>> good morning. these are some of the stories we're following. devastation at the jersey shore again. a flagger good afternooned new jersey governor after seeing part of the boardwalk engulfed in flames. >> fleeing the floods, evacuating their homes in boulder after water levels rise again. >> secretary of state john kerry latest description, cautionly optimistic talking about the mood in the discussions. >> up, up and away, the man trying to cross the atlantic

using helium-filled balloons. >> a shell shocked jersey shore this morning, firefighters are still battling the blaze that destroyed 80% of the sea side boardwalk. a late night brainstorm brought relief. we have the story live in new jersey now. >> people here called it a very sad story. this used to be a center of tourism and local life, these are the many buildings destroyed in yesterday's fire. all that's left of some us just the facade. smoke is still rising from buildings, so firefighters have been spraying water to make sure hot spots left are put out. >> thursday's fire destroyed

what mother nature had spared on this stretch of jersey shore. new jersey governor chris chrissy straight to the scene in shirt sleeves, looked shaken. >> i feel like i want to throw up, and that's me. after all the effort and time and resources that we've put in to help the folks at sea side park and see side heights rebuild, to see this going on is unthinkable. >> the fire started at an iconic frozen cuss start shop. hundreds of firefighters fought to control the flames. some of them suffered minor injuries. several businesses were destroyed. the fire comes days after the end of the summer tourist season and almost 11 months after hurricane sappedy slammed into the jersey shore, causing billions of dollars in damage. many homes and businesses had yet to be rebuilt. the season was slow for me chants, few err tourists came

with fewer dollars to spend. now this, another blow to the shore's economy. >> we are seeing businesses that have rebuilt themselves during the summer destroyed, and it's really sad. >> local officials have yet to determine whether the fire was suspicious or accidental. >> investigators are on the scene to determine the cause of the fire. >> any idea why this fire spread so quickly? >> well, the winds were strong yesterday. there was a police officer who told us the winds were up to 30 miles per hour, so they spread through these buildings that were close together very fast. >> thank you. >> overnight, several thousand more residents living along boulder creek, colorado were told to head to higher ground,

and rescuers are struggling to reach folks in communities that have been trapped by the rushing floods. >> flash flooding is imminent. >> in what is called a 100 year event, heavy rains at least seven inches in less than 24 hours fell on colorado thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people. >> we anticipate that as the day goes on, that we may find that we've lost others. >> boulder has taken the hardest hit and late thursday night, authorities called on thousands more to evacuate, as a nearby creek began rising to dangerous levels. throughout boulder, and other cities in colorado, streets became rivers, walls of water crashed down mountain sides, swallowing everything in their path, including cars and trucks. floodwaters have poured into homes, causessing some to collapse. >> the water was raging, like the colorado river, through our house. >> bridges and small dams built

along the mountains that buy sect the state have been little match for the raging waters. >> do you need another hand? >> residents are helping each other out. >> we've lost roads, we've lost bridges, we've lost homes, cars, and we are just now beginning to try to assess the scope of the damage. >> at the university of colorado, parts of the campus were left underwater, as many students took to higher ground. >> we are pleading with students and people on this campus to stay indoors. >> lyons, near the foothills was cut off by what city officials described as a 500 year flood. >> we decided to evacuate before the mount in slid down the hill. as we left, the big mud slide happened and all this rock slide here was blown through.

it was pitch black out. >> president obama signed an emergency declaration, providing federal funding for rescue workers to fight the floods. >> i think when we look at this, just from the information we have so far, there's little doubt that this is going to be classified at a disaster level. >> the forecast is not encouraging. there's no relief in sight at least until the weekend. >> we are joined live from boulder. jay, when might people be able to return home and where do they all go? >> well, it's going to depend on exactly when this water starts to rekeyed. in some areas, that could be several days. most of the folks moved to higher ground are with either friends or loved ones, they've moved in to kind of ride this thing out with people they know. there are some shelters open in the area. more will be opened if necessary, but this is a process that's going to continue. i want you to take a look, if

