it's tuesday, may 26. coming up on "early today," 49 million americans are at risk of severe storms today. texas and oklahoma have endured historic weather events including flash flooding and a homecoming queen killed on the way home from prom. she's among eight killed, a dozen missing. officials are pulling out all the stops to warn people of the dangers. even houon rockets fans were asked to remain inside the stadium. this bounce house was thrust into the sky by a water spout, and rip tides forced hundreds of beach rescues. the fbi is look into chemical weapons threats against passenger aircraft. that and more starts right now. good morning and thanks for waking up with us. breaking news, severe weather

fired up again in the south. >> oh my god, it's on the ground again. >> this tornado touched down in southeast texas. inside the flood zone new heartache. at least eight people are dead, 12 are still missing. in houston, this, flood waters inside a popular mall. along the border a killer twister. this morning they have suspended all transit services. cars were thoun on top of homes there. here is nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: a desperate search for the missing as the magnitude of this weekend's historic flood sinks in. >> i would describe it as a flood of biblical proportion. it's nothing like we've ever experienced. >> reporter: in the air and on the ground. >> it's texans helping texans right now. these are our neighbors, people in our community. it definitely affects us on a personal level. >> the texas army national guard

scour the banks of the blanco river south of austin. >> we have drone capability we're bringing into this thing,, gis'ing, thermal imaging, you name it, we're brining it to bear. >> reporter: the river floods at 12 feet. saturday night it crested at 43. >> i had the opportunity to fly over blanco river and to observe firsthand what the devastation looks like. you cannot candy coat it. it's absolutely massive. >> reporter: jonathan mccomb somehow survived the raging rapids, but his wife and two young children were swept away and are among the missing. >> my daughter-in-law was talking to her sister on the cell phone saying this house is floating down the river, and then the conversation ended. >> reporter: joe mccomb is praying for his two grandkids, 7-year-old andrew and 4-year-old leighton. >> no reports of any findings whatsoever which is i guess good in that there's still hope.

>> alyssa ramirez, the homecoming queen, was on her way back from prom when the car was swept away. the violent weather turning even more deadly. at least 13 people were killed in the mexican border town of ciudad acuna. a tornado tossing cars into buildings. in oklahoma the fast moving storms have prompted dramatic water rescues. those first responders made it out safely, but in the town of claremore, a heartbreaking loss. captain jason farley, a nearly 20-year veteran firefighter drown while trying to save people trapped in the rising waters. a memorial day many here will never forget. >> that was nbc's gabe gutierrez. now to florida, an incredible scene during a beautiful beach day. this time it was a water spout formed over the waves and moved onshore. it uprooted a bounce house right there. three children were still inside.

police say they went as high as 20 feet in the air before being hurled back to the sand below. two of the kids are home from the hospital after being treated for minor fractures. the third is in stable condition was was held overnight for observation. one woman's daughter and stepson were both in that bounce house. >> i was crying. i was crying, and i was like, oh, my god, oh, my god, i can't believe this. they say she going to be okay. >> no pedestrians or vehicles were hit when the bounce house fell back down. also along the florida coastline, rip currents turned dangerous at some beach in daytona and new smyrna beach. 300 people were pulled from the waves. not everyone was lucky. reports of three people dead and the threat for swimmers is not over. the national weather service says rip currents could turn dangerous from palm beach to miami-dade today. the fbi is hunting for the man behind a series of threats behind commercial airline

flights. one even prompted the military to scramble fighter jets. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams reports. >> reporter: two u.s. military fighter jets were scrambled to escort air france flight 22 into new york's kennedy airport after an anonymous caller said some kind of chemical weapon was on board. the plane landed safely and nothing hazardous was found. >> thank god it's over and we're safe. the plane is safe. >> reporter: it was one of ten flights the subject of telephone throats. the fbi says the calls apparently came from the same person, a man, who phoned them in. the calls were made to local police, the fbi says, including in maryland, illinois, oregon and new york, each conveying the same threat but naming different flights. among others, a delta flight from paris to boston, a saudi arabian flight to jfk, american airlines from england to the u.s., to newark, united flights from madrid and edinburgh and delta from london and emirates from canada to dubai.

