Skip to main content

tv   Good Morning America  ABC  August 30, 2017 7:00am-9:00am PDT

7:00 am
good morning, america. breaking right now, harvey makes landfall again. the tropical storm hits louisiana this morning. flash flood watches from tennessee to florida. new threats in texas overnight caused a massive crisis for those already evacuated. the water in houston still rising adding to the death toll. the mayor orders a mandatory curfew for the nation's fourth largest city. new rescues overnight. more than 13,000 people saved in houston and surrounding areas. and many more still trapped. shelters completely overwhelmed. overflowing with victims sleeping as the water rises around them. pastor joel osteen's megachurch now sheltering victims after that fierce criticism. he responds live this morning.
7:01 am
and president trump tours the devastation. >> this is historic. it's epic. >> promising major federal aid. and the remarkable way hometown heroes are springing into action using everything from big rigs to boats and jet skis to answer desperate calls for help. our team live from the storm zone this morning. and good morning, america. you are looking live at houston, texas, a city surrounded by freeways now rivers. there's a car abandoned on the ramp to the i-10 right now. so much of that city, so much of that county underwater right now. >> harvey is making landfall again for the third time, the tropical storm hitting louisiana this morning and battering parts of eastern texas. take a look at this image, that is a shelter in port arthur, texas, not only dealing with an overwhelming amount of flood victims but they're now dealing with flooding of their own. >> the problems just keep compounding and the front page of "the houston chronicle" this morning, it's dark and sad, epic flooding shows no mercy.
7:02 am
but we are also seeing heart, heroism, community, and neighbors hand in hand, a human chain to safety. >> that's incredible and here is what we know at this hour. more than 13,000 people have been rescued in the houston area. the death toll rising to 11 as a result of the deadly storm. and that relentless rain adding up to an unprecedented 51.88 inches. >> we have never seen that in the continental united states and we'v got team coverage from the disaster zone across southern texas and louisiana. senior meteorologist rob marciano starts us off from richmond, texas. good morning, rob. >> hey, good morning, george. the rain has finally stopped here in houston, but the water tropical storm harvey has made a looping turn. now spinning over lake charles. on the backside dropping torrential rains and causing chaos in east texas. this morning, 25 more inches of rain falling on parts of east texas. the latest deluge adding to the already-flooded streets
7:03 am
swallowing up these neighborhoods in galveston and port arthur. causing whitecaps on i-10 and a crisis at local shelters. >> now everybody is starting to panic and it's not fun anymore. this is beginning to be a traumatic experience. >> reporter: at the civic center in port arthur, reports of three to four feet of water seeping in through the exit doors. the floor covered. water started to crawl up the bleachers. >> you have older people, you have infant babies, kids walking in this water and they have all kinds of insects, spiders and frogs, snakes in this water and they moved us up to the bleachers but that's not helping. the water's rising up. >> reporter: outside, the streets so dangerous calling off rescue attempts overnight putting a wall of water between firefighters and homes burning. the mayor trying to maintain order, facebooking, our whole city is underwater right now but we are coming.
7:04 am
and it's still raining there. drier here in western parts of houston. this county under a mandatory evacuation warning. >> rob marciano, thanks so much. harvey just making landfall once again this morning in southern louisiana where there are now flash flood warnings and abc's steve osunsami is right there in the eye of the storm in lake charles this morning with the latest on all of that. good morning, steve. >> reporter: good morning to you, amy. the storm is finally moving on but not before leaving a flash flood emergency. 25 inches of rain in fell places. lark dharls behind me is full. families rescued from their homes having to sleep at the convention center. one more drop it spills over. creating these flash flood emergencies across this region.
7:05 am
amy. >> steve, i want to talk about what's going on in new orleans because you've been reporting all week long that many of the pumps that city depends on are not working, is that still the case? >> reporter: amy, that is a very sore point for many families in new orleans. after all these years, 12 pumps they need to keep the city dry that aren't working. they're working to fix those now. one resident who got a little clever as you'll see in this video posted a banner outside one of the pumping stations that reads, i think i can, i think i can. they sure they do. >> steve, we appreciate an update there from louisiana. chief to meteorologist ginger zee right now. six days in, the storm still has a ways to go. >> yes, it does. you can hear the wind in steve's shot because he is right on that eye wall and you can see tropical storm harvey after that landfall again overnight.
7:06 am
some of the heavy bands making their way into parts of mississippi and florida but look at that really big rain shield, from beaumont along the state line of louisiana, flash flood emergencies still in place and look at the flash flood watches. they stretch all the way into the far western reaches of the florida panhandle and up to memphis, yes, memphis, could be included in the heavy rains from this all the way through friday. so let's time it out for you. by tomorrow morning we're in northeast louisiana, you go up to memphis and that rain shield, especially if you're driving i-40, say, 3:30 p.m., we stopped it here between little rock and memphis, this will be a problem. 6 to 12 inches still in our swath especially in east texas and far southwest louisiana. guys, houston areas had more than they have in an entire year of rainfall. that's what we're dealing with. >> in just a couple of days. thanks very much. and many of the victims of harvey escaping those dangerous floodwaters head to those evacuation centers but the problem is, after they've been rescued, those centers are now completely overwhelmed. the red cross saying more than 17,000 people are in shelters in
7:07 am
texas right now. abc's chief national correspondent tom llamas is in houston this morning with more on that side of the story. tom, good morning. >> reporter: amy, good morning and you'll remember right here on "gma" yesterday we brought you those images of people sleeping on the floor at the don vengs center. this morning, a much different story. they opened a new facility. the same area where the houston texans play football. it's a brand-new shemter. they're going to house 10,000 people here and they say all 10,000 will have a cot to sleep. let me show you what will they register through here and come in right through there and get fema, health assistance and then they go inside. the overflow crowd from the convention center along with people from other shelters and those recently rescued. overnight, the calls for rescue keep pouring in. last night, 600 more. >> people that are calling out, stranded for days. >> reporter: the city of houston and the red cross responding to the influx of people needing help. now opening new shelters
7:08 am
including one at the nrg center. overnight, buses started transporting people to the football stadium. at last check, more than 10,000 were looking for shelter. but only 5,000 cots were available at the convention center. we found 18-year-old kalia castro outside the convention hall in a separate area so she, her baby and three nephews could sleep on a carpeted floor. how did you get out? >> the helicopter came over the house and they came and got us and we came outside. i wasn't able to bring anything. i was -- it was enough room for me to go in the basket and for all the kids to fit. >> reporter: stories like that are what volunteer lisa sailor says she hears all day. >> it's hard to keep it together. i lost it several times. i had a young mom yesterday that stood in water for a day and a half for her girls because she didn't want to leave her home. >> reporter: outside, still a very dangerous situation in parts of the houston area.
7:09 am
at least nine confirmed deaths, including houston police sergeant steve perez, who drowned in floodwaters just two days shy of his 61st birthday. houston's police chief moved to tears. >> we couldn't find him and once our dive team got there it was too treacherous to go under and look for him. >> reporter: many more missing including six of rick saldivar's family member, four children, the youngest just 6 years old and their great grandparents. they were trapped in their van and swept away by floodwaters. rick's brother, the only survivor. >> the road dips and that's where the van started floating and it pulled the van to the right and put in the bayou. >> reporter: and around the flood-damaged areas there are still pockets of chaos. at this supermarket in the northeast section of the city, people scavenging the waters and some entering the locked store coming out with their arms full. and now houston's mayor implementing a curfew from midnight to 5:00 a.m. police telling people to stay
7:10 am
calm and follow the law. and last night at the convention center, there was a look line of people stretching around the block but it wasn't people who were there seeking shelter. it was there for people seeking to help. there's a big need for volunteers and it looks like, george, a lot of people are answering that call. >> boy, they sure are. tom, thanks very much. the magnitude of this flooding is so hard to grasp. right now up to 30% of harris county, more than 1700 square miles underwater. that's equivalent to all of new york city and chicago combined. abc's eva pilgrim is right in the middle of the floodwaters. good morning, eva. >> reporter: george, this neighborhood covered by water. this car floating. the homes empty. the people who lived here forced to leave. before dawn we take off with a group of volunteers on a rescue mission. >> we got 4:00 just help. >> reporter: right away. >> where are they at? >> reporter: we hear calls of
7:11 am
help from a stranded family. >> hi, buddy, y'all hang tight. >> reporter: you okay? >> i'm scared. >> was it flooded here yesterday? >> yes, it's been flooded. >> reporter: the relentless rain pouring into homes that had been dry, now leaving people trapped. >> we weren't aware that this area over here was this bad. we kind of went in blind this morning and you know luckily were able to find a lot of people. >> how many are in there? >> two there and one there. >> reporter: this group flagging down a police officer who set up a command center before putting out an sos on facebook to their friends who quickly turned up with more boats. >> just everybody come together and help each other out. >> reporter: for hours they scour this area, going from one home to the next, carrying people they've never met before out on their backs. >> how do you know where to take them? >> you just take them to dry land. >> reporter: the guys getting family after family taking them to safety.
