>> that's going to do it for us, hope to see you at 6:00. bye-bye. as reports multiply about in our broadcast tonight, chasing down ebola. as reports multiply about possible case, showing up in this country. tonight we go inside the war room at the cdc. out of nowhere. a violent deluge cuts off entire towns, stranding hundreds of kids at summer camp. james brady, remembering the man struck by a bullet meant for the president, who later become a champion for gun safety. and kelly tough. the pride of buffalo in the fight of his life opening up about what inspires him to stay strong. "nbc nightly news" begins now. good evening. tonight in new york city, camera crews started descending on

mount sinai hospital based on a report that a patient had arrived there with symptoms that were potentially consistent with the ebola virus. the patient had recently traveled to west africa. officials have just held a press conference. they say ebola is unlikely in this case. but this is the kind of thing that's going to keep happening in this country. the new york incident one of nearly two dozen cases of suspicion of ebola symptoms in emergency rooms in this country in just the past week. in a moment we'll go to dr. nancy snyderman who will take us through the war room set up for this at cdc headquarters in atlanta. first tonight, however, to nbc's kate snow, who continues to monitor the two americans confirmed to have the virus. kate, good evening. >> good evening to you, brian. the second patient is due here tomorrow. meantime, the first, dr. kent brantly, is said to be doing better, improving. his fever has come down. he's in stable condition. doctors believe that may be in

large part because of an experimental medicine that both patients have gotten. when dr. kent brantly walked out of that ambulance on saturday, his family rejoiced. just two days after news choppers followed him through atlanta streets, his wife amber, was preparing for the worst. brantly told colleagues in liberia he was dying. his wife asked friends to drop everything and pray. but by the time he landed saturday, he'd made a remarkable improvement. after one dose of a rare, experimental drug never before used on humans. >> it really is a cocktail of antibodies. and antibody is a protein that the body naturally makes in response to infection, to ultimately help the body to clear the infection. >> reporter: brantly received a second dose just yesterday at emory. back in africa, nancy writebol was getting her second dose yesterday, too. feeling well enough to ask for her favorite liberian potato soup. the head of writebol missionary

group says these two americans may save a lot of lives by consenting to experimental treatment. >> if they had to suffer through this in order to save tens of thousands and maybe more lives saved, they would say, i'm willing to go through what i've gone through. >> the two american patients will each have a room inside a special isolation unit at emory. all the air in that unit is filtered and contained. lab tests are done inside and any contaminated materials are cleaned of virus and incinerated. still, images like this have many americans concerned. dr. donald siegel, a decorated air force colonel, a surgeon, says while he trusts the doctors at emory it was foolish to bring ebola patients to atlanta. >> they could have taken the medical equipment, and the experimental serum to africa and treat the patients there, rather than bringing the patients here, and potentially contaminating continental united states, even though the risk is minuscule. >> reporter: doctors here continue to stress that there is

no safety concern, because of that isolation unit. it usually takes with ebola at least a few days to recover from this illness. but it could potentially, brian, be weeks before these two patients are out of here. brian. >> kate snow, emory university hospital in atlanta. starting us off. as we mentioned, dr. nancy snyderman is at the nerve center for all of this. cdc headquarters in atlanta. nancy, good evening. >> good evening, brian. the man in new york city who presented with ebola-like symptoms remains tonight in strict isolation while laboratory tests are being performed. and this case highlights how much american hospitals -- american health care system and hospitals across the country are on heightened alert. the war room at the cdc, where today, all eyes on ebola. >> this is really unprecedented in terms of the emergence of the disease in west africa. it was an incredibly difficult weekend.

>> reporter: nbc news cameras allowed inside the emergency meeting of the international response team chaired by dr. ingrid dayman. >> second patient is expected to arrive tomorrow. >> reporter: the cdc chasing down 22 reports of possible ebola cases in the united states, deemed four worth testing. the three results so far, false alarms. >> malaria positive. >> reporter: but the biggest concern remains west africa. ebola has been ravaging west africa since march and shocked disease specialists when it hopped a border by plane. american citizen patrick sawyer flew in to lagos, nigeria, where he died. today we learned the doctor who treated him is infected. bringing the number of cases in nigeria to four. nigerian officials are now screening passengers at the airport in lagos. dr. nagar is one of the cdc disease detectives deploying to the region. >> it is a scary problem but that you know we are doing our

