good morning, america. path of destruction. the clearer picture we're getting this morning after this catastrophic tornado outbreak that tore through eight states, upwards of 100 people feared dead. >> this is the hardest tornado event we have ever been through. >> the search under way at this kentucky candle factory where people were buried under debris. survivors telling their stories. >> i kept hearing people around me yell, this person has died. this person is not responding. >> the ceo of that factory joining us live this morning. the death toll rising in edwardsville, illinois. the site of that destroyed amazon warehouse, the incredible before and after photos showing the damage. the message from amazon's jeff bezos overnight. help on the way.

president biden promising assistance, declaring a federal emergency in kentucky. >> the federal government will do everything, everything it can possibly do to help. >> as homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas heads to kentucky today. and signs of hope. the churches damaged just weeks before christmas vowing to rebuild. communities coming together. >> everything you see around me has been donated and take a look down that hallway. there's food and water there, and the donations keep coming in. >> neighbor helping neighbor at a time when it's needed most. good morning, america. it's good to have you with us. eva is on maternity leave once again, but we are happy to have stephanie ramos and marcus moore back on the desk with us. we do want to get right to our top story this morning. we are getting a clearer picture of the scope of the tornado disaster that tore through eight states. casualties mounting.

more than 100 people feared dead. one tornado reaching 155 miles per hour. that destructive wind moving faster than most passenger trains. in kentucky, one massive twister cut a 200-mile path of devastation. >> the loss of life focused on mayfield, kentucky, including a candle factory there where dozens are believed to have died, amazingly, 40 were rescued from that devastating scene. take a look at the before. tere it is, just incredible, and now the after. a sobering view of just how bad these storms were. six deaths also reported at an amazon warehouse in illinois, and one at a nursing home in arkansas. rescue and recovery efforts continuing throughout the night and into the morning. president biden signing a federal disaster declaration for kentucky, as well as speaking to governors from the affected states pledging for federal help. this morning, we have team coverage on the ground across the devastated region. we want to begin this morning with where it all unfolded.

abc's linsey davis is in mayfield, kentucky. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: good morning, whit. i'm seeing it firsthand, and still having a difficult time really getting my mind around the magnitude of the devastation here in mayfield, kentucky. since it is sunday morning, it feels appropriate to start with church. after all, this is a community that is in need of and asking for prayer. take a look from our drone. all this rubble here, less than 48 hours ago, this was a church right behind me. in this two-block area alone, three churches have been destroyed perhaps just when they are needed most. a prayer service is planned to take place here this morning in the midst of the rubble. we had a look inside the first christian church of mayfield. last sunday, they welcomed worshippers. this morning, it is decimated. everywhere you look, there is evidence of splintered houses and splintered lives, heaps of what once was remnants of what used to be. you've heard the headlines. at least 70 dead, that this is kentucky's most devastating, most deadly tornado in the state's history, but the scenes

and the stories on the ground here, that's what really puts it all in perspective. just think about what has preoccupied your own thoughts in the past 24 hours, and then think about people like angie, a woman here who describes both her and her mother being picked up and sucked out of their house. her mom went to the hospital, their house is destroyed. they have lost everything, just one of so many stories, and the devastation of course, extends far beyond the state of kentucky. an amazon facility near st. louis was also hit hard, and that's where we find my colleague, rob marciano. hey, rob. >> reporter: good morning, linsey. unfortunately and sadly the death toll has risen to now six employees in this facility behind me, another 40 or so were working at the time when the tornado warnings went off scrambling for safety, and that ef-3 came through here, and you can see the hole it tore into this relatively new building. less than five years old, four stories high, and about a football field in length. i want to show you these

stunning before and after satellite pictures. this is just east of st. louis, and a hole completely torn through this building. this is 11-inch-wide walls that are made of concrete, substantial. winds of 155 miles per hour. this is obviously not the only tornado that came through here. the deadliest and the longest one is the one that went through mayfield, but a total of 20 tornadoes have been reported. nine confirmed so far. there are still storm survey teams out there to determine the length of the longest one. that number will rise, but this certainly for the month of december is unusual. we've never seen ef-3 tornadoes in december in kentucky of this magnitude. that is unprecedented, and the one that tracked from arkansas all the way through kentucky, four states, more than 200 miles. if they determine that to be on the ground for that entire time, that will be the longest tracked tornado in history. stephanie? >> thanks so much for that, rob. just a devastating scene there. western kentucky is the area where most of the damage and loss of life is concentrated. abc's elwyn lopez is in mayfield

