i wouldn't wish this on anybody. you know, i've seen earthquakes, you know -- like i said, we had a fire last year, me and my family. but this just came on so quick and changed so many lives. >> dozens killed and many still unaccounted for as tornados ripped through the south. first responders and residents searching for loved ones overnight. we'll have the latest. in other parts of the nation, torrential rains and heavy flooding. plus blizzard conditions with many school closings, delayed openings, even an ominous avalanche caught on camera. oc near. is uber eats the wave of the future?erything is delivery-onl

ahead of tuesday, carnaval celebrations shift into gear arick off a busy week. "early today" starts right now. good monday morning. i'm frances rivera. >> i. >> we start with breaking news. deadly devastation across the south. tornados tore through eastern alabama, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens more. the worst of the destruction is near the town of beauregard. the powerful winds ripped buildings down to their foundation and knock the out power for thousands. the state's governor has declared a statewide emergency amid fears that as the sun rises, so will the death toll. >> i knew we'd have bad weather but i didn't realize the devastation we would have. my heart goes out to those people. and we're all praying for those people. >> the lake county sheriff says more people are still unaccounted for and that the search willnbc'dan scheneman ha. >> reporter: powerful storms in the south.

>> it's amazing the amount of devastation that winter storms can do. >> reporter: a tornado touched down in eastern alabama sunday. trees were knocked down, buildings left in ruin, playgrounds mangled. the owner of this gas station says nothing can be salvaged. >> houses completely destroyed. homes just -- basically just slabs where once stood a home. >> reporter: search and rescue operations have been launched. residents left shaken. >> this just came on so quick and changed so many lives that, i mean -- it's really sickening to watch. but i'm grateful that my ere'a of people out here that their families are not and my heart goes out to them. >> reporter: near macon, georgia, another twister touched down, devastation left in its wake. also in the southeast, heavy downpours led to flooding. in birmingham, alabama, a woman had to be rescued when her car was surrounded by water. in mississippi roads were closed

in yazoo county and residents had to leave their homes and find higher ground. a weekend of violent weather leaving destruction behind. dan scheneman, nbc news. there are winter storms wreaking havoc from the midwest to maine. in colorado drivers were nearly buried by an avalanche along i-70. >> it's not going to come down here, is it. >> no, that is. >> is it? it's slowing down. holy [ bleep ]. >> it's over that car right now. >> oh my god. it ain't going to come this way, is it? >> amazing how they a winter blast also hit st. louis. snow buried the gateway to the west then crept northeast, blankets millions across the region. in pennsylvania overnight a crash killed two teens and injured a third along a snow-covered road just north of philadelphia. police believe weather played a role in that accident. let's turn to meteorologist

michelle grossman who's tracking the storm system. michelle, good morning. >> good morning. that's my hometown. i was just looking at that. we're looking at a tricky commute this morning. we're looking at snowy weather, slushy, there's sleet on the ground depending on where you are. 45 million at risk. that's going to decrease after the 7:00 hour. 'll improve after that. still, left over with slush and sleet on the roadways. as we head throughout the day we're going to see mostly sunny skies in philadelphia, also new york. new england still dealing with the leftover of this storm. then it becomes all about the cold air. so back behind this we have a frigid air mass in place. we're looking at windchill warnings, windchill advisories in place, especially in the center of the county. windchills 20 to 40 below zero. so it's going to be cold with that wind blowing. that's what it fee your dy you want to protect yourself as you head out today. so that cold air does return. lots of cold air even down to the south. we're looking at temperatures well below normal for this time of year. 9 degrees below zero in

minneapolis. so winter weather still in full force. we're going to be pretty dry, most of the country, after today. >> that's going to be helpful. michelle, thank you. breaking news out of kenya overnight where police say a helicopter crash killed four americans along with a pilot. the chopper came down at central island national park in the northern part of the country. all five people on board were killed. in a facebook post kenyan authorities said investigators are on scene and working to identify the cause of the crash. president trump is starting the week on a high note. a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows his approval rating at 46%. that's up 3 points from into the president. nbc's tracie potts joins from us d.c. with what to expect this week. good morning. >> hi there, frances, good morning. expect a lot of talk from democrats about president trump. there are six house committees investigating the president, three of them expected to take action this week. let's start with the judiciary committee because if there were to ever be an impeachment, this

is where it would start. they're a long way from that but they are requesting documents, subpoenas going out today to 60 people, including officials at the justice department, the chief financial officer of the trump organization, and donald trump jr. jerry nadler is the chair of that committee. >> this investigation goes far beyond collusion. we've seen all the democratic snowstorms that we depend on for democratic government attacked by the administration. >> do you think the president ob jukt instructed justice? >> yes, i do. >> there's nothing the president did about wrong -- >> nothing? >> in this process, to b show me where the president did anything to be impeached. >> reporter: the oversight committee is also pushing a deadline today. they have asked the white house for documents related to security clearances after reports that the white house and possibly the president himself, according to "the new york times," overrode a suggestion from staff concerning jared kushner's security clearance. they had concerns after his

