can't see much and that is the point. it is a busy, busy news day. we are on top of two significant stories for you. good afternoon. >> i'm kristen sze and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. we're going to start with the storm and we have live team coverage. you see our live doppler seven that will show you here in the middle, which reveals a thick big band of rain that is rumbling into the bay area as we speak. but we start with the timing of the storm, a level three. >> that's a strong storm on abc seven's exclusive storm impact scale. abc seven meteorologist sandhya patel lets us know what we can expect from this system. sandhya yeah, just about everything you can imagine. so kristen and dan, let's take a look at live doppler seven right now and you will notice that rain is coming down in the north bay. there's a wide area that is beginning to deal with the stormy weather. so as we get you into street level radar from santa rosa to south santa rosa, rohnert park, street level radar , you are seeing steady rain. it has been heavy at times. an urban and small stream flood

advisory is up for parts of the north bay until 7 p.m. look at the coastal area. you will notice that they are seeing some moderate to heavy rain from bodega bay, tomales, tomales road, and it is steady across the emeryville oakland area. seventh street. this is really going to be dicey for commuters or travelers heading out of town from san francisco, down the peninsula, heading into the santa cruz mountains, they are seeing the rain as well. this is a level three, a strong storm, and as it is moving in our direction, the rainfall will intensify. coastal flood warning until 2 p.m. tomorrow. there's a high surf warning until 2 p.m. tomorrow. breaking is 28 to 33ft. isolated up to 40ft. and there is concern about flooding not just because of the surf, but of high tides as well. gusts right now 23 concord and hayward and really even stronger mount diablo right now, 41 miles an hour wind advisory until 7 p.m. with gusts up to 60 miles an hour. wind damage is certainly going to be a concern. level

three through tonight. heavy rain, strong winds, rough surf, thunder. chance. expecting flooding on roads and the coast. i'll be back with a full look at that timeline coming right up kristen. all right. we need that. sandhya. thank you. our storm coverage continues now in the north bay. abc7 news reporter cornell bernard is there live. and cornell people are preparing for a serious. so eking along with high winds and rough waves. >> yeah, kristen, they really are the storm is here. it has been raining here in sonoma county really since midday this is main street here in downtown sebastopol. drivers slowly making their way on wet streets and firstrillionesponders urging everybody out there to be safe. today it's a rough, wet drive on river road in santa rosa. by midday, rain had arrived and umbrellas were on duty. the gallagher family got caught in the downpour. >> we didn't expect to get as wet as we ultimately did. >> heavy winds are expected with this storm and

firstrillionesponders say holiday lights and decorations could blow away. rory says he'll risk it and leave his lights up. >> we're going to be laying low and uh- and not climbing any ladders to take down christmas lights. if we're smart over the next next couple of days, the santa rosa fire department says street flooding is likely across the north bay and drivers should be super cautious. >> power outages are possible, too, with the potential of some thunderstorms tonight. >> that's going to also bring some strong, gusty winds. and so there's the potential for trees and some power lines to potentially come down. and unfortunately, that could lead to some power outages as well. >> ideal hardware. and forestville is ready to help. they've been selling all the things to help keep your home dry right now. >> tarps, um, caulking to seal stuff up, roofing, roof repair as the rainy season kicks into high gear, the phipps family from san rafael is ready for it. >> i'm going to drag the kids out in the rain, and we're going

to enjoy the downpour and, uh, cuddle up by the fire later and dry off. >> now, tonight we are hearing about some downed trees in western sonoma county in the occidental area and up in cloverdale as well. luckily, no injuries reported there. if you are heading out tonight, be very careful because as you can see, it's quite wet out here. we're live in sonoma county, sebastopol, cornell. bernard abc seven news. >> okay. cornell thanks a lot. from the north to the south now. and an area already dealing with destructive flooding, cleanup efforts were the main focus today in capitola. the work comes after high surf once again hits parts of santa cruz county extremely hard. abc seven news south bay reporter zach quintus is in capitola, has a look at how businesses are recovering as he reports live for us. zach yeah, though the damage and flooding done yesterday was bad. >> if there's any good news is that it did not compare to the devastation caused by january's high surf. and one big indicator of that is by the number of

