defense posture, our diplomacy every single day. >> jon: you know, there are seniors in high school, brit, who don't really remember that day 16 years ago today. new york is a city of museums, the metropolitan museum of art, the museum of modern art and one of the most visited museums in this country -- in this city is the 9/11 memorial museum.

people flock there to remember and to learn. i think it's absolutely astounding. >> i think about these commemorations that we have every year of that event and we're 16 years on now and we're in the middle of a hugely major news story about the storm that's hit florida and now looks like it will hit a lot of other places as well. but i think it is well to turn away from that, to note this day which, as we've talked about still affects us so much. and about which it's good to give young people who weren't alive then a chance to learn about it. an opportunity to pause and think about that day because it was a turning point in the nation's history. and whose consequences are still being felt. >> shannon: brit, did you think on that day as you watched this unfold across the country, across the eastern seaboard, that we would be here 16 years later still fighting this war in afghanistan and trying to

get a handle on this as so many of these groups have metastasized. lone wolf actors who act because they're inspired by these groups and create a lot of damage without ever being linked to the terrorist apparatus. >> i didn't think it would be over quickly and that it would be vanquished in a short period of time. it looked like a much longer struggle. and on that day, of course, shannon, as i'm sure you all remember, we could not know that further attacks of similar magnitude would not soon follow. and we lived in fear of that every day for weeks thereafter. it is a striking fact and accomplishment that no such attack of this magnitude has struck our mainland since then. we've had terrorist attacks, to be sure, and they're terrifying and they are happening still around the world, but nothing on that scale.

and you know perfectly well it has been attempted. we know that. it is a tribute to the response that has come from this country that we've been able to ward off a further attack. but you know that enemies are out there plotting and hoping they can pull the same thing off which they've so far failed to do since 9/11 2001. >> jon: it was early in the bush 43 administration the attack took place. he was supposed to be the education president and he was at an education event when the attacks took place. it certainly shaped his administration, that of his successor, barack obama, and now you have president trump making remarks. your thoughts on all of that. >> i remember thinking at the time wondering how president bush would respond to that. and it utterly changed his presidency. it affected him and his vice president perhaps more profoundly. and those two men pursued this enemy with extraordinary and

intense diligence. and it completely reshaped his presidency. and i think, in fact, the effectiveness of his response is what led to his reelection in 2004 more than anything else. he was seen as a wartime president who had done at least to that point a pretty good job. of course, was the saga of iraq and all the controversy that surrounded that and the misgivings that we've come to have about whether that was necessary. but, you know, this was a big turning point, there is no question about that. and, you know, we're still feeling it to this day, as you say. >> jon: brit hume, good to have you on and sharing your insights with us. >> shannon: we continue to honor the victims of 9/11 but still have a crisis unfolding in florida. irma becoming a tropical storm, leaving millions of florida residents without power. jacksonville officials telling people to get out. all that breaking news as we go live to bill hemmer in orlando.

we'll talk to fema administrator brock long and what officials are doing to get to anyone who needs their help. >> patience. we have a number of residents who are without power and a number of residents who have debris down. so it's patience is the key word. we're aware of it, we're coming. ♪

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>> our coverage continues live in orlando. we're watching a situation develop in jacksonville, 220 miles to the north and east of us. local authorities say they're expecting record flooding in downtown jacksonville. the st. john's river will meet terrible timing with high tide expected around 2:00 this afternoon. that storm, a tropical storm now whipping its bands around the northeastern part of the state. brock long is the administrator for fema. good morning to you. you have your work cut out for you. i have a lot to cover. first tell our audience about jacksonville and what they're experiencing now, sir. >> well, unfortunately because of the sheer size of irma, you are seeing storm surge impacts on both the west coast and now

the east coast as well. so the event is not over. the life safety message is get out of storm surge areas and into a facility that can withstand the wind up the east coast from jacksonville to georgia and south carolina. please heed all local warnings in place for those areas. this is a complex event. we're still working diligently with our partners in the u.s. virgin islands and puerto rico as well as trying to assess damages with governor scott down in florida in regards to irma initially making landfall in the keys and moving up the west coast. >> yes, sir. in miami yesterday it seemed like a tidal situation. the tide comes in and brings the water in and 6 to 12 hours later it goes out again. is that what is expected in jacksonville or not, can you say? >> yes. so storm surge is basically wind driven water that comes in

and as soon as the winds subside typically the water recedes. storm surge is the main reason we're always asking people to evacuate, has the highest potential to kill people and have damage. we hope people will listen to local officials and the warnings they're putting out. >> give us an idea for the rest of the stay. three million without power. i imagine some of it will come on through the day here. you've got quite a challenge ahead of you. as you canvas all 67 counties, where do you start? >> so basically the way this works is that, you know, if the locals -- if a local government's capacity has been exceeded to handle any response and recovery issues it's either county to county mutual aid or the state. our job is to backfill the state with response needs. this is going to be a very logistically challenging

response but we've been pre-positioned for multiple days. the goal is let's get the roadway system open so we can push commodities on behalf of our state partners down to the areas most heavily impacted. it is different because of the florida peninsula. this isn't harvey where water was stagnant and you had a lot of land to operate off of. it is a coordinated effort with the dod partners and coast guard to be able to support the areas most hefsh lie damages. we have almost 6 million people without power. the power will be off for days if not weeks in some areas and why we've been asking people to prepare and to set their expectations. this one will be challenging but we're pushing forward and going in with our first responders to help them out. >> is there a part of the state that needs the most help? is there a part of the state where you can say right now it took the hardest hit? >> well, right now i believe

monroe county was pretty devastated from the storm surge as well as callier county but we have not been able to complete impact assessments. as you can see there are inland areas we haven't been able to get to. the inland winds from irma that passed through the central portion of the florida peninsula will cause a significant amount of damage inland to houses and infrastructure. we're trying to do initial impact assessments as the system exits the state. >> monroe county is far south florida. that encompasses all the florida keys where the first impact was felt 25 hours ago as a category 4. collier county is naples and marco island. you mentioned harvey. is that an issue for fema when it comes to resources and trying to help people in florida and possibly georgia and south carolina?