best to get it under control over there, and to keep informed. >> reporter: the excitement about the antibody treatment at emory is tempered, brian, by the fact that ebola is out of control, a wildfire, if you will, in west -- in west africa. brian? >> dr. nancy snyderman. kate snow before that. our team covering this in atlanta. thank you both. another big story we're keeping an eye on tonight is the weather. out west, that means a powerful deluge tearing through southern california, a wall of water that triggered mudslides, cutting off communities, including hundreds of children at a summer camp. nbc's jacob rascon has our report. >> reporter: in minutes the shallow stream became a rushing river. more than four inches of rain pounded southern california in under three hours. dry, compact dirt collapsing into mountain communities. 31 homes buried in debris. overnight thousands left stranded.

in forest falls, doug could hear the mudslide. >> it sounds like a freight train. >> reporter: then he saw it. >> we ran for our lives. >> reporter: the wall of mud and boulders came crashing into doug's home, leveling his shed and tossing his propane tank 20 feet into a tree. the only way into town blocked by boulders the size of cars. hundreds here stranded overnight. down the mountain, the town of oak glen split in half by another landslide. and nearby, on mt. baldy, the storm proved fatal, trapping ju wan li from los angeles. hundreds of campers on a church retreat cut off from rescue for hours, many worried they wouldn't make it. >> i was afraid, it kept raining, more and more and kind of looked like the mountain opened up. >> her house destroyed. >> i was so scared i couldn't move. and i just stood there on the top of my truck and i just screamed. i didn't know what else to do.

>> reporter: back in forest falls, doug spent the night helping his neighbors, carrying the kids to higher ground, and then vowing to rebuild. >> reporter: you all stay? >> i'm not going anywhere. yeah, i'm staying. >> reporter: and that rushing water that during the storm was above my head here has now vanished, leaving piles and piles of mud. meanwhile across the state, 17 wildfires have scorched some 150,000 acres, costing so far an estimated $150 million. brian? >> jacob rascon, forest falls, california, for us. jacob, thanks. big storm on the east coast tonight. southwest florida, flash flooding through the streets of naples. well over six inches of rain making it the wettest august day there in recorded history. many roads now impassable. cars nearly covered by the water. at this point, there are no reports of any injuries or major damage. we're also watching the tropics tonight. hurricanes churning in both the

atlantic, and the pacific. as hurricane bertha makes its way on up the east coast, not expected to be a threat to land, but it will make for some rough surf, dangerous rip currents at american beaches, it is still a very fast mover. it will increase surf two to five feet on its way north. and in the pacific, a powerful category 4 hurricane iselle, appears to be on a collision course with hawaii. forecasters say the storm is expected to weaken significantly before it hits, likely as a tropical storm. now overseas to the ongoing war between israel and hamas. today, an attack on a commuter bus in jerusalem. something not seen in some time. also the announcement by israel that they have destroyed all known tunnels. that was a major goal of this military offensive. and just tonight, both sides have yet again agreed, at least, to a cease-fire. we get our late report from our chief foreign correspondent richard engel in gaza.

>> reporter: desperate, and suicidal. a palestinian in a construction vehicle went on a rampage in a religious jewish neighborhood in jerusalem. one pedestrian was killed, a bus overturned. police quickly shot dead the suspected attacker. palestinian anger is growing over israel's punishing nearly one-month-long war in gaza. in southern gaza today, ahmed mahmoum looked for the remains of his 3-year-old daughter. he hammered through a wall of their bombed-out house and finds his daughter's body in the rubble. he sits alone and prays. israeli ground forces have pulled out of most of gaza. but the fight is not yet over. gazans are too afraid to come back here. there are still drones in the sky. and there's not much for people to come back to, anyway. as we filmed, a warning shot whisked overhead. israeli forces are nearby.

