bill weir is not very far away. he is also in punta gorda for us. at you're seeing, what's going on where you are, bill. >> reporter: yeah, we are sort of peeking through this door, trying to take comfort in the fact that this hotel has category 4 hurricane-proof glass. that's what they say. we're finding out in real time as we try to bar this doorman actually. the power is out so the magnetic lock isn't working. we have seen the most intense wind in the last hour. way more severe, it seems like, than what we saw through the front edge of the storm now. and this little swimming pool here that has been sort of steadily emptied by the winds. you can see it. it remind me, i did a story at the university of miami, they have a hurricane tank where they try to simulate the impacts of big storms on cities, buildings, vehicles, and this reminds me of that, only it's sort of a little model in the middle of the worst hurricane. one of the worst i have ever seen. i was in katrina. i was in michael and maria in puerto rico, and this is a different level of scary

we'll have more from bill weir. but just incredible what he was seeing and experiencing in that context there about the roofs and how most people won't have insurance at all. ryan young in orlando. what are you seeing there? obviously water around you as well. >> reporter: absolutely. really feel the pain from bill's report there. in talking to people here, they are dismayed by what they see here. as we walk down the street, as you talk to people, they say they've never seen the water coming up so quickly. they can't believe cars with "r" being flooded. that happened over and over throughout the day. high water rescues that first responders had to get themselves involved to tackle things just like this. you can still see the road blocked and it's kwkt quite some time before this dries up. >> look at this mess. >> reporter: more than 2 million still without power before ian left behind a wake of destruction in southwest and central florida. >> flying debris, falling trees, tornadoes, life-threatening storm surge and

let's go to bill weir who is also in punta gorda. ll, i want to go to you because i know the situation there deteriorating. >> reporter: it is, john, we're staying mobile as long as we can here in the car before we hunker down for landfall later this afternoon. yes, you can feel it buffeting here as we start to feel it pick up. we want to give you a sense of where we are, this is the harbor, the peace river comes right around my shoulder and into the gulf of mexico. let's go and take a tour. we wanted to come here specifically because this is very typical of this part of florida, these canal houses. it's sort of the florida dream where you go out your backyard and you've got your boat right there, such easy access to the heaven that can be florida. but, you know, hemmingway used to talk about there is the masculine and the feminine of the sea, and this one, this storm, really seems like the most aggressive -- to come to town in a long time and he's ready to fight. so we want to see any proof -- any proof of -- we haven't seen a lot of

let's go to bill weir in punta gorda.. we just felt a marked increase in wind speeds within the last ten minutes or so. we were right at about 40, 50 miles per hour, hard to fathom that speed tripling in the next several hours. we're right at the point where u.s. 43 heads across the peace are i have here and i'm just in front of the memorial for hurricane charlie which in 2004 devastated the town and sent a wake-up call to the community about the threats of living along the coast in a rapidly warming planet. as a result of that storm, they were the first community in florida to put in a climate adaptation plan, a sea level coastal resiliency plan that they had been working on for years now. and this will be the test. it is hard to build power lines or building codes for 17-foot storm surge though. that is the crazy variable here. no one has ever seen that. but that is what climate scientists have been warning about for a long time and now we get to see it up close. >> bill weir. and right now to ron desantis, governor of

bill weir in cape coral today. he is on his way back. what people here continue to go through takes on even more significant further north along the eastern seaboard out that in his back to hurricane strength. for more on where the risk is highest tonight, let's go to cnn's jennifer gray. jennifer, the storm is not done yet. what is the latest on its path and it strength? >> this is a strong that just keeps on going. it will not let up. we are back to a hurricane with 75 mile an hour winds. gusts of 90. all along the georgia coast, they have been feeling tropical storm gusts all throughout the day. it is more than 400 miles, the wind storm. we are feeling very strong winds for a wide, wide area. this is moving to the north northeast. it looks very disorganized as it is. even though it does not look impressive, it is going to be impressive. we will see a push of a watcher. we could see five to 7 feet just to the center. now, the national hurricane center made it clear on their update that the storm, even though it is so close to making la

