starts right now.

>> powerful bands of rain soaking parts of the bay area tonight, like here in san jose, where you can see this deluge late this afternoon. >> and this level two storm that we're tracking on the abc seven news exclusive storm impact scale also brings with it strong winds. just look at this downed tree on a home in menlo park. >> but the damage isn't just on the peninsula. here's another tree down in cupertino. >> it's a similar scene in the east bay, where crews are still working to clear this massive redwood that came down, crushing a truck and a car and blocking a major road. >> and in the north bay, so far, no reports of any heavy damage. but the umbrellas were out in petaluma as the rain was coming down. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. we are on storm watch right now and tracking the rain, wind and damage all across the bay area. >> we have the abc seven news team coverage with suzanne phan in the north bay. >> that's coming, but let's begin with abc seven news meteorologist sandhya patel, with details on the conditions out there right now. sandhya. >> yeah, we're still seeing some

heavy rain right now. dan. and let's take a look at live doppler seven. and i'm going to zoom in to where it is coming down in the santa cruz mountains. they're seeing some heavy rain right around highway 17, the summit. you know, it gets dicey, especially when you have downpours like this. as we take a look at dublin heading across 580 into livermore street level radar showing you some moderate to heavy rain as this level two storm continues to move in. we've seen some thunderstorms today, some strong gusty winds. and as we go hour by hour, i'm going to show you what you can expect tonight. 6:00 you're still seeing some pockets of heavy rain going into 730. and then it starts to become more scattered late tonight. tomorrow we start to introduce some snow over our higher peaks like mount hamilton. that continues as we go into 11 a.m. right now, gusts 37 miles an hour at sfo, but those higher elevations 50 at the oakland hills, 54 atlas peak wind advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. tonight. gusts to 55 miles an hour could take down tree limbs and cause a few

outages. so be aware of this. so through this evening, we'll keep it as a level two. rain heavy at times. strong gusty winds and the possibility of more thunder. i'll be back with a full look at the forecast, which does include more wet weather. coming right up. >> dan okay sandhya, thank you. in oakland, a large branch from a eucalyptus tree came down, taking out the power to nearby homes and businesses. this happened on miles avenue in the rockridge neighborhood. about 500 p-g-and-e's customers are affected. the utility hopes to have the electricity restored by 7 p.m. a couple hours from now. >> now a look at the current power outages across the bay area. p-g-and-e's reports more than 500 outages are affecting about 63,000 customers in the state. they say the outage map. mountain view is one of the hardest hit areas, as you can see, that's shown in red, indicating upwards of 5000 customers without power. we've reached out to p-g-and-e's and are waiting to hear back. >> gusty winds and all of this rain really been pounding the north bay today. abc seven news reporter suzanne fawn is live in novato, with more on how things

looked across sonoma and marin counties. suzanne. >> so, dan, tonight we're actually in san rafael and the rain has tapered off here. but i can tell you late today we definitely felt the brunt of the storm. our roads and freeways, they were drenched by the downpour. and the strong winds were also a big concern. once again, another powerful atmospheric river storm is pounding the bay area and drenching the north bay. with every major storm comes the possibility of serious damage. in petaluma, we caught up with public works crews. they had their hands full, clearing away part of a tree that snapped off and came crashing down on the road. no one was hurt, but there's certainly a lot of cleanup to do and more of it to come. >> as the winds pick up and the rain later on, it's going to get busy. >> on the roads. a reminder to drivers to slow down. it's not just the rain today, but the wind you should be concerned about. >> it is making it hard to kind

of do anything today. it's another factor as you're driving on the roadway, especially at higher speeds, wind can push you all over the place, and with the standing water that's on the roadway, we don't want anybody to hydroplane. >> we just heard about the high winds and kind of was surprised by it, but now starting to see all the branches swinging around a lot. so yeah, definitely like rattling the windows and stuff. >> atmospheric river storms that swept across the bay area this year have been cause for concern. you might remember the dramatic video from early february. a driver lost control on a rural road near point reyes and ended up in a creek in west marin county. a sheriff's deputy broke the car's back window and began removing items to give the woman stuck inside the submerging car as much room to breathe as possible. the deputy was eventually able to pull the woman out of the car. authorities say that should be an important reminder to all of us. >> and the water kind of overtook that car in about four minutes from being, you know, up halfway up the back window to completely submerging the vehicle. and so we want to avoid those things. water can rise extremely quickly, and we want

