as we take a live look at new orleans as they are recovering from the category 4 storm that came through overnight. of course we'll keep monitoring that story and bring you more updates during the midday newscast and nbcbayarea.com. thanks for joining us on this monday morning. hope you have a great day. the "today" show coming up next. good morning breaking news, devastation millions along the gulf coast waking up to destruction, flooding, and darkness after hurricane ida strikes as a category 4 16 years to the day after entire city of new orleans without power. buildings torn apart, people trapped after flash flooding sweeps through the region. >> actually in the attic right now. >> the storm so powerful, it reversed the flow of the mighty mississippi river.

now ida is on the move with 55 million people from louisiana all the way to new jersey waking up to flood watches. al is tracking it all and our team is spread across the south. breaking news, under attack, a barrage of rockets fired at kabul's airport as the military races to get out of afghanistan in the next 24 hours this as the 13 service members killed in last week's suicide bombing return home. >> she was my hero she was a warrior. >> this morning, we are learning about those brave men and women. sounding the alarm, the number of children hospitalized with covid hitting new records >> it's very painful to see these children go through that >> what doctors on the front lines are saying about the troubling surge and what it means for students returning to the classrooms around the country. all that, plus remembering a hollywood icon, ed asner >> if i don't like you, i'll fire you >> right >> if you don't like me, i'll

fire you >> from his scene-stealing role on "the mary tyler moore show" to his seven emmy wins, a look back at his legendary life and career today monday, august 30th, 2021 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza >> hey, everybody. welcome to "today. 7:00 a.m. on the west coast. so happy that you are joining us on this monday morning savannah is off. we're following two major stories on monday. a new attack overnight in afghanistan, rockets fired at kabul airport where the u.s. military is rushing to get out of that country. this has the 13 service members killed last week return home to a solemn salute. >> but the big story we're following today, devastation in

the south. ida slammed the shore as a strong category 4 hurricane, sat on top of louisiana for six hours. winds reaching 150 miles per hour ripping off roofs, bringing down power lines. millions are in the dark our team of correspondents is spread out along the gulf coast and we'll speak with the governor of louisiana in just a moment we do want to begin live from new orleans where al roker is. al, what's the hatest? >> reporter: you look around, the sun is out, other than a lack of people, doors are closed an there are some sandbags you would have never known that and now the big question people are asking, they keep coming up to us because they see we're in news, what have you heard about the power? we hear it will be out for a month.

people are frightened but there's no communications because most of the cell service is gone. you have at&t, you're not getting any service. other services, it's spotty. as we look at what's happening right now with ida, it's a tropical storm it is pushing away, 65 miles south-southwest, jackson, mississippi. it's moving north at 8 miles per hour what this is going to mean is that as ida makes its way up the -- i should say up the mississippi river valley, it's bringing tornado warnings along the gulf coast it's also going to bring a lot of heavy moisture with it due to a front that will cause flooding in tennessee and kentucky, continues wednesday, right on into the mid-atlantic and the northeast, and then finally thursday moves off the coast but with all that rain, believe it or not, we've got 55 million people at risk for flooding, stretching from louisiana all the way to new jersey and new york, down to the south. we have flashflood warnings out as ida starts to make its way

north, those flood warnings moving north as well rainfall amounts we're talking about another 12 inches of rain possible down through the lower mississippi river valley, but even as we move up to the north through thursday, we are looking at anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain but locally could be as much as 7 inches guys, back to you. >> i was hearing reports of three weeks or more out of power at this point. not 100% sure, but it will take a long time to get everything back on. >> al, you mentioned, we've seen power crews make their way through the streets of new orleans to get that effort under way, correct >> reporter: yeah. we have. we've seen two striking caravans about 45 minutes ago we saw a line of entergy trucks. that's the local power authority here they moved through we also saw members of the cajun navy with those float boats with the big propellers on the back

going through about to try to fan out and do a water rescue for people you can hear work going on right now. like i said, there is no power here there's emergency generators going on but, you know, and there is some damage but for the most part, i think the biggest concern as you guys said, it's about the power this entire city is out. what is that, like a million people and with no discernible time line from what we've heard, there's a lot of desperation already, guys. >> thanks, al. >> al roker there. we'll talk to a member of that cajun navy coming up >> and we'll speak to the governor and he may be able to answer some questions. tom is in the french quarter there. what are you starting to see as the sun is up? >> reporter: good morning. we're seeing a lot of damage you see pocket es of destruction like this behind me.

