that breaking news is happening in livermore. just look at this. all eastbound lanes on 580 are shut down right now because of a fatal crash involving multiple cars. one person is confirmed dead. at least six to seven vehicles are involved. there are a number of injuries. this is all happening east of vaskill road. there is no estimated time of opening. you want to avoid the area. look at that backup from sky 7 hd. we will stay on top of this throughout the newscast and on twitter. now to the weather. are you ready for what's coming here? a look at live doppler 7 hd. it's already raining in sonoma county. the bay area getting set for what could be the most powerful storm that we have seen in

years. especially in the north bay, where people are frantically filling up sandbags after hearing forecasts of up to a foot of rain in the hills which could send rivers right over their banks and possible flooding conditions. good afternoon. i'm larry beil. >> i'm ama daetz. as the storm moves our way, an unprecedented move in advance by bay area schools. san francisco unified is closing al schools tomorrow. the district superintendent says he's concerned about possible power outages and doesn't want to risk students or staff getting injured trying to get to school. it's not just san francisco. oakland unified school district, all napa county schools are open. san rafael city schools, marin county private and charter schools and dixie school district are all closed tomorrow. schools in the novato unified school district will be closed thursday and friday. other closures include saucalit omaren city schools. the harmony school district classes are canceled as are

montgomery school, burnville school and forestville academy. now we have live storm watch coverage but let's start it all over with spencer christian and the latest on this storm. >> right here just off the embarcadero, suddenly the winds have become gusty in just the lau last few seconds. here's live doppler 7 hd and it is raining in the north bay, not just sonoma county now. it has swept southward just a bit. you can see pockets of rain near san rafael, eastward towards napa and around santa rosa and farther north. let me give you a bigger view by way of satellite of the approaching storm. this is going to be the strongest storm to hit the bay area in over six years, in terms of wind and rain. some of the risks accompanying this storm tonight and tomorrow, high risk for urban flooding, mud and rock slides, power

outages, river flooding. winds will gust 50 to 80 miles per hour at times. we will see up to ten inches of rain or more in some higher elevations. we will start the forecast animation 7:00 this evening. notice by 11:00, we will see rain becoming heavier and more widespread but still mainly in the north bay. 5:00 tomorrow morning, as the morning commute begins, still very heavy and intense but still mainly in the north bay. it won't be until about 9:00 tomorrow morning we will see rain sweeping southward into san francisco, down into the peninsula, across the bay to oakland but the most intense of the stormy weather will still be in the north bay at that hour. finally by 11:00 tomorrow morning, we will see the intense storminess reaching through the central part of the bay area. later in the afternoon sweeping down towards san jose and into the south bay, then behind the front, we will see widespread areas late tomorrow and into tomorrow night of moderate to heavy rain and breaking up to showers friday morning. i will be back in just a moment to show you where we expect the most serious river flooding to be and give you a longer look at the weather ahead. >> spencer, thank you. abc 7 news reporter tiffany

wilson is live in mill valley which was hit hard by flooding last week. >> reporter: well, signs show drivers that this area is subject to flooding and there is already lingering puddles from last week's storm all across marin. families are doing what they can to stay ahead of this storm. conversation centers on one topic during afternoon pickup at olive school. >> is it really that serious of a storm to cancel school so early. >> reporter: fearing flooding and dangerous winds, all classes were canceled tomorrow and friday. >> kind of really sad because we don't get to see our friends and play and stuff like that. >> reporter: the unexpected days off adding child care complications for many families, especially the clarks. adam's wife is in labor right now. >> finding day care for tomorrow is going to be rough. >> reporter: his solution? >> grandma. grandmas are great. >> reporter: sandbags are already on standby outside the door. >> we are very nervous it may flood this year. >> reporter: so many residents

swarm this sand pile, the station ran out of supplies. san marino managed to fill seven. >> hopefully enough to keep the house dry. >> reporter: colette brought bags to protect her son's health. >> he's a little anxious. two, three years ago there was water right at his door. >> reporter: crews worked to clear sewers ahead of the storm while the office of emergency services gear up for the weather, and weather-related emergencies they expect will follow. chp's advice for everyone in marin tomorrow? >> this may be one of those situations where it's best to avoid the roads. >> reporter: as you can tell right now, everyone is preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. tiffany wilson, abc 7 news. >> abc 7 news reporter chris winn continuing our storm coverage now live in palo alto with a look at preparations there. chris? >> reporter: good afternoon to you. as you can imagine, many people getting ready by filling