you can, at exactly what we're talking about. this is the scenario playing out in several neighborhoods across the region now. the floodwaters are continuing to are you sure here. we're going to see that rain continue to fall perhaps through the end of the weekend, so it's going to add to this mix that's already been deadly, still is very dangerous. we'll likely see more evacuations through the weekend, as well, and not all of that as a result of the water, though a majority will be. it's also that very real danger of the rock slides and mud slides that we could see as a result of this. some have already cut communities off, made it very difficult for rescue emergency crews to get in and get the help needed. it's a battle they're going to continue to fight. it's going to take some time here. >> we have seen some very dramatic pictures of rescues. is there a sense that emergency responders are able to get to

some of these people that have been isolated, cut off by the flooding? >> yeah. i mean, it's very difficult, but they are making their way through. it's taking longer in some cases than they would like. i think that's something they're going to have to continue to work through. these are teams that have been stretched to their limits. it's been over 24 hours they've been dealing with this. we've got local state crews on the ground and doing a great job. we have federal crews now, as you talked about, coming in after the president signed that emergency disaster declaration overnight, so they'll get some much-needed help here. this is a process that even after the waters recede, it's going to take some time to come back. >> just remarkable. jay gray reporting live from boulder, thank you. >> it has been range day after day in colorado. let's bring in now meteorologist nicole mitchell. nicole, what is behind this tron she will rain?

>> we've been stuck in one of those weather patterns. i will get to that in a second. causing scenes like this one, it only takes two feet of water to actually move a car, six inches to knock you off your feet. always better to turn around when you see flooding. you can see this little circulation off to the west of colorado, and it's all that moisture that's been flowing in from the south, the gulf of mexico and also as we get into parts of the pacific, funneling that in. because of the rain we've had in some cases over a foot of rain over the course of the week, the ground is saturated. there's nowhere else for the rain to go. it continues to funnel into those rivers. all the areas in the lighter green are warnings, places we already of the flooding and a lot of places especially as we get into new mexico off of parts of nevada where we have the potential, because it's really the whole region suffering from this pattern. i showed you that little low level or that low pressure spin,

so you can see that, but around that, you have that counter clockwise flow, so that draws in the moisture from the south. we also have the high pressure off to the east that kind of enhances that flow. we're on the tail end of that frontal boundary that's been going through the rest of the country and causing problems, the cooler air in the midwest. the tail end is in the area, so that, too is adding to it. more rain on the way today. the pattern breaks over the weekend, so some improvement's in sight, but it will be slow. back to you. >> syria's president has publicly agreed to secure and destroy his chemical weapons, but bashar al assad says the russian proposal will only work with the u.s. stops threatening military action. assad said his government will start submitting information on its chemical weapons stockpile. it has third days to do so after signing the treaty to ban such weapons just this week. russia's president said the latest syrian statement is a

positive sign. vladamir putin was speaking as an international security summit. he said syria's move to ban chemical weapons shows that syria has serious intentions. in geneva, the talks are taking place. at the end of the these couple of days of high level meetings, how many specifics will have been decided upon? >> the specifics on how to deal with the chemical weapons stockpile and reaction to the use of those chemical weapons on august 21 is really up in the air, and there still remains a very large divide between the russians and americans on that issue on how to respond. the possibility of a military strike is still on the table as far as the americans are concerned, but as you said there, the syrians and the russians are now saying the sirens agreed to get rid of

their chemical weapons and that threat should be taken away. that remains the crux of the matter, although the issue of the possibility of resumption of peace talks to try to end the civil war has to be reiterated that unless this current crisis is resolved that a larger resolution to the civil war is going to be a very difficult thing to achieve. >> are peace talks anymore likely, given that it would still require bashar al assad agreeing to somehow speak to the opposition? >> well, that's right. i mean, both the russians and americans had meetings with the u.n. special envoy in which they did discuss a rechum hundred of peace talks, the possibility of the so-called geneva two talks in which the opposition and regime would meet to try to resox the conflict, fighting and try to establish some sort of