with more. elwyn, good morning. >> reporter: stephanie, good morning. this is what first responders are up against. these mangled cars not only here, but on the other side of the street, several more. these were previously splayed across the roads here, making it impassible for officials, and they cleared this roadway, and this is what first responders are dealing with. this morning, a desperate search under way. rescuers racing to find survivors after a swath of tornadoes tore through six states. these before and after images showing the depth of the devastation in the city of mayfield. kentucky hit the hardest. the fema administrator today meeting with local officials, including the governor. he says at least 70 people have died, but warns that death toll will likely climb, and could go over 100. >> this is the hardest tornado event we have ever been through, and it's not just because of the property damage, but we've lost a lot of the good people.

>> reporter: eddie knight capturing this video from his home. >> it's coming right towards us. >> i went and got in the basement with my family, and my pets, and hunkered down there until it passed by. >> reporter: in mayfield, a candle factory demolished in the twister's path. as many as 110 people believed to be inside when it collapsed. >> it would be a miracle if anybody else is found alive in it. >> reporter: this woman was one of more than three dozen people pulled from under the rubble. >> the whole building fell. >> reporter: moments after, she recorded this video calling for help. >> i stop moving. we all stuck. >> reporter: in the background, she pleads for help. she was more than one of three dozen people rescued. another worker was rescued and rushed to the hospital where he

spoke to us from his bed. >> as soon as i entered the double doors, the wall to my right, like, just completely vanished. so my main focus was just try to make sure i can, you know, savor every breath i was able to take in. >> reporter: terrifying hours trapped in the debris. around him, colleagues who did not make it. >> i really didn't know if i was going to, you know, survive or not. i kept hearing people around me yell, this person has died. this person's not responding. like, i really, like, people were just panicking. >> reporter: many nearby structures reduced to mangled debris. residents now going through the pieces of their lives, reduced to rubble, salvaging everything they can. >> i used to live right here, and i had a gold sofa here, this is where my patients would sit. >> reporter: now kentuckians pouring out into their communities, coming together, helping one another as they face the unimaginable.

and the temperatures here have dropped significantly further complicating search and rescue efforts. we spoke to the fire chief moments ago who said there were no rescues overnight. marcus? >> elwyn lopez there, thank you for that. she's in kentucky. and joining us now from mayfield is a survivor who was pulled from the rubble at that candle factory. he's joining with his girlfriend, dakota and brandi have asked us not to share their last names, but dakota and brandi, it's so good to see you this morning. thank you for taking some time with us. >> thank you for having us. >> thank you. >> dakota, i want to start with you, because you were in the factory when this tornado hit, tell us, where were you, and what happened when the tornado hit the factory? >> we were towards the back towards the bathrooms, and the top of the building got ripped off and we told, everyone to get down. i started pushing people under the water fountain.

we were trapped -- i was trapped under the water fountain for, like, two hours, from, like, 9:00 to 11:00. i was able to put a fire hydrant under it to wedge it up, and then after we got out, we started pulling the rest of our team out, and then we were able to get first responders to the areas that were needed. i found people with broken legs, pulling them out. some were unresponsive, but it was rough. >> dakota, it sounds like it was horrendous, and the pictures we have seen support that as well, and i wonder, dakota, can you tell me did you all have any warning? did you know that this severe weather was going to pass through? >> yeah, we knew it was going to pass through. we just didn't expect it to be that bad. >> and brandi, i want to bring you in here because when dakota was under the rubble, i

understand that he actually called you from that scene. can you describe what that conversation was like, and what was going through your mind? >> oh, it was horrible. right after it had happened, he texted me and said, we're hit, and then his phone just dropped and i couldn't get ahold of him, you know, so i started panicking, and then awhile later, he called me, and he said that he's trapped, that he's under all the debris. he can't see nothing. he didn't know if anyone was going to be able to find him. i could hear people screaming left and right, and i got scared because he called me, and he said, i love you. tell mom i love her. i'm sorry. i tried, and in that moment, i collapsed because i thought he was going to die. i thought my worst nightmare was coming true, and i didn't hear from him for hours not knowing he was okay. >> brandi, can you describe for us what that moment was like when you two were reunited?