sandbags. take a look behind me. the parking lot is packed. there has been a steady flow of foot traffic all afternoon. residents coming out here to the palo alto airport to make sandbags ahead of the storm. the sand is out, these bags are stacked. off woodland and university in east palo alto, crews from the california conservation corps know their work has just begun. >> placing sandbags and building structures with them. >> reporter: two years ago this part of the creek flooded big time but today, a coordinated effort to get the word out about tomorrow's storm. >> informational flyers in english and spanish doing walking door to door. we also did a walk along the business corridor at university avenue and are making sure that all of the businesses have this flyer in their windows. >> reporter: carol fredrickson with the santa clara valley water district says her team is ready. they hope to prevent a repeat of flooding in years past. >> we have been removing sediment, any blockages, and we

have done some erosion repairs. >> reporter: these neighbors spent part of their afternoon at corporation yard doing some work now to keep the water out of their homes. >> it's better to be safe than sorry, so take 15 minutes out of your day, come with your husband, your children, and just have a little adventure and find out how to fill a sandbag. >> reporter: not taking any chances in the battle against mother nature. officials recommend that you bring your own shovel if possible. we have been told that all sandbag stations operated by the valley water district including this one will stay open around the clock throughout the storm. chris winn, abc 7 news. >> thank you, chris. pg & e is gearing up its high tech command center in fremont and moving tons of equipment into place all around the bay area in preparation for this coming storm. that includes hundreds of pole vaults and these large transformers you see here. they will be used to repair any

damaged ones. the utility expects dozens of power lines to come down in this storm and are warning customers there will be outages. >> this storm we're expecting winds up to 70 miles per hour which is significantly more than what we had in 2008. >> pg & e says it could take them hours to reach some areas. they advise having three things ready, flashlights, a battery operated radio and extra batteries. today, crews finished filling in a huge sinkhole that opened up in a san francisco street during last week's big storm. workers rushed this morning to cover up a 20 foot crater with dirt and then they put down a base layer of cement and they hope that is going to dry before the first raindrops start coming down. that sinkhole was caused when a water main ruptured below lake street and sixth avenue, the intersection may open to traffic later today. the approaching storm is causing high surf along the coast. ocean beach is already seeing 10 to 15 foot waves.

along the san mateo coast the waves are closer to 20 feet high. this morning, people headed out to see those waves crash against the shore. powerful waves will continue until friday. santa clara county is encouraging residents to sign up for emergency alerts ahead of this storm that's coming in. alert scc allows people to get warnings sent to their cell phone, mobile device or their e-mail. officials will also be able to reach people to give them information in an emergency situation. all you have to do signs up, go to a link on our website, abc7news.com. also, this word from the airlines, call ahead if you are flying today or perhaps picking somebody up at the airport. sfo has already canceled 25 flights tomorrow in anticipation of this storm. some carriers, including virgin america, are allowing passengers to reschedule their flights without any extra fees so make sure you do call ahead. join us a half hour early tomorrow morning at 4:00 a.m. to

get full coverage of this storm. get up to the minute weather and traffic conditions where you live with the abc 7 news morning team. that's starting at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. on to the protests that are sweeping the nation today. dozens of uc berkeley law students staged a die-in. the students laid down for 15 and a half minutes. the demonstration was to honor michael brown and eric garner, who died at the hands of police officers. only students of color were allowed to lay down. white students watched and held hands in solidarity. the law students say they are going to fight for reforms to the criminal justice system. in oakland, a different type of demonstration took place. >> abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield with the story. >> reporter: this group of white oakland residents has been angry ever since the recent decisions not to indict two white police officers in the deaths of two black men. they have been meeting and holding vigils in their oakland neighborhood. but today, they changed tactics and decided to block the federal building in downtown oakland

