more rain to come, four feet of rain predicted in some areas. people standing on top of submerged mailboxes. this interstate in houston now a river. this is hobby airport, before harvey, and now. the catastrophe about to get worse. the army corps of engineers now releasing water from dams that are filling up too fast. people living downriver told to evacuate. the texas governor activating the entire national guard, ordering 9,000 more troops to assist the 3,000 already on the ground. rescue operations continuing around the clock. hundreds of rescuers in boats, helicopters and trucks saving animals, and people from rising floodwaters. >> around 6:00 a.m., something fell off one of the night stands and woke us up. water was coming in fast. >> reporter: shelters filling up rapidly. more than 2,900 people seeking refuge at the convention center and receiving cheer from batman and his son. >> we've got to help the city. >> reporter: and more continue to come.

evacuees showing up at hotels only to find there are no more rooms. >> if this hotel would just give us a room. i think they have convention people coming in with reservations. >> reporter: and people preying on abandoned homes and businesses. one shop homer asking for help, showing looters going unpunished. this is houston's main evacuation center. there are already thousands of people here. we know that they set up 2,000 cots earlier in the day, and those quickly ran out. and still, people just continue to come as the rain will continue to fall. reporting from houston, abc 7 news. >> now, the historic flooding in texas is causing massive flight delays, of course, cancellations all across the country. matt keller has a story from mineta san jose airport. >> reporter: today was supposed to be a celebration at mineta san jose international airport. southwest airlines was expanding

service. but as fate would have it, one of the new nonstop destinations is houston's hobby airport. >> we did count down the celebration here today. because honestly, it didn't feel right. >> reporter: this is a before picture of a runway at houston's hobby airport. this is after harvey rolled through. 500 southwest employees and customers were stuck inside the terminal. >> last night the faa gave us permission to operate five rescue flights out of houston hobby. so we were able to evacuate those last customers and employees to dallas. >> reporter: speaking of rescues, help is on the way to houston from the bay area. firefighters from several different departments, including san jose, palo alto and south san francisco packed up five vehicles and ten boats and trailers at the menlo park fire district headquarters. by 8:00 this morning, they had driven to flagstaff, arizona, covering some 800 miles overnight. the 14-person team specializes in water rescues, and are loaded up with equipment to last them a

couple of weeks. >> success is really measured by going out there and saving people. and that's what they're looking forward to doing. >> reporter: the team continues to drive to texas as we speak. the team's expected to arrive in austin by 2:00 a.m. and that's where they'll receive their assignment. matt keller, abc 7 news. sky 7 was above moffit field as support planes left for texas. the 129th rescue wing will deploy 90 members to assist in search and rescue efforts. they will operate out of an airfield in texas. the 129th also assisted after hurricanes rita, ike and ten texas refineries were shut down. prices were already inching up this month. a big hike is not expected. several drivers gassing up today told abc 7 news that they're suspicious about any rise in prices. >> prices might go up because of the hurricane.

>> of course. >> i think that when the -- they first announced the hurricane was coming, i was ready for this. i think it's all predicted and calculated. yeah, they can make more money off the prices, if they shut the refinery down, so let's shut the refinery down and make more money at gas prices. >> rising prices, name brand stations with a 40-cent per gallon price difference today. some of the most heart-wrenching and really heartwarming moments have been shared on social media. >> kristen sze is here with a look at the images that captured both the desperation and also, kristen, the decency of people in the flood zone. >> i want to start with some of the videos of the latest rescues. customs and border protection just tweeted this video showing its helicopter crew today rescuing survivor after survivor trapped on rooftops. look at this one. a houston traffic camera captured a good samaritan in a

boat, spotting a car nearly submerged. so he pulls the driver into his boat and out of danger. abc news also tweeted this one, with little kids, family, you can see them there floating on an air mattress. relief and big smiles as they were rescued by one of the many volunteer boats out there. four-legged friends, they also need rescuing. check out this puppy. he was brought to safety in a plastic bin that served as a makeshift boat. and this one. a giant rubber ducky inflatable used to rescue a woman. even she recognizes how unusual the situation is. appears to be taking a selfie there. we see a roller coaster of emotions. this is a devastating picture, a man crying with his dog after hurricane harvey destroyed their home but spared their lives. a young houston woman counting her blessings and snapping this selfie with a national guard member who rescued her family. dan and ama, just some of the many images today.