businesses that are open today, a day after yesterday's high surf. that's a message many business owners are working hard to get out. the cleanup in capitola continued friday on the village esplanade. >> yesterday was a hard one. it really took a blow on a lot of the businesses as everybody had to close the cleanup work being done not just by city workers but by community members. >> david corrigan doesn't have a home or business near the esplanade. still we found him shoveling sand from one of the driveways. >> we take a lot from this little village, and from time to time we got to give some stuff back. >> though the damage to the village was not as extensive as january's high surf oceanfront businesses still took big hits from the high waves, like the sandbar who had repaired their floors since january, only to have it buckle again, forcing at least a month long closure. joshua whitby owns zelda's on the beach, though he said his business took some damage. it could have been worse. >> the only damage i really incurred so far is this section of railing over here and my bus station got pushed over a little

bit, all both things that can be put back fairly quickly and easily for sure. >> while whitby plans to reopen sunday, he and other business owners are working hard to bring attention to the businesses that are open. >> we are open, we're here, we're going to be fully sit down, full service. there's a lot of the businesses down here in capitola village that are going to be open today and could really use your patronage. >> guzman and her family run el toro bravo at one of the lowest lying areas in the capitola village. though open, they still coped with flooding. we were just just panning the water into the buckets, just trying to stay afloat. still, after being in business for nearly six decades at the location they've made some adjustments. >> we have tile floor, you know, all our tables and chairs. we're able to be wiped down, sanitized. you know, we keep everything up off the floor at least six inches, if not more. >> though many businesses are already open or at least able to reopen sooner than they were following january's storms, they agree that the hammerings they've been taking are not getting any better. >> the storms just get worse and more frequent. um, we're installing storm hurricane doors across the back of the

restaurant just in preparation for the next one and the next high surf event. >> those businesses are preparing for is tomorrow morning. and it just started raining here. pretty much at the top of the hour. and officials are saying that even though businesses are open and ready to serve, they urge everyone coming down here to be safe and listen to all of the warnings that they're posting and giving. people right now live in capitola. zach fuentes, abc seven news. >> all right, zach, thank you so much for that. it's you know, pretty gray across san francisco as the rain makes its way down from the north bay a few brave souls made their way along the embarcadero with umbrellas heading off the soggy conditions. motorists dealt with slick roads across the city. so far, traffic is moving smoothly and no major accidents have been reported, but you can see how gray it is out there and you can access the latest weather conditions, as well as the same live doppler seven that our weather team uses. you just search abc seven bay area in your device's app store to download it. >> let's move now to some very sad developing news. a

tremendous loss for the bay area right now. an intense manhunt is on for the person who shot and killed an oakland police officer . abc seven news reporter anser hassan is in oakland and has details on how the officer lost his life and how his sacrifice and his memory are being honored. unser. >> dan, good afternoon in oakland, police just opened the road behind me, acting oakland police chief allison is calling this still an active investigation. you can see it's going on behind me and we are learning the name of that officer who was killed, officer tuan lee. this investigation is into the shooting. all. >> sadly, today, one of our officers paid the ultimate sacrifice. >> acting oakland police chief darren allison says officers were responding to a burglary in the 400 block of the embarcadero early friday morning when police

arrived, they spotted multiple suspects fleeing. one of them fired multiple shots at the officer who was driving with his partner at the time. during the response, at least one individual did charged their firearm multiple times, striking a plainclothes officer who was driving an unmarked vehicle. >> hey, i got an officer down. we're hit. we 9-1-1 uh- next to the 8-80 entrance on embarcadero 83. >> what's the condition of the officer? >> we're going go through the hospital. the officer is described as a four year veteran of the force. >> acting chief allison says none of the officers on scene returned fire. >> this loss cuts deep. >> an emotional oakland mayor shengtao called for unity across the city. >> this senseless murder of a police officer, one of the guardians of our beautiful city. it will not stand. oakland will work tirelessly with all of our law enforcement partners to find those responsible for this

assault on our city and the killing of our officer. >> the officer was taken to the hospital where he died a few hours later. >> this senseless murder underscores the courage and bravery of our officer was, and it demonstrates every day that they arrive at work to serve and protect our community. >> oakland police say they have gathered a lot of evidence but did not elaborate, and also have not released any details of those involved in this morning's shooting. they're asking anyone with information to contact oakland's homicide division. report live anser hassan abc seven news. >> okay. terrible day in oakland. unser. obviously. thank you very much. let's give you another look now at officer tuan lee. this picture released by the oakland police department shortly not long ago. the post says officer lee was a devoted husband to his wife, and that his passing leaves a void in the law enforcement community. the