to prevent anybody from ending up in water themselves. >> and with these strong storms, power outages are always a big concern. according to pg and e, about 3400 people were without power in the north bay. that included a school in sebastopol. we're live in san rafael. suzanne phan abc seven news. >> all right, suzanne, thanks a lot. just a reminder, you can follow along as the forecast changes with the abc seven bay area app. it gives you access to the same live doppler seven our weather team uses. just download it wherever you stream. >> in san francisco. a group of residents is declaring victory after the city withdrew its plan to move a mental health service center to their neighborhood. abc seven news reporter luz pena went to the area to speak to residents, who say their neighborhood is already a hotspot for crime and drug use, and that center could have made matters worse. >> situations like this have become a normal sight for residents in san francisco's south of market neighborhood. >> drug abuse is a lot of mental health issues, and it's ground

zero right here. >> during the pandemic. the city rented a number of hotels in soma and turned them into shelters for the homeless population. residents say that attracted more crime. >> there was always 10 to 20 drug dealers, with 10 to 20 people using drugs in front of our own center. and so we would have to request that during school hours, when we're picking up and dropping off kids that they can move. >> you have to speak to a drug dealer. so they wouldn't be out here. >> yes, yes. >> nonprofits like west bay and united place serve youth in this neighborhood, and were among many who pushed back when the city tried to relocate its mental health center from 1380 howard street to 1125 mission street. >> when development happens here, especially when there's services that are being provided, like for mental health or addiction, it's always in our neighborhood. >> we looked at the area and found an addiction treatment center, a permanent supportive housing complex, a city health center, and a shelter, along with multiple nonprofits all in

the same radius. after community opposition, san francisco's department of public health withdrew their plan and said in part after extensive community feedback, the best way to achieve those goals is to keep the behavioral health access center at 1380 howard street for the time being. supervisor matt dorsey, who is also a recovering drug addict, was candid about this project in his district. >> at the end of the day, i didn't feel good about using $10 million in prop one funds to move services we already offer four blocks away into a better real estate agreement. the city is asking the state to consider a postponement on this. >> for now, the mental health center will remain at its original location. >> nobody wants it in their neighborhood. >> in san francisco, luz pena, abc seven news. >> the san francisco unified school district is reportedly suing americorps, accusing it of illegally withholding hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding. according to our

partners at the san francisco standard, the district says the agency wants to make sure there are no school activities promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. this comes after president trump signed an executive order in january after taking office to end dei programs within the federal government. the san francisco standard reports sfusd receives about $667,000 every year from americorps. >> the head of the epa announced a series of actions today to roll back landmark environmental regulations. the actions include scaling back 31 environmental rules, including limiting pollution from coal fired power plants and restricting emissions from cars and trucks. the epa administrator called it the most consequential day of deregulation in american history. meanwhile, the trade war being waged by the trump administration is intensifying again today. canada and the european union announced new tariffs against the u.s. they're in response to president trump's 25% global tariff on steel and aluminum that took effect

overnight. >> governor newsom continues to turn some heads on both sides of the aisle with his new podcast. so far, he has brought on conservative activists and what he calls an attempt to debate without demeaning. abc seven news political reporter monica madden has highlights from the new episode, out just today with steve bannon, who many consider the intellectual architect of the maga movement. >> it's an unlikely pairing from the get go, though. >> hang on, hang on. >> liberal and conservative firebrands. talking politics. the hour long conversation between governor gavin newsom and far right commentator steve bannon had expected debates on policy, and a moment where newsom led bannon make a false claim without pushback. >> you know, we disagree on this, but president trump won the 2020 election. >> but the two also found a few points of surprising common ground, like disdain for elon musk's growing power and tax breaks for the rich. >> we may share some commonality in terms of concern about what he's doing. >> but the upper bracket shouldn't get it, and even some of the corporations shouldn't get it if they're just going to do stock buybacks.

>> at several points, bannon even offered praise for silicon valley congressman ro khanna, a democrat. >> of the three best economic populist in the democratic party, who i think are kind of on an island, one of the best is ro khanna. rose economic patriotism. >> there's gavin and i on the great wall of china. 20 years ago. >> joe cotchett, a longtime newsom ally, offered some insight into the governor's strategy. >> common ground is the word. >> saying newsom is trying to appeal to voters who might feel isolated by political groupthink. >> podcasts are critical, and he was advised to do that. he smartly is doing it. he's communicating now with people he would never be able to communicate. >> i thought it was an interesting strategy to bring on folks that are outside of his bubble. >> some in republican circles give him credit, but question the motivation. >> this is just a political ploy. i don't think it's sincere on on any level whatsoever. >> the podcast has also drawn criticism from newsom's own party after he declared opposition to transgender

athletes. in the first episode, abc seven news insider phil matier says it reaffirms speculation about newsom eyeing a 2028 presidential run. >> he's moving to the center. he wanted that quote to get out there. he wanted that message out on his first podcast in order to launch it and in order to differentiate himself. so what we saw was indeed the gavin newsom 20, 2526 going in. >> monica madden, abc seven news. >> still ahead, vta workers grab their raincoats and umbrellas for day three of the strike. how the union is now responding to the transit agency's lawsuit to get employees back to work. >> and here's another live look outside as we continue our storm watch. abc seven news at

