Skip to main content

tv   ABC7 News 400PM  ABC  February 7, 2017 4:00pm-5:01pm PST

4:00 pm
remains in effect until 5:30 this afternoon. up in the north bay, a flood warning is in effect for much of the russian river near guerneville until thursday morning at 2:45. on the napa river south of st. helena until wednesday. between clear lake and lake port, a flood warning until saturday at 5:00 p.m. back to sonoma county, a flood warning is in effect until 8:15 this evening. on we go to the evening rush. exercise caution. light showers will continue to fall. there are flooded roadways or portions of roadways that are fledded. once it's dark under wet conditions it's going to be a slow go. let's look ahead to thursday when our next strong storm comes in. it will rank 3 on the storm impact scale, bring heavy rain again. flooding concerns will be very high and there's a possibility of downed trees and rock slides and mudslides. we'll have a closer look at the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. dan. >> it's going.
4:01 pm
>> can you believe that? an incredible scene in san rafael this morning of a home being destroyed by a massive landslide. a police officer took this video of the house on mountain view avenue. the two-story house was inundated by a wall of mud that tore right through the walls, snapped support beams and as you can see wrecked the foundation. the family inside heard the commotion, all ran out. the homeowner says everyone did get out safely and is okay. he said seeing the house where he was born destroyed is tough to handle. >> i tell my wife and son, we've got to get out of the house. right then there was a slide that came in over our upper patio and hit the window into our kitchen, coming down into the house. so then we ran out. >> smart move. two neighboring homes have been tagged unsafe, too dangerous for people to be in because of the crumbling hillside. now to the east bay where a group of women had to be rescued
4:02 pm
from flooding during a luncheon. >> laura anthony is live in castro valley with a look at what happened there, laura. >> reporter: hi, dan. check this out. this is the redwood golf course, redwood canyon golf course. much of it as you can see now is under water. many of the fairways are under water. we talked with an east bay regional parks police lieutenant who told us this is the first time he's seen it like this in his 17 years with the district. thanks to an overflowing creek, a luncheon for retired school teachers turned into a rescue mission for the alameda county fire department. after san leandro creek burst its banks and flooded much of the redwood canyon golf course, leaving the clubhouse cut off just as the women were arriving for lunch. >> it was really unbelievable because this is castro valley. >> reporter: the alameda county fire department came to the rescue, along with east bay regional parks police, and used their rigs to drive the women to
4:03 pm
safety. >> so there were seven of us in there and we seven got a lunch. good lunch. >> reporter: earlier in martinez, it was a close call for earl heaps, asleep in his home when it seemed or sounded like the sky was falling. >> all of a sudden i thought a plane crashed. >> reporter: it wasn't a plane, but a 100-year live oak tree that used to be firmly planted in heaps' backyard, now strewn across tahoe way, taking down the power lines with it. >> it was a live oak in my backyard. it came down and took my fence and everything out. >> reporter: didn't hit your house, though. >> no. thank god for that. >> i heard a big ole crash. the whole house shook. i knew a tree had come down. that was quite an awakening. a little scary, but nobody got hurt, no cars are crushed, nobody got hurt, so happy about that, but sad about the trees. >> reporter: and we're back live here at the redwood canyon golf
4:04 pm
course. we've been here several hours, dan and ama, and have not seen this water recede at all. it's being fed by the san lorenzo reservoir, which is full and is feeding the creek, the san leandro creek. for a time this morning we're told there was some heavy equipment uphill from where i'm standing trying to clear out the culverts, but obviously at this point so far anyway, that doesn't seem to be helping. live in castro valley, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> laura, thank you. another massive mudslide in the santa cruz mountains is preventing tens of thousands of commuters from getting home in a timely manner this afternoon. both directions of highway 17 are closed because of the slide north of scots valley near vine hill road. that happened around 10:00 this morning. this is individual yes taken by the scots valley police department. at least two cars were hit by the slide and overturned. there is no word of any injuries. this all happened not far from this huge mudslide three weeks ago that destroyed an abc 7 news van and sent one of our
4:05 pm
colleagues to the hospital. take a look at the drive time traffic map. we're going to show that to you coming up in a moment. actually we'll tell you traffic is bad. >> it really is bad. the chp tells abc 7 news that the road will be closed for at least 24 hours, if not longer. we'll keep tabs on that. meantime, flooding was a big issue along the russian river last month and now residents in guerneville, they are worried again, understandably. abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman is there live with the story. wayne? >> reporter: good afternoon, dan. not only worried about it, they are dealing with it. over my shoulder, deja vu all over again. this is the scene people in guerneville is used to. everyone else is going to go oh, my goodness. this is just beyond 5th street at church, a neighborhood cut auchlt let off. let's look at some video within the last hour. fawn harbor never thought she'd be thanking members of the russian fire district until rain turned into high waters and then