7:12 am
>> come here, honey. >> we're a little different down here in the republic of texas. we look out for each other and we take care of our own. >> reporter: and that group estimated to have rescued about 300 people. a lot of those volunteers telling me they're just regular guys with big trucks and fishing boats. no question they are heroes. amy. >> yeah, they have big hearts as well. thank you so much, eva. unfortunately for everyone in this path the flooding is still relentless this morning. we saw that incredible image of whitecaps on interstate i-10. this deadly storm stranding victims in their vehicles and abc's clayton sandell is in houston with more on that. clayton, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, amy. this is i-10 right behind me as it goes through houston. on the onramp over there, this car got stuck. overnight, just hours ago, really houston police and volunteers had to rescue a family of four who got stuck in that car and this has been
7:13 am
happening all over the city. in fact, so many streets here have become cars graveyard. one spoke to our affiliate who said she was actually stranded in her car for nearly two days, she had to have a friend come and rescue her with a boat. the property loss here when it comes to cars is just devastating. harvey may have destroyed as many as 500,000 vehicles here in houston. you can add one more. amy. >> wow, it's just incredible. clayton, thank you so much. george. we'll talk to the director of emergency management for harris county, county judge ed emmett and, judge, i know you're an experienced administrator but 30% of your county underwater and saw the cars abandoned on the freeways. any sense of how many people are still stranded? >> well, probably thousands. but hopefully, they're not in danger of losing their life.
7:14 am
we have people who are on the second floor of their homes and they're riding it out and theyr'e waiting for the waters to go down. >> and what is your biggest worry right now? >> making sure that the people -- we call them neighbors instead of evacuees, making sure that they have a place that is safe, they can begin to get on with their lives again and in the aftermath, you know, these waters are dirty. they carry all kinds of shall we say stuff in them so we've got to make sure we don't have a health crisis too. >> the city of houston is now imposing that curfew from midnight to 5:00 a.m. why exactly is that necessary and how long do you expect it to stay in place? >> well, the mayor imposed that curfew, they were worried about some of these flooded areas, the homes are left abandoned, and they were worried maybe about crime and people going in. that was a classic case, though, of the mayor originally said the curfew would begin at 10:00, but
7:15 am
the harris county was opening the new shelter at nrg center, and so he and i talked about it and so now it's 12:00 to 5:00 so that the volunteers could get there to open the shelter. >> you also have to be thinking of how you recover, how you rebuild your entire county after these floodwaters recede. what is the biggest challenge there? >> the biggest challenge is going to get people back in their homes. you know, i went through hurricane ike, a hurricane comes and goes through the area. in this case, we've got probably 30,000 to 40,000 homes that have been destroyed. working with the federal government and state government we've got to get those people back into their normal lives as soon as possible. you know, school is starting. we got to get the children in the right schools and parents back to their jobs so that the economy and the natural life can go on. >> big, big job ahead. judge emmett, i know you're up to it. thanks very much. >> thank you very much, george. >> amy. george, president trump and
7:16 am
the first lady traveled to the storm zone in texas on tuesday to meet with local officials dealing with this disaster. the president was full of praise, but cautioned it is too early for congratulations. senior correspondent cecilia vega has more now from rockport. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hi, amy, good morning to you. before his trip here to texas president trump said the state would be back up and running very, very quickly but on the ground here, he conceded it's a long road ahead. and just look at this, the road to recovery for so many people here still a long way off. president trump returning to the white house overnight after a day trip to that storm zone, where he met with emergency workers and state officials, but not with victims of the storm. the white house coming to his defense saying the president did not want to interfere with rescue efforts. asked about it on the ride home on air force one, press secretary sarah sanders said president trump's trip is all
7:17 am
about people, making sure that we are taking care of the people of texas, that is his number one priority. the president seeming upbeat on that trip. >> we're going to get you back and operating immediately. thank you, everybody. what a crowd, what a turnout. >> reporter: waving a texas flag in front of a crowd of supporters. on the ground the president praising rescue efforts. so far, $25 million in emergency relief funds helping repair roads and bridges and at least 8600 federal personnel on the ground in southeast texas. >> it's a real team and we want to do it better than ever before. we want to be looked at in five years and ten years from now as this is the way to do it. >> reporter: victims hoping they see results soon. >> what's the damage like? >> totaled. totalled. completely. >> reporter: the president will be back here in texas on saturday, possibly heading to louisiana, too, but not before
7:18 am
he goes to missouri today, where he will be giving a speech on tax reform. >> all right, cecilia. thank you. we'll head straight back to ginger. there is more flooding in houston right now. ginger. >> even though the rain has for the most part stopped in houston and moved east does not mean that the flood concerns are over. there will still be places that haven't flooded yet that will because of rivers, creeks and bayou, but there will be rain falling in memphis into northern louisiana.
7:19 am
good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. welcome to our last mild day followed by our last cool night. heat wave begins tomorrow, and that will bring some higher fire concerns for the weekend, the holiday weekend. mid-to-upper 60s along the coast into san francisco, mid-to-upper 70s around the bay, mid-to-upper 80s in the south bay and north bay, low to mid-90s inland. pretty typical day. tonight, this is as cool as it gets moving forward, 54 to about 60 degrees. we are coming up, pastor joel osteen under fire. his megachurch accused of being too slow to respond those seeking shelter. he joins us live. and right in the middle of this disaster in texas, reports of incredible price gouging. in one instance, $99 for a case of water. ♪ ♪
7:20 am
while other insurance companies just see a truck, we see something you've worked really hard for... so why not give it the protection it deserves. ♪ insherwin-williams has completey one-coat coverage. and it's up to 65% more stain resistant than competing one-coat paints. infinity paint from hgtv home by sherwin-williams. available at lowe's.
7:21 am
shatters the competition. hydrating skin better than prestige creams costing over $100, $200, and even $400. for skin that looks younger than it should. fact check this ad in good housekeeping. olay regenerist. ageless. for get the lowest pricesmart of the month. buy 1 get 1 free on select small bags and variety packs of dog and cat food and save 50% on select dog and cat treats. this week only at petsmart. for the love of pets. only new tena intimates has ♪ it'pro-skin technologyiend designed to quickly wick away moisture to help maintain your skin's natural balance. for a free sample, call 1-877-get-tena. when heartburn hits fight back fast with tums chewy bites. fast relief in every bite. crunchy outside. chewy inside.
7:22 am
tum tum tum tum tums chewy bites. when you make a pb&j with smucker's, that's the difference between ordinary everyday and exquisitely delicious in an everyday sort of way. because with a name like smucker's, it has to be good.
7:23 am
hey, good morning to you. i'm natasha zouves from "abc7 mornings." several classic cars were destroyed in a fire at a warehouse in san francisco early this morning. the fire started at crown customs vintage speed shop in the bayview district. firefighters put the fire out in about 30 minutes and no one was hurt. they're still trying to figure out what sparked the fire. let's get to sue hall now with traffic. hey, sue. >> good morning. we still go back to san jose. this is 101 in the northbound direction. we had an accident happened over an hour ago involving a food truck and a big rig, and it's still out there in lanes. you can see traffic all the way stacked up 101 northbound from hellier south of san jose up to the scene, so a long stretch of traffic here. over 280, not that much different. this is 280 at 880, slow up past
7:24 am
cupertino. >> sue, thank you so much. me i am a first responder tor and i'emergencies 24 hours a day, everyday of the year. my children and my family are on my mind when i'm working all the time. my neighbors are here, my friends and family live here,
7:25 am
so it's important for me to respond as quickly as possible and get the power back on. it's an amazing feeling turning those lights back on. be informed about outages in your area. sign up for outage alerts at pge.com/outagealerts. together, we're building a better california.
