welcome to "world news tonight." states of emergency -- the blizzard of 2016. the monster storm battering the east right now. taking lives. crippling washington, philadelphia and new york. >> travel is now banned. >> tens of thousands without power. airports closed. cancelled flights rippling across the country. a winter storm for the record books. danger zone. menace on the highways. thousands of people trapped overnight. no heat, no food, no way out. plus, our team heads to the icy coastal flooding. mandatory evacuations and rescues under way.

donald trump's latest boast. >> i could stand in the middle of fifth avenue and shoot someone and i wouldn't lose any voters. >> and he's also going after former first lady barbara bush. plus will there be a march surprise? reports that michael bloomberg is considering a third party run. and, jailbreak. three fugitives on the run, including an alleged torturer and a man accused of murder. so why did it take 16 hours to notice they were gone? tonight we take you inside the manhunt. and good evening. thanks for joining us on this saturday. i'm tom llamas. cecilia is on the campaign trail tonight. as we come on the air at this hour, a winter storm is raging. disrupting lives and turning deadly. 60 million people in the storm's

the storm coming down at 4 inches an hour. ath the coast hit. take a look at the ice and not a soul at reagan airport. major highways sut down in several states. thousands of people stranded in cars and trucks, some people overnight. in new jersey, a man roads. had is a live look right now at the white house. bru it's new york being hit especially hard. this is times square. only police cars there. and take a look at this image from space. you see the orange lights? those are major cities buried massive storm. from space to the center of the storm, we are covering it all. we zart with ron claiborne here in hard-hit new york. >> reporter: tonight, the bull's-eye of a blizzard of epic proportions. creating near white-out conditions, forcing an extraordinary travel ban.

the road. travel is now banned, and the reason we're doing that is to protect people. >> reporter: the snow, still coming down strong tonight, exceeding expectations -- on track to become one of the top five snow storms on record here in new york city, and no let up expected for hours. >> one of the worst blizzards, worst winter storms that i've seen in new york. oh, yeah. no fun. >> no fun at all? >> no, it's not a winter wonderland. empty in the middle of the day. also ordered shut down commuter subway, new york city's no flights coming in or going out of new york's three major airports. across the storm-affected swatch of the east coast, more 10,000 cancellations spanning friday through sunday. even broadway shows shuttered. meteorologist indra petersons out in the thi >> if new york city gets more

will be the third greatest snowfall of record. forget what two feet of snow looks like. it's a blizzard out here. you're going to be talking about winds producing drifts as high as 5 feet! >> reporter: to battle the snow, the city called out an army of snowplows and salt spreaders. no match for this monster storm. tom, i'm in normally bustling times square. very few vik vehicles out here. only a fraction of the people that would normally be out here on a saturday night. so far, until the storm, the new york city had only gotten a trace amount of snow. now, in less than 24 hours, the city has gotten an entire winter's worth. tom. >> the cross roads of the world now a winter wonderland. this storm is the worst to hit the jersey shore since superstorm sandy. tonight, powerful winds, high tide and the full moon sending icy water in the street, damaging homes and sending people to higher ground. linzie janis from wildwood, new

>> reporter: good evening, tom. up and down the new jersey coast, there is severe flooding with barrier eyelands like this one the hardest hit. virtually every street here is under water. tonight, the jersey shore getting slammed by a massive nor'easter. roads flooded, chunks of ice passing by this front yard in ocean city. the storm surge up to 8 feet. these streets are still flooded look at the water just coming into this home. let me show you high tide it was waist high. it carried the picnic table to the center of the street. emergency workers rescuing residents trapped in their homes. some families trying to evacuate on their own. >> trying to get to my mother. >> reporter: in wildwood, new jersey the water up to this man's knees. wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour enough to keep this ferris wheel spinning.