background check. plus the intelligence committee is hearing more testimony, private this time, from former trump lawyer michael cohen. it's going to be a busy week, frances. >> certainly is. tracie potts, thank you so much. wall street watching closely this morning amid new signs of a trade deal between the united states and china. according to the "wall street journal," the two economic powerhouses are in the final stages of an agreement. but beijing offering to lower tariffs and washington considering removing sanctions levied against chinese products. however, both are still several hurdles to clear. the "journal" reports a formal agreement could be reached at a summit between president trump and china's xi jinping later this month. this morning tributes aoodi music industry to honor former contestant of "the voice," janice freeman. the celebrated songstress died in california at age 33. her family says the cause of dead is extreme pneumonia and a blood clot that traveled to her

heart. the singer competed on season 13 of nbc's "the voice" in 2017 and was coached by mylie cyrus. she previously battled lupus, meningitis, and cervical cancer that she had beaten. according to freeman's family, the singer complained saturday she couldn't breathe. her husband performed cpr until paramedics arrived. freeman died at the hospital. former coach mylie cyrus and singer jennifer hudson are among the celebrities offering their support tofreeman'srs from historic moment. the first sunday of the month of march marked the 54th around the natione-enacted anniversary of what's known as bloody sunday. this was a peaceful civil rights demonstration originally held on march 7th, 1965, but during the march state troopers violently beat protesters who tried to cross the bridge. history credits the descent with gathering enough support for the voting rights act that passed later that year. another landmark in the space exploration this weekend as the spacex dragon capsule

made to it the international space station. nbc's kathy park reports on sunday's high achievement. >> crew no longer sending commands, dragon doing everything on its own. >> reporter: 250 miles above earth the first commercial spacecraft designed to carry humans hitting its mark. >> we have confirmation of a soft capture of the dragon spacecraft of the international speporr: another dramatic moment. astronauts on the iss make their way into the unmanned vessel. h. human beings inside the dragon spacecraft. >> reporter: floating sitting in thehe spacecraft of the future. >> welcome to the crew dragon. >> reporter: it all followed a spectacular launch from the kennedy space center just 27 hours before. >> a live view of the falcon 9 rocket as it saenlds through the atmosphere. >> reporter: there's a lot riding on the six-day demo before the dragon capsule heads home friday. if all goes well the next test will launch two astronauts as

early as july. >> we may push a button or two to demonstrate that we have the capability to intervene if we need to, but the vehicle's pretty much going to do the work autonomously, just like it did today. >> reporter: boeing isn't far behind with its own unmanned launch planned for next month. as a new space race sets off. kathy park, nbc news, new york. story to the "don't see this every day" column. it's from madison square garden where the tied rangers and caps were in asituation. washington's alex ovechkin, who approaches the net, alexander gorgeyev throws his stick the puck. the refs rule nod goal then overturned the goal because the goalie threw his gear at the puck so the caps awarded this one 3-2. let's check back in with meteorologist michelle grossman with the cold temperatures a lot of us are going to be feel so cold, we're going to need players throughout the country, at least from the middle of the country to the east.

we're looking at temperatures 8 degrees in minneapolis. 27 in oklahoma city. look at dallas. shivering there, 35 degrees, just above freezing. to the northeast, we're coldwell below normal. cold air will stick around in the middle of the country too on tuesday. minneapolis just 15 degrees. lat's a air is going to stay in place for many of us throughout the week, temperatures just in the 30s in the northeast. don't put away those coats quite yet. do you have vacation plans? >> i would like to go somewhere nice and warm and tropical. that's not the case. all right, thank you. now to a tropical destination, you've got mother nature putting on a dazzling fireworks display as this volcano lit up the night sky over mexico this weekend. it unleashed a powerful explosion in a single

spectacular flash. the force of the blast sent gases, ash, and debris high into the air and down the mountainside. at nearly 18,000 feet it's the second-highest mountain in mexico and the fifth-highest in north america. next, dragons and angels balling it out at the box office. will the buck start here? dollar stores and the rising concern. ♪ ♪ ♪ walgreens... battle beautifully are confusing quilted northern are confusing quilted northernf. for a bouncy castle. they're both durable, flexible and nice to have at parties. but quilted northern is not a bouncy castle.

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raked in $7 million. leading the news, if it seems like there's a dollar store on every corner, it's not your imagination. in oklahoma, one official is trying to slow down their growth. nbc's ron mott explains why. >> reporter: in north tulsa, dollar stores are easy to find. drive or walk a short distance in just about any direction and you're likely to run into one. >> dollar general we?d >> right reporter: what's harde spot, especially in city councilor harper's district, are places selling fresh food and meat, healthier fare than typically found at dollar stores. >> i shop at discount dollar stores when they need something they provide. what i am concerned about is the proliferation of them and the ultimate effects they have on communities. >> reporter: still, dollar store park lots are often busy. >> it's cheap, it's convenient. it saves me going to walmart. >> reporter: the two largest ai general and family dollar, which also operates dollar tree, declined our request for an on-camera interview. in separate statements both

companies told nbc news they help customers save time and money. dollar general saying it has added fresh fruits and vegetables to one of its north tulsa locations. there are ten dollar stores in hallharper's district, more than any other part of town. when dollar general wanted to open a few hundred yards from this family dollar, she protested, winning enough support for a six-month delay with restrictions on how far apart they must be. around the country, similar concentrations, particularly in urban areas. dollar stores often serving as the only option in america's food deserts. >> freezer's good -- >> reporter: katie has been driving that point home with a mobile grocery store. >> we gave away over 45,000 worth of free fruits and vegetables last year. so that tells me that people do want to eat healthy. >> reporter: the work is paying off. a new brick and mortar grocery store now on the way. ron mott, nbc news, tulsa. still ahead, southwest saves the day at one destination

