Late into the night, fire crews were still fighting the effects of the quake.
This blaze ignited when a heavy aftershock rolled through the area.
It was like that all day as the temblors severed gas mains, cut power and left thousands without
safe water.
But perhaps the most lasting effect will be in the city's massive freeway system.
Three of the major arteries ruptured in the quake.
It will be a mess for weeks, if not months.
In crowded Los Angeles, there is no room for a bypass.
Thank God for everything.
Joe and Sophie Kalita can't be bothered with such trivialities.
They're happy just to see another day.
They were on the ground floor of the Northridge Meadows apartment when it collapsed.
It was just a great big crash.
A great big crash.
We were sound asleep.
Boom and that was it.
It's often said in California, earthquakes are part of the price you pay for the lifestyle.
But for Sophie Kalita, it's time to trade it in.
I'd like to get the hell out of California.
I don't want to live like that.
And I don't want to have to go through another earthquake like this.
Now rescue crews have gone through about a hundred of the apartments here at the Northridge
Meadows.
They are working on information that comes to them on a sporadic basis that perhaps there's
somebody that somebody might believe lived in the building who's unaccounted for.
Late last night, a group of people held a vigil out front here.
Rescue crews say they don't know if anybody could still be alive in there after this long.
But a lot of people do hold out hope because as we've seen in other earthquakes as in India
and Armenia, miracles do happen.
And in fact, fire rescue crews just pulled a dog out from the building.
So perhaps there is somebody still alive.
Paula?
All right.
Thanks a lot, John.
You seem to feel around here as the folks saying, thank God this did not happen during
the morning rush hour.
Thank God this happened on a holiday.
Right now we're going to go to Jerry Bowen who is standing by live on the Santa Monica
Freeway, one of the most heavily traveled pieces of freeway in the country that sustained
enormous damage.
Good morning, Jerry.
Good morning, Paula.
We're trying to move around so you can get a better idea of what's taking place.
Unbelievably, 24 hours after this devastating earthquake, the demolition work has already
begun here.
The heavy equipment has moved in.
They're shoring up the freeway so it doesn't collapse prematurely.
And then at 10 o'clock this morning, they are going to begin the demolition process
with hydraulic equipment, a process they claim will take only two weeks.
In two weeks, this damaged section of the most physically traveled freeway in America
will be removed.
And then the slowdown begins.
It will take anywhere from six months to two years to replace the freeway.
In the interim, the commute on this freeway, east or west, this main corridor, is going
to take an extra two hours one way.
Paula?
Stand by.
Thanks a lot, Jerry.
Right now we're going to show a live shot being broadcast from a KCBS TV helicopter
to give you an idea of what the power outages look like from the air.
Six hundred thousand people still without power.
Most of downtown Los Angeles has had its power restored.
I can't tell you exactly what you're looking at here, but it's very strange as you drive
around the city because you'll see pockets of communities that have electricity, those
that don't.
From what we understand, most of the folks living in the Hollywood area and Beverly Hills
and downtown Los Angeles do have power back in their homes, but it's further north as
you work your way over the crest of the Hollywood hills into the San Fernando Valley, that they
are still without power or water.
And Mark, I'm going to go to you now as we are experiencing yet another pretty strong
aftershock here.
I can't give you any clue as to how strong it was, but everybody looks like they're moving
around.
Paula, be safe, Paul.
Let's talk about the weather.
Midwest today, yet another story of the country.
You'll see very cold temperatures there.
People just waking up this morning.
There are hearty people who live in that part of the country.
I've lived there as well.
But some of the highs will be well below zero.
Out to the west again, I want to point that out, high in the mid-70s for Los Angeles today.
That's a national forecast this morning.
Here is more of this morning's news today.
This week's severe winter weather is now blamed for 18 deaths in the Midwest, the Mississippi,
and Ohio valleys and the East Coast.
John Matariz of Cincinnati Affiliate, WCPO-TV, reports on how the big freeze brought one
Kentucky town to a standstill.
