>> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great day. happening now in america this morning, up to two feet of rain and tornadoes slamming texas. >> no one would believe me if i told them i was right next to a tornado. >> this nurse driving home from work explains how she escaped that tornado coming right at her. plus, the hurricane hitting bermuda overnight and the new hurricane expect the e chanic accused of sabotaging an american airlines flight in miami now accused of having ties to isis. the new questions this morning about airline worker background checks. the erupting scandal surrounding justin trudeau. the canadian prime minister seen wearing a racist costume. his statement overnight and word that this is not the first incident. new overnight, the lawsuit stemming from that boat inferno

that left 34 people dead. the shocking new claim from a crew member who survived. plus, the victims of this terrifying hot air balloon crash speak out. >> it was terrifying. it was horrific. >> the pilot thrown overboard. how they survived. and on the face of it, a popular dating site makes a change to get real about people's appearances. good thursday morning, everyone. i'm mona kosar abdi in for janai norman. >> and i'm kenneth moton. we begin with breaking news along the gulf coast. what was tropical storm imelda has spawned at least two tornadoes near houston. and now the big concern is the relentless rain some areas could see, up to two feet. the flash flood threat has also expanded into louisiana. this morning, the remnants of tropical storm imelda spawning at least two tornadoes near houston. pictures overnight from the harris county sheriff show collapsed buildings, shredded

branches and sheet metal wrapped around these trees. >> there's a tornado literally right freaking next to me. >> reporter: in baytown ashley mendoza was driving home from her job as a nurse when she spotted a tornado just in front of her. >> no one would believe me if i told them i was right next to a tornado. like so all i could think of was just get a quick video because this is just crazy, and then i realized, you know, it's moving closer, like i need to go. >> reporter: more than half a foot of rain has already fallen in neighborhoods near houston's hobby airport and in the barrier islands in freeport up to 17 inches in the bahamas and farther south in galveston, neighbors pitched in to help stranded drivers. abc's clayton sandell is there. >> this water has shut down a number of streets here in galveston, and this part of texas is expecting another 10 inches of rain by the end of the week. >> reporter: in louisiana, winds whipped through baton rouge flipping these planes.

meanwhile, forecasters are keeping a close eye on two other storms. hurricane humberto's powerful winds are slamming bermuda this morning snapping this palm tree in half, and in the open atlantic, tropical storm jerry is predicted to become a hurricane by today. it's expected to eventually curve north away from florida. and we'll take a closer look at the track of those storms in less than five minutes. now to the airline mechanic accused of sabotaging an american airlines flight in miami. prosecutors have revealed he may have ties to isis. the family of the longtime mechanic refused to answer questions outside court wednesday. abc's trevor ault has the latest on the investigation. >> reporter: an american airlines mechanic is being held without bond accused of sabotaging a passenger jet. 60-year-old abdul alani, a longtime employee of american airlines, was arrested at miami international airport two weeks ago accused of disabling the navigational system of a 737 jet carrying 150 people.

the alleged sabotage caught before the plane took off. >> the flying public puts huge amount of faith in pilots, cabin crews and mechanics. the faa should be able to answer to the public what kind of level of background check is required to keep these people from committing crimes that could endanger the flying public. >> reporter: alani is insisting he wasn't trying to hurt anyone claiming he was just trying to get overtime pay by creating a maintenance problem, but the fbi searched his phone and say they discovered isis videos depicting graphic murders. investigators also say another american airlines employee told them alani's brother was an isis member and the mechanic had sim iraq. thities clouairplane crashes involving the very sensor he had sought to disable. >> it's very concerning that he would have a fascination with previous failures in the 737 max that led to crashes and that's where he actually performed the

sabotage on a different kind of 737. >> reporter: and alani allegedly shared a message asking for allah to take action against the kafirs or nonbelievers. so far alani is not facing any there are-related charges. trevor ault, abc news, new york. a developing story from washington this morning where a promise that president trump made to a foreign leader is reportedly the subject of a whistle-blower complaint. that's according to "the washington post." it's unclear what the promise was and the foreign leader has not been revealed, but the complaint has been deemed credible and urgent by the inspector general for the intelligence community. despite the concern, the director of national intelligence has refused to turn over the complaint to the house intelligence committee, which democrats say violates the law. the director is set to testify before the committee next week. meanwhile, there is growing fallout from the attack on saudi arabia's oil industry. secretary of state mike pompeo meeting with the saudi crown prince wednesday called the attack an act of war and said iran must be held responsible. abc's elizabeth hur is here with

the new details. elizabeth, good morning. >> reporter: kenneth, good morning. iran is already struggling under intense u.s. sanctions, but president trump says more sanctions are on the way, and military action is still on the table. this morning, president trump is promising new sanctions on iran and secretary of state mike pompeo not mincing words. >> we were blessed that there were no americans killed in this attack, but any time you have an act of war of this nature, there's always the risk that that could happen. >> reporter: pompeo blasting iran and the saudi military backing the u.s. releasing what they say is new evidence against tehran displaying charred remnants of drones and a missile claiming this surveillance video shows the missiles coming from the direction of iran.rump telling reporters he is exploring all options including what he called the ultimate option. >> when you say the ultimate option, are you talking about a nuclear option.

