a live look at conditions in san rafael. the rain arrived but this is just the beginning. we should feel the full force of the storm in a few hours. we begin with the storm hitting the bay area right now. the heaviest rain is expected to hit the north bay tonight. in santa rose into people could see up to two inches in rain. that i was flashflood for napa, sonoma, and marin counties. there is more rain expected tonight but not nearly as minute as further north. we have live team coverage with

katy utehs in the north bay. first, drew tuma. >> we're await thing heavier showers tonight. the live doppler 7hd is tracking light showers. one pocket of downpours developed around clear lake. some light showers around sonoma, big bend, highway 29, a similar store over san francisco. daly city, light showers, oakland, san san leandro. everyone will see heavier showers later. we're waiting for a cold front that will swing through here tonight and that will bring the heavier showers. the storm impact scale, we're raith our storms all winter long so you can know what to expect. and tonight's storm is a three.

anticipating one to two inches in the north bay, elsewhere up to an inch of rain. another storm is moving in on the heels this one. the active seven-day forecast in a few minutes. i. >> katie utehs is live in mill valley. some people are thrilled that rain is on the way. >> reporter: some people, eric. others are bracing for what is likely to be a messy monday morning commute. i'll step out the way. we're at manzanita park and ride. the barricades are already up because of high tides and heavy rain, this parking lot is prone to flooding and that takes out half of the parking here. other people are soaking up the sunday rain. >> a little muddy. >> 0. >> reporter: soggy is house mountain bikers like to see the hillsides in marin county. >> last four years it's been just dry as a bone so it's nice

to see the creeks flowing. >> reporter: the spillway from this lake. >> i think it's awesome. >> reporter: reachewing even for young children. >> two months ago this was dry and now it's rivers instead of creeks, like it normally is. >> reporter: regs sir voyeurs in the marin watershed are three-quarters of the way full thanks to repeat rain storms. >> it's coming and then stopping and soaking in and then raining again. it's a nice rain. >> my favorite time to hike in the drizzly rain, and it's just gorgeous. >> reporter: morning drizzle is precede the heavier overnight storms. so for those in low-lying areas, sandbags are available at several locations. a flashflood warning is in effect for parts of the north bay, with anyone from one and a half to three and a half inches of rain predicted. some say let it pour. >> i love the rain. a lot of people don't like the rain.

i love the rain. >> we are prepared. duct tape on our thumbs and booties and rain coats and stuff. now we'll have a beer. >> reporter: if you're in need of sandbags living in one of those low-lying areas we have made it easy for you to find the closest location to your home. head to abc7news.com where we posted the list. >> thank you. take a look at the proof of the ocean's power. we were in pacifica where pounding waves eroded part of the sidewalk, creating a large sinkhole. county workers hauled in boulders to fill the sinkhole. engineers believe the rocks will stabilize the pavement above the sinkhole. coastal areas under high surf warning through 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. the national weather service

says a large westerly swell began to impact the coastline yesterday morning. track the raid and flood watches by downloading our abc7~news app and enable push alerts for immediate notifications. to developing news now. three americans, all former prisoners of iran, are now in germany, including bay area native jason rezaian. this is the first image of rezaian since his release. he is seen here in geneva, all tree former prisoners are reconnecting with their families. >> reporter: three americans held for fongs and years behind bars in iran, land in switzerland and then germany. >> a good day when americans are freed and. >> the wife of american pastor saeed an den any quieting he just landed. i should talk with him in a few hours. thank you. the father of two was imprisoned

for more than three. >> accused of threatening iran's national security. another of the released, jason rezaian, detained for 18 months, charged with espionage in a closed-door trial. once he with with wife and mother by his side was safely out of iran the "washington post" released a statement saying we are relieved that this 545 day nightmare for jayson and his family is finally over. also onboard, amir hekmati, detained the longest, four years, the former u.s. marine arrested in iran while visiting his grandmother. they all spent time at iran's notorious prison where they were allegedly subjected to beatings, solitary confinement and psychological abuse. president obama remaining steadfast in his message it was diplomatic negotiations that led to their release, that deal quietly played out outside of the international nuclear deal negotiated this past july. >> we achieved this historic