with their message. >> i feel really good that we have come out. i think that white people need to speak up for racial justice. it can't change without white people being involved and partnering with black people. >> reporter: security locked the doors to the building's main entrance, forcing employees to find another way in. some seemed agitated. others appreciated the activists' stance. this group hopes federal officials get the message. >> the federal government needs to step up and say that our police force needs to represent our communities. why don't we say that every police force has to be the same ethnic makeup that our communities are? >> reporter: while they quietly made their statement, businesses in emeryville are cleaning up today from a rowdy night of demonstrations that moved from oakland to berkeley to highway 24 to emeryville. four businesses in emeryville were vandalized and looted. police say protesters also smashed the windows of some cars parked in front of homes. officers say they don't know why. >> it's totally frustrating. this is something that we don't

expect to happen here in emeryville. we are not a focal point for any of this. i understand people's frustration of things that have been happening in other parts of the united states but emeryville doesn't have a part of that. >> reporter: back here at the federal building, protesters have gone home but barricades have gone up in the hopes of making sure that the protesters don't or can't return. in oakland, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, the coroner's findings in the disputed fatal shooting of a man by a richmond police officer. also, the updated designs for the new warriors arena in san francisco. it doesn't look like a toilet bowl anymore. new at 4:30, the uplifting message today from the youngest ever winner of the nobel peace prize. 7 on your side's michael finney is taking your questions on twitter and facebook. he will answer them here live a little bit laemplt you can contact michael at facebook.com/michaelfinneyabc7. at 4:12, we want to give you an update on the breaking news

we started with. 580 east has been shut down in livermore. you can see the massive traffic backup there. there was a major accident involving at least six or seven vehicles. one person confirmed dead right now. i'm spencer christian. rain is already falling in parts of the north bay. we expect heavier, steadier rain to develop soon along with strong gusty winds. the latest storm details in just a moment.

another look at live doppler 7 hd which is tracking the most powerful storm to come into the bay area in years. the storm has already shut down numerous schools and school districts so an advisory, make sure you check with your child's school for updated information before you send them off tomorrow morning. we have a list of all the closures on our website and you can read all the updated weather information on the bottom of your screen because we are crawling it all there for you. spencer will be along with your forecast in just a few minutes. an unarmed man in richmond was killed by a police officer earlier this year and today, an inquest into the shooting was held. >> police say richard perez was going for the officer's gun but perez's family says that is not the case at all. abc 7 news reporter vic lee has the story. >> we definitely dispute that he reached for his gun and that there was a basis to shoot him at the time. >> reporter: attorney john burress represents the family of richard perez, the 24-year-old who was shot and killed by

officer wallace jenson. the shooting occurred in front of this liquor store in mid-september. officer jenson encountered perez inside the store. the clerk told him perez was drunk and disorderly. a scuffle ensued outside as jenson was checking perez's records. it ended with a fatal shooting. as expected, the jury in the coroner's inquest concluded that perez was shot not by accident but intentionally by officer jenson. what burress and the perez family question is the accuracy of the officer's testimony on how the shooting went down. jenson was a star witness at this morning's hearing. he says perez was drunk and yelling profanities when he told him to sit down outside the store. but perez, he says, got up to leave. that's when the struggle began. hearing officer a lawyer presented evidence, recounting jenson's testimony. >> he was tugging on the officer's gun and the officer eventually got up and got a little separation, very close,

pulled his gun out and had it close. mr. perez lunged at him, he fired. he came at him again and he fired two more times. >> reporter: two of the three shots were fatal. a store video shows the struggle but not the shooting. >> it's one-sided. it's like they're just hiding something. >> reporter: the coroner's inquest did not allow cross-examination of officer jenson or the other witnesses, nor did it make any conclusions about whether the shooting was justified. burress says all of that will come when he sues the city of richmond. vic lee, abc 7 news. the golden state warriors today unveiled an updated design for their new arena and entertainment center that's planned for san francisco's mission bay. the new images show the 18,000 seat arena flanked by office and retail space as well as a park. the shape of the arena has been changed from what critics said look like a toilet bowl at first. the building is also a few feet shorter because neighbors complained it was too tall.