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san jose■s most spectacular night out is moulin rouge the musical winner of 10 tony awards including best musical the new york times calls it dazzling gasp inspiring in moulin rouge life is beautiful july 8th through 20th at san jose center for the performing arts get tickets at broadwaysanjose.com in connection with a stabbing on

board a san francisco muni metro train during the height of yesterday's evening rush hour. the female victim suffered life threatening injuries when she was attacked on the t-third train near carroll avenue in the bayview. police say they detained the suspect and another female subject, who was later released. the suspect faces an attempted murder, felony, assault with a deadly weapon, and false imprisonment charges. he is being held at the juvenile justice center. >> public transit in santa clara county is still stalled, as striking workers hit the picket line for a third day. negotiations are at a standstill between valley transportation authority and the union, and the vta has filed a lawsuit to try to get them back on the job. abc seven news south bay reporter dustin dorsey has a look at where things go from here. >> as a light rain fell over the south bay, light rail and bus stops were once again empty, while the atu local 265 picket lines remained rowdy and busy. wet weather and even a pending breach of contract lawsuit didn't stop the vta strike.

>> if they felt that we were breaching the contract, that we gave the agency a 72 hour strike notice, you know, they could have they had the opportunity to file this claim on friday and they chose not to. so it is day three of the strike and our folks are out there. >> vta claims the union violated a no strike clause. the complaint says the previous contract, term length, ran from march 7th, 2022 and through march 3rd, 2025. but vta deputy general manager greg richardson says the agreement continues if negotiations are ongoing. >> even after the term ends, it's still a contract that's in full force and effect. and so from that perspective, we believe that it is still in place and therefore the no strike clause is in effect. and from that perspective, we believe it was a breach. >> so vta opted to take legal action to get passengers back on the road. it may take days to even get a court hearing scheduled, leaving riders without public transportation as

storms move through the region. >> there's no light rail service until further notice. >> the two sides have not met since sunday, and there are no scheduled meetings to return to the table. this despite both sides saying they're willing to do so. labor expert john logan says this does not appear to be ongoing negotiations, and believes the courts will rule in favor of the union. >> contract expired. we've been making a very good faith effort to reach an agreement. the fact that negotiations have stalled is as a result of a lack of good faith bargaining on the other side. therefore, we're exercising our legal right to strike. >> logan says. strikes like these are more common now due to the rise of cost of living, especially here in the bay area. and while it may take a while, he anticipates a deal can be found somewhere in the middle in san jose. dustin dorsey, abc seven news. >> still ahead, we're continuing to track those wet and windy conditions outside. pretty rough in spots. here's a live look. now we'll check in with abc7 news meteorologist sandhya

padilla is pleading for the trump administration to approve yosemite national park's permanent reservation system ahead of its busy season. the senator sent a letter yesterday to the secretary of the interior. yosemite administrators approved the reservation system in december after testing a pilot version for the past five years. they were hoping to launch next month, but now the trump administration has the plans under review. the reservation system is meant to prevent overcrowding at the park. >> right on to the weather. and as she always is, right as rain. >> and a lot of that rain. >> sandia yes, some areas are getting some real heavy rain at times. dan and i want to show you live doppler seven. good evening everyone. let's take a look at where the rain is coming down. it is pouring across parts of the south bay. alum rock, san jose, heading across story road 680. so if your commute takes you through this region, it's

going to be dicey getting around union city, heading across 238 street level radar. sunol 680. we are seeing some pockets of moderate to heavy rain as well. and as we widen the picture here, you will notice that there have been thunderstorms in the central valley. we've had our share of thunderstorms as well. and in the sierra this is turning to snow with chain controls on most roads heading up there, 8488 so be aware of the fact that this is going to be treacherous. getting up a line of severe thunderstorms developed off the coast and moved in. there were reports of hail of course, strong gusty winds and we have had some downpours as well. so this is just taking you back in time, showing you what happened this afternoon. if you were with us yesterday, we warned you of the potential for thunder and it happened not out of the woods just yet. 40s and 50s on your temperatures. here's a live view from emeryville looking at 80 and it is just a rainy view, so the afternoon evening commute is going to be tough. sorry about that high. that was supposed to