>> no. we're still working very closely with governor abbott and his team in texas and established recovery command over the past week. right now with harvey we're trying to concentrate on helping the state and local governments achieve debris removal. we're trying to also race to figure out temporary housing solutions and we've been working with the governor to put together a solid plan. the governor also appointed basically a disaster recovery coordinator for the state that we'll be working with and i've done the same. i have appointed mike burn as the coordinator for texas. texas is a seamless operation right now. and we have the management staff and the capability to begin helping those impacted by harvey with a bridge to recovery and we are laser focused on the life-saving response mission of irma not only in florida but later it

will be georgia and alabama and south carolina as well. this is a big event. you also have to remember we're still in puerto rico and virgin islands as well. >> wow. that's massive. it was a hurricane for 11 or 12 days depending on what calendar you pay attention to. we haven't seen a hurricane like that in 13, 14, 15 years going back to 2004. sir, what has the president told you about the support he will give you and others here in florida? >> both the president and vice president have provided tremendous support. i talk to the president daily. the vice president was with us here in the national response coordination center for several hours. not only that i have tremendous support from the president's cabinet as well. each one of these cabinet members have staff that are in this fight with us and their staff are here. this is a team effort. a federal partnership and all the way down to the whole community to the citizens.

to help florida and the virgin islands and puerto rico and other states to recover or texas will require citizens to volunteer and they can do so by going to invad.org. volunteer in shelters but also helping people fix their homes. >> you've got your work cut out for you, sir. a lot of people in florida depending on you. thank you for your time. good luck. i know it's a 24/7 operation. you will need it. brock long, the fema administrator in washington thank you, sir. we'll be in contact with you and your staff. back to jon and shannon in new york. >> jon: we're awaiting vice president mike pence at a memorial near shanksville, pennsylvania. he will make remarks to remember the passengers and crew on board flight 93 who gave up their lives on 9/11. we'll take you there live when the vice president begins.

>> shannon: as we remember the events of 9/11 16 years ago, in a moment we'll observe the moment of silence for the moment which the north tower fell at 10:28 eastern time. as we await that we'll hear shortly from the vice president speaking at shanksville. the memorial.

that from united flight 93. we'll mark the last moment of silence that happens at ground zero for when the north tower fell. they've been reading names all morning there. family members and friends read and show their remembrances of those who were lost all those years ago. as we await the vice president's remarks in pennsylvania. [bell ringing]

>> jon: that was the astounding and disheartening moment of that day as i recall it. the firefighters were heading up the stairways trying to climb up dozens and dozens of floors because they wanted to put that fire out and everyone expected they would put the fire out in those buildings. i assumed it was going to take days. but we all thought that they would put the fire out. i had done some background research on the twin towers prior to that day and i knew that they had been built to withstand the impact of a boeing 707. at the time they were designed was the biggest plane flying. it never occurred to me, i

don't think it ever occurred to many people, those towers could collapse, the north tower was the first to come down that day. >> shannon: if you visit the 9/11 memorial, which i wish every american would have a chance to do that. you can see the foundations, the twisted metal. you can see what those buildings suffered and what actually happened to them that day with thousands of people trapped inside. those who were working there and those who willingly and voluntarily went into those buildings trying to save them that day. >> jon: karl rove is joining us, the former white house deputy chief of staff to president george w. bush. karl, take us back to that day in the white house and your thoughts, your memories. >> well, i remember it was a bright, sunny morning in sarasota, florida. the president was standing about 10 or 15 feet away shaking hands with teachers and parents outside of emma booker elementary school and my phone

rang. it was my assistant, susan ralston. 8:48 a. m. she said a plane has flown into the world trade center. i went over and told the president. he sort of cocked an eyebrow and get more information and a couple minutes later condy rice called with the same sketchy information. as we were talking into the elementary school. we walked down a hallway into what's called the staff hold where the staff waited for the president. he went into an adjoining room for a reading exercise. i scrambled up the television set and we watched horrified as the second plane flew into the world trade center and andy card, the chief of staff, walked into the classroom and you may remember the photograph of him whispering in the president's ear. i remembered at the time as andy approached the door he seemed to stop. it seemed like forever. probably an instant or two.

but i never understood why he stopped until a couple of years ago we happened to be together and he said when he got to the door he realized he would have to say something to the president about this so the president would have no questions, so that the president would get the import of it immediately. and that's where he walked in and said mr. president, the second plane has flown into the trade center, america is at war. a few moments later the president came into the staff holding. he made a decision should he finish the reading exercise? he thought it was a minute or two to go. it was closer to four or five minutes. he came into the room. i've known him a long time and can read his moods pretty good but that day he was cold as ice and strong as steel and in a very calm, low voice said we're at war, get me the vice president and the director of the f.b.i. we jumped on the phones and the day unrolled. it was an extraordinary moment.

>> jon: you know, we just marked the moment of silence in shanksville, pennsylvania, when the heroes on board united flight 93 took that plane into the ground. it is widely believed that had it continued on its mission, that the white house was going to be the next target. the white house, possibly the capitol building. but again take us through the rest of that day. you boarded air force one and there was so much mystery as to where air force one was headed or where the president was. >> on the way to the airport, normally i would be in a car two or three vehicles behind the presidential limousine. he whistled at me and motioned to the back seat of the car. i rode with him to the airport and where we got the news of the strike on the pentagon. the phone rang in the car, it was deadly quiet. we were going 85 miles per hour down the freeway. twice as fast as a motorcade normally did.