the architect says the complex offers something for everybody. >> one of the most important things that we spent time thinking about is the way the building acts and feels for the pedestrians on non-event times. this is an enjoyable active place to be every -- all day every day of the year. >> this is a $1 billion project. it's being built entirely with private money, scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. although i know the warriors owner wants to push for 2017 if they can get it done. time to turn back to the weather. that storm is approaching. >> spencer christian is here now. >> we are feeling the effects of this storm already. here's live doppler 7 hd. you can see that rain is falling in the north bay, all across north bay, as a matter of fact, and we have little areas of what looks like moderate to heavy rain just beginning to push onshore near point reyes. it will get wetter as the night goes on. wind gusty in many locations, 28

at sfo, 26, half moon bay. they will get a lot gustier overnight. here's the wind gust animation. by 11:00 tonight we will see gusts near 40 miles per hour at san francisco and half moon bay, 46 miles per hour at point reyes. then into the overnight hours, 62 mile per hour gusts, nearly 45 miles per hour at san francisco oakland and half moon bay. at 8:00 tomorrow morning, perhaps the strongest gusts, 50 miles per hour, san francisco, oakland and half moon bay. 64 at point reyes. then as the cold front starts to sweep southward, notice how the winds diminish rapidly in parts of the north bay. behind the front by 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, all locations will see a sharp drop in wind speed. storm watch continues with a high wind warning in effect from 10:00 tonight to 10:00 tomorrow night. gusts could reach 50 miles per hour in urban areas, up to 80 miles per hour in higher elevations. gale warnings over the coastal and bay waters, downed trees and power lines are possible. we also have a high surf advisory in effect until 10:00

friday morning. current wave heights are well above ten feet at most locations. breakers may exceed 20 feet at times. dangerous rip currents are possible along with beach erosion. rainfall totals we project by friday morning could be as high as six to ten inches in the north bay mountains, four to six inches in the santa cruz mountains, two to four inches in most lower elevations. that is a lot of rain. certainly it brings with it the potential for flooding or flash flooding and in fact, we do have a flash flood watch beginning at 9:00 tonight for the entire bay area. rapid rises of creeks and streams, a possibility. ponding of water in urban areas and poor drainage areas also a possibility. that means there could be pools of water in many locations and roadways. please drive carefully. be on the lookout for that. let's talk about river flooding. the napa river, flood stage is 16 feet. we are forecasting it to crest at nearly 19 feet. that's tomorrow evening, 8:00, that could produce moderate flooding. farther downstream in the city

of napa, on the napa river, flood stage is 25 feet. we are forecasting it cresting just barely above 25 feet early friday morning. not likely to produce significant flooding. over in the russian river, where the flood stage is 32 feet, we are forecasting cresting at nearly 38 feet by 2:00 friday afternoon. that could also produce moderate flooding. be on the lookout for that. in the sierra, a blizzard warning is in effect from tomorrow morning at 7:00 to friday morning at 4:00. extremely dangerous conditions are likely, six to 13 inches of snow, gusts 50 to 80 miles per hour. passes may close for several hours. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. after tomorrow's stormy weather we will see rain giving way to showers on friday, probably a dry day on saturday but rain develops again late sunday, continues into monday with showers on tuesday and wednesday. we have a stormy and rainy period ahead of us. larry and ama? >> spencer, thank you. as this storm approaches, you can track it where you live by

downloading the abc 7 news weather app. you will find it on apple's app store or google play. we also have more information at abc7news.com/apps. up next, these are not your ordinary traffic stops. the surprise people got from these police officers. and new after 4:30, a santa cruz man's incredible run down a very steep mountain. we continue to monitor the breaking news. this is 580 in livermore. 580 east has been shut down since just after 3:00 this afternoon. you can see the traffic backup which will go for miles here. there's a major accident involving six or seven vehicles. at least one person is confirmed dead. the latest word we are getting from the chp is it's going to be quite some time before 580 east is open back up to traffic.

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than they bargained for. officers pulled these cars over for legitimate reasons like maybe a broken taillight. during a traffic stop, the officers would get the drivers, tell them exactly which items they or their kids wanted for christmas. listening in was a team at a nearby store. they would pick out the item from the wish list, buy it, wrap it, and then deliver it to the officer. >> something like this? >> oh, my god. yeah. >> all right. well, you want to open up the back seat or your trunk? >> was i really getting pulled over? >> yeah, you got pulled over. you got illegal tinted windows. >> i'm not getting a ticket? >> i can give you one if you want. >> that's fantastic. a christmas surprise video was shot by a cable channel called up tv. the officers like the chance to do something good even though people really don't like getting pulled over. i would be willing to get pulled over if that's the consequence. >> it's generally not that pleasant. well, a presidential boost for toys for tots.