>> no, i'm saying the ultimate option meaning, go in, war. we'll see what happens. we'll see what happens. >> reporter: the president standing here with his fourth national security adviser, robert o'brien, who replaced john bolton ousted last week and now slamming the president's foreign policy. bolton's remarks at a private event first reported by politico and later confirmed by abc news, bolton saying, any negotiations with north korea and iran were doomed to failure. president trump fired back. >> we are doing it the right way. we're doing it the smart way. john was not able to work with anybody. >> reporter: as for iran, no details yet, but president trump says some very significant sanctions will be added on to iran. iranian officials have already warned that any u.s. retaliation will be met with a rapid and crushing response. kenneth. >> all right, elizabeth hur, thank you. canadian prime minister justin trudeau is apologizing for wearing brownface to a costume party back in 2001. he was 29 years old at the time when he went to a so-called

arabian nights gala at the private school where he taught. "time" magazine uncovered the photo from a yearbook. trudeau says it was a dumb thing to do. >> i take responsibility for my decision to do that. i shouldn't have done it. i should have known better. it was something that i didn't think was racist at the time, but now i recognize it was something racist to do, and i am deeply sorry. >> this controversy comes as trudeau faces an election next month. the conservative leader who is challenging him says trudeau is not fit to govern. trudeau has also admitted to wearing blackface during a talent show when he was in high school. time now for a look at your weather for this thursday morning. good thursday morning. more flooding downpours across east texas into louisiana as imelda sits and spins. by the time all is said and done some spots could see two feet of rainfall. hurricane humberto lifting northward away from bermuda

improving conditions there but there are still going to be rip current issues along the east of the u.s. through tomorrow, and then we've got tropical storm jerry moving westward. by the time we get into the weekend, this could bring some rain and wind to puerto rico. i'm accuweather meteorologist adam del rosso. and coming up, news for guacamole fans, the new way to keep avocados fresher for longer. but first the health concerns surrounding a popular heartburn medication now leading to a recall. and the urgent search for a girl apparently abducted from a playground.

new video shows a delta airlines pilot shortly

before he was charged with trying to fly drunk. he's seen approaching a minneapolis screening area in july then walking away to the bathroom and returning 30 seconds later. investigators say they found a bottle of vodka in the bathroom trash. police in southern new jersey say they have no suspects in the apparent abduction of a 5-year-old girl. dulce maria alavez hasn't been seen since monday afternoon. a man reportedly lured away from a playground and into a red van. the girl's mother said she was about 30 yards away when her daughter was last seen. president trump is defending his decision to revoke california's authority to set its own auto emissions standards. we know the president claims the move will lead to safer and cheaper cars and new production jobs. the california state officials warn it will be a major setback in the battle against climate change. >> we are also dealing with an administration that lays claim and a republican part that lays claim to supporting free enterprise. th'sotrebuyi a

intimidation. i don't know what the hell has happened to the republican party. >> the president's move is the latest rollback of obama era regulations. it could have a national impact because more than a dozen states follow california's standards. mar of the popular heartburn drug zantac has pulled the drug from the market. it follows a recent announcement by the fda that branded and generic versions of the over-the-counter drug contain low levels of a substance that could cause cancer. the drugmaker, novartis, says the recall is simply a precautionary measure. now to some news for avocado lovers. the grocery chain kroger will now sell longer lasting avocados to save money and reduce waste. the fruit is treated with a plant-based solution that slows the decaying process. they should stay fresh at least twice as long as untreated avocados. >> i have to see that one to believe it. coming up, a monumental day for the washington monument. also we hear from two victims of a hot air balloon cr

service announcement from a group with ties to the sandy hook school massacre. the message parents are sending. the message parents are sending. ? i now pronounce you husband and wife. you may kiss the bride. awwww. oh, get your birdseed ready. ♪ [seagull squawk] oooh! [falling thud] run! [seagull squawks] [crowd screaming] unitedhealthcare helps connect you to care... ...whenever you need it. so i'm not going to need stitches then? no, just the antibiotic cream. oh, watch out! unitedhealthcare. the in-laws have moved in with us. and our adult children are here. so we save by using tide. which means we use less.