the president said is rumsfeld alive? secretary rumsfeld was very much alive. he had moved from his office to join the rescue efforts outside the building but the president was concerned that he was gone. i remember there was so -- i just flinched when i heard that and looked to the side and realized the car was surrounded by four police cars, two on either side matching our speed 85 miles per hour. i never seen that before and never saw it again. i asked the detail later that day eddie why that was. he said we were afraid that our whereabouts were known and afraid a car bomber might try to get to the presidential limousine. we wanted the car bomb to go off giving the president a better chance of surviving. >> jon: karl, the vice president is in shanksville, pennsylvania making remarks. >> president trump asked me to be here to pay a debt of honor

to the 40 heroes of flight 93. to all the fallen. and their families. and to the generation of heroes they inspired. and to tell you that his heart is here in pennsylvania, especially with all of you who lost loved ones 16 years ago. our president observed this day of remembrance at the pentagon memorial where moments ago he paid tribute to the 184 men and women who lost their lives there. all of our hearts as well are with the families of the 2,753 men and women, their families, who lost their lives at the world trade center in new york city. as the president said just

moments ago, we grieve with every family of the innocent souls who were murdered by terrorists that day and we will never forget what happened on september 11th, 2001. today we pause as a nation not so much to remember tragedy as to celebrate heroism and patriotism. but permit me to say that on this day, as gordey said before, our hearts and our prayers are also with our fellow americans in florida and throughout the region who have suffered loss in the winds and waters of hurricane irma. at this hour first responders and new citizen heroes are being forged among the people of florida and as the president has said and i say again, to

those affected by hurricane irma, we are with you. we will stay with you and we will be with you every day after this tempest passes to restore, recover and rebuild. [applause] everyone remembers where they were on this day 16 years ago. a mom rousing her children to get ready for school. a farmer wrapping up the morning chores, a coal miner finishing the third shift and heading home. as a new member of congress, i was going through my normal workday routine at the united states capitol when i learned of the attacks in new york city and at the pentagon. i will always remember the scenes of that day, watching the capitol complex being

evacuated. it was as though the building was literally hemorrhaging with people running in every direction. i found myself just across the street from the u.s. capitol eventually on the top floor of the headquarters of the capitol police chief. i was there with leaders of the house and senate. shortly after i arrived, the chief of police set the phone back down and informed the leaders gathered there that there was a plane inbound to the capitol and he said it was 12 minutes out. in that moment, the room became silent. and as people began to make plans, i found myself looking out the window where just across the street was the

capitol dome with that majestic statue of freedom standing atop it, the dome that's a symbol of the ideals of this nation and the freedom and democracy for all the world. so we waited. it was the longest 12 minutes of my life. but it turned to 13 minutes, then 14. and then we were informed that the plane had gone down in a field in pennsylvania. in the days ahead, like every american, we would learn the story of the 40 heroes of flight 93. men and women who looked evil squarely in the eye and without regard to their personal safety they rushed forward to save lives.

they were mothers and fathers, your brothers and sisters, sons and daughters from every walk of life, of every background. mark bingham was on his way to be an usher in his college friend's wedding. cece was a flight attendant in the wake of a career in law enforcement. lauren carried the spark of life within her, an unborn child. bill cashman, himself a former army paratrooper with the 101st airborne had helped to build the world trade center with his own two hands. and there were so many others whose names we just heard echo into the wind this morning. they were ordinary people, but on that day they became extraordinary. we all know the story.

flight 93 took off at 8:42 departing newark to san francisco. 46 minutes later terrorists seized control. at 9:35 the plane diverted toward washington, d.c., passengers called their loved ones only to find out what was happening across the country. they learned what the rest of america knew, the world trade center had been struck. the pentagon had been hit. only a few moments after they were hijacked. they figured out that the terrorists intended to use their plane for the same purpose. but as tom burnett told his wife on the phone, we're going to do something. and they did. the men and women of flight 93 began to join together. they devised a plan in those

short moments. they knew their objective. they not only planned but history records that they prayed together with lisa jefferson, a phone operator on the ground below, we are told they prayed the lord's prayer and recited those ancient words, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil for thou art with me. at 9:57 after only 29 minutes todd beamer spoke those words that america and the world will never forget. let's roll. they charged the cockpit. they took hold of their fate and six minutes later at 10:03 flight 93 plummeted here to the

earth. and brave men and women aboard sacrificed their lives for the country we call home. we gather here today because the men and women of flight 93 are heroes. and this beautiful memorial stands as a testament to the american people's undying reverence for their service and sacrifice. each of their 40 names are etched into this marble and seared in the hearts of you that were left behind, and the american people. the bible tells us that the lord is close to the brokenhearted and to the families of the fallen here, that will be our prayer for you today.

you honor us by your presence. as the president said this morning, you honor our heroes, you renew our courage, and you strengthen us all. today as a nation we mourn with you, we remember with you. and we look forward to the day when we will hear the chimes in this place and the tower of voices will turn the whisper of the wind into a heroic call to action. we will remember them and echo across this field and across america for generations to come. at 93 feet that tower of voices that will be completed by this time next year will honor the

heroes of flight 93 and that structure will hold those 40 chimes. each with a different musical notes to symbolize the voices of the 40 men and women we remember today. the notes, when played together, i'm told, will form a perfect harmony, just as in their final moments, the men and women of flight 93 worked together to defend freedom. the american people will forever be inspired by their courage and resolve. we honor them by remembering them. and we honor them by ensuring we do all in our power as a nation to prevent such evil from ever reaching our shores again. as president trump has reminded us, we are -- [applause]

the president has reminded us we are in the midst of a war between good and evil. the first battle in that war took place in the skies above us and ended in this grassy meadow. we cannot hallow this place beyond what the heroes of flight 93 have already done. when the plane went down the heroes aboard it were the first of a new generation of americans to rise up as citizen soldiers in what would come to be known as the global war on terror. it is remarkable to think that in the wake of their service and sacrifice, america itself experienced a rebirth. a rebirth of unity, of purpose, and a rededication to our most sacred ideal of freedom. and every day for 16 years their actions have inspired

many more of our fellow citizens to stand up, to step forward, and to follow in their heroic service. the president said today america cannot be intimidated and in the aftermath of september 11th, we've seen tens of thousands of americans step forward to serve their communities and protect our families and defend our freedom. they've put on the uniform of first responders, firefighters, police officers and more than five million americans have stepped forward to serve in the armed forces of the united states of america since september 11th. [applause] these men and women turned what was a day of tragedy into a triumph of freedom. as our nation rallied together and charged forward to meet the enemy on our terms on their

