>> reporter: it struck with terrifying and deadly force. the aftermath, shattered landscape. this was home to thousands. it was not the wind that did it, it was the storm surge, reports of a five meter wall of water that engulfed the coastal strip and spread through the city. everywhere the cnn crew was sheltering, about a kilometer from the shoreline, the surge was waist deep and powerful. all around us you hear the sounds of windows breaking. you hear the sounds of large objects falling and crashing to the floor. and under foot, it is now just a deluge. if you look behind me the staircase behind me is now basically a waterfall. but that didn't compare with what happened here. the storm surge was the most destructive part of this