the threats were not considered credible, but were passed along to the airlines to be extra cautious. >> they told us to get off the plane, pick out our luggage, don't touch it. they took it. >> reporter: officials say fighters were directed to escort to the france flight after the airline, whose offices in the u.s. and france were closed for holidays, could not be reached in time. telephone threats to airplanes are distressingly common, but this was unusual because it involved so many flights. the penalty for hoaxes like this can be up to eight years in prison. pete williams, nbc news, washington. many of you are headed back to work this morning following a weekend remembering our servicemen and women. yesterday vice president biden spoke with iraq's prime minister to reaffirm support in their fight against isis. senior white house correspondent chris jansing reports. >> reporter: the crosses at arlington national cemetery were bathed in sunlight this memorial

day as president obama laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns. he said hello to a 107-year-old world war ii army veteran and before a crowd of 5,000 paid tribute to fallen heroes. >> on this day we honor the sacrifice of the thousands of american members, men and women, who gave their lives since 9/11. >> reporter: this is the first memorial day in 14 years without u.s. troops in a major ground war, but it also comes against the backdrop of growing concern after american-backed iraqi forces lost the key city of ramadi to isis. >> the iraqi forces showed no will to fight. >> reporter: defense secretary carter's comments, the harshest by the administration since ramadi's fall, are raising questions about u.s. strategy in iraq, largely a combination of air strikes and training and equipping iraqis. >> no number of air strikes to assist the forces on the ground are going to help if they're not going to seize and hold the terrain. right now they demonstrated they can do either.

>> reporter: the iraqi army is preparing for a counteroffensive in an attempt to retake ramadi where scores of u.s. military died to secure a city no controlled by isis. >> reporter: in cities around the u.s., that sacrifice is remembered. the american and p.o.w. mia flag flew at half staff over the white house and were raised again, a symbol of american resilience. >> that was nbc's chris jansing. there could soon be a powerhouse in the american cable and broadband industry. a source tells nbc news that charter communications is nearing a $55 billion deal to acquire time warner cable. they're expected to be announced today. this would combine the second and third largest u.s. cable operators. it comes a month after comcast dropped its offer for time warner due to concerns raised by the fcc.

usually one of the biggest box office weekends of the year. the estimated four-day total only $190 million in the u.s. and canada, the lowest on memorial day weekend since 2001. consider how much less you pay for a ticket back then, 44% less according to the national association of theater owners. one big reason, the headliner "tomorrow land" did not do well. it only raked in just over a third of what last year's main at tracks, the newest x men flick earned during that same period. >> yeah, we're just about t done here. 60,000 people without power. it was flooding. one gauge reported ten and a half inches of rain.

flash flood watches remain. we only have a couple of warnings here and the houston area is timely clearing out alock with the friends and port arthur arthur. the point of it is over. the radar estimates are anywhere from seven to ooelt inches. to the south of downtown. a lot of the roads have water on them. it will probably be midday before the highways open back up. a little further out and they roll through the new orleans. the tornado watch is dropped and heavy rains in mist mississippi. over the ohio valley and great lakes. damaging winds are a possibility. for today's forecast we're looking nice on the east hundreds

yet but summer like temperatures in most spots. still cool with the on shore breeze. >> okay bill thank you. was foul play to blame for the death of blues legend b.b. king. plus a scary moment for the nba's mvp. that's next. you're watching "early today." es? the tobin stance spring is in the air and pollen, dog hair... the sunshine looks like fairy dust. (doorbell) whoa! what's this? swiffer sweeper! swiffer dusters! removes up to 70% of dust and allergens. stays on there like glue wow! look at that! ew! the tobin stance! that is totally what it is! i'm caridee. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

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so cleveland reaches a deal with the doj on policing report. on nbcnews.com, the probe involved allegations like executive use of force by police. the ap cites a senior law enforcement. details of the settlement could come out as early as today. the settlement comes days after judge acquitted officer michael brelo for his role in the fatal shooting of two unarmed people in a car in 2012. officers thought the sound of the car backfiring was gunshots >> now to a bizarre story

involving blues legend b.b. king. his body examined by a nevada coroner. the reason? allegations of foul play. kings' daughters are accusing two aides of poisoning the blues legend. las vegas police tell nbc news as of right now they are not investigating. the galapagos islands, a volcanic eruption, lava poured down the sides. no one was in any danger because no one lives near it. the volcano had been silent for 33 years. >> here is your "ah" moment of the day. an 8-week-old baby hippo at the san diego zoo. it gets even cuter. the little one went for swim with its mom. just ahead, why was maria sharapova booed at the french open after a victory?