bill weir is out front, he's live from fort myers. some unimaginable things in the past 24 hours and the people who rode out this storm where you are tonight went through some indescribable trauma. what did you see today when you finally were able to get to areas that nobody's been able to see since the storm hit? >> reporter: well, we weren't actually able to get to fort myers beach. the sheriff's department's not letting folks in there unless you live in there. we've heard reports that 90% of that community has been wiped away. so, we did stop where we could. as you were saying earlier in the show, everywhere you look along this stretch of the coast, there is something else that will put your jaw on the floor. here's a little sample. these are shore birds and pelicans walking across wreckage in what used to be san carlos harbor. it's seen better days, as you can see. this is the destructive path of ian. it came raking across here. a lot of the businesses here of course have to do with recreation completely split open by the wind. wha

our bill weir was able to make his way to sanibel earlier today, and he'll describe what he saw when we go to him live in just a moment. all bridges to neighboring pine island, they've also failed. emergency responders are facing so many great challenges to rescue those who are still trapped. i mean, more than 700 confirmed rescues just so far in the state. but many more are likely. you can see what appears to be military members who are pushing one of their humvees submerged in flood waters just south of tampa. and florida's governor is saying that it's going to take years -- ye years -- of effort to rebuild and come back. right now it's all about rescues and relief. we're going to have full coverage with the latest on the ground and in the sky over the atlantic. tom sater is in the cnn weather center tracking where ian is and where it's headed next. brian todd is in naples florida. first, i want to bring in our chief climate correspondent, bill weir, who is right now in fort myers. and he just got there after seeing some of the hardest-hit and most cut-off areas today. bill, it's g

cnn chief climate correspondent bill weir is in bradenton, florida. much is the climate crisis to blame for any of this? >> reporter: a lot. mainly the one word you mentioned there. intensification. warm water is hurricane fuel. it's vitamins, steroids to a hurricane and we saw this over the weekend when the typhoon went from 85 miles per hour to 155 in 6 hours. it's unlike anything our team at cnn, the weather unit has seen in their careers. ian started to churn and picking up speed to get stronger eating up that warm water. in bradenton near sarasota. the path seems more vulnerable. we were up north in st. petersburg. we saw the line to get sandbags of ten. that won't be much help. we saw a family at the beach volleyball court using trash bags to use sandbags. we are in that part now. this is not the grand daddy's hurricane. these storms now are stronger and wetter than before. we have the population of florida i think goes up by 900 or 1,000 people a day. putting themselves in this situation some for the first time. this time tomorrow this part of

let's go to gordon now, my colleague bill weir is there now. i want you to help me talk to him, because we were watching bill today really get the strong winds. i haven't seen the winds that bill has seen. so bill is joining us now. bill, i understand that you are under a curfew i don't understand what the conditions are where you are right now. i can't see, but what's up? >> actually, it's much better, don. it's both the radar and the evidence in the sky above us here, is that the worst of the event has passed punta gorda thank holy. it has been a marathon of buffeting winds and intense rain which you are tasting now. the good news is we haven't seen the storm surge in the 15 17 nine foot teen foot rain that we are worried about this morning. >> so bill, the curfew that you're under right now, and i'm wondering, i'm hoping that people are abiding by the curfew which as you said, the worst avigan is behind you. people start to come out and they say that's the worst thing you can do obviously, especially at night, especially when they're downed p

and chief climate correspondent bill weir is in punta gorda florida. you were out with the cajun navy reaching these islands here that have been just cut off. >> reporter: it was a fascinating, surreal, crushing experience and sort of uplifting at the same time, john. one of the best tips i ever learned about covering these disasters came from mr. rogers who taught my kids when you see these horrible pictures, these scary images on tv, look for the helpers. after ian's violent visit, this is what's left of the causeway bridge from mainland florida to sanibel island and this is now the unpassable bridge to pine island. so boats and helicopters are the only exit option. and on the grim day after, two of the only boats in this part of the gulf have civilian volunteers as good ol' boys with big hearts. >> when americans aren't in trouble, we do war zones and conflict zones but hurricanes qualify. >> you're named after -- >> here we are, we are going to rescue some people from sanibel if they need help. >> you need help? >> give us a minute, we'll come ther