7:26 am
we'll start with some schools. new haven unified school district for hayward and union city, hazy, cloudy this morning, hazy sunshine and 76 for today. and the fremont unified school district, a bright day on the way. cloudy this morning, 78 this afternoon. weather's average. i hope your day's exceptional. temperatures in the 52 to 60-degree range, even a 48 in novato and 65 in brentwood. look at the heat. dangerous heat, record-setting heat possible thursday all the way through monday. natasha? >> take a look at that stretch of heat, wow. thanks, mike. coming up next on "gma," pastor joel osteen is live from houston, and we'll have another abc7 news update in 30 minutes and always on the free abc7 news
7:27 am
app. join the whole team every join the whole team every weekday 4:30 get 40% off on coit residential cleaning services including carpet and hardwood, tile, stone, even air ducts and window treatments. and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed or your money back. that's 40% off everything coit cleans. call or click today. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ wow! nice outfit. when i grow up, i'm going to mars. we're working on that. some people know how far they want to go. a personalized financial strategy can help you get them there. see how access to j.p. morgan investment expertise can help you. chase. make more of what's yours.
7:28 am
including carpet and hardwood, tile, stone, even air ducts and window treatments. and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed or your money back. that's 40% off everything coit cleans. call or click today.
7:29 am
that's 40% off everything coit cleans. ♪ ♪ ♪ if you have fleas.eas, use advantage® ii monthly on your cat to prevent and treat flea infestations. advantage® ii. fight the misery of infesting fleas. "oh no, the fridge just died." don't worry, at lowe's we offer free next day delivery on in-stock appliances. get up to 40% off select appliance special values at the lowe's "labor day savings" event.
7:30 am
welcome back to "gma." this is normal life in houston, texas, right now. water rescue. those roads have become swift rapids right now. neighbors all across houston now stepping in to save neighbors, so many stranded in that water this morning. >> it is hard to imagine that there are still thousands of people in need of rescue. those who have been rescued flee to rescue centers like lakewood church. pastor joel osteen's megachurch in houston. the doors are open now but critics say it took too long for one of the largest congregations to pitch in. this morning, pastor joel osteen is responding. he will join us live coming up in just a moment. >> and for all of you at home looking to help, tomorrow our parent company disney is holding a day of giving. it's a fund-raising effort that begins with our local affiliates
7:31 am
in the morning, then with us here at "gma," and throughout the day on abc freeform and radio disney as well as all our social platforms. tonight, i'll anchor a special edition of "20/20" "city underwater" tonight at 10:00. rob marciano has the latest. there's still a lot to get to on this front, rob. >> reporter: there certainly is, amy. even though the skies are clear, no rain in the forecast here for houston the waters continue to rise. here in ft. benton county. this morning, the flash flood emergencies are happening in the eastern part of the state. as the center of harvey is over the center. beaumont, port arthur, orange, texas, all seeing dramatic flooding right now. harvey on the move but we're not done yet. 12k3w4r all right, rob, thank you. we move on to joel osteen.
7:32 am
he is one of america's most popular preachers but faced some criticism when they were slow to take in flood victims. busloads are taking shelter there now and we'll talk to pastor osteen about the turnaround after this report from victor oquendo at lakewood. good morning, victor. >> reporter: good morning, george. once the church started accepting those donations they started piling up quickly. the volunteers are lining up once again this morning. you can take a look at part of the work they've done so far. a mountain of towels on one side and on this side, a ton of baby supplies. >> i promise you we'll make you feel right at home. >> reporter: he's the famous tv pastor leading one of the largest congregations in the country. >> if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. >> reporter: joel osteen, head of houston's lakewood church but for the past few days his megachurch has come under megacriticism. some questioning why the 600,000 square foot facility didn't immediately open its doors.
7:33 am
>> we'll come right back. >> reporter: as the floodwaters rose, the church posting online that it was inaccessible due to severe flooding. the reaction online fierce. tweets like this saying, when joel osteen has a gigantic church and $10 million home in houston but is only offering prayers to people affected by harvey. and the already heavily criticized joel osteen isn't helping himself by not hoping that megachurch of his and leads me to ask what would jesus do. some even posting photos like these seeming to show the church grounds flood-free. but lakewood officials providing these pictures to prove there was lots of water the foot from the top of their floodgates and saying the doors have been opened. >> we've all -- our doors have always been open. we have been a shelter like they were a shelter from the very beginning. >> reporter: and now the church up and running as an official shelter, already filled with giant piles of donations and lines of cars with volunteers waiting to sign up to help.
7:34 am
and speaking with a lot of those volunteers, we learned a lot aren't necessarily joel osteen viewers or part of the congregation here. they just told us they're from houston, and they want to help. george. >> okay, victor, thanks. pastor osteen joins us from lakewood church as well. thank you for joining us this morning. pastor osteen, let's get right to the controversy and we saw that post on sunday from your church saying it was inaccessible, yet so many weighed in saying that didn't seem to be the case. what went wrong here? >> well, george, first off, the building was inaccessible. the floodwaters went down. i mean this building flooded in 2001 and it had ten feet of water in the lower ball and we put up floodgates to keep it from going over, only a foot away. but, i think, george, the narrative that we didn't want to take people in or we didn't open in time, you know, is totally not true. we were here for people. we were a shelter and taking people as soon as the floodwaters receded when several people came here to take them in but the city has a shelter four miles from here. we work with the city all the time, and when their shelter was
7:35 am
totally full they started bringing people over here, and here we are again today doing it like we did in 2001 when we housed 3,000 people. so i don't know. i think somebody created that narrative that somehow we were high and dry, and none of that is true. this building was a safety issue and we took people in from the very beginning. >> you do seem to be up and running now but any lessons learned from this? >> well, i think there always is but i think, george, sometimes, you know, when somebody is not in this situation where we had nobody in this facility, we had -- we were fearing that it would flood, the last thing we would do is put people in it right at the beginning, but, yeah, you know, we would probably be -- you know, do some things differently obviously, but my niece was stranded right across the street from this building the first two days of the flood on -- one day of the flood on the freeway, so it was a big flood, and it affected all of the people that run this facility as well, but, you know what, we've been here 16 years helping people and we'll be here long after this dies down helping these people as well.
7:36 am
>> we all know the recovery effort from this hurricane is going to take weeks, months, even years, for the city of houston for harris county. how do you see lakewood's mission in that recovery effort? >> well, just what you said, george, it's long term. this -- we'll get them out of the shelters over time when we can, but they need help rebuilding their lives and so we have teams set up and we have hundreds of pastors that have already called and organizations like samaritan's purse and worldvision. we'll come in here and help rebuild. they will be here for a couple of years with us and that's just, you know, it's just pulling out the sheetrock, you know, helping those especially the elderly and just being in it for the long haul. that's the key. >> certainly is, pastor osteen. thanks for your time this morning. >> thank you. and with so many people in need, coming up next, millions of harvey victims desperate for just the essentials, but look at this. some businesses accused of sending prices soaring. t balloo)
7:37 am
it's ver... sfx: (balloon squeals) ok can we... sfx: (balloon squeals) i'm being so serious right now... i really want to know how your coffee is. it's... sfx: (balloon squeals) hahahaha, i had a 2nd balloon goodbye! oof, that milk in your coffee was messing with you, wasn't it? yeah. happens to more people than you think. try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose. mmm. good right? yeah. lactaid. it's the milk that doesn't mess with you.
7:38 am
7:39 am
labor day weekend sale...hl's boy's active tees are only $8 take 20 to 40% off sneakers for the family and kitchen electrics are just $19.99! plus take an extra $10 off when you spend $25 or more! and everyone gets kohl's cash too! kohl's.