From across the Ohio River, Maysville, Kentucky looked as peaceful as a postcard as the sun
began to fall.
But up close, you could tell that the peacefulness was really paralysis.
Residents of this small, historic river city woke to find their homes and cars buried under
the deepest one-day snowfall its mayor can ever recall.
We've measured it earlier today and it was about 22 plus inches, so we've had a lot of
snow come about since 1130 last night.
Alpha 203, Alpha 203, this is in Seattle, it's over.
The snow was so deep that city leaders called in the National Guard, who dispatched eight
Humvees to help stranded motorists and bring emergency supplies to people in need.
We're trying to get people that don't have kerosene or something or gasoline, any kind
of heat, we're trying to get them out.
If you live in the Cincinnati area and you thought you had to brush a lot of snow off
your car, just imagine what it was like for the people here in Maysville who came outside
to find their cars just buried under almost two feet of snow.
For most Maysville residents, like Wayne Williams, just digging the car out was a day-long project.
I was standing on the fender this morning, clearing the snow off of it, and didn't know
I was standing on the front fender.
I was like, I know the car's here because I can see the hood.
There wasn't much else to do, considering that stores, restaurants, and the main road
in and out of town, the AA Highway, were all closed from a northern-style storm that's
not supposed to happen this far south.
I moved in April out of Michigan to get away from this weather, and it followed me.
But it wasn't just the snow that followed her from Michigan, because the Maysville forecast
is now calling for temperatures below zero.
John Maddareese for CBS News, Maysville, Kentucky.
Everyone in the studio just watched that piece that, ouch, my goodness, Mark's here with
a closer look at the weather.
Isn't that supposed to be the bluegrass thing?
Building the site of the greatest amount of deaths here from the earthquake, 15 people
lost their lives.
And joining me now are two women who lived in the building on the first floor of the
building, Shannon Jones and Amy Winmiller.
Good morning.
Thank you very much for being with us.
How did you get out of there?
You both lived on the first floor.
Well, I was in the living room.
She was in the bedroom.
And I just, my boyfriend was on the couch, and I just was in such shock, I just jumped
on him and started screaming.
And if it hadn't been for him, he just pulled us out.
And the door had collapsed to about five feet high, and we just ran out.
And you're talking about walls that once were eight feet high, and once down to 12 inches,
and in some parts.
How did you finally get out?
I was in the bedroom.
My boyfriend, we were sleeping, and I just heard everything.
I think the ceiling came down and hit me in the head.
I just blocked something.
And I just dove out the window.
The window had already shut.
I just dove out the window, and so I got out.
Did you get cut up at all?
Yeah, I have cuts and bruises, but not this.
How much time do you think you had to react to the initial shock of the earthquake?
Honestly, I have no idea.
I think we were in there for a long time.
I felt like it was such a big boom that you couldn't move.
You had to wait until things stabilized, and then I just had to block things from hitting
me.
Because we talked with a couple of your neighbors earlier this morning who live on the third
floor, and they really said they only had five seconds to react to that initial shock,
and they were surprised that anybody survived on the first floor.
What did you hear coming from other apartments?
Were people screaming?
Screaming.
A lot of elderly people asking for help, especially on the third floor and the second floor.
Wanting down, just crying, kids screaming.
It was sad.
We couldn't do anything.
We wanted to help, but we couldn't do anything.
Everything was so...
It was dark.
It was in a scramble.
We had no shoes, so we couldn't do anything at all.
What did you lose?
Everything.
We don't have anything.
My car, pancake.
If you are students now, what are you going to do to try to start over again?
I don't know.
Start out by finding a new place to live.
I don't know.
I'm trying to find a new place to live.
My parents are going to help us out as much as possible.
I guess the one thing that has amazed me is that the folks who have lived here all their
lives say that that indeed was the strongest quake they'd ever experienced to carry with
you.
How are you all feeling this morning?
Is this something you'll ever be able to...
I've been awake for about 48 hours.
I have not slept a wink.
Ever.
Ever be able to forget the images of what you saw, the darkness, the bizarre sound?