this is parts of a roof and a traffic pole has collapsed onto a balcony, taking down parts of that balcony along with an awning we see pockets like that throughout the french quarter, but it seem miss structures survived the big trob as al said was the catastrophic damage to the power grid there is no electricity in new orleans. that means there are no power going to homes, to sewage pumps and to some cell phone towers. we're also following reports that a massive electrical tower collapsed into the mississippi that's part of the problem right now. i had a chance to run into some of those power crews as they were getting out to assess the damage around here i could listen in and their manager was giving a pep talk saying this was going to be a marathon as hurricane ida carved a very serious path of destruction across southern louisiana. this morning, new orleans fighting ida's furry and the mass power outages that came

with it. the then cat 4 hurricane barreling into southern louisiana with catastrophic force. the deadly storm packing winds more than 150 miles per hour these are by far the strongest winds we've felt so far. the bad part is, it's only going to get worse triggering a life threatening storm surge. exactly 16 years after hurricane katrina made landfall. >> many, many people are going to be tested in ways that we can only imagine >> reporter: in grand isle on the gulf coast, terrifying images of ida's wrath, rising waters and whipping winds leaving buildings partially submerged in water, flooding outside the fire department, making it impossible for first responders to reach those in need >> those folks are just going to have to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. >> reporter: massive trees no match for ida's gusts, the winds ripping off part of a hospital's

roof near the coast and leaving mounds of debris on the streets of new orleans' french quarter the damage so bad the entire city now without power ida's rapid rise to a category 4 storm taking even the experts by surprise officials counting on improvements made in the years since katrina to keep people safeble to tell people to shelter in place with some degree of comfort. ultimately, if we have to evacuate people post storm, we will do that >> reporter: the eregan family making the last-minute decision to stay close to their businesses here in new orleans >> if i knew what i know now then, we would have left, but we ran out of time. >> reporter: in the lower ninth ward, scars from katrina are everywhere >> this msign eans that this house was flooded during katrina. >> chris washington's family left, but he chose to ride out the storm. this area was devastated during katrina. do you have faith the levees are going to hold? >> yes i have faith

>> reporter: the most vulnerable under threat from the storm. more than 50 seniors forced to evacuate the towers condominiums in the new orleans area after a partial roof collapse. and louisiana's ochsner health system already packed with people fighting covid now feeling ida's wrath. this video showing what appears to be pieces of the roof flying off their main campus. ochsner protectively moving all of their facilities to generator injuries we have new reporting this morning. on the health system, they are the largest hospital chain in this area. they tell me they had to evacuate two hospitals, a hospital in graceland and a hospital in houma, the bayou area hospitals 75 patients are being brought here to jefferson parish and orleans parish to the new orleans area the hospitals you saw in my report suffered some damage. we have roofers out there fixing

all of those damaged roofs and broken-out windows, things like that we do know they have a ten-day supply of both fuel and water and surgery energy so they'll be okay for the next week or two. they have more supplies coming most importantly, guys, the ceo tells me no patient, no staff member was injured during this hurricane. just like a lot of people here, they are operating in many ways using landline phones because of this problem with the cell phones >> a little bit of good news there. tom, thank you so much you've had a long night. sun is up. big picture, what are your biggest concerns with what you've seen and what are kind of your biggest reliefs >> the biggest concern we're still doing search and rescue and we have individuals across louisiana, jefferson parish,

st. john the baptist who were in a bad place right now because their homes have been damaged to the point where they're uninhabitable. many still have standing water in their homes and they need to be rescued so we're still very much in the search and rescue, lifesaving mode and there's a very robust effort but there's so much debris, power lines and trees and other debris in the roadways that it hasn't been easy getting to hthem starting 359 o'clock this morning we dispatched hundreds and hundreds of urban search-and-rescue personnel, high-water vehicles, bolts and so forth right now we have the entire national guard, looking at them right there, mobilized and we have 34 aircraft, about 195 of these high-water vehicles you're looking at, 73 boats so that's the first order of priority second order of priority is making sure that our hadn'ts are able to continue to function

because we have electricity issues all throughout southeast louisiana, and we also have some water issues so you can't run dialysis without water but the biggest thing that happened in a positive way, hoda, is the levee system, especially the hurricane reduction system, that protects jefferson parish, you know this area well, it didn't overtop, there was no failure, and the situation in new orleans, as bad as it is today, without the power, would be so much worse. all you have to do is go back 16 years and you kind of get a glimpse of what that could have been like. even further south, the levee system really held up very well. otherwise, we would be facing much more problems today, but the damage is really catastrophic this storm packed a very powerful punch it delivered the surge that was

forecasted, the wind that was forecasted, and the rain and so we're going to be responding to this hurricane for quite a while and then we're going to be recovering from it for many months. >> governor edwards, let's talk about it, because power and water are two things you need to survive. we're talking about leans parish and jefferson parish, there's water issues in jefferson parish in orleans parish, someone from entergy was talking prestorm maybe three week if the power goes out what is the plan here? >> well, as you know, hoda, the storm just exited the state a couple hours ago the sun has been up for about three hours. we have people with the public service commission and entergy and other power companies out assessing the damage right now the bad news is there are eight main transmission lines going into the new orleans area, all of which failed. the good news is they're eight lines and they won't be all damaged the same, so we believe