>> it felt like my whole world had ended, like, i collapsed to the ground, and i was just -- i felt like i personally was moving in slow motion and not knowing anything, and the moment that he called me when he got out of the rubble, you know, it was just instant relief. he said that he wasn't going to go get checked out. he had to go back for his people. he had his people back there, he had to go save them. >> brandi and dakota, thank you again. i'm so glad that you all are okay. it's great to hear your voice and to see you and just know that our hearts are with you and your neighbors and your families as you all begin to recover. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. over to you, whit. marcus, thank you. now let's bring in kathy stewart o'nan, the mayor of mayfield, and the city's fire chief, jeremy creason. good morning to you both. thank you so much for taking the time. i know you have been working around the clock. we do appreciate it. mayor, i want to start with you

because the two of us spoke last night, and you have had a little bit more time to assess the devastation. what is the situation like right now in determines of damage, recovery and lives lost? >> the streets are clear, and so our emergency vehicles are able to get where they need to be right now. damage, there were already people out, removing debris from their property yesterday afternoon. >> streets might be clear, but we can see the devastation right there behind you. chief creason, i want to talk to you here, because what can you tell us now about the search and rescue efforts for possible survivors, especially in that candle factory where dozens are still unaccounted for, and at what point do you have to make that difficult call to then move to a recovery mission? >> the candle factory is a very complicated rescue situation, and so it takes a lot of time. we've got a lot of heavy equipment, a lot of personnel. we're dealing with tons of steel and metal that's twisted and

mangled, and chemicals, and there's just a lot going on on that scene. >> chief creason, you have been speaking to us as a public official, but for a moment, speak to us from the heart because you represent this small town, about 10,000 people. your rescuers live in this community. these are your friends. these are your neighbors, your loved ones, the people who are hurting and suffering right now. how are you and your team holding up through this tragedy? >> you know, this is one of the most difficult situations that i'll probably -- that we'll probably ever face in our life. it's just -- this is going to leave a mark on our community, but, you know, we will rebuild. we will bounce back. i have a very resilient group of first responders that i get the pleasure to serve with every day, and i couldn't be more proud of them, and over the next

few months and years, you're going to see our community do the same thing. we'll bounce back. we'll come back stronger than we were before. >> well, we are inspired by that resilience, and we are thinking about you, your entire team, and everyone hurt by this tragedy. thank you again, mayor and chief for your time this morning. we do appreciate it. stephanie, over to you. thanks, whit. now for a look at other areas shattered by the storm. let's go to abc's victor oquendo who is in bowling green, kentucky, where at least 11 people were killed. victor, good to see you there. what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, stephanie. from one of the hardest hit areas in bowling green, this is jennings creek, i'm standing in front of what was the second floor of this family's home. they survived by hiding out in a staircase. now, like so many other families here, they're left salvaging what they can. this morning, in bowling green, kentucky's jennings creek neighborhood, the agonizing ceanup is under way.

the entire top floor of this home was blown away. >> we're actually at the front door because i was, like, watching, like, the wind get gradually stronger and it was like a freight train. >> reporter: down the street, bailey lambert huddled with her parents as an ef-3 touched down. >> i thought i was going to die. >> reporter: winds up to 150 miles per hour. whipping across streets, splintering homes, and overturning vehicles. we met this team going door to door assessing the damage. >> it's just overwhelming. people lost their homes, lost their lives. >> reporter: at least 11 people in bowling green are now dead. >> we haven't seen a disaster of loss of life at this nature or at this caliber in our entire life in bowling green. >> reporter: this massive system, at least 27 reported tornadoes across eight states. in illinois, this amazon distribution warehouse bearing the brunt of an ef-3, the