cnn's bill weir made his way to a hard-hit area of cape coral just south of fort myers.e of course as crews try to find people who may be trapped in their homes here. we'll get bill's report next. also new images of the destruction in fort myers, utter destruction. what's going to be a long and arduous cleanup process. stick with us. in the projects that power our economy. from the plains to the coasts, we help americans invest for their future. and help communities thrive. oh, that i can't believe i scored this price feeling! wayfair always delivers small prices for big dreams. ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ you love closing a deal. but hate managing your business from afar. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire (driver 1) it's all you. (driver 2) no, i insist. (driver 1) it's your turn. (burke) get farmers and you could save money with the safe driver discount just by having a clean driving record for three years. get a whole lot of somethi

. >>> now to cnn chief climate correspondent bill weir. no stranger to storms and hurricanes and the incredible damage they cause. bill, our team spoke with a 62-year-old who is on the ground in newfoundland saying he's never seen storm damage like this. how much has that area historically seen storms that are that strong? >> it's been a while, alex. you know, the low pressure, the lower the pressure, the higher the waves and the winds and the fierceness of the storm. and it was an all-time low as it came pweurling towaring barrelis eastern canada there. they had days to batten down the hatches and prepare for this and a stronger infrastructure than puerto rico. even if the wind storms aren't maria sized, 180 miles per hour category 4 or 5, they can still cause real infrastructure damage. the power is still frustrating people a week after the storm. the one to watch is the one in the gulf of mexico. they get upgraded. this storm now heads to cuba and up into the gulf. >> speaking of the damage, when you look at the kind of damage that we're

bill weir walking around a neighborhood in cape coral, just covered by water.orm surge damage was not too far from where i'm standing right now in ft. myers beach. i had a chance to look at it from the air. i took a helicopter ride with the lee county sheriff. you can see, there's a home in a canal. a home was simply pushed into one of the canals there. some of the homes closer to the water wiped away. you could just see foundations. joining me now is ft. myers beach town councilman, dan allers. and dan, you shared some pictures that you took as you had a chance to go back to ft. myers beach yesterday. just describe to me what you saw. >> yeah, thanks for having me. my wife and i actually rode out this storm in a friend's house. we were in a, you know, fairly newer home that was -- i felt was safe for us to be able to do that. so we were able to get out first thing yesterday morning and do what we can, take pictures along the way. but total devastation, catastrophic. those are words that come to mind when you see what you see. i know in some of the pictures tha

let's bring in bill weir.ery outside-the-box ceo we're talking about. i'll give you a little life lesson. in 1968, he climbed into a volkswagen van with friends. among them doug thompsons who founded north face and espirit. and he founded huge parks down in south america. his idea was let's save as much of the planet as we can from the ravages of capitalism. he looks s he's going to design new form of capitalism. earth is the only shareholder. extracting resources and turning it into wealth, he wants to take the profits and put it into the source of all of our wealth, our livable planet. >> it's so interesting. and he never wanted to be a billionaire. this is a guy that has significant money that i assume could make a real impact. however, we're talking about the climate crisis. this is a global problem. what kind of impact could $100 million a year actually have? >> you know, it's a drop in the bucket given the scale, the enormity of what needs to be done out there. it's all how you spend it, right? he has, p

cnn's bill weir is in fort myers. what have you seen? >> reporter: jake, we wanted to head to fort myers beach to see exactly what had happened there. we had those staggering reports that it's been wiped off. we hit sort of a roadblock which had incredible damage that we were able to capture because we weren't able to get past there. let me give you a little system pole of what that looked like just a few minutes ago. these are shore birds and pelicans walking across wreckage in what used to be san carlos harbor. it's seen better days, as you can see. this is the destructive path of ian. it came raking across here. a lot of the businesses here, of course, have to do with recreation in paradise, kayak rentals, bait shops completely split open by the wind. what's most striking about this particular spot is the boats that have been tossed into the mangroves across the street. we have a bit of a bottleneck of human activity because this is the road to fort myers beach, and the sheriff's department is not letting anybody on. if you haven't se

