on this thanksgiving thursday, mother nature is serving up an historic bomb cyclone that's blasting the west tens of millions around the nation are facing weather alerts plus thousands of flights canceled we've got you covered. >> a series of explosions at a texas chemical plant still burning out of control as area residents were forced to evacuate after homes sustained serious damage >> a new warning for shoppers. fake money used in movies now spreading into the real world. we'll tell you how t those phoney bills >> and the story about a mistaken text sent three yeaa stranger that's resulteda fantastic friendship >> and tonight they are getting

in on the thanksgiving family >> i was looking at storms already wreaking havoc across the country and the northwest is getting hit with a bomb cyclone. sounds like something your uncle says as he runs to the bathroom on thanksgiving. there's going to be a bomb cyclone! >> our thanksgiving edition of "early today" starts right now >> great being with you on this thanksgiving morning i'm frances rivera >> and i'm richard lui we hope your thanksgiving is starting off very well right now. you might want to bundle up if you are starting out a couple of monster storms have been sweeping across the country. dumping heavy snow on the midwest, cancelling flights and shutting down highways high winds are a major concern today. all eyes are on the thanksgiving day parade balloons in new york which could be grounded if the >> reporter: there's heavy snow, treacherous roads, and devastating winds.c across the country nearly 10 inches of snow in minneapolis, this city biggest november snowfall in almost a

decade and as that system moves east, there's another one out west causing this massive interstate pile up in washington after a bomb cyclone created blizzard conditions and in utah, a terrifying moment caught on camera two troopers were assisting other crashes as a car careened toward them. even though plows here are, this is going to melt and freeze again. which means treacherous driving conditions for anyone on the road and it's not just snow a daring river rescue after record rainfall in california. emergency crews fighting to reach this man stranded in the rushing water, finally bringing him to safety. but the growing danger in the next 24 hours, high winds. already causing thousands of power outage states, and now four confirmed tornadoes in louisiana and mississippi. gusts up to 60 miles per hour ans ping through chicago, tse . thanksgiving day parade organizers say whether or not

the balloons will fly is still up in the air. >> we really have to see exactly what the wind conditions are going to be. tomorrow, it will be a game day decision i'm always optimistic. >> mollie, thank you so much for that report. >> we are hoping they'll fly got to check on those winds. here's michele happy thanksgiving >> happy thanksgiving. you mentioned this before. it's windy outside already we're seeing winds gusting to 31 miles per hour, right now 26 miles per hour we do have the high wind watch in place in parts of the northeast. also high wind warning where you see the purple we're going to see some very gusty winds that's going to impact air travel today and also may impact the parade. so this is how it sfantands rig now. we're looking at the rules and regulations of the parade. winds gusting to 34 miles per hour, that's the threshold we're not going to fly the balloons, like i'm flying the balloons the parade route we're looking at winds gusting at 26 miles per hour but again, we're looking at the potential winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour this is really going to be a

game-time closely they have instruments along the way measuring this as we go throughout time so they have it along the route and they really take it very seriously so we'll see >> people's safety but, man, we're going to be bummed if we're going to miss that this year >> not 22, 23, 33 or 34. it's 24 and 34 >> it's a threshold. >> thank you, michele. three people recovering after a massive chemical plant explosion in southeastern texas. it happened just after 1:00 a.m. wednesday at the petroleum based products fire fight ers are still battling the flames which forced mandatory evacuations for everyone in a four-mile radius officials say they don't know how long the fire will burn. here's nbc's morgan chesky >> reporter: the overnight blast shook this texas town to its

core the explosion so powerful it was caught on doorbell cameras across port natches, a coastal area east of houston stunned residents running from their homes to see what happened some even forced to evacuate >> it sounded like a bomb went off. >> the blast whipping through tpc group, a company that produces chemicals making rubber, fuels and plastics three workers were injured and it's the smoldering mass pouring smoke into texas skies that has residents worried >> definitely worried about what's going into the air. >> reporter: officials warning ake all necessary precautions to move across or up winomt plume. >> reporter: not easy for residents living nearby, like the brown family the blast blew their doors off >> i said oh, my god, one of the plants out here is on fire the whole sky was just lit up. >> reporter: over at ray fischers's, the windows

shattered. >> the blast and window came flying in the house. it was pretty scary. >> reporter: and the danger isn't over yet residents rattled by yet another blast. >> about a couple minutes ago we heard two small explosions and a very large one so it might not be as under control as it looks. >> reporter: these smokey skies are serious cause for concern. in fact, officials have in creased the evacuation to a four-mile radius away from this plant. meanwhile, the cause of this blast remains under investigation. >> all right, that was morgan chesky reporting >> a new warning from the secret service as you do your holiday shopping millions in fake cash used in movies is now being passed off in the real world and could end up in your handslliams with more >> reporter: when hollywood studios want to show actors tossing around lots of money like this scene in casino. >> everything looked on the up and up, right? wrong. >> reporter: or on the wealth of wall street. >> i'm talking about this.