city of oakland and in the hearts of those who knew him, we provided updates on the officer's death and how the police department is honoring him. >> we sent out this alert with a link to the opd procession. you can get breaking news updates like this sent to your mobile device by downloading the abc seven bay area app and enabling notifications. >> more to come here a year in review a look back and ahead with san jose's mayor matt mehan, how he thinks he did during his first year in office. job hazard, an amazon driver, says she was harassed while dropping off a package. the incident, captured on camera, and you can ring in the new year with green day and megan thee stallion. a preview of the nation's most popular new year's eve countdown. stay with us

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moving into the bay area, bringing some heavy rain, some wind. it is a three on the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale, which means some significant effects around the bay area. we will continue to keep you updated and have an update coming up from sandhya just a little later on. >> all right, in the south bay, a busy year comes to a close for city of san jose mayor matt mehan. the end of 2023 also marks the end of his first year in office, and he's crediting a

team effort towards finding solutions to build a better city. abc seven news reporter is south bay reporter dustin dorsey has more to tsay 23 is all but a wrap in san jose, and as the year ends, so too does the first year in office for san jose mayor matt mehan. >> so we talked on the very first day of your, you know, rain here in office. here we are one year in. how do you think things are going in san jose? >> i feel good, i feel like we have some momentum in san jose, momentum towards redefining a city that residents can be proud of. >> after mayor mehan says strides were made in getting back to basics by addressing major issues like crime, blight and homelessness. san jose saw more than 10% drop in unsheltered homelessness year over year, but mehan admits the housing crisis is still a key area that needs work. it's going to be creating a spectrum of solutions safe sleeping, safe parking, interim housing and on up the ladder and holding people accountable for coming in doors. unhoused advocates maintain affordable housing needs to be

the solution. the city has struggled with that due to the high cost of construction. the mayor also launched an ambitious goal to create 1000 safe places for residents to sleep by june 30th. the city is also projected to come up short. there but mehan says his model will get people off the street and help them to be self-sufficient enough to purchase their own homes. when the units get built in the future. >> we have a crisis today. we have people dying on our streets in tent encampments. we have a moral imperative to create basic, dignified shelter and get people indoors that should be the first order of business. other business the mayor dealt with in 2023. >> the city's budget crisis, highlighted by a threatened strike of a large majority of city union workers. the strike was avoided, but it created issues between workers, council members and the mayor, as well as concerns over future budget cuts. mehan says he stands by paying employees, but doesn't shy away from challenging workers and the council to find solutions that work for all residents as well. he hopes to carry that stance into his next year in office for all problems

in the city. >> it's taken years of, frankly failed public policies to get us in to the challenges we face today, and i want to do everything i can to help us get on a better path as quickly as possible. i think in san jose, we're starting to show that with focus and accountability, we can begin to move the needle. and i want to see that accelerate in the years ahead so that we can be a model for the entire region and ultimately the entire state in san jose. >> dustin dawsey, abc seven news. >> and amazon delivery driver doubt doing her job, says she was assaulted by two women who accused her of being a thief. and she says race may have been the reason. jamea miller claims the resident let her into the building to drop off the package at a houston apartment building, and then got violent. miller recorded the incident. she says the resident began accusing her of being a thief and then hit her. a doorman eventually came in and defuzed the situation. she does believe race played a role. >> i do think that because i'm a

dark skinned black woman with lots, um, i yeah, i fit the bill of what she could potentially think a thief or a criminal looks like police did file a report and houston police or miller did file a police report in houston. >> police say they are investigating what happened. >> a new federal law goes into effect next year that will change how companies report information to the federal government. congressman john garamendi says the corporate transparency act will mandate more transparency with situations like the billionaire backed land grab in solano county. i-team reporter stephanie sierra has the details. starting january 1st, a new federal law will bring big changes to small businesses, corporations, or other domestic and foreign entities that file documents with the secretary of state. >> the corporate transparency act, passed in 2021 to combat illicit activity hiding behind llcs include tax fraud and money laundering. >> the purpose of it is to find

