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

you notice, old redwood highway, some light rain. east bay, richmond, berkeley, you are getting wet. san francisco seeing some of the light returns. and gusty winds are developing about 25 miles an hour. half moon bay and hayward, watch out for the winds. they are only going to get stronger. this is the strongest storm in over six years so far. we are tracking it, it could obviously change, between tonight and thursday. the storm, high risk of urban flooding, mud and rock slides, power outages and river flooding. up to ten inches of rain expected. wind gusts, 50 to 80 miles per hour. time line of this, 7:00 tonight, north bay and still moderate to heavy in the north bay. of course the rest of you will see lighter rain ahead of it. 5:00 a.m., start of the morning commute, the north bay is getting hammered with heavy rain. around 7:00 a.m., thunderstorms are a possibility. 11:00 a.m., expect drenching rain to move across the heart of the bay area with some strong winds going into the south bay by early afternoon and by the

evening rush hour, still some pockets of moderate to heavy rain. tomorrow night, we will still continue to see that with scattered showers lingering into your friday morning. this storm brings with it serious concerns. i will be back with a detailed look at the watches and warnings coming up. cheryl? >> sandhya, thank you. folks who live and work in martinez aren't taking any chances because of their history of flooding. some improvements have been made to the flood control system there in recent years but locals are not taking any chances. abc 7 news reporter laura anthony joins us with that part of the story. >> reporter: this is a town with a significant history of flooding. we are standing in front of this restaurant, you can see the owner and her companion are putting sandbags up. they have the boards, they have the plastic. she tells me this place has flooded twice, all the way into the kitchen in the last 20 years. so folks here, including these folks, are not taking any chances.

it's all hands on deck in martinez, where city crews are doing their part to help residents and local businesses get ready for a big downpour. they have also got to protect their own low-lying corporation yard. >> some years it's bad. we are trying to stay on top of it so it's not so bad. >> reporter: this is one of five sandbag sites around martinez, where most everyone remembers the big storm of christmas eve 2005 that flooded much of the downtown. homeowner larry hines isn't taking any chances based on his knowledge of history. >> i'm getting sandbags because after the hill behind me gets saturated, the flow across the hill comes into my garage and floods the garage. >> we're just preparing early just in case. >> reporter: he had five feet of water in his front door on new year's day 2006. that time it came as a surprise. hopefully not this time. >> what happens is the water comes down from the hills and if

it's high tide is comes from the delta and we happen to be probably on the lowest part of the street. >> reporter: one family not too worried about the rain, martinez's famous beavers. still making their home in the local creek. it doesn't appear their small underwater dam will be in the way. >> the beavers are waiting for lunch to be delivered. i worry about trees that may fall into the creek and get delivered to the beavers, saving them a lot of work. but they are probably made for this type of weather. they probably welcome it. >> reporter: back live here, you can see folks here know what they're doing. they have been through it before. you heard the restaurant owner there talk about the significance of the high tides. i'm told that high tide twice tomorrow will hit at about 4 1/2 feet. it's all up to whether that happens at the same time we have heavy rains. they said once high tide gets to about six feet, they are in significant trouble. but it all depends on the timing. laura anthony, abc 7 news.

>> thank you so much. marin county bracing for the storm. sandbags are on stand by for anyone who needs them. in san rafael, so many people picked up sandbags the city ran out of supplies at one location. residents say they are preparing for the worst. >> hopefully enough to keep the house dry. >> we are very nervous it may flood this year. >> two, three years ago, there was water right at his door. >> crews have been working to clear sewers ahead of the storm in an effort to prevent flooding. some businesses have already moved everything off the floor just in case the flood water comes inside. >> we are seeing long lines at ace hardware store in san jose as dozens of south bay residents prepare for the impact of the storm. the managers say they have seen more than 200 people in the store so far buying flashlights, tarps and first aid kits. >> our next stop, the peninsula, where people are picking up sandbags and hunkering down like other folks. the main concern, the creek in east palo alto. abc 7 news reporter chris winn is live with that part of our

coverage. >> reporter: good evening, dan. for those who live along the creek, they have been down this road before. we are actually live tonight at the palo alto airport, where hundreds of residents have already stopped by. take a look behind me. you can see here that many are actually here right now filling up sandbags ahead of the storm. at corporation yard in east palo alto, marcelline and her husband are making multiple sandbags. >> we are trying to keep the water from going into our garage. >> reporter: off woodland and university, 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 both in english and spanish, doing walking door to door. we also did a walk along the business corridor, commercial corridor of university avenue

and are making sure that all of the businesses have this flyer in their windows. >> reporter: the santa clara valley water district hopes to prevent a repeat of flooding in years past. they spent the morning tackling potential problem spots. >> we have been removing sediment, any blockages, and we have done some erosion repairs. >> reporter: neighbors are doing their part to keep the flood waters away. >> 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, find out about how to fill a sandbag. >> reporter: all in a day's work as they brace for what's to come. santa clara county is also encouraging residents to sign up for its emergency alert system before the storm rolls in. alert scc allows people to get warnings sent to their e-mail or mobile device. to sign up, we put a link on our website, abc7news.com. reporting live tonight, i'm chris winn, abc 7 news.