extensive damage. at least six killed in the collapse. a nursing home in arkansas, caught in the deadly storm too. at least 20 people trapped inside, leaving one dead. our station watn spoke to one of the first responders who helped carry residents out. >> that was a rough one. when you have elderly people, probably 90% immobile trying their best to get out of the nursing home, and they can't. they're helpless. they're stuck. >> reporter: back in bowling green, as residents pick up the pieces, they're not alone. here's how the community is coming together in bowling green. everything you see around me has been donated. take a look down that hallway, there's food and water there, and the donations keep coming in, and for those families who have been displaced, the red cross is providing shelter. despite the extensive damage to so many homes and the bitter cold overnight, we heard from a loft home owners who just didn't want to leave their homes last

night. it was incredible to watch those donations continue to pour in, vital lifelines for these families who lost everything. marcus? >> absolutely, victor. victor, thank you, in bowling green, kentucky, for us this morning. now to the federal response. president biden pledging to deliver everything those affected states need, also approving an emergency declaration for kentucky. let's get to abc's maryalice parks at the white house with more on this. good morning, maryalice. >> reporter: marcus, good morning. the president has seemed laser focused on this. he's getting briefings from the fema administrator and staff from homeland security. he directed federal teams to surge resources to the area to work as fast as they could, to try to help search and rescue operations, to get temporary shelter, food and water to communities in need. we know that he spoke to the governor multiple times yesterday, and the white house said he also told a group of governors from the area to contact him personally if they thought there was anything else the federal government could be doing.

now, yesterday, during his remarks to the country the president said, this is one of those times where we aren't democrats or republicans, we're all americans and we have to come together. when the president was asked if climate change could have played a role, he said it's hard to know with one weather system, but the reality is a warmer planet does lead to more intense and extreme storms. the secretary of homeland security plans to travel to kentucky today with the fema administrator. president biden said he plans to go soon too, but he wanted to wait to make sure that any visit does not impact rescue or recovery operations. whit? >> thank you so much. we appreciate it. we do want to go back to rob marciano once again in edwardsville, illinois. not only following the forecast in this community, but a lot of weather happening across the country, rob. >> reporter: yeah. the cold air has certainly settled in, unusual to get these tornadoes in the month of december. as far as climate change is concerned, we're not sure how it impacts the strength of tornadoes, but it is certainly

impacting where and when they happen, and in the winter, it's unusual. we have winter happening in the west, that's for sure. a strong storm system coming in there and getting more active. over the pass, in utah, they had over 20 inches of snow, in cottonwood canyon, and some spots there. they need it, so they'll take it. not just for the ski season, but for the water and snow pack that they desperately need for the summer. the drought is ongoing. storm warnings through 11 states. 2 to 4 feet of additional snowfall coming in, so we might start talking about avalanche danger, but we'll wait until that happens. we'll take the precip wherever we can get it. that's what's happening nationally.

so many people without power, not just in the tornado zone, but in the state of michigan, over 300,000 at one point without power in these cold nights. it's a long, tough go on this sunday morning. back over to you. >> thanks so much for that, rob. with the many tragic stories following these devastating tornadoes, there are stories of communities coming together, helping one another. we saw that from victor sharing with us in bowling green. perfect strangers stepping in to make a horrible situation just a little better. mercy chefs, a faith-based nonprofit disaster relief organization deployed to mayfield, kentucky, yesterday where teams have been serving warm meals to victims and first responders. they are expected to serve more meals today. good people showing up. so great to see. >> so critical. the basics right now. people don't have power.

they don't have water. they don't have gas to be able to cook. these organizations coming in makes a very big difference. >> absolutely. >> our coverage of the devastating tornado outbreak continues in just a moment. we'll be right back here on "gma." "good morning america" is sponsored by geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. what is... an overpass? come on! question, is that an “s” or a “5”? think it's a 5... i thought so. argh! frustration...loading. [sfx: laser sounds] nobody wants more robot tests. but we could all use more ways to save. chai latte, for “rob ott.” for “rob ott.” error human. [sfx: laser sounds] switch to geico for more ways to save.