there will be a lot of pressure from both sides. >> bill weir, our prince william here at cnn, our earlvery much, bill. we appreciate it. i had to, i'm sorry. >>> as the world remembers queen elizabeth's reign, we're also reminded of the playful side she brought to the monarchy. our randi kaye shares some of her most humorous moments. that's next. and zero surprises.. and all of us wiwill stop at nothing to drive you happy. we'll drive you happy at carvana. ever wonder what everyone's doing on their phones? they're investing with merrill. think miss allen is textingor backup? no she's totallyn charge. of her portfolio and daniel g. she's building a greener future and he's... running a pretend restaurant. and phil? phil has questions, but none of them are about his portfolio. digital tools so impressive, your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company. (vo) at viking, we are proud to have been named the world's number one for both rivers and oceans by travel and leisure, as well as condé nast traveler. but it is now time for us to work even harder, searchin

bill weir is in the middle of it all. how bad could it get there? >> it could get really bad. 1985, hurricane helena set the stage at four feet and this could double that. and any sort of adjustment in that track that chad was talking about brings some relief to the folks here in st. pete, tampa. and that storm could come up and gr grinds right into tampa bay those storm surges as we talked about, 15 inches of water could be deadly. could take you down if it is moving. and so that is why they say, you hide from the wind and you run from the water. to give you a sense of how they're preparing here in st. pete, they just removed from this parking lot, you know the credit card, the automatic payment kiosk, they're about this tall, they removed them. so their anticipating that the wauts ser going to get up this high. i probably wouldn't sleep well tonight if i owned one of these boats sm boats. some people are planning their hurricane party. so the human nature as we always do pre-hurricane. it is human nature that will determine how much suffering come

bill weir is there on the search for survives. >> after ian's violent visit, this is what is left of the causeway bridge from mainland florida to sanibel island, and in is the now unpassable bridge to pine island. so, for residents of both, the boats and helicopters are the only exit options. and while the coast guard blackhawks and chinooks buzzed on the grim day after, two of the only boats in this part of the gulf carry civilian volunteers from the cajun navy. those good ol' boys with the bass boats and big hearts. >> tell us the name of an individual to go pick up, and we will go to get them. >> reporter: and a new project dynamo led by a former military and americans who served in the battle in russia and ukraine and afghanistan. >> give us a project, and we are there to help. >> and you helped to get the troops from a bunker. >> yes, and here we are going to rescue some people from sanibel which is cut off from the world. and so it is very apropos. >> we need help. >> you need help? you want to get out of here? >> i am in the bedroom. >> okay. give us a minute, and we will come

our randy kaye and bill weir are in the midst of that there.s. coast guard already rescuing at least three people off the florida coast. and the cajun navy is also in florida tonight helping with the search and rescue. help me she's with the united navy cajun search and rescue in braidpten just east of tampa. he should be saying we're not going to send crews out because we can't put them at risk. what are you seeing right now? are your rescue volunteers actually going out? >> we have a few on standby. we are currently not at the location. we are looking out for the safety of our team right now as well. >> yep, you've got to do the right thing. you can't risk their lives for others. i know you have volunteers across florida tonight, charlotte county as well as in sarasota. and we just heard someone from noaa who was talking about having gone through 76 storms and he's never seen anything like this. it is the strongest storm on record to hit florida's coast. does that change how your team is able to respond with search and rescue? >> no, ma'am, w

chief climate correspondent bill we weir joins us now. bill, where are you and what are you seeing?i'm about a quarter mile from randi here in punta gorda. we're on higher ground here, so it gave us some sense of security with the predictions of storm surge. thankfully we haven't seen that. we saw some nasty winds on the back end of this storm. what's interesting to follow up on what randi was saying about that 2004 storm, you know, hurricane charlie came in here and absolutely devastated this community. just the county alone took $3 billion in damages. 15 lives were lost in that storm. something like 11,000 homes and 300 businesses. they retired the name hurricane charlie because that storm was so painful for them. but they learned the lesson. so, punta gorda the first city in florida to adapt a climate resilience plan, a coastal adaptation plan in concert with the federal government in some stages to really try toal build up and prepare for days like this. so, tomorrow morning, at sunrise, we'll get our first glimpses to see whether they passed that test. it means better building

