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 of the

house forward and sheared the house in half. >> reporter: everyone was able to get out okay and the fire department even had enough time to grab some things from inside. but future is still trying to come to terms with what happened. >> well, my mom and dad built the house in 1959, so i was born here. and i've lived in it for five years. >> reporter: right now the san rafael building inspector is trying to figure out if it's safe to retrieve anything else from inside. there are two other homes that have been tagged and evacuated. of course the concern is that the hill is going to move again. in kentfield, an employee at the college of marin got stranded in her car this morning as the strong rains were coming down. she was rescue by the marin fire department swift boat team. she's safe, but the college was closed for the day. >> basically our records and watching the water lines and so forth, this is probably the worst we've seen flooding on campus since 2006. >> several parking lots were swamped and the school's main power junction was flooded, knocking out electricity to the

whole campus. about 100 residents along the creek had to be evacuated by swift water teams when the creek jumped its banks and flooded a few neighborhoods. in marin county, sergio quintana, abc 7 news. there was trouble, as usual, today in the normal problem spots in marin county. fairfax, ross and san anselmo. wayne freedman shot this video shortly after alarms sounded warning residents of imminent flooding. it's the fifth time the alarms have been activated this rainy season. the creek crested at 14 feet. that's three feet above flood stage. business owners already had sandbags out. this isn't a river, it's actually corte madera creek shot by an abc 7 news viewer. he told us the creek did overflow about 8:00 this morning and flooded some local streets. look how fast the water is moving. at least 12 homes were evacuated. on the heels of this strong storm, another big weather system is heading our way.

>> sandhya patel is tracking it as it moves this way. >> yeah, it's a strong category 3 storm that is coming our way. right now live doppler 7 just showing you what's left of the current system. we have scattered light showers in the south bay, street level radar around san jose, we're seeing damp roadways. in the santa cruz mountains it has been pouring. now it's eased up. across felton, highway 9. the current system taking us through wednesday is a light system, a 1. scattered showers, downpours, the best chance in the north bay tomorrow with flooding concerns remaining high. take a look at the napa river. it is expected to drop below flood stage at 8:00 tonight. russian river at guerneville currently at 30 feet. moderate flooding expected as it rises above flood stage at 32 feet and drops as we head into tomorrow. flood warnings remain you can see for a good part of those rivers. the napa river at napa, the napa river at st. helena.

guerneville. you'll notice in lake county we also have a flood warning until 6:30 tonight. flood warning for alameda creek. these areas have already seen flooding and that threat remains. flash flood warning in the santa clara county. we are tracking with live doppler 7 another storm. it's just as juicy. it is going to dump some heavy rain, level 3, strong storm coming your way thursday with heavy rain, gusty winds, flooding concern very high. we'll be talking about rock and mudslides and downed trees. a look at that storm is coming up in just a minute. well, this storm is battering the bay area. abc 7 news was at montgomery and lombard street where a toppled tree yanked down power lines and a light pole. this stretch of montgomery was shut down as crews made the repair. in napa county, this water is just east of silverado trail.

officers say flooding is everywhere and that they're hard at work trying to get it all cleaned up. anyone planning to head over highway 17 in the santa cruz mountains can just forget it. the highway is closed because of two separate mudslides. this one just north of scots valley. and we just found out the chp hopes to reopen one southbound lane within the next half hour or so. >> vic lee is live along highway 17 where tens of thousands of commuters are now trying to find another way home. vic. >> reporter: well, ama, it's been hellish here in santa cruz county today. as you can see behind me, caltrans crews are trying to clean up the debris and the mudslide on the northbound lanes of the highway. we are standing on the southbound lanes, which unfortunately are also closed. now, this is a fight against time. we are told that the caltrans crews will be here all night working to try to open at least the southbound lanes for tomorrow's commute.

this is the second time in a month that highway 17 near scotts valley was shut down when tons of rock, debris and mud came crashing down onto the roadway. >> half of the hillside collapsed and fell into the northbound lanes of highway 17. >> reporter: this was more massive than the one january 9th, which slammed into a channel 7 van, sending a photographer to the hospital. this time the early morning slide came crashing down on a car, which overturned on the highway. fortunately, the driver was able to walk away. the upgrades built by caltrans the last time couldn't hold the mountain intact. gary peters lives nearby at sugar loaf road. >> they thought they had it under control with the barrier there, but it just couldn't handle all the material that came down. >> reporter: the chp closed highway 17 southbound at bear creek road and turned cars back heading north. it was a major inconvenience to drivers. highway 9 and other