>> the victims of hurricane harvey need your help. they need our help badley. cash donations are the best way to do that. one easy way to donate is text the word harvey to 90999, that will add a $10 donation to the red cross on your cell phone bill. that simple. call the red cross to donate, 1-800-help now. and join us here on wednesday when we host a phone bank in the show of bay area support. here in san francisco you probably noticed the heat today. >> it was really brutal in a lot of spots. drew tuma has a look at what we're experiencing. >> the heat wave continues for a third day away from the coast. look at these numbers, 108 the current number in fairfield. 106 in san ramon. south bay, low 90s from san jose to gilroy. 95 the current number in novato. half moon bay at 61 degrees. heat advisories continue through

9:00 tonight. the areas shaded in orange, excessive heat warning still continues to the areas in the triple-digit heat away from the coast. that lasting until 9:00 as well. you'll want relief, this is what you want to see. live look, fog is already making a comeback. and that's going to help to bring relief from the heat in the next 24 hours. hour by hour we go, later on tonight, 11:00, we see widespread 50s and 60s around the immediate bay waters. what you'll notice tomorrow morning, the fog is more widespread. that's going to help to cool us off especially inland tomorrow. tomorrow afternoon, by lunchtime hour we're in the 70s and 80s. this relief is going to be brief. we'll talk about a comeback of another heat wave and the all-important labor day holiday weekend forecast coming up. >> thank you, drew. some people in the east bay are dealing with triple-digit temperatures for a third straight day. emergency service officials are offering advice. abc 7 news reporter lonnie rivera is in walnut creek with a

look at how people are coping. lonnie? >> reporter: hi, ama. fall is just around the corner. the days of summer are numbered. but you wouldn't know it. last check, it was 98 degrees here in walnut creek. and firefighters say we are in the heart of wildfire season with two active fires burning as we speak. a steady flow of cars and trucks cruise through walnut creek car wash. monday means finding a shady spot while the staff handles business. >> i didn't prepare at all. >> reporter: she admits she didn't wear sunscreen. she works outside while her co-worker is inside. >> it's nice to be inside, yes. thank god for the air conditioner. >> reporter: they work in rotation. but the guys who actually clean the cars, they are the real troopers around here. >> i give them props. i don't know how they do it. i don't personally do well with the heat. but they work their buns off. >> they're working so hard.

i want to give them a bigger tip. that's what happens to them. >> reporter: some say the heat is more bearable under a shady tree. >> the breeze out here, it's so nice. it makes it kind of livable. whereas it's not just baking heat. i find it to be quite nice. >> reporter: the heat and low humidity have raised the wildfire danger in several east bay communities. >> we encourage people to be very careful with smoking materials, if you're going to do weed abatement, please make sure you're doing it before 10:00 a.m. >> reporter: working before the hottest part of the day is always smart as well as drinking a ton of water. there's lots of overgrown brush here along iron horse trail in walnut creek. firefighters say this is the type of brush that can cause -- >> all right. lonnie, the heat must have got you, we lost your signal there.

developing news about north korea. within the last few hours, that nation launched a missile that flew over japan. here's a tweet from a man in hokkaido, japan's northern-most island. he shared the alert that warned people a missile could possibly hit island cities. the missile landed 730 miles off the hokkaido coast. both the pentagon and south korean officials confirm the launch took place. u.s. officials say the missile did not pose a threat to north america. a ride share driver was arrested in oakland after the chp said officers found him using drugs in his car. the oakland chp office posted this picture on twitter. it shows an illegal stimulant. officers spotted the man using his phone while driving on friday. after pulling him over, officers asked the man what he was chewing on. he said it was salad. officers found it was cot. the driver was arrested for being under the influence of a