three generations of clothes cl anseen mpas? so chantix can help you quit slow turkey.key. along with support, chantix is proven to help you quit. with chantix you can keep smoking at first and ease into quitting. chantix reduces the urge so when the day arrives, you'll be more ready to kiss cigarettes goodbye. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. stop chantix and get help right away if you have changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions, seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking, or life-threatening allergic and skin reactions. decrease alcohol use. use caution driving or operating machinery. tell your doctor if you've had mental health problems.

the most common side effect is nausea. talk to your doctor about chantix. the washington monument is back in business today. the landmark is re-opening after three years of renovations to replace an elevator and upgrade security. the monument has been closed for most of the decade after being damaged during an earthquake back in 2011. we turn now to the chilling back-to-school public service announcement showing a school shooting from the student's perspective. >> many parents say it's difficult to watch, but the group behind it says that's the point. this is the back-to-school psa being called brutal and hard to watch. >> this year my mom got me the perfect bag for back to school. >> reporter: the beginning of the one-minute video shows students talking about their day-to-day supplies. >> these binders help me stay

organized. >> these headphones are just what i need for studying. >> these new sneakers are just what i need for the new year. >> reporter: then a troubling turn as the children begin to use their school supplies to protect themselves from an active shooter. >> my parents got me the skateboard i wanted. it's pretty cool. >> these scissors really come in handy in our class. >> these colored pencils too. >> then the terrifying finale. >> i finally got my own phone to stay in touch with my mom. >> showing that student there, i think it really, really reaches right into your heart and soul. >> reporter: the video was made by sandy hook promise, a nonprofit group that trains students and adults to recognize the signs of gun violence. >> we're just depicting the horror of a child sitting alone in a school being hunted.

i mean, that is a horrible thing to have to think about, but we have to think about it. >> reporter: mark barden is the organization's co-founder. his son daniel was 1 of the 20 first graders killed in the sandy hook school shooting. six adults were also killed. barden hopes the psa will inspire people to take action. >> unfortunately, i know that my 7-year-old was in that position before he died. i don't wish that on anybody, and i made a promise almost seven years ago to do everything i can to prevent other families from having to live this pain. >> sandy hook promise says its message that preventing school shootings and violence should be a top priority as kids return to school. a crew member is now suing the owner of the dive boat that burned off the coast of california. 34 people were killed in that fire. the deckhand claims the boat was operating under dangerous conditions and didn't have the proper evacuation procedures. he also claims the boat operator did not properly train employees. the cause of that fire is still under investigation. the boat owner has not commented on the lawsuit.

a couple from kentucky is sharing the terrifying details of a sightseeing adventure that went horribly wrong. tom and shawna stenton were enjoying a hot air balloon ride near las vegas when the balloon suddenly fell from the sky. remarkably, everyone on board survived. but the stentons were the only ones left in the basket after everyone was thrown out including the pilot. >> it was terrifying. it was horrific. it was by far the scariest experience of my life without a doubt. it felt like a car crash, like a head-on collision. it just hit, bang, we just hit. it was just us on the ground. >> they say they started lifting off again with no pilot and had to take control. they'll describe that moment during their exclusive interview later on "good morning america." in sports, a thriller in cleveland last night. med this extra inning walkoff single to beat the tigers, 2-1.

that means the indians remain half a game behind in the wild card race. fans at fenway park got to see a special catch between a grandfather and grandson. red sox legend carl yastrzemski threw out the first pitch to his grandson mike who plays for the giants. the toss came one night after mike hit his first career home run. >> pretty special. up next in "the pulse," why so many millennials are collecting houseplants. >> hey, that's me. also we have an update on the football fan who held up a sign asking for beer money and never imagined the response he'd get. >> and how a popular dating site is getting real about people's appearances. appearances. these are real people, not actors, who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so r thoseleeves. and help heal your skin from witontinuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis,

even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin. and, had significantly less itch. that's a difference you can feel. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. schools are having acrto cut sports.y, i'm tony the tiger and i'm on a mission to fix that. ♪ bring back the tigers. ♪ your mighty, mighty tigers. [cheering sounds] buy a box and help all kids be tigers. i'm working to treat every car like i treat mine. adp helps airtech automotive streamline payroll and hr,

so welby torres can achieve what he's working for. (ambi(crack of can opening) ♪ but still you say ♪ we belong to the light, ♪ we belong to the thunder. ♪ we belong ♪ we belong, ♪ we belong together. too many people a restless night's sleep. there's a better choice. aleve pm. the only one to combine a safe sleep aid and the 12-hour pain-relieving strength of aleve. that dares to last into the morning. so you feel refreshed. aleve pm. there's a better choice. ♪ time now to check "the pulse." we have an update on a story

that we brought you yesterday about a joke that's now helping raise some serious cash for kids. >> let's get you caught up. carson king was in the crowd watching espn's "college gameday" in iowa last weekend when he had a plan to score some beer. he made a sign that read, busch light supply needs to be replenished and included his venmo account so people could donate. >> so when the money started pouring in, he said he'd donate it to a local children's hospital, and now he's received $67,000. busch light has agreed to match those funds, and now venmo is matching that total as well. >> money for everybody. that's so good for the charity there. hey, next to millennials who seem to be collecting houseplants these days. >> i mean, a recent study found that people 18 to 34 years old have increased their spending on plants more than any other age group. some say it's because young people are delaying marriage and children, so they have time to take care of them. >> but much of this obsession is because of social media.