soil. and we will always cherish the memory of the nearly 7,000 americans who have given their lives on the field of battle since that day 16 years ago today. like the heroes of flight 93, we will never forget their service, their sacrifice, or the families they left behind. but we must remind ourselves on this solemn day of remembrance that the threat remains. and even now, the menace of global terrorism brings violence across the wider word to places like london, paris, barcelona. in iraq and syria the bar barrons known as isis plot terrorism. but under the president of donald trump as our commander-in-chief our armed forces have isis on the run in

iraq and syria and we will not rest or relent until we hunt down and destroy them at their source. [applause] and we also do well to remember that the perpetrators of 9/11 organized and orchestrated their attacks from a safe haven of afghanistan. and just a few short weeks ago president trump renewed our commitment to see the fight in afghanistan through to an honorable and enduring outcome that will be worthy of the tremendous sacrifices that have been made. [applause] some four weeks ago president trump expressed the full commitment of the united states to in his words destroy terrorist organizations and the radical ideology that drives

them. and so we will. america will remain engaged in afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist threat to our homeland and our people once and for all. we've made great gains. our resolve is stronger than ever. and i promise you, together as one nation and one people we will drive the cancer of terrorism from the face of the earth. [applause] we fight because our families deserve to live in safety and security. we fight because our fallen heroes demand justice. and so long as we have strength, we will honor their memories and do right by the people and the nation they died to defend. so i'm here on behalf of our president and all the american

people to pay a debt of honor. a debt of honor to the heroes of flight 93. a debt of honor to a generation of heroes that followed their inspiring example in and out of uniform, at home and abroad. but i'm also here to pay a debt of gratitude to the heroes of flight 93. on a much more personal basis. for their actions on that day in these skies saved american lives and as my wife, karen, who joins me here today knows, it's a debt i don't think i'll ever be able to repay. because among the many lives that were saved by their

selfless courage, they might well have saved my own life that day 16 years ago. you know, this isn't our first time standing in this field here in shanksville, pennsylvania. not more than a year after that fateful day karen and i brought our three small children here to this hallowed ground on a drive back from washington to indiana. that day we did not find this extraordinary memorial, we found only a makeshift memorial. no more than a plywood wall painted with the names of the fallen, a timeline and a wooden cross out in the field. it was that day with the help of a park ranger that i learned

personally of the sequence of events that day. i asked if the u.s. capitol was, in fact, the target, what time would the plane have reached the capitol building? and what she told me i'll never forget. for at the time she said standing with hundreds of others, i was standing near the east front of the house of representatives. i will always believe that i and many others in our nation's capital were able to go home that day to hug our families because of the courage and selflessness of the heroes of flight 93.

so for me it's personal. and i speak on behalf of a grateful nation. but thank you for giving me the privilege of speaking on behalf of my little family as well. when heroes fall, the nation mourns, for no greater love than a man has this, than he should lay down his life for his friends. to the families of the fallen, as president trump promised this morning and i say now, the memory of your loved ones will never die. they will always be with us.

their heroic story in our minds, our hearts, enshrined in the memory of this country. as long as america endures, we will tell their story and generations of americans will ever be inspired by the faithful and courageous words and deeds of the heroes of flight 93. may god bless our beloved fallen. may god bless and comfort the families gathered here and all those who suffered loss on this day 16 years ago. and may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] >> jon: a very visibly moved vice president pence in shanksville, pennsylvania, at the national memorial honoring

those heroes of flight 93 who took that boeing 757 into the ground rather than let it be used as a weapon against the united states capitol and the vice president said they might well have saved my own life that day. >> shannon: he was serving there in the house of representatives at the time and he talked about how generations of americans will know the story, know the deeds and bravery of those who were on that flight 93 that he now marks there in shanksville, pennsylvania. >> jon: it is a somber place if you've never been there, please visit. >> shannon: we have a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom," big story following aourk irma. we'll take you there live next.

>> jon: a fox news alert, good morning to you, i'm jon scott live in "america's newsroom." >> shannon: i'm shannon bream, the danger not over yet. headed towards georgia, tropical storm is expected to weaken further. >> jon: carrying a wide path of destruction, the whole state really unleashing destructive winds, record-setting flooding and power outages across florida. fox news reporters fanning out all across the hurricane zone. >> the storm surge is, and very quickly. along the water, which is just 3.1 miles east of us. >> you feel that hurricane force intensity.

and that's when you get the rain flying sideways. >> it is darker, this has to be the wall. we are seeing over 100 right now. >> we are not dumb with the storm surge yet. this is what you're saying out here. this is the storm surge coming in. >> we are recognizing that there must be an issue. we can definitely smell sewage at this point. we are probably going to leave this area really soon. >> shannon: all right, mike on "america's newsroom," bill hemmer's life to cover this for us. >> good morning again, we will take the viewers through the process right now in the big picture if you have to worry about standing water and flooding. we will talk about that in jacksonville. you have to worry about electricity. more than 6 million without power throughout the state. that will be the issue throughout the day today and for some several days to come. we will start in northeastern florida in jacksonville along the st. johns river where they are experiencing historic

flooding as we speak. it is 11:00 a.m. local time. it will not be high tide for at least three more hours. already they have exceeded a record that was set in 1964 going back 52 years. jacksonville is watching the race -- the river rise. the mayor is concerned right now with making sure that everybody is okay and taking care of there. that is about 120 miles north of our location in orlando. about 300 miles south of here, and key largo florida, that is the beginning of the florida keys as they go out around u.s. one and the feed of islands in south florida. we do not have a fair reading, just a little bit of a damage assessment. we know that the roads have been blown out. we do not know to what extent. power is an issue. a cell phone service has been knocked out. injuries, no reports yet of injuries in parts of the keys.