controlled substance. very busy monday. a lot more coming up here on abc 7 news at 4:00. a voice is steady and our voice is clear. we demand peace in our community. >> activists in berkeley make their message heard. what they're saying about a weekend rally that drew thousands into the streets. also, starting today, prices are going way down at whole foods. what's behind the move, and what it could mean for the industry. and later, rats. there's a big problem in the south bay. a booming rodent population is keeping exterminators really busy. michael finney is taking your questions. post your questions

happening now, activists are holding a news conference in berkeley following yesterday's march against a planned right-wing rally. >> here's a live look in front of old city hall. a group called refuse fascism said thousands of people stood up against fascism and white supremacy. >> they say accusations of left-wing violence are false. berkeley police made 13 arrests, facing a variety of charges, resisting arrest and public intoxication among those charges. >> amy hollyfield has more. >> we're just here to claim a victory against forces of white supremacy, alt-right, neo-nazis, and all of their sympathizers. >> reporter: a group of activists proudly announced today that their resistance yesterday worked. that those who came to berkeley for an anti-marxist rally were successfully were run out of town. >> we will not tolerate and not normalize white supremacy in this city.

we made it very clear we will do that collectively. >> reporter: the group takes issues issue with the media showing video of fights that broke out. calling most of the day peaceful. police say six people were hurt. two of those were taken to the hospital. they arrested 13 people. >> it seems to me that the news media is very interested in portraying to people who were not physically here. that there were only agents of skirmishes which there is no clarity about who started the skirmishes w.h.o. were even involved. >> reporter: they also think the ma -- thank antifa for protecting them. >> we want every organization that stood up yesterday and defended us. >> reporter: there were demonstrators here from the right who say they are tired of being labeled. just because they have a different viewpoint. >> we keep getting called white supremists. the lady throwing this event is a trans woman. >> reporter: we asked the group about people like him. >> there shouldn't be one white

supremacist, one fascist, one nazi in berkeley, period. >> reporter: some groups included surge, showing up for racial justice, and they say they'll plan another march for september 23rd. in berkeley, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. officials in san francisco say they handled the weegd's protests as well as they could have. but one question is, who will pay for the overtime. the city wants the federal government to chip in. abc 7 news reporter leeann melendez will have that story coming up later on in the hour. whole foods. the retail giant wasted no time in making changes. >> prices were slashed significantly today. what does this mean for consumers and other retailers. janine? >> reporter: dan, we noticed price slashes on basic items. you know, for example, gala apples, they used to be $2.99 a

pound, but now they're $1.99 a pound. it really depended on what you buy. strolling down the aisle in whole foods today, we did see sales signs. these bananas used to cost 99 cents a pound, now they're 69 cents a pound. did you notice? >> no, i didn't notice. the watermelon was still $4.99 a pound. i didn't notice any difference. so hopefully there will be. >> reporter: throughout the store, price cuts could be seen on certain items, which is welcomed by consumers. how was it that the store known as whole paycheck can do this? santa clara university's director retail management said amazon is not focused on short-term profit, they're looking long term. >> they're getting involved in whole foods, betting that the future of food is the kind of food that whole foods sells. but if you can make that affordable, to a large population, then that is the right way to go.

>> reporter: he said whole foods will now attract what it calls fringe shoppers, those who shop at stores like trader joe's and safeway, but only occasionally buy at whole foods. >> if they can slash their prices, that's great. competition makes people work a little harder at what they do. >> reporter: amazon is turning to brick and mortar stores because it can now market food items online. >> now they can take all of those products and sell them on amazon prime, amazon fresh and all these other places that whole foods was never able to sell. >> reporter: when will prices creep back up? the professor that we spoke to said he believes that amazon will keep their prices on certain items low, to keep shoppers happy. reporting live from san jose, abc 7 news. >> keep us happy. thanks, janine. is it fall yet? >> not even close. >> you know this time of the year, we turn to september, we get the little spike in the heat. >> we do. one last little shot. >> we'll get that again over the holiday weekend.