out of bonita spring where the floods look like a choppy ocean sweeping over cars in the area, cnn bill weircovering the storm and he says hurricane ian is one of the worst storms he has ever encountered. >> in the middle of the worst hurricane, one of the worst i've ever seen, i was in katrina, i was in michael, maria and puerto rico, and this is a different level of scary considering the storm surge they're warning us about, considering we didn't think wind speed would be as important as the storm search, oh, jesus! both of them are now -- something flew in front of the window, it scared me. >> wow, ian has brought massive storm surges, setting records for the highest level of waters for fort myers. we really want to see how this hurricane stacks up to other hurricanes. what is the data telling us? >> it's telling us that this is among the strongest we have ever seen on record of 200 plus hurricanes going back to the 1800s, you take a look at what is played out here, laying out the more recent and impressive storms we've had michael, irma charlie and andrew all of this being category four

here is bill weir. >> this is exactly what climate scientists have been warning about a know we get tolose. >> what do you mean, your stupidity? cnn's don lemon also tried to make the immediately for climate change and was shot down faster than jamie lissow hitting on a woman with decent eyesight. here he is talking with the acting director of the national hurricane center. >> can you tell us what this is and what affect climate change has on this phenomenon? >> we can come back and talk about climate change at a later time, i want to focus on the here and now. >> greg: i haven't seen a rejection like that since jamie tried eharmony. he had doubled down on the stupid of course. >> i'm just trying to get -- you said you want to talk about climate change but what affect does climate change have on this phenomenon that is happening now because it seems these stores are intensifying -- that is the question. >> i don't think you can link climate change any one of event. on the cumulative, climate change may be making storms worse. but to link it to any one event -- i would caution against t

. >> thanks to bill weir for that report. our heart goes out to that woman whose home is clearly devastated right now. let's get the latest on the danger ian is posing right now. our meteorologist jennifer gray is tracking the storm. ian is a hurricane again. give us the newest forecast. >> it is a hurricane again. 75 miles an hour winds, gusts of 90. it is moving to the north northeast at 10 miles an hour. i can't say it enough. ian is not over. it is far from over. we cannot forget what is to come across the south carolina coast, georgia coast and even up into north carolina. the wind field on this storm, wolf, the tropical storm force winds extend more than 400 miles. we're already seeing winds across portions of -- we're already seeing winds across portions of georgia, south carolina, north carolina, tropical storm force winds. they have been feeling it all day long. this storm is expected to come on shore as a category one storm. and the forecast is still very uncertain. the hurricane center made that clear. their 5:00 a

the surge where randi kaye is right now, and she'll be back in a bit, and so is bill weir. the that be 15 feet, above the top of some of these homes on these canals, a lot of this area. a lot of port charlotte. all the way through cape coral. you will have all those homes with water in them. so many big cities. i was looking at naples last night before before we bumped this to a cat 4.9. everybody, every single spot in naples will likely have some part of a saltwater surge. what's 110 or more in this entire area, as it is storm comes onshore, moves up toward orlando. luckily, orlando is only in a hurricane category, now this cat 2. that's a large zone with trees down. we already have 175,000 people without pow e. and then this area up north of orlando, maybe toward the villages, 20 inches of rain? so many hazards. another hazard, tornadoes, tornado watch in effect, too. >> the last thing they need. chad, thank you. >>> we'll also speak next with the sheriff of pinellas county, completely closing access to the barriers islands, and his message to anyone who stays behind. tha

cnn's chief climate correspondent is bill weir, and he joins me now. bill, hello once again to you. you say this is some of the worst damage you've ever seen in your career. covering these disasters. tell us what you saw? >> well, by that i mean, don, there are certain sort of moments and scenes in storms that are just burned into your brain, katrina for a lot of the reasons that we all know. that was such a man made disaster in so many ways, same with maria in puerto rico. you think about those comedians. michael which took apart the panhandle. but i will always remember, i will equate even with what i saw today in st. james city. that's on pine island. and this is a tight little community, a lot of manufactured homes, mobile homes, people whose vote might be worth more than their home, and all of it completely jumbled, shattered and mixed up, like bathtub toys with careless children. it takes your breath away when you see the pieces of peoples lives, the personal mementos, you know, photo albums laying out in this way. it really is devastating, but it's a striking contrast to what