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welcome back to "gma" on th. this is a look at some of that devastation on the ground in kentucky, where one massive twister cut a 200-mile path of destruction, and this morning, we have been hearing from some of the folks there on the ground who said they heard those warnings, but they just didn't think it could be this bad. >> exactly. that's the thing. you can shelter in place, but when your building is ripped to shreds, there's only so much that you can do. >> only so much you can do, and that one tornado stayed on the ground for 200 miles. astonishing. >> incredible. there's a long road to recovery here ahead for all the communities impacted by those tornadoes, and let's go back to linsey davis out there in mayfield, kentucky, once again with more. linsey, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, whit. you know, i'm seeing it and it's still hard to believe it. the scope of the midwest tornado outbreak is unimaginable. let's take a look from the drone more than 100 people are feared dead from the outbreak in kentucky alone. the winds from one tornado reaching 155 miles per hour which is faster than most passenger trains. at least 40 people rescued from a candle factory where dozens are believed to have died, and e an amazon warehouse in illinois, and one person died at a nursing home in arkansas. we had a look inside the first christian church of mayfield. last sunday they welcomed worshipers, but this morning, it's decimated. everywhere you look, there is evidence of these splintered houses and splintered lives, heap of what once was. this is kentucky's most devastating, most deadly tornado in the state's history. an estimated 60,000 customers are currently without power here in kentucky, but in some ways they are the fortunate ones. they still have a household. power can be restored. some of the places of worship

here that are able to remain open have moved service to allow members to use the morning daylight in order to begin the long road ahead the process of recovery. stephanie? >> thanks so much, linsey. so many lives lost. such a tragedy there. elwyn lopez has also been on the ground in mayfield since yesterday, elwyn, good morning. >> reporter: hey. good morning. search and rescue crews are working around the clock. they're clearing roads like this one to get to a neighborhood behind me. they are trying to find those still missing. the governor here in kentucky fears the death toll could climb to over 100, and take a look at this video from above. it shows the landscape of this city of 10,000 people completely changed. the extent of the devastation, and mayfield decimated. at this candle factory, dozens still missing. authorities believe as many as 110 people were inside it when it collapsed. since the tornado ripped through

here, we've seen family members looking for their missing loved ones, people across the ones, people across the country pouring in to help. the mayor of mayfield telling me that they will build back better than before this unthinkable disaster. guys? >> all right, elwyn. yes, they indeed will be able to rebuild and build back better, and they will have the country right behind them to help them along the way. elwyn lopez for us in mayfield, kentucky, thank you. we do want to get the latest on the forecast from rob. he's in edwardsville, illinois, at the site of that partial building collapse where that tornado tore through. rob? >> reporter: hey, marcus. there's going to be some questions this morning about safety and safety procedures because there was fair warning with this for the factory in mayfield, and certainly for this amazon warehouse facility, but in some cases the storm was so strong the building just collapsed. there's nowhere to go, and the evidence of that, some of these before and after photographs, satellite pictures in arkansas

by that nursing home, and in kentucky, where some of those peoples and building structures were just obliterated, and just no place to hide. all right, this storm has passed and as we move to the east, behind is cold air. a lot of wind. we had big-time winds across parts of new york, and this is lake erie, battling in hamburg, and the windchills are for real, especially for those without power, potentially without heat. it feels like it's in the 20s here just outside of st. louis, and below freezing in nashville and lexington. a bit warm this weather report has been sponsored by weather tech. guys, back over to you in new york. >> all right, rob, thanks so much. coming up on "good morning america," we'll speak

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and welcome back, everyone. and welcome back, everyone. we're joined now by troy propes, the ceo of the candle factory where dozens are feared dead here in mayfield. first of all, thank you so much for joining us during this time. our hearts and prayers are certainly with you and your employees. of course, the governor described yesterday that it would be a miracle if any additional people were found alive inside the factory. anything that gives you hope at this point? >> well, i mean, i guess we had two miracles yesterday afternoon because they did find two additional people. i do agree with the governor that i do believe it's a miracle, this devastation is unimaginable, and, you know, i do believe that it's -- it's amazing the amount of lives that

have been saved with such devastation around us. >> so how many people were on the shift at the time? how many still remain unaccounted for? >> so our team's been working through the night. we had 110 people on that shift, and our hr team and other supporters have been working through the night to call emergency numbers, track people down, as you can imagine. phone lines are down. cell phones are down. people don't have homes to go to. a lot of the people that were rescued went to different hospitals and we're trying to make sure we know where they are.th the amount of people that we found overnight, and our hearts are just broken for the ones that -- that have not been found yet. >> of course, you guys have set up this emergency relief fund, how much have you raised, what will it go toward, how can people contribute? >> i have to tell you. we have had so much unbelievable support from not only locally, and this is a resilient town,