a factory owner, one of the few people around, tells us our factory was destroyed. another warning shot, we left. israel is facing growing criticism for attacks like this one yesterday, in front of a u.n.-run school turned into a shelter. six u.n.-run schools have taken direct hits. the program's director said israel must know what it's targeting. >> they have eyes everywhere. this is -- if this was a drone strike, they were targeting us. they'll have the video. let's see it. right? what does it show? they have evidence. >> reporter: but so far, israel has offered no conclusive evidence the u.n. schools sheltering palestinians were the source of any hostile fire. >> there is some hope here tonight, brian, now that israel and the palestinians have agreed to that 72-hour cease-fire. maybe it's a breakthrough. but the last cease-fire only lasted an hour and a half. so we'll see. brian? >> richard engel in gaza city, again for us tonight. richard, thanks. former white house press

secretary james brady died today at the age of 73. when he was 40, brady was shot and almost killed in the assassination attempts on ronald reagan. he not only survived, but over the past three decades, along with his wife sarah, he became one of this country's leading voices against gun violence. nbc's andrea mitchell has our look back tonight. >> reporter: only 69 days after ronald reagan took office. >> shots were fired at president reagan in washington. >> reporter: six shots were fired. the first, meant for the president, exploded in the head of the white house press secretary, james brady. brady had always been known as "the bear." irreverent, even at his boss' expense. when candidate reagan said trees caused pollution by producing carbon dioxide, brady joked about killer trees. above all, brady was trusted. >> i wouldn't tell you something if it wasn't the truth. >> reporter: after being shot,

brady fought for his life, struggled to speak, and to walk. the reagans insisted he keep the title of press secretary and renamed the briefing room in his honor. >> i hope this room is always filled with as much integrity and good humor as jim brady has brought to us. >> reporter: nancy reagan even joked about reports she'd opposed giving brady the job because he wasn't good-looking enough. >> anyway, i've been calling jim my y and h, young and handsome. he's still my y & h. >> reporter: jim and sarah brady worked tirelessly against gun violence. the brady bill, a five-day waiting period and background check before handgun sales. the assault weapons ban lasted ten years until congress let it lapse. after gabby giffords was shot jim brady again speaking out. >> he's still just as funny and -- >> not to mention funny looking. >> reporter: tonight his neurosurgeon remembers that fateful day. >> to me his greatest achievement was saving the life of the president of the united states. he walked right in the line of fire.

>> reporter: jim brady lived for another 33 years, valiant to the end. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> in a statement today, nancy reagan called james brady, quote, the personification of courage and perseverance. time for a break. still ahead for us on a monday night, finding out what's in the water. families in fear despite assurances that it's safe. a scare ripples through a major american city, as others now check their water supplies. and later, three's company. a wild surprise on the high seas, an unbelievable ride caught on camera.

coming off a scary weekend during which their water was found to be unsafe. officials there now say everything is okay. but that's not reassuring a lot of families, and now other metropolitan areas are taking notice of what happened. nbc's anne thompson is in toledo for us tonight. good evening.

>> good evening, brian. you know, at the faucet, the toxin that fouled toledo's water system is an invisible menace. you can't see it. you can't smell it. so now that the tap water ban has been lifted. the question is, would you drink the water? mayor d. michael collins today took a big gulp of toledo's now-safe tap water to inspire confidence. >> here's to you, toledo. >> reporter: jody, mother of four, is not convinced. so, jody, the water looks fine. there's no smell. so why not drink it? >> i just don't think it's safe yet. >> reporter: after using bottled water all weekend for everything, from doing dishes to filling pet bowls, she is sticking to it. there's no risk, she says, that's worth the health of her kids, especially mackenzie, who has a heart condition. today she even drove to a laundromat in a town where the water wasn't tainted to wash the family's clothes. lake erie is the warmest and shallowest of the great lakes. a perfect breeding ground for algae.

while the other lakes are surrounded primarily by forest, farmland dominates western erie. the runoff from 4.5 million acres drain into the maumie river and are carried to erie, much of it fertilizer. >> if we put fertilizer on our lawn, your grass grows. if we put it on the agricultural fields our crops grow. if you put it in a body of fresh water the algae grow. >> reporter: that algae produces a toxin that can sicken people if ingested. during the water ban residents were warned not to boil the water which would only make the toxin stronger. other cities around the great lakes have tested their water and found it to be safe. but algae blooms could plague erie through the fall. which is why many residents are still cautious. what will it take for you to shift back to using tap water? >> well, for eating and drinking and cooking, time. and clean tests. >> water utilities throughout

the great lakes are on alert, because they know this runoff could be a problem right through harvest time. brian? >> anne thompson with our report from toledo tonight. ann, thanks. another break and we're back in a moment with a frenzied search for a real diamond in the rough. . another break and we're back in a moment with a frenzied search for a real diamond in the rough.