it's cutting you up. the sand and the rain. >> reporter: waves reaching almost 20 feet off the coastline. in atlantic city, the flood lines up to this home's windows and submerge ing this car. governor chris christie warning residents to stay inside. >> i don't care where you have a four-wheel drive vehicle or not, it's very slippery out there right now. >> reporter: most residents worried about a repeat of super storm sandy. >> the water level is higher than sandy. >> reporter: tom, the wind is fierce here. and at high tide, the water was waist deep. we have another high tide tonight and tomorrow morning, residents very concerned the flooding is going to get worse. tom? >> all right, linzie, stay safe. the biggest danger in the monster storm. travel officials pleading with drivers to stay off the roads. crews working arnold the clock. snowplows struggling to keep up. more than 1,000 accidents in

d.c., where the blizzard is still hitting tonight. >> reporter: tonight, washington, d.c. is buried. up to two inches of snow an hour -- piling up. >> i didn't expect to be caught in the middle of snowzilla. >> reporter: the nation's capitol, its roads, monuments. quiet. and covered in at least a foot and a half of snow. >> go back a little bit. go back. >> reporter: the weekend timing -- the ghost town appearance. a huge advantage for crews trying to clear roads. but even firetrucks and ambulances needed help in the deep snow. the d.c. police chief lending a so much snow, each road, each sidewalk cleared numerous times. so you've already shoveled this sidewalk what four or five or six times? >> around ten times. >> yeah. another problem. philadelphia. >> the wind and continuing snow are the major issues right now. as you can see the roads are still snow covered, the moment the snow plows are able to clear

ground. >> reporter: at least 11 deaths attributed to the storm, most of them car accidents. and hundreds of motorists are stuck. 500 vehicles on the pennsylvania turnpike going nowhere. including 31 members of the duquesne university basketball team -- in a bus since yesterday afternoon. some even walking for pizza. >> i just want to get home! >> reporter: jeremy hanawalt escaped that turnpike after 15 hours. >> they could have gotten people out of here a long time ago. or at least used that as an option. >> reporter: in kentucky water dropped off to stranded motorists there. an ohio family traveling home from a funeral spent all night in their car. >> and they tell us we're going to get you out of here. very soon. that was nine hours ago. >> reporter: they did finally start moving. but with the storm still et dropping snow it will be some time before everyone is dug out. so much snow to remove. the crews are building hills, minimountains and it's snowing and blowing.

tom? >> david kerley for us tonight. david, thank you. the massive snowfall is burying buildings and homes. power lines as well. look how fast it piled up outside this pennsylvania home. by dawn, everything in the backyard buried. but the weight of all that snow can cause dangerous stress. abc's gloria riviera with the threat at home. >> reporter: tonight, the massive snowfall pushing neighborhoods to their breaking point. in suburban virginia 30 inches and counting. this emergency snow removal crew -- stuck. i'm 5'6". you can see the snow is past my knees. when you get out to the suburb, this is what you see, house after house blanketed. all that snow piling up on roofs here. experts say a foot of heavy, wet snow on a 1,600-square-foot home weighs as much as 14 tons. for the first time here, residents like the shaft family are anxious. you have about 18 inches of snow on your roof. right now, it's light and

>> i am not going to dance up there for sure. >> i just don't know what once you get past 24 when you get to 30, you wonder how much your roof can hold. >> reporter: the snow so heavy, this gas station roof caved in. this historic theater in virginia destroyed. to protect your home look for early warning signs, creaking sounds and cracks in the ceiling. up and down the coast heavy snow and winds downing powerlines. our phillip mena is in north carolina. >> here is raleigh, ice is the issue on trees and on power lines. crews are working to restore power. more than 100,000 people tonight without electricity throughout the state. >> reporter: officials there warning people to steer clear of lines which could be live. another deep snow danger, carbon monoxide. with so many struggling under so much snow, safety experts say remember to clear your car's exhaust pipe before warming up the car.

city officials still telling residents here like so many other places to stay inside for safety. said they have given up on getting out until the snow starts to melt. tom? >> thank you. let's turn to someone who will not be spending a lot of time indoors. rob marciano joining us from d.c. the snow. but the big question tonight, how much longer will the storm last? >> we are still under blizzard warnings. it's still coming down sideways here and winds over 35 miles per hour and the visibilities remain low. the low itself is still very close. take a look at the radar. you can see the snow bands are still rotating in. 19 inches and counting in new york city. 18 inches and counting in philadelphia. 21 and counting here in d.c. number two on the list and just outside of d.c. to the west, nearing 40 inches of snow.

