we have richmond at 0.58 of an in inch. the storm coming in tomorrow, it's a three, perhaps the strongest storm of this year so far. one to two inches of rain expected for the lower elevations. gusts over 50 miles per hour. flash flood watch going up tomorrow for the burn areas of lake county where flash flooding and debris flows are possible. the winds strong enough to take down trees and power lines. wind advisory saturday noon until 11:00 p.m. wind gusts 35 to 50 miles per hour. and there's second storm on sunday. i'll be back with what you can expect for your weekend plans coming up. kristen? >> sandhya, thank you. tree trimmers trying to get ahead of the storm today by

trimming back old trees before the high winds blow in. eric thomas is live in concord for us. >> reporter: we talked to a number of free services today. some reported being very busy today, some expect to be busy tomorrow night and sunday after the winds kick up and blow through and bring down some of those branches and inevitably some trees. today, diseased or dying trees had a price on their heads. like this tree weakened by infestation of beatles, cut down before bad weather did nit a much more dangerous way. still, some trees will fall to mother nature. >> we've got crews ready to go for the weekend. some trees are going to fall out there. >> probably to some combination of drought weakened roots, and

winds. pg&e has crews out all over the bay area today. >> this tree is diseased. we want to have it removed before the storm hits. >> reporter: pg&e says keeping branches and power lines apart is a 365-day a year job. >> we could see a power outage, but it could also bring the wire down. that's one of the things we want to avoid. >> reporter: or rain and wind could combine to bring it all down. >> saturation of the soil will move the tree just a little bit and sometimes the weakened roots can't take that extra pressure. >> reporter: doesn't take much to bring down one of those diseased and drought ridden trees. it's probably to late to get a trimmer to come out before the storms hit tomorrow. but once they blow through, it may not be a bad idea to have

somebody check your trees. because when these trees are gone, there will be another one. eric thomas, "abc7 news." a huge treat in san francisco's pri sidio heights crashed, damaging two cars and a bus. it was right around 8:30 in the morning near sacramento street. took a couple of hours for firefighters to cut up the tree and thankfully nobody was hurt. and this picture was shared of the ducks. they were enjoying the wet weather today. share your photos and videos of these storms this weekend with us by using the #abc7now. a bomb squad destroyed a small amount of acid in a controlled explosion today. the team set off about a liter of acid, which is volatile when it becomes crystallized.

workers noticed it was aging and starting to crystallize. authorities removed the acid. put it in a remote area in a hole and blew it up safety. b.a.r.t. is trying to work itself out of a mysterious problem that has sidelined dozens of cars, creating congestion during peak times. laura, this has b.a.r.t. officials scratching their heads. >> reporter: larry, the timing of this could not be worse. just as b.a.r.t. is experiencing record ridership, there is a mystery problem that keeps putting badly needed train cars on the sidelines. regular commuters tell us b.a.r.t. trains are always packed during peak times, but this week some may have noticed the conditions were tighter. >> i do notice that there's a bigger crowd. >> reporter: it has to do with a problem b.a.r.t. says is happening on the east bound

trains traveling through the transbay two. cars that have older equipment when going through were experiencing spikes in voltage, and the circuitry meant to protect the motor from the voltage was getting damaged. >> reporter: so far, 80 cars have been affected, taken out of service temporarily for repairs at b.a.r.t. maintenance yards. the problem has been happening for some time, but became more frequent lately. to keep it from happening, b.a.r.t. is taking this substation off line. although they don't think it's the source of the problem. >> we're still trying to figure out exactly what caused it. we did major inspections, looked at the third rail of the tracks, found nothing. >> reporter: b.a.r.t. expects to have all the cars repar)ed and back in service by monday. laura anthony, "abc7 news." so what are your thoughts on b.a.r.t.'s crowded trains? we want to hear from you.