7:40 am
we are back now with price gouging. right in the middle of the devastation in texas, some businesses accused this morning of raising prices on essentials. in one instance, $99 for a case of water. abc's senior national correspondent matt gutman is in houston with more on this story. good morning, matt. >> reporter: hey, good morning, amy. imagine selling one of these for 5 bucks a pop. now, the texas state attorney general says it's not only cruel, it is criminal and he's
7:41 am
investigating hundreds of cases of gouging here. texas tempers flaring. furious over markups on necessities like this man selling water out of his truck accused of marking up bottles by 500%. >> you ought to be ashamed of yourself. >> reporter: now, in the middle of this massive crisis, the texas attorney general says he's already received over 600 reports of price gouging. just check out one woman's receipt from a corpus christi convenience store. she says she was charged 65 bucks for just two cases of beer at a raceway gas station. >> i think this is ridiculous. that they're price gouging. >> reporter: then, there's this photo of water for sale at best buy for $42. raceway says it's investigating the incident. the store manager apologizing telling abc news overnight it was a clerical error and not price gouging. adding, we did give a full refund. best buy also apologizing,
7:42 am
telling abc news, it doesn't even sell cases of water. this was a big mistake on the part of a few employees at one store. as a company we are focused on helping, not hurting affected people. nearby, best western telling us that it's severing any affiliation with its hotel in corpus christi, refunding 40 guests after it was accused of nearly tripling room rates. the hotel chain saying, we do not tolerate this type of egregious and unethical behavior. >> we've seen water up to $99 for a case of water. we've seen fuel prices up to $20 a gallon. we've seen hotels jack prices up sometimes six, seven times. >> reporter: and officials now laying down the law. in texas offenders can face fines up to $20,000 per offense. and up to $250,000 in a victim is 65 or older. >> we're looking at prices over the last three months. if you've increased those prices by more than 10% we'll look at it. >> reporter: that's not the only
7:43 am
kind of profiteering we're seeing. yesterday we were at a shelter and somebody said they could bring a semi truck to take away all of the surplus donations, but officials suspected that he was trying to steal the donations in order to sell them but it is worth noting, guys, that most people here, the vast majority are actually giving away donations rather than trying to sell anything. amy, george. >> these tragedies bring out the best and worth in some people. it's good to see officials are cracking down. >> absolutely, thank you, matt. and we'll see more of the best in just a minute. this rescue of jet ski that went viral and amy's going to speak to that grandfather when we return. ♪ it's time for the biggest sale of the year with the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses your every move and automatically adjusts on both sides to keep you effortlessly comfortable. and snoring.... does your bed do that? the new 360 smart bed is part of our biggest sale
7:44 am
of the year where all beds are on sale. and right now save 50% on the labor day limited edition bed, plus 36 month financing. ends monday! the uncertainties of hep c. wondering, what if? i let go of all those feelings. because i am cured with harvoni. harvoni is a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. it's been prescribed to more than a quarter million people. and is proven to cure up to 99% of patients who have had no prior treatment with 12 weeks. certain patients can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. before starting harvoni, your doctor will test to see if you've ever had hepatitis b, which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after harvoni treatment. tell your doctor if you've ever had hepatitis b, a liver transplant, other liver or kidney problems, hiv or any other medical a can cause a serious slowing of your heart rate.
7:45 am
common side effects of harvoni include tiredness, headache and weakness. ready to let go of hep c? ask your hep c specialist about harvoni. ♪ ♪you are loved ♪ what's the story behind green mountain coffee and fair trade? let's take a flight to colombia. this is boris calvo. boris grows mind-blowing coffee.
7:46 am
and because we pay him a fair price, he improves his farm and invest in his community to make even better coffee. all for a smoother tasting cup. green mountain coffee.
7:47 am
we have seen so many incredible rescues out of texas following hurricane harvey and this morning photos going viral of a grandmother and grandfather being evacuated right there on the back of a jet ski after their home flooded and we spoke with that very grateful grandfather just moments ago. j.c. spencer joins us. i know your wife karen is resting. you've been through so much over the past few days but i'm sure you know that that picture on the jet ski has now gone viral. tell me how you ended up on a jet ski heading out of your flooded home. >> well, monday morning we realized we had to evacuate. we had to get out of there. and so i called chick-fil-a. now that sounds kind of funny but i ordered two chicken
7:48 am
burritos with extra egg and a boat, and can you believe the manager, one of the managers of chick-fil-a, she sent her husband to pick us up. and we are so grateful and so thankful. >> that is incredible. i know you loaded your possessions on to that boat and there wasn't a lot of room for you and karen to get in so all of a sudden some jet skis showed up. >> yes, and so karen jumped on the back of the jet ski and i jumped on the back of another one and they evacuated us to higher ground and we are ever so grateful. >> oh so grateful. i know she had a big smile on her face but karen said that she was actually on the verge of tears. it was probably a surreal moment for you both. >> absolutely. future of houston is indeed, very, very bright. houston -- the medical capital of the world, the space capital of the world, the energy capital of the world, and about to
7:49 am
become the port capital of the world. >> well, j.c. and karen, the world is certainly brighter with both of you in it. thanks for joining us. we're so glad you're okay. >> thank you. >> and there's even more to the story. amazingly rescuers took j.c. back to the house because he had forgotten his wedding ring and his wallet. i couldn't save my house but i had to save my marriage. i love that he had a sense of humor. they have four children, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren who are all very happy they are safe and sound and i didn't know if he actually got the chick-fil-a order, though, that was unclear. >> that was quite an order. extra egg especially. also told you he killed a snake on the way back. >> he is. resilient just like texas. a lot more hometown heroes coming up. coming up. you'farewell, cookie betdough ice cream.e! what's that you're drinking? it's trop50. it's fine. it tastes delicious and has 50% fewer calories
7:50 am
with this taste? no way. give me fifty squats. but... it can't taste this good ... read the label. ...and have 50% fewer calories? exactly, now you drop... ...and give me the 50. trop50. tastes so good you won't believe it has 50% fewer calories. when i walked through for a cigarette, that's when i knew i had to quit. for real this time. that's why i'm using nicorette. only nicorette gum has patented dual-coated technology for great taste, plus intense craving relief. every great why needs a great how. ♪ ...with pantene 3 minute miracle daily conditioner.s... a super concentrated pro-v formula makes hair stronger* in just 3 minutes. so it's smoother every day.
7:51 am
because strong is beautiful.
7:52 am
but they see you, like no one dogs canelse can.lor like we do. dogs see more, because they are more. let's treat them that way. milk-bone. doing more for dogs since 1908. ♪ ♪ so many americans struggle with finances. starting today, state farm is here to help. giving us all the chance to simply sit down and learn. visit letsstarttoday.com or talk to an agent. taking over 7,000 maria's steps each day.o, and she does it in any shoes she wants, with lasting comfort. only dr. scholl's stylish step has insoles that are clinically proven to provide all-day comfort.
7:53 am
dr. scholl's. born to move. back here on "good morning america" i have some good news. tropical storm harvey is now moving faster than it has since it made landfall north at nine miles per hour, the update from the national hurricane center. bridge city, louisiana, still raining heavily this morning. areas from beaumont to port arthur picking up more than 20 inches overnight. those are the spots that are saying thank goodness, it's moving faster, because that rain shield is so heavy right along the state line of louisiana and texas there. still in a flash flood emergency and the flash flood watches now extend all the way up into parts of arkansas and even memphis. you know what, even cincinnati will get some rain from this. how much rain? it looks like a lot of the places in the red here anywhere between 4 and 6 inches. locally you could see heavier spots, and then just as i said before, just because the rain stopped in houston for the most mart does not mean the flood threat is over. the san jacinto river is a place we're concerned about because
7:54 am
river levels are so high they're backing up into communities like kingwood and humble still as we speak and will for days to come. the west and east fork come together in lake houston, which is where houston gets its water
7:55 am
"good morning america" is brought to you by dr. scholl's stylish step insoles.
7:56 am
hey, good morning to you. i'm natasha zouves from "abc7 mornings." here's meteorologist mike nicco now with your accuweather forecast. hey, mike. >> hey, natasha. hey, everybody. let's start with some cool conditions out there, low 50s to mid-50s in the north bay, upper 50s to low 60s for the rest of us, brentwood warmer at 65. typical day today, 60s along the coast and san francisco, 70s around the bay, 80s inland, except for the east bay, 90s. we'll be in the 50s and 60s tomorrow but will warm anywhere from 20 to 40 degrees by the afternoon hours as the heat wave begins. sue? just a grind all the way around through the silicon valley, san jose. this is 101 northbound by 880. we had an earlier accident involving a food truck by trimble, another problem now by old bayshore, so just a grind on 280. your alternate? not so much. 280 is bumper to bumper, 40 minutes to cupertino.
7:57 am
>> sue, thank you. coming up next on "gma," is coconut oil really good for you? that's coming up. we'll have another abc7 news update in about 30 minutes and always on our free abc7 news app. join reggie, mike, alexis, jessica and
7:58 am
you're going to be hanging out in here. so if you need anything, text me. do you play? use the chase mobile app to send money in just a tap to friends at more banks than ever before. you got next? chase. make more of what's yours.
7:59 am
8:00 am
good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. happening now, harvey makes landfall again. the massive storm slams into louisiana this morning. flash flood watches from florida to tennessee and new threats overnight. even more peril for those who already evacuated as the waters in houston just keep rising. a mandatory curfew now for houston. everyday heroes. people traveling from across the country to help the victims of hurricane harvey from this trucker with his big rig driving into the floodwaters. >> they'll just keeping boatloads of people out to the truck. to the real estate opening up her own home, to give families a place to stay. >> my home is literally your home. >> to the military vets rescuing the stranded the incredible stories.
