Kathmandu , Nepal ( CNN ) We came on a commercial flight to Kathmandu . Blue tarps were visible from the sky for people to hide under -- signs that there was something wrong . We had to circle the airport for a couple of hours . There were a couple of issues . There was an aftershock this afternoon , so they were checking the runway for damage . Military and aid flights have priority , and a few military planes -- Indian military planes -- were going in , trying to bring in aid . Whether they did is unclear . When we landed at the airport , it was wet and cold . A couple of thousand people were lining the road to the entrance to the airport trying to get out . But there 's no way to get out , really . There were torrential rainstorms for a couple of hours , and with the strong aftershock a couple of hours ago , no one wants to go inside . The residents of Kathmandu sure do n't . You can see some structural damage to buildings . Most buildings are not up to high construction standards . Fallen : Nepal 's historic landmarks . Driving through the city , there 's not a huge amount of visible damage . There 's some damage to houses and buildings , but it 's not as visual as the Haiti earthquake ( of 2010 ) . We were able to drive the main road to the hotel we 're staying at , but they 're not allowing anyone inside because of the aftershocks . The guests are in a big tent used for functions on the lawn . People are squeezed in . There are probably about 100 people in there . The tents are covered , but water is seeping in from streets puddled with water , especially around the edges of the tent . So people are outside in the rain with no shelter . It 's visually stark , with people in the streets . It 's colder than usual this time of year . I 'm cold and damp . When it 's almost May , it 's usually much hotter . There 's very little power in the city -- no power to speak of , no drinking water . For the residents , it 's really bad . Very soon , they will need shelter . Temporary shelters have been put up , but very few -- 16 -- by the government . It looks like a city where buildings have been abandoned . People are hanging out in public squares and at intersections to avoid rubble from buildings . Those who survived -- and those who did n't . There are issues with fuel in the city , and driving in , all the stores were shuttered . You occasionally see a cart with food or a few bottles of drinking water , but for the most part , nothing is being sold in the city . I do n't think they 're very concerned about looting , and there 's no military in the streets , but they will have to get water and food in the city soon . Communal kitchens have been set up for cooking . Not by the government -- people set them up on their own . People are beside themselves in shock . Their biggest concern now is the structures , needing a place for shelter , to hide from the elements and sleep . Food will become the biggest concern in the coming days . Kathmandu is n't the epicenter though . No one 's sure what it 's like at the epicenter . People have n't been able to get to outlying areas . We have n't been able to corroborate this , but the people we 're talking to here say there 's damage to the villages outside Kathmandu -- thousands of houses damaged to the north , closer to the epicenter . CNN 's Ingrid Formanek reported from Kathmandu and Mark Morgenstein wrote in Atlanta .
The earthquake that struck Nepal has left thousands of Mark Morgenstein without shelter . Torrential rains making situation worse ; food and drinking water supplies could become a serious issue soon . It 's unclear how bad conditions are closer to the epicenter .