Transcript: CNN "Wolf Blitzer Reports"
January 4, 2005

BLITZER: In our CNN security watch, how prepared is the United States to handle a disaster like the one that struck the shores of the Indian Ocean? Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has been investigating. She's joining us now live. Jeanne, what have you found out?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Hurricane Andrew, 9/11, just a couple of events that have taxed if not overwhelmed the nation's response capabilities. Now, some are looking at the tsunamis and asking, what if? If something like this happened here, would we be ready?

RICHARD FALKENRATH, FMR. HOMELAND SEC. ADVISER: It is entirely possible we will have a disaster or catastrophe in America which was not foreseen and for which our preparedness was completely inadequate.

MESERVE: Public warning might allow for evacuations and other preparations, but some disasters...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. Jack! It's a tornado!

MESERVE: Give little or no warning of their arrival. U.S. building codes might lessen the death and destruction in the disaster but the loss of electricity, the Internet and transportation infrastructure could cripple response efforts. Some experts say the nation's search and rescue capabilities would be overwhelmed by a major event. hit's widely recognized that the nation's hospital system is not prepared for a surge of casualties, though some in the health field say the issue is being addressed.

DR. CHRISTINA CATLETT, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: It's all about collaboration and really pulling together resources, not only from your own hospital, but also from the whole city.

MESERVE: Prepositioned medical supplies are guaranteed to arrive anywhere in the U.S. within 12 hours, but the recent shortage of flu vaccine exposed weaknesses in distribution systems.

And what about the dead? Identifying them, storing them, burying them would be a logistical and management nightmare. Though many doubt we would ever see in this country what we've seen in southeast Asia.

JOHN FITCH, NATL. FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSN.: I do not see, unless it was an absolute dire exigency where we would ever consider mass graves. I can't even fathom whether we would ever have funeral piles.

MESERVE: There is consensus among the experts that the nation's preparedness and response capabilities have markedly improved since 9/11. And though there is more to be done and more to be learned, there is debate about just how much preparation should be made for low probability, high consequence events like a tsunami.