cnn's nick valencia has the latest reporting by phone. what are you hearing, nick?porter: anderson, we're hearing this is happening amid increasing pressure from trump to get the country, as you said, opened up in just a few weeks. this is coming to us from a senior federal health official who is directly involved in coronavirus response, telling us that they are now drafting options of public health professionals, now taking the concrete steps of drafting options to, quote, be able to allow people to take a step back into society in certain areas. this official went on to say that this is going to be a rolling-type response characterizing that by saying recommendations are going to ease for different parts of the country at different times. this, of course, begs the question of just how risky is this going to be. do people want to go back in now that they are more knowledgeable about what this virus is and just how fast it spreads. this is something that we tried to pin the source down on, and they said, look, this is not without risk. it could mean sending people

nick valencia talked to one mother whose home was completely destroyed.he closet with her kids, and when they came out, this is what they saw. >> reporter: tell us what happened. take us through the house. this is what's left of it. >> this is our kitchen. this is the first roof that came off. this whole side, this whole area was open. daughter noticed it first the roof was gone. >> reporter: you said you only had about three minutes? >> yes. three minutes from the time i woke up and an alarm about the weather. >> reporter: this is where you were hiding? >> this is where we were when i got the text. my kids and nephew were laying where that is laying. they built a fort and wanted to sleep there. i jumped up because my dad called and the power went out. we got to go now. by the time we got to right here it was already busting the windows open and you can feel it shaking the whole house. >> reporter: how long did it last for? >> maybe about five minutes. it was quick, the wind was still going. after about five minutes it calmed down. we stayed in there unti

cnn's nick valencia has more. >> reporter: we are beginning to hear just incredible stories of survival, and we're joined now by not just a resident but also a first responder, tracy brown. you live in this neighborhood. you have some incredible stories. first, i want you to tell us about this tree here. >> this tree is one of the first trees in our neighborhood. it's about 600 years old. this was the old eller farm, that's why we're named eller plantation. the tree is the staple of the neighborhood because it's the largest, biggest tree we have. >> just uprooted just like that. >> it's gone, and it's unbelievable that it's gone. >> it's unreal. >> it's huge. >> so you have these unreal stories here and specifyingly about what happened here to the resident raymond, you said? what happened? >> so ray lives here in this house, and when we looked out of our house to their house and saw his house was gone, we started searching immediately for him and making sure his children isn't here. his bedroom is a split foyer home, and his bedroom is on the back side of the home, and we found him abou

here's cnn's nick valencia. >> reporter: we are beginning to hear just incredible stories of survivald we're joined now by not just a resident but also a first responders, tracy brown you live in this neighborhood. you have some incredible story, but first i want you to tell us about this tree here. >> so this tree is one of the first trees in our neighborhood. it's about 600 years old. this was the old eller farm, that's why we're named eller plantation. the tree is the staple of the neighborhood because it's the largest, biggest tree we have. >> just uprooted just like that, i mean. >> it's gone, and it's unbelievable that it's gone. >> it's unreal. >> it's huge. >> you have these unreal stories here and specifically about what happened here to the resident raymond, you said? what happened? >> so ray lives here in this house, and when we looked out of our house to their house, and we saw his house was gone, we started searching immediately for him and making sure his children weren't here. in his bedroom, it's a split foyer home, and his bedroom is on the back side of the home, and

cnn's nick valencia is live in hard-hit putnam county. what are you seeing there?porter: it's sobering to see these images now that the sun has come up. we were in the cover of dark a little while ago. this is what's been revealed to us, just what's been left behind here in rural putnam county. i think there was a natural focus on nashville. heavily concentrated population there. but it's really rural putnam county that has been hardest hit. just look at this here. this slab of bricks. there was a home on top of here, guys. watch your step there, man. this is what's left behind. concrete cinder blocks, debris, mangled wreckage left behind by this powerful tornado that seems to have ripped through where our camera is pointing and made its way west up towards this area. these subdivisions in here. what is really concerning at this moment right now, not just the fact that 18 of the 24 people that have died across the state, 18 of them were killed here by that tornado. but there are dozens still unaccounted for. there is certainly a lot of police presence here. we've s