that could change again as the picture becomes more clear. early hours right now with the damage assessment in far southern florida. moving up the coast they are where the second impact occurred yesterday afternoon. marco island took a direct hit. category 3 at that moment. right on the backside of that storm yesterday. what we are feeling now are tropical storm winds on behalf of irma. we expect over the next hour or two that that will blow its way out of here. by the end of the afternoon, we should be looking at blue skies. the back enables, the mayor is on the phone right now. good morning to you, sir. give us the assessment on your best -- how did your town fair with irma right now? >> i think we fared okay. not great, but not as catastrophic as it could have been had this term storage --

storm surge commenced. >> the coast has changed starting with andrew 25 years ago. and each storm after that changes the way that you do things. what can you say about the new construction in naples and how it fared against irma? windows, siding, what have you found so far? >> so far no major structural damage. no reports of that. and as he very aptly said, the years go by and every year that the florida coast gets up more, when you build now, you are building to a new set of tough codes. and that is a good thing. >> yes, marco island is to the southeast, what have you heard from there, sir? >> they are closed.

they literally have closed marco island today. i heard that they did not fare well. the good news for them is that they really had a really good evacuation. people he did like they did here in naples, and they really got out. so i think that there were about 1000 people that were left on marco yesterday. >> okay, so of those 1000 people, is there a bridge that is intact? >> yes, you know, i did not hear anything negative about the bridge itself. i know that the damages up there were severe. and they started today. they are just closing the island. >> when you describe severe, i'm trying to give the viewers a better sense of that. do you have a better description? or more information? were homes taken out? or did they withstand the storm? >> we did not get a lot of information, but i know marco

pretty well, i would say that they have streets that were definitely not accessible. i do not know about home damage, but the horticultural damage that we had in naples and what i visibly can see, i am multiplying it in marco that it is probably pretty much in shambles. i did not hear anything about homes or windows being taken down, but i did not get a lot of information out of them. >> okay, i certainly appreciate that. i know that naples is their chief responsibility. and mayor, what you think about, we are 30 hours later right now. if that from a direct impact in naples, do you think that you got lucky? >> yes, sir. no two ways about it. we did. >> wow, that has to be the direction of the storm, as it took direct aim on marco, use it to the west of that.

and the way that the storm is rotating pushing the ocean waters away from naples, i just wonder in hindsight, sir, was that a stroke of luck? >> well, you know, bill, the eye-wall came right over us when it left marco. and what happened was when we were really, really worried about the storm surge, the back of the storm, the back end broke up. and that's probably why it did not. but naples, we had bays that were dry. it sucked all the water out. and as you well know, then the wind switches, and it brings it all back. yes, we were really lucky that the back end of the storm broke up. >> mayor, it is great to hear your voice. we are going to assess the damage in marco island throughout the day. thank you so much, sir. we appreciate your time today. you know, jon, no two storms are

the same. for some people this was a water event. for other people it was a wind event. for other people he was both water and wind. we will work our way throughout the day and figure out the assessment in naples, and further south in the keys. that is a chief concern in south florida, certainly in jacksonville with the waters high rising high tide. still when we can tell from the conditions where you are that the storm is still very powerful. bill hemmer, thank you. we are getting breaking news out of jacksonville right now, telling residents to shelter in place. you do not come out of your homes yet. it is not safe. the keys also taking a major hit from then hurricane irma when it made a landfall east of key west with category 4 winds on sunday. the extent of the damage coming to life now as irma moves to the north. life for us in key largo right now.

>> yes, jon, extend throughout the keys. we drove from key largo to about a mile marker 50 or so. it down to 0 where key west is. and that image on the oceanside pretty much the same all the way down. it is extensive. on the bayside it is more wind damage. you see trees, signs down. maybe a month from now you would not know there was a hurricane on that side of the island. on the east side it is stuff like this. we were live on friday. i tweeted out a photo for fox news that showed the houseboat standing right here that said hold on, irma, hold my beer. i will be right back. that vote is now basically just a piece of wood on the water. this place got absolutely hammered as you can tell. boats upside down, some into each other. the houseboats are thrashed. there is nothing left here whatsoever. if you go to the right, keep going, the water surge in this area was 6 feet. look at this one right here. to this house was out in the

water, a newer built house vote, but still on the shore. the latest information we have been told is this, every single bridge in the keys is currently shut down. they wanted to go through every single one indenture that they are structurally safe. secondly, the hospital here in the keys it shut down. they want to check the stability of that as well. no ambulance service at this hour. the helicopter above us, the assessment has begun from the air. they will move south. the sheriff's department unable to respond at this hour to any security risk or any problems because they are trying to go around and assess the rhodes situation. many of the roads in the keys are impassable. at the main highway is open for a little bit. once you get down to marathon, reports of the road and chunks being out. the problem with getting the exact information is that the communications are out. there is no power. no power for about 48 hours know from much of the keys. no cell phone service. and a lot of the communication

towers are down as well. it will be a lot of time before the recovery takes place. they are still assessing how many injuries they have. how many deaths they have. at the destruction full here is going to be in the billions. >> jon: especially, we got laid toward that roughly 25% of the population of key west apparently decided to whether it out on the island itself. it takes 24, sometimes 48 hours for the news to emerge from the epicenter of the storm where the eye-wall first made contact with the united states. there could be bad news they had it looks bad behind you. adam housley, thank you. speak to the track from irma is far from over. ed travels north. leaders will join us live, talk about how their home towns are coping and the president marking its his first september 11th in office paid to keeping an eye on the situation in irma, we will tell you about his response and