caretaker government including elements from both sides. this has been a bloody war, these are fighting factions that are still going at it as we speak, and there is still this gloomy issue of the current crisis and the chemical weapons on the ground, not to mention the possibility of a western-led military intervention. there are a lot of questions here, stephanie and while there is some cautious optimism that this could be an excuse to resume the peace talks, there's just an awful lot to be taken care of before that actually happens. >> falk, phil. stay with us for continuing coverage of the developments in syria. as always, we urge you to stay informed with the help of aljazeera.com. >> a warning from al-qaeda about possible attacks in the u.s. the taliban launchion an attack near the u.s. consulate in afghanistan. >> it's friday the 13th. would you hop on a plane with

the number 666? it gets more ominous when you hear where that flight's going. >> it's a sibling rivalry plague out on the national stage. it has nothing to do with the kardashian sisters. i'll explain, next in sports.

>> the leader of al-qaeda is calling for strikes inside the u.s. in an audio message, he says they can defeat marrying on its own soil. the message could not be confirmed. it was posted on a website commonly used by al-qaeda.

>> 12 people are dead, americans not among the casual. the taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack near the american consulate. >> the stakes are high for a syrian solution. gary has served on the national security council under three presidents and principal white house aide on iran. professor, thanks for being with us this morning. is it real the accident to believe that syria will just give up all its chemical weapons? >> i think they're going to bargain hard. they're going to make some demands of their own. they're going to try to give as little as possible, but they've taken the first step toward in fact eliminating their chemical weapons, which is a very good thing. i think it's going to be messy, but there's, you have to admit, compared to the plan that we had before, which was to go in and bomb with very uncertain

results, i personally think that this is the better of the two options. >> i don't know if you've had a chance to read this report, but the wall street journal reports that an elite syrian military united is moving tocks of poison ammunitions to 50 different sites within syria, essentially making it harder for inspectors to find them. what do you make of that? >> first of all, i'm not sure who leaked that. i doubt that the wall street journal has any reporters on site watching those munitions, and i'm not sure who gave that information to them. i don't really trust the opposition forces, but let's face it, they probably expected an attack from us, and they should have dispersed their forces and dispersed their munitions a long time ago. i don't think that there's anything -- we knew they were in multiple sites and that would be

a normal thing for any military to do. >> let's say these discussion are resolved. lets not also forget that the original sufficient mission as stated was to punish the assad regime for the killing of more than 1400 people, including hundreds of children with they have been gas. so, if mr. assad agrees to turn over the chemical weapons, is that the end of the story? >> well, that certainly is a big part of the story, because i think one form of punishment, mr. assad has been harboring all of this chemical weapon stuff, pretending that he didn't have it for years in able to be able to use it in situations like this. in fact, first of all, admitting that he has it and then gradually, you know, eliminating it from his supply is punishment if he doesn't have those weapons anymore. he's put a lot of evident into main that inning those things. i think if we expect that this is all going to be resolved in the next several hours or days, i think we're wrong.

i think he's made a fundamental step in one direction, toward eliminating these weapons. that means that that's taken off the table. that is a very good thing. >> all right, professor, thanks so much. >> california lawmakers worked late into the night to approve a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. the new measure would require a special mark and notation. governor jerry down supports the bill and promised to sign it. >> mark, i hear we should expect at a sibling rivalry at the start of the nfl season. >> we should. it's only week two, a lot of people looking forward to this specific game. the hype machine is in overdrive, the anticipation threatened to overshadow the game itself, demands for tickets through the roof.