I'm getting...
tremble I get scared and I'll start crying I can't I don't think I'll ever
forget that like a picture in my mind that moment that diving up I don't know
I'll never forget it you must feel extraordinarily lucky to be alive
pretty miraculous that as many people get out of the building alive even though
they suffered some injuries
you were very lucky Shannon Amy thank you very much and best of luck with
finding a new home and best of luck with your studies I hope life does return to
normal for you sometime in the near future
thanks again want to go back to New York right now and have nice fall off 14
minutes after the hour up next from Los Angeles people finding shelter including
one woman who is more used to giving it and getting it
exactly how many people spent the night out of doors in Los Angeles but they
number in the thousands some of them found shelter in the gymnasium of
Granada Hills High School Shirley Walker is used to being on the giving end she
cares for six people with special needs in her home she joins us from I both
like the Kaiser Permanente building there along with Marion Sweet who won't
be able to go home for some days ahead good morning
Shirley Marion good to talk to you again good morning good morning surely
reconstruct for me what what happened out first of all you there are six
people you take care of in your home what's the age range there are 58 there
are 48 22 19 27 and 26 so special needs does that mean like mentally disabled
post these folks have have some problems along those lines yes they do okay and
so the earthquake hits 430 your time what happens everything just starts
shaking these that start jumping out of the cabinets and I heard everybody
hollering screaming and six people yelling surely at the same time I just
really didn't know which direction to go trying to get to on my glass fine oh
there goes one again you feeling an aftershock now yeah I am but glass was
just flying everywhere and I couldn't get to them and it was just so
petrifying and they're just so helpless and I just got to him some kind of way
and I come down and I let them know they were scared I was scared I let them know
I was scared and we just got outside as fast as possible so you are all inside
at this point and stuff is flying around there's broken glass and everything how
did you work yourselves out of the building we just kept going you know we
crossed the glass we caught we crossed refrigerators we caught cross pops and
pans we crossed windows we crossed water shooting up in the air we just kept
going and we just got to where we needed to be and assured the clients that
everything was going to be okay yeah what now what where did where did those
folks spend the night last night we found shelter in Granada Hills what we
did we sat down and we took a group conscious and we decided that we would
feel safer in a place to where everybody felt a little more comfortable and they
said we decided to go to the shelter in Granada Hills yeah surely how long have
you lived in Los Angeles oh god 25 years and this is the horror story of my life
I've never seen anything like it how are you doing right now does this all seem
real to you yeah it's becoming real because you're right in the middle of
it as you can see behind me here I'm just five blocks away so I felt the
total impact and that's why everybody was so petrified not knowing what to do
I just had to collect my thoughts and put first things first and by the grace
of God we got out of there and we got out of there safe it was scary real
scary we're just running some daytime pictures of the building you are
standing in front of right now that's a Kaiser Permanente office building next
to the hospital there and it is just completely devastated
Marion how let me talk to you for a minute or two right now how long have
you lived in Southern California eight years eight years now yeah certainly
never experienced anything like this no I definitely have it 430 yesterday
morning the earthquake hits what's going through your mind
everything where am I where am I doing what's happening hold on to the brass
bed dear life my son was thought on the floor couldn't see anything I just
didn't know I just didn't know that there was must be an earthquake but I
never felt anything like this in my life and we got out the building everybody
was so cooperative people had a like three pair of socks they took socks off
help you know giving a sock to another person that didn't have it we stepping
in water it was by the grace of God we all pulled together and conquered each
other all nationalities hugging and loving like we should be it really brought
together yeah it's interesting that a turn of events like this would bring
people together people that might not even talk to each other on a daily basis
that's right it was amazing yeah now what kind of a you live in an
apartment or are you living in a in a house or what I was living in an
apartment on the first floor in the corner a corner apartment where when you
walk out the door it's like a hotel it was like total darkness you have to feel
your way the hallway was like at an angle and the stairs cave it in and
people screaming and we're filling our way through like a blind person really
when as daylight came then and as you got a chance to look at your apartment
what does it look like now it's all cracked up falling apart windows all
