tonight, the flooding emergency in the middle of the country as residents in some areas deal with the worst flooding they have ever seen. some towns cut off or under water with more heavy rain on the way. tonight as new tornados touchdown, tens of millions are at risk for more severe weather. president trump becomes the first world leader to meet the new emperor of japan and disagrees with japan's leader and his national security advisor on those north korean missile test. asking veterans how serving impacted them led to an unexpected flood of raw emotion. many revealing their lasting pain and

suffering. >> this is the table i sat at when i tried to end my own life. >> you were going to kill yourself right here? >> yes, yes. >> an american becomes the latest to die on mount everest. why so many lost their lives this season on the world's highest peak. it was one of the greatest non-plays of all time. >> behind the bag! >> tonight, remembering bill buckner and his unforgettable moment. and on this memorial day, flag gardens, hundreds of volunteers planting thousands of flags in honor of those who serve. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. i'm kate snow in for lester on this memorial day and it's been a dangerous holiday weekend for many just today reports of 11 more tornados across four states, 29 million americans are at risk for severe weather tonight with a tornado watch continuing through parts of indiana and illinois including chicago and tomorrow 48 million people are in the path

as that weather moves east. tonight, along the arkansas river there is a rush to protect homes from rising water. kerry sanders is in the flood zone tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the arkansas river over its banks in oklahoma and the water is still rising. in tulsa, some neighborhoods under water forcing residents to take refuge in red cross shelters. >> i figure we may have lost anything again. >> reporter: at the keystone dam the army corps of engineers trying to manage the water but increasing y increas the flow to the equivalent of 180 olympic size swimming pools a minute. the greatest worry a potential weak spot along the eight-mile long levee. they are releasing more water, which means. >> more pressure on the levee system. this has never been tested the way it's being tested now. >> reporter: the

oklahoma national guard today sandbagging where water has already seeped under the levee. >> we're doing what we can to keep up. it's a hard battle when the weather is against you. >> reporter: meanwhile, tornados continue to tear across the midwest this one touched down today in iowa. nationwide there have been more than 120 confirmed tornados. as the waters rise, so does the tension as residents evacuate some say they are staying behind guns strapped to their waists in case of looters. >> don't come down here stealing. i don't have much but what i got i intend to keep. if the flood takes it, so be it. >> reporter: in arkansas the river is at record flood stage 38 feet. it is predicted to rise five more feet by wednesday. this evening, emergency officials estimate 170 homes look like this and homeowners are now learning an ugly truth, their homeowners policy doesn't cover water damage like this. that requires a specific federal flood insurance policy. kate? >> that is shocking, kerry, thank you. this was a day of sharp contrast in japan. president trump met with that country's new emperor and disagreed with the japanese prime minister on the recent

missile tests by north korea and once again, mr. trump praised north korea's leader kim jong-un. kristen welker is following it all from tokyo. >> reporter: just hours after this high honor, president trump becoming the first world leader to meet japan's new emperor, the president breaking with his host country and his own national security advisor on north korea dismissing the country's latest ballistic missile tests. >> it doesn't matter. >> reporter: but for japan in range of north korea's rockets, it does matter. japanese prime minister abe declaring the missile test violate u.n. security counsel resolutions, national security advisor john bolton agrees but mr. trump striking a softer note. >> my people think it could have been a violation, as you know. i view it differently. i view it as a man perhaps he wants to get attention, and perhaps not. who knows. >> reporter: the president insisting it's still possible kim jong-un could eventually denuclearize.