>> president obama delivering a pair of giant red sacks filled with toys and other gifts to the marine corps annual toys for tots campaign. >> the president was lending a helping hand to the first lady michelle, who has been the traditional bearer of the gifts donated by white house staffers every year. the president rolled up his sleeves to help the first lady sort the toys according to age and gender. abc 7 news and our parent company disney has partnered with toys for tots. you can give where you live this holiday season and donate new unwrapped toys for children of all ages. for more information, go to abc7news.com. just ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, we are back on storm watch with a look at all the preparations in san francisco and what officials are hoping residents have done by now. also, two bay area mothers traveled to washington, d.c. to take a stand against what they say is police brutality. plus nfl owners voting on a new policy, telling their players exactly how to behave off the field.

another look at live doppler 7 hd. sonoma county already getting some rain. spencer christian will have the timing of the storm and the areas getting hit the hardest coming up in less than 15 minutes. preparations under way for the big storm moving in overnight in napa. people were very busy collecting

sandbags to protect their homes and businesses from possible flooding. the napa river is expected to go over its banks late thursday night. if they get the predicted amounts of rain. in the east bay, crews were busy trimming trees. they are concerned that dead limbs could come crashing down in this storm and damage cars or power lines. abc 7 news reporter lyanne melendez live in san francisco with a look at preparations in the city. >> reporter: well, larry, i can tell you that this school and all schools in san francisco public schools, that is, will be closed tomorrow because of this storm. now, the district told me they just didn't want to risk it. they didn't want to see kids taking muni buses. they didn't want parents driving their kids to school in the heavy rain. that also means that they will not receive the average daily attendance money from the state unless the governor of california declares this a state of emergency. now, i can tell you that all over the city, it was a matter of beat the clock.

remember the businesses that flooded on 17th street? today, crews delivered more sandbags. some businesses just kept stacking them up. that's an area where businesses and residents are worried about because, of course, the storm. let's take you to the presidio. those trees most vulnerable were being cut down. crews were also removing any vegetation that could make its way to the catch basins. speaking of, yesterday and today, the san francisco p.u.c. had the big vacuum trucks with those big hoses sucking debris out of the storm drains. it's amazing what comes out of there. now, also, at this hour the department of public works is still encouraging people to do their part. >> the big thing they can do is sweep debris, litter, leaves off the sidewalk, out of the storm drains if you see it, use your simple broom and rake and you can help us get the job done.

>> reporter: that's exactly what this restaurant worker was doing this afternoon, cleaning the sidewalk and picking the leaves up. this way it doesn't end up clogging the drains. now, crews from the department of public works will be on 12-hour shifts beginning tomorrow. basically working around the clock and really keeping an eye on those trees and those fallen trees and of course, responding to them as quickly as they can. live in san francisco, lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. many bay area schools and districts have made the very rare decision to close tomorrow, including berkeley, san francisco, oakland and marin county. we have all the closures on the front page of our website, abc7news.com. we will also be updated all your weather information and the closures at the bottom of your screen throughout the evening. the california emergency management agency wants you to be ready for this storm. that includes having emergency kits stocked with battery

operated radios, flashlights and extra batteries. a three day supply of food and water for everyone in the family, a manual can opener and make sure your cell phone is fully charged. develop an emergency plan for your family. check abc7news.com. two bay area are in washington, d.c. to take a stand against what they say is police brutality. they join seven other mothers who have lost their children in police shootings. they are calling for a change in existing laws. the women included wanda johnson, the mother of oscar grant, who was killed by a b.a.r.t. police officer, and jerralynn bluford, whose son was killed in 2012. >> today i'm here to talk to you and demand justice for us all. there is to be no more alan bluford. there is to be no more eric garners. there is to be no more mike