4:06 pm
it turned her house into an island. those firefighters had to walk her out this afternoon, appeared it's not the first time she's been flooded this winter. >> this is three. three or four, and it's going to rise up into the houses this time if it comes up again because the creek is coming now. >> reporter: correction, at armstrong woods road five creek has arrived and taken over. earlier it overran a neighborhood and undercut another road leading to the guerneville elementary school, karen divan, who lives here, seize trouble ahead. >> at some point the weight of the school buses that go out of here every single day are going to have a problem. >> reporter: but in, around and above guerneville is what matters right now. a mudslide on sweet water springs road cut off one of the only alternate routes from town if the situation worsens. >> is this uncommon or surprising? >> it happens all the time. we've been doing this for two months now since the rainstorm started. it was a good one today. >> reporter: oh, it's a good one all right. good as in bad and bad as in
4:07 pm
guerneville has already seen enough this winter. and as we come back live, i asked one resident here, is this over? her answer was are you kidding? it's only beginning. we have two months left. this apartment house, this is a good example. this is the parking lot of an apartment house. it has become a lake. they can't get their cars in. thank goodness there were no cars to get out. live in guerneville, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >> wow, all right, wayne, thank you. one of the hardest-hit areas today was from ross. you can see the water has come all the way up to these homes. >> just amazing. alarms sounded in san ensell mow and ross valley around 7:00 this morning. business owners brought out the sandbags to try to protect their stores. this is the fifth time this winter people in san anselmo have been warned about flooding. but they were back open for
4:08 pm
business by late morning. kayaks and row boats were the preferred way of getting around in kentfield this morning. evacuation sirens sounded at 8:00 a.m. local firefighters called for additional help to evacuate about 100 residents. >> koi pond is underwater so i hope the fish make it okay. but the house is okay. we pulled all the -- >> the house is three or four feet in the air? >> yeah, red cross came in a long time ago and raised all these houses to get them up out of the floodwater. >> no one was hurt and everyone did get out okay. thousands of other residents along the creek also saw flooding. look at this, an excavator was brought in to shovel up debris on the east side in east palo alto. a police officer shot this and shared it on the agency's facebook page. officials with the county water district are keeping a close eye on this creek, worried that it may flood. the water is high.
4:09 pm
the creek exceeded flood stage at west bayshore road at 1:00 p.m. today rising to above 16 feet. the redwood city fire department posted this picture of flooding on anyone sinstagra. flooding today was exacerbated by the high tide and that could be an even bigger concern tomorrow as the tide is expected to be even higher than today. the rain and high tide created a mess along san francisco's embarcadero this morning. look at these pictures. abc 7 news was at pier 14 as cars splashed their way through the water that jumped the pier and flooded the road near howard street. one lane was closed to traffic. that did not help cyclists who had to tread through a flooded bke lane. the rain and wind brought down a tall eucalyptus tree in oakland hills. a city crew was trying to clear the mess on shepherd canyon road. the road was closed for much of the morning but some drivers ignored that warning. >> here's a tree that toppled
4:10 pm
over in belmont this morning. it went down at a home on college view way. you can see how soaked the ground is from the rain too. the good news, not any damage and no one was hurt. let's take a live look at san francisco international airport where there have been dozens of cancellations and delays because of today's weather. poor visibility and gusty winds have impacted flights all day long. 59 departing flights have been cancelled so far and 59 arriving flights have also been cancelled. no problems were reported at the airports in oakland or san jose. well, the storm has quieted down and moved on, but more rain is expected the next few days. we're in quite a pattern here. you can track this storm on the abc 7 news app. enable the push alerts to get weather advisories right on your phone or your tablet immediately. well, our weather coverage continues. we'll take you to napa and sonoma counties where roads are flooded. in some cases water is shooting into the sky. that incredible video coming up next. and patriots fans didn't let
4:11 pm
another storm get in the way of their super bowl celebration today. no, no, it was quite the scene. plus arguments for and against president trump's travel ban are under way right now in a san francisco appeals court. what's being said and when we can expect a ruling. let's take you live outside to san jose on 101. as you can see, traffic is moving pretty slowly in the southbound direction. no problems heading north. that's 880 over the top and it's a little sticky but not too bad at 4:11 on this tuesd
4:12 pm
at at&t, we believe in access. the opportunity for everyone to explore a digital world. connecting with the things that matter most. and because nothing keeps us more connected than the internet, we've created access from at&t. california households with at least one resident who receives snap or ssi benefits may qualify for home internet at a discounted rate of $10 a month. no commitment, deposit, or installation fee. visit att.com/accessnow to learn more.
