search-and-rescue have search dogs and tonight the fire chief says this is the worst explosion she has seen in nearly three decades and the reason in happened is a mystery. >> it shook the whole house. my roommate fell out of the chair. reporter: it blew out the windows of his home. >> my kitchen window is blown out. my front door won't open. we can't open my side door. reporter: this home is one of two knocked off the foundation from the blast. just before 9:30 this morning, and explosion happened at this home near 20 2nd ave. the fire department shared these photos on twitter. following the blast, a three alarm fire damaged and destroyed homes.

two firefighters were hurt, including this woman but authorities say she has been treated and is stable. here's a look at the dramatic scene. the blast was felt nearly 20 blocks away. >> and vehicle windows. >> all i heard a big boom and i was knocked off my chair. the class flew out of the window. the front door is busted. reporter: shards of glass hit this man in the face. he lives across the street from the house that had the explosion. all the windows shattered. this woman lives in the yellow house next to the one that exploded and caught fire. she went to work just before the explosion. this man got word of the

explosion in the home he lived in. authorities cannot confirm information yet but say one person is unaccounted for. tonight, so many people can't return home. these people are getting a work -- are getting word that there is a bus set aside for them and they will be transferred to some temporary residences. at this area is still under investigation. those who have lost their homes will receive help from the red cross. we do not know the cause of the explosion and we hear it will take quite some time as they dig through the rubble. larry: to stay up-to-da stories like this, download the abc seven news mobile app. we send out push alerts like this one.

download it and enable notifications. it is free. kristen: if you had a chance to get outside, you will notice it is so nice. larry: glorious. sunny skies. temperatures are up. and we hope it continues for a few days. >> it will. enjoy it while it lasts. [laughter] we do have some showers coming our way. it is . temperatures are close to 70 in brentwood. 70 in cloverdale we are up a few degrees from 24 hours ago. looking at what is ahead, a system is developing and it will move towards us. it will bring us some showers as early as tomorrow. i will be back with the hour by

hour look, coming up. kristen: the man of -- the man accused of firing blanks inside a san francisco synagogue has stood before a judge for felony charges and hate crime allegations. video shows him walking into the synagogue and firing a gun full of blanks. we heard from his public defender today. >> he is a longtime member of the san francisco community and i look forward to putting on a vigorous defense. it is important for the public to know no one was physically harmed during the alleged incident. >> it is clear anti-semitism i still active and strong even in such a diverse place. this is something that will not be tolerated. kristen: brent jenkins says the hate crime allegations are tied

to statements he made and social media posts. he's expected back in court on february 17. larry: the man accused intentionally driving his car over a cliff with his family inside says he is not guilty. he his wife and two children were rescued when the vehicle went over the cliff last his wife and seven-year-old suffered serious injuries. his four-year-old had minor injuries. the judge denied him bail and says he cannot contact family. kristen: as part of commitment to building a better bay area we are focusing today on the future of the san francisco mayor who delivered her city address with an emphasis on city safety. she acknowledges there are many challenges ahead and promises that the city will rise ahead.

leah melendez has more. reporter: today's speech was different from last year's address. last year the mayor's main focus was the impact covid had for two years on san francisco. today it was more like survivor getting past a shipwreck without the distraction of covid and having a better picture of what it will take to get san francisco back on course. san francisco's persistent problems were highlighted at the top of the speech. >> public safety c fentanyl prices -- crisis. reporter: to overcome the problems she says first and foremost, the city must guarantee public safety. >> our residents are demanding we build a safe city and build back the police force.

we need to deliver for them. the push for full staffing has to be consistent and sustained. reporter: but she made it clear that is still years away. the extra overtime will go to make sure officers continue walking beats and making more drug arrests. >> i want to make one thing very clear. i am not ok city. reporter: she stressed public safety is crucial in bringing the downtown economy back to life. >> even as we do, we must accept another tough fact. san francisco downtown as we know it is not coming back. and that is ok. reporter: her plan called a roadmap for the future will include reforming tax structure to make the city more

competitive, pausing tax increases on retail businesses, hotels, offering tax breaks for three years for any company that comes to san francisco. a plan the office of economic and workforce development has been working on for months. >> i think in the past we sometimes did not have to work as hard and now we are in this opportunity to say about what makes it distinct for someone to work here as compared to other parts of the world, and to put those things forward. reporter: moore hasn't downtown would help revitalize the area but overall, the city must build 82,000 homes. she called for removing barriers to the building process and changing attitudes throughout the city. she reminded everyone that san francisco is the only county in the bay area that was ab years. despite that, many residents see this as a never ending crisis.