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fly, dumbo, fly. >> this is going to be a good one. disney released a new sneak peek of its upcoming live action movie "dumb poe." it features a new version by oar died fire. original version of the song from the 1941 animated version of "dumbo" went on to win the oscar for best original song. the movie is set to hit theaters

march 29th. i'm sure your kids are going to love seeing that too. i know mine will be. listen to this, when a texas woman forgot her bridesmaids dress, that's bad. for her sister's costa rica wedding. southwest airlines saved the day. a friend tweeted at the airline asking if the dress could go on their next flight to costa rica and they said yes. another friend dropped the white dress at the houston airport the next day and it was safely delivered to the bridesmaid in costa rica that afternoon. southwest tweeted the whole journey and shared this final image of the right dr dress. there's no way a bride needs to deal with that kind of drama. >> terrible. she doesn't need that added stress. but they look great. we all have them, that one co-worker. >> is it me? >> yournlg i love you. that does something that drives you crazy. it happens to a lot of us. apolled 2 thousand

american workers and 100% said, yeah, they have been annoyed by a co-worker. 50% says the most annoying habit is talking loudly and complaining. this is followed by gossiping, bullying, poor eating or bathroom habits, poor communication. i eat funky stuff in the morning like orae chicken or then i get hungry, that's the annoying part. you'how the food delivery boom watching "early today." don't let psoriatic arthritis take them away. taltz reduces joint pain and stiffness and helps stop the progression of joint damage. for people with moderate to severe psoriasis, 90% saw significant improvement. taltz even gives you a chance at completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection, symptoms, or received a vaccine or plan to.

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today." happy monday to you. we are looking at dangerously cold weather in the middle of theyo want to layer up. we're looking at windchill warnings, windchill advisories for bismarck, rapid city. temperatures well below normal. (vo) they're all going in the same direction. but in very different ways. and pampers gives all of them our driest, best-fitting diaper. pampers cruisers. with 3 way fit. they adapt at the waist, legs and bottom. with up to 12 hours of protection.

for all of the freedom to move their way. in pampers cruisers. only pampers diapers arehe what'd you do for dinner last night? these days there's a good chance your dinners are being delivered. a company known for disrupting one industry is changing the way we eat. nbc's jacob ward explains. >> reporter: lunch rush at sypie pizzeria is different. the phone is silent. no one is in here eating. but this pizza joint is not just a pizza joint, it's a empire. >> eight virtual restaurants, one brick and mortar poser rhea.

>> out of this storefront? it's unbelievable. >> reporter: simon mckale's eight restaurants made possible by uber. >> we have huge amounts of data. being able to take that information to local restaurants and saying, you already thins t your menu. >> reporter: uber eats pitched mckale this way. >> hey, we have a lot of people requesting fried chicken in your neighborhood. >> you did item, you're basical making a whole new restaurant? >> whole new deal. >> reporter: now mckale's business is almost entirely virtual. >> out of 100 deliveries a day, three, four will be calling our phone number. >> the rest are online? >> all online orders. >> reporter: the data-driven buffet of uber eats is programmed by what customers have asked for. what if a neighborhood has only had access to unhealthy food? >> what you're doing when you provide even more convenience to bad food choices is giving people efficiency of making a bad decision. >> reporter: uber eats says it

can spot a need for and bring itlthy food choices, we're saying to that restaurant, here's a way to meet an unmet demand. >> reporter: in virtual restaurants will keep growing. mckale can imagine someday having no tables at all. >> honestly, if restaurants right now are not adapting to this new way of virtual restaura restaurants, they're not going to be in business. >> reporter: a model for the future. more of the food you love no matter what it is. jacob ward, nbc news, chicago. >> wow, all these delivery services are great when it comes to that convenience. but when it comes to the mama guilt of not making a home-cooked meal? that's it right there. >> i know. i'm the worst with that. >> happens all too often. >> it's on my list yeah. people from all over the world are celebrating the pre-lent tradition of carnaval. people in colorful dancers like this one, depicting u.s. the annual ump and north battle of theoin brazil a canink

means spring and warmer janeiro weather. >> me too, and doughnuts. >> i'm fran sellsad lib live pi

a good monday morning to you. march 4th here is a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. >> did you see that pavement? it looked nice and dry. and we will continue to get a break today? >> yes, more of a break today and then we have another storm moving in tomorrow. here is a look at storm ranger, maybe sprinkling in parts of the bay areat is the storm that we had from over the weekend kind of winding down and moving out. we see a lot going on here. you see the big swirl of the clouds in the pacific to the west. and the long stream