if you're in the intense heat right now inland, the numbers are going to come down in the next 24 to 48 hours, good news there. live doppler 7, thick cloud cover along the coast. that marine layer strengthening at this hour. that's going to help to bring relief. outside we go, a live look, cloud cover beginning the traditional trek inland. and this will help to eliminate a lot of the heat we're still holding on to right now. it's comfortable along the coast. you're in the 60s. you move about 20 miles inland this time of year and you're well into the triple digits. 106 in livermore. even san jose we're now warm at 90 degrees. gilroy 95. and oakland, a little bit cooler, but still mild today, you were in the 70s. right now at a current temperature of 72 degrees. we continue to not only have a heat advisory in effect along the immediate bay waters, excessive heat warning continues for many of us inland. this lasting until 9:00 tonight. overnight tonight, the marine layer is going to help to cool

us off. mid-50s to mid-60s. mainly overnight temperatures, first thing out the door tomorrow morning. highs on your tuesday, you can slash about five to perhaps ten degrees off of our temperatures today, and that's where you'll land tomorrow afternoon. 86 in san jose. 92 the high in morgan hill. along the peninsula, 81 menlo park. about 83 for mountain view. foggy. pacifica holding in the low 60s. downtown san francisco afternoon sunshine, about 66 degrees. daily city, we're holding about 63. into the north bay we go, about 90 in calistoga. 85 the afternoon high in san rafael. 87 in napa. in the east bay, a lot of 70s. 79 the number in hercules. tomorrow inland, back out of the triple digits into the mid to low 90s. 94 in walnut creek. 92 the high in pleasanton. as we get into midweek on

wednesday, this is going to be the coolest day relatively speaking. we have all week. inland topping out in the 90s. a lot of 60s and 70s around the bay waters. watch as we get into thursday afternoon. the numbers will jump inland, back in the triple-digit heat. 80s and 90s around the bay. on friday it's widespread heat. not only inland are we hot, even along the coast we're nearing 80 degrees. 80s and 90s around the immediate bay waters. not only as we look into this week and next week, hot lalong the western half of the u.s. the seven-day forecast, we have relief around here tuesday. wednesday we call it a temporary cooldown. the numbers just rapidly rise thursday. friday, downright hot everywhere. a little bit of a decline saturday into the holiday weekend. but it looks like the heat's going to hang on sunday and even into labor day on monday. >> all right. thanks, drew.

well, next at 4:00, traveling at more than 200 miles an hour in a tube. the big winner of elon musk's hyperloop challenge. mark zuckerberg is sharing one of his happiest moments. what he

well, here's what traveling 201 miles an hour through a tube looks like. this is video of the winner in the second annual spacex hyperloop pod design competition. students from technical university of munich, germany, made up the winning team, easily defeating two other test tracks in southern california. the competition is the brain child of spacex founder elon musk who has proposed building a hyperloop system between los angeles and san francisco for underllion. a trip between the two cities would take just 36 minutes. looks like we're just two weeks away from seeing what apple has to offer.

apple scheduled a product launch september 12th. the event is expected to include the new iphone 8 as well as two other iphone models, and a new cellular apple watch, and 4k apple tv. it's scheduled to happen a week after samsung begins selling the new galaxy note 8. mark zuckerberg made the announcement of the birth of his second daughter. >> he shared this photo with his wife, dr. priscilla chan. the baby's name is august. >> zuckerberg posted a letter to his newborn saying she should enjoy childhood and not spend time worrying about the future. we'll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation. zuckerberg plans to take two months of paternity leave. august. i guess next month she would have been named september. >> you never know. next up, here in san francisco, officials are

applauding how the city handled the right-wing rally that never materialized. potential conduct by the trump organization with russia during the campaign sglrvlts one 49er plans to continue colin the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear.

who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing.

