tonight, breaking news. the severe weather threa news, the severe weather threat moves to the east coast after a weekend of deadly tornados. 70 million americans now on alert. damaging wind gusts, large hail, danger lasting through the night, already forcing ground stops at major airports. a tornado watch for the washington, d.c. area, much of the northeast under a severe thunderstorm watch, all of this

coming at the end of a deadly holiday weekend. at least 21 people were killed, more than 70 reported tornados across 12 states. some of the worst damage was in texas, what it looked like inside, as the structure was destroyed by a 135-mile-per-hour tornado, hundreds of thousands without power, all of this during what's already been a record breaking travel more than 2,000 people feared buried. james longman with the >> israel responds. prime minister netanyahu calls it a tragic

the urgent search for suspects in the death of a former general hospital actor. officials say johnny wactor was killed during a robbery. former president trump prepares for a crucial week ahead. tributes pour in for a basketball legend, bill walton, giant on and off the court. midair scare aboard a spirit airlines flight from jamaica, passengers putting on life jackets. health concerns force bruce springsteen to postpone concerts in europe. and america strong tonight. how he's commemorating this memorial day. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is world news tonight with david muir. >> linsey: good evening and thanks so much for joining us on this memorial day. i'm linsey davis in for david. we begin tonight with the deadly

tornado outbreak and severe storms sweeping across a large swath of the country. the death toll is rising. at least 21 people killed. 72 reported tornados across a dozen states over the long weekend. at this hour, there are severe weather threats from alabama to new york, a tornado watch along the mid-atlantic states. heavy rain and flash flooding from washington, d.c. to philadelphia to new >> these are the harrowing moments as a tornado tore through a convenience store in texas, winds up to 135 miles per hour. dozens of people sheltering inside. amazingly, everyone made it out alive. time lapse video shows the intense lightning strikes over kentucky. a record number of americans return home this weekend, new york's jfk airport ordering a ground stop this afternoon. 70 million people on alert for severe storms along the east

coast. we have the forecast in a moment. first maria villarreal leads us off from the storm zone in texas. >> reporter: tonight the death toll rising from a severe weather outbreak targeting the east coast for memorial day. >> from north carolina, the outer banks, all the way to new york city, dealing with strong, strong storms. >> reporter: those storms targeting crucial airports on a very busy day for air travel. our gio benitez at laguardia. >> reporter: here in the new york area, we're seeing hundreds of cancellations and delays after those ground stops. and of course these are major airports, so we will see ripple effects across the country. >> reporter: the system now hitting the east, the same one that left a trail of destruction across multiple states. 72 tornados reported since friday. and tonight we're seeing firsthand what it was like inside a gas station, as it was hit by an ef-2 tornado north of dallas saturday night. storm chaser taking shelter with families in the dark.

seconds after they get inside, face to face with a 135-mile-an-hour twister. miraculously, no one here was seriously hurt. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: you can see the sheer force of this tornado right behind me, the metal coming completely down from the gas station, cars flipped over and landing on top of each other. you can see ricky her rod in that video in the orange hat. he said he laid on top of his wife to protect her. >> it got so intense that i could feel every particle of dirt, sand, fiber glass, glass, hitting my face. >> reporter: 200 homes and businesses just in texas destroyed. over 600,000 without power at one point. at least 21 killed across four states, including four children. states of emergency declared in

texas, arkansas, and kentucky, where officials say at least 100 highways and roads sustained damage. linsey, some scary moments for the vasquez family. they rode out the storm in the home behind me. the roof is gone, completely destroyed. but they have an army of people here because they know this weather is relentless. more storms are expected for this area overnight, with a bigger threat coming tomorrow, the possibility of high winds, hail, and even more tornados. linsey? >> they just can't get a break there. maria, thank you. let's get right to abc meteorologist somara theodore in texas. so mara, the severe weather continues unabated. >> reporter: that's right, linsey. in fact about 20 minutes south of where i stand right now, a severe thunderstorm watch is in effect. that spans from denton and dallas, texas, as far south as san antonio. we're also monitoring the threat for severe thunderstorms throughout the southeast. the i-95 corridor, though, from

