We interrupt your regularly scheduled programing to bring you this live report of the aftermath of hurricane Ted.

Hello my name is Yasmin Murphy, and this is a special report. Our reporter on the ground Bob Henry brings us this live report from Cape Cod.

Can you hear us Bob? What is the condition on the ground?

static* Sorry Yasmin the wind is still pretty bad here, but the eye has passed. It’s horrible, these poor people, they have lost everything. Hurricane Ted, last measures at a category 3 before making landfall near Hyannis, has absolutely leveled most of Cape Cod.

With large amount of houses built right on the water this community has suffered massive losses.

Bob, this is Yasmin, why didn’t the residents evacuate?

Well Yasmin, its been so long since a major hurricane has hit this area *static* that many people thought they could ride it out. When it became clear that the storm was going to hit a panic ensued. Thousands tried to evacuate over the two main bridges that lead to the Cape, but when they were closed due to high winds thousands of cars were stuck on the highway *static* with no way to escape.

We have been talking to people since the storm passed and many are concerned about the many elderly residents that could not or would not leave. It appears there was no overall plan to remove these people from the many small towns that make up Cape Cod. Thousands are missing and many fear the worse.

Reports have been coming in all day that massive amounts of Chatham have been washed out to sea. Extensive flooding still covers most of the coast, and roads are impassable due to fallen trees and power lines.

We are being asked to move by a police officer so we send it back to you in the studio, this is Bob Henry reporting, back to you Yasmin.

Thank you Bob, try and stay safe. Our hearts go out to those people. With further analysis of what happened to the Cape we turn to Mary Smith in the studio. Ms Smith is a NOAA scientist that studies hurricanes, Ms Smith what can you tell us about what has happened on Cape Cod.

Well Yasmin, the problem is that Cape Cod can actually be thought of as an island. With only two real ways to get off. When the bridges were closed the residents were forced to shelter in place. Most of the Cape is low enough that when the massive storm surge came, most houses stood no chance.

What can you tell us about what happened in Chatham.

Well Chatham like most of Cape Cod is the remains of a large sand pile known as a terminal moraine. Deposited here by receding glaciers ten thousand years ago. Chatham always sufferers large amounts of erosion during storms, but hurricane Ted had a unusually large storm surge that devastated that region. Literally picking up and moving thousands of tons of sand taking most of Chatham with it.

As with Katrina most of the damage done by Ted was caused by the storm surge. The inner parts of the Cape suffered from the high winds, but the costs were devastated by the over 35 foot storm surge. It didn’t help that conditions in the Pacific caused the storm to move more easterly flowing right up the warm gulf stream and into the Cape and Islands.

Thank you Ms Smith.

We now turn to financial analyst Tod Turner. Mr Turner you say that the disaster on the cape could be a drain on the entire states economy, how so.

Well Yasmin, large amounts of the homes on the Cape and Islands were forced to use the Massachusetts insurance of last resort, known as the FAIR plan. Due ironically to there massive risk of destruction by natural forces. Massachusetts now faces a situation where billions of dollars will be be needed to rebuild and the companies that do business in the commonwealth will be forced to shoulder the burden.

People have already started to call for plans to forbid the rebuilding of houses in this dangerously exposed region. Many feel that it would be irresponsible to allow the rebuilding of mansions that will be destroyed again when the next hurricane comes, only to have them rebuilt with business owners money.

Thank you Mr. Turner.

Mitt Romney could not immediately be reached for comment as he was visiting Iowa to campaign for an upcoming presidential run, when reached he had this to say

“My heart goes out to each and every one of the residents affected by Ted. When I return to the state I shall personally oversee the reconstruction.”

Mitt Romney today in Iowa.

President Bush has congratulated FEMA on its excellent job so far and had this to say shortly after the storm had passed.

“Its unfortunate that the Massachusetts national guard was in Iraq and defending the Mexican border during the storm, but when they get back we will get them to work and we will fix this mess.”

President Bush from the white house rose garden today.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the the aftermath of hurricane Ted.