4:13 pm
it's another hectic day for public works crews all around the bay area. these workers spent hours pulling debris from a creek in novato. it's places like this where logs
4:14 pm
and other materials can block the flow of water causing flooding. this video was taken in forestville near river road and sunset drive. >> power outages and mudslides basically sum up life in sausalito today. >> let's take it live there with lyanne melendez with the story. >> reporter: hi. can i just say that people here are glad that the rain has stopped. now, two mudslides in sausalito alone. now, this one is being addressed right now and the road, this street won't reopen until tomorrow. >> this is my fourth contract since 8:00 this morning. >> reporter: we found jalotti engineering contractors responding to a mudslide on san carlos avenue just off bridgeway. there were several moving parts to this one. first, pg&e had to decommission
4:15 pm
the power lines in order to remove several fallen trees. to complicate matters, public works had to deal with a ruptured sewer line, which continued to spill wastewater onto that overly saturated hill. >> once the trees get out, then i'll come in with the excavators and heavy trucks and pull the debris. >> a concrete barrier rail will be put in at the bottom of the hill. crews will cover and protect it from the rain in hopes of stalizing the hillside sometime in the spring. the home above the slide was red tagged by sausalito's building department. that mudslide didn't cause as much interception as this one did just off the alexander exit on highway 101, one of several ways to get to sausalito. police here kept drivers away. after this early morning storm, pete knew there would be some damage. >> yeah, it was really windy really early this morning. wind woke me up. it was almost like a nor'easter,
4:16 pm
like 50-mile-an-hour gusts. it was really coming down, and we lost our power too. >> reporter: there were power outages throughout sausalito affecting 3800 pg&e customers. and that second mudslide i talked about, they are still working on it. not sure when alexander avenue will reopen. i have another update for you. i'm being told that all schools in marin county, which by the way were closed today, will be open tomorrow. sorry, kids. i'm live in sausalito. lee yanne melendez, abc 7 news. >> all right, thank you. the national park service issued several weather-related closures today. this picture shows the problem, rising floodwaters. several places were closed today. park rangers say the closures were necessary because of the danger from high winds and possible flooding. we've reached out to see if the parks will be open tomorrow but haven't heard back from the park service. well, powerful wind and rain
4:17 pm
ravaged parts of los gatos this morning. this mudslide blocked both directions of university avenue. crews were out there all morning long scooping up the slide and shoring up the hillside. not too far away on thomas drive near union avenue, several large tree limbs came down at about 6:30 this morning wiping out a telephone pole. the people living there were just grateful it wasn't worse than that. >> we're just very, very fortunate. i feel really lucky that no one was hurt. as you can see, it damaged our neighbor's house as well and went through their kitchen. so we're just really thankful. >> guadalupe creek and all ma den area of san jose was running very high right at camden and coleman avenues. that water flows into the guadalupe river. abc 7 viewers and reporters are sharing their weather photos using the #abc7now.
4:18 pm
it shows the problems be caused by the storm. share yours as well by posting your weather shots and using #abc7now. we will try to feature them on error online. in the sierra a major storm has dumped more than a foot of snow around lake tahoe. that's made for some tricky driving conditions. the area was battered by high winds with one gust hitting 147 miles an hour. avalanche warnings are also in effect in the mountains. you're looking live now at some of the beautiful pictures coming from heavenly mountain resort. all ski resorts say they received more than a foot of snow in the past 24 hours. after some pretty bleak ski seasons the last few years, this year at least kind of hog heaven for them. >> we've had some intense weather. the wind overnight, spencer. >> powerful winds, heavy rain. several locations have received several inches of rain and there's another big storm not here's a look at live doppler 7. at the moment it is not very
4:19 pm
stormy around the bay area, although we have wet roadways and localized flooding. you can see on live doppler 7, this narrow path of light rain and showers reaching from the coastline of san mateo county, across the bay and over through parts of the south bay and into the mt. hamilton area. most of the remainder of the area is thought receiving any rainfall at the moment but check out these 24-hour totals. over 3.5 inches the amount st. helena, 3.33 at san rafael, 1.2 in san francisco, 1.4 in concor. san jose under half an inch in the last 24 hours. it's almost balmy out there right now. current temperature readings around 60 degrees in some spots, up to 64 right now in san jose. overnight with scattered showers moving through the area, we'll see early morning lows generally in the mid-50s. it will remain mild. so this evening's storm and tomorrow's storm will rank 1 on the storm impact scale, a storm of light intensity, best chance for a downpour is in the north
4:20 pm