washington, d.c. down into north carolina, a tornado watch has been issued until 10:00 p.m. tonight with severe storms possible as far north as upstate new york. the other threat we're watching for is rain. memorial day flood threat, heavy rain could lead to flash flooding, especially in that area in yellow, including scranton, pennsylvania. and then tomorrow we are anticipating the threat for an elevated risk of storms that could bring more tornados and damaging wind and large hail to this region in central texas. and they're still reeling from the tornados we saw this past weekend. linsey? >> linsey: you'll be monitoring it for us. thank you. now to the horrific scene unfolding overseas. more than 2,000 people possibly buried in a catastrophic landslide in papua new guinea. rescuers are struggling to reach the victims. here's abc's foreign correspondent, james longman. >> reporter: 2,000 people are now feared buried alive tonight in that devastating papua new guinea landslide, three times

previous estimates. locals are still digging for survivors with spades, sticks, anything they can find, even their bare hands. more than 150 homes were engulfed here, the rubble 25 feet deep in places. local media say rescuers have heard cries for help and that one couple was, incredibly, found alive. few were as lucky. this woman says she has 18 family members buried in the debris but that she's helpless to retrieve them. the first heavy machinery arrived today, but the recovery operation is dangerous. terrain still unstable. rescuers can only move so fast. so far, they've found the bodies of just five victims. >> it's very difficult to recover the bodies from underneath the heavy debris. and the land is still sliding. rocks are continuing to fall. >> reporter: before and after satellite images show the extent of the damage, the landslide

slicing through a 1,000-foot-long scar in the hillside. the government of papua new guinea has formally asked the international community for help. tonight israel is facing backlash for a deadly air strike killing dozens of palestinians at a camp in rafah. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is calling it a tragic mishap, saying they were targeting two hamas leaders. it comes days after israel's top court ordered -- halt military operation in rafah. >> reporter: tonight, screams of horror amid a burning inferno. the frightful, frantic moments after israeli strikes engulfed a refugee camp in western rafah on sunday night. desperate attempts to put out the flames, people scrambling to rescue anyone they can. at least 50 killed and 249 injured in the overnight attack, according to the hamas-run gaza health ministry. many people treated with severe burns and shrapnel injuries.

tonight, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu calling the strikes a tragic mishap, saying, there was a technical failure and that the incident will be investigated. the strikes hitting the -- this woman saying, we were in the tents and suddenly we found rockets falling on us in the same place. there is nowhere safe for us to go. her family now forced to move for the eighth time. the idf claiming they were conducting an intelligence-based strike, which killed two senior hamas officials, stating they regret any harm to uninvolved civilians during combat. the white house speaking out, a national security spokesperson calling the images out of rafa devastating and heartbreaking, adding that israel must protect civilians. though maintaining the white house position that israel has the right to go after hamas. linsey, a u.s. official telling abc news they received information from the israelis that material from the strike

may have ignited a fuel tank, creating that massive fire. and two idf officials telling me that details are still unclear. and linsey, authorities are also investigating what happened after an egyptian soldier was killed in an exchange of fire involving israeli troops at the rafah crossing. >> linsey: brit, thank you. here in the u.s., the urgent manhunt for suspects wanted for the shooting of johnny wactor in los angeles. police say he was shot after interrupting three suspects trying to steal his car. >> reporter: johnny wactor was best known for his role on "general hospital," but police are looking for his killer. wactor's mother said he was leaving a bar tending shift downtown with a female coworker when he saw someone working on his car. >> the person looked up, they had a mask on, and they pulled out a gun. and from what i understand, johnny literally stood in

between himself and his colleague. and the shooter just pulled the trigger and ran away. >> reporter: according to police, the suspects who got away were trying to steal the car's catalytic converter. wactor was rushed to the hospital, where he died. the 37-year-old actor was a familiar face on tv, with appearances on more than a dozen shows, like ncis, criminal minds, and more than 160 episodes playing brando corbin on "general hospital." the show saying in a statement, he was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with. wactor's mother asking why the suspect had to shoot her son, telling abc, johnny would have given him the car. there is a very large hole in our hearts and lives. johnny wactor's mom says her son was a beautiful soul, who lived his lives to the fullest. executives are looking for any

clues to track down those killers. here in new york closing arguments are set to begin tomorrow in the historic criminal trial of donald trump. he's charged with 34 felony counts, including falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to stormy daniels just weeks before the 2016 presidential election. let's bring in aaron katersky. >> reporter: closing arguments tomorrow. defense is going to go first, linsey. and trump's attorney is going to say that of all the evidence, none of it points to any criminal intent on trump's part. look for the defense to also attack the credibility of witnesses, especially michael cohen because he gave key testimony. cohen testified that he spoke directly with trump some 20 times about the hush payment to adult film star stormy daniels less than two weeks before the 2016 election. and when trump reimbursed cohen, prosecutors will argue trump falsified business records to hide it from voters. the closings are going to take most of the day, so deliberations are expected to