>> thanks so much. the same kind of storm preparations all across the city of san francisco today. you can see the sandbags there surrounding some of the local businesses and homes. all of course in an effort to prevent water damage with this expected heavy rainfall. city and private crews are cutting down weak trees and trimming limbs that could snap in high winds. workers also spent the day making sure storm drains are clear of debris to help fend off potential street flooding. >> if you're headed to sfo, expect major delays and dozens of cancellations. this is a look right now. 25 flights have been canceled tomorrow in anticipation of the storm. most of those flights were along the west coast. travelers are advised to check with their airline before their flight. before you head to the airport, check it out. you can track the storm any time with our abc 7 news weather app. it is free on apple's app store or google play. it works really well. we also have more information at

abc7news.com/apps. go to our site for that. one last note here. join us a half hour early tomorrow morning for abc 7 morning news at 4:00 a.m. instead of the normal 4:30 to get full coverage of the storm. we will be on at 4:00. get up to the minute weather and traffic conditions where you live with the abc 7 morning news team. we have developing news now in livermore. traffic is backed up for miles after a person died in a freeway crash. sky 7 hd flew over the scene of that accident on eastbound 580 near vasco road, the commute direction for many drivers. several vehicles collided just after 3:00 this afternoon. one overturned and burst into flames. that closed all lanes. one lane reopened about a half hour ago but it's not helping clear the backup that much. it will be a mess for awhile. happening now, several groups plan to join protest marches on the streets of berkeley once again tonight. here's a look from sky 7 hd showing people gathering near the uc berkeley campus. organizers have not said where they plan on marching this evening but last night, one

march blocked highway 24 in oakland for a time. the highway patrol arrested 13 people after officers say they refused an order to leave the freeway. berkeley police arrested six others. ucsf medical students held their own demonstration today. dozens of them laid down at the school's campus in solidarity for racial justice and to demand health care for everyone. many of the medical students wore their white coats during the protest. they were joined by uc staff and professors. the students joined the fight for social justice because they say racial bias increases stress and can make people sicker. this group of white oakland residents protesting the decisions to not indict two white police officers in the deaths of two black men blocked the downtown federal building. security locked its doors to the front entrance, forcing employees to find another way inside. the group says it's been holding vigils in their own neighborhoods but today wanted to make sure federal officials got their message in person.

in emeryville tonight, business owners are cleaning up from a night of vandalism and looting there. abc 7 news reporter elissa harrington is live at the bank of america on san pablo avenue which is now boarded up. >> reporter: looters used chunks of concrete like this to smash windows and here at bank of america, even the windows that were not damaged are still boarded up in case that group comes back out here tonight. meanwhile, other business owners are in a big hurry to make repairs before the storm sets in. what started as another night of protest turned reckless in emeryville. hundreds marched starting peacefully at uc berkeley. they headed into oakland and on to highway 24, then into emeryville, where some broke away, looting stores and breaking car windows. today, the community picked up the pieces, like roger, whose car windows were smashed. do you have insurance? >> [ inaudible ]. >> it kills me because we all live locally. we are part of the community.

i just don't understand why they are ruining their own community. >> reporter: rachel runs the 7-eleven with her dad. she showed us surveillance footage of the convenience store getting robbed. employees had locked the doors. around 11:45, a group uses garbage cans and rocks to break the glass, force their way in, stealing cigarettes, alcohol and food. a $2,000 loss in inventory. >> this is coming from our paycheck. this store is our livelihood. >> reporter: also hit, the bank of america a few doorsdown. a cvs and pack and save right as it was about to close. some people who live and work in the area are fed up. >> i feel like if you want protest, protest peacefully. >> reporter: while police are stretched thin. emeryville only has about 34 officers. >> 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 frustrations of things that have been happening in other parts of the united states but emeryville

doesn't have a part of that. we shouldn't have to pay for something that's going on somewhere else and our citizens certainly should not have to be victims of crimes here because of something that happened somewhere else. >> reporter: elissa harrington, abc 7 news. a big step today in california's goal to get more environmentally friendly cars on the road. and fill her up. the story behind this fuel station and why it's a one of a kind in northern california. be prepared. three things we all should do