nick valencia at hartsfield-jackson airport. nick, let me begin with you on this other story. before we talk about the ban, a passenger who jumped on the plane in new york, flies all the way to palm beach in florida and then what, as he's getting off the plaene, by the way, i have coronavirus? >> reporter: that's right, extremely unsettling. we learn this information from palm beach fire and rescue saying this individual, not identified as a man or woman yet, got on a flight at jfk, and waited until they arrived to notify the airline that they in fact tested positive for coronavirus. we don't know much more beyond that. that's all we know at this point. jetblue releasing a statement saying they're sanitizing the area where this passenger was and we know the west palm beach international airport took unprecedented step of shutting down a concourse to sanitize and clean that area as well, but everyone i've spoken to here in atlanta international airport is unsettled. depending who you ask, some taking more serious than others. >> it's like our little travel kit. >> reporter: tha

cnn's nick valencia on the ground in tennessee. >> reporter: immediately after the tornados much of the focus was on nashville in and the surrounding city center. but in the days since much of the attention drawn to putnam county and you can tell why. the tornado just came here with ferocious power ripping off parts of roofs and leaving empty lots where homes used to stand. we're hearing harrowing stories of survival. i spoke to resident here, tracy brown. she said her home was one of the first built here about 15 years ago. she said not only did she sur e survive the storm she also turned into a first responder. >> we doctored bruises, bumps, glass in the feet. we tried to do as much as we could and of course we have a storm shelter so we put everybody down stairs. >> what was it like? >> it was cold, it was wet and scary and the unknown. and where do we begin? where do we start over? >> reporter: the cleanup efforts are well under way with people even coming from out-of-state to chip in a hand. later today they'll get another out-of-state visitor as president trump comes to see the da

cnn's nick valencia is at jackson international airport in atlanta, normally one of the busiest airportsthe world. tell us about that. and what you are seeing of what should be a busier airport. >> reporter: that's something that people are coming to terms with. that's a reality for us here in the united states. what we see in parts of the world like italy. some people speculating we are not too far away from an entire quarantine of the nation. here at what is built in atlanta, it was quite busy and things sort of dying down and right now is the average time and wait time to get through the check point. depending on who you ask, you get different responses and how serious people are taking this. it was a short time ago before coming on camera and speaking on middle age man. he's not going to do anything different. he feels as though taking precautions is limiting his life and he says if he lives his life in fear that he would not do anything at all. most of the people that we spoken are taking precautions and some are little more serious than others and folks have worn protective gloves

nick valencia is in putnam county just east of nashville. re in one of the hardest-hit areas. what is the latest you're hearing on the search for survivors? >> reporter: the scene here has just gotten even more active in the course of the last hour. search and rescue teams went overnight door to door here in putnam county and recovered no bodies. but as the sun came up this morning, they were back out. we actually were on a search and rescue mission earlier this morning. they went to an apartment complex, but there was really just nothing left there, jim. i went to a kids' playground or what looked like a kids playground and it looked like a bomb went off. i mentioned search and rescue teams going door to door. this house was on its foundation probably about 20 yards to the left, entirely moved off its foundation. you're looking right here at someone's bedroom, potentially someone's bathroom here. and this is just what the scene looks like back -- block after block after block. one of the big concerns here is not only just that 18 people of t

nick valencia is in putnam county just east of nashville, one of the hardest hit areas. re people telling you there and can you tell us anything about the progress of those searching for those missing? >> reporter: jim, it's stunning to see these images and really sobering. a lot of the attention early on was on nashville but an hour east of the city center of nashville is where they took the direct hit, the hardest hit. people already cleaning up here. you see over the course of the last 24 hours that's what they have been doing, debris removal. but this was a home, jim and poppy, that was knocked off a slab of bricks here. you go around, if you can rotate the camera, home by home, block after block, it all looks just like this. really the big thing here is just how many, as you mentioned, jim, more than 30 people unaccounted for. it was just a little while ago that we went on a search and rescue mission with some sheriff's deputies. i think we have new video to show you. part of the concern is not just how many people are missing, but many of these -- those that died he

cnn's nick valencia is live in tennessee with more. what's the status this morning, nick?: good morning. it really is sobering to see these images up knows. it's hard to translates because it might not show exactly what we're seeing on camera. if it's any indication, look at this twisted stop sign just how powerful this tornado was. want to show you these downed power lines behind me. homes just damaged. 18 of the 24 people that were killed by this tornado, had t happen -- it happened here in putnam county. there are still 30 people unaccounted for. >> the devastation is heartbreaking. >> reporter: from above, entire neighborhoods across central tennessee unrecognizable. >> there it is! go! inside now! now! come inside! >> reporter: after at least one tornado ripped through the nashville area while most people were sleeping. >> we ran desires and huddled -- ran downstairs and huddled together and started praying. it went by so fast. >> reporter: the sunrise revealing a harsh reality for money, waking up to homes and businesses completely destroyed. >> had i no idea. when -