cut-throughs, which commuters use when highway 17 is closed, were also impassable, thanks to flooding from the swollen san lorenzo river and mudslides. >> so highway 9 at 35 is closed. so cal san jose road is closed. those are the two ways people use to get around. >> reporter: peters, who's lived here 40 years, took all this philosophically. >> it's beautiful country to live in but this is part of life. >> reporter: somehow, i don't think trapped commuters would be so for giving of mother nature. vic lee, abc 7 news. >> now take a look at northbound 680 in alamo where the chp tells us two crashes occurred within moments of each other this afternoon. one car flipped, as you can see. and that driver was able to crawl out before being taken to the hospital in walnut creek for treatment. the chp says another driver spun out and hit the wall. now to berkeley where a huge tree fell just off clairemont avenue this morning. abc 7 news was there as the chain saws were put to work.

that big tree pulled up the sidewalk and took out a water meter as well but it fell into the street, sparing nearby homes. in castro valley, a group of women had to be rescued while they ate lunch. >> laura anthony is live to tell us exactly what happened. laura. >> reporter: well, hi, ama. let's show you what's going on behind me here. this is the redwood canyon golf course. that is the 9th green of this golf course, not normally an island green. it is now, thanks to the overflowing san leandro creek that has also covered the road and left a group of retired teachers stranded. this overflowing creek interrupted what was supposed to be a luncheon for the local chapter of the california retired teachers association. instead, it turned into a rescue mission for alameda county fire, when the clubhouse of the redwood canyon golf course became an island. >> i've been with the park district almost 17 years and i've never seen the water rise to this level. >> it was flooding when we came in but it wasn't too high so we were able to drive in carefully.

there were seven of us and they did serve us lunch. it was very nice. >> this is really believable because this is castro valley. this never happens in castro valley. we just kept watching it rise and rise. we went out and took pictures because it didn't sound like a little storm, it sounded like a big river. >> reporter: in other areas the storm left its mark in other ways like martinez where this tree began lifting up the foundation of the home next to it. >> all of a sudden i thought a plane crashed. >> reporter: it wasn't a plane but a 100-year-old live oak tree, 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. >> it could have been on his house. that's kind of a scary scene with all these storms we've been having and the rain and the wind. it always makes me nervous. >> reporter: it's an old tree, huh? >> well, it was here before me.

maybe before christ, i don't know. >> reporter: and you can see the water still rushing in here again. this is san leandro creek showing no signs at this point of going down. it's not coming up, but it's not going down either. we just talked to a man who told us he has lived in this area his entire life, for 60 years, and he told us he's never seen it like this. in castro valley, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> all right, laura, thank you. well, a massive tree came crashing down onto a house in pinole this morning. firefighters posted this photo saying the 100-foot eucalyptus tree caused significant damage to the roof. fortunately no one was hurt. we want to thank john, a viewer for sending this video from danville. he said last night's rain turned this normally calm creek into a raging river. look at that. if you have pictures send them with #abc7now.

we are keeping a close eye on live doppler 7. sandhya patel will have an update. sierra lamar's mother took the stand. what her daughter told her the morning she disappeared that had her crying in court. and building the ranks. san jose's aggressive campaign to recruit police officers. to recruit police officers. and cheering on the warriors to recruit police officers. and cheering on the warriors afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me.

it was an emotional trial in the murder trial regarding the sierra lamar. david louie is live at the hall of justice in san jose. david? >> reporter: well, dan, it was a day of panic when the lamar family realize that he had their daughter, sierra, might have been abducted and was possibly dead. that was what the family had to relive today when sierra's

mother, marlene, had to take the stand and as the jury had to piece together puzzle parts of a very complex murder case. sierra's mother, marlene, and sierra's older sister, dan yiel, both were called to testify today focusing on march 12th, the day sierra disappeared. her mother said her last contact was when they hugged and said they loved each other, as she left for work. she texted sierra twice that day to remind her to wipe up the tub and to check if she was visiting a friend after school but there was no response. sierra also didn't respond to calls. the jury then listened to the 911 call to report sierra missing. >> i can't imagine going through that particular day all over again, reliving it, hearing the recording. she's being extremely strong. >> reporter: marlene lamar was shown clothing and other items later found in a bag.