northern california's first hydrogen refueling station opened in sacramento today, the state's tenth. hydrogen cars are powered with renewable natural gases and emit water vapor instead of toxic exhaust. the california energy commission

has invested more than $500 million to support zero emission vehicles and fueling stations around the state. >> we are looking to get more zero emission vehicles on the road and infrastructure to support those. that's important because it helps california to meet its climate and clean air and energy security goals. >> officials hope to have 1.5 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2025. the rest of the hydrogen fueling stations are expected to be completed by 2016. storm watch coverage continues now with a look at the state-wide effort to keep people across california safe. staff is on alert at the governor's office of emergency services in sacramento, coordinators communicating between the national weather service and local agencies. one of those agencies is the red cross. they are encouraging us to use this early warning wisely. >> this advance notice, it's a luxury. you do not see that in things like home fires and earthquakes and things like that. it's so important, preparedness is a year round thing we need to

do no matter what. >> the state's director of emergency services warns the storm will present a risk of flash flooding, particularly in areas scorched by wildfires earlier this year in northern and southern california. this is certainly a good time to make sure we are prepared for any type of natural disaster as our approaching storm hits, we are encouraged to check flashlights, have extra batteries handy, charge the cell phones now, keep the gutters and storm drains clear of leaves and debris. prepare guidelines for developing an emergency plan for your family are posted at abc7news.com. >> time is quickly running out. there is still time to do much of that list. as the storms bring us much-needed rain, one city is now planning on lifting water use restrictions. the city of santa cruz says it will end the mandatory conservation effort next week after three years of drought, the city limited households to 249 gallons a day and collected $1.6 million in water waste fines. california's recent wet weather has eased the city's water

concerns and its reservoir is now at 62% capacity. the area is expected to get as much as seven inches of rain in the upcoming storm. so that is very good news at least in that part of the bay area in terms of water usage. let's check in with meteorologist sandhya patel and the umbrella is down now. >> it's coming, isn't it? >> it is. this is just a preview. you hear the wind? yeah. it's really getting windy up here. only going to get stronger. obviously out on the bay, it's choppy. let's take a look at live doppler 7 hd. we have a lot to talk about. keep the umbrellas handy, secure any loose objects as you look at live doppler 7 hd, some rain falling right now. very light in the north bay around santa rosa, petaluma, point reyes area. in the east bay, we are watching light returns pushing towards martinez and then when you take a look at the northern california coast, you can see what's coming. we do have heavier rain on the

way. i want to show you the wind gusts again. right now, half moon bay, close to 30 miles an hour. 25 in hayward. oakland, 24. this view from the mount tam cam, picture of a very wet, windy scene. it's only going to get worse. here's a look at the wind gusts. this is a computer model projection, 7:00 p.m. tonight, we are looking at close to 40 mile an hour wind gusts near point reyes. they only pick up. look at the land area, too. we are talking over 40 mile an hour wind gusts at 5:00 a.m. during the heart of the morning commute. 62 point reyes. it is really going to be dicey driving conditions. i know a lot of schools are closed but there are still some schools that are open. look at the wind gusts. watch out at 9:00 a.m., we are still looking at 50 to 55 mile an hour wind gusts, then they ease up by early thursday afternoon. gale warnings, we also have high wind warnings, basically gusts

50 miles an hour for urban areas, 80 for higher elevations. trees and power lines may get knocked down. there is a storm warning north of the bay bridge so very rough conditions out over the water. speaking of the water, waves have already been building. high surf advisory runs until 10:00 a.m. friday. breakers could exceed over 20 feet. just watch out. i don't yo use your common sense if you go out. rainfall totals by 7:00 a.m. friday, we are talking almost a foot of rain in the north bay mountains, six to ten inches. santa cruz mountains, four to six inches. this storm is tapping into a deep moisture source so that is going to enhance the rainfall. flash flood watch begins at 9:00 p.m. dangerous flash flooding is possible. watch out for rapid rises of creeks and streams, ponding on roadways. it will be rough getting around. i would advise you stay inside if you can. maybe telecommute if you have that option. napa river at st. helena, flood