. here are the stories making headlines at 4:30. at least four deaths are blamed on the storm in tex at. emergency teams and citizen rescuers have saved more than 2,000 people. president trump today vowed that the government would continue to provide emergency relief. he will head to texas tomorrow to see the damage for himself. our sister station in houston, ktrk, is broadcasting updates nonstop and sending updates on twitter, including this video showing people evacuating by boat. a terrible catastrophe. laura anthony just landed in texas not long ago to help out the crews at ktrk. she tweeted a photo from the san antonio airport. the rain flooded many homes of staff members who continue to work around the clock. some are getting to work by boat as you look at that picture that laura anthony just tweeted. now those demonstrations saturday in san francisco, in

response to a right-wing rally that never materialized. unlike berkeley, there was no violence. leeann melendez is at city hall with more on what work, the cost of keeping san francisco safe. >> reporter: right, dan. we're still waiting on what this has all cost. and we should be getting those numbers soon. now, the mayor said, though, from the get-go, that safety was his number one priority. but the city, city hall, had another weapon -- the community. from day one of the announcement rally on federal lands, mayor ed lee was upset that san francisco would be stuck footing the bill to keep the city safe. >> i'm prepared to send a bill to national park service. >> reporter: the total bill for police overtime, putting up fences and other logistical moves has yet to be calculated. within the police budget, there is money set aside for these kinds of events.

>> there's a bucket, we've had world series parades in the past, we have, you know, other parades in the city of san francisco. so there are funds for that. but it is very finite. this guarantee, this event itself, blew through those dollars. >> reporter: the mayor suggested that perhaps the city would apply for a public safety grant from the feds. we reached out to both the national park service and congresswoman nancy pelosi, but got no response. the police department and the mayor's office began preparing two weeks prior to the rally. >> we have to be prepared anyway. so when things come up, we have to make sure we're staffed properly. we have to make sure that we're trained properly. then we can respond properly. >> reporter: perhaps the most crucial move made by the mayor was his outreach to community organizations, churches and activists, getting their commitment to not respond to the event. >> to suggest to them that maybe we ought to consider not dignifying this event by going to crissy field. maybe we can have our own.

>> reporter: many peaceful demonstrations were held on friday and saturday with the mayor saying much was accomplished. when you compare san francisco to berkeley, in its efforts to engage the community overthis past weekend, this is what you get. one person in san francisco was arrested for being drunk. wasn't even related to any kind of demonstration or violence. in berkeley, you had 13 people arrested, 11 charged. live at city hall, leeann melendez, abc 7 news. >> thank you, leeann. as we mentioned, president trump will travel to texas tomorrow to tour areas hit hard by hurricane harvey. he's also making major moves on several controversial topics. emily rowe has more from washington. >> reporter: as rain continues to pound parts of texas, and louisiana, president trump is keeping an eye on the storm from washington. on tuesday, he'll travel with first lady melania to corpus christi to get an in-person look at the devastation.

>> to the people of texas and louisiana, we are 100% with you. we're praying for you. we're working closely with your leaders and officials. >> reporter: president trump touting the rescue efforts via twitter, also praising his pardon on friday of controversial arizona sheriff, joe arpaio, a move that continues to draw criticism because of its timing, coming as harvey approached texas. but homeland security skzer defending the president. >> straightforward what the president did. i think there's disproportional coverage of it right now. >> reporter: the white house directing the pentagon to extend a ban on transgender people joining the military. the aclu one of several groups now suing president trump to stop the ban from being implemented. and in another move, today the president signing an executive order reviving a program that provides local police departments with surplus military gear like high-caliber weapons and armored vehicles. already republican senator rand paul slamming that decision,

saying he will oppose the effort to end the obama era restrictions on the program. >> this is somebody that constantly has talked about healing, healing, healing, but almost every single one of his actions as president has been the exact opposite. >> so far the governor of texas has nothing but good things to say about donald trump's presidency. abc news, washington. new e-mails obtained by "the new york times" indicate the president may not have been forthcoming about his full relationship with russia during the campaign. in july of 2016, president trump told abc news his business had no relationship to russia whatsoever. however, e-mails from his chief counsel at the time, michael cohen, show that he considered pursuing a trump tower site building in moscow. he did not recall if president trump directly contact anyone. he informed mr. trump about the plan three times and the