browns. >> the proposed changes include civilian reviews of police misconduct, transparency in investigations and a national data base of police shootings. also, reforms to federal programs that equip police departments with military gear. there has been lots of discussion on race across america following protests against cases where white police officers use deadly force against black suspects. today, abc news held a town hall discussion on race and justice in america. >> reporter: it is a difficult conversation. race and mistrust of law enforcement taken up at today's abc facebook town hall on race and justice in america. >> the minute a cop is approaching me about something, i'm nervous, because i have been in situations where they abuse their power. i can't talk unless i'm spoken to, i have to watch what i say. >> i definitely feel i am overlooked sometimes by police where in instances where somebody of color, somebody of a

different race may be drawing more attention. >> reporter: images like these from ferguson, missouri have drawn lines, police versus the community. those lines becoming more divided with an increasing number of examples. a state trooper who shoots an unarmed black man for an alleged seat belt violation in south carolina. a man in indiana hit with a stun gun after a traffic stop. and eric garner in new york, taken down by police for selling cigarettes on the street. his final words, i can't breathe. today, that officer appeared before the nypd internal affairs bureau. a grand jury decided not to press charges in garner's death but he may be removed from the force. new york also announcing that they will improve officer training but some feel like training isn't enough. >> i remember seeing racial sensitivity training classes as a police officer with some of my fellow officers who asked aloud how long do we have to sit here and listen to this politically

correct b.s. before we get back to work. >> reporter: lots of questions. no easy answers. abc news, new york. education advocate malala yousafzai is officially the youngest nobel laureate in history. the 17-year-old accepted the prize today in norway. the nobel committee described malala as a champion for peace. the teenager survived a near deadly attack by the taliban in 2012 for speaking out for education rights for girls in pakistan. >> when my words suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. i had two options. one was to remain silent and wait to be killed. and the second was to speak up and then be killed. i chose the second one. >> malala shared the prize with a campaigner for young children

particularly in the area of education. still to come, it's being called insane and terrifying. wait until you see the vertical chute one santa cruz skier survived. how a man used the rubik's cube trick to get out of a speeding ticket. i'm michael finney. today's 7 on your side q & a is just ahead. i'm taking your questions on twitter and facebook. you can contact me at facebook.com/michaelfinneyabc7. i will answer your questions here live a little later. i'm spencer christian. live doppler 7 hd showing rain in the north bay already ahead of the advancing powerful storm, perhaps the most powerful storm we have seen in over six years. i will give you a closer look in just a moment.

well, this may be one of the craziest things ever done. santa cruz's cody townsend taking on the challenge, don't look down if you're scared. oh, my. he's a professional skier plunging down a near vertical chute in the alaskan wilderness. who can fit through that? my goodness. that's amazing. he was honored over the weekend with an award for skiing that was deemed the most challenging line of the year. the slightest slip there and you are part of the rock face. >> oh, my goodness. incredible. >> he said it was the scariest thing he has ever done. if you believe it takes a bit of magic to get out of a

traffic ticket, you might be right. >> magician steve bruner says he proved that recently, got pulled over north of manhattan. during the stop the officer finds out he is a magician and asks him to do a trick. >> so he impresses him by solving a rubik's cube in less than 20 seconds. he then got out of the ticket by solving the cube in less than one second. check this out. >> if i turn it once it's still going to be mixed up. cheating happens when you toss it in the air like that. >> that's the one second part. >> how did you do that? >> he had to swap out the cube. no way. i didn't see it. >> the stunned officer let him go without a fine. the police chief didn't have a problem with the officer not issuing a ticket, not because of the performance, but because he wasn't drunk or driving recklessly. >> pretty good trick right there. some people get out of

parking tickets by going i'm with dave. >> i thought you were going to go with spencer christian about that. >> spencer and i both have to pay up. >> we do indeed. here's a look at live doppler 7 hd. we are all going to pay with this approaching storm. we have rain already spreading across the north bay. it's not the heaviest we will see but it is getting wet and the stormiest weather is yet to come. flight delays at sfo right now of 113 minutes, nearly two hours. oakland and san jose are not reporting any significant delays yet. here's another look at the approaching storm. it's getting more intense as it gets closer. let me give you a look at the stormiest periods that we expect tomorrow with this storm. in the north bay, the stormiest period between 2:00 a.m. and noon tomorrow. in the central part of the bay area from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and in the south bay, it will be in the afternoon from noon to 4:00 p.m. here's a look at high temperatures tomorrow under heavy rainy windy conditions. we will see highs mainly from 63 to 65 degrees generally across the bay area.

it's just going to be a very messy day. commuting is going to be a huge challenge. flash flooding, a strong possibility. wind damage, power outages likely as well. larry and ama? >> thank you, spencer. still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, a woman's creative approach to stop a thief who stole her delivered packages. the stinky lesson she taught him. plus colin kaepernick, a chatty kathy? new attitude for the niners quarterback today. i'm 7 on your side's michael finney. the best time to shop online for good christmas gifts. that's coming up.