our bill weir spoke to a homeowner wondering if her home is even salvageable. >> i told there is no wayi said there is snakes and fire ants and alligators andal gator yoz and alligators. >> but this is too important. >> i'm here now. this is amaze what the water could do. >> my goodness. >> i'd say it is done. what do you think? >> i think so. i hey to say. i've never been so hopeful. like i said, there are people worse off than us. >> imagine walking in your living room and seeing so much destroyed. i feel for those people. we'll continue to bring you their stories. still ahead, another major story. vladimir putin has claimed this morning in a public ceremony that several ukraine territories are now in his view part of russia. illegally annexing those regions. how the west is respondingng an zp that mean escalation. is worse to come, we're going to ask those questions coming up. becoming a morning person starts the night before with new neuriva relax and sleep. it has l-theanine to help me relax from daily stress. plus, shoden ashwagandha for quality sleep. so i can wake up refreshed.

bill weir is here with much more on this. what is happening here? >> it's crazy. >> is it?ntless and holding longer than the past. they went on driest stretch on record and 56 1/2 inches in a single day a record for the most. now it's the hottest start to a year. now the hottest record ever. 116 degrees in the state capital there. they came very close to rolling blackouts yesterday, if not for average folk turning up the thermostat, the air-conditioner to maybe 78 or something a little less comfortable than they would like but it keeps the whole system from crashing on days like this. >> there is also talk in california about potentially categorizing heat waves like hurricanes. what is that going to look like? what is it going to do? >> a great question. it's mostly for public education. it's passed by the legislature and governor only needs to sign it and 2025 they would rate heat waves like a category 3 or 4 hurricane. is there a hurricane off the coast of mexico ironically that is kick up right now and affect folks out there as well. you understand evacuating a hurricane

. >> our thanks to bill weir for that report. i want to go live to orlando, florida now and cnn's ryan young. ryan, tell us what you're seeing there. >> reporter: yeah, jake, so much pain in this area. people upset about the loss of their possessions. we can show you this right here. this is a lake that it crossed its banks very easily. and that water came into a roadway. there was someone who was trying to drive down the street, got their car stuck. this is something that we saw over and over throughout central florida. high flood waters, homes damaged, people's entire lives uprooted by hurricane ian. >> our house flooded. it just started going deeper and deeper. and by the time we were walking out we were mid-thigh in water. >> reporter: these images show how powerful hurricane ian was when it slammed into southwest florida as a category 4 storm. bringing with it destructive wind, record rainfall, and storm surge reaching 12 feet some places. >> it's devastating to see my neighborhood like this. >> reporter: more than 2 million

cnn's bill weir showed devastation and one community. >> this is just unbelievable!hborhood are between the river and the bay. the end just raked this thing i've been talking to the locals that tell me that the water came up so fast, so high, a lot of retirees, elderly folks, families here, working class sort of manufactured housing here. more expensive condos near the river. we've got a mix here social economic mix. and ultimately, it comes down to where do you have to go from here? this is not stable. these people have lost everything. it is not back at the atlantic moving into south carolina, category one hurricane. forecasters are making a second landfall in the coming hours. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the state is now set for vladimir putin to announce the illegal annexation of four ukrainian provinces out to why they discredited referendums. just a few hours a signing ceremony were held at the kremlin. russian president expected to block a major speech. according to moscow-backed officials and provinces, overwhelmingly support of russia, but they've been multiple reports of elec