start wednesday. and trump will be in court, as he has for the last six weeks. and the trial is clearly on his mind. linsey, a memorial day social media post devolved into an attack on the judge. trump remains under a gag order, but the judge is fair game. >> the judge and d.a. not included in that gag order. >> that's right. we learned today basketball legend bill walton has died, following a long battle with cancer. the beloved hall of famer won championships in college as well as the nba. he was larger than life on and off the court, a one of a kind announcer behind the mic, eccentric, unpredictable, and fun. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: a 6'11" free spirit, bill walton's legacy stands even taller. walton was one of the best to ever play the sport, a two-time ncaa champion at ucla and three-time player of the year, picked first overall in the 1974 nba draft. he won championships with the portland trailblazers and boston

celtics, earning regular season and finals mvp honors, all while trumpeting the importance of teamwork and unselfishness. >> a cooperative spirit just making the team a better place, making the world a better place. >> reporter: when foot injuries ended his career early, walton stayed close to basketball, fighting through a life long stutter, becoming a beloved basketball broadcaster. >> physical nature of the wildcats. >> reporter: known for his unbridled enthusiasm and off the wall tangents. >> he is taking his shirt off. >> reporter: his colorful personality matched by his signature tie-dye t-shirts, a tribute to the grateful dead. walton reflecting on his career on espn. >> i am a better person today for the failures, for the problems, for the injuries, for the catastrophic health

challenges. i'm certainly a different person. >> reporter: and linsey, in a statement, nba commissioner adam silver said walton was a dominant force on the court, but he'll most remember him for his boundless energy and his zest for life. bill walton was 71 years old. linsey? >> linsey: and that big smile. trevor, thank you. a solemn day across the u.s., as president biden paid tributes to our fallen troops on this memorial day. the president joining vice president harris laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at arlington national cemetery. across the country, communities honoring those who served. at cape gerardo, missouri, more than 1,000 flags on display in tribute to those who died in the line of duty or following their service. and when we come back, the subject in the arson attack on the new york city subway appears in court. and a weekend stabbing spree in massachusetts comes to an end. we have the latest. u love.

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with watsonx governance. ibm. let's create. >> linsey: finally on this memorial day, america strong. the 20-year-old we previously met. what he's now done to honor the last of the greatest generation. >> mission accomplished on this memorial day weekend for one pennsylvania community. >> looking good! >> a celebration for those who served.

[ applause ] >> a parade in honor of 31 world war ii veterans. guests of honor all ranging in age from 96 to 104. 20-year-old tyler bowland helped make it all possible. >> in 1941 pearl harbor happened. >> we shared tyler's story last month as he set out to keep history alive by interviewing as many living world war ii veterans as possible. he's already sat down with more than a hundred so far to share their stories, keeping their legacy alive. norman served in the army and the battle of the bulge. >> my division landed in france about two months after d-day, and there are very few of us left. >> you look handsome, benjamin. >> corporal benjamin barry says he has no regrets. >> i'd definitely do it all over again. the country needed me and i needed the country. >> and dorothy "dottie," a real

life rosie the riveter. dottie was a factory punch press operator during the war and reminds us of the true meaning of today's holiday. >> remembering and honoring those that gave their lives and suffered for our country. very important. >> to all who served, we salute you. thanks for watchin i'm linsey davis. have a good night. a salute today to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. a look at memorial day ceremonies across the bay area. >> it's tragic, but you got to get up, get up and go after it. that's all. >> much of his business is now charred ruins here, from the owner of a lumber yard in the east bay, where flames nearly destroyed the business. >> and a new project in the south bay is giving new meaning to the term public art. >> spencer christian, looking at

a brief cooldown after memorial day, followed by a major warm up. abc seven news at 6:00 starts right now. >> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> a day to honor and reflect on this memorial day. the nation remembers the men and women who died while serving our country. good evening. i'm ama daetz, and i'm dan ashley. >> thank you for joining us. we're covering memorial day ceremonies across the bay area, honoring those who fought to defend and protect the freedoms that we sometimes can take for granted. >> so we begin with abc seven news reporter suzanne fawn, who is in the newsroom. she has a look at an observance that's a cornerstone of memorial day in san francisco, and another held at the nation's first naval station on the west coast. suzanne ama and dan from the san francisco national cemetery in the presidio to the mare island naval cemetery there were solemn tributes today to remember our military members who died in the line of duty. >> on this memorial day.