8:01 am
also, this morning, cracking the nutrition code, the oil marketed as a healthy fat substitute but could it be driving your cholesterol way up? the truth behind coconut oil right here. and george clooney on being a dad. he's doing diaper duty, says fatherhood is terrifying and amal is adjusting as we say, good morning, america. and good morning, america. hope you are having a good wednesday. houston, of course, facing so much devastation right now. we want to show you this big rig that one man drove nearly 200 miles to help rescue people. stranded in the disaster zone. his name is nick sheridan and he built his life around helping people and joins us live ahead. and take a look at these workers. they were trapped at their bakery for two days with the floodwaters. what do they do? they used up the 4200 pounds of flour they had there to bake bread for all of those affected by the floods. i love what some people commented. they said it was a gesture that
8:02 am
was both literally and figuratively sweet. >> well done. okay. thank you, amy. south texas, you know, east of houston is also getting hit hard. there's a new flood emergency right now after two feet of rain overnight. abc's steve osunsami is just across the texas state line in lake charles, louisiana. here's his story. >> reporter: good morning, george. these flash floods are for real. there is an urgent situation happening right now in port arthur and beaumont, texas, where the rain is just dropping and just continues to fall. they've seen about 25 inches of rain overnight. we're hearing reports of the civic center, where they're actually housing residents taken from their homes, is taking water. they're seeing three to four feet of water in some places. numerous reports of people who are trapped in their homes. right now, the eye of the storm is sitting on top of us right now here in louisiana. behind me is lake charles, in front of me is another civic center that has many residents who were taken from their flooded homes who are sleeping there right now. the fear, of course, is that the
8:03 am
ground is saturated. there is just no more room for a drop of water more. in new orleans, they're very concerned about even an inch of rain because of the city's pumps. about a dozen of them are not working right now and that work continues. one person who was being very clever in the traditional new orleans spirit and humor put a sign outside of one of the pumping stations that reads, i think i can, i think i can. they sure hope that those pumps are going to work today. >> we hope he's right. steve, thanks very much. amy. now we move on to houston where more shelters are having to open for the thousands of people still being rescued from the floodwaters. our chief national correspondent tom llamas is there with the latest on that story. tom, good morning. >> reporter: amy, good morning to you. earlier on "gma" we heard from the harris county judge would told us that 30,000 to 40,000 homes could be destroyed here in houston and that's why so many
8:04 am
are seeking shelter. this is one of the newest shelters in the nrg park, this is where the houston texans play football and the same setup. people come in, get registered and get a cot. 10,000 people can sleep here and they say everyone will get a cot. now, one of the reasons they opened this place is because of what we showed you yesterday, people sleeping on the floor there at the convention center. they had planned for 5,000. more than 9,000 showed up and there were so many people sleeping on the floor at the time. the rescue efforts are still under way here in houston. they were answering 600 calls yesterday so there are still people trapped in their homes and there are still pockets of danger around the houston area. the mayor now implementing a curfew that runs from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. amy. >> all right, tom, everyone gets a cot there, though, that is important for those people till being rescued. >> we want to go to ginger right now, and ginger, there are some floodwaters receding. >> right, and there is a glimmer of hope for some because the latest update from the hurricane center has tropical storm harvey moving north at nine miles per
8:05 am
hour. that doesn't sound like a lot but that is faster than it has since it made its original landfall. it did make landfall again early this morning. just west of cameron, louisiana. the heaviest rain shield still happening, what steve was talking about between beaumont and the state line into louisiana, and that's why we see flash flood watches all the way really thursday and friday up to memphis and, of course, those outer bands into panama city. i wanted to quickly show you too just because the rain slowed down or ends in houston does not mean the flood threat is over. i've been in constant contact with the morning meteorologist travis herzog at ktrk and talking about the buffalo bayou at record stage and this flows through downtown houston. why we're so concerned about it and heard of the addicks and barker reservoir, in the '20s and '30s they had huge floods and said we got to stop it and put up these earthen walls to hold back water, to release it,
8:06 am
but it's been overflowing on the back end, eastern katy, bear creek flooding on the back to save the front. all eventually has to get to galveston bay. this is one the brazos river, san jacinto. so many stories that will go on for weeks if not months. george and amy. >> ginger, thanks very much. coming up here, hometown heroes. civilians jumping into action to help rescue. their remarkable stories just ahead. then george clooney talking fatherhood at 56. what he's sharing about his new life with the twins and what he says is terrifying. and lara is upstairs. >> hi, amy. nothing terrifying up here. just a great audience. how are you guys? and we're counting down to the first "dancing with the stars" celebrity reveal right here. we're going to find out who is about to hit the dance floor for season number 25. don't go anywhere. we'll be right back. ♪ her daughter, shopping for groceries, unclogging the sink, setting up dentist appointments and planning birthday parties, nobody does it better.
8:07 am
she's also in a rock band. look at her shred. but when it comes to mortgages, she's less confident. fortunately for maria, there's rocket mortgage by quicken loans. it's simple, so she can understand the details and be sure she's getting the right mortgage. apply simply. understand fully. mortgage confidently. they're breathable underwear from fruit of the loom. wait, fruit of the loom makes breathable underwear? yeah, they have tiny holes to let the air through but... yessss. i love them. stay cool with breathable underwear from fruit of the loom.
8:08 am
no splashing! wait so you got rid of verizon, just like that? uh-huh. i switched to t-mobile, kept my phone-everything on it- -oh, they even paid it off! wow! yeah. it's nice that every bad decision doesn't have to be permenant! ditch verizon. keep your phone. we'll even pay it off when you switch to america's best unlimited network. ♪ ♪
8:09 am
here at persil, the top notch team of stain experts has performed over 10,000 stain evaluations to prove persil delivers a premium clean. we've made a new stain with wasabi and goji berries. make that 10,001. persil pro clean. has complete one-coat coverage. by sherwin-williams make that 10,001. and it's also stain resistant. how stain resistant? this stain resistant. and, it's also scrubbable. so scrubbable. it has complete one-coat coverage. and it's oh-so durable. this durable. infinity paint from hgtv home by sherwin-williams.
8:10 am
get $10 to $40 off now through september 6th. available at lowe's.
8:11 am
♪ welcome back to "gma." welcome to this great crowd here on wednesday morning. this happens every once in a while on "gma." right before we went on air, i was back in the women's locker room -- >> talking clothes. >> now we're going to talk "pop news." >> yes, we are, good morning, everybody. good morning to george and to amy and to you. and we begin with the tony award-winning musical "hamilton" giving the real-life alexander hamilton another shot in the spotlight. inspiring the library of congress to digitize 880 documents written by the founding father for all of us to now access. lin-manuel miranda gave his seal of approval to the plan. that will allow us to logon and learn more about hamilton through his own words.
8:12 am
the collection will include his personal and public drafts like one written when he was just 12 years old as a clerk and then a letter he wrote to his future wife elizabeth, george washington, john adams among the major figures included in these letters, and before this the only way to view them was to actually travel to washington and to view them on microfilm. not happening for a lot of people. this makes it much easier for all of us to learn much more about one of the most important figures in our american story. >> so cool. microfiche. you don't even know what it means. >> i didn't in college, not doing it now so that's great news. i think it's so fantastic for all of us to be able to access that story. also in "pop news" this morning, a new addition to the muppets. matt vogel making his big debut of the new voice of kermit stepping in for steve whitmire lending his pipes to the youtube channel. listen up, here is the new kermit. >> and now for another muppet
8:13 am
thought of the week. ♪ >> dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. life is how we get there. i'm headed this way. >> what do you think? >> i mean, it's good. very good. i'm so impressed. >> we were studying it in the investigative unit of "pop news," we were studying the voice and we heard a slight difference but pretty darned close. the new voice sounds so familiar. kermit serving up a wise and witty thought of the day and you know before vogel and whitmire, kermit was portrayed by the late, great muppet creator jim henson. we wish you luck, matt vogel as the new kermit, part of the disney family. and then finally, celebrities showing continued support for the people of texas including beyonce. the grammy winner sharing a tribute on instagram saying, texas, you are in my prayers and the houston native pledging to work closely with her charity be good and her pastor to help as many hurricane harvey victims as she possibly can. and give it up for actress
8:14 am
sandra bullock who has stepped up, donating $1 million to the american red cross, specifically to help with harvey. the actress who has a home in austin, texas, writing, quote, there are no politics in eight feet of water. there are human beings in eight feet of water. so an update also on the efforts of houston texans football star j.j. watt. yesterday we loved having him on "good morning america." when we spoke with him, he already raised $1.2 million and this morning, we can report that watts' efforts have led to a new total of over $5 million. i just got chills. harvey relief fund. we cannot thank you enough, j.j. and that, everybody, is "pop news." >> that is great. fantastic, lara. everybody is pitching in and there are so many everyday heroes out of houston as well. so many braving the floodwaters.