today she introduced a five year on homelessness. >> it will set clear goals for our departments on nonprofit partners which we will demand they meet. reporter: despite what she called a tough few years, she is third -- she assured the city will endure and anything is possible. >> when we create a world where young girls from the projects can be mayor. reporter: and obviously she seems optimistic but there is reality and no one is sugarcoating this. it will be a hard 2023 and beyond for the mayor. she is asking departments to make deep cuts and the golden boost for the city will probably never be what it once was. we will see that in the city's budget and we all know the federal funds are gone so it seems at the moment, t adoptin

phrase, you have to give them hope. larry: joining us for more perspective is phil. the mayor just said downtown san francisco is not coming back and that is ok. your reaction? >> she said not coming back as we know it and she says that is ok because it will be replaced by something new. but that is a significant challenge. not only do you have office towers that will become increasingly empty in the next few years as the tech workforce shrinks and more people work remotely, you will also have the challenge of competing with other cities like phoenix, arizona, austin, texas, new york, everywhere where it is just easier to open and run a

business. california is expensive, san francisco especially so. she has built a downtown that is pretty much good for that kind of work only. she wants to bring in other businesses but it is one thing to want and another to deliver. larry: she also says one of biggest challenges is public safety. how will the city hire more police when it hasn't been able to do so for years? safety is number one if you want to bring back tourism. >> and also when you talk with workers about coming back to san francisco, their main concern is public safety, safety on the streets. the tougher's problem and that. the city is down 500 police officers and will be spending an extra $25 million so you will see beats officers working overtime, making upwards of an extra $200,000 per year. but the underlying

that while they are 500 short, the latest academy class for the police only had 10. i used to have 50. and -- it used to have 50. and two of them are already on the out list. so by june, 300 are eligible to retire. it's not a question of hiring cops, she has to figure out a way to retain as many of those 300 as she can for at least three years in order to stay even. larry: she also addressed the media. i want to play the clip and have you react. >> i want to say something to the media talking heads, the critics, the men who point out how the strong man stumbles where the doer of deeds could have done it better. as maya angelou said, you may suit me with your words

still, like air, i rise. larry: let's revisit that. >> i'll take it. [laughter] we are here to build a better bay area and part of that is showing what is going on. it is not to offer apologies or cover it up or report on someone's aspirations. she is right. sometimes we jump on a city or someone when they stumble but it is our job to point out that the sidewalk was cracked. that is what we have done. the paradox is that yes the criticisms have possibly hurt san francisco. the image goes out to the world. but it is those very things we have shown that the mayor is now seeing -- saying it needs to be fixed the most. so you guys out there listening, you decide. larry: and she is inheriting a

lot of problems. it's not like it is all on her watch but it is her job to fix it and the list of challenges is very long. >> and it is not money that will fix it, it has to be an attitude change. if you want to see police officers, maybe once in a while, you tell them good job rather than just knocking them around. larry: we appreciate your perspective. thank you. kristen: still to come, southwest massive holiday travel meltdown. the explanation offered today. larry: holding parents accountable for kids on social media. kristen: and a big day of nba kristen: and a big day of nba trades great party, carly. you must have blown your budget. not exactly. you have great name brand snacks tons of meat,

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larry: driving in here today i thought spring is here. kristen: wave your and make sure it sticks around a little longer. sandhya: i wish i had that power. we have a few more hours of april and then february comes in. let's look at our bay bri nothing but sunshine.

58 in the city. at 62 in oakland. san jose and santa clara are both close to 70. 59 at the bay. walnut creek has a little haze in the air. no strong wind to stir up the atmosphere. 68, santa rosa. mid-60's napa, phil fields, concord, livermore. -- fairfield, concord, livermore. cooler and cloudier tomorrow spotty showers late in the afternoon going into saturday. it warmer on sunday with gusty offshore wind in the hills. tomorrow, patchy hope -- patchy fog. a cooler day. you will notice it. most of you will be in the 50's. a few low when showers developed to the north. a level one.