bay. flooding concerns remain. here's forecast animation starting this afternoon between 4:00 and 5:00. as we reach 10:00 tonight we'll see little pockets of light showers and scattered showers, i could say, light rainfall. that pattern continues until about 7:00 tomorrow morning and at that point again, mainly light showers. but then at noon tomorrow we'll see heavier, more widespread rain across the north bay. there will be some downpours there. then we'll see it taper off again into tomorrow evening. after that, the strong storm comes in on thursday. it ranks 3 on the storm impact scale. heavy rain will return. flooding concern will be very high. there will be the possibility of downed trees, rock slides and mudslides. so let's resume the forecast animation. 7:00 thursday morning we'll have widespread heavy rain across the north bay. then we'll see it become more widespread and blanket essentially the entire bay area by 10:00 thursday morning and it will linger into the afternoon hours although it may ease up a
4:21 pm
bit in the north bay but this is a very stormy day on thursday with lots of heavy rain and gusty wind as well. additional rainfall we project through thursday anywhere from 1 to over 2 inches of rain, additional rain will fall with that storm on top of ground that is already saturated. so what are our concerns and takeaways from this storm on thursday? streams and rivers will be swollen once again. heavier rain means flooding can occur easily. there will be rapid rises in streams and rivers and more rock sliding or mud sliding likely. here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. once again, scattered showers tomorrow. a system ranking 1 on the storm impact scale. a stronger storm on thursday which will produce heavy rain and likely more flooding, tapering off to showers on friday with a system ranking 1 on the storm impact scale. starting on saturday, we've got a string of sunny and dry days with mild conditions, feeling almost like spring by monday and tuesday. >> thanks, spencer. just ahead, party time on the streets of boston. we're going to take you to today's wild parade for the
4:22 pm
super bowl champion patriots. and in honor of black history month, we're using our instagram feed to celebrate the people where you live. today we're recognizing the hidden genius project in oakl d oakland. oakland. we have more did you know 90% of couples disagree on mattress firmness? oakland. fortunately there's a bed where you both get what you want every night. enter sleep number and the ultimate sleep number event, going on now. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. she likes the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! only at a sleep number store. and right now save 50% on the ultimate limited edition bed. go to sleepnumber.com for a store near you. tomorrow's the day besides video games. every day is a gift. especially for people with heart failure.
4:23 pm
but today there's entresto... a breakthrough medicine that can help make more tomorrows possible. tomorrow, i want to see teddy bait his first hook. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven to help more people stay alive and out of the hospital than a leading heart failure medicine. women who are pregnant must not take entresto. it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren. if you've had angioedema while taking an ace or arb medicine, don't take entresto. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high potassium in your blood. tomorrow, i'm gonna step out with my favorite girl. ask your doctor about entresto. and help make the gift of tomorrow possible.
4:24 pm
snow, wind and rain did not stop tens of thousands of new england patriots fans from celebrating the team's latest super bowl victory. fans cheered quarterback and super bowl mvp tom brady. at one point chanting his name again and again. the san mateo native led new england to the patriots' fifth championship on sunday in a stunning comeback win over the atlanta falcons. the parade hoopla comes as the team continues to search for the jersey that tom brady wore
4:25 pm
in the super bowl. brady told reporters he's 100% certain he put the jersey in his locker. but when he went back for it, it was gone. officials believe it was stolen and have even called the texas rangers to try to find it. one pop culture collector says the jersey is worthless. >> it basically has zero value. anyone that sees this jersey is going to know that's the stolen jersey. the only thing they can do is send it in an unmarked envelope and return it to boston and say sorry. >> the jersey certainly has sentimental value for brady, of course. it's the only jersey ever worn by a five-time super bowl champion quarterback. a san francisco state freshman will try to earn big bucks on jeopardy next week. esteban fernandez is competing with 14 other students in the jeopardy college championship. top prize is $100,000 and a spot on the jeopardy tournament of campions. see how fernandez does in the competition starting monday at 7:00 p.m. right here on abc 7.
4:26 pm
go esteban. >> yeah. well, it was a big day in politics as another controversial cabinet nominee was sworn in and just minutes ago a san francisco appeals court finished hearing arguments over president trump's travel ban. the unanswered question about when we might hear a decision. plus -- >> incredibly powerful. the spillway at lake hennessey. jonathan bloom is live with what is going on in napa county. >> reporter: and here about three miles downstream all that water has the creek really gushing. i'm jonathan bloom with where all this water is ending up ahead on abc 7 news.