i'm not talking about alabama and texas a&m. it is manning versus manning. >> 32 players are starting quarterbacks and only two of those are named manning, payton and he will lie. >> i understand that is rare. i don't know how it quite happened. i don't think my parents now how it happened. it just worked out that way. i do feel blessed i get to play this sport and i know payton feels the same way. >> sunday will mark the third time they will faceoff on in a nfl game. the two previous meetings saw payton come out victorious with the coats. after throwing seven touchdowns against the ravens in week one, the now 37-year-old quarterback of the broncos seems poised to make it 3-0 in the manning bowl. >> this will be the third time, possibly the last time. you do take a moment there and

you kind of capture it and hold on to it. i have a moment from the swings game and 2010 game, and that's one moment in the rest of the time, you're going out to try to do your job as a quarterback. >> it is need to see big brother there on the sideline. those moments are the things you remember, and will remember for a long time. hopefully when i think back to these games that we played against opposing teams and my brother, that i can think back and remember at least one win. >> thanks to a five year age difference, ely has played in the shadow of his brother hit entire life. his success seemingly will always be measured against that of his brother. >> i don't think he cares about what he gets in relation so his brother. he's focused on here and his own craft and worried about his own team. i think his brother and that

competition. he understands what that is, and, you know, he's probably been facing it his whole life. >> he's been a consistent player throughout his career. i think he's gotten better every single year, that's the goal of each football player, be better than you were the year before. he's had the same head coach and same offensive coordinator but a number of different players, and a player that can adjust to playing with different guys and still have success, that's a sign of a good player. >> being the younger brother of the manning quarterback duo, eli that heard countless comparisons. if fate manage and broncos come into met life stadium and beat the giants, his team, 2-0 to start the season, while eli's would be 0-2. >> payton and eli come by their talent naturally, their father

was a quarterback. he was the nfc offensive player of the year in 1978. he and his wife will attended the game obviously cheering for whichever offense is on the field at that time. brother cooper will not be in attendance. he finds it difficult to cheer for one brother against the other. you can see the brother feels caught in the middle, but mom and dad, there's going to be a laugh nail biting. >> that's going to be an interesting conversation at the manning dinner table. >> it's a down where aging trees are dying by the thousands. the thoughtful way they are addressing the problem, one planting at a time. >> taking flight, using more than 300 helium filled balloons.

>> montana is legendary for the rivers that run through it, wide open spaces and forests full of towering trees, a group of volunteers is going to unusual lengths to preserve the urban forest. we have more. >> it's a tall order, taking the

vital statistics of a tree. >> 44. >> but that's exactly what teams have been doing all summer long in montana, a sort of slow motion marathon, counting and cataloging every tree along the city's public by ways. >> we have some great people had wonderful foresight developing the town. they knew they wanted a beautiful city with tree-lined streets and shaded park ways, and sidewalks and things like that. >> we do take this for grand, until we start losing them. >> those urban planting pie nears made one major mistake, planting almost entirely just one species, norway maples. eighty years later, they are all becoming senior citizens at the same time. >> unfortunately, our forest is aging. >> aging and ailing, by some estimates, 95% are in bad shape. >> dead wood. >> many may soon fall or need to

be cut down. >> very poor. >> the old fashioned tape measure is still an important tool, but tree doctoring has been high tech, mapping every try along every street. >> it's not just counting them, it's getting all the information on these trees. we'll show what species it is, know its condition. we will be able to recommend a management plan for everything from planting additional trees to removing stumps to pruning, and diversification of species. >> while you want put a price on beauty, there is real value in an urban forest. >> lining your streets with healthy trees is going to clean the air from the traffic. people are more likely to walk or bike on tree lined streets. all that leads to direct health benefits. >> when the census wraps up in mid september, the total count is expected to be somewhere between 30,000-50,000 urban

trees. >> very well known proverb, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago or today. >> it is the garden city, the goal of the tree census, keep it that way for the next 100 years. aljazeera, montana. >> this next story is not a disney movie. a balloonist lifted off in maine aiming for a trip across the atlantic using only helium filled balloons. he trapped himself to more than 300 balloons. the journey could take three days. >> it's friday the 13th, would you board flight 666 to h.e.l.? the flight left today at 1:00 local time in copen hagan, which in military begins with 13 and will arrive in helsinki. thanks for watching. real money is coming up next. have a great morning.