francisco in the mission district where some drivers were surprised to learn how deep a pool of water is. it rose on them so quickly. look what happened to three drivers. their cars are submerged. they had to climb out of the cars and wade to the guardrail, the center divider and walk long that lick a balanced beam. the driver of the taxicab told police it happened so quickly like a flash flood when he drove into this area it wasn't like this. it rose up so quickly. there was nothing they could do. everyone is okay. we are on 101 southbound headed westbound and hit this. this is portrero avenue above us. they are now working to divert

traffic out of here. it took a while to get c.h.p. here to help out the police to divert people. the c.h.p. is so busy getting so many calls. what necessity have done they had a big problem with a propane tanker that exited and was ready to head this way and stopped because of the water. he had to go in reverse, up the off-ramp. they are now diverting traffic away. that is an improvement. now they have to figure how to get the cars out of here. the standing water seems to be lessening. who are getting a break. the situation seems to be improving if this situation holds. avoid this area. good advise. 4:31. the storm is causing problems on the road but in the santa cruz

mountains, the rain and winds caved in the roof of a business and our reporter is at the c.v.s. pharmacy. nick? >> amy mentioned a break in the weather. we are receiving a break, too but it did not come soon enough for this c.v.s. >> this roof came crashing down above the counter. imagine if the store were filled with people the roof collapsed. we understand the alarm went off and let the manager know something was wrong. >> i guarantee the store will be closed today. there is a good amount of damage. the integrity of the roof is compromised. the willing inspector will need to come out and look at the damage. >> this is the preliminary stage of the investigation. officials say this building,

built in the 70s, could not built in the 70s, could not take the pressure of the more the roof could not support the weight of all of the water and the equipment. it came crashing through, down to the floor, about 300 pounds of material is laying there by the perfume counter. the store will be closed, according to the manager and if you have a prescription here you can go to scots valley location or santa cruz. they are making sure that any patients who had medication that is due today or timely will be notified to pick up their medication at other locations. they are waiting for engineers to survey and assess the damage. the power to the building is out and next to the safeway.

>> the thunderstorms brought flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder to the bay area and if san francisco an impressive show of lighting. marin county got their share of the storm, as well. this is the lighting across the sky showing the rain is not letting up. >> and two lanes of traffic 101 in petaluma were flooded with c.h.p. closing the southbound lane of 101 at the lakeville highway off-ramp because 4-6" of standing water on the highway. the lanes have just re-opened watch out. the cars are splashing when they drive through. cars and trucks have been ignoring the warning signs. you can see they are driving right through the water on the closed rain. >> the rain came down in daly city and this video of the drive

along northbound 280. the windshield wipers are barely able to keep up with the downpour. drivers are encouraged to take their times on the road because of pooling and an increased rib of hydroplaning. >> this rain means more snow for the sierra. lake tahoe area ski resorts are celebrating. these are early flurries at heavenly mountain resort at 8,000 feet elevation. at lake level it was rain. a ski resort along the north show is at 7,200 which wa snowing, a rain-snow mix with six runs open. the resort likes the wet snow right now. >> this helps. we have nothing like natural snow to build excitement. the moisture content in the snow is a benefit this time of year allowing for great snow

coverage. >> it is great. just great. we will come out more this year than last year. >> the ski resorts expect to open more runs after this storm finishes dumping more snow through tomorrow. >> airport officials say passengers should anticipate more delay because of storm. year, weather caused delays and cancellations at san francisco international airport. last night there were delays of three hours and that was down from the four-hour wait of early in the day. 130 flights have been canceled. oakland and san jose international airport experiences minor delays. you can track the storms on live doppler hd with the abc7 news weather app free on apple app and google play with more information at abc7news.com/apps. a human skull found inside a time capsule box is now at the alameda coroner's office where they will try to figure out who

it was and how the person died. an employee at the company found the skull while cleaning the facility near the oakland airport last week inside a sealed wooden box and only reported to police on monday. officers found other items inside the box estimated to have been at the business about 15 areas. activists in san francisco plan to hold a protest inside the hall of justice this afternoon in support of an arrested comrade, who you see on the ground being arrested. this video posted on friday during the ferguson solidarity roast that began on market street. supporters say the man was streaming the protests live and they claim he was violently assaulted by police. the arraignment is today. someone in the crowd also threw a plastic traffic barrier at the police officer injuring one officer. >> we are getting a first look at three looting suspects

arrested last week in oakland. officers say they saw smith and gaddison break into a grocery store and leave with stolen items. police say casey stole a garbage back full of alcohol which he dropped. 170 people were arrested in oakland on monday might and tuesday morning. only four have been charged with felonies. bart is rolling out the welcome mat for passengers with bicycle to help prevent bicycle theft. bart and bike east bay officials are at berkeley station this afternoon to talk about ways to keep the bicycles secure on and off the train and to remind riders of the bicycle rules including which train cars can be stored in. bicycle theft is an increasing problem in the bay area. >> details on the debate between pedestrians and bicyclists riding in downtown san jose on the sidewalks