b that there should be an opportunity to power up much of new orleans relatively soon through one of those lines but we're still working on that. there are some other options there too. and while we're talking about new orleans, i want you to know, this is the issue for all of southeast louisiana. it really isn't a million people without power. it's a million accounts. so those are homes or businesses and so my guess is, and this is in the neighborhood of a guess, it's probable closer to 2 million people without power right now. and we're work as hard as we can. another boit of good news, well over 20,000 linemen, the largest response effort ever in the state of louisiana, this quickly to restore power they were either here already or they're going to be here at some point later today to start this restoration work >> governor, we're watching some of the rescues, a couple of them showing up online, people

getting plucked out of their cars, flooded cars in laplace, maybe a thousand people asking to be rescued from their cars and a number that i saw was there was only one death at this point. is that what you're hearing? >> well, we have one confirmed death. what i'm hearing points to a lot more than that they're not yet confirmed. i really don't want to go there. i will leave it here i am certain that as the day goes on we will have more deaths so we were getting calls for help we know that, for example, some apartment buildings collapsed partially in certain areas this happened during the height of the storm and there was no way to go out and respond to those calls. that's happening now and we're going to be getting information throughout the day that i fully expect the confirmed death toll to go up considerably >> all right louisiana governor jon bel edwards. it's a difficult time, a difficult night. difficult days ahead but louisiana has a way of rising up. >> we sure do.

thank you very much, hoda. appreciate it. >> a lot more ahead this morning from louisiana including the volunteer rescue team known as the cajun navy answering calls to help those trapped by floodwaters. we turn now to the volatile situation in afghanistan just moments ago, isis-k claimed responsibility for a rocket attack overnight on kabul's airport. the attack coming after a u.s. drone strike on a vehicle carrying suspected suicide bombers. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard eng sustainable live in doe har, qatar, with the latest richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. >> reporter: the u.s. withdrawal is in its final stages we could be waiting for an announcement that it is all over it has been a violent withdrawal with isis trying to take parting shots at the americans the u.s. coordinating security with the taliban the u.s. has also been responding to isis attacks carrying out its own drone strikes, and there are reports

from witnesses in kabul of civilian casualties. the smoldering ruins of a car used to launch rock egts a the kabul airport, ignited it seems by the rocket engines. at least five rockets the taliban reports. the u.s. military says anti-missile systems were engaged. the taliban promising house-to-house searches for the isis militants believed responsible. this weekend, it was the u.s. that fired on isis the u.s. military saying it carried out a precision strike on an isis car bomb heading to the airport. but the taliban are disputing that a commander telling nbc news the u.s. hit a house killing civilians, including children. local reports say as many as nine killed. the u.s. military acknowledging civilians may have been killed by the isis bomb when it exploded this after last thursday's horrific isis suicide bombing at an airport gate, killing 13 u.s.

service members, nearly all marines. their remains solemnly transferred to the united states the tragedy of lives cut short, including sergeant nicole gee, who had helped in the evacuations, posting this photo just days ago captioned i love my job around 200 afghans were killed in the suicide bombing at the gates and amid all of this, the evacuation planes are still flying, the evacuations now taking place in secret as u.s. forces reach the most dangerous phase of the mission, pulling out the troops, protecting the evacuees and themselves. as the taliban assert more and more control of daily life this was a political debate on afghanistan tv, a small station. the discussion was about how the former president escaped the country before the taliban entered kabul. the taliban say they'll allow a free press

what a way to show it. with the evacuation now in its final phase, there are afghans who believe they were qualified for asylum who are not going to be able to make it out, at least for now, perhaps some american citizens as well. they will now have to wait for another way. they will have to see if the civilian airport can open, but no idea when that could happen >> chief foreign correspondent richard engle in doe har thank you. back to new orleans and get a full forecast from mr. roquer. hey, al. >> hey, guys let's give you an idea of what's going around the rest of the country. a lot of wet weather here in the east because we've got basically ida pushing up to the north, fire danger out west, severe storms in the northern plains. there's what's going on around the country. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

rashida: i told you this would happen. dan: the light was not even on. no, it was on. dan: what? with the new citi custom cash℠ card it pays to be you. from fitness clubs, gas stations, restaurants and more, earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category, up to $500 spent each billing cycle. . good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're taking a live look at the golden gate bridge where you can see the fog over the coast and draped over the bridge right now. that's going to keep our temperatures cooler. with highs reaching into the upper 60s in the city. going to be hot for our inland areas to the mid to upper 90s today and some mid 80s for san jose as well as the north bay. as we go through this forecast we are going to cool off. still smoky today but improving air quality by the end of the week and we continue to monitor what's happening near the caldor fire. weather. guys >> al, thank you

coming up, we're going to have the latest on the devastation and the flooding left behind by hurricane ida, including an update on those rc tse higher ground,