cnn's nick valencia is there on scene. what do we know about these cases?brianna, three residents and one employee. the last time that they tested was march 12th. so over a week ago now. according to a staff member inside they have not had any confirmed cases since. they are announcing these in a statement earlier today as presumptive cases. what does that mean? they tested positive here. the three employees and resident. but the cases are still waiting to be verified by the cdc. earlier i spoke to a med tech who works inside the facility. she said she, herself, has been tested for the virus and tested negative. i asked if she was worried about contracting coronavirus. she said she's not. none of that scares you? >> no. i mean, it's just what nurses do. if you want to be in this kind of field you have to be equipped for any -- anything. >> reporter: what kind of precautions are they taking for you guys in terms of personal protective equipment? >> gowns, gloves, constant hand washing, cleaning, wiping down everything. >> reporter: there are about 89 residen

cnn's nick valencia on the ground in hard hit putnam county. >> reporter: in the days since much of theabout an hour east of nashville, and looking behind me you can tell why. the tornado just came here with ferocious power ripping off parts of roofs and leaving empty lots where homes used to stand. in fact i spoke earlier to a resident here tracy brown, she said her home was one of the first homes built here about 15 years ago. she says not only did she survive the storm but she also turned into a first responder. >> that's my house and we turned it into a command center and we doctored abrasions, scrapes, bruises, bumps, glass in the feet. we just tried to do as much help as we could and of course we have a storm shelter so we put everybody down stairs. >> what was it like? >> it was cold, it was wet, it was scary. the unknown. we just didn't know what was going to happen and where do we begin? where do we start over? >> the cleanup efforts are well under way with people even coming from out-of-state to chip in a hand. later today they'll get a visit from another out-of-state visitor

>> nick valencia, richard quest, thanks to both of you. >>> i'm sure you've seen the numbers. the stock market is down now around 2,000 points, edging to 9%. the president banned most travel from europe. >>> all senators briefed on the coronavirus and the government response. a republican senator who was in that briefing joined us to talk about what he learned, next. until i almost lost my life. my doctors again ordered me to take aspirin, and i do. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. listen to the doctor. take it seriously. eh, not enough fiber- chocolate would be good- snacking should be sweet and simple. the delicious taste of glucerna gives you the sweetness you crave while helping you manage your blood sugar. glucerna. everyday progress while helping you manage your blood sugar. a former army medic, made of the we maflexibility to handle members like kate. whatever monday has in store and tackle four things at once. so when her car got hit, she didn't worry. she simply filed a claim on her usaa app and said... i got this. usaa insurance is

. >> that was nick valencia reporting.nd could tell you both immigrants in the report were given court orders

cnn's nick valencia is at hartsfield-jackson airport in atlanta, normally one of the busiest airports in the world. nick, what are you hearing there today? >> reporter: kate, things were quite busy early this morning but they've sort of hit a lull here. wait times to get through, check points are lower than average. we have, though, seen people take extra precautions, added security measures, including this young man you're about to hear from. >> it's like our little travel kit. >> reporter: that's not an everyday thing that you take. >> no, it's not. since she works at cdc, she wants me to be safe, ahand sanitizer and everything. >> reporter: show us what you have in that bag. >> this is a mask, like a construction mask, clorox wipes, gloves, hand sanitizer. >> reporter: any second thoughts about getting on your flight this morning? >> yes, completely. i'm trying to be calm. >> i almost canceled because i'm scared. >> reporter: those passengers clearly taking it seriously, others, though, saying this is all overblown. others, kate, are unsettled by the news we reported this morning o

nick valencia is on the ground and just filed this report. >> the devastating is heartbreaking. >> reporterove, parts of central tennessee, heartbreaking. >> get inside! >> reporter: at least one tornado ripped through the nashville area while people were sleeping. >> we ran downstairs and huddled together and started praying, it went by so fast. >> reporter: a harsh reality for many residents and homes and businesses completely destroyed. >> i had no idea. when got it to looking, like a bomb went off. >> reporter: indicating an ef3 tornado with wind speeds potentially up to 165 miles an hour. >> not what we expected when we woke up and it was daylight. we knew it would be damage but not like this. >> reporter: despite destruction people still showed up to vote on super tuesday, some facing long lines. >> i remember times i couldn't vote. >> reporter: election officials scrambled to add alternative polling places because some, like this elementary school, were damaged. >> of course, we want people to exercise caution but we also want folks to exercise their rights and vote. >> most of our b