out who is doing business in the united states, is the people who are receiving benefit from the corporation will have to disclose who they are. >> the beneficial owners are someone who has substantial control over the company, or controls at least 25% of the ownership interests. congressman john garamendi says the new law will prevent secrecy, like the billion dollar land acquisition in solano county that was kept quiet since 2018, the corporate transparency act would provide some information, perhaps not the total detail that would be necessary, but at least knowledge as to who the beneficial owners are. in september, the i-team sat down with california forever ceo jan sramek. >> we provided the whole investor list to the federal government a long time ago. >> and when you say a long time ago, when was that? >> at least six months ago. >> six months ago. but these purchases started back in 2018. that was the first time anyone asked us. >> and to this day, even though we have some information, we

still do not know where all the money comes from. >> under this new law, certain companies will be required to report benefits, ownership information or boy, i to fincen, the financial crimes enforcement network. garamendi says there are 23 exceptions to the law, including domestic government authorities and banks. but it's still unclear if any of them will apply to california forever . >> our it will force at least in the case of california forever, flannery and associates, to come forward with additional information about the various llcs that provided the money for california forever, or for flannery associates for the i-team. >> stephanie sierra, abc seven news. >> all right, let's turn back to this level three storm on the impact scale that is sweeping across the bay area. >> i know it's really hitting us hard right about now. let's check in with sandhya. yeah yeah. >> and dan and kristen, as you take a look at a live picture, you can pretty much see that the storm is pounding the coastline.

the surf is building the wind is coming in and the wind is definitely causing that rain to go sideways there. so it is definitely going to be a rough several hours ahead storm concerns for tonight. standing water on the roadways, coastal flooding, power outages and sierra snow. now the highest likelihood of any issues will be roadway flooding and coastal flooding for tonight, we're already seeing that happening as we look at live doppler seven, i want to show you where it is raining right now and where the concerns have already started. an urban and small stream flood advisory for parts of the north bay from 7 to 7 until 7 to 745, depending on the area. this is where they've already seen the flooding as we get you into where the heavier rain is falling, it's around bodega bay, highway 101. the cazadero highway. some areas have already picked up as much as an inch of rain just today up in the north bay, so some issues happening. moderate rain from lake merced boulevard right near san

francisco state. ingleside road, san francisco in the east bay from hayward to 580 crow canyon. this is going to be a dicey drive. 880 definitely is wet. let's track the heavier rain off the coastline, moving towards petaluma by 6:13 p.m. it will be in san francisco by six 4654. tonight the other concern is the surf. so so the swells subsided a bit overnight and into this morning. but exactly as we expected, the wave heights will be building again as that storm is nearing and that will take us into the weekend. but then as we head towards tomorrow night, swell heights will come down, temperatures right now, anywhere from the 40s at clear lake to the 60s in the southern part of our viewing area. it's a rainy emeryville camera tonight, the week ahead through tonight's stormy weather expected strong gusty winds, possible damage. we are looking at new year's eve that is going to be cloudy with an isolated chance of either a shower or a little bit of

drizzle, but tonight, there is no doubt about it, we are in for a rocky ride, for the commute, for the getaway. it's a level three storm. on our exclusive abc seven news storm impact scale through tonight with heavy rain, strong winds, rough surf, thunder chance for flooding on roads and the coast. we're going to time this out for you. 5:00 tonight. downpours across the region. 730 we are still seeing some pockets of heavy rain. same thing at 830. but notice by the time we head into 10 p.m, we're now switching over to scattered showers behind the main front. there will be a potential for isolated thunderstorms not just tonight, but going into the wee hours of tomorrow morning. scattered showers continuing through tomorrow afternoon, noon and then this system will wind down. rainfall estimates anywhere from about a half an inch to about an inch for most of you. but there will be areas in the hills that will pick up 1 to 2in of rain. speaking of the hills, winter weather advisory 10 p.m. tonight until 10 p.m. saturday, 12 to 18in for the highest peaks with gusty winds, very difficult travel, 40s and

50s on those temperatures. keep the rain gear handy for tomorrow morning and tomorrow afternoon. still a few lingering showers. highs will be in the 50s and 60s. accuweather seven day. it's a level one for tomorrow, new year's eve is cloudy, maybe an isolated shower, dry start to 2024, and then we do have more rain midweek. kristen and dan but not too intense at least. no, that system is not as intense as what we're about to explain. >> all right. thanks, andy. food banks need our help. how far they're behind this year, and the best way we can fill that need. >> also coming up, dick clark's new year's rockin eve with ryan seacrest is power packed with star studded shine. a preview of what you can expect. stay