president signed a letter of intent in 2015. cohen boasted to an associate that the project, quote, will get donald elected. facebook said it's taking another step to reduce false news and hoaxes. the social network said if pages repeatedly share stories marked as false, repeat offenders will no longer be allowed to advertise on facebook. they believe the update will help to reduce the distribution of false news, which will keep pages that spread false news from making money. a bakery in bakersfield is facing criticism for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. the owner of the bakery admits she told the couple to go elsewhere saying making a wedding cake for them would violate her religious beliefs. >> there are certain things that violate my conscience. and my conscience will not allow i feel are wrong. >> miller could be in trouble with the law. discrimination based on sexual orientation by private

businesses is prohibited in california. it will be heard by the u.s. supreme court in the upcoming term. it involves colorado baker, who refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. silicon billionaire peter teal is backing the controversial testing of an experimental herpes vaccine. he invested $7 million in the trial being held on a caribbean island. the creators flew 20 americans with herpes to the island several times where they received a vaccine. critics say the testing defies u.s. safety protections for human trials. 49ers sather rick reed is picking up where colin kaepernick left off last year. he'll again take a knee during the national anthem during 49ers games this season. the fifth-year player did before last night's game against the minnesota vikings. a practice he started last year alongside colin kaepernick. reed decided to resume his protest after conversations with

kaepernick and seeing what he called unamerican protests in charlottesville. coming up next on abc 7 news at 4:00, a lot more on hurricane harvey, including the nationwide effort to help the victims. i'm meteorologist drew tuma. continuing to track harvey. we'll have the latest path and future tracker rainfall amounts in the forecast ahead. i'm michael finney. "ask finney" is just ahead. i'm still taking your questions on twitter and facebook. all you need to do is post them #askfinney, and there's a good chance i'll answer them right here. taking a live look at the traffic through the macarthur maze. it is sticky. especially the eastbound traffic on 80. that's your left-hand side. it's moving a little bit nicer on the other side, on the far right peel trying to get into san francisco across the bay

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at southeastern texas, pummeled with devastation caused by hurricane harvey. the victims aren't just getting help from their neighbors. volunteers from across the country are offering to help any way they can. elizabeth hur reports many of them are already on the ground in the hardest hit areas. >> reporter: from missouri to florida, new york and california, volunteers from coast to coast -- >> be safe out there. >> reporter: -- answering the call for help. >> we need citizens to be involved.

this is a landmark event. >> reporter: fema officials stressing that help isn't just welcomed, but necessary. >> they are veterans of the world trade center, katrina, rita. >> reporter: and these trained first responders, rescuers and nurses, not the only ones signed up. >> the order called in earlier. we donated the entire -- >> reporter: donating food, like operation barbecue relief, a charity founded after the joplin tornado. >> you got any water? >> reporter: then there are organizations like the rgb mud sand and recovery team. handing out water and supplies after rounding up the volunteers on facebook. >> they'll find a way to get people out there to wherever you're at. >> reporter: and some are even using an app called zello, the primary source of communication for members of the louisiana cajun navy, a group of citizen volunteers with boats and pickup

trucks formed after katrina. >> all we can do is try to help them get to dry land. that's what we're here for. >> in the times of need, of course, monetary donations are another way so many people give. to which officials say, do your homework and make sure you're giving to a legitimate organization. abc news, new york. rain from harvey is also pounding louisiana. and the state's governor said the worst is likely to come. because of heavy rains a few weeks ago, the pump and drainage system in the city of new orleans is not working at full capacity. some cities brought in portable water pumps. president trump declared emergency declarations for several parrishs. something like 15 trillion gallons of rain have fallen in that area. >> drew tuma is tracking hurricane harvey right now. >> live doppler 7 along with satellite, over the last 12 hours, tropical storm harvey continues the slow trek to the

east. and storm rainfall totals, look at this, waller, texas, nearly three feet of rain, south houston 30 inches of rain. that's like taking two years' worth of rain for san jose and dropping it in one single storm. that is why there are so many issues right now. look at louisiana right now. a little less than ten inches of rain. that's going to change in the coming days as harvey moves to the east. the forecast track right now, winds 45 miles per hour, slowly moving to the east-southeast at about 3 miles per hour. look at the track right now. even into wednesday night, this storm is still lingering around houston before it moves off to the north thursday afternoon. future tracker rainfall, this is additional rainfall on top of what they have already seen through thursday. likely houston, nearly 6 inches of additional rain. you start to see the bull's-eye, heaviest rain beginning to move into portions of louisiana. look at this, live doppler 7 showing you all the flash flood watches, and warnings with this system. extending through four states from texas all the way into the south near new orleans.