>> reporter: it's seldom the real thing they use fake currency that looks real from a distance but millions of dollars of it is showing up in america's retail cash registers passed off as genuine even though it's printed with disclaimers that say it's not real for motion picture use only a counterfeit expert at the u.s. secret service says it takes a second look to realize it's fake >> in this case, for motion picture use only is written in very similar font to a genuine $100 bill. >> reporter: i could see a hairied cashier could easily skip over this >> that's what the counterfeiter is hoping for. >> reporter: just last year federal agencies had a huge pile of money shipped from overseas another type of counterfeit rapidly on the rise is is made to look as real as it can be, except for foreign language characters it's widely available online, sometimes advertised as intended for training cashiers to handle money or as a gag gift >> these are clearly just almost

exact copies apart from the foreign writing. >> reporter: real money has features that are very difficult to counterfeit like water marks that show up when the bill is held up to the light $5 and up have security thread embedded in the paper. $10 bills and higher have ink that shifts reeno of coulder color when tilted, the 100 has a 3-d ribbon that shifts from the number 100 to the image of a bell. the advice from the secret service when doing holiday shopping, take a moment to look closely at the money you get back in change don't assume it's real just because it's green >> nbc's pete williams for that report >> all right as much of america takes a break and celebrates thanksgiving, president trump makes heads roll with his own presidential photo shop tweeting this photo of his head on rocky balboa's body that tweet didn't exactly get any contacts but it punched out in twitter, declare himself a champion in politics maybe while they are gearing up for a showdown in the coming days as

drama deepens with president trump's personal attorney. nbc's kelly o'donnell is traveling with the president >> reporter: 20,000 supporters welcomed the president back in his adopted home state of florida. his fury over democrats impeachment efforts on display >> they're pushing that impeachment witch-hunt and a lot of bad things are happening to them because you see what's happening in the polls everybody said, that's really [ bleep ]. >> reporter: new scrutiny on the president's personal lawyer rudy giuliani who reportedly sought six-figure business contracts for his firm with the ukrainian prosecutor and the ukrainian justice ministry earlier this year personal business forge while he was working with that prosecutor to investigate the bidens' activities in ukraine to help president trump. that's according to "the new york times" which reviewed draft

copies of contracts which were never finalized. last weekend on fox, giuliani denying making money there >> let me make clear >> real quick. >> i have no business interest in the ukraine >> reporter: the new report comes as the president tried to distance himself from his personal attorney, denying that he instructed giuliani to investigate in ukraine >> no, i didn't direct him but he, he, he is a -- he is a warrior. but you have to understand, rudy has other people that he represents >> no, i know. >> reporter: we are learning more about a highly anticipated inspector general's report from the department of justice due out next month and one big takes away is the report finds t fbi d infiltrate the 2016 trump campaign with an under cover agent. that's according to someone who has reviewed a copy of the report and that under cuts a main allegation of spying often made by president trump but the report is expected to find that some fbi employees were sloppy and made mistakes.

frances? >> all right, kelly o'donnell for us kelly, thanks. >> good news about jimmy carter. the former president is now out of the hospital where he spent more than two weeks recovering from brain surgery after a fall. the carter center says he's looking forward to thanksgiving at home where he will continue his recovery >> all right it is a big day. hopefully all the travel drama is gone for now. and now fingers crossed for those floats with the gusty winds out here in new york city. >> yeah, we're going to be watching that very closely in the next several hours it's going to be pretty close to the floats not flying, but we'll be watching that taking a look at thanksgiving day forecast, it is very busy from west to east. record cold in the west. flood threat for san diego, places like thatthe northern pl.

yeah, guys, so e rain, we have snow, we have -- >> something for everybody >> something for everyone on this thanksgiving and turkey >> at least we have the turkey and tryptophan after that. john was almost responsible for leaking the new "star wars" script he revealed he forgot a copy under his bed where it was stolen and put up for sale on ebay >> here's something to be thankful for the pussy cat dolls are getting back together. confirmed on social media, the group is reunited. tickets for 2020 tour go on sale saturday >> it will open a public shop in honor of the late rapper marathon clothing will be open till december 3rd. it has three times the cleaning power of the leading spray to dissolve kitchen grease on contact. and it's great for bathrooms! just keep pumping the power nozzle to release a continuous burst of mist and make quick work of big jobs.