>> he's a very smart man. he gets it well. so i think that he is going to try at some point, i'm in no rush at all. >> reporter: he also sided with the north korean dictator in criticizing his domestic rival, joe biden. >> kim jong-un made a statement joe biden is a low i.q. individual. he probably is based on his record. i think i agree with him on that. >> reporter: those words on foreign soil prompting a swift bipartisan backlash back at home from republican adam king. you're taking a shot at biden this is plain wrong. >> kim jong-un is a murdering dictator and vice president biden served this country honorably. >> reporter: president trump will wrap up the four-day trip and speaking to u.s. troops who were stationed here. he heads home on tuesday. kate? >> kristen welker in tokyo for us, thank you.

and that democratic contender is taking on the president for considering whether to pardon some military personnel convicted or accused of war crimes. we get more on that from andrea mitchell. >> reporter: it's an emotional issue dividing the troops. president trump considering pardons in several current high-profile cases of alleged war crimes. >> some of these soldiers are people that have fought hard, long. you know, we teach them how to be great fighters and then when they fight sometimes they get treated very unfairly. >> reporter: bringing a sharp response from democratic candidate pete buttigieg an afghanistan war veteran. >> to say he's going to come in and over rule that system of military justice undermines foundations legal and moral of this country. >> reporter: the president has already tweeted navy seal edward gallagher charged with killing an isis captive and shooting unarmed civilians in iraq should be moved to

less restrictive confinement while awaiting trial. gallagher's brother sean. >> he's fought the taliban and al qaeda and successful in defeating isis. he's being used as a political punching bag. >> there is an anxiety and they want to know that the chain of command will back them up. i'm sympathetic to that, but we simply cannot tolerate the murder of detainees under our control. that's the bottom line. >> reporter: the president backing off from ordering pardons today for memorial day. >> it's a little controversial. it's very possible that i'll let the trials go on and i'll make my decision after the trial. >> reporter: but he's not ruling it out later. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. as we honor those who served on this

memorial day, a simple tweet by the army turned into something unexpected. veterans and families responded to a question asking how serving impacted them by telling harrowing stories about the mounting toll of war and military life. here is tom costello. >> reporter: it started with an army tweet asking about the value of military service. >> to give to others to protect the ones i love and to better myself as a man and warrior. >> reporter: that single tweet has drawn more than 10,000 responses, many very dark. including i became addicted to heroin, ptsd, depression, anxiety, nightmares, can't keep a job and have difficulty interacting with people. >> this is the table i sat at when i tried to end my own life. >> reporter: you were going to kill yourself right here? >> yes. >> reporter: army veteran eric survived

three i.e.d. explosions in iraq and returned home with a brain injury and ptsd. >> i decided everybody would be better without me, and i grabbed my glock, sat down and put my glock in my mouth and tried to pull the trigger, and the thing that stopped me was the realization that my family would have to live here in the house. >> reporter: there are currently 19 million veterans, 20 of them die by suicide every single day. 1.5 times the civilian rate. tammy duckworth who lost both legs in iraq is now a senator fighting for veteran access to better health care. >> there are not enough mental health professionals, counselors, psychiatrist, all of that are needed. >> reporter: with the tweets growing by the hour, the army took note posting a crisis hot line number and tweeting your stories are real. they matter. we have to take care of those who came back home with scars we can't see. >> every veteran has a story to tell and that story is a part of our history and has value. >> reporter: on this memorial day, a reminder of the sacrifice veterans continue to live with every day. tom costello, nbc news, indiana. >> and please, once

again, if you need to reach that veterans' crisis line, it's 1-800-273-8255. authorities in france said today they have arrested four people in connection with a bombing on friday in the city of leon. 13 people were injured in the attack after a man left a paper bag filled with screws, ball bearings and a remote control explosive device outside of a bakery. yet another climber has died on mount everest, this time a 62-year-old american lawyer who died today on his way down from the summit. joe fryer reports on the deadly season on the world's highest peak. >> reporter: in a place where climbers are abundant but oxygen is scarce, adventurers are stuck in a sluggish line. today after reaching the top, 62-year-old chris coolish of colorado died descending. we're heartbroken of the news his family says. he saw his last sunrise at the highest peak on earth and became a member of the

seven summit club having scaled the highest peak on each continent. at least 13 climbers have died on evidence everest this year. >> surprisingly, this is hard work. >> reporter: in his final instagram post, fisher wrote with a single route to the summit, delays caused by overcrowding could prove fatal. experts say because of the long line climbers are spending too much time in the so-called death zone where oxygen is limited. this year the government issued 381 permits. critics worry too many are inexperienced. >> the solution is we need to have a much stricter requirement on who climbs mount everest. >> reporter: every minute counts. there is new information about the hiker who was lost for more than two weeks in hawaii. tonight, we're in maui where one of the rescuers showed our molly hunter how easy it can be to get lost in that dense forest.