this is going to be a long duration event for many. back at home. overnight tonight, coastal clouds. mid-50s to mid-60s inland. tomorrow relief. five to ten degrees off the highs today. that's where you'll land tomorrow. mid-80s in the south bay. upper 80s in the north bay. relief tomorrow. temporary cooldown here midweek. those numbers just go right back up thursday, especially into friday. that heat is widespread. it's going to hold on even into the holiday weekend on monday. >> thanks, drew. next at 4:00, celebrities are pitching in to help the hurricane victims. kevin hart's challenge this afternoon to other stars. i'm michael finney. i'm taking a look at all your questions. here's what we're going to be talking about. what are your rights if you need to

the impact of hurricane harvey is prompting kevin hart to start a new internet challenge. >> this is a serious matter. i think the people are in bad shape and need help. i'll lead the charge. i challenge the rock, steve harvey, chris rock, dave chapel, jay-z, beyonce, justin timberlake, jerry seinfeld, and i think when you do it, you should all tag somebody else. $25,000 is coming from me. >> hart posted that video on instagram calling the devastation in texas unbelievable which it is obviously. he'll donate $25,000 to the red cross. we have information on how you can donate on our website abc7news.com. a texas woman says she's dealing with turtles, frogs and now two alligators after hurricane harvey flooded her backyard. >> here is the gator moving along. here's the top of the fence, the low part where he is able to get

into our backyard. and now it looks like there's not only him, but now him. >> yikes. this is missouri city, texas. arlene said she spotted the animals when she went to check on her property yesterday. the caption reads, okay, hurricane harvey, one was enough, i don't need two. a flight from india to san francisco was delayed for nearly ten hours after a rat was reportedly spotted onboard. according to the "times" of india, it was seen as an air india plane was preparing to take off from new delhi yesterday morning. the plane had to return to the terminal to be fume gated. that took six hours. the pilot and crew had reached their flight limits. rats can cause big problems in an airplane by chewing on cables and wires. time for michael finney here answering questions.

michael, first up, marcus from alameda asks, if a family member goes to the hospital, when is it appropriate to ask about costs and billing on their behalf? >> if you can, anytime. whether it's an emergency situation or not. if you're the patient or patient's advocate, it's a good idea to ask how much a medical procedure will cost, or how much a room admittance is going to cost. that way you can estimate those costs over the time you think they're going to be in the hospital. you can also figure out what insurance is going to cover, and if there are any alternatives that's too expensive. a lot of times you can go to a hospital down the road and save a lot of money. it's a patient's right and responsibility to know. all this information. don't just walk in and think everything's going to be okay. >> don't be shy about asking. >> they're used to it. >> norma from alameda asks, should airlines be allowed to keep your money after you cancel a flight? >> she's asking me that?

no. no. however, airlines are not required to refund the cost of your ticket. if you cancel your flight. that's the law. and that is unless you purchased a refundable ticket. they're very expensive. it doesn't hurt to ask the airline for a refund. generally they're not going to give one to you. that is a major good reason to fly with southwest. because if you know, it's 15 minutes before the flight, you can put the money on account. use it for a ticket within the next -- >> they're pretty easy about that. elissa from oakland asks, what's the best way to go about buying a car with a budget with no more than $400? >> go online and check the prices for the cars you may want at edmunds.com or kelly bluebook. look around online for that particular car. shopping for a car has never been easier, or cheaper than it is today. keep in mind, the cost of your