8:15 am
they've got boats, big rigs, everyone is coming out and they're taking care of themselves. hand to hand as well. you see that human chain. want to go back to rob marciano for more on that. hey, rob. >> hey, george, and they're still doing it. the weather finally calm enough. we can fly our drone. it gives you a great aerial view of the expanse of the flooding here. considering the scope of what happened it's really remarkable job that the federal, local and state first responders did. they're professionals with high-tech gear doing heroic work. but as is so often the times the unsung heroes are the volunteers, the everyday man that came from all over to help. >> these are all these boats you see here are just family boats, regular civilians that came down with their trucks. >> reporter: they are everyday heroes, traveling from near and far to help the victims of hurricane harvey. people like nick sheridan who sprang into action immediately. after seeing the devastating toll caused by the storm. >> i'd say five, maybe six feet deep. >> reporter: driving nearly 200 miles with his big rig to help rescue those stranded in the
8:16 am
floodwaters. >> they'll just keeping bringing boatloads of people out to the truck and load them up and we'll get them out of the area. >> reporter: nick, with the help of two other truck drivers, rescuing more than 1,000 people and counting. local members of the community like realtor stephanie frey stepping up to help, too. >> people walking with trash bags of clothes and babies on their backs. it's really hard for everybody right now. >> reporter: frey offering up her own apartment to families who needed a place to stay. >> text me if you need anything. i'm right down the street. i'm right here for you guys. >> thank you. >> thanks. >> reporter: then there's team rubicon, a nonprofit composed of a group of military veterans. what are the risks involved here? >> lack of information i'm worried about and lack of communication i'm worried about because water is getting ready
8:17 am
to rise and these people don't want to leave their homes. >> reporter: i was there had they came across a family of seven who needed help one by one brought to safety by the team. the emotion there is just palpable. i'm glad team rubicon is here to help them out. there's the water tower here in richmond. the sun coming up. the brazos river behind it swollen and rising. expected to come to record levels this weekend, likely flooding part of this historic town and a lot of other towns here in ft. bend county, one of the largest counties in the country, the majority of which is now under mandatory evacuation orders. that's tens of thousands of people that will be trying to get out of the way of rising floodwaters here right through this weekend and we certainly will need more help from volunteers into next week and beyond. george and amy. >> it is good to see the sun out there right now and we'll be joined by one of the many you saw in the piece, nick sheridan who had that big rig and drove more than 200 miles. thanks for joining us this morning. we heard what -- you rescued more than a thousand people. are you going back out there today?
8:18 am
>> yeah, the rescues are still going on. a lot of the immediate threat, people that are stuck in really bad areas have gotten out but we're more on a standby today. see what they need us to do but we've been working in collaboration with police, fire, military, coast guard and then our own civilian units too. >> nick, it's so remarkable what you're doing. what spurred you into action? >> well, i mean, my whole life i've held different roles, i served for a short while in the military, i was a fire explorer in new england when i was younger. my whole life i've kind of been in that civil service role and -- but being on my own gave me the ability to just go where they needed me rather than be stationed to go direct traffic on a street corner or something like that. so i was really able to put my equipment to use here being a freelance rescuer. >> it's so incredible what you've been doing, nick. we've been watching some of these rescues take place. is there one that stands out to you?
8:19 am
>> not just this whole weekend stands out. it's been something i hope i never experience again just because it's hard to see but just between me and the other two truck drivers i was working with, all day on sunday and monday, we like people have said over a thousand people between the three of us and worked together and we drove through the streets in teams so that if one of us got stuck we had each other to keep moving because you can't see where the gullies are and one of the tractor trailers went into one and almost rolled over so we had -- i used the front of my truck to pull him out of the gully because you can't judge where the curbs are so it's tough. >> yeah. nick, it's clear you're a humble guy. but what an example you're setting. thanks for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> keep it up, nick. and tonight, we'll have a
8:20 am
special edition of "20/20." "city underwater: catastrophe in houston" at 10:00, 9:00 central on abc, and tomorrow we're kicking off a special day of giving to help victims of the storm with our parent company disney going on all day an freeform, radio disney and all our social platforms. let's go to ginger. >> george, as if the water wasn't enough we also saw tornadoes. i want to show you this video from lyons point, louisiana. three reported just around that part of louisiana and now the heaviest bands, the strongest really moving not just around that northwest shield but east into mobile bay and far western parts of the florida panhandle. that's where some of the heaviest training thunderstorms are coming and then that little track that takes it into the northeast of louisiana by thursday morning and by memphis by thursday into friday. very heavy rain still along with this. good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. welcome to our last mild day followed by our last cool night. heat wave begins tomorrow, and that will bring some higher fire concerns for the weekend, the holiday weekend.
8:21 am
mid-to-upper 60s along the coast into san francisco, mid-to-upper 70s around the bay, mid-to-upper 80s in the south bay and north bay, low to mid-90s inland. pretty typical day. tonight, this is as cool as it gets moving forward, 54 to about 60 degrees. we are we're going to switch gears now to george clooney opening up about his newest role. it's one he calls terrifying. that would be dad to twins. adrienne bankert is here now with more on the story. good morning to you. >> good morning, lara. this is not a movie, okay. george and amal clooney's bouncing babies, now almost three months old, and the reality of fatherhood is now sinking in. george clooney may be new to the role of daddy but the magnitude of being a parent isn't lost on the seasoned actor. telling the associated press, it's terrifying saying, suddenly you're responsible for other people. >> george clooney's life has changed a lot in the last few years. he went from being one of the most eligible bachelors to now being a doting father of twins.
8:22 am
>> reporter: it's a complete 180 for the once-perennial bachelor, the 56-year-old and wife amal welcomed twins ella and alexander on june 6th. clooney describes his duties as changing diapers and walking them around a little bit. commending his bride who he describes like an olympic athlete she's doing so beautifully. >> george clooney and amal are both very high-profile and very supportive of each other. so it's obvious that, when it comes to raising kids, they're there for each other and looking forward to the future with their family. >> reporter: clooney, a new man who spoke about not wanting kids back in the day. >> i don't have any biological clock ticking. i don't have any interest in having children at all. >> reporter: the superstar now admits it's wise to never say never telling the associated press, i didn't think at 56 i would be the parent of twins. don't make plans, you always have to just enjoy the ride. and while it's clooney's first
8:23 am
time being a daddy he's getting ready for the latest release of "suburbicon." his sixth time in the director's chair. >> and it's getting a lot of buzz. i like his thought -- don't make plans, enjoy the ride. >> i think he needs to talk to mick jagger, the dad of like seven. >> amy, over to you. thanks so much. now to our series "cracking the code: nutrition edition," this morning we're breaking down coconut oil, some marketing campaigns say it has an overwhelming number of health benefits, but abc's mara schiavocampo is here with the truth behind the trend. good morning, mara. >> good morning, amy. you know, fans love this stuff. it's extremely popular, it exploded a few years ago. many believing that it's a healthy fat option but now some experts are saying it may not be so good for you after all even comparing it to butter and lard. coconut oil, for some it's become the golden child of oils, marketed as a healthy fat substitute and an aid for everything from skin ailments to brittle hair to weight loss. >> i use it on my skin and use
8:24 am
scrubs and i use it in my coffee. >> reporter: loretta loves the stuff using it on her skin and hair and eating it almost every day. so you started because you thought it had a health benefit. >> yeah, i see it as a healthier oil. >> reporter: and she is not alone. its popularity helped increase prices with the cost of coconut oil more than doubling since 2013. but this morning, new information that public perception may be way off. a recent american heart association report advising consumers, coconut oil and some other vegetable oils should be used in moderation. >> the science behind it is that coconut oil is saturated fat, saturated fat is not the good fat. it's the bad fat. it basically has more fat in it than lard or butter. >> reporter: in fact, coconut oil is 82% saturated fat. bad fats can raise your ldl cholesterol levels potentially leading to serious health problems. >> once you raise your ldl, you put yourself at risk for heart disease.