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this morning on "today," new security concerns for millions of smart phone users. how some of your apps could be making you vulnerable to a hacking attack. to sports, game four between the rockets and warriors. rockets come out on fire scoring 45 points in the first quarter.

that is more than half the points they put up in all of game three. second quarter, nba mvp stephen curry takes a nasty fall over trevor ariza. he would leave the game with a head contusion and later return. mvp runner-up james harden had seven threes and a play-off career high 45 points. rockets avoid elimination. 128-115. blackhawks take on the ducks in anaheim. series tied at two. hawks able to rally back from a three-goal deficit to force ot. it took 45 seconds for the ducks to score. ducks win it 5-4 making them one win away from the stanley cup finals. at the french open number two seed maria sharapova was booed by french open crowds after her 6-2, 6-4 victories monday when she refused to do a post match interview for fans. stadium emcee announced her voice is broken which only increased the boos. the five-time grand slam winner is said to be fighting a cold.

denver pioneers made history winning the ncaa division one lacrosse champion on monday, defeating maryland 10-5. prior to denver's victory, university of north carolina chapel hill was the western most school to win the championship. >> announcer: "early today" is brought to you by just for men, just you and the look you want. just ahead, how one company is turning recycled plane parts into something really cool. more fallout for johnny depp after he illegally flew his dogs into australia, how the actor could be facing jail time. you wouldn't do half of your daily routine. so why treat your mouth any differently? complete the job with listerine®. kill up to 99 percent of germs.

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i'm caridee. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most of my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal

at 12 weeks. stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®. welcome back. after a wild weekend it was horrible weather and things are going to quiet down. there's a stray storm and i am not going have the destruction. salt lake city has a chance of stray storms. we're dry without the west and on shore flow and inland areas are starting to get a little warmer. 96 tomorrow and it's into thursday and then 76 there in la. we're getting warmer as we go through the week. no rain in store for the west coast. >> okay. bill thank you.

here is a great story about getting a few more miles out of something you would think would be headed for the trash bin. old airplane seats are being given a whole new lease on life thanks to very special workers. here is nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: the landing is just the start of the journey for these southwest plane seats, ready to be retired, they're stripped and shipped to workers like ron butz. >> what kind of stuff do you find on her usually? >> gum, candy. >> he and his colleagues work for garten, a company that provides jobs for developmentally disabled people. here they take the first step in upcycling some of the old seats made of leather, 43 acres of it, originally destined for landfills, now diverted to places like loop works. >> since there was a lot of heavy stitching, three dimensional. >> reporter: scott hamlin's team is turning the seats into satchels, totes, finding fans in all 50 states with more than

10,000 sold in the last three months. >> some that are fanatics around aviation, some around sustainability. some of it and go, that's a great looking bag and i love the story. >> reporter: a story that started a year and a half ago when southwest began to send the leather overseas for a program that created jobs for people in kenya, along with soccer balls and sandals for kid that had never owned shoes. >> it took them on a lot of trips, but bringing a lot of joy to those children in africa. >> reporter: for them it's a trend that's taking off and taking recycling to new heights. this is "early today." we hope it's your first stop of the day on nbc.

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leading the news in "time" magazine, hundreds are dieing in a blistering heat wave sweep across india. the latest reports say more than 750 people have died in southern india over the past few weeks. officials are expecting that number to rise. yesterday the temperature in delhi topped a blistering 114 degrees farenheit. from "people" magazine, johnny depp could face up to ten years in prison for bringing his dogs into australia. dep landed in hot water after breaking the country's laws. if the matter goes to court and he is found guilty, he could face up to a ten-year sentence or a maximum fine of $265,000. today a funeral is held for

were the 29-year-old veteran of the omaha and the police force and a new mother was killed in the line of duty last week. thousands of police officers from around the nation are expected to attend. want to save money in gas this summer? turn up the ac. it's better to use the air conditioner when driving at high speeds because open windows increase the cars arrow dynamic drag and uses it more full. 100th grandchildren. they have 12 children, 53 grandchildren and 46 little grandchildren. little jackson, april 8th is their first great great grandchild. >> do you have walls for all of those pictures in the house. in puerto rico, a taxi driveer sat in his own cab

holding the wheel at his own wake. dressed up in a tie, white gloves and a brown fedora hat, he opted to use his cab rather than the standard coffin. hundreds of mourners came out on sunday to pay their respects. if you think you like roller coasters, you don't have anything on this next guy. a pittsburgh man has logged his 5000th ride on one roller coaster, the jack rabbit at kennywood . kennywood . when asked what he's doing now he's surpassed the 5,000 mark, he had this to say. >> no, i'm not going to retire but i'm not going to start counting anymore. 5,000 is cool. six is eh. i am melissa and thank you

for watch ♪ ♪ ♪

houston shopping mall blood waters. stranded for hours. severe weather ripped through texas. a breathless moment for warriors fans after steph curry taking a nasty spill in last night's playoff game. we'll have an update on his health. putting a price tag on homelessness. the report who tries to put a number on silicon valley's greatest challenges. the bay bridge on your tuesday, may 26th. you are watching "today in the bay." >> from nbc bay area this is "today in the bay." >> good tuesday morning. it's 4:30. i'm sam brock. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to but