but from around the world, and we're starting it this morning, on your show, mcpkentucky.com, and if you go there, 100% of the proceeds are going to go to the employees to help them because it's not just the employees and the families that have lost ones which is so devastating, but a lot of the employees have no homes to go to, kids that aren't going to be able to have a christmas tree, and we're going to do everything in our power as a family, and as a company and as a community to make sure that they can do the best that they can. >> tough for this to happen, especially this time of year. we're about out of time, but just curious to hear, what have you heard from your employees who survived, who were inside, to give their accounts? >> quickly i would tell you, obviously scared to death, harrowing, but people holding hands. one of our gentlemen was in the finance department, literally went back to help try to save other employees and held someone's hand for hours until rescue could get to them in the

middle of the cold. you have just heroic efforts by normal people that aren't prepared for this. none of us are prepared for this. >> troy propes, again, our thanks to you. we so appreciate you. you're already making plans to rebuild, and stephanie, we send it back to you. >> thank you. >> thank you, linsey, and he said it, a resilient town, and so many people stepping in to help. they will get through this. thank you so much to you both. coming up on "good morning america," something else we have been following, michael strahan reflecting on his trip into space. as we look back at that incredible journey when we come back. hat incredible journey when we come back. who's on it with jardiance? we're 25 million prescriptions strong. we're managing type 2 diabetes... ...and heart risk. we're working up a sweat before coffee. and saying, “no thanks...” ...to a boston cream. jardiance is a once-daily pill that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death for adults who also have known heart disease. so, it could help save your life from a heart attack or stroke. and jardiance lowers a1c.

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about one man by the name of michael strahan. he had a big day yesterday. >> he did. he popped into space, whit, and he's still feeling out of this world after that incredible trip. it was such a thrill to see our friend and colleague, and right there, documenting it all was another friend and colleague, abc transportation correspondent gio benitez. he touched base with michael after michael touched down. gio, good morning. >> reporter: hey, will, good morning to you. listen, there's nothing quite like seeing one of your own launch into space. we all watched with a lot of excitement, of course, but a little anxiety too. it was one giant leap for michael strahan. it was a history-making morning. michael along with his blue origin crew soaring nearly 350,000 feet, well beyond the 62-mile high carman line marking the edge of space. >> this is so much fun. >> reporter: all the training and practice coming down to these moments. [ bell ringing ] >> reporter: with that airtight

hatch closed and the capsule secure -- >> astronaut stray, how do you read me? >> good. loud and clear. >> reporter: they were ready for blastoff. >> three, two, one. >> mission control has confirmed new shepard has cleared the tower.ri of their lives right n. huge congratulations to all six crew. they have crossed that carman line, and they became official astronauts. >> so they are weightless now. >> reporter: just more than ten minutes after liftoff, the capsule making its way back. >> three beautiful parachutes. >> reporter: landing safely back on earth. >> so keep in mind here -- there we go. >> oh, my goodness. >> and touchdown. >> oh, my gosh. >> michael strahan is out of the capsule.

>> reporter: this crew now bonded by this rare monumental experience. >> and you were always there for me. >> reporter: amy catching up with michael on the ground. >> you realize how small you really are. to see the curvature, the atmosphere, blue, the earth. just -- it was too short. >> reporter: so what's next for our colleague turned blue origin astronaut? >> astronaut stray going to the moon next? >> yes. if they invite me, i'm going to the moon and i'm going to walk and talk, moonwalk. >> reporter: yeah. he's got that moonwalk down. he's got that moonwalk down. he sure does, and he told amy, lihe ready to back to but just think about this. just 609 people have now been to space and our guy stray is one of them, will. >> wow, gio, that is a low number, and what a week for strahan. and for you covering it all. thank you for being our eyes and

ears on the ground there. very exciting stuff for our colleague and friend, michael strahan, but let's get more insights into the whole journey from someone who knows a lot about space. it's former nasa astronaut cady coleman. she's one of those 609 people, she's logged 159 days out there. welcome, cady. thank you for being here. first, michael was hesitant about going to space, then he changed his mind and he went and he wants to go again, this time to the moon. how does a journey to space change a person's perspective? >> well, i'll just say that when i spent almost six months there, i would have spent another six months in a minute. partly it's so amazing to sort of be in a different world, and feel like a pioneer, and even in that three minutes, i think that that transformation happens, and i think it just actually opens up the possibilities of who we are, and where we live. you see everyone below you, and you know if only they could be connected, we could figure out anything.