stage is 16 feet. the forecast is expected to be close to 19 feet by thursday night so exceeding flood stage. if you live near that river, keep that in mind. napa river at napa, flood stage is 25 feet. this is also expected to go over the flood stage by 1:00 a.m. friday, 25.6 feet. then you look at basically the other rivers in the area, russian river, flood stage is 32. look how much higher this river is expected to go by friday afternoon, close to 38 feet. so we will be looking at a high risk of river flooding. blizzard warning in the sierra thursday to 7:00 a.m. to friday 4:00 a.m. gusts 50 to 80 miles an hour with heavy snow, extremely dangerous conditions. passes may get shut down. do not go up there. i do not advise it. stormy tomorrow afternoon, temperatures 50s, 60s. the accuweather seven day forecast, very stormy thursday on tap. friday, the wind and the rain ease up. rain to showers, we do get a break on saturday and then another system comes in sunday night and keeps us in an

unsettled pattern through the middle of next week. that storm light to moderate rain event from sunday night through tuesday, possibly lingering into wednesday. stay safe, everyone. one thing i do want to pass along to you is you always want to have live doppler 7 hd handy. you can download the abc 7 weather app on the app store. it will keep you safe. we will keep you posted on everything that's happening. >> thanks very much. just ahead, a famous san francisco restaurant knocked out of the top five. >> we will tell you about the ne

we're for an opens you internet for all.sing. we're for creating more innovation and competition. 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.

a culinary staple in san francisco has lost its top spot in the zagat's guide. for years, it has been the number one san francisco restaurant but it has fallen to number two. the top spot is -- which beat out priceyer restaurants where

the average bill per person is double that. oakland has been named a top ten travel destination for 2015. the east bay city snagged number eight on the guidebook publisher's list for its adventurous restaurants, vibrant nightlife and cultural events. it also chose oakland for its diversity with more than 125 different languages spoken in the city, being home to three pro sports teams and offering more than 108,000 acres of scenic parks and trails. consumer news now. student debt from federal loans to pay for education might be forgiven if senators get their way. >> 7 on your side's michael finney is here with that story tonight. >> this will be a relief to many, many if it comes through. california senator barbara boxer and 12 others are asking the department of education to forgive the federal loans of thousands of students. corinthian colleges are accused of misleading students about

both their graduation and job placement rates. lawsuits filed accuse the schools of this deception in an effort to convince students to take out high priced loans. state attorney general kamela harris has sued along with the federal consumer financial protection bureau. the attorney generals from wisconsin and massachusetts have also sued. the senators say under federal law, student debt can be forgiven if taken on to pay for a college that ends up like corinthian but the college says the senators are incorrectly assuming the allegations in the pending lawsuits are true. imagine living the rest of your life under a mountain of debt. the survey of 1,000 consumers by creditcards.com found nearly one in five surveyed say they will take their debts to the grave. the 18% who believe that is double the number of people who felt the same way just last year. surprisingly, the results are pretty much the same for those

making less than $30,000 a year and those making more than $75,000. if you are planning to do a lot of shopping online this year, be advised, do not wait to the last minute to ship. many shoppers were surprised last year, you may remember, when their packages didn't make it to their friends and loved ones before christmas. a last minute surge in orders overwhelmed the postal service and federal express. this year, all three of the major shippers have increased to avoid a repeat, they all have deadlines in the week of the 20th depending on the carrier and service requested. check with each for the exact dates but the safest bet is to get it in before december 20th. the sooner, the better. >> always good advice. >> i have a pile of stuff that has to get to the post office. >> michael, thank you. not all of santa's helpers are actually elves. >> some wear a badge and are heroes and helpers.

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coming up new at 6:00, you have been hearing all about the big storm moving in. make sure you join us for spencer christian's updated accuweather forecast. also from 7 on your side, michael finney shows us how a small pest control job turned into a big problem for a bay area family. a new spin on a tv classic. a holiday version of "the golden girls." you have never seen one like this before. all coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00. >> see you at 6:00. santa is getting a little help this season from south bay police officers. >> this is the seventh annual shop with a cop event in san jose. those who took part included children who have experienced the loss of a parent due to violence and two children from the recently torn down homeless encampment known as the jungle. >> this is so nice. officers pay out of pocket for any gifts the children choose that are not covered by donation.

thank you for doing that. >> thanks for joining us. i'm cheryl jennings. >> i'm dan ashley. see you in half an hour. welcome to "world news tonight." and breaking now, major winter warnings on both coasts at this hour. two powerful storms, digging out from the nor'easter. and bracing for this. the worst storm in five years in the west. san francisco, closing schools already. also breaking, the nfl commissioner and the tough new rules tonight. pulling players the moment there are charges. plus, the nfl star, the truck accident, fracturing his back. will he play? the big medical headline for women tonight. too much radiation? how much is enough? and what to ask your doctor. and the hollywood e-mails hacked tonight. private words made public. about angelina jolie and others. could this cost millions? good evening.