4:27 pm
4:28 pm
4:29 pm
and here are the stories making headlines at 4:30. today's powerful storm caused significant problems throughout the bay area. a massive mudslide, take a look at this, is to blame for this two-story house right there being destroyed in san rafael. the homeowner heard mud crash through the walls and ran out with the rest of his family before the entire structure collapsed. another hot spot is highway 17 through the santa cruz
4:30 pm
mountains. it's closed in both directions because of a massive landslide there that's covered the roadway near vine hill road. there's no estimated time as to when the highway will reopen to traffic. abc 7 news reporter laura anthony tweeted video of a fallen oak tree in martinez. gusty winds have brought down large trees and in many cases they're bringing down power lines as well. and now let's take a live look outside from our golden gate bridge camera. can't see a whole lot there. cars are making their way, though. what more can we expect today? here's spencer christian with a look at his accuweather forecast. >> the stormy weather has calmed down for a while. here's a look at live doppler 7. you can see that we've got just a narrow path of light showers across much of the bay area right now. so tonight's storm, which is also tomorrow's storm, ranks 1 on the storm impact scale. a storm of light intensity with light scattered showers. maybe a downpour in the north bay. flooding concerns remain.
4:31 pm
on thursday another strong storm comes in. we'll have a storm ranking 3 on the storm impact scale producing heavy rain once again, flooding concern will be very high. it's also a concern about downed trees, rock slides and mudslides. i'll have a little bit more in just a few minutes. dan. spencer, thanks very much. certainly a big helping of rain fell in wine country in morning. chp posted this video of soda canyon road in napa county, but jonathan bloom actually found something much more spectacular just outside st. helena. hi, jonathan. >> reporter: well, the creek certainly is flowing here and just a few hours ago it was blowing like this across some major roadways. if you really want to see water, all you have to do is go a few miles north of here to the spillway at lake hennessey. it's a scene so dramatic it's hard to capture on camera, especially when the camera won't stay dry.
4:32 pm
>> your lens -- if i sat right in front of it, try to snap a picture between windshield wiper swipes, it didn't work too well. >> reporter: richard lived near this spillway for 35 years. >> have you ever seen anything like this? >> i've seen it pretty big, but i've never seen it quite this dramatic. it's pretty cool. >> reporter: but this is not cool. just up the road, county crews said they were out since 2:00 a.m. trying to cut up a tree that's tangled in power lines and blocking both lanes. it's a stone's throw from where they just finished cleaning up a mudslide on a road peppered with puddles and pools. >> i'm just trying to find my way to san rafael, guys. >> and? >> and having no luck. >> reporter: ray found himself at the corner of highways 12 and 121 heading nowhere fast. >> i thought there was a side street that i could cut across. >> and? >> no side street. >> reporter: the signs say subject to flooding. it's just not the kind of flooding locals are used to.
4:33 pm
>> i haven't seen that. i can't ever remember. that's a lot of water. >> reporter: and though bigger trucks can make it just fine, if you drive something smaller, your trip could end like this. so be careful. >> i'll drive through it and then get a picture pulling me out. >> reporter: for now wine country is drying out, both this creek and the napa river swollen, but not flooding. so enjoy it while you can, though, because there is more rain expected overnight and with high tide coming just after midnight, there could be more flooding across the roadways before the sun comes up. in napa county, jonathan bloom, abc 7 news. >> thank you, jonathan. take a look at the flooding near patterson boulevard and santa barbara road overflowing storm drains and sewers exacerbated the problem. some drivers ignored warnings and drove around barricades and through the flooded streets. vacaville saw major flooding this morning. the road was totally swamped in this video posted by vacaville
4:34 pm
police. the water in alamo creek also rose fast. police asked people to avoid that area for their safety. city crews made quick work of this downed tree in walnut creek this morning. this is on main street near creek side drive. huge limbs and branches were all over the cars and the road. and it seemed to be raining sawdust this morning in san francisco. abc 7 news was on pine street as crews cleared a large tree that crashed on top of a tesla. no one was injured, though. dozens of trees have fallen since last night. pine street was shut down at scott for several hours while crews chopped up the tree. the hunt for a suspected serial killer and his accomplice in the southeast is now over. authorities say 41-year-old william boyette is dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a motel in west point georgia about 80 miles south of atlanta. boyette is suspected of killing three women and wounding another in a four-day period in florida and alabama. boyette's alleged accomplice,
4:35 pm
37-year-old mary rice, is in custody. twitter is broadening its campaign to clamp down on hate speech and abuse. the company has begun identifying people who have been banned for abusive behavior and will stop them from creating new accounts. it's also creating a safe search feature that removes tweets with potentially sensitive content and tweets from blocked accounts. twitter is also collapsing potentially abusive and low quality replies so only the most relevant conversations surface. a new lawsuit was announced today against the u.s. government over the dakota access pipeline. protests have broken out at the site of the project. this after the army corps of engineers announced earlier today that the final phase of construction could begin as early as tomorrow. the army says it will allow the nearly $4 million pipeline to cross under a missouri river reservoir in north dakota. the standing rock sioux tribe announced the lawsuit in response. the tribe is worried a pipeline leak could contaminate drinking
4:36 pm
water and threaten sacred indigenous sites. the government says the pipeline is safe. well, the intense weather certainly is not just confined to the west coast. new orleans was slammed by not one but three tornados. we'll show you the damage. i'm spencer christian. we're getting a brief break from our intense weather. we're actually seeing the sun set but more intense weather is on the way. i'll have the forecast coming up. taking a live look at our walnut creek traffic. this is 680.