monthly payment also depends on your down payment, if any, and your credit score. so you want a good one. you may have to pay more if your credit is not in good shape. if it is, find a car with $400 right now, it really should not be a problem at all. if you have a question for me, record a 10 to 15-second-long video and share it on social media, use the #askfinney. we'll answer it right here. >> great questions, great answers. thank you, michael. a week after the total solar eclipse swept across the u.s., amazing views are still coming in. >> blake richards posted this video of his experience paragliding across the horseshoe bin park in idaho during the height of the eclipse last monday. check this out. is that a great view or what. richards kept quiet during most of the ride, just enjoying the solar sensation in peace. just taking it in. >> wow. next up, pest control companies are swamped this afternoon by a growing rat problem. why they say it may take you a

while to get help. kristen is here with what's ahead at abc 7 news at 5:00. paying more to the government. today's decision that will affect taxpayers across the state. plus -- >> just shooting for as much money as we can get. >> from bake sales to online fund-raising. the ties to texas run deep. from books to cooks. area teenagers are getting recognized for making a difference.

(con artists...) they'll try anything to get your medicare card number. so they can steal your identity, commit medicare fraud. what can you do? guard your card? guard your card? just like your credit card. nobody gets my number, unless i know they should have it. to protect your identity, new medicare cards without social security numbers will be mailed next year. visit medicare.gov/fraud stay sharp people!

coming up tonight on abc 7 at 8:00, bachelor in paradise, told by to tell the truth at 10:00. and stay with us for abc 7 news at 11:00. if you've heard scratching or sounds of rats in the at tick? you're not the only one. the bay area is experiencing a big increase in rodents. demand has surged for pest services. a look at the war on rats. >> reporter: jim britain can really say business is picking

up. inside this bag are 13 dead rats he's trapped and collected from two homes today. >> our work load has literally tripled in the last year or so. >> reporter: blame the heavy winter rains and vegetation produced. homeowners call him when they see droppings or hear rodents in the attic. they don't want the neighbors to know they have a rodent problem so they ask them not to park in front of their house. they first identify where the rodents are. they turn to spring loaded traps like this baited with peanut butter. for a typical home, two dozen traps are set in the crawl space and attic. the next step is prevention. >> it only takes a size of a quarter for an adult rat. their skull is cartilage. if their head fits, their body will follow. >> reporter: that means replacing foun daks vents or

patching holes under the eaves of the roof. they can gnaw on wiring and do other damage. >> when we go up in the attic, we place traps along the perimeter, and along the heavily traveled areas known as runways. when you're up in the attic, you can tell the travels of a rodent because the insulation is indented. >> reporter: as the rat problem grows, so does the wait time for a service appointment. it can take up to two weeks to get scheduled. david louie, abc 7 news. technicians say another reason they prefer smooth peanut butter for trap baits is because creamy has a better odor apparently. when you think of household pets, you probably think dogs, cats, fish, but this afternoon an arkansas couple is building a special house for their pet cow. holly the cow's mother died during birth. the couple stepped in to be the new mom. they bottle-fed her, and she grew up around the garden of the house. holly thought she was a dog until she got bigger, of course.

she now shares her room with a cat. they apparently are best buds. thanks for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. abc 7 news at 5:00 starts now. a feeling of helplessness. and then, okay, what can we do from here. >> the answer is, quite a lot. the misery in houston has people here reaching out to help. the price at the pump and harvey, what the energy industry's worst case scenario means for the bay area. also ahead, the protests in berkeley. it has the mayor and activists claiming victory. also ahead, what some are calling a game changer for food shopping. communities devastated, but the residents are not defeated. south texas showing its strength after historic storm batters then floods that region. now, others are stepping in to help those in need.

>> you guys saved our lives. >> rescuing people from rooftops, working to the point of exhaustion and saving more than human lives. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm kristen sze. here's the latest on tropical storm harvey. at least four people have been killed since the storm hit. in houston alone, crews have rescued 2,000 people. that number could grow as the area sees much more rain through the week. >> an estimated 30,000 people will be placed in temporary shelters. and hundreds of thousands are expected to seek federal aid. they need help. >> sky 7 was over moffit field as aircraft from california national guard deployed to houston this afternoon. >> the 129th air rescue wing will focus on search and rescue operations. >> flying the area, assisting with any hoist operations, swift water rescue, and then the other contingencies we may face out