using the #dearbart. there are now five confirmed cases of zika virus in the bay p)ea. health officials reported one case today in alameda could believy. and contra costa county reported two. two other zika cases were confirmed last wee)hr' napa county and san francisco. the vr)us is usually spread by

when gonzalez moved her hand away, the baby started crying again. >> there's no evidence in this case of any injury to this child. and the conduct is characterized as criminal and i disagree. >> care.com has banned gonzalez from its babysitting website where she advertised her services. police fear there may be more victims out there. college officials are taking a closer look at security measures after a report of sexual battery in a women's restroom in the pittsburgh campus last night. this happened 9:00 last night. the victim is a student.

district services and the city of pittsburgh police searched the campus but never found a suspect. a new twist in the o.j. simpson murder case. a retired los angeles police officer says a knife was turned in to him while he was working off duty in the late 1990s. police are looking into whether that knife could be the weapon used to murder simpson's ex-wife nicole brown simpson and her friend ron goldman. lyanne melendez is live with this developing story. >> reporter: police in los angeles have been examining this knife very carefully for several weeks now. then the information was leaked to the press. in essence, this alleged discovery happened more than 17, 18 years ago, and police say it may be bogus from the get-go. this is where the knife was supposedly found at the demolition site of o.j. simpson's estate in the late '90s.

lapd says a construction worker discovered it and gave it to an off-duty police officer who happened to be working across the street. >> he was working a movie job, which a lot of our officers do on an off duty basis. >> reporter: but the officer in question kept the knife instead of turning it in. the officer thought the case was closed. rick smith is a former fbi agent. >> i think the story could be a hoax, but if it's true, it's unconscionable the officer did turn it in. >> reporter: police would not describe the actual knife, but news reports say it's a folding knife that may look like this one. the knife is at the lab with the hopes that any dna evidence has been preserved. according to tmz, in january the now retired officer told someone within the department that he wanted to have it framed. that person told his supervisor. simpson was acquitted after a trial that lasted more than eight months. ron goldman's family issued this

statement, until the lapd completes its investigation of the recovered knife, the validity of the knife as it relates to ron and nicole's murder is purely speculative. nicole simpson divorced the former football star. she and goldman were killed outside her apartment not far from where o.j. lived. >> there was overwhelming evidence to convict simpson. i think the jury was predisposed to acquit him. so not sure if it would have made any difference. >> reporter: in san francisco, leeann melendez, "abc7 news." the santa clara county sheriff fired back after she said she was accused of staging a brawl at the jail yesterday. that fight involved about 20 minutes. the groups that fought never should have been allowed to be in the same area, but the sheriff said, kordell lacks the

courage to ask her directly act the incident and called the accusation a lie. she said kordell had a political agenda. it's been a devastating crab season for bay area fishermen. but help may be on the way. "abc7 news" was at fisherman's wharf as a disaster relief bill was introduced, giving the crab industry $138 million in federal aid. but first the federal government must issue a disaster declaration. up next, fighting for her home. >> marie died of a broken heart. >> some say an i eviction order is the reason for a 97-year-old's death. >> plus -- ♪

>> the permanent bond that lady gaga is forming with sexual assault survivors who stood with her on the stage at the oscars sunday. >> packaging ager in the east bay. why are peeled oranges being put in plastic containers? >> and re

last month, we introduced you to a 97-year-old renter who is being evicted. this despite a promise from the original land lord. last night, marie hatch was rushed to the hospital where she ended up dying. her roommate says the eviction threat was the cause of death. vic lee has more. >> reporter: what a sad story this is. in fact, you'll recall lawyers for marie hatch had just filed a lawsuit to fight the eviction. that lawsuit we are told will go

forward as an elder abuse and breach of contract case. as for her long-time roommate, georgia rothrock, she has another lawyer to fight that eviction. >> marie died from a broken hart. >> reporter: marie hatch's lawyer sums up what a lot of people think, that the eviction order hastened her death. her long-time roommate georgia believes that. >> she's lived here for 60 years and she's 97. it's not reasonable. it's not kind or compassionate. >> reporter: the promise was made by her former land lady, her good friend. hatch told us just last week what that promise was. >> she said marie, this is your home. you can live here as long as you want to. >> reporter: the promise was made some 60 years ago. hatch has been paying rent all along. only $900 a month for this cottage, estimated value $1.2 million.