4:37 pm
4:38 pm
we'your most extraordinarybut withmoments happenses when you feel small. when you're completely outnumbered, overshadowed, and outshined. so what if you dared to explore this great big beautiful pond. what if you dared to feel small. celebrate our princess anniversary sale with award winning itineraries. 7 day fares from $799. visit your travel agent or princess.com. princess cruises. come back new.
4:39 pm
at least three tornados caused extensive damage across parts of new orleans and surrounding communities this morning. witnesses took video of the twisters as they ripped through the eastern part of the city. electrical transformers, as you see, exploded, causing flashes of light. there were also severe thunderstorms in the area dropping ping pong ball-sized hail. authorities say there is extensive damage. roofs have been ripped off homes and businesses, power lines and power poles snapped in the tornados leaving thousands of people without electricity in louisiana. there are no immediate reports of major injuries or deaths. the twisters also damaged a nasa facility. we'll start with live doppler 7 showing very quiet conditions compared to what we had this morning. right now we have just a narrow band of light rain and showers across parts of the north bay. the storm we have this evening
4:40 pm
and through tomorrow ranks one on the storm impact scale. we'll see light scattered showers. there's a chance of a downpour, the best chance in the north bay which has been hid hard by this storm. flooding concerns remain. those flooding concerns will grow in the next day or two because on thursday we expect another strong storm ranking three on the storm impact scale to move through the bay area. flooding concern will be very high. there's a chance of downed trees, power outages, rock slides and mudslides. here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. it's going to make a very dramatic change over the week but for the next few days showers tomorrow, strong storm on thursday and rain giving way to showers on friday. and then on saturday, we'll have the first day of a string of sunny, dry and mild days with high temperatures rising into the mid to upper 60s by monday and tuesday of next week. >> boy, after another intense day on thursday, we'll need that. >> exactly. >> thanks, spencer. despite controversy, another of president trump's cabinet
4:41 pm
picks has been confirmed. >> looking forward to seeing more of the president's picks to lead agencies and departments confirmed in the upcoming week despite the childish tactics of the democrats in the senate. >> now the heat is on on a different nominee. we'll have the story. i'm 7 on your side's michael finney with all the damage we're seeing from today's weather. just how much will your insurance cover? i'll h
4:42 pm
4:43 pm
4:44 pm
betsy devos is the new secretary of education despite a last-ditch effort by democrats to derail her confirmation. she was sworn in by vice president mike pence an hour ago. >> as the president gets that cabinet pick approved, another nomination could be in jeopardy. abc 7 news reporter janai norman is in the capital with the brewing controversy over there. >> reporter: well, some of the president's most controversial cabinet picks are still up for senate floor votes, including georgia congressman tom price for health and human services and former goldman sacks ceo steve mnuchin for treasury. but as the vote here today shows, the numbers are in the president's favor. >> a 50-50 sflplit.