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c7 megan thee stallion will perform in times square, and cardi b will appear from miami beach. entertainment reporter sandy kenyon has a preview. >> three. two. one. it's been the number one most popular new year's eve countdown for more than three decades, and ryan seacrest is back in times square for the 19th time. >> this is the 19th year. what's different, rita ora? >> hello. here she is. >> his co-host is rita ora. born in kosovo, she became a star in england. let's 5-5-5 nosedive

>> i was overseas and this was always such, like, a million miles away. you know, it was something that you'd never containable. yes. that wasn't real. um, and then when you kind of get here, you're thinking, wow, everything goes into this show. >> the heat generated by a million people in times square is the heart of the five. and a half hour broadcast. it's the biggest party of the year. so there will be plenty of entertainment. ll cool j will be among those performing green day, and many more will take the stage in la. >> first time playing here. we're excited to be playing because, uh, we get to debut a new song called dilemma. post malone appears from las vegas. >> the queen of reggae, ivy queen shows up in puerto rico and live from south korea for the first time. k-pop sensation newjeans ryan seacrest is one of hollywood's busiest hosts and producers, but dick clark's new year's rockin eve has special meaning for him. >> i want it to be him when i grew up and so to have worked next to him through some

challenging years for him and to take over has a special place in my heart. >> weather wise. ryan and his team will get a break from the cold and the wet, so obvious in previous years i've heard some stories. >> this is like, oh yeah, you are so lucky it's not fair. >> i'm sandy kenyon, abc seven news and dick clark's new year's rockin eve with ryan seacrest kicks off at 8 p.m. sunday. >> you can watch it right here on abc seven, abc seven news is on at 10 p.m, so we can take you back to ryan at 1030 for the countdown to midnight. be sure to tune in new year's eve, but stay here with us. we'll

doppler seven, showing you live. the current band of rain blowing across the bay area right now i'm seeing a lot of green and very intense yellow and orange. there so sandhya will let us know the areas that are getting drenched and how long the storm will last. in an accuweather update in about 15 minutes. >> stay tuned for that. meantime, ohio's governor has vetoed legislation that would have barred transgender youth from receiving gender affirming care. republican mike dewine broke from members of his party who championed this legislation. the measure would have banned gender affirming care for minors. it would also have prevented transgender athletes from taking part in girls and women's sports. >> therefore, i cannot sign this bill as it is currently written. and just a few minutes ago, i vetoed the bill. >> and at a news conference today, the governor said he

sought out families of transgender youth and medical experts, as well as supporters of the legislation. before he reached his decision. >> food banks usually raise the most funds during the holidays, however, this season they're behind, still needing to raise $4.5 million before year end. alameda county community food bank executive director reggie young joins us today to share how we can all help reggie, it's nice to see you. happy holidays. >> happy holidays to you as well . >> look, i know you give out a lot of meals, especially during this time of year. can you give us a sense for how many people you're serving and how much you're giving out? >> yeah. so the reality is that in alameda county, about 1 in 4 people are struggling with some form of food insecurity. this has been an issue that's been exacerbated by the pandemic. but then also a lot of the losses in some of the government supports. earlier this year. and so right now, we've been allocating and we're on pace to allocate actually about 62 million pounds of food this year, which will be higher than any amount that

we've done in our history about. 4 million more than even at the height of the pandemic. >> so more people and i guess your costs are higher too, right? with inflation this past year. >> oh yeah. absolutely. yeah. so, so costs are definitely an issue for us both from the inflation side. but then also just the number of people that are requesting our services. and so uh- fundraising has been a critical aspect of our work. uh, particularly around this time of year, we raised about 50% of our revenue, uh, during the holiday. so it's a it's really critical that we have the funding necessary, uh, to feel a lot of the initiatives that we have in support of our communities. >> so how are you doing with that? i know you must have goals, and i know it started with giving tuesday after thanksgiving. are folks opening up their wallets? >> yeah. so it's been a challenge this year. we're about 20% down, uh, from last year in fundraising. but we also have had some really strong supporters, uh, stepping in asia. curry's ellen play foundation. uh, right now is offering a $250,000 dollar for dollar match on any donations