we're going to talk to bill weir about what he saw on sanibel island. that's next.d lasts 12 hours 12 hou?! who studies that long? mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs. ♪ music: “everywhere” by fleetwood mac ♪ you ready? ♪ ♪ ♪ can you hear me calling ♪ ♪ out your name? ♪ ♪ you know that i've falling ♪ ♪ and i don't know what to say ♪ ♪ oh, i ♪ dude ♪ i want to be with you everywhere. ♪ from bolt to blazer, equinox to silverado, chevy evs are for everyone, everywhere. >>> welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. this hour vladimir putin's most audacious move yet, declaring huge chunks of ukraine to officially be part of russia, as his forces continue to be beaten back even further. now the u.s. is responding. >> plus, obliterated, that's the only word to use to describe what hurricane ian did to large swaths of florida. cnn's death tally has risen. it now stands at 42 people killed. in the past 48 hours, the coast guard has been going door to door rescuing floridians trapped by the destruction. the scale of damage and destruction is, frankly, mind-blowing. this is f

bill weir cnn's chief climate correspondent, this was touch and go. >> it really was. >> for the most populous state by far in the country. >> it looks like californians avoided these rolling blackouts by conserving, maybe setting the air conditioner higher than they normally would have for comfort levels. sacramento yesterday all time record 116 degrees fahrenheit, and this is a place that has seen the longest dry spell on record in the last year, 212 days, broken up by the rainiest single rain event ever, 5.5 inches in a day and then the driest start to the season, now the hottest day, it's this whiplash of extremes. >> the extremes really are extraordinary. we know from covering weather events for years heat can actually be the deadliest weather disaster. >> it is. >> now there are movements across the country to start naming heat waves. >> exactly. >> like hurricanes are named. what's the reasoning behind that. >> it is. it's so educate the public, seville, spain, became the first community to do this officially. naming a heat wave like you would a hurricane. california has passed

our senior climate correspondent bill weir is in punta gorda. another group of rescuers, volunteers who call themselves the cajun navy, and what you saw and did them with is just stunning. >> reporter: mister rodgers caught my kids when you see these horrible scary images and these events look for the helpers, the cajun navy has been part of that descriptor, they have been amazing helpers, there's other groups now that have started since then. yesterday they joined forces and i went along for the ride. after ian's violent visit this is what's left of the causeway bridge from mainland, florida, to sanibel island, and this is the now unpassable bridge to pine island. so for residents of both, boats and helicopters are the only exit options. and while coast guard blackhawks and shin nooks buzzed over the barrier islands on the grim day after, two of the only boats in this part of the gulf carry civilian volunteers from the cajun navy, those good old boys with fast boats and big hearts. >> tell us somebody to go pick up, we will try to go get them.

bill weir, thank you so much. as we keep our eye on all of this, we'll touch base with you once again. i appreciate the expertise. >>> it's being described as the most complex security operation london has ever seen. coming up, the huge feat of safeguarding the city as 2 million people and leaders from around the world ascend on london for the queen's funeral. >> tech: at safelite, we take care of vehicles with the latest technology. we can replace your windshield ...and recalibrate your safety system. >>>> customer: and they recycld my old glass. >> tech: donon't wait. schedule today. >> singers: ♪ safelite repapai, safelite replace. ♪ the citi custom cash℠ card automatically adjusts to earn you more cash back in your top eligible spend category. hi. ♪ you don't have to keep tabs onotating categories... this is the only rating i care about. ... or activate anything earn. your cash back automatically adjusts for you. can i get a cucumber water? earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spen

. >> most people die from the aftermath and you saw bill weir and there was a -- punta gorda and there giant tree that had fallen. here are live pictures. the trees have fallen because the ground is so saturated. >> they're going to keep falling. you got to be careful. if you're not careful, people will lose their lives because a tree falls after this happens because it's so wet but on top of that, these power lines you have to watch and everybody -- if you use a generator, learn how to use it. if you use a power tool, learn how to use it. be cautious. you're scared to death of losing people before the storm, during the storm and then afterwards when people make decisions that they shouldn't have made. they could be safe. >> and how are the citizens of your state going to handle the next few days with all of this water? >> it's going to be hard. first off, all the water, lose power. they're going to lose power. they're going to be careful. they're going to be careful -- be careful where they go. there will be places you can't get anywhere partially because it's flooded and because ther