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movements mimicking parkinson's disease, fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, and sweating. (jackie) talk to your doctor about austedo...it's time to treat td. td is not ok. visit askforaustedo.com. a very good monday morning to you. 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at today's top stories starting with our breaking news overnight. the caldor fire spreading rapidly leading to new evacuation warnings for south lake tahoe. also barton memorial hospital is being evacuated. the caldor fire has burned more than 263 square miles or an area larger than san jose and oakland combined. it also grew so quickly catching fire crews off guard, containment levels actually dropped from 19 to counties are

evacuation orders. more than 650 structures have been destroyed. five people have been injured. i'm bob redell in hercules. the west contra costa unified school district is looking into a vaccine mandate for all eligible students. this came up at a board meeting last week where the teachers and some of the members of the board expressed interests in mandating vaccinations for students 12 and up. the superintendent of the district is reaching out to culver city unified in southern california. that district has announced a vaccine mandate for its eligible students. the superintendent wants to hear about lessons learned down there. we're going to check in with kari who has a look at our microclimate forecast. >> we're waking up to a hazy sky as we take a live look outside in san jose. moderate air quality to start and we're also going to have still some smoke drifting in as our temperatures head up toward 92 degrees. the rest of the week we'll get some improved air quality, stronger winds as well as cooler

temperatures, but those stronger winds will also spread the flames of the caldor fire. laura? >> thank you very much. we'll be back with another local news update in a half hour. hope to see you then. have a good morning.

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we are back now, 7:30 on this monday morning, august 30th, 2021. a live look as the french quarter down in new orleans, in the dark right now. the sun starting to rise there as the entire city of new orleans gets set to take a look at the damage and devastation left behind by what is now tropical storm ida. we want to get right to the latest on the devastation caused by then hurricane ida. >> yeah. you hope those images from the french quarter are isolated to that area because that's such a beautiful spot. the storm caused some frightening flooding that has some people to be up in their attics. they're up on social media right

now pleading for help. nbc's sam brock is joining us from laplace, about 30 miles west of new orleans. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the damage is ubiquitous. i'm standing on highway 61. the reason i can stand in this location is because there are trees up and down the highway in addition to power lines down, large pieces of machinery out here. there is a crisis situation unfolding right now in laplace. i was over there about an hour ago, had to come back here because there was not enough service to report live from what i was seeing. but buildings torn apart, cinderblocks everywhere, gasation with a power line sitting right on top of it and of course rescue efforts, we spoke with the louisiana cajun navy. they are waiting to get in there. they have thousands of people calling in to be rescued. i spoke with a police officer sitting alongside the highway and said where are all these people stuck? he said everywhere, all over the parish.

in the light of day now, efforts jump-started to try to rescue them. hurricane ida barreling into the louisiana coast overnight. the devastation in the region felt throughout small towns, many without the kind of infrastructure new orleans built up after hurricane katrina. the strong winds and heavy flooding that ida brought wreaking havoc olines, houses and roads, residents trapped in attics and on rooftops, turning to social media and desperation tweeting their location in the hope of help. one man posting that he stuck with a group on flooded i-10 with cpr being performed on a drowning victim writing people drowned in my arms and we are extremely exhausted with nowhere to go. wind and floods sweeping through towns like houma and lafitte. each over an hour outside of new orleans. >> the initial focus will be going to lafitte area. we have had a lot of rescue requests there. >> reporter: in laplace, about

30 miles out of new orleans, tiffany miller and her family got trapped inside their home. miller, who spoke with our local station wdsu before she was later rescued, said when the weather conditions began to deteriorate, she and her family frantically retreated into their home's attic. >> we're just kind of sitting on a beam in the same area just trying to hang tight and hoping and praying that and praying that the winds will die down because the house is shaking really, really bad >> reporter: craig, hoda, i just spoke with a woman a little while ago who said she is waiting to try to reach her friend right now, has been unable to do so. the 911 communications in new orleans and in laplace right now are very challenged. social media is the resource for folks. one family tweeting there are five people inside of their home, including a young boy and girl this is the measure people have to try to resort to to get help. we have soon the light of day. >> i think what struck us, there were a lot of things obviously in your report that struck us,