>> reporter: after searching for 17 days rescuers found amanda eller. she was badly injured with a fractured leg, burns and a skin infection. >> the last 17 days of my life have been the toughest days of my life. >> reporter: police stopped their official search after three days, so her family along with a private rescue team began their own search. >> we never gave up. you can't. >> reporter: on friday rescuers were on the last ten minutes of fuel when they spotted her. troy was part of that team. >> everyone was making noise, she's there. it's amanda. we were all getting excited and the helicopter pilot was telling us to calm down, calm down. >> reporter: the 35-year-old had hiked this three-mile trail before but this time left her cell phone in the car. >> once she got into the vegetation, if i put you down there, and you get disoriented and you don't know where you're going. >> reporter: it looks the same. >> everything looks the same. >> reporter: she survived eating berries, drinking river water and

sleeping in a boar den. she covered herself with ferns to stay warm. >> there were times of total fear and loss and wanting to give up and it did come down to life and death and i had to choose and i chose life. [ applause ] >> reporter: today her family and friends are celebrating just that. molly hunter, nbc news, maui. baseball's bill buckner has passed. he spent 22 seasons in major league baseball, a standout hitter but you may know him for one moment with the red sox at the 1986 world series. >> behind the bag! it gets through. >> reporter: that ground ball from mookie wilson going through his legs, wilson said today bill was a great, great baseball player whose legacy should not be defined by one play. still ahead tonight, our series "her take" what the songwriter behind some of the biggest hits is doing to help others. also, breathtaking views from grand canyon national park now celebrating its

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up next tonight, the series "her take" and a look at a woman whose music you know well even if you don't know her name. cynthia mcfadden introduces us to ester dean. >> a little girl growing up in the midwest with big, big dreams, a big, big talent and a gift for song writing. list off for me the women. >> yeah. >> reporter: who you have written music for. >> the women. they are all women. kelly clarkson. rihanna, nicki minaj, katy perry.

i have been writing since i was in third grade. >> reporter: what was your first song? >> gypsy lady. ♪ gypsy lady tell my future ♪ >> reporter: her story began in oklahoma raised by a single mother, the youngest of five. her family relied on food stamps and church donations to get by. >> i knew i would sing and that was my way out. >> reporter: at 18 she drove to atlanta to pursue her dreams. >> got in the car. >> reporter: with how much money? >> $500. people keep saying she didn't get in the car with $500. honey, i did. that's all i had. >> reporter: did it occur to you the odds were against you? >> nope. i had blind ambition. i've done so much work on myself and went through enough disappointment to not shoot for the stars. >> reporter: and shoot

for the stars she did. not just writing for them but becoming one in "pitch perfect." what's next? >> i want to be oprah. >> reporter: does oprah know this yet? >> oprah doesn't know but she's showing everyone exactly what to do and that's the shoulder i want to stand on. making songs from their perspective. >> reporter: on her way to becoming oprah, she'll be starring in a new television show called "song land" premiering tomorrow night on nbc. finding a nurturing young songwriter, her way of giving back. ♪ >> that's nice. yeah. >> i know how to write a song, and i know how to give back, and this is the perfect way to give people hope. >> reporter: so are you prepared for what this tv show just might do? >> i don't think i am. >> reporter: i mean, because being on television every week. >> yeah, i don't know. i'm just going to act the same, be the same person that i was already doing. because i'm going to be oprah, remember? >> reporter: cynthia

mcfadden, nbc news, new york. >> she is terrific. when we come back, we're headed to the grand canyon to celebrate a milestone. t my body is truly powerful. i have the power to lower my blood sugar and a1c. because i can still make my own insulin. and trulicity activates my body to release it like it's supposed to. trulicity is for people with type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. i take it once a week. it starts acting in my body from the first dose. trulicity isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, or severe stomach pain. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain and decreased appetite, which lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. i have it within me to lower my a1c.