that come into the food bank, which will allow us to be able to provide a million meals to kids within alameda county. so, uh, we're it's a really good time to give, uh, because up until december 31st, that match goes away. >> i was just going to ask you, is there a time when that money turns into a pumpkin? and okay, so people have to get on it. they have until what? tomorrow so to take advantage of that december 31st midnight, please take advantage of it. >> uh, there dollar will lead to four meals in the community. we're looking to do a million meals for families throughout alameda county. uh, it's a great time to give, and it's going to have a big impact in our community. >> i've also heard that, you know, a lot of people want to help and they want to donate food cans, for example, non-perishables, which i assume you welcome. but giving you actual cash allows you to extend that a lot more, right? >> yeah. there's a there's definitely a lot of ways to give. you can give money. you can give your time. you can give food. uh, dollars definitely goes a long way. uh, in, in

regards. because one of the things that we really try to focus on is being able to provide culturally relevant foods for our community members as well. and so being able to provide those dollars helps us to be able to do that. and really efficient ways. >> all right. so folks, many ways to help reggie young. i'm really glad you came on to talk to us about it. and the website is where can people go to get more information on how to help? >> you can check us out at axb. org for fundraising, volunteering and all opportunities. food bank. all right. >> thank you so much reggie. happy holidays. >> happy holidays. >> all right. coming up on the fourth for rogue wave. we have some pretty amazing video showing the impact of a powerful wave. >> and doctor google the medical concerns most searched on that my name is josh sanabria

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waves here in the bay area and along the california coastline. as sandhya has been reporting and predicting. take a look at one rogue wave that took people in ventura by surprise. watch this surveillance video footage from a business along the beach shows people scrambling for safety when this wave hit, at least eight people were taken to the hospital. all beaches in the county have since been shut down . and sandy, obviously, i'll start with you on this. you have said for the last couple of days, as this thing moved in, don't fool around at the beach,

don't get close to the waves. it is tempting because it is spectacular, right? i mean, we are all drawn to it in some way because it's so awesome. but this is an example of what can happen. >> absolutely, dan. and that is concern because we are all mesmerized by those waves, as you said. but very important, stay out of the water, stay off the rocks and the jetties because obviously we can see scenes like this repeat as we do have a high surf warning going until 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. wave heights are coming up again. swells between 28 and 33ft expected up to 40 foot waves in isolated spots. that's dangerous. i mean, those kinds of waves could sweep anybody away. obviously. keep your pets on leash out of the water as well on on a leash as well. but i think that people we all tend to be drawn to this. it is i, you know, inspiring and you just want to take pictures and get closer, but never turn your back to the ocean. and it's just a reminder as we're experiencing more and more extreme events

happening, that this is something you don't mess around and remember. >> you don't have to be washed away. no just the fact these people turning and running. you can slip and hit your head and be badly hurt. >> i mean, right, and the rip current risk is there. and of course, beach erosion and all of that stuff. all right. lessons learned. okay. the popular bay bridge lights could return in 2024 next year. they went dark in march because the people behind the project didn't have money to fix them all. organizers tell our news partner the sf standard, that they've nearly reached their $11 million fundraising goal to turn the lights back on. they still need $1.5 million. they expect the lights to return within 8 to 10 months. if the rest of the funding comes in, do you guys remember? we didn't always have this? i think so many just a few years ago. that's right, that's right. a philanthropist seeded it with millions to start it. and then it just grew so popular. and now we expect them. >> well, they are spectacular, i love them, i can't believe how expensive they are to operate though. >> it's a big commitment. yeah

it does cost a lot of money to upkeep. >> i don't know. but chris, what do you think? fork out the money because we love it. it's now part of the bay bridge. >> yeah, i really like it. i was happy to hear this story that i kind of thought once they went dark that it was gone for good. but i like to hear the numbers and i think it's going to come back. and i think it is one of those iconic things. it's a new uh- addition to the skyline. if you will. i know over time we haven't had it that long in the grand scheme of things, but i was a big fan of it, so i'm hoping they can raise that money and turn the lights back on the bay bridge, because i think it's spectacular. >> it's nice, especially on the old section of the bridge. you know, the new section of the bridge is so fancy and nice. this gives the old section a bit of a facelift. that's right. it is probably not always the most reliable source for health information, but many of us do it. and google has just released its list of the top health searches. the top two deal with strep throat, and how long it's contagious, and whether it's contagious. that's followed by how can i lower cholesterol? what helps with bloating, and what causes low blood pressure? low blood pressure? a google says these questions were ones