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we're for net neutrality protection. now, here's some news you may find even more surprising. we're comcast. the only isp legally bound by full net neutrality rules. an update on our breaking news situation in livermore. one eastbound lane on interstate 580 has just been reopened after an accident killed one person. there were six or seven cars involved in that crash. sky 7 hd was over the scene east of vasco road. all lanes were closed for more than an hour. you will still want to avoid that area. a reminder about the weather. you can track the powerful storm where you live by downloading the abc 7 news weather app. find it on apple's app store or google play. also more information at abc7news.com/apps.

revenge is sweet for a washington, d.c. woman victimized by thieves on several occasions. she got so tired of the men captured on surveillance video stealing packages from her front porch, that she decided to take matters into her own hands with help from her dog. >> i have a shovel that i use to pick up the dog poo. instead of just shoveling it into a garbage bag i shoveled it into a box. >> nice. she placed the package on her front porch and sure enough, the thief came by and took it. unfortunately, she didn't get to see the look on the man's face when he opened the box but she did give the surveillance tape to police who are searching for that man. >> i like that story. after being blasted locally and nationally for his one word answers in last week's news conference, it was a whole new colin kaepernick today, a kinder, friendlier kaep. the 49ers quarterback has been giving very brief answers in post game press conferences as the losses have mounted for the niners. his responses have become

shorter and shorter. today, kaepernick changed his tune and his tone. >> i think there's a different way to go about things. obviously, it's something that i take my job very seriously and when i go out there and compete and i don't do well, i'm very hard on myself about it. so i have to be able to approach it differently. >> see how easy it is? the 49ers visit seattle on sunday. the seahawks beat the niners 19-3 at levi's stadium on thanksgiving night. 7 on your side's michael finney is here answering questions sent to him by facebook, twitter and e-mail. american express charged me $37 times three per day for a returned payment. is that legal? >> you know what, this sounds like it's just a mistake somewhere in the computer system. if that was a bounced check, the first time for most customers, you would be charged $25, then

$35. so seeing that $37 three times in a row i think is a problem with their computer. you need to call them up. they will react to you quickly, find out what's going on. you probably don't owe any of them. if you do, it's probably $25. >> ernie asks when is the best time to shop online for christmas for good deals? is there a time of the day that's the best time? >> it's the time of year right now. we are past cybermonday, past black friday and all of that. the after christmas sales actually start on the 21st now because they can keep -- now, they won't admit it's an after christmas sale. back in the day they had a hard time keeping track, did you have too many malibu barbies. you didn't really know until after all the holidays. now they do. they have computers, they know what's going on, what they have too much of so the stuff starts going on sale on the 21st because they don't want it to be all stacked up. so 21st through 24th, very good sales. >> and via facebook, i left a

$4.26 tip at a restaurant but when i was going through my credit card statement the restaurant had charged my credit card $54.26. the restaurant or the server added $50 to the tip. the restaurant will not fix it. what do i do? >> the restaurant won't fix it? that's absolutely bizarre. unless you had, i don't know, a $5,000 meal and tipped $4.26 or something like that. look, what i think is the easiest way to do it is call up the credit card, say this wasn't my charge, i didn't do it, i need you to go get the slip. you will see when i signed it it was $4.26. that's how come you sign those receipts. they have to have the original. so they will ask to get it from the restaurant. if the restaurant really did it they will go never mind. >> usually the credit card companies are pretty good about returning your money in those cases. >> absolutely. they will freeze it, you won't pay it until they investigate it and you will be fine. >> thank you, michael. a tough new personal conduct policy for pro football.

up next, the league got it wrong before. did it get it right this time? i'm cheryl jennings in the abc 7 newsroom. coming up at 5:00, storm watch. a look at how one east bay city is scrambling to avoid a repeat of severe downtown flooding. also, looters caught on camera. this time in emeryville, where victims and police are frustrated and outraged.