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like family all because of a miss-sent text message kristen dahlgren has the story >> thanksgiving is at my house november 24, 3:00 p.m. >> reporter: it was a fateful text that brought them together. >> who is this >> reporter: a selfie swapped to confira plate, tho >> reporter: fwe that's what grandmas do. >> reporter: the improbable exchange on twitter. >> you sent a wrong text message. >> i had 600 text messages, and that night, it was crazy my phone blew up >> the teen received a text from a grandma -- >> reporter: they could have left it at that, a hilarious holiday mishap but they didn't. >> right up front, jamal >> reporter: wanda dent and jamal hinton spent that thanksgiving in 2016 together with wanda's family. and have done so every year since. >> the first dinner i don't think we really got to talk that much because i was so, so much

going on at the moment but after that we actually got to sit down and have dinner or something, and get to know each other. it was actually pretty great >> reporter: they've gone on double dates jamal and his girlfriend and wanda and her husband and hit the pumpkin patch last month jamal is now 20, wanda is 62 they live about an hour apart in arizona. it's a friendship that's caught them both by surprise. >> once i was here, i felt like i've known her for years i felt like i can just talk and it's always a great time >> i'm always looking forward to the next time we can meet. and i find out more about him. >> reporter: this year it was wanda who received a thanksgiving invitation. >> mikaela, hi f thanksgiving i said yes before i think she finished her sentence. >> reporter: they'll gather together again for the fourth time and give thanks for food and friendship, and for important life lessons they feel lucky to have learned. >> i'd say don't really judge anyone until you know them

>> it has made me look at younger people especially different and much better light. >> that is one of the best stories of the holidays. here's the thing wanda said she's done it again mistakenly sent a text she thought was going to her grandson to somebody else, but that person didn't respond she didn't need any more she has this whole thing going now. >> that's kind of nice wanda can't use a phone to text but it's working out 50/50 >> right right there. she is all set >> all right just ahead, no thanksgiving is complete without football. you said it. we'll take a sneak peek at the nfl match ups today. >> and whip like rocky, the president makes waves on twitter for that what's this all about? dust mite droppings! eeeeeww! dead skin cells! gross! so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy-duty dusters. duster extends to three feet to get all that gross stuff gotcha! and for that nasty dust on my floors, my sweeper's on it.

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a daughtfather and daughter celebrated thanksgiving on a high note pep they are on the same marching band the duo plays in the macy's thanksgiving day parade. sam brock spoke to them. >> reporter: savannah has a special bond with her band her dad is the drerks. >> special bond between fathers and daughters. >> for 20 years he's let the sp at prestigious events all over the country including the macy's thanksgiving day parade twice. the last time 5-year-old is a va na watching from the sidelines >> i do remember the floats and the con fete sit >> how hard to get this invitation >> it's probably the hardest invitation to get in the country. >> reporter: even for a band as skilled as the golden remments,

a third invitation was a long shot >> i was sad because i want ed her to experience this >> it's been her dream for years. >> sophomore year, i want to march in the matt cease parade >> reporter: then music to their ears >> the macy's thanksgiving day parade >> reporter: they did it again, and more than 200 students packed up for icbiwith you >> forever when i'm retired and 80 years old, this will be the one thing i will remember for the rest of my life. >> reporter: a father r and daughter grateful for this high note over the holidays sam brock, nbc news, new york. shh they have the memories and also that story on nbc to remind them t >> anticipating some difficult conversations around the thanksgiving table president obama has tips to help he says really listening to each other and highlighting your common humanity can keep things

from getting too heated. easier said than done for some families the president linked to this article here with a reminder that what is persuasive to you might not persuade your opponent one too many glasses of wine >> the next will be giving us recipes on turkeys >> you'll probably got the food sortedmusi" is close. followed by the if your choice is custer pie or a sweet potato pie. >> sounds good to me >> sounds good to me thank you for bein

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happy thanksgiving. we have a live picture of the beaul bay bridge as the city lights glimmer in the distance. what a great way to start our morning if you are starting your morning with us. we do appreciate it. thanks for joining us. i'm kira klapper. >> a half hour per pound on the turkey. you still have time now. marcus and kari and laura are off. i'm scott mcgrew. you're enjoying thanksgiving. they are. ey