another high tide psych toll go through and the winds are going to don't crank near the coast over 50 miles an hour through the overnight period and then things begin to end from west to east as far as snow is concerned. winds will don't crank tomorrow it's going to make cleanup a real nightmare, tom. train there is a limited amtrak schedule, the only way to get around. >> it's going to be a rough few days ahead. rob, thank you. we turn to politics now and a major day on the campaign trail. donald trurp with a new controversial, a violent joke about shooting something in new york. and news from michael bloomberg. cecilia vega has it all from iowa. >> reporter: the controversial remark this time came in the form of a drag. >> i could stand in the middle of fifth avenue and shoot

>> reporter: donald trump under fire once again. >> i will let donald speak for himself. i can say, i have no intention of shooting anyone in the campaign. >> reporter: but the brash billionaire may not be the only billionaire in the race for long. abc news confirming new york city former mayor michael bloomberg is despite promises he would not enter the race, he instructed advisers to run as an independent. trump telling george stephanopoulos, he would welcome a bloomberg bid. >> i would love to have michael first of all, he's a friend of he's a great guy. he could take a lot of votes away from hillary, if it's going to be hillary. >> reporter: the former mayor reportedly troubled from all of the front-runners from trump on the right to hillary clinton and bernie sanders on the left. trump rivaled ted cruz in the

endorsement from glenn beck. >> if donald trump wins, it's going to be a snowball to hell. >> reporter: but the biggest battle du jour, over a jeb bush video featuring his mother. >> jeb has real solutions. >> reporter: trump taking to twitter. just watch jeb's ad where he needed mommy to help him. jeb, mommy can't hem you can isis or the chinese. and tonight -- >> be careful, donald. you know my mom. i'm putting my money on barbara bush on that. >> reporter: and another big endorsement coming in just right now. from the des moines register newspaper. its pick for the race, marco rubio on the gop side. hillary clinton for the.

michael bloomberg believes he has until march to get in the race. he have could miss the caucuses here nine days away. >> thank you so much. we have so much more on "world news tonight." up next, escaped murders and torturer escaped from jail. tonight, we take you to the man hunt. and latest zika virus, we will tell you where it's turned up here in the u.s. guys, it's just the two of you. the setting is just right. there's something in the air. but here's the thing: have some degree of erectile dysfunction. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. ask your doctor if your heart do not take viagra if you take for pulmonary hypertension. your blood pressure could drop to an unsafe level. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor

sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor... ...about viagra. available in single packs. when cigarette cravings hit, all i can think about is getting relief. only nicorette mini has a patented fast-dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. i never know when i'll need relief. that's why i only choose nicorette mini. what's going on here? i'm val, the orange money retirement squirrel from voya. we're putting away acorns. you know, to show the importance of saving for the future. so you're sort of like a spokes person? more of a spokes metaphor.

my opioid pain medication is slowing my insides to a crawl. that's opioid-induced constipation, oic, a different type of constipation. i'm really struggling to find relief... paint a different picture. talk to your doctor about oic and prescription treatment options. back now with a pricen escape. three men considered extremely dangerous charged with criming ranging from torture to murder. here is the latest. >> reporter: tonight, an intense man hunt for three fugitives who escaped from this orange county jail all considered extremely dangerous. police scouring the streets with flashlights. search dogs leading the way. authorities focusing in on this jailhouse roof top.

crimes. nayeri, charged with torture. tieu, charged with murder and charged buong with attempted murder. all have pled not guilty. >> they are last seen at 5:00 a.m. yesterday. that is the last time we can confirm they were physically in the housing location. >> reporter: abc news learning the break was preplanned. they were in a tank that houses 68 people. there was a disturbance at 7 p.m. by 9 p.m., they say they are missing. authority know how they escaped but they are not releasing the details yet. wloo's incredible, it went down steps away from the sheriff's department. it's one of the biggest diamond rings on the planet. can you guess which celebrity is sporting this 35-carat