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>> jon: the president vows to visit hurricane maravich florida very soon. president trump has approved a disaster declaration for the state. ushering in federal funds for county is struggling with flooding, power outages, and

wind damage. >> my administration is monitoring the situation around the clock. we are in constant communications with all of the governors paid with the states and local officials. we are doing everything possible to help save lives and support those in need. we have never seen anything like this. together we will restore, recover, and rebuild. we will do it quickly. >> jon: joining us now, bret baier, the anchor of "special report." we were talking to karl rove about how the bush 43 administration was attacked by the dash 9/11-01. may be that the twin hurricanes define the trump administration. >> it is possible, jon. it is interesting to hear democrats talk about the response and the negotiation between the state government,

the governor says it has been seamless. you heard that democratic governor of louisiana say something similar for harvey. at the president has gotten very good grades for this. especially his fema administrator brock long. and his entire team and interacting quickly and forward positioning response. that's to both texas and florida. he has benefited, we should point out, by a very accomplished governor in greg abbott's in texas and rick scott in florida. they had a good operation on the ground. something that many argue did not happen in louisiana at hurricane katrina. >> jon: both of those states got the word out very quickly that these storms were not to be trifled with. and that obviously, i think we will find out has saved a lot of lives. as he pointed out, the president is benefiting from that. >> clearly, and then messages,

the statements that he have made have helped the local and state officials and their efforts. also the quick disaster funding efforts to sign on sunday to enable the counties to get to the federal funds quickly. i think that there is more to be said as we go on here and what the follow-up is on the federal government side. but so far getting good marks across the board. >> jon: he wants to make a trip to florida, says that he will be visiting very soon. that does not sound like days. the entire state has been ravaged by the storm, still is being ravaged by the storm. and the amount of work that goes into the presidential visits will be hard to pull off for the local authorities as of the way things stand right now. >> he will clear that with governor scott and the local authorities before he does that. he is a native new yorker, but really a floridian as well with the winter white house being in

mar-a-lago. and palm beach there. i think there is a closeness to florida, and he wants to get down there. >> jon: he had an interesting comment regarding the coast guard. i want to play that for you and our viewers right now. >> a group that really deserves tremendous credit is the coast guard. they have gone right into that, and you never know. you never know if you are going to come out. they are really -- if you talk about branding, no brand has improved more than the united states coast guard. >> jon: a little bit of a backhanded compliment right there. regarding the coast guard, how is that playing in washington? >> he is praising the coast guard and their efforts in both of these storms. he met with the coast guard directly, i'm sure that is fresh in his mind. and to the coast guard as far as branches of the u.s. military, sometimes does not get as much

publicity as other branches do. and now in these situations come i think he is pointing out that it is. >> jon: they have done terrific work in this storm and many others. bret baier, thank you. don't miss a "special report" exclusive. sitting down was cia director mike pompeo today at 6:00 p.m. eastern. on this, the anniversary of 9/11 right here on fox news channel. >> shannon: we will talk storm irma if continuing north into georgia, leaving behind destruction all across florida. governor rick scott saying that the store may be moving on, but the danger is still very real. >> we are working hard to get our state back to normal, but most importantly, we need to save every life. and we need to make sure that people understand that it is still dangerous.

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>> shannon: hurricane irma through the area, before being downgraded through a tropical storm. not as powerful as the city was expecting. but officials warning about strong winds and storm surges. the international airport may be able to work open tomorrow or thursday, about 45 minutes east. thank you for your time. >> thank you, i appreciate it. >> shannon: is something that folks may not realize. there's a lot of agriculture there. crops, livestock. how does a storm like this impacts concerns about those operations? >> they impacted significantly. we have the agricultural community, but a lot of oaks, pine trees, and we have a very rainy season so far, the root system of these trees has become

very most and unstable. i've driven around, and a lot of oaks are turned over, pine trees have snapped in half. it will impact the agricultural industry for some, they have gone through citrus greening. they have gone through the tanker, and now this. this is going to have a significant impact on our agricultural industry in florida. >> shannon: there is a ripple effect as those things become important across america, you mention the trees down there. to tell us about how things are down where you are right now. >> we have fortunately not had any fatalities where i am, but we did have a lot of storm damage because of the wind. when it went over us at about 12:30 this morning, we were having 80-90-mile-an-hour winds. i've driven around several, when i get off the phone call, i am taking a generator to constituents who had an oak tree go through their house.

that is quite common right now is what i am seeing. i am seeing a lot of down trees. >> shannon: this comes days after all the destruction down in texas and louisiana from harvey, how do you prepare for a storm like this knowing that fema, red cross, although groups involved in storm rescue and rehab, they are stretched along a lot of areas right now. >> we learned a lot from hurricane harvey. my constituency is, people in the state of florida took this very, very seriously. they were prepared. more so than i've ever seen. and when we had three storms go through our district, when we had wilma, katrina, we never thought it would happen to us. and it did. even though it has been 13 years, they were prepared. we fortunately are having the benefits of the good preparation, we need a lot of volunteers, got a lot of volunteers, but people listen to the warnings. they evacuated, they did not go out. they paid attention to the

curfews and did what they could to limit the potential damage. >> shannon: let me ask you about basic supplies and gasoline, lot of family across florida, hearing about the pump running drive for people who may be did want to leave. a different complication. how quickly do you estimate that basic resources will be able to return to the states? >> very quickly. again, we learned a lot from harvey, we learned about staging. we have the ports that are extra, and they are bringing in more fuel today. i saw a couple of convenience stores that did have gasoline, but now i think the crisis of the storm itself is over, but the supply chains will catch up to it within the next day or two. and we will be back to normal in that regard by the end of the week. >> shannon: congressman dennis ross, we know that there will be a lot of cleanup and recovery, we wish you the best and send you our prayers through that

process. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> jon: delivering a generator to a constituent. >> shannon: that's good stuff. >> jon: rescues continuing florida as folks on the gulf coast brace for high tide. crews plucking irma victims from their flooded homes with the water in some spots waist deep. plus concerns about the storm surge as it triggers record-setting flooding. >> one of the worst nightmares is driving the water up into tampa bay. >> jon: bill nelson joins us live next. s at man) he's looking at me right now, isn't he? yup. (butch barks at man) butch is like an old soul that just hates my guts. (laughs)