tomorrow late afternoon into saturday we expect scattered showers, slippery areas. the entire coastline will be under a high surf advisory 7:00 tomorrow until 7:00 p.m. saturday. a beach hazard statement for the northern part of monterey bay. dangerous conditions for swimming or surfing. localized beach erosion. 4:00 tomorrow, rain starts moving into the north bay. scattered. not everyone will see showers until saturday morning when we have more showers develop as the lo spins off the coast. 8:00 a.m., wet pavement and then the system is out of here. rainfall totals have gone up from yesterday. we are looking at a few hundredths of an inch to 2/10 of an inch. the seven day forecast,

tomorrow going into saturday. the best possibility of showers tomorrow night and saturday morning. look at the turnaround. temperatures will spike sunday with offshore wind developing. upper 50's to upper 60's. miles on monday. valentine's day, good weather to cuddle. below average temperatures. kristen: c that is good marketing. larry: better than saying a stone cold heart. that was not directed toward anyone. [laughter] protecting kids on social media, something in utah might catch on to other states. kristen: dustin dorsey explains the proposed law would make

parents accountable. reporter: what steps are you willing to use social media? would you agree to all conditions? what about for your children? would you upload your id to allow children to use social media? >> no. [laughter] that would be my way of keeping them off social media. reporter: but that is exactly what could happen in utah. if passed, a senate bill is saying that children under 18 would have to use their parents id to verify the account. without it, they could not use youtube, instagram, or tiktok. different -- in a different way. id verification on

is an idea that has floated around for years and while it is just a proposed bill for now, it could set a precedent and bay air -- bay area residents could be concerned. >> once it is out of her hand it would be in the hands of platforms -- out of our hands it would be in the hands of platforms. reporter: he hacks that would leak personal info about where children live. he said using these laws is not the answer. he believes companies need to fix this. >> this problem has to be solved. cyber bullying. but do not put this on the parents. the tech companies have the

responsibility. kristen: southwest airlines execs head to capitol hill to explain the holiday travel meltdown. what they say was to blame. larry: and new disney inspired dolls you can own. reporter: which is more popular, liquor or beer?

that's a lot of cereal. prices going up everywhere. it's goodbye steaks. hello, cereal. this is grocery outlet and your family can still have steaks for dinner. follow me. at grocery outlet we have an amazing selection of meats. like beef, pork, chicken, all within your family's budget even today. hello. steak and chicken and pork chops. ♪ grocery outlet batgain market ♪ sorry. got excited.

kristen: southwest airlines -- southwest airlines was called on capitol hill today to answer for the meltdown during holiday travel. they say the root cause of the milstein was how the airline handled winter operations in places like denver where planes could not become deiced. and now we have our big headlines. >> the ftc scammers are the real deal this year. they stole more than $1 billion from 70,000 people last year. now we are learning that the top

first -- are use. i am hurt or in jail and need your help. can i teach you to invest? i'm in the military and far away, can you help me with a delivery? the median reported loss victims is $4400 and they worn if anyone you met online asks you to send them money, it is likely a scam. when it comes to love and money there is a good chance your partner it is keeping financial secrets from you. 39% of those who are married or in a committed relationship have been financially unfaithful. this could include keeping a separate bank account or stashing away cash.

younger people are more inclined to keep financial secrets, with 54% of millennials admitting having kept or are keeping financial secrets from a partner. when it comes to the drinking habits of americans, spirits have surpassed beer for u.s. market share supremacy. the trade association says vodka, whiskey and others have a 42.1% share of the beverage market compared to 41.9% for beer. this is the 13th consecutive year the sales of spirits have increased -- increased in the u.s.. analyst credit the resurgence to cocktail culture if you open any magazine, there is a picture of a cocktail somewhere. larry: they all look beautiful

and elaborate. it is more fancy. kristen: i was thinking it was because we need something stronger these days. [laughter]

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. larry: cre time trying to rescue survivors from monday's devastating earthquake that rocked turkey and syria. nearly 20,500 people are dead

and 17,000 of them in turkey. the world's most deadly earthquake in more than a decade. the numbers are astounding. muslim and turkish groups are trying to get supplies to so many of those impacted. kristen: our reporter shows the effort underway in the south bay. reporter: for many turkish families in the bay area, people are coming together following the earthquake. >> it was very emotional. we were together they are this past summer and after seeing the damage of the places we went to together, it is really emotional to see it. reporter: this is one of the volunteers collecting blankets, clothing, and medical supplies. it has been especially

difficult. >> physical and psychological damage. reporter: one of the cities leveled by the quake, this man's family is safe but he says he is dealing with loss. >> the buildings, the neighbors i grew up with. it is all gone. it's like erasing your memory from your mind. reporter: relief been provided to muslim countries for 20 years. this warehouse is a drop off location for donations. >> i cannot imagine. the last thing you want to have to worry about for your baby is clothing or food. reporter: turkish airlines is transporting donations for free from san francisco to istanbul. hundreds of boxes have already been shipped from this bay area. >> the earthquake was because of three fault lines that all went

off at the same time. we are sitting on three fault lines ourselves here so i think the people here understand that. reporter: with so many in need, it is now a race against time. >> we are trying to get everyone out of these harsh conditions and we are trying to make this as fast as possible. larry: you can learn more about the impact on children and families in turkey and syria and how to tap -- how to help by visiting unicef's or our . coverage continues on world news tonight. david nor is anchoring from -- david muir is anchoring from turkey. kristen: handshakes on your health. a new study that links your grip a new study that links your grip wi great party, carly.