blown out doors open people through clothes everywhere it's all abandoned
now in them the danger zone yeah I don't even have a home period I won't be able
to go back there now even to get a picture a pencil anything probably I
lost everything what are they saying are they saying that the building might be
inhabitable again or do they think they're gonna have to tear it down or
or do they have any idea at this point oh yes they told us to call back in three
days to see they're gonna try it we could go back in or what if not we won't
be able to get in at all they're gonna demolish the building it's that bad
cross the streets all around man so you have a life's worth of possessions in
there and you may not even be able to get in touch anything no my checkbook
everything is in there I have anything these clothes other people's things that
they dress us as we went so you're wearing other people's clothes you don't
even you didn't even get out of there with a clothes on your back I have
Reebok shoes off like Michael Jordan would wear that's just we're just back
thankful for whatever we got on it was just so cold and endless endless
we're just like me so where did you sleep last night Mary we slept in the
shelter Granada Hills and I don't have anywhere to pick nobody to pick us up
because the roads are blocked and my family doesn't even live in California
that was just like without no one just my two sons yeah and this is a story
that literally peter thousands of times Marion we thank you for sharing some
time with us surely the best of luck to you and to your clients thank you for
telling us your stories today we do thank you thank you
23 minutes after the hour more coverage from the Southern California coming up
we've had hmm what a night that people who live here on a permanent basis to
hit what a day and a night in a morning you have the opportunity to drive around
many parts of the city when you got in and throughout the night what what was
the worst thing I think what we're looking at behind me is probably the
worst thing that I've seen that the thing with an earthquake I think that
separates it from other natural disasters like a hurricane like the
Malibu fires like the Laguna Beach fires is that you have a spot of damage here
and then a couple of miles away you'll have another spot of damage and there
will be a lot of devastation in those individual areas but it's not the
clear-cut swath that those other type of catastrophes enact on the geography and
what is quite bizarre it is even a look at these two apartment buildings which
were apparently built at the same time in 1971 and you have one completely
intact this one here with the third floor crushed on the second and we have
a little visitor here Charlie good
under some pretty troubling circumstances here this morning going to
the back of the Red Cross shelter where he's been staying for the last two and a
half years I wanted to point out the shot to you and I don't know whether we
can get this on camera right now John this is what really struck me as we
stood in the shadow of this wreckage if you look at that one balcony that is
completely sheered off there and you see the bicycles sort of precariously
hanging from that balcony and I guess what I have been really really struck by
this morning are these these stories of these people who somehow were able to
not only get out from the third floor from that building but who actually
dived out of the windows of what little was left of the windows on the first
floor here when you look at the building behind us it looks like a two-story
building the one beside it looks like a three-story building there is no first
floor except for what you see but really underneath it there's about this much
first floor and I mentioned at the top of the hour that in India in Armenia
other earthquakes around the world you see these incredible miracles that
happen if somebody stays buried they find a little bit of air there's just
enough space for them to survive up to a week so you look at that you say how
could anybody be alive in there and and some people have been brought out a lot
could you guys believe the stories you've heard from from Michael and Eric
this morning live on the third floor between the two of them rescued a couple
dozen people and they worked for an hour before rescue workers even got on and
the the other thing yesterday we saw there we saw some of the live coverage
from KCBS television in LA we saw we saw the rescue workers pulling somebody out
of that I cannot imagine the terror of being trapped under under three stories
of building in some unbelievably small space and wondering if it isn't just
gonna topple down on you in the next couple of seconds the horror
I was just my imagine here yeah ever since I was a kid it was my worst fear
we talked to an elderly couple who were trapped and they weren't one of the
people who managed to get out just in the nick of time they were trapped but
they said that throughout the entire ordeal they believed they were going to
survive and they did you know one thing which struck me yesterday Paula and and
John watching the coverage normally when you saw something like this when we were
kids you saw newspaper accounts of it maybe a day after the fact that all of
the country with sitting around and watching this as it was happening was
just it was an amazing thing to be part of yesterday good job after both of
you