"the huffington post" says instagram has become a, quote, haven for foliage fanatics. >> yeah, if that's any testament for my motherhood, yikes. well, next to the dating site that's going filter free. >> it's called plenty of fish and is now banning people from using face filters. the dating site which has 150 million users worldwide says most people find the filters deceptive. >> yeah, you thought those bunny ears were real. the site will use artificial intelligence to remove previously posted pictures that have face filters. >> keeping it real. and finally, a fantastic voyage on the world's longest water slide. >> guinness world records says this water slide on the side of a chinese mountain extends more than 8,900 feet. it took two years to build. >> 89 -- how many feet? riders hit nearly 20 miles per hour going down it. i used to love this as a kid but now -- >> not anymore. >> -- that i've got adulting

under my belt, no. >> just buy a plant. under my belt, no. >> just buy a plant. of 1 2 3 medicines with trelegy. the only fda-approved 3-in-1 copd treatment. ♪ trelegy. the power of 1-2-3. ♪ trelegy 1-2-3 trelegy. with trelegy and the power of 1 2 3, i'm breathing better. trelegy works 3 ways to open airways, keep them open and reduce inflammation for 24 hours of better breathing. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. trelegy is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. think your copd medicine is doing enough? maybe you should think again. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy and the power of 1 2 3. ♪ trelegy 1-2-3

save at trelegy.com full of flavor. color. full of... woo! full of good. so you can be too. try our new warm grain bowls today. order now on doordash. stimulant laxatives forcefully stimulate try our new warm gi switched to miralax for my constipation. the nerves in your colon. miralax works with the water in your body to unblock your system naturally. and it doesn't cause bloating, cramping, gas, or sudden urgency. miralax. look for the pink cap. but shouldn't somebody this is be listening?pression. so. let's talk. we're built for hearing what's important to you, one to one. edward jones. it's time for investing to feel individual.

making news right now at 4:27, california's push for tougher new car emission rules is about to hit a major roadblock in the form of the trump administration. and president trump putting san francisco on notice. get your homeless act together or else. new development in the dive boat inferno. the first lawsuit has been filed. good morning. welcome to thursday, september 19th. >> so many good stories to get to, but we're starting with mike and a check of our forecast. >> i think i have a good story also. >> what is that? >> it's dry outside. it's cooler. look at these temperatures. a lot of low to upper 50s. we have 50 at napa. clear lake, fairfield, san ramon at 51. our warm spot is palo alto at

60. we have the cool spot along the coast. half moon bay with sunshine. low to mid 70s from san francisco. you have san rafael, richmond, san mateo, palo alto, everybody else in the 70s to low 80s. comfortable day. we'll talk about summer heat coming up. here is sue. >> quiet on the roads. san mateo bridge, 14-minute drive from 880 across the cause way and the high rise over towards 101 and the san mateo side of things. the golden gate bridge, you are down to one lane in each direction. they have that barrier work going on in both directions causing a slowdown. but no fog. smooth sailing there. a bit of slowing through tracittracy and we have some road work to talk about in a few minutes. new this morning a bus crash killed at least one person and injured several others.

cal fire tweeted these pictures from the scene near the area of shandon around 1:00 this morning. this is between paso robles and kettleman city. the bus went 400 to 500 feet down an embankment. seven people were injured. two seriously. developing this morning, a major change that affects the cars that we drive, the air that we breathe. we expect the epa will announce the government will strip california of our stricter emission roads. >> the state is vowing to fight. amy hollyfield is live at the bay bridge toll plaza. good morning. >> good morning. yeah, there are 15 million registered vehicles in california. state officials say it's obvious we need to do something about air pollution, but now they are in a fight with the trump administration over it. the president has been tweeting

saying that california can't set emission standards and that the president will be lifting the waiver. he says that will keep the cost of cars down. that's why he wants to do it. he says cars will be safer because people will be motivated to buy newer cars. california officials say without the waiver there will be more tailpipe pollution. >> we could see more spare the air days, smoggier skies, you know, most devastating is the health impacts we see from our bay area residents from this. >> we are expecting an announcement from the epa within the next hour. they plan to take away california's ability to set emessage sta emission standards. this is something california promised will end up in court. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. if you're just waking up,