you must have blown your budget. not exactly. you have great name brand snacks tons of meat, and where did you get this imported cheese? hello. grocery outlet bargain market looking for some great snacks during the big game. grocery outlet has got you covered. this week, we have 30 ounce bag blue diamond almonds for $9.99. that's a savings worth celebrating. ♪ grocery outlet bargain market ♪

go the extra mile this presidents' day in a volvo mild-hybrid vehicle.

larry: last night kevin durant was dealt to the phoenix suns, a big problem for the warriors. today the warriors responded and they are bringing back gary payton the second, who was important last year's champion run. he signed with the blazers after being priced out of warriors

range but they needed help defensively so they brought him back. but they had to trade james wiseman in order to make the switch. keeping wiseman would have cost $130 million over the last two years because of the luxury tax and he could not get on the courts of the situation is unfortunate, having talked with him a bunch the last few years, a wonderful kid and i wish him the best but it just was not happening here and every time he showed signs of, another injury or covid or something so part of it is the money the warriors will save and in five years he might turn out to be a great player but the warriors do not have time to wait. the window is now and it speaks to come out when you draft a

19-year-old, you are not sure what you will get. >> that's true. you never know what you're going to get. of basketball and the trades that take place and making strategic moves and then you throw in kevin durant and how it disrupts everything. kristen: did this put us in a better position? larry: yes. kristen: ok. wrinkles, gray hair, low energy all signs of aging. but there is another sign that you may not even notice. a new study finds having a weak grip like when shaking someone's hand could be a sign of a shorter life. researchers found people with weaker groups showed signs of aging faster compared to people

with stronger grips. put it here. larry: wow. you are going to live forever. sandhya: correlation. some people could have stronger leg muscles than arm muscles. >> i'm just glad kristen d start for me. we all lose muscle as we get older and i think it reflects overall muscle deterioration. i guess it gives new meaning to the phrase death grip. >> some people just comfortable really locking on. kristen: i do. >> clearly. [laughter] growing handshake was the sign of

confidence. >> we can say that this next story, this person is not weak. the chilean swimmer being dubbed the ice mermaid. she swam for 45 minutes antarctic. not even in a wetsuit. if verified she could set the record for the longest swim in the antarctic nick. she says she wants to raise awareness about protecting the ocean. i would think hypothermia would be a serious concern. talk about tough. she has probably conditioned herself. sandhya: what a brave person to do that and to raise awareness about something important. >> athletes working

performance, they do warm up it in that kind of cold, i can imagine you stay cold all time. >> that has to be a mind over matter type thing. as a group, we are opting out of this. except death grip rate here. kristen: not that kind of death. yelp has announced the top 100 places to eat. included is a restaurant on the peninsula. gt's café, number 14. a woman owned a restaurant offering sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. the chef and owner studied and worked around the world before opening the café at age 24. >> tasty thursday. >> hello, bay area. thank you for having me.

larry: the aroma from all of your food here, the studio smells fantastic. kristen: you have not had the café very long. talk about when you found out you were named on the list. >> i think anyone would be in utter shock. we have been here for five years and not that many people know about us. we are in an office building. but i made the list. i have proof. [laughter] so i am very excited. i have worked really hard these last many years. i was shocked when i found out. >> in a sandwich. >> that is one of the most popular. it is a special sandwich of the week. we do it once every two months but always during valentine's

day week because everyone comes in and buys 14 there sweetheart. -- and buys one for there sweetheart. -- >> we have to talk about this gigantic cake. it is so heavy and i am afraid to look at -- to lift it. there on top of stuff in it all looks amazing. >> i will show you the inside. this is what you have with you. a four layer chocolate and vanilla. you can order them online. >> it is incredible to look at. >> do you do a good cake business? >> we do. i work here monday through

friday and when i have time i take as many cake orders as i can. my degree is in baking and pastry and i love to do it. but i also make a lot of sandwiches. >> your sandwiches sound so amazing. chicken cordon bleu. sirota hopped. -- hot. >> i think the names draw people in and once they have the sandwich, they are hooked. >> how tough was it to open a business in this climate? >> pulled the plug on doing it -- and did it. i want to think my parents for pushing me so hard and just say, bite the bullet and do it. i am a burlingame local.