progress through diplomacy, without resorting to another war in the middle east. >> reporter: as for to the two remaining ex-prisoners, one is believed to be still in iran, and an american student who was released independently has already headed home. >> jason rezaian's brother in mill valley says support from around the world brought the family strength during a difficult time. he released a statement saying, quote, this encouragement gave us the strength to keep fight for jason every day. ali rezaian says the family appreciates every single person involved in the effort to free jason. in less than two hours you won't be able to shop anymore at the walmart near the oakland coliseum because it's one of two walmarts closing here in the bay area. nationwide walmart announced it was closing 269 stores. that's worldwide. including about 150 here in the u.s. abc7 news found one shopper who will miss the oakland walmart on

edgewater road. >> i'm sad. i came by here today for the last time, just to walk in here and just to get a good feel of it because i hate that oakland is loses such a great store. >> in san jose, this walmart will close in less thon two weeks. walmart will provide displaced workers with sever residence pay and retraining. ahead, look at intense moments when an apartment building catches fire, trapping people inside. a first person view a firefighters rescue seven people from thick choking smoke. an annual martin luther king, jr. holiday tradition in the bay area returns tomorrow but with some changes. that story when abc7~news at 5:00 continues.

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a manhunt is underway for a minimum security inmate who walked away from a firefighting camp. he was convicted of robbery charges and was set to be released in july 2016. he was serving time in sonoma county when he was assign teed an inmate-firefighterring crew at washington ridge conservation camp in nevada city. the camp house 100 minnesota minimum custody inmates. >> another search. vacaville police looking for these two anyone involved in a robbery. this surveillance photo shows the pair inside the store.

the thieves took several mac book pro laptops. >> chaotic moments on video. look. >> come on out. come on out. hold ton her from inside. >> this is the firefighter's view as he helps stave seven people from a burning building in fresno. you see a mother and father climb out of a window from a room filled with smoke. firefighters say it was the only way out, the stairwell was on fire. video from a helmet cam captured the scene. you can see crews checking the building for other people who may be inside. two people suffered smoke inhalation but a everything got out okay. spacex, makes an attempt at history. what the company says went wrong. taking a look outside, soggy sunday as rain makes it way

across the bay area with some areas under a flood watch. find out if we can expect a wet

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liftoff of the falcon 9 rocket. >> the launch was successful today for spacex's rocket but the landing was a little rough. spacex tried to land the ship on a barge off the san diego coast. as you see, the rocket did successfully deploy a satellite that will be used to study climate change. the company's founder, elon musk, says the spacecraft tipped over when a support leg didn't latch into place. he tweet this picture showing the damage. this is the third failed attempt at a sea landing for spacex. a long time tradition will run again. the freedom train rain.

tomorrow is the inaugural run for the celebration train. last year the martin luther king, jr. martin luther king, jr. center of was running the train. now caltrain will run he train. it leaves san jose at 9:35 in the morning. will it by raining? we have some light rain right now. here's drew. >> we're waiting for the heaviest rain to come in, probably the next three to five hours. live doppler 7hd is tracking some steady showers. north bay right now, santa rosa, showers and roanoke park. pet resume ya, tracking downpours in marin county, and yellow indicating moderate showers. from san francisco, day d.aally city, oakland, san lee an dough -- san leandro, and hayward, milpitas, we're seeing

at least some light sprinkles. i think the south bay will see the heaviest of the showers around the midnight hour. so it will take some time. we're watching heavier showers develop off the coast. this is the cold front slowly moving to the east. so in the next three to five hours we recall see the heavy downtown pour occur. we're in the upper 50s to lower 60s. our storm impact scale, it's a scale from one to five, one being the lightest and five the most severe, and i kind of helps you to know the impact of each storm and what to expect as we do -- go throughout each storm. this one tonight is a three. heavy showers, north bay, one to two inches, elsewhere everyone should at least see half inch and close to an inch in some locations. so pick out where you live. we're watching the cold front move in by 9:00 tonight we're seeing more in the way of

downpours than the steady light rain. we're likely tracking heavy downpours across the region tomorrow morning. this front is crossing the region and we're starting to dry out in the north bay, and then 5:00, 6:00 on your monday morning, if you're going to work on the holiday, does look like we'll have an isolated showers but the front falls apart and we are left with clouds. the total rainfall with the system, the heaviest be in the north bay but most locations look to pick up at least half an inch, and since the heaviest of the rain will fall in the north bay we have a flashflood watch in effect until 4:00 in the morning. a watch means the potential there is to see flooding where we have the heaviest showers. the russian river, forecasted to crest at 17.6 feet tonight. that's below flood stage. we are anticipating in minor flooding at the novarro river. forecasted to crest at 24-1/2 feet tomorrow morning, 4:00 in the morning, foot and a half above flood stage.