that saw high spikes from january to november. i don't know, you know, i've done this periodically. you can't help you go search something like that on google about your health. and sandy often it's a little frightening what you find. >> oh yeah, because not all that information is correct, as you know, dan, but i think it's interesting as we're getting closer to the new year's resolutions, that people are starting to look up these things and how they can better you know, get a handle, hopefully on their health. >> right? that's true. i bet that's yeah, i bet that's exactly right. >> chris. you know, whenever you look, all roads lead to something bad. when you start searching for health information online. yeah but not when you search like how to make best christmas cookies or how to make the best fudge. >> yeah, that doesn't help your cholesterol. >> google searches. but yeah, i mean, that doesn't help at all. but, um, it's amazing what you'll ask google that you might not ask in person or real life. yeah. >> chris, did you ever search how to make pop tarts? since you love those? you just go to the store and buy them. >> but yeah, homemade pop tarts. yeah, that would be good. also not good for your health, but

good for fun. >> all right. now to that big christmas tree debate. the 25th has come and gone. so when is the right time to take down your christmas tree and decorations? abc news reporter trevor ault tells us there are many passionate opinions on social media. >> so you put the work in getting everything ready. the tree, the lights, all the decor. but if your holidays are now behind you, you may find yourself in the middle of that decorative debate. there are some who celebrate the 12 days of christmas, which begins december 25th, meaning they technically have until january 5th. others might wait to mark cultural celebrations like three kings day on january sixth or orthodox christmas on the seventh, or get it out the door before 2024. >> does taking down my christmas decorations on december 26th make me a grinch? >> christmas was just four days ago, but a lot of tiktok users are already starting to take their decorations down. take tory breen, a mother of two who says she likes to start the new year fresh. >> it just gives us more space. i can have my home back. it's

kind of overwhelming with all the new toys and with everything. >> of course, for others like tiffany kanengiser, it's far too soon. >> you know, we spend so much time putting them up the lights and the cute snowman uh- definitely keep me, keep me happier and it keeps the kids occupied. >> so there you have it. what do you guys think? personally, i think why go to social media to debate or ask what is the right time? it's when you want to take it down. it's your tree, it's your decorations. i keep mine up all through january because that's what makes me happy. >> now wait, that has to be an artificial tree. >> uh- in this year, yes, but in the past, no. >> all the way i would wait till the last day when the recycling for the tree composting is. what does that thing look like? >> by the end of january, you know, it's a little dry, but if it makes you happy, kristen, and you keep it up through the end of the month, so be it. >> i mean, i'm one of those people. i love christmas, my family and i do, and we try to put everything up early and then

take it down, maybe like a week after the new year, as long as possible. >> that's what we tend to do. yeah. >> chris, what say you i think i think i agree, whatever makes you happy. >> my question is what's too early to start putting it up? because it seems like christmas comes earlier every year. thanksgiving always gets like lost in the shuffle goes halloween. all of a sudden it's christmas, right? so i feel bad for thanksgiving in that regard. >> yeah, i feel like the trees, the tree lots open, like right around thanksgiving time. right? so yeah, we usually go the saturday after thanksgiving is our tradition. >> yeah. to pick up the tree. yeah, that's not too early. >> dan, i know i don't think so, but i have to say by now our tree is, you know, pretty dry and peak looking. >> so it's a mess when you remove it. needles everywhere. all right. >> you need to put it up on social media so we can all comment and judge. i should i'll put it on video this year. >> good. i may do that. actually,

oh, all those trees getting wet. sandy oh, absolutely. and we're starting to see more and more urban flooding happening. so dan and kristen, let's get to live doppler seven. you will notice where the heaviest rain is falling right now right around rohnert park. pepper road, penngrove area. as we look at some of these rain rates, 6000/500 of an inch per hour right around the san francisco area, heading down towards sharp park boulevard, pacifica, you're