4:45 pm
>> reporter: democrats pulled out all the stops, speaking for 24 hours, hoping to convince a third republican to break ranks and vote against betsy devos for secretary of education. >> betsy devos never attended a public school for a day, never taught at a public school, didn't send her children to public schools. >> reporter: but in the end, it wasn't enough to block the billionaire who's come under fire for her lack of experience in public education and suggestion guns might be needed in some wyoming schools to fend off grizzly bears. o cf1 o >> the senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed. >> reporter: vice president mike pence cast the historic tie-breaking vote to secure devos' confirmation. >> we're looking forward to seeing more of the president's pick to lead agencies and departments confirmed in the upcoming week, despite these childish tactics of the democrats in the senate. >> reporter: but the confirmation controversy isn't over. the president's pick for labor secretary, andrew puzder, admitted to employing an undocumented immigrant saying in
4:46 pm
a statement to abc news he was not aware that she was not legally permitted to work in the u.s. when he learned he ended her employment and fully paid back taxes to the state. and alabama senator jeff sessions who helped secure devos' confirmation will be up for a confirmation vote of his own for attorney general tomorrow. reporting live from capitol hill, janai norman, abc 7 news. now to that hearing late this afternoon on president trump's travel ban. three appeals court judges are hearing arguments over that controversial travel ban. >> carolyn tyler has been mon string today's hearing and is in the newsroom tonight. i've been listening too, carolyn. it was fascinating. >> reporter: it was an extraordinary hearing that went a bit longer than the hour originally planned as the judges peppered both sides with questions. the three judges listening to the arguments were william canby in phoenix, richard clifton on
4:47 pm
the phone and michelle friedland calling in from san jose. they were asked by president trump through his justice department to reject a seattle judge's temporary ruling that blocked the president's ban on immigration from seven mostly muslim countries. that ban, as you know, sparked chaos and protests at airports nationwide until it was lifted last friday. opponents wanted it to stay on hold arguing the president's executive order is unconstitutional and discriminatory. here's some of the back and forth. >> is there any reason for us to think that there's a real risk or that circumstances have changed such that there would be a real risk if existing procedures weren't allowed to stay in place while the administration, the new administration conducts its review? >> well, the president determined that there was a real risk. the president is the official that is charged with making those judgmens. >> are you arguing then that the president's decision in that regard is unreviewable? >> yes. >> it has always been the
4:48 pm
judicial branch's role to say what the law is and to serve as a check on abuses by the executive branch. but the president is asking this court to abdicate that role, to reinstate the order and to throw this country back into chaos. >> reporter: the dean of the law school at usf watched the hearing with me and said the judges seemed to be siding against president trump. >> they're leaning in favor of the state of washington's arguments, about the harm that is caused by the executive order and the lack of harm demonstrated by having a temporary restraining order. >> reporter: the judges are not expected to rule today, but possibly later this week. in the newsroom, carolyn tyler, abc 7 news. >> thank you, carolyn. iran's supreme leader publicly thanked president trump for what he called, quote, showing the true face of the u.s. the ayatollah blasted president
4:49 pm
trump in a speech before air force commanders. according to an iranian news agency, the in the war of words between the leaders of both countries. today president vladimir putin put the russia air force on high alert, russian president there. the latest in a series of drills amid tensions with the west. russia's defense minister says the drill will check the air force's readiness and its ability to repel an enemy aggression. despite russia's economic downturn the kremlin has continued to spend big on military training and weapons modernization amid tensions with the west over the ukrainian crisis. and now former president obama is enjoying some well deserved r & r with billionaire buddy richard branson. the two engaged in a good-natured kite surfing race in the british virgin islands.
4:50 pm
branson went first and he finally made it up and got going pretty well. the former president followed. as you'll see here, was also moving at a pretty smart clip before he finally went down, but they are having some fun in the sun. well, we showed you earlier a landslide that destroyed a home in san rafael, so what does it mean for homeowners if that happens to you? >> will insurance cover you? that's the question. michael finney is here with some timely information. >> you guys have been reporting on all the devastation really for weeks now. the impacts of landslides such as a home destroyed at san rafael. so are you covered if a mudslide hits your property? the answer, probably not. basic homeowners insurance does not cover mudslides. flood insurance does if water carries the mud. i want you to think in terms of a stream here. now, there is an earth movement policy commonly called difference in conditions or d.i.c. these cover landslide, mud flow, earthquake and flood. the consumer group united
4:51 pm
policyholders say they are very expensive policies, starting in the thousands of dollars. and the group has never identified even a single policyholder here in the bay area. the nation's largest poultry processor, tyson foods, confirms it's under investigation for price fixing. if the allegations are true, that would mean likely that you have paid more than you otherwise would have for chicken. the company has been accused in two separate lawsuits of manipulating and artificially inflating prices, then trying to hide their deeds. now tyson foods has revealed it's been subpoenaed by the security and exchange commission. not much is known about the federal investigation, but analysts believe the investigation is connected to charges made in the lawsuits. imagine if rolling down your car window would cause your car door to open without warning. that's why nissan is recalling 300,000 altimas from the last
4:52 pm
three model years. the company blames the issue on a mix-up in the wiring which causes the rear passenger door to open. nissan says affected vehicle owners will be notified within 60 days. now, i want to hear from you. my 7 on your side hotline is open every weekday from 10:00 to 2:00. the number, 415-954-8151. you can also reach me through facebook and on abc7news.com. by the way, we have a link to united policyholders there, great information if you're dealing with a mudslide or fear you may. >> thanks, michael. well, nasa and the european space agency released a new photo today of the death of a star roughly 5,000 light years away. check this out. the hubble telescope captured the dazzling image. the dying star blows out its outer layers during the final death stages. this leaves clouds of dust and gas. astronomers rarely get the
4:53 pm
chance to see this kind of process because of how quickly that this all happens. >> that's a treat. amazing. well, helping fathers in prison be better parents. >> right now i'm following in my dad's footsteps, but i'm trying to make myself better. >> the new program for youth offenders who are also fathers. how it lets them read to their children even when they're behind bars. and coming up on abc 7 news at 5:00, sierra lamar's mother crying in court. the emotional moment as she recalled the day her daughter disappeared. new pictures of flooding in santa cruz county. entire neighborhoods see a river rise very quickly. and cheering on the warriors is about to get more expensive. how much the team is raising ticket prices tonight on abc 7 news at 5:00. >> but we'll be right back.