we have a coastal flood warning in effect. the combination of rain and high surf could lead to flooding along the coast. current wave heights 12 to 15-foot, could get up to 19 feet. a winter storm warning on the western slopes, a winter weather advisory in effect through tomorrow morning, three to five inches around lake level. tonight, in the 50s, expecting the heaviest rain in the next few hours. here's your accuweather seven-day forecast, tracking cloudy tomorrow and then a rainy system on tuesday, and then on thursday and friday. the heaviest of the rain is on its way tonight. >> thank goodness we gate break in between. i know niner fans are suffering ball the seahawks are not advancing. >> will not be at levi's stadium. can't spot a team 31-points in a

divisional playoff and expect to win. that's what happened today in charlotte as cam newton led his panthers to a 31-0 halftime lead against seattle.

seattle seahawks would have liked nothing bert than to win super bowl 50 on the 49ers' home turf but just dug themselves too big a hole against the panthers, with a lot of bay year guys in the game, including one rivera. cam newt to an taking on marshawn lynch. first play from scrimmage, stewart gets through the middle and richard sherian finely drags him down. stewart two tds on the day. that led to a score. set's first drive. russell wilson,er and excepted, pick six. 14 or panthers. less than four minutes in. panthers look unstoppable in the first half. newton into the tiniest of windows to greg olsen. 31 or panthers at the half. tale of two halves. russell will son doing what he

does. now 31-21. now a seven-point game and an onside kick but carolina recovers. 24 unanswered by the hawks but too much to overcome. 31-24 the final. carolina with the first nfc title game appearance in ten years, hosting the cardinals. >> almost everybody is trying to make the most of super bowl, super bowl, super bowl. yeah, but the truth of the matter is, we're not going to have the opportunity if we don't focus and hone in for this week and that's what make is the most important game we played. >> everybody in here just feels look we just ran out of time. >> peyton manning looking for a second shot at the time at a ring, hosting the steelers. pittsburgh runs the end-around with bryant. sets up a short touchdown. pittsburgh takes the lead. to the fourth. fitzgerald fumbles, wear jumpsen it for denver, denver with the touchdown when anderson dives

in. 20-13 denver after getting the two-point conversion, and big ben on fourth down will be wrapped up. denver wins 23-16, and host new england next sunday. >> the best thing we did, we stayed patient, didn't give them any short field. obviously when we needed it we had a big drive, and i got that touchdown that put us up. >> warriors have now lost as many games in four days as they have all season, two. tomorrow they're in cleveland trying to avoid the first two-game losing streak. warriors practicing after losing by 18 in detroit last night. tomorrow's gain will be the first in cleveland sin winning the nba title last year. another big national audience on martin luther king, jr. day. >> we had some great days in the building but we have to come out with an edge, and come out and compete at the highest level. >> haven't played in any other setting since i can remember.

so finals, obviously, christmas day. we've been there and it's going to be real important how he start. >> more from today's divisional matchup. cardinal and pat thens, cardinals and patriots, the showdown for super bowl 50. >> you see this massive system in green. drew will let us know how long the rain will last, coming up next.

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at 6:00 a look at the unusual damage cause bit vrabels with fire extinguishers and cold cuts at a bay area school. a man who brought high fashion to san francisco passes away. his lasting legacy, join us at 6:00. now, final check on the forecast from drew. >> live doppler 7hd is busy tracking the wet weather. the have just off the coast, moving onshore the next three to five hours. a three on our storm impact scale, expecting one to two inches in the north bay with the system the next 12 hours. >> thank you very much. and you, too, shu. that does it for us here at 5:00. thank you for your time.

see you at 6:00. don't go anywhere. welcome to "world news tonight." developing right now, out of iran. those american prisoners taking the first steps to freedom. the plane touching down in switzerland. the pastor, the marine and the journalist, on their way home to their families. tonight, inside the deal that got them out. battle lines. donald trump tearing into ted cruz, but cruz using trump's own words against him. so, who's the real conservative? this, as hillary and bernie square off in a new debate. night strike. deadly tornadoes hitting while people slept. families forced to scramble for their lives. our reporter in the middle of the disaster zone. murder in paradise. the young woman on a tropical getaway. heading out to do yoga and never coming back. tonight, new clues and a person of interest.