but you said possibly thousands of people trapped. i think laplace isn't one of those places that always floods. there are certain places prone to it. some people don't evacuate because they don't have some place to go. their whole family lives there where are they driving can they get out >> a lot of folks can't afford to get out sam, you mentioned you had to relocate because of service issues what did you see on that drive >> reporter: there are so many people i've had those conversations with that they just don't have the money. the hotels were all booked up or, in fact, getting on to the highway itself was jammed. it was a parking lot getting out of baton rouge and as well as new orleans for days down here all of those are issues. hoda, your initial question about thousands being rescued, i spoke with the fleet captain of the cajun navy and they knew of a head count of a couple hundred people but thousands of calls in areas communities they had not

explored yet so now that we can see the extent of the damage and find out what areas are truly flooded that number could rise >> and laplace seems to be the hardest hit in terms of flooding looking at the big picture new orleans was 4 to 5 other areas got hit so hard by those winds that were reaching above 150 miles per hour and sat on top of them for a long time. but laplace is one of those places that seems to be the hardest hit of all that we've seen we're glad you made it there we know that wasn't an easy journey. please keep us informed because i think you're right there in the heart of it. >> sam, we'll come back to you in just a bit. this is an area that you know well, and coming up in a few minutes, we're going to actually talk to the aforementioned cajun navy, this volunteer group that goes out and tries to rescue folks. >> these are men and women with boats. the sheriff's department might have some vehicles these are people who volunteer, they take their boat they have facebook pages, craig, but they are looking for people. they're saying tweet your

address. tell us where you are. we're coming to get you. and it's good to know that somebody can get out there because the police are stretched super duper thin >> for the thousands who are appa mr. roker, of course, on duty for us there in new orleans, as well al, as the sun begins to come up in new orleans, what are you seeing >> reporter: well, you know, the interesting thing, guys, we don't see very much. we are seeing the -- you know, getting a little lighter out here we're starting to see a few cars, a couple of emergency vehicles going through you talk about volunteers, the noted chef friend of the show jose andres, he left haiti to come here to set up his world central kitchen to help feed those displaced in not just new orleans but baton rouge, lafayette, they're setting up satellite kitchens to help feed people and if you're trying to reach

somebody on a cell phone, if those folks have verizon or t-mobile i think you might reach them if they've got at&t, they're out of luck. you're not going to be able to reach them but just know that hopefully they are safe. as we look right now, this is going to be a big impact system, not just here but throughout the rest of the eastern half of the country. it is now a tropical storm it is making its way to the north. we're get something feeder bands here in new orleans. we also have a report of a levee breach near a philips refinery along the river. so we're going to be digging into that in a little bit. this still is going to have strong, damaging winds spreading north into mississippi today downed trees and power lines you can see those wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour in some spots. power outages will start to move into central and southern mississippi as well. long-term power outages are very possible as this system moves to the north.

rain, look at this, along the path of ida, you can see from mobile up to tupelo, nashville, knoxville, charleston, washington, d.c., new york, we're talking 3 to some places 7 or 8 inches of rain, and we've got a moderate risk of flooding all the way up into the northeast and mid-atlantic as well. >> i'm meteorologist kari hall as we take a look at our forecast for the inland areas over the next seven days. hot and smoky today but an ocean breeze will pick up tomorrow and cool off our temperatures and clear the smoke. we continue to cool off by the middle to the end of the week for the inland valleys. san francisco to the mid 60s and that's about what we'll see for the rest of the week. sun and clouds, we continue to watch for the caldor fire, another update in 20 minutes. in this part of downtown,

guys, there are two things that you notice, the sound of generators going and the smell of diesel fuel running those generators. otherwise, there is nothing going on. >> al, you're in the french quarter, right? is that where you are? >> yes. yeah. >> we keep seeing that one big devastated building. does the rest of the quarter look like it's intact from what you can see? >> well, you know, there's some windows blown out, there's a lot of tree damage. you know, there are signs that have been damaged as well. and in downtown, where the skyscrapers are, some of the taller buildings, we've gotten reports of windows being blown out. one of the things we have to remember, for almost every 20 stories you go up, 10, 20 stories you go up, you go up almost in a way a category of storm, because the winds are much stronger the higher up you go. you know, when we measure the winds for a category, it's

generally at ground level or at sea level. but as you go up in elevation, those winds go up as well. and so the category actually goes up. for some of those skyscrapers, what was a category 4 on the ground could be a category 5 15, 20 stories up. >> thank you so much, al. when we come back on a monday morning, the other big story, remembering those brave american service members killed in afghanistan. our erin mclaughlin sat down with the father of one young marine who days earlier posted a touching photo online. that's right after this. to take for granted ever again. the health of our nation cannot just be measured by the victories of our champions, it must be measured by the health of all of us.