>> kids aren't the only ones having fun in the snow. the adorable scene that played out today at the national zoo. song: "that's life" song: "that's life" p song: "that'splife" that's life. you diet. you exercise. and if you still need help lowering your blood sugar... ...this is jardiance. along with diet and exercise, jardiance works around the clock to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. it works by helping your body to get rid of some of the sugar it doesn't need through urination. this can help you lower blood sugar and a1c. and although it's not for weight loss or lowering systolic blood pressure, jardiance could help with both. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. this may cause you to feel dizzy, faint or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. other side effects are genital yeast infections,

changes in urination, kidney problems, and increased bad cholesterol. do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction. symptoms may include rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. so talk to your doctor, and for details, visit jardiance.com. i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line.

this just got interesting. why pause to take a pill? or stop to find a bathroom? cialis for daily use is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, or adempas for pulmonary hypertension, p as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis and a $200 savings card get fast-acting, long-lasting relief from heartburn with it neutralizes stomach acid and is the only product that forms a protective barrier that helps keep stomach acid in the stomach where it belongs. for fast-acting, long-lastingvrelief.

straight now to the index and an update on the zika virus. it's a health alert tonight. finishes say three people from the new york city area who recently traveled outside the country have tested positive for the virus. the cdc has released an updated map showing 22 country, most in latin america and the caribbean where they have outbreaks. it can cause fever, rash and

the real danger is pregnant women where it can cause severe dearth defects. and a low nation of more than 100,000 bottles of water for the flint, michigan cities. they have relied on bottled water from distribution sites. the biggest rock in hollywood. mariah carey says yes to australian billionaire james packer and his 35 carat diamond engagement ring. it's estimated to be worth $7.5 million. that is serious bling. and the national zoo posting this adorable footage of its 19-year-old panda tian tian frolicking at the zoo. his cub bei bei? yeah, not so much. he couldn't get enough of the white powder. and don't worry. his thick woolly coat is

mountains of china. >> when we come back, the new york. once in a while, we can all use a snow day. your treatment plan may too. once-daily toujeo the makers of lantus . it releases slowly to provide consistent insulin levels also provides proven full 24-hour blood sugar control and significant a1c reduction. toujeo is a long-acting, man-made insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. it contains 3 times as much insulin in 1 milliliter as standard insulin. don't use toujeo to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you're allergic to insulin. allergic reaction may occur and may be life threatening. don't reuse needles or share insulin pens, even if the needle has been changed. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which can be serious and life threatening. it may cause shaking, sweating,

and blurred vision. check your blood sugar levels daily while using toujeo . injection site reactions may occur. don't change your dose or type of insulin without talking to your doctor. tell your doctor if you take other medicines and about all your medical conditions. insulins, including toujeo , in combination with tzds (thiazolidinediones) may cause serious side effects like heart failure that can lead to death, even if you've never had heart failure before. don't dilute or mix toujeo with other insulins or solutions as it may not work as intended and you may lose blood sugar control, which could be serious. ask your doctor about toujeo

i'm mary ellen, and i quit smoking with chantix. i have smoked for thirty years and by taking chantix, i was able to quit in three months. and that was amazing. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it absolutely reduced my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side i can't believe i did

chantix is right for you. finally tonight. it's been quite a weekend for snow and it's certainly one that millions of americans will never forget. here is john donvan. >> reporter: every now and then, nature takes over this way, the spaces we consider our own. a soft reminder how a city cleans up nice in a the way. so they went for a stroll down an empty avenue last night. yes, this was washington. but people came out too, plunging in, playing. when not plowing.

dressed up. will they even remember this day? and the silence a big snowfall brings. with the sound track turned down, everything pops in a different way. and the respect shown by a guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier, not even a shake of his head. sure it's cold outside when the world looks like this. but reminded that something bigger than this can get us all to stop and listen why we wait for the sun. john donvan, abc news, new york. we thank john for that story and thank you for watching. gma in the morning and i will see you here tomorrow. have a great evening.

denver 7 news starts right now. >> we begin with the broncos chase for the championship the team hoping to get a step closer to their ultimate goal. jamaal webster joins us in the newsroom. tomball, the broncos want to win -- tomball -- the key. buckle 7 and all-time in conference championship games. meeting new england for the fifth time in postseason.