bicycle riding is banned on a few dozen blocks that largely have bicycle lanes. kids 12 and under and their guardians are exempt. a new but temporary driver license process center has new opening in san jose handling the crush of undocumented workers applying if driver licenses. a state law says immigrants do not have to provide move of united states citizenship to apply for a license but it do not go into effect until next month. they will still need we proof of state residency and pass an examination to get a license. >> not only is it dangerous dealing with the flooding but there is the blinding lightning show. >> absolutely. you want to keep your eyes on the ground and remember, turn around, don't drown. if you can not see the road it is too deep, turn around. a heavy cell just passed over you near mountain view and redwood city and out of portola

valley to the dumbarton bridge. it looks to be a heavy cell. >> the thunderstorm over san rafael is weakening and this is coming at it at 100 miles away. it is several hours away. it shows there is more lining up to come in later today and here is where the heavy ever cells is rolling through. now you can see the ponding on the roads. urban flooding is going to be a big risk until at least 8:00 with the morning commute dealing with flooding, thunderstorms are moderate and mud and rock slides are moderate and high with wind damage for the breezy day. showers and thunderstorms and heaviest this morning and lingering through noon. they will taper in intensity and coverage but they will be possible through 4:00 and 7:00. moving forward the next these

days we still have a chance of light showers, including thursday and friday and dry on saturday. before we get to the problems on the road i will let you know 25-minute delay on bart at san francisco and in bay point direction because of an equipment problem. now, the problems on the road starting in san francisco, we saw amy's report, northbound highway 101 to the 101 extension is where we have very significant flooding there up to at least, at least be 3' of water. cars were stuck because they did not realize they were driving into a lake. if you cannot tell how deep the water is, do not drive through it. slow down your speed, too, this morning. the sig-alert is in effect until further notice. 25 miles per hour as you head out to the curve and use surface streets. as we pull out northbound remark is getting busy at 280 and

southbound traffic is loading up as you leave the city into the bay shore. san jose is another area with significant flooding southbound 280 is the southbound 87 connection another area with 3' of water and solo spinout. walnut creek, the drive along 680 is wet and slippery. be careful. next, constitutes say it is harmless and police say it is dangerous, the warning over a controversial game plays biological seniors. >> a showdown on capitol hill with safety concerns having a japanese airbag maker at odds with united states lawmakers.

covering santa rosa, berkeley, san jose and all the bay area, this is abc7 news. 4:44 on wednesday morning.

a wet morning today. this is the embarcadero looking at downtown san francisco. we have cells of solid heavy downpours moving through. if you are dry at the moment, it may not be that way as you head outdoor. meteorologist mike nicco will keep you posted. leyla gulen will have the traffic problems this morning. that is ahead. this morning, liver pore police are warning of the dangers of a high school game called "assassin," where kids use toy guns to ambush other students. it is a disturbing trend. >> livermore police say a high school senior crashed her car interest this house while playing a game called "assassin." >> people are into it and it is dangerous if you do things...not thinking. >> players are assigned to stalk and shoot a victim with a nurf gun and the last person standing gets cash. >> people go out of the way to make sure the target is killed

and will chase people down in cars. >> livermore police are discouraging students from playing the game. they have received sunday sunday call -- 9-1-1 calls receiving produce hers and armed people of the community. >> people do not understand what it is and it could be a serious problem. >> the students are being safe and they set up rules. you cannot play on campus. you cannot use a gun that looks real. >> officials hope the students rethink the sensitive nature surrounding this game called "assassin." >> if they looked at it and what is happening in our nation, with students, kids, being killed...because of holding copies of guns. >> the students say the game will likely continue but with more caution and sensitivity around others. >> if a couple of hours there will be a slow down on capitol

hill between a japanese airbag maker and u.s. government officials. takata refused to comply with a demand for expanded recall of the potentially explosive airbags. company executives will appear before a house subcommittee at 7:00 a.m. takata will go along with whatever the lawmakers decide and washington lawmakers say that is not adequate. >> president obama nominate secretary of defense to replace hagel by the end of the week and the 60-year-old cater has never served in uniform but has close ties to many military commanders and key member of congress including senator john mccain. it is unlikely that he would face strong opposition in senate confirmation hearings if he is nominated. the alameda county will show off the new drone this morning. last year the department was

told they could not use federal homeland security money to bay the unmanned surveillance devices and used $100,000 of the county homeland security security money to buy two drones. the sheriff says the devices are not used for any surveillance only for specific missions. it is really coming down. in spots. we have pooling water. all kinds of fun on the roads. >> some of the roads are like driving through rivers, or like driving through oatmeal. the water is putting up a wall and if you hydroplane do not hit the brakes. just slide through. or let the car drive through. when you have regained footing, you can go on your way. it will be a morning of trying your driving skills and possibly walking skills this morning. you will be dodging puddles. we have an urban flood advise