. >> that was nick valencia reporting. and could tell you both immigrants in the report were given court orders to be deported but they have been waived by a judge allowing them to stay in the united states. we reached out to dhs and doj but the audio you just heard and they wouldn't comment. >>> we continue on. you're watching cnn. i'm brooke baldwin. the coronavirus is officially a pandemic and countries across the world need to quote/unquote get better at stopping the spread, that is the message from the world health organization today who is urging officials worldwide to step up testing capabilities as well as communication with those who could be impacted. up on capitol hill, a frightening forecast from the head of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases. >> we will see more cases sa-- d things will get worse than they are right now. how much worse it will get will depend on our ability to do two things, to contain the influx of people who are infected coming from the outside, and the ability to cont

for the latest on how this is unfolding at airports, to nick valencia, he joins us at one of the world's busiest airports in atlanta. >> reporter: this caught the travel industry off guard. they weren't the only ones blind sided. here the mood is mixed reaction among the passengers. at 5:30 is when we showed up, very busy, very active, things have slowed down since. as i mentioned, that mixed reaction, some passengers taking this more seriously than others. we have seen some going so far as to wear scarves around their heads. here's why, they don't know exactly who they're traveling next to in some cases. just in to cnn, something similar like that happened last night, where a passenger reportedly according to the palm beach fire and rescue traveled from jfk airport in new york, making their way to west palm beach and upon landing notified the airline they tested positive for coronavirus. that's all we know at this time. jetblue, the flight, the airline did issue a statement saying, quote, meimmediately commenced cleaning of the gate area and surrounding gates and check in counters, kios

senior federal health official directly involved in creating the guidelines recall talking to cnn's nick valencia. it would be an effort to strike a balance as americans across the economy are losing their livelihoods, an economic can an as it r catastrophe in its own right. first i want to start with speaker of the house nancy pelosi. speaker pelosi, thank you so much. i hope you are well and safe. i know your home district of san francisco has been particularly hard hit. president trump is considering relaxing federal guidelines for coronavirus for some of the less affected parts of the country. do you think he should? >> first of all, let me just say how sad it is that even since the president's signing of the bill, the number of deaths reported has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 in our country. this is such a very, very sad time for us. so we should be taking every precaution on what the president, his denial at the beginning, was deadly. his delaying of getting equipment to where it continues, his delay in getting equipment to where it's needed, is deadly. now i think the best thing to do would

cnn's nick valencia is live in atlanta's hartsfield jackson international airport.orning, alisyn. yesterday we heard that unprecedented announcement from president trump and those who were expecting more clarity about the u.s. response to the coronavirus that is spreading fast. we're instead met with confusion. including the travel industry here who is caught off guard, we also understand that included world leaders. several ambassadors from foreign nations tell cnn that they were blind sided by the announcement, the white house taking exception with anyone calling it confusing. vice president mike pence was on "new day" saying there was no confusion at all. he did call the announcement unprecedented and that it is no doubt. we were here this morning to see how travel is going and about 5:30, extremely active. the lines slowed down since, what we have seen is mixed reaction from passengers this morning. we have seen those individuals who are taking added precautions, safety measures, wearing things like gloves, protective goggles, surgical masks, we saw somebody wra

nic valencia is in the hardest hit area of tennessee, cookeville. he joins me now. nick? are chipping in, including this crew that have a local connection. they call this the volunteer state for a reason, and you're showing us why. >> absolutely. we're just happy to get people out of bad, bad luck. >> you know a lot of residents in the community? >> yes. we all grew up here all our lives. all connected in one way or another. it's just so sad. >> reporter: we don't know exactly if the president is coming here specifically, but w we've seen a large oversized american flag over here. they're certainly ready for him. we've seen campaigns that have mixed reactions about the president's visit. this is part of his base. i think it serves him well to come here, kate. >> thank you, nick. >>> thank you for joining me. "inside politics" with john king starts right now. >>> welcome to "inside politics." i'm john king. thank you for starting your day with us. the market was gangbusters, but march is telling us a different story. the coronavirus is raising a global mission. >>> bernie