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>> shannon: let's check back and went bill hemmer live in orlando. he is going to check in with senator bill nelson standing by with him. >> good morning again. typical hurricane, you can always tell when the storm is coming at you when it is passing

you, when it is by you. always in the southeast, then the east, and the winds from the southwest. really just the remaining bands of what is a tropical storm irma moving through florida. jacksonville is a biggie. it will be a big deal with the record-setting flooding, and will not rest until 2:00 this afternoon. that's when high tide hits on the st. johns river in jacksonville. that will be a big deal throughout the day. also the florida keys, what will the damage be in the end as you look at the string of islands, and u.s. one that runs out, you heard adam housley talking about the end of the line essentially buried at least part of that world has been blown out. we'll wait to get a full damage assessment down there. one person who is about to see it first hand is with me now. at that is the florida democratic senator bill nelson by telephone. good morning to you. >> good morning.

what a morning. >> yes, indeed, sir. we spoke 14 hours ago. i know you're still in orlando. you are getting on board a u.s. helicopter, you are going to pick up marco rubio, you fly together to key west, florida, sir. what have you been told about the damage in key west now? >> it is what you would expect with the 120-mile-an-hour wind. but the keys, they are accustomed to wind. they are tough. the great news is that most of them evacuated, they were only about 10,000 people left in the whole island chain. most of the emergency personnel had moved up to the northern most key, key largo. they are all getting back down the road now.

back in. >> you will get a first-hand account sir, we will talk to you later today. waiting on some of the images. i know that they will be stunning, and the viewers are waiting for them as well. throughout the rest of the state, whether locally in orlando are up in jacksonville, what information are you getting about what florida needs right now? >> florida is going to need a lot of debris removal. we are fortunate to have beautiful trees, and a lot of those trees have toppled over and places are without power. the integrity of the dike on lake okeechobee is fine. they have lost power out there, one of florida power lines, the mainline snapped, so there is a lack of power out there.

that's near the lake okeechobee. but there was no problem with the water pressure on the dike. >> that is certainly good news. go ahead keep going. >> i am proud of floridians. they obeyed the instructions. they came together, people are helping people. i had no water here going in, any bottled water. one of my neighbors came over and gave me water ahead of the storm, the kind of spirit to that is going on here in florid florida. >> wow, listen, we have complemented the patients in the florida, the dash we were told last hour that they did not take a direct hit, it passed over naples at a time when the storm was pushing the gulf of mexico

away from the city. it seems like a stroke of luck or a mother nature miracle for the people of naples. but marco island to the southeast, he said it is not accessible, have you heard about the extent of the damage out of marco islands, sir, or not? >> i do not have an up-to-date report. but what you just mentioned, happening naples, fort myers, with the river as well as tampa bay. the water pushed out of those bays into the gulf, because of the east-west winds. what we feared was that the ire of the hurricane was going to stay right down in the gulf and when the eye past, the water came rushing back in with a huge tidal surge. fortunately that did not happen. the eye moved onto the land

somewhere around just before fort myers, and then stayed over land all the way up in between orlando and tampa, before taking a more north, northwest direction. if you've mentioned in jacksonville. that is an interesting phenomenon. all the drainage going into the upper st. johns, and this is a river that flows from south to north. east of orlando is the upper st. that of course is filling up because of all the rain. but because of the counterclockwise wins, it is going from south to north. therefore pushing the river water north to the mouth of the river at jacksonville. and then that is leading the high tide coming from the atlantic and you get that

phenomenon of all the high water in jacksonville topping the river banks getting into downtown jacksonville. >> we really appreciate that. >> you are showing that on the screen. >> for the people in jacksonville, they are getting unlucky, but the previous description for the west coast, we watched it yesterday, whether it is in naples or up in fort fort myers, that is the parting of the seas that is biblical, senator. thank you for joining us now. good luck to you in key west. of those folks up there took a big hit from the storm. we will speak to you later. senator bill nelson by telephone. good luck. we will be heading down to key west a little bit later with marco rubio, a first hand account later today. >> jon: still waiting to hear how the keys fare from all of this. so irma pushing inland, but high

winds and heavy flooding are creating hazards all across the state. jeff locke with fox business network is live in florida. >> hello, jon, what senator nelson was describing is somewhat an alert to what is going on right here. this is the madeira beach. this is what they call john's pass, and yesterday the water got sucked out here, and if we are able to spend background, because of the counterclockwise rotation, the storm has passed us. and now the wind is coming directly at us off the golf before it was blowing onto the gulf, now we have the water coming back here. we have high tide today at 5:43. and already it is an angry gulf. it does not look like a golf to me, it looks like an ocean. and that is what it is paid we

have severe winds, severe compared to what we have been through, not really, this tropical storm force winds, but still pushing the water. and pushing a lot of it. we'll see what happens at high tide. about 5:00, 6:00 tonight. i don't think it will be a disaster, but may be a little bit of a pain and a mess. >> jon: so you have wind, obviously, what about the rain? has that ended? >> caller: >> i would not say ty through, but we have a fair number of clouds up there. we had sunshine a little while ago. but anytime you think, oh, yeah, we are done. not quite. this is a big, big storm. >> jon: put on your spf 30 for that sunshine right there. thank you. speak too much more ahead on the disaster unfolding in florida as irma causes power outages, and affecting millions across the state, and some say they could be in the dark for weeks.

what the federal government can do to try to help. >> we have a number of residents without power. we have a number of residents that have degrees down -- debris down. patience is a word. we are aware of it. we are coming. to bring you even more incredible shrimp and new flavors. like new nashville hot shrimp, drizzled with sweet amber honey, and new grilled mediterranean shrimp finished with a savory blend of green onions, tomatoes, and herbs. feeling hungry yet? good, 'cause there's plenty more where these came from. like garlic shrimp scampi, and other classics you love. as much as you want, however you want them. but hurry, endless shrimp won't be here long.

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local officials across florida, we will continue to do that. it is important to remember that this is and continues to be a very dangerous storm. >> jon: joining us now on the phone from davie, florida, david paulison, former fema director. so have you been able to get out and to look around at what the storm dated two davie? >> yes, we had a curfew for a while, and we have a lot of trees down, a lot of debris on the road. i don't see any damage to the homes, that's a good thing. still no power. without power for about 24 hours, maybe a little bit more. but they will still be working on it. what i do recognize is that the cooperation between the federal government, the states coming into the locals, we did not have that in katrina. we made a lot of changes on how we operate. it worked very well with her again harvey and very well here.