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if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. we're back with "in depth" and we're listening more about the 13 u.s. service members killed at the airport in afghanistan. >> their flag-draped caskets arrived over the weekend. this was the scene at dover air force base in delaware. cities an towns came out to honor their service. erin mclaughlin is in california where she sat down with the father of one young marine. good morning. >> reporter: this is the home of nicole gee. her father told us he hopes nicole and the others killed that day will be remembered as

heroes. >> she's my hero. she's a warrior. >> reporter: a heartbreaking loss made even more poignant by the words and images she shared. "i love my job," sergeant nicole gee wrote just days before the attack under this now iconic photo of her cradling after afghan baby. when people see that photo, they see compassion. as her father, what do you see? >> she is my baby. yeah. my baby. >> reporter: richard herrera first saw the photo on tv before the bombings. he shared it with friends and family, proud as only a father can be. then he learned the devastating news. >> it broke me for a while. it's hit me heart. >> reporter: gee's father, one of so many grieving this morning. president biden and the first lady paid respects to the fallen at dover air force base over the weekend, the president meeting with families in mourning as

their bodies were transported with military honors. while in cities and towns across the nation, tributes poured in for the deceased, including marine sergeant johanny rosario from massachusetts. >> we will always remember her as the hero she is. >> reporter: the town honoring lance corporal jared schmitz. california remembering lance corporal kareem nikoui. >> we're a family. so our heart breaks. >> reporter: 31-year-old staff sergeant taylor hoover was a natural leader, said his father, respected by his fellow marines. >> it will be hard to go on without him. but we know he died doing exactly what he wanted to do. >> reporter: 22-year-old navy corpsman max soviak was just a kid. his older sister posting on instagram, my beautiful, intelligence beat to the sound

of his own drum annoying charming baby brother was killed yesterday helping to save lives. most of the 13 were just kids, some just babies on 9/11, which led to the war in afghanistan, their deaths now punctuating its bitter end. the family and friends of the deceased say they are praying for the men and women still in afghanistan. tomorrow is the deadline for the withdraw. officials say there have been threats of more attacks. guys? >> erin mclaughlin for us there in california, thank you. most of the 13 just kids. >> when you actually put the names and the faces and the stories behind those brave people, it's just moving. when we come back on a monday morning, much more, of course, from louisiana, but also our series "kids under pressure," as well. high school coaches coming off

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a very good morning to you. it is 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at what's happening now. >> i'm bob redell in hercules. the west contra costa unified school district is looking for a vaccine mandate for students. this came up at a board meeting last week where the teachers and some of the members the board expressed interest in mandating vaccinations for students who would be 12 and up. the superintendent of this district is reaching out to the culver city unified in southern california. that district has already announced the vaccine mandate for its eligible students. the west contra costa superintendent wants to hear about lessons learned down there. time now to check that microclimate forecast. kari is keeping her eye on the skies for us. >> waking up to a hazy sky over

the south bay and still going to have to deal with the drifts of smoke coming in. moderate air quality as our temperatures heat up to the mid 80s. looking at low 80s for napa and mid 90s for the inland east bay as well as morgan hill toward 93 degrees. palo alto should expect a high of 83 today. and 67 in san francisco. hot temperatures to start outs the week, but we are headed for a cool down as the winds pick up and going to bring in some fresher breezes and improve our air quality but unfortunately we are expecting the high winds to possibly fan the flames of the caldor fire. >> thank you very much. we'll be back with another local news update in about a half hour. hope to see you then. in the meantime enjoy your monday morning.

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and once they taste that warm nacho cheese sauce... they won't stop till there's nothing left. taco bell's fry force. now serving at a taco bell near you. it's it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, ida's wrath hurricane ida makes landfall in louisiana with winds topping 150 miles per hour, knocking out power to more than a million people including the entire city of new orleans >> many, many people are going to be tested in ways that we can only imagine >> this morning, 55 million people under flood watches with all eyes on where ida is heading next al is live in new orleans with your latest forecast plus, kids and covid, frightening new numbers from the

cdc showing covid hospitalizations where children are at their highest level ever. >> since more children are infected, you're going to see more children unfortunately getting hospitalized >> we'll tell you everything you should know with schools open, including how some high school coaches are supporting student athletes during the pandemic and remembering ed asner >> you've got spunk. >> well, yes >> i hate spunk. >> celebrating the life and career of ed asner from his role as lou grant on "the mary tyler moore show" to santa in "elf." >> i'm not going to embarrass you by printing this >> buddy, you are more of an elf than anyone i ever met >> we'll look back at some more of his most iconic roles august 30th, 2021 >> hi. we're jim. >> and alicia. >> miller. we live in el paso, illinois