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the nfl admitted fumbling badly on its personal conduct code and suspensions for domestic abuse. >> the league had no clear guidelines on how to handle cases involving ray rice and adrian peterson. today, the league unveiled a new tougher policy. >> reporter: nfl owners unanimously approved a new policy to tell professional football players how to behave. >> the policy is comprehensive. it is strong. it is tough. >> reporter: the new policy follows months of criticism

goodell endured for mistakes he admits he made in the case of ray rice, who was charged with punching his wife, and adrian peterson, who was charged with child abuse. >> when any of these issues arise, the big issues, the ones that have been public relations disasters, the nfl is going to suspend a player automatically for six games. >> reporter: the nfl also promised to be more aggressive in investigating players charged with crimes and potentially pun shall them regardless of whether they are convicted in court. the league is hiring a new executive to determine discipline, in some cases with the help of outside experts. but the owners still wanted the commissioner to retain ultimate power over appeals. >> the commissioner's always looking for the long-term best interests of the game. >> reporter: the nfl modeled its new policy after the new york city police department. from now on, players accused of crimes will be put on paid leave so their case can be reviewed by an investigator. >> the players association is not happy that this was not collectively bargained.

>> reporter: there is no indication whether the new policy is enough to satisfy the cries of a critical public. but the commissioner said today we have listened and we have heard you. abc news, new york. a morgan hill man pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty charges a month after animal control seized dozens of emaciated horses from his property. >> he agreed to serve 90 days in jail plus five years of probation during a hearing at the south county courthouse in santa clara county yesterday. under this plea, he also cannot own or care for any animals for a minimum of ten years. >> some of the neglected horses are now doing much better. seven with the monterey spca including bradley, an adorable 7-year-old pony gelding and bella donna, 69-year-old mare almost healthy enough to be adopted. great to hear. >> very good news there. thanks for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. i'm larry beil. >> i'm ama daetz.

abc 7 news at 5:00 begins with dan and cheryl. a huge storm looms as you know in anticipation of severe weather. several school districts make an unprecedented move that leaves thousands of parents scrambling. i'm abc 7 news meteorologist sandhya patel tracking this major storm with live doppler 7 hd. winds are up, rain is going to come down heavily. details are straight ahead. looters caught on camera. this time in emeryville. why police say they haven't arrested anyone yet. finding day care is going to be rough. >> rain day for thousands of children across the bay area. an unprecedented decision for what is expected to be a destructive storm. several school districts canceled classes ahead of our severe weather that is on the way. good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm cheryl jennings. we begin tonight on storm watch everywhere.

several bay area school districts taking precautions ahead of the big storm. schools closing by the minute. all schools in marin county will be closed tomorrow due to the powerful storm heading our way. >> several other school districts are following suit, including san francisco public schools, oakland unified school district, alameda city schools and san leandro unified school district. >> also west contra costa unified school district, hayward unified schools also just announced closures. several schools in sonoma county are also closed tomorrow. >> go to abc7news.com for a complete list. be sure to check with your child's school for updated closure information. >> as the storm gets closer to us, abc 7 news caught up with crews in oakland and orinda trimming back tree branches or cutting down trees that are leaning or weak. some tree trimming companies say they are getting slammed right now with calls for service. >> with the threat of flooding in high demand, sandbags. one site ran out. san francisco ran out yesterday. they stocked back up this afternoon. the city of oakland alone says

it has distributed 21,500 sandbags so far. >> this storm is expected to bring strong winds that may brutalize power lines. utility crews are frantically working to stay ahead of any power emergencies. pg & e has backup equipment ready and extra crews are on call. >> let's take a live look at conditions outside from the east bay hills camera. you see the clouds over the skyline of oakland and san francisco. we are being warned be ready for a powerful storm system. >> we have live team storm watch coverage with reporters all across the bay area but first, let's get a check on the timing of this storm from abc 7 meteorologist sandhya patel with live doppler 7 hd. things are changing by the second. >> absolutely. the umbrella's out now, rain is coming in. as we take a look at live doppler 7 hd, the wind has been picking up as well. here's where we are tracking some rain. our radar watching the rain in the north bay, taking you down the street level right now, as