she confirmed they were sierra's. >> this clothing, the makeup were her last mowmentos and she can't even touch them. it's excruciating for absolutely everybody involved. >> reporter: sister danielle confirmed sierra was totally dependent on her parents and would never abandon her friends. stephen clark says, however, the defense may try to raise some doubts implying she ran away. >> they want to establish that sierra's mother didn't know about her daughter, that there were things going on with her daughter that she would only share with her friends. but if the defense does not go lightly with this testimony, i think that could backfire. >> reporter: in san jose, david louie, abc 7 news. wanted, men and women willing to earn the badge and serve as san jose police officers and now there's new incentive. just about an hour ago, san jose's city council approved a new contract for police officers to help fill a severe shortage.

the vote came the same day the city launched an aggressive recruitment campaign. officers will get wage increases over 16% over the next three years. san jose's police chief applauds the decision. >> it makes the department competitive. it will make people want to come to this department. back in the early '90s this was the number one department to come to in the country. we feel that we can bring that back again. >> reporter: staffing levels are current low at historic lows with just under 8 house sworn duty officers, down from 1400 in 2009. oakland's fire chief has gone on leave and no one is sure why or for how long. she faced criticism for lax inspections following the ghost ship fire in december. today the chronicle reports she's gone on leave and the firefighters union says it doesn't know where she is or what's going on. a city spokesperson will only tell abc 7 news that deputy chief darren white is her acting replacement, saying the city does not comment on the leave status of employees.

what a storm. good evening to you all. that was a strong level 3 that came through this morning. residual moisture continues on live doppler 7 which is why we are taking you to street level radar. north 1st street, we're seeing light showers into allen rock and ever grogreenevergreen. a mudslide just reported by the chp so there has been some road closures in the area. twin lakes, capitola, highway 1, still raining on top of saturated ground and that's why we're seeing so many problems. look at all the storm reports just today. we're looking at over two dozen debris flows, nonthunderstorm wind gusts. that has been a problem with trees going down. we had gusts topping 50, 60 miles an hour in some spots. rainfall totals, many of you in the 1 to 3 inch category. look at ben lomond. half a foot of rain.

moffett field, just about a half an inch of rain. in sierra snow levels are rising. the snow is at the highest elevations around 9,000 feet and so there's a flash flood -- or flood watch for that area. mt. tam cam showing you peeks of sun as we do have quite a bit of cloud cover and mild air over us. 50s right now for most of you except san jose, gilroy, you're in the 60s. here's the golden gate bridge camera. take it easy out there, low visibility as we do have a moist flow out there and definitely some fog forming. up 50s to the low 60s. beautiful view of rain/snow mix in tahoe right now. scattered showers through tomorrow. a stronger storm arrives on thursday and a dry pattern begins on saturday. we'll need it by then. on our storm impact scale, the current system is a one. it's a light system, takes us through wednesday. look for scattered showers, occasional downpours, best chance in the north bay with flooding concerns remaining. here's the hour-by-hour forecast for tonight. 10:00, you'll need the umbrellas in spots. 3:00 a.m. there's moderate rain

around the coastline. 5:00 a.m., a few showers scattered about in nature. seven:00 a.m. same thing. so it's not going to be downpours tomorrow morning until later in the morning. 10:00 a.m., some pockets of moderate rain right over the north bay. this continues around lunchtime and then scattered lighter showers through the afternoon and evening commute going into 7:00 p.m. now we'll fast forward to thursday. we do have a level 3, a strong storm just like what we saw this morning coming in on thursday. the biggest difference, the heavy rain bill move through faster, gusty winds not as strong. downed trees, rock and mudslides are certainly possible. hour-by-hour forecast showing you thursday morning. at 5:00 a.m. it begins to move into the north bay. heaviest rain 7:00 a.m. in the north bay, 8:00 a.m. my 10:00 a.m. it's shifting across the central bay into the santa cruz mountains and then coming down around noon time. you're going to get drenched across the bay area, 1:00 as well on thursday. then we'll keep those showers going right on through friday. so in terms of rainfall totals through thursday, we're looking

at an additional inch to about 2 inches of rain for many of you. here's your takeaways. streams and rivers are swollen so heavy rain could easily lead to more flooding. rapid rises on those streams and creeks and more rock and mudslides so watch out for that. tomorrow morning temperatures in the 50s, scattered showers. nothing like what you saw this morning. tomorrow afternoon you're looking at a mild day, temperatures 50s, 60s, with a few showers. a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast. 1 on our storm impact scale for wednesday. friday more showers, just a 1 n between the two, we do have a category 3 strong storm for thursday, which could potentially lead to some big problems again. by this weekend you get a chance to dry out, mild air. temperatures in the low 60s continuing into next week. download the abc 7 news app. it will help you navigate these storms and if there are any push alerts secretant out, we'll let know. don't try to cross flooded streets. all right. well, the best cars for families