advisory from napa south through marin county. you can see it covers all of alameda and contra costa county and san francisco and san mateo and santa clara county and running through 7:00, hopefully after that we will see a little bit of a letup. if you are a late commuter it will not be so tough. you can see a lot of the yellows and oranges all around marin county, santa clara county falling on 280 and 17. it is not often we can see the drops of rain on the lens in san jose. it is good to know you have been rain shielded or rain shadowed but you still have impressive rain especially yesterday. >> showers and thunder are heavy today with lighter showers it seems to tomorrow and friday. this trough is what is rolling

through right now, another nice chunk of energy bringing us the showers and storms this morning and this area of low pressure is spinning but it will weaken in the areas, the smaller areas of the low-to-upper that it skips off will be weaker. plus they will hang around the next 48 hours and that is why we have to keep thunderstorms in the forecast today and the ways of showers the next couple of days. you can see as we head through time, actually, headed backwards because the commuter messed up. you will see the heaviest of the storms through noon today and you can see this afternoon, we will still have scattered showers and thunderstorms but the coverage will not be is widespread coverage as it is this morning. temperatures are running in the low-to-mid 60. tonight, look at the coverage how it decreases. that means cooler temperatures tomorrow morning, and probably a lot of fog. especially in the sheltered valleys. today it will be windy. today is the day we can see the

trees and more loosened limbs or dead trees that could knock out power lines and block the streets. we will be in the low-to-upper 50's. here is the seven-day forecast, the temperatures in the afternoon hours will not change much through the welcome when weekend when it drive dries out. >> good morning, everyone, get an early start this morning if you are headed to work. you can expect traffic to be a problem. this is the drive through berkeley with headlights westbound direction to the bay bridge and the maze at university avenue in the back ground and we have quite a few drops on the lens if you can see cars waiting in the left hand lane to make it influence the toll plaza along the bay bridge. there is a high wind advisory for the bay bridge and dumbarton bridge. in the city we have a sig-alert,

northbound 101 to the 101 extension and we have significant flooding. also, to the south, amy was earlier at off-ramp we have a huge lake of water. avoid that. the southbound direction is slowing and slow headed into the bay shore. a sig-alert here inland, and dublin pushing in the westbound direction along 580 at 680, a jackknifed big rig. coming up, letters to santa, the official local mail box for the north pole. >> dozens were rappeling off of side of a san jose building. in the rain. rainy wednesday. huge storm hitting us now. the embarcadero in san francisco, be careful. we can keep tabs on weather and traffic through the entire commercial break with abc7 news

including a look at live doppler including a look at live doppler hd on the right

some real life super heroes in the south bay brief the rain and 26 stories to help children fight drug and alcohol addiction. 100 people scaled down afternoon from the roof of the san jose marriott hotel after slight rain delay yesterday for the shatter proof challenge. organizers hope this will raise awareness and bridge the gap between funding and resources for children battling addiction. change the dialogue. this is a disease. it is not moral character. it is not bad choice. this is a chronic brain disease that needs to be treated at such. >> this is the second year for the challenge in san jose which has raised $1.5 million since last year. thousands of bay area children in need can send their christmas wish list to santa

with the letters to program starting today. the official mailbox opens today at 10:00 and santa and mrs. clause will be there. if you want to make a wish come true you can adopt a letter. past wishes including basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. you may want to take shelter this morning from all of the rain but it is hard to sleep because of the winds. >> it is howling. you can hear it rolling around the house especially in san jose up to 31 and 21 in napa and 32 in half moon bay. this is a factor in the morning as the winds pick up this morning into the afternoon. we could see the trees coming down. you can see the rain to the south and the rain over the top of us and the snow in the sierra but not at lake levels at 43 degrees. the snow will start coming down toward past levels tonight at

3-6" levels. >> we have a bart delay at san francisco at pittsburg. >> and westbound 80 there is an accident blocking lanes with heavy rain and all the green is an indication of where heavy rain can affect your commute. you are on the breaking leaving fairfield and as we look at the drive time traffic, 580, tracy to dublin is 40 minutes westbound direction. we are still clear westbound 4 antioch to conquer at 16 minutes but expect to see flood, and 101 southbound san rafael to san francisco has heavy flooding through sausalito taking you 20 minutes. next at 5:00 a.m., damage from the storm: an update on a roof partly collapsed on a pharmacy in the santa cruz mountains. tracking the storm. a look at live doppler hd

showing active storm with rain falling in the bay area. meteorologist mike nicco has the come met forecast. you can see the rain is affecting interstate 80 with traffic getting heavy there but we have numerous accidents around the bay area and leyla around the bay area and leyla gulen is keeping track of

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> it is 5:00 a.m. on this rainy wednesday morning. you are busy this morning with the crashes and it is hard