getting some downpours there and it is steady rain from the peninsula, redwood city, los altos, highway 82. you will notice east palo alto, middlefield road heading down towards the south bay. you will notice right into campbell, los gatos and around the east bay. from san pablo to hercules area, pinole valley road. it is wet more areas are now under urban and small stream flood advisories. they're going between 7 to 9 p.m. as flooding is happening and will continue this level three storm on our exclusive abc seven news. storm impacts scale is starting to push the heavier rain in, and that is going to continue for several hours. so we go hour by hour time this out. 7 p.m. you're still getting the downpour at 930. it's shifting into the east and south bay. and then scattered showers continue through the night going into tomorrow morning. isolated thunderstorm risk is best between the tonight late tonight and early tomorrow morning. the showers will be done later on this evening. later on tomorrow

evening. excuse me. the heavy rain potential for much of the west coast of california, expected through tonight, which includes the bay area tomorrow afternoon, 5060. still hang on to the umbrellas because we'll have a few more showers trailing behind. and the accuweather seven day. it's a one for tomorrow. new year's eve is cloudy, isolated showers monday. it's a dry start to your new year's and then more rain. middle of next week with the level one. kristen, dan. >> all right. thank you. sandhya. well did you know that your hair is super highly recyclable and it could maybe even help a garden grow? >> a look at how they're putting it to the test here in the bay area. >> this is abc 724 seven. >> in san francisco, live at levi stadium in san jose. >> live in oakland. yeah you're watching abc seven news live anytime, anywhere. >> we are. we are, we are we are we are, we are where you are. >> never miss a moment of the

news that matters to you. download our abc seven bay area streaming app. join us and start watching

at 11. and a reminder abc seven news is streaming 24 seven. get the abc seven bay area streaming tv app and join us whenever you want. wherever you are. you know, sometimes restoring native

habitat here in the bay area requires expensive and complicated solutions. and sometimes it just takes using your head. at least that's the strategy being tested at a site in san francisco. >> so i'm trying to be very precise. even a single little sprout can indicate that this plot already has some more seed in it. >> for noah teller, precision is a passion, especially when he's trying to learn how to make things grow as ecological and restoration coordinator at san francisco's presidio, he's testing a variety of fertilizers in a tiny square by square competition. and if you think he's splitting hairs, well, you wouldn't be far off. >> we're ready to apply our restoration treatments so we already have the hair spread out here. >> yes, you heard that right. hair with cars whizzing by above . noah is methodically planting garden patches and covering them with hair air collected from humans and animals. he spreads it all like a mulch blanketing the borders of native plants and seedlings.

>> we want to see how the hair compares to commonly used industry material. >> presidio trust ecologist lou stringer says the hair releases key elements as it decomposes. >> what we know about the hair is that it's full of nitrogen and as it decomposes through fungal breakdowns and bacterial consumption, it makes it available for the plants that need it. >> the presidio is working with a group called matter of trust at the san francisco nonprofit is driving an international movement to repurpose donated hair for environmental uses. >> mats woven from hair have already been used to help soak up oil from disasters like the 2007 cosco busan spill in san francisco bay. but founder lisa gautier believes soil restoration could grow into an even more widespread use in your own flowerpots, uh- window boxes . >> you can put it in your garden, she says. >> the hair is collected from sources around the world, sometimes small donations in envelopes, sometimes large shipments.

>> so we get hair from hair salons and barbers. we get people that are just cutting off braids that they've, you know, grown on their own from households, uh- and of course, you know, lots of groomers. uh- ranch that have alpaca uh, bison wool back at the presidio, lou stringer and his team are trying to learn whether the hair is more effective than mixing other types of mulch and fertilizer. >> so this slow release fertilizer in the hair is one of the things we're about to test and see if that's better than just using fertilizer alone. >> and then i'm simply going to come through with this pin flag. and at each intersection, i'm going to touch the ground and check is there a plant there combing through the brush, as it were, for a hair based solution to restore native grass and plants, isn't that fascinating? >> now, if you're interested in learning more about the hair donation project, you can find information on the website you see there on your screen. matter of trust.org. when you have a moment. all right, that is this

edition of abc seven news at 4:00 for kristen sze and all of us. i'm dan ashley. we appreciate your time. stay tuned. abc seven news at five is next.

in the line of duty tonight. the search is underway to find the gunman who shot two oakland police officers, killing one of them. i am truly devastated by this news, and i know that all of oakland feels the impact of this loss. >> what we're learning about the officer and the plans to honor him. >> we have team coverage, but first, we are