8:25 am
>> reporter: now, heart health experts are advising americans to cut back on eating vegetables oils like coconut oil that are high in saturated fat. >> i think i am shocked a little astonished. >> reporter: the institute of shortening and edible oils tells abc that they believe saturated fats will continue to play a role in food preparation and give certain foods, for example, bakery foods and confections, the texture, mouth feel and taste that consumers expect. >> will this change the way you use coconut oil? >> it sure will. i mean, i think i'll still use it because i love the flavor and i have gotten used to it and i still feel good but i think that i would be a little bit more careful in the future as how i use coconut oil. >> and full disclosure, i cook with coconut oil, and i
8:26 am
even use mct oil a coconut-derived oil but the big headline here is how do those fats in coconut oil compare to, say, olive oil. >> this is really about public perception. a lot of people love the stuff. and it is great but people don't realize how much saturated fat in it. this is eye-opening. this is a cup of coconut oil, this has 189 grams of saturated fat compared to a cup of olive oil which has 30 grams of saturated fat, so there's just a really stark difference. >> but if that is your fuel in certain diets it might not be a bad thing -- science is out on that specifically but this is about moderation at the end of the day. >> it is and if you want to go for something like coconut you'll get much lower fat and healthier option and great for your hair, nails, skin, all that beauty stuff. >> mara, thanks so much. coming up next on "gma," two college roommates who discovered their moms are long-lost best friends. an exclusive at reunion you don't want to miss.
8:27 am
8:27 on this wednesday. good morning to you. i'm reggie aqui. three salvation army officers from antioch are deploying to texas to provide spiritual and emotional support for victims and the first responders in the houston area. the salvation army has more than 50 mobile kitchens, and right now they are serving thousands of meals. let's get a check in with sue hall for a look at your commute. hi, sue. >> hi, reggie! good morning, everyone. san jose is the focus of some nasty traffic this morning. we had an earlier food truck that got into it with a big rig. that's just been cleared north 101 near trimble. it's still stacked up here, as you can see. that's the 880 overcrossing. and across town, 280 remains jammed as well with several accidents, and also 17 northbound, we have an accident right over 280 as well.
8:28 am
>> sue, thank you. enjoy today's weather, because meteorologist people love my breakfast burritos. and my french fries. wait! what if i put them together?! a burrito stuffed with scrambled eggs, creamy guacamole, bacon and crispy french fries. i'll call it the california breakfast burrito! boom. someone got that, right? scrambled eggs. guacamole. bacon. french fries. you'll call it the california breakfast burrito. boom. good work everyone. another winner. introducing my new california breakfast burrito. only at jack in the box.
8:29 am
oh, it feels great outside! hi, everybody. temperatures from 52 in santa rosa to about 65 right now in brentwood, but let me lower the hammer on you. other than the coast in san francisco, excessive heat watch noon tomorrow through 8:00 p.m. monday. here's the reason why, reggie. the hottest days of the years
8:30 am
year ahead of us. >> i'm still flabbergasted by those temperatures. mike, thank and welcome back to "gma." great crowd here with us. we start off this half hour with a lovely story about friendship and the day it all began when two college roommates realized their moms were long lost best friends out of touch for 16 years. t.j., you were there for the big reunion. >> i'm not really a fate, destiny, soul mate, it's mefrnts to be kind of guy but this story will make you a believer. two women best friends lost touch completely 16 years ago. fast forward 16 years, their daughters end up in college together and roommates together. had no idea about the moms' connection. we just had to do a little lying to make this reunion happen. when you uc berkeleyly students
8:31 am
roaya and nissma met their connection was instant. >> we hit it off right away. we're both premed, both canadian. both moroccan. >> reporter: their bond so great they decided to room together for their sophomore year but on move-in day an unbelievable discovery. >> i was facetiming my mom in the other room and i thought i'd bring her out to meet nissma's dad. >> they talked for only a few minutes but in that time span we realized that not only were they neighbors, but our moms were actually best friends 16 years ago. >> reporter: we found out we have baby pictures together. >> all i can think of this is insane. how often do you find out that one of your best friends as a young adult, you actually have baby pictures with that you don't even remember. >> reporter: their moms, saida and naima were pregnant together. >> they lived down the street together. used to talk, used to have dinner. >> reporter: so what happened? 16 years ago roaya's family moves from canada toive vine,
8:32 am
california. a year later nissma's family relocated tonorthern virginia their families split by 2,000 miles. >> when they left i don't think they had a phone. they didn't have a computer using library computers so it made it completely impossible to find the other person. >> reporter: but long lost friends are about to reunite. >> they have no idea. >> yeah, they have no idea. >> reporter: so the ladies pack up and hop a plane bound for new york, operation mommy reunion is officially under way. >> somewhere in the car. and new york is looking good. >> reporter: the duo splits up and separately meet their moms both also in manhattan. neither have any idea they're about to reunite. >> my mom is in the other room. she still has no idea. >> reporter: the daughters convince the moms to spend the morning in central park where the big reunion is about to go down. roaya and her mom are just through here sitting on a park bench.
8:33 am
now, mom has no idea why she's really here. she also doesn't have any idea that her daughter's friend, nissma, and her mom are right down here waiting and the two moms haven't seen each other in 16 years. this is about to happen. and it's about to happen right now. come on. hey, mom. >> hi. >> i'm t.j. holmes. >> i'm saida. >> good to meet you. excited about being to new york. >> come with me right now. we're not going far. come on. come on. come on. you might recognize your daughter's friend here. >> hi. >> and then the >> oh, my gosh. i missed you. >> i missed you too. >> oh, my gosh. >> hi, nissma.
8:34 am
>> ladies, here you go. here you go. you guys were best friends. >> she was my best friend and my family. >> and now what. now what are we going to do? >> family will get together. >> a happy reunion 16 years in the making. you made the point, robach. weren't they able to stay in touch all they had was back in landlines, no facebook. it would have been easier. no facetiming. so they completely lost touch. now they have plans to actually reconnect, visit. she's like come see me. i'm in san diego. we got nice weather out here. but it was very cool to see but i don't know. it makes you believe in something else. >> how great that they had baby pictures together and randomly ended up as roommates. >> uc berkeley. >> in college. >> at a big college rooming together, both premed. just something else is at work here. i'm not that kind of fate, destiny guy.
8:35 am
>> now you are. >> why is this guy t.j. holmes coming up to me in the park? >> right. you wouldn't believe how many people have asked themself that question before. spend a lot of time in the park. >> great story, t.j. thanks very much. coming up our big "dancing with the stars" reveal. we're going to tell you the first couple about to hit the dance floor.
8:36 am
you're going to be hanging out in here. so if you need anything, text me. do you play? use the chase mobile app to send money in just a tap to friends at more banks than ever before. you got next? chase. make more of what's yours.
8:37 am
>> announcer: it wouldn't be
8:38 am
summer on "gma" without him. >> good morning, merge. ♪ >> announcer: and friday jason derulo does what he does best. >> time to party in the park noelle velentzas one epic live concert only on "gma" presented by king's hawaiian. [ cheers and applause ] welcome back to "good morning america" and we have seen so many terrible images this morning from port arthur, texas, boep, but this tweet from yesterday was one of my favorites. that is the sun in houston. that's right. gabby's tweet read in caps, the sun is out in houston. i repeat. the sun is out in houston. it is so nice to see even though some light rain on the back end but memphis, all the way up to cincinnati, the folks from ohio behind me just so you know i don't know where from ohio you're in but six inches in that hi, there. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. a nice start, 50s and 60s at
8:39 am
9:00, 60s, 70s, mainly 80s at 4:00. that's as cool as it gets. look at this heat wave, thththth so now we turn to our exciting "dancing with the stars" season 25 celebrity reveal. it's time. >> very exciting. last week revery vealed the pros. now it's time to reveal the first star gearing up for the ballroom. >> do the honors. >> so before i tell you, guys, couple of hints, he is a twin. and he's known for flipping, fixing houses with his brother. don't say it. i'm about to reveal it. drop that ball. hello! [ cheers and applause ] >> "property brothers" joining us live from los angeles with his new dancing partner winner of season 24 by the way, emma slater. hi, emma. >> hi. how are you guys? >> so happy to see you and drew,
8:40 am
congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> we did a little digging when we heard the news and we found on facebook this video which i would like to show everybody. >> okay. uh-oh. >> with that video -- with that video preparation for this moment? >> you know, that was actually this morning. that was me getting ready for "good morning america." >> i think he's ready. >> you're there with the reigning champ emma from last year. you're ready to go again. can you tell if she's a taskmaster yet. >> we've done two rehearsals and -- i'm an athletic guy and like taking on a challenge but i've never danced before and she is the best. she won last season, so i want to make it my duty to get her a second mirror ball. >> all right. >> okay. >> all right. >> do you believe that move. >> i love it. they've already got their moves
8:41 am
down. do you feel any extra pressure as reigning champ. >> you know what, i totally feel the pressure but i like that, you know. it's the first time i won last season which was incredible. and i've got another good partner so i can't believe my luck right now. >> you're going to do it. i mean you're going to do it. >> we are, right? >> i've been watching "dancing with the stars" forever. everybody supports everyone. it's not pushing everyone down to win but raise them up and do better like jonathan and me with all our companies. >> the best part. everybody is on the same team like wanting to see and celebrate each other and i've got great partner. so stoked about this. he's going to help me renovate my house. >> i teach her. she teaches me. >> exactly. i need something in return. >> and, drew, we usually see you with a different partner your brother jonathan redoing homes on "property brothers" but what does he think about all this. >> you know, i definitely upgraded my partner. at least in the looks department and jonathan is so excited. i mean, you know, jonathan would
8:42 am
be here to do it as well if he -- he hurt his shoulder and says instead of beating me on "dancing with the stars" he decided to let me have this. but, no, he -- >> we have the next best thing, he has a message for you. let's listen. >> okay. >> hey, good luck, drew on "dancing with the stars." just remember i am the brother with rhythm so if you need somebody who is going to show you some of the moves. never mind. back to work. >> so good. >> he's very smooth. as you can see he's the smooth brother. [ applause ] >> now, i've been on that dance floor behind you. do you think it needs a fresh coat. this is just me asking for your expertise. >> you know, i haven't spent a lot of time there yet but i'm thinking i could probably fix a few things up, you know. change the floor plan, reconfigure. >> ballroom. >> you'll be my property sister from another -- >> now that rehearsals have started what do you think will be the biggest challenge for drew. >> i pretty much know his height
8:43 am
is going to be the most challenging thing. he has these long arm, long legs and about a foot difference between the two of us so i have to wear my shoes every rehearsal otherwise the hair whips him in the face. >> every time she does her fancy turns the tip of her hair goes right in my eyeball. >> when i turn he always goes -- >> that face is not one i want america to see. >> drew, you have a black belt in karate. are you going to use any of those moves. >> you know what, we've been finding that the coordination and the movement from my karate is actually helping me on the dance floor so, definitely. >> it's really handy like i've never had anybody with that kind of experience before but he knows where to put his body and i'm like, wow, that's similar to ballroom -- >> i won't be doing roundhouse kicks or chuck norris moves. >> maybe. >> you'll be a lot of fun on the dance floor. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> good luck, drew. good luck, emma.