>> and we're celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary and we love the "today" show. >> hello, "today" show i'm turning 90 today and i'd like to celebrate with you. >> coming to you today from the florida keys, i'm christina. >> and i'm celebrating my 10th birthday with some special friends. >> my name is andrew and i live in florida and today is my 7th birthday and i want to go to new york to see the "today" show good-bye >> nice to see all those smiling faces today. glad that you're with us on a monday morning savannah has the morning off and boy, has it been a busy morning. a lot of folks in louisiana just waking up, sun just coming up and wondering what has ida left behind that's where we begin with your news at 8:00 tropical storm ida now headed to mississippi after battering louisiana sunday it was a powerful category 4 hurricane. in fact, that hurricane sat on

top of louisiana for six hours with those incredible winds, flooding massive power outages are left in its wake and that, of course, hindering rescue efforts we're going to start this off with nbc news senior national correspondent tom llamas right there in the french quarter. finally, the sun is coming up and you can kind of see the damage hey, tom, morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning to you look, we've been showing you some of the damage we saw here on the corner of telussa and decatur. this is the heart of the french quarter. i heard you ask al in the first hour how the rest of the french quarter was doing. we've been driving around a little bit it looks to have held up there are some building collapses, but they seem to be older buildings or buildings that were in repair already. it looks like most of the french quarter is okay, but the big problems right now, the massive power outages. nearly a million people without power across southern louisiana. here in new orleans, that's affecting both cell phone towers and some of the sewage pumps we're also following reports that a massive electrical tower collapsed into the mississippi

river. now we're hearing reports that some of the river towns, including a place called john lafitte, have had catastrophic damage the leveeings didn't fail, but they became overtopped, so the water rushed in over if you can imagine that, those levees are so high, the water rose so high over those levees that now these towns apparently are flooded and the rescues are under way as we speak. so we're going to get more of that reporting coming our way and we're just learning about this as the sun is coming up people throughout this area dealing with power outages and really a stern message from emergency management officials if you evacuated, don't come back if you're here, stay inside. it's just too dangerous. we've already seen people come out to kind of survey the damage, see what's going on. that's exactly what they don't want to happen but, of course, people are curious. they don't want to stay in their homes. there's no ac. the water pressure is very low it's unclear if you can even drink it right now some areas are under a boil water advisory

so there's a lot of questions. as you know with no power, people aren't getting any answers. >> yeah. just imagine them sitting alone in their apartment or in their home wondering what's going on and thinking, let me wander outside and see what'spping. but that's good advice, tom. we'll which can back with you in just a bit >> at least now that the sun is coming up, the rescue operations can start there. just about 50 miles southwest of where tom was, the city of houma, louisiana, directly in ida's path that's where we find nbc's morgan chesky. he's there live for us this morning. morgan, what is the scene there as the sun comes up? >> reporter: craig, it was -- it's exactly what we thought it would be, unfortunately, and that is devastation in nearly every direction you look i showed you some of the damage earlier here this is just one of the businesses of many, not even mentioning the homes, that have been impacted by ida when it roared ashore here we're just about 30 miles from the gulf of mexico we're sitting at 10 feet above sea level here in the city of houma.

that is why they took the brunt of this hurricane when it made its way through here no water, no power people don't really know when those things are going to come back right now and i think it's important to note that urge from officials not to get out on the roads is absolutely something you need to listen to right now. power lines are still blocking a lot of the streets here. power poles are down i had a police officer tell me that he's already had two flat tires today just trying to get from neighborhood to neighborhood to see how bad these areas are. and we're not even mentioning the lower lying parts of terrebonne parish that could be partially under water. but the majority of the damage we're seeing today is related to that wind. 140-mile-per-hour gusts reported in this area and we saw buildings being picked apart while we were seeking shelter inside a parking garage here in houma. i said it once, i'll say it again. people who grew up here who lived through katrina, through rita, they tell me this is the

worst they've seen one good example of that is they actually had a power plant here retrofitted to withstand a category 4 hurricane they had to evacuate the crew out last night because the roof was being peeled back by ida's winds. that is just one example of how this storm didn't catch everyone necessarily by surprise but proved she was every bit of that category 4 monster craig. >> morgan, thank you we are joined on the phone now by jordi bloodsworth with the louisiana cajun navy what is that a volunteer group. regular, everyday joes and women who get their boats out and go out and try to just find and rescue people. jordy, boy, i know a lot of people are going to be looking forward to seeing you. rescued we have a report from laplace that there may have been up to 1,000 people looking for a lot of folks are looking to get rescued we have a report from laplace

that there may have been up to 1,000 people looking for rescue, desperately tweeting and getting on your facebook page. tell us what you're hearing and what your game plan is for getting them out >> i'm hearing similar i know from people that have contacted me directly, i have a list of somewhere around 30 addresses with up to nine people in some of these homes so, i mean, there's a couple hundred people alone right there and i'm sure there's plenty more so it could be the thousand number that people keep saying i'm on my way there right now to meet with the sheriff and get with his guys, kind of get briefed with them, and i will have my teams with me and we will work with them, under them, and split up to rescue everyone as quickly and safely as possible >> jordy, for folks who are watching or listening and they might know someone who is trapped down there, they see someone on social media, with so many people without power, with cell phone towers down, how do folks get in touch with you?