>> everybody seems to be overcome when they look out that window. they see earth and all that it contains down way below. what is it about that image that's so powerful? >> i think it's the fact that you realize that everyone is down there, and i thought when i left earth and went to space, i would be going somewhere else, but it's clear that really you're still part of earth. i mean, that's still home. you're still there. you feel connected, and yet, you also see that there are many, many of us, and earth is, you know, that's our home, and it's a place we need to take care of, and i really think that it just makes people -- it puts things in perspective. what is big, what is small, and what we've got to do. >> now what does this indicate for the future of space travel? >> well, these flights, these, you know -- they may seem, like, what could you do in three minutes? but that three minutes, i mean, even yesterday we saw how important that was to michael. it opened up his point of view and what he sees as his possibilities for making a

difference, and also, i would say just from what i heard, you know, for the abc family, for everyone that cares about him and knows him and works with him. they now look at those possibilities differently as well. there's a real ripple effect of being able to see someone that looks and feels like you, and that you know and you care about, when they go, you go with them. so even though, you know, you say 609, there's a lot of ripple effect of how many people those 609 bring with them, but also that three minutes is astonishing as a science platform. i mean, right now it's either go to the space station and do experiments, or we've got a zero g airplane where we can have about 30 seconds of that weightlessness to figure out what experiments to bring to that space station. and so by being able to do that kind of science -- >> it really is fantastic. thank you so much, cady coleman. if anybody can teach us about possibilities, it's michael strahan. really awesome stuff.

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more sweet dreams, more flavorful immune support. new nature's bounty jelly beans. live bountifully. "good morning america" sponsored by the u.p.s. store. thanks so much for watching. please stay tuned to "this week" later on this morning for in-depth coverage of the tornado disaster. have a good day. >> announcer: "gma" this week. >> announcer: "gma" this week. >> building a better bay area, moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> good morning, everybody. today the castro theater in san francisco will host a special screening of the new film west side story. actress rita moreno is expected to attends. she won an acting os -- oscar for her role in the original

film. now there are talks of possible oscar nomination again for moreno. today's screening unfortunately is sold out. it starts at 3:00 p.m. tonight is your last chance to check out let's glow s.f. the largest holiday mapping event in the country. it is free. the show lasts five minutes and it's a blend of art and technology. video projection techniques are used with colors and light to project virtual images from local artists on to iconic buildings throughout the financial district. those buildings are one bush plaza, 345 montgomery street and the hyatt regency. it runs from 5:30 to 10:00 tonight. let's get a check of the forecast with our meteorologist. a wet start to the day. >> it will get even wetter. the moisture off shore is going to enhance this cold front so we have had light rain, over a half inch, you can see around mere beach some heavier showers. they've been light from marinda

through oakland. we had some around fremont, the hills. a few light sprinkles but more is to come. we are looking at a wind advisory by 4:00 this afternoon, that lasts until monday. the front will be progressive, move south. the rain will fill in and we could get some thunderstorms. it's in the upper 40's. not as cold as it was yesterdays. level two today, level three tomorrow. a chance of a thunderstorm. >> lisa, thank you. this week is next. we will see

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>> announcer: "this week" with george stephanopoulos starts right now. tornado disaster. >> the level of devastation is unlike anything i've ever seen. >> the worst in kentucky's history. scores dead, hundreds of thousands without power across six states. emergencies declared. >> we need your prayers. we need your help. >> the latest this morning from our team on the ground. plus, fema administrator, deanne criswell. winter surge. >> i'm actually quite concerned. i'm not surprised that we're seeing an increase in the cases. >> boosters approved for 16 and 17-year-olds. as delta overwhelms hospitals, and omicron spreads to over 25 states. >> we are yet again in a serious situation. >> dr. anthony fauci joins us live.