CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Buddy Carter"

Interview

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HARLOW: All right, welcome back. We are continuing to follow Hurricane Dorian as it makes its way up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Georgia, obviously, is in the path here, as this storm heads to the Carolinas.

So with me on the phone now is Congressman Buddy Carter, he represents Georgia's 1st District. He joins me now. Congressman, can you hear me?

REP. BUDDY CARTER (R-GA) (via telephone): Yes, I can.

HARLOW: Talk to me a little bit about what you're preparing for.

CARTER (via telephone): Well, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and that's the responsibility of the Emergency Management personnel, and they've done an outstanding job, from Camden all the way up the coast to Chatham County, all of them are well- prepared.

Unfortunately, this is not our first rodeo. We've been through this before. In fact, we've been through it a couple -- three times over the last few years. And we know what to do. It's just a matter of convincing people that this is still a very dangerous storm. Yes, it is off the coast now, and it's projected to stay off the coast. But the only predictability about hurricanes it that they're unpredictable.

HARLOW: That is for sure. So just to give people a sense of your district, you've got the entire coastal area of Sea Island, you've got Savannah, you've got Brunswick, Jesup, Waycross, et cetera.

I know that one of your concerns is that because Dorian has been so slow-moving, and because this storm has been downgraded from a Cat 5 to a Cat 2, that people are becoming complacent.

CARTER (via telephone): Well, and it's a good reason to be concerned because I will tell you, a Category 2 hurricane is a very dangerous storm, and we need to keep that in mind. We also need to keep in mind, if this storm were to wobble, as hurricanes do, if it were to wobble 20 miles west and come closer to the coast, it could be devastating.

Right now, we have a new moon, we got high tides without this going on. We fear the storm surge is going to be in combination with the high tides. We also are going to have some strong rain bands. That's going to bring us a lot of rain. And also, the wind is always a concern. [10:45:06]

HARLOW: I know that you've been pushing people to evacuate who are in the evacuation zones. And right now, you have contraflow open on I- 16, right? Which means that people have more --

CARTER (via telephone): It is.

HARLOW: -- they have more lanes available to get out.

CARTER (via telephone): That's right. Now, that will end at lunchtime, at noon today, that contraband (ph) will end.

HARLOW: OK. What's your message to everyone listening right now who has stayed put in the evacuation zones?

CARTER (via telephone): Please be careful. Please heed the advice of the emergency personnel. They know what they're talking about. This is a very serious storm. Please be careful.

HARLOW: Congressman, we wish you luck. I know you've been through this before. We hope it is not bad, but you never know. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks so much, Congressman Buddy Carter --

CARTER: Thank you very much.

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