if you grew up in southern california, there's a good chance you grew up watching jess marlow. he started as a local anchor at our own knbc in 1968. where, for a time, he anchored the 5:00 p.m. news. tom snyder anchored the 6:00. tom brokaw anchored the 11:00. we learned jess marlow died today. he was on the air in l.a. for 37 years. long enough to qualify for a star on the hollywood walk of fame. he died from complications of alzheimer's. he was 84 years old. well you've heard of a diamond in the rough. that's exactly what happened at the firestone country club in akron. sergio garcia's tee shot on the third hole at the bridgestone invitational went wide.

it landed on a woman's engagement ring, dislodged the diamond. for a time he helped in the search. he felt awful about it happening and while he needed to play through, the loose stone was later found through a thorough search of the underbrush. the video of the day comes from far northeastern uk near the border with scotland. two friends surfing when out of nowhere they were joined by a third friend. the seal stayed with them for about an hour, getting on the board, falling off. getting back on, riding the waves into shore. perfectly content hanging out with its human companions. when we come back, jim kelly, opening up about the fight of his life and the inspiration that's pushing him forward.

finally tonight you don't have to be from buffalo, nor do you have to be an nfl fan to be a fan of jim kelly. yes, he's a hall of fame quarterback for the bills who rose to the greatest heights of his sport, and he's kept a positive attitude always counting blessings when faced with suffering and loss. we get our report tonight from nbc's harry smith. >> reporter: jim kelly took the buffalo bills to four super bowls. the hall of fame quarterback was known for being resilient, unbreakable.

in buffalo, they have a name for it. kelly tough. >> there is jim kelly. >> reporter: at last night's nfl hall of fame game, a somewhat frail version of the always tough jim kelly was on the sidelines as an honorary captain of his beloved bills. kelly is fighting cancer for the second time in two years. >> i've been through pain a lot. but nothing like this. beautiful day. >> reporter: yet kelly was on the field for his annual football camp just a few weeks back. most players of his status usually show up, sign a few t-shirts, take a few photos, then move on. not kelly. >> kelly tough. >> there's no way that i was going to let any of those kids down. i wasn't the participant that i was in the past. hurry up. i can see you. but i was able to get out there, though, and run around. i just love it. >> i've got to take a break.

>> reporter: but even more important to kelly was his being able to attend a week of activities for families of children. the family started this retreat called hunter's hope because their own son lost his battle with the disease when he was 8. >> if somebody asked me if i'm afraid of dying, i've never been afraid of dying. if the good lord does decide that my time's right around the corner, i know one thing, i'm going to see my son hunter first. >> reporter: so kelly fights on. >> i'm living to watch my daughters grow up. walking my daughters down the aisle. to make a difference for the people here at hunter's hope. making sure the buffalo bills reach the super bowl and win one. i'm only 54 years old. i have a lot more to live for. >> reporter: they call it kelly tough. maybe the lesson here is to be that tough, you need one incredible heart. harry smith, nbc news. >> and that's our broadcast on a monday night as we begin a new week. thank you for being here with us.

i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. nbc bay area news starts now. it's truly as bad as it gets. >> right now at 6:00, fremont police say it's the kind of attacker we all fear. someone lying in wait for us to come home. good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang in nor raj mathai. >> a mother and daughter come home to find a man waiting in the daughter's bed. the mom raped in her own home. police are calling it a home invasion rape.

it happened in fremont. that's where nannette miranda joins us live. >> reporter: the suspect was quick bely arrested. he lived near his victims, in fact, in the very same apartment complex. they apparently didn't know each other according to police. the fellow is due in court tomorrow. >> this is as scary as it gets. this is that individual whom we all fear. >> reporter: they say 34-year-old jamal planned his attack, breaking into a unit in the same apartment complex he lived in and waited for the mother and daughter to come home. investigators say armed with a short barrel shotgun and wearing a full-face mask he tied up and duct taped the younger woman in her bedroom first. her mother came in to see what all the commotion was, and she, too, was tied up. >> the suspect pushes the