when her land lady died, her children kept the promise. but they too eventually passed. her new land lord is the husband of a granddaughter who also died. last month, hatch received this 60-day notice to leave. she was rushed to emergency with breathing problems. then last week, the eviction story went viral. when we met her, she seemed emotionally drained. >> i don't know. i don't have the slightest idea where i'm going to go. that's why i don't sleep very much. >> this impending displacement i think really just knocked the pins out from under her. >> reporter: yesterday, hatch was rushed to the hospital with respiratory problems. the official cause of death will come later, but many will always believe it was because of a broken heart. the land lord's lawyer did not return our calls today. vic lee, "abc7 news."

>> vic, thank you. in what appears to be a first, a former uber driver from san diego has been granted unemployment benefits from the state, according to a report, uber maintains the drivers from independent contractors, not employees. in california, self-employed workers don't usually qualify for benefits. but the state's employment development department has approved his claim and will be paid $350 a week in benefits. ♪ tonight, five days after that passionate and highly emotional performance at the oscars, lady gaga is forming a permanent bond with the sexual assault survivors who stood on stage with her. gaga yesterday got a matching tattoo with some of those survivors, symbolizing unity and solidarity. other victims have also posted victims of their tattoos. gaga has been open about being a survivor of sexual assault

herself. 50 survivors stood on that stage sunday night, including a uc berkeley student. a whole foods packaging decision is causing an outrage on twitter tonight. >> somebody snapped this photo of peeled oranges in plastic containers at the oakland whole foods this week. the twitter poster said if only nature would find a way to cover these oranges so we didn't need to waste plastic on them. >> whole foods responded saying, our mistake, we will leave them in their original packaging. you can see more snow coming as a result of the storm, and they're loving it out there. by the end of the weekend, the ski resorts counsel brating a lot more powder. >> that snow is coming from two storms. sandhya patel joins us now with a look at the accuweather forecast. >> right now i donhave the umbra

with me. let me show you where it's raining right now on live doppler 7 hd. it is a little breezy out here, as well. it's only going to get windier. right now pockets of moderate rain in the east bay, heading into livermore, from the dublin area. also seeing some lighter rain around the peninsula from redwood city, mountain view. and in the north bay, light showers right now. temperatures pretty mild in the 50s and the 60s. here's a look at the sierras. snow is falling at the highest elevations and here is a beautiful picture from our lake tahoe camera. they've been seeing a mix of rain and snow up there, but that's going to switch over to snow on sunday. strongest storm of the year so far expected on saturday. a moderate storm on sunday and a

chance of thunderstorms. here's a look at the storm impact scale, a three for saturday. one to two inches expected for the lower elevations. gusts could top over 50 miles an hour. here's the timeline. 10:00 a.m. saturday, winds start to increase, but notice what happens as we head towards 3:00 a.m. over 50-mile-an-hour winds along the coastline. 6:00, you're seeing 48 to 50-mile-per-hour winds. hang on to your hats, watch out for the potential of trees going down. saturday and sunday, just scattered showers. the intensity will pick up later in the day, 10:00 a.m., light to moderate rain. noontime, it's widespread. and if you have afternoon plans, i would take them inside. it only gets heavier. 3:00 p.m., it starts to intensify. the winds come up. 5:00 p.m., pockets of moderate to heavy rain. at 7:00 p.m., don't be surprised

to see thunderstorms. on sunday, the storm is a two on our storm impact scale. lightning possible, winds not as strong but breezy at 20 to 40 miles per hour. 7:00 a.m. sunday, light showers and you get a little breather until 7:00 p.m. that's when the steadier rain moves in sunday night. pockets of moderate to briefly heavy rain there heading into the wee hours of monday morning. your monday morning commute includes scattered showers at 5:00 a.m. and eases up towards the latter part of the day. rainfall totals between tomorrow all the way through sunday afternoon, expecting three to six inches in our mountains. one to two inches at the lower elevations, which. winter storm warnings from saturday to sunday at 4:00 p.m.