i went to burlingame high school that i left sophomore year to go to independent study to pursue my dreams in baking so i graduated at 17th in my class. >> teresa, thank you so much. we have a feast here that is going to last for days. >> thank you so much. >>

great party, carly. you must have blown your budget. not exactly. you have great name brand snacks tons of meat, and where did you get this imported cheese? hello. grocery outlet bargain market looking for some great snacks during the big game. grocery outlet has got you covered. this week, we have 30 ounce bag blue diamond almonds for $9.99. that's a savings worth celebrating. ♪ grocery outlet bargain market ♪

how do you know when you've made the right decision? it's the feeling you get in your gut, the one that tells you what's right or what's wrong. it's the one that says, "sure, i could have a drink." or the feeling that says, "ok, i've been drinking, now what." it's the voice inside you that says, "i'm buzzed...better leave the car when it's time to go." plan ahead. catch a sober ride. buzzed driving is drunk driving.

larry: it has been more than one month since the devastating storms from the winter and there are still people who need help. san jose hosted a disaster recovery center, a one-stop shop where victims can apply for help and learn resources available. >> small business association for home and personal property from fema. larry: assistance is available not only for those with homes damaged or destroyed but also renters who were displaced. there is also transportation aid and childcare. you can check out fema's website at disasterassistant.gov. kristen: look at this. bottle it up.

sandhya: upper 60's. enjoy this. and i have good news. statewide, last week's drought showed tahoe was in the moderate category. presently it has dropped to the lowest category, the yellow. locally, we have not seen any change from last week to this week. we are still in a drought but at least it has improved in the last few months. the wind is light. with the lack of wind we have moderate air quality around the bay shoreline. you can see haze from the san mateo bridge. air quality gets better just in time for the weekend. no rain but tomorro showers show up. a cooler day. 50's and 60's on friday. we warm up on super

kristen: attention, disney fans. shop disney unveiled collaboration of dolls that empower children of color. larry: a husband-and-wife duo are reimagining disney princesses through a more diverse lens. kristen: here is h bringing their vision to reality. >> our mission as photographers is to empower kids of color around the world. we decided to reimagine the traditional disney princess by incorporating afrocentric hairstyles. >> we used a mood b gather ideas and then take the photos of models to elements into hair and clothing.

>> representation is important because our kids need to be able to see themselves reflected in toys. by an early age they are often trying to live up to other standards of beauty and we wanted to impact self-esteem by showcasing dolls more inclusive and diverse. larry: these dolls are available at shopdisney.com. next, tiktok to the rescue. kristen: how a seven second video

>> coming up at 7:00, jeopardy followed by wheel of fortune and then the parent test at 8:00 and the chase at 10:00. then stay with us for abc7news at 11:00. the pandemic hit small businesses and north bay hard and many are still feeling the impact. a reporter shows how a post on tiktok helped revive one family restaurant. reporter: this might just look like another busy restaurant but last month things looked different here at the noodle house in santa rosa. it was empty. 21-year-old jennifer lee posted this video on tiktok showing her dad leaning against the counter. she wrote, it makes me so sad to

see my parents just wait for customers to walk through the door to eat at their vietnamese restaurant. she added music so the clip sounds like this. ♪ >> i because of the pandemic. so i felt really sorry for them. reporter: that short video got quite a response. three weeks later, the place is packed. >> his daughter was on pleading with the public to help her dad because he was run out of business because of covid. it broke my heart. >> my dad is always talking about how he is stressed and talks about waiting around and having to close early. so i made the video to help him a little. reporter: as of late wednesday, the video has racked up more than 987,000 views.

digital markers -- marketers show that tiktok, youtube videos aren't just entertainment, they are used to get information. >> all of us came out of the pandemic discovering the restaurants we used to go to might not be open anymore. a huge percentage of them just disappeared in the last couple of years so finding a restaurant near me is one of the top search terms. reporter: as for her dad, he says he is grateful for the support. >> a lot of people from the community have come out and support us and i am very grateful. kristen: best use of tiktok ever. abc seven news streams get our tv up and join us wherever you want, wherever you are.

the news at 5:00 is coming up next. that's a lot of cereal. prices going up everywhere. it's goodbye steaks. hello, cereal. this is grocery outlet and your family can still have steaks for dinner. follow me. at grocery outlet we have an amazing selection of meats. like beef, pork, chicken, and chken d po cpse ♪ grocery outlet batgain market ♪

sorry. got excited.