8:44 am
>> all right. so tune in next wednesday for "gma's" exclusive "dancing with the stars" full cast reveal, more to come there. coming up right now one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer, the cast of kids from "it."
8:45 am
including carpet and hardwood, tile, stone, even air ducts and window treatments. and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed or your money back. that's 40% off everything coit cleans. call or click today.
8:46 am
we are back now with the cast of "it." it is one of the most highly anticipated and frightening flips of the year. it is based on stephen king's best-selling novel and here's an exclusive sneak peek. >> what happened? >> here. >> what's that? >> turn it off.
8:47 am
>> woo! all right. that means pennywise is nearby. we are happy to have jaden lieberher, sophia lilis, finn wolfhard, wyatt oleff, chosen jacobs and jeremy ray taylor. this one is so good. i'm so proud of how you guys have put this together. you're awesome, all six of you. you had to go to losers boot camp. tell me what that was to learn all things 1980s and be the misfits you are in the movie. what was it like? >> yeah, i mean it was pretty awesome. we had an acting coach named ben perk kips and he sort of, yeah. so he really established the trust between us and gave us this big book of '0s like references and clothes and music and all that stuff. >> slang. >> like totally awesome. >> tubular. >> tubular. >> which nobody used.
8:48 am
>> we didn't use in the movie. i swear. >> what's your favorite part about the 1980s? i love the clothes. come on, right. >> short-shorts and get to show off your knees. >> bony knees. >> i would say the music is amazing. >> i love the music. >> the music is the best part. i know you guys really did bond as you said on the set and working together, there's some -- i mean this is stephen king so he's known for some of the rougher elms. there's a lot of cursing and violence. did any of you feel uncomfortable with that or was it kind of like, cool -- >> kind of like the opposite. >> being told to do this. >> it just felt freeing like we could do whatever we wanted with our characters. >> like, wow, we're able to do this. >> i can say that because coming from other stuff i'm like, i can say this now? >> what did your parents think. >> mom, it's for the role. it's for the role. i would never in my life. >> it's for my craft. >> i'm an artist, mom. i'm an artist.
8:49 am
>> so i grew up absolutely pet fried of pennywise the clown. see, that's my pennywise. this -- i mean look at that clown. were you -- did you feel any of that fear? do you guys like clowns? are you afraid of clowns? don't want to give all clowns a bad rap but this tormented me for my entire childhood. >> our movie is kind of giving it a bad rep right now. >> it would boost their career a little bit. scare them instead of entertainment. >> it could boost it. >> i just want to give a formal apology to all clowns. the clown union of america, international. >> and with this movie like they teased plea with that balloon. balloons are scary now too in this movie. it means he's not far away. >> but there's like an actual fear to that too. >> a phobia. >> we're dealing with -- >> i think where it comes from. >> favorite part of making the movie. >> i think the relationship that
8:50 am
we all had and i think that the bonding that we had on screen was very real because the first month of shooting was all fun, fun summer stuff and then all a sudden it was so dark. >> it was so not fun? and we had to fight pennywise. >> not cool. >> i'm assuming you all watched the original. >> yes. >> how does this compare to the original. >> i kind of think they're in two separate categories. i don't know if you can compare them. one is a lot of people's childhoods fears and this is a new movie and both separate adaptations so comparing them side by side is a little -- >> yeah. >> not reasonable. >> beautifully shot, incredibly well acted. i was really impressed with all of you. finn, a lot know you from account franker things." what do you think is scarier, "stranger things" or "it"? >> i don't know. i'll say this, i think a lot of people are asking me like, oh,
8:51 am
what's the cash what's scarier, pennywise or the demagorgen you can till for real but pennywise can shape shift into anything and kind of immortal in a spence. >> spoilers. >> well, it's not a spoiler. but -- yeah. but, yeah, i think that's why he's scary. >> anyone have a good pennywise imitation. anyone else want to go for it? >> sofia. >> can you do it. >> no, no, i don't have it. >> sofia doesn't seen have one. >> do your famous one. >> all right. thank you all so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> "it" opens nationwide on september 8th and we will be right back.
8:52 am
8:53 am
8:54 am
"good morning america" is brought to you by bush's beans. whatever your mod, we've got a bean for you. and we are -- you hear the music. we're counting down to force friday two when they launch
8:55 am
their global augmented reality experience via the "star wars" app. find the force. download the app and from this friday through sunday open it within a mile of any one of the 20 iconic landmarks around the globe, central park, eiffel tower, it all works. click find the force and aim your phone at the sky. then you'll see a brief augmented reality scene unfold in front of you showing a "star wars" destroyer looming over the landmark as two fighters shoot by in the distance. download the app today at goodmorningamerica.com on ymca i have -- on yahoo. >> thank you, ginger. a programming note don't forget to join us tomorrow kick off a very special day of giving to help victims of the storm with our parent company, disney and it is going all day on abc, freeform and radio disney as well as all of our social media platforms. >> do you know in for that. please give and meanwhile, have a great day. see you tomorrow.
8:56 am
8:57 am
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.
8:58 am
8:59 am
good morning at 8:59 here on "abc7 mornings." i'm reggie aqui. meteorologist mike nicco has a look at your forecast. we've got a little bit of a break today. >> we do, reggie. remember when we used to think 90s were hot? we're laughing at this in the next couple days. 60s at coast, 70s around the bay, 80s in the north bay and south bay. in all seriousness, five days of dangerous heat, except for the coast and san francisco. let me throw some numbers at you. they're kind of scary, sue. >> wow, 112 friday! i'll stay away from inland that day, for sure. nothing funny about traffic. we've had a lot of it in san jose. earlier accident 101 northbound at the 880 overcrossing you're seeing there, but traffic is super slow. and over across town, not much better on 280 north up towards cupertino. reggie? >> okay. i'm just going get a bucket of ice and stick my head in there for the next week. time for "live with kelly &
9:00 am
ryan." we'll see you at 11:00 a.m. for the >> announcer: it's "live with kelly & ryan." today keegan-michael key. plus actress and model cara delevingne. and a performance from x ambassadors. also tune in for your chance to win a luxurious tropical vacation all next on "live." [cheers and applause] [upbeat music] ♪ [x ambassadors' "renegades"] now here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest. >> ♪ living like ♪ we're renegades ♪ renegades [cheers and applause] ♪ >> kelly: thanks a lot. hi! hi, there. hi. hello.

291 Views

1 Favorite

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on