three feet or more at the highest peaks. and kickwood, by monday afternoon, could be looking at 43 inches of snow. snow levels will be going down on sunday. tomorrow morning, scattered showers. temperatures in the 50s. today's system is a one, tomorrow is going to be stormy, it's a three. highs primarily in the 60s. wet, windy, potential for thunderstorms going into sunday. two on our storm impact scale on our accuweather seven-day forecast. monday is a one. showers, a short break. tuesday, chance of showers. and it looks like a couple more systems coming in. thursday is a one, and friday is a two. that friday's system may get bumped up to a three as it will bring rain and wind. so stay tuned. this may be the march miracle we've been waiting for. larry and kristen? >> thanks, sandhya. where you can grab the

stacked pancakes on the house, that's next. >> our goal is to get an implanted device that gives the patient ultimate freedom. >> this is being called a breakthrough invention.

the irish flag was raised over city hall in san francisco today and "abc7 news" was there to see it. the mayor took part in the ceremony with members of the united irish societies of san francisco. today's ceremony served to kick off a week of irish traditions in san francisco. the st. patrick's parade takes place next saturday. >> and we'll have live coverage, saturday, march 12. we'll have it on the air, starting at noon and michael finney will anchor our coverage, just like he did a year ago. >> and he's here with the free stuff. >> i've got a free parade for you coming up.

i'm going to feed you breakfast and lunch. >> really? >> i am. my favorite holiday, national pancake day, is coming up on tuesday. ihops all over the united states will give you a free short stack of pancakes, just like these. all you have to do is show up on tuesday and say hey, give me some of those free pancakes and they'll do that. what they're hoping to do is raise money for the children's miracle network hospitals. in the past, they've raised millions. this year they hope to raise $3.5 million. after you've had that good breakfast, time for a vegan burger. look how big this is. vegan burger is located in ha hait.

just tear into it. this thing is pretty thick, a lot going on. it has mix and match ingredients, it's 100% plant based menu. and look at that. >> how do i get one? >> what a great question. you dial this number. 1-800-546-7417 or go to abc7news.com. >> so breakfast, lunch and dinner. that's a lot of food. still ahead on "abc7 news." rescued from near certain death. >> next, meet the puppies up for adoption in the bay

i was walking home. just picked us up two breakfast croissants for four bucks, when this bear attacked. with one swipe, it devoured one of the croissants. then jack showed up and took care of the beast, so i could escape. and that's what happened to your breakfast croissant.

and yours? it survived. share it with yourself. freshly cracked egg with ham and bacon, or sausage, get two breakfast croissants for four bucks. i'm ama daetz in the "abc7 news" room. coming up new at 6:00, the wet weekend is upon us. we're tracking the biggest storm of the year. also --

>> i will die standing saying what i say. >> a witness' version of events in the shooting death of a man by san francisco police. a story you'll only see on 7. the all-new s.a.t. what's different about it and the staggering amount of money getting ready for it. that's all coming up on "abc7 news" at 6:00. if you like golden retrievers, and who doesn't? you may want to keep an eye out on a san francisco spca. >> they're caring for 18 dogs rescued from a south korean farm. they were going to be slaughtered for meat. >> instead, they were brought to san francisco. the dogs are being socialized before being adopted. casey has found a home. the rest will be available after they are evaluated. look at that face. just adorable. >> it looks like some of them are forming friendships and bonds. you can't just adopt one. maybe two or three at the same

time. >> great idea. i'm kris several breaking stories this friday night. the o.j. simpson murder case. the lapd confirming they are now testing a knife, allegedly found buried at simpson's former estate. amid reports it is not consistent with the murders. and we ask, why is it just being tested now? the fallout after the debate. trump defending his own words on that stage. >> and he referred to my hands. if they are small, something else must be small. i guarantee you, there is no problem. i guarantee you. >> the urgent effort to block trump. with many asking, is this helping hillary clinton? the friday commuter nightmare. the storms. several chain reaction crashes. snow and ice sweeping through. the next system we're watching already. the cdc now on the scene tonight. the mystery illness in the heartland.