4:54 pm
it's okay to cry, right? no more! we don't want anymore! [crying] ahhhhhhhhhh! everyday price and no extra monthly fees, unlike cable. speeds up to 45 megs, for $30 a month.
4:55 pm
♪ ♪
4:56 pm
the hydrogen fueled mirai. its only emission is water. toyota. let's go places. well, coming up tonight on abc 7 at 8:00, it is "the middle" followed by "american housewife," "fresh off the boat" then "the real o'neills."
4:57 pm
prisoners are being encouraged to help their children develop a love for reading and develop their father-child relationships as well. >> it's all from behind the walls of prison. gabrielle carroll from our sister station in sacramento has te story. >> roy reed shows off the tattoo he got right before his baby boy was born. >> first i was nervous because i really never had a dad so i know how it feels not to have a dad. but right now i'm following in my dad's footsteps but i'm trying to make myself better. >> reporter: roy is exactly where his father was when he was first born, stockton's youth correctional facility. roy hasn't seen his son in a year. >> robbery. got caught with two firearms. i wish i could be with him all the time. >> the number one thing that motivates them to do better, be better, go home and stay home is their kids. >> reporter: she goes to prisons and records fathers reading children's books to their kids.
4:58 pm
>> who do you have to talk like? minnie mouse. >> reporter: this is the first time the organization is at a youth correctional facility. the goal is to break the cycle, motivating young dads to get out and stay out for their kids. >> i feel like i've got to man up and make decisions to get out there and support my family. >> reporter: but at this very moment, roy is focused on mastering superhero voices. >> i can't do it. >> there's no judgment. >> i can do it but i can't -- you know what i'm talking about. i can sound like a girl. >> try it, try it. >> reporter: then it's roy's turn to record. >> hi, jayden. this is daddy and i'm going to read you a story. >> reporter: in august, when roy gets out, he'll be able to read to his son in person. until then -- >> that's the end of the story. i love you. miss you, jayden. >> reporter: in stockton, gabrielle carroll, abc 7 news. >> that's special. all right. well, thank you for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00, i'm
4:59 pm
ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. stay with us, abc 7 news at 5:00 starts now. dramatic video captures a house crushed by a mudslide and now the homes on either side may also be in trouble. maintenance crews are working as quickly as they can to clear highway 17. right now that major commute route in the south bay is shut down. and how fast-moving water turned an afternoon lunch into a rescue mission. it's a real mess in the santa cruz mountains tonight. the ranling san lorenzo river has flooded its banks again, dozens of residents evacuated. a massive mudslide is causing delays for tens of thousands of commuters. both directions of highway 17 are closed because of this slide north of scots valley. >> and there's also trouble getting around in wine country. flooding turning cars into boats on state route 121.
5:00 pm
it is pretty messy out there. good evening, i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm ama daetz in for kristen sze. let's get to the torrential rain that triggered a landslide destroying a home. >> it happened in san rafael. a boulder smacked up against the house as a wall of mud blocks the entryway. fortunately the family was able to escape their home on mountain avenue. >> sergio quintana is live near the scene tonight. sergio. >> reporter: dan and ama, right now there are people across marin county keeping an eye on swollen ponds and rivers because they want to see if they can come down. hopefully it will ease some of the flooding in their neighborhoods. as you mentioned in sap raun ra that hill that came down into the side of a house, people are keeping an eye on that as well. as his house was being pushed apart by a landslide, john future was calmly watching from across the street. >> there was finally another big slide where it just came down and that pushed this part o

266 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on