>> jon: you think that the plans have been put in place since katrina are paying off? >> absolutely paired to the policy changes that we made, the declaration before landfall that allows fema to move people and supplies in early. allows them to open up the disaster relief funds to fund those things. and also the type of command that we need, lots of coordination and cooperation, lots of conversation between the state and federal government. that makes it a lot easier. no finger-pointing, everybody says, what do we need to do to get the job done. that is all a great sign. >> jon: they are in davie you are closer to the east coast of florida than the west, the storm was originally forecast to go up the east coast. ended up on the west side. are you surprised at the ferociousness of it all?

in miami and fort lauderdale, this was still a incredibly powerful event. >> yes, extremely powerful. you are right on target. andrew was a category five trends storm, but it was very small. it took out tens of thousands of homes, but this storm, the size of it was remarkable. covered the entire state. so the west coast got the worst of it, but we still had a lot of wind and rain on this side. because it was just so big. >> jon: my fear was, i guess after andrew, i was in miami at that time. came out of my door, took a look around. it looked like we had emerged okay. i did not realize that maybe 15 or 20 miles to the south in homestead, there were entire neighborhoods that were obliterated. my fear is that the worst hit parts of florida you are not hearing from now, because power and communications are out. is it possible that we are going to be shaking our heads at the

tragedy that is upon us here? >> i think you are right at the fact that we do not know what the damages total yet. by coming from east coast, -- we are seeing the tree damage, things like that. by the west coast has not been able to get into the area. so i have the same fears that you do. once we get in there, we will see a lot more damage than we thought we had. i hope i'm wrong. >> jon: i hope we are both wrong on that. david paulison, former director of fema, they are in davie, florida when that happened. >> shannon: as we track irma, headed into georgia, floridian still have to deal with the dangerous storm surge, not over there yet. not by a long shot. we will take a look at some of the damage coming up. i count on my dell small business advisor

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>> shannon: this is a fox news alert, tropical storm irma moving north. assessing the damage in florida, a wide swath to look at. in orlando here and has been there throughout the weekend. >> good morning again, i thought that bill nelson was fascinating with the information about jacksonville part of the st. johns river that flows from south to north with the high tide still two hours from now. that is going to bring more water with it. we have passed to the historic flood stage of 1964 in downtown jacksonville. mandatory evacuation orders have gone out. we will see how they fare throughout the day. awaiting two other really big components of the story. what is left of marco island?

we do not know yet. we know the mayor in naples told us last hour that the road was inaccessible, so that something that we need to watch. certainly down the keys, such a beautiful stretch of the american south east but what we do not know how those who chose to stay behind, how they all fared, but the mayor says that there are no injuries reported, we hope that that remains to be the case throughout the state of florida. do you think about the governor rick scott a week ago telling people to evacuate and get out, and we have not had any reports of fatalities in florida, we want to keep it that way. but there are storm related deaths. two days ago we were told about the police officers in a head-on collision that were reporting for duty in the middle of the night. certainly that tragedy is something that will not leave our minds and our hearts anytime soon. in the meantime as the wind blows come i want to take you up to jacksonville and check in

with peter doocy on the rising waters there. you have arrived, peter, how does it look? >> it does not look good in the downtown area, bill, where the st. johns river is now a couple of blocks inward. it is not supposed to be. you can see it looks like somebody's storm shutter is they are, the water continuing to come in. a lower here, but as you get closer to the river, you can look here at the hyatt regency, underneath it is basically a canal, the water is still coming up. there are basically white cats in the middle of newnan street in downtown jacksonville, where officials for the last several days have been urging everyone in certain evacuation zones along the river to get out. that's before the water came up. now they are telling people by 2:00, it could rise 4-6 more feet above ground. they are asking anybody in a home to put a white sheet on

their door if they need a rescue. they are saying that the water will come up higher than this. basically i'm passable, if you look by, and if you can show down by the stop sign. the water level down there, basically covering an entire set of parking meters. already several feet high, continuing to rise. it is very dangerous. you can see that there is still a lot of wind that is grabbing a lot of stuff, things that were around the street around. not a ton of people out, but anybody that is in a home or a business in the evacuation zones, the authorities want to get to higher ground immediately. if not, put a white sheet on your door, bedsheets, anything you have, and they will come and get you as long as it is safe for them to do so. >> you will be the story for several hours, peter. peter doocy on the ground in jacksonville. 1964, it has been 52 years since

i have seen the st. johns river at this level. further north than savannah getting reports of high water there as well. we will take you there alive throughout the day here on fox. back in a minute. i live in orlando.

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♪ one look at you and i can't disguise ♪ ♪ i've got hungry eyes ♪ applebee's 2 for $20. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood. >> shannon: thank you for joining us for special coverage today. >> jon: "outnumbered" starts right now. >> harris: fox news alert, mike pence is taking part in a ceremonial moment of silence in shanksville, pennsylvania, at this hour. that is a field where united flight 93 crashed 16 years ago today. killing 33 passengers and seven crew members. they are remembered as heroes who revolted against the hijackers before the plane went down. now to the breaking news on irma. a tropical storm now. still dangerous and mean as ever. moving northwest chewing up parts of florida with high winds

and tons of water. epic flooding creating perilous conditions for rescuers trying to help anyone who stay behind. this number is huge. more than 60% of florida, more than half the state is without electrical power. you are watching "outnumbered," i'm harris faulkner coming here today, host of "kennedy." host from after the bell, melissa francis. abby huntsman, and #oneluckyguy brian kilmeade, host of ""fox and friends"" and the show on fox news radio. he is very busy. he has stopped by to be "outnumbered." >> bill: it is my privilege to be here on a day like this. >> harris: we have a lot happening right now in jacksonville, florida. it is moved northwest. we have been covering it since it rolled out on saturday. >> bill: one of my listeners on