with young children. that's next. then at 5:30 on world news with david muir -- breaking news. at least four tornados, the dramatic pictures, dozens injured. also the legal arguments to save president trump's immigration ban. and major developments in the urgent manhunt. two suspects wanted in three murders, coming up. >> thanks, david. see you then. new at 6:00, bay area college students getting credit to drink beer, but this isn't a party and that's not a budweiser. we'll have that

it's going to cost you more to see the warriors next season. ticket prices will rise 15 to 24%. some tickets will go up from $32 to $40. the most sought-after courtside seats will go up $90 to $715. team officials say the increases were made against the backdrop of about 6,000 tickets per game

being resold for an average of 70% above face value. well, abc 7 is your home for the warriors. showdown saturday with the oklahoma city thunder. catch all the action from the comfort of your living room and save all that money. coverage starts at 5:00 p.m. on saturday followed by after the game with larry beil, mike shumann, adonal foyle and warriors preand postgame analyst kerry keating. that's saturday night right here on abc 7. if you're considering buying a new car for your family, you should hear what michael finney has to say first. >> michael is here to explain what we all need to know. >> there is so much to take into account. the best choice for a family car depends a lot on your family and your budget. but if you start with consumer reports short list of highly rated cars that are also practical, durable, comfortable and safety conscious, well, picking the right wheels for your crew can be a snap. if you're in the market for a family car, consumer reports

considers safety, performance and reliability. to recommend some smart choices for every stage of life. >> when your kids are little, it's all about car seats. when your kids are a little bit older or you're traveling with aging parents, it's all about accessibility, getting in and out. and no lanky teenages, rear seat comfort is all about enough head room and leg room. >> the lexus rx suv hit all the markers for families of every age. big doors and chair height seats make getting in and out a snap. the back seat fits three adults comfortably. it has a powerful v-6 engine and the available hybrid version gets an impressive 29 miles an hour but it starts at $42,000. for family travel, you can't beat the flexibility of a minivan and you can get a toyota sienna for just under $29,000. it sits eight comfortably, but a removable center seat in the middle row can be stowable

easily if you have fewer passengers. the v-6 is lively and it earns bonus points for being the only minivan available with all wheel drive. the subaru forester can be had for $22,400. it offers great cargo space and it's a standout for cabin access, comfort and driver visibility. the forester is also reliable and efficient. turns out, sometimes you can have it all, for less. now, if you need child car seats, you need to talk to the dealer to ensure the vehicles you're looking at are right for you and your family. you can find more detailed information about the specific makes and models. you can go to our website and we'll hook you up with a consumerreports.org. >> thank you, michael. this year's oscars kind of a who's who of presentingefer pre >> find out the mix next.

coming up tonight at 6:00 -- >> i've seen it pretty big but i've never seen it quite this dramatic. >> so dramatic. too much water too fast. tonight new information on the impact of today's devastating storm, including this spectacular sight in the north bay. also --

>> this has been such an ordeal and such a nightmare for us. >> heartbroken and frustrated. families are out tens of thousands of dollars and their pools and spas that were never finished. 7 on your side investigates the contractor that left them high and dry. that's all coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00. finally here tonight, the star-studded oscar awards just got a little more star-studded. >> they announced a second round of presenters including haley barry, kate mckinnon and samuel l. jackson. they join a long list ranging from shirley mclean, dakota johnson from "fifty shades of grey." >> jimmy kimmel is hosting. our coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. check out the abc 7 news app for a complete list of the nominees. some great films this year too. world news tonight with david muir is next. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. for all of us, we appreciate your time and hope to see you again in half an hour.

tonight, breaking news. the legal showdown at this hour. the arguments to restore president trump's immigration ban now under way. the president's high-stakes battle to reinstate his executive order. after taking aim at the judge, saying if anything happens blame him and the courts. the showdown on capitol hill tonight. the historic tie-breaker that played out today. the vice president steps in to save education nominee betsy devos. the state of emergency. several tornadoes. multiple injuries. the pictures coming in from the scene. and now the major snow storm moving into the east. the urgent manhunt at this hour, and new developments as we come on. are authorities zeroing in on the suspects? wanted after three murders across two states. and the warning tonight. the woman who smelled propane and got out. 2:23 later, this.