>> we just ask everyone to still try to call 911 if you have phone service. let someone know where you are they can reach out and then go 911, try to get away maybe outside or open a door, window or anything of that nature so when we're coming through neighborhoods and checking and calling, we can see you or hear you. and just hopefully rely on 911, as well. >> jordy, give us a sense. you are traveling into laplace that's one of the hardest-hit areas there in st. john parish what are you up against? how deep are the waters? do you have boats? how do you go about this rescue mission? >> we do have boats. i'm not sure of the exact water depths yet i know a lot of these houses have somewhere between a foot to six feet of water. i'm not sure about the road conditions yet the cell phone service has been deteriorating throughout the night and into the morning so getting in touch with the sheriff and his guys has been a

little tougher i'm waiting on a call back now to see my best way in. but it's looking like another, you know, bad storm that will be the downed trees and downed power lines to go around when you're trying to go around water and put boats in >> jordy, there are little moments when people get rescued that make your heart say thank god someone showed up. there is a piece of video floating around where there was a woman sitting in her car just look at this. the door opens she's literally thanking god that she's getting out of there and she's being rescued or -- is that a gentleman i can't tell i think it's a woman anyway, she has her phone in her hand somebody came to the rescue. so i know that there will be a lot of people in a situation not unsimilar to that one that we just witnessed waiting for you i've watched the cajun navy go in during katrina. i remember that row of boats and

i know there's a lot of work there. how many people are out on the hunt with you guys >> as of now, i'm going to have porbably somewhere between 20,so boats, chainsaws, different atv vehicles, high-water vehicles, things of that nature to start with and then one of the beautiful things about louisiana, we put out a call for help, if we need more help, it shows up and it shows up pretty quick. >> i know the -- what's funny, in katrina, there were people with boats going where do i go just tell me where to go so we're glad you're there, jordy. >> keep us posted. >> thank you, hon. >> thank you >> they're incredible, that cajun navy, they don't quit. >> angels in boats just ahead, we're going to pay tribute to hollywood legend ed asner who sort of made grumpy funny. >> you know what you've got spunk >> well, yeah.

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back now with a look at the life and career of a true hollywood legend seven-time emmy winning actor ed asner died over the weekend. he was 91. >> natalie morales joins us now for a look at one of the most talented actors of his generation hey, natalie good morning >> reporter: good morning to you guys ed asner really did it all his work over the years made us all life, cry and certainly think. and through it all, he stayed true to himself with unforgettable performances when it was time to perform, ed

asner was always ready >> so much i regret having taken this command >> reporter: a gifted actor who rose to any challenge. >> what are you asking me for? it's a stupid question >> reporter: raised in kansas city, the youngest of five children, asner became a household name on "the mary tyler moore show." >> you've got spunk. >> i hate spunk! >> reporter: playing grumpy but loveable boss lou grant. asner won his first three emmys on "mary tyler moore." the character was so popular, it earned its own spin-off. >> redo it >> asner got two more grammys at lou grant. >> i want them to know who's running this precinct. >> while on the big screen, asner's reputation for diving head first into character was cemented a two-term president of the screen actor's guild who fought

for his fellow artists, asner was an outspoken activist whose film work entertained generations of moviegoers, including his turn as santa in "elf." >> i can't do anything right >> buddy, you're more of an elf than anyone i ever met. >> reporter: and as the voice of carl fredricson in the animated hit "up. >> ready >> ready >> reporte favorites here on "today," asner opened up to al in 2017 about his legendary career >> he's the avuncular person we all know in life who we cower at at first and then learn that he's not such a monster. >> a lot of ed asner in lou grant? >> i would say i borrowed from lou grant. >> reporter: the tributes pouring in, mira sor reno calling him "great, talented,

magnanimous, and loving. josh gad remembering a beautiful soul and a truly brilliant actor. a versatile and gifted talent, his performances will continue to entertain generations for years to come. well, asner was not just a talented actor, but as we mentioned, very involved in equity in the entertainment industry within the screen actor's guild, and he did a lot of work on awareness building and fund-raising for autism. he created the ed asner family center for children with autism. he has a son and grandson with autism speaks tweeted a nice note, noting his legacy as an advocate will live on. >> beautiful life. he just seemed to hit so