be a live picture from the sierra. obviously we don't have it there anymore through this evening. it's a level two rain, heavy at times, gusty winds, chance of thunderstorms as we go. hour by hour here. 6:00 tonight. parts of the east bay and the south bay getting those downpours. now rain will begin to ease up, but at 730 you're still going to see those pockets of showers going into 9 p.m. and then tomorrow morning, notice around commute time, some damp roadways with showers, snow showers over mount hamilton. this is going to go on as we head into 9 a.m. 11 a.m, and then we get a break before another system gets in here on friday. so rainfall most areas will pick up anywhere from about a five hundredths of an inch to about 7/10 of an inch. so far today, we've seen a 10th of an inch in concord to up to an inch of rain in the santa cruz mountains. winter storm warning in the sierra until 11 p.m. tomorrow. above 4000ft, up to four feet for the peaks. with those gusty winds up to 70 miles an hour, it's going to be

impossible to very difficult traveling up there tomorrow morning. not only a chill in the air, but some damp roadways for the commute, so plan accordingly. temperatures in the 30s and 40s. it's certainly going to be colder than where we were today, as that colder air mass moves in behind the front. 50s for your highs tomorrow. partly cloudy. still a possibility of an isolated shower in the afternoon. here's a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. it becomes a one for tomorrow. showers. snow on the highest peaks friday. it's a mix of rain and snow with a level one. we do get a break on saturday with rain returning late afternoon and evening on sunday. saint patrick's day scattered morning showers. who knows, maybe you'll find that pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow. and then tuesday and wednesday, milder weather certainly will brighten things up. dan and i. >> hope that pot of gold has a layer of plastic. >> yeah. >> thanks, sandhya. >> all right steph curry is going to get another shot at history. tomorrow night may be an early birthday present too. he needs to make two more three

pointers for 4000 in his career. odds are probably pretty good that will happen. steph is already the all time leader in this category. the warriors play the sacramento kings at chase center. he will celebrate his 37th birthday on friday. happy birthday steph. >> yes. and then on saturday we've got dubs on seven when the warriors host the new york knicks. catch the game starting at 5:00 right here on abc seven, followed by after the game with larry and the crew. >> now still ahead here, an update on the renovation project underway at the historic castro theater. reports of a ballooning budget and new reopening date. stay with us. >> i'm reggie aqui. >> i'm lyanne melendez. >> i'm luz pena, i'm. >> tara campbell i'm j.r. stone at. >> abc seven news. we deliver local stories. >> with real answers.

scott made a special appearance today for a good cause. the team, which is affiliated with the sharks, partnered with the nonprofit convoy of hope for a grocery giveaway for families in need. >> we're able to provide the food, provide the groceries, we

bring all that stuff down. they help provide the volunteers. we bag it all up, and then we give it away to the people in the community who need it. >> there you go. you talk about a win win. look at that. organizers say they helped about 300 families today. >> that's awesome. well, the reopening date for the historic castro theater has been pushed back as renovations will now cost more than twice the original budget. the san francisco landmark has been closed since last year, while another planet entertainment makes upgrades and turns it into a live music venue. renovations were expected to cost $15 million, but theater officials say the project will now cost about $35 million. another planet entertainment told sfgate while it was supposed to reopen this summer, it now likely won't open until later this year. >> all right, well, we still have much more news ahead for you. >> let's get to abc seven news anchor dion lim for the stories. coming up at 5.30. dion. >> yeah. hi there dan and ama. lots to get to at 530, including cleaning up the world's largest battery storage facility. that

work is underway now, all while activist erin brockovich gets involved. her message to community members concerned about their health and safety around moss landing. plus, call it a permitting problem. the barriers to small businesses to just do business in san francisco. building a better bay area reporter lyanne melendez joins me to talk about the mayor's new effort to streamline that process. and will it work? join us for those stories and much more. at 5.30 on abc seven bay area streaming tv. dan and emma. >> all right, dan, thank you. >> all right. you can download the abc seven app or head to abc7 news.com to join dionne in just two minutes. >> if you're watching us on tv world news tonight with david muir is next for sandhya patel. all of us here. thank you for joining us. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. we appreciate your time. we'll see you again at six.

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