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sears, making moments matter. it may be hard to it may be hard to believe but there is snow forecast today for the grand canyon and there is something else remarkable happening there. this year is the 100th anniversary of the grand canyon national park. miguel almaguer tonight on a national treasure. >> reporter: of it's vast beauty, theodore roosevelt once said leave it as it is, man can only see it. it seems his words still echo off the stunning vistas. >> it's more grand than you can imagine. >> reporter: 100 years ago the grand canyon became a national park. in 1919 the great war over, america was looking west. with an influx of visitors, the park service was charged with protecting this american treasure. over the last century, a lot has changed but not necessarily here.

park rangers say that's the point. >> we need to preserve and protect the land. >> reporter: jill has have been coming here since she was 10. does this view ever get old? >> never. >> reporter: whether it's your first or 100th visit here, some things never change whether it's winding through the forest or on the canyon's rim. most will only see it in picture, it it's, it it's's impossible to get it all in in one day. they come to take in what poets struggle to put into words, one of the darkest night skies on the planet, the canvass of gods. >> mind boggling and it's beautiful. it's amazing. >> reporter: a beauty man kind could never create but must always protect on the rim of the grand canyon, miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> wow, taking my kids there this summer. when we come back, those who serve with a poignant memorial day mission. one of the windiest places in america.

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noses. and emotional acts to honor fallen servicemembers throughout the bay area. next. right now at 4:30 accused of stealing a puppy before it could finally tonight, finally tonight, those who serve and a moving memorial dedicated to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. kristen dahlgren tonight in boston. >> reporter: in the city where the american revolution began, 37,297 flags, one to honor each massachusetts vet that made the ultimate sacrifice. >> stunning display. it really is. it's beautiful. >> reporter: tom helped start the patriotic memorial a decade ago. >> there was 40 of us putting together the flags and took us eight or nine hours. this year, there is 70

volunteers. >> reporter: this year 325 flags represent those lost in war since 9/11. >> captain michael anthony surone. >> reporter: the stars and stripes not just a symbol of the fallen but those families left behind. >> my son, army medic sergeant james anthony auex the second. >> this is many generations and many hundreds and thousands of families that have been put through this. >> reporter: christina lost her son james in 2010. he was a medic in afghanistan, and a beloved husband, brother, and son. >> he will forever be young and hand some and fit and not a gray hair on his head. >> reporter: heroes lost for so many laid out in row of row in red, white and blue. flag gardens popped up around the country, a way to honor and remember those fighting for our nation. >> reminder to our kids and grandchildren, it's a reminder of what happened and what people serve and people sacrifice. >> they choose to put

themselves in harm's way for our country to make sure we're safe at home so we can do things like this. >> reporter: remembered not just by their families but by all. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, boston. we remember tonight. that is "nightly news." i'm kate snow on this memorial day we want to leave you with images from arlington national cemetery. thank you for watching. have a great night. nationwhy o right now at 4:30, accused of stealing a puppy before it could be adopted, why animal rescuers are so worried about the dog's safety. also, no holiday for the chp, a dangerous weekend on our california roads. we'll tell you how many people have already been busted for dui. but first, remembering the true meaning of memorial day. good afternoon, and thanks for joining us on this memorial day. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai.

right now a day of remembrance across the country, and that includes right here in the bay area. three of our many ceremonies happening across the region today. it's been an emotional day for so many people honoring those who gave their lives protecting this country. >> nbc's damian trujillo is in san jose with powerful moments. a very touching day. >> all day, they brought out the big guns out here at the oak hill cemetery in san jose. they're doing a show for the visitors here. it's always such a moving and powerful tribute here at oak hill, young and old gathering to make sure the nation never forgets those military members who never made it home. amid the bagpipes and the patriotic colors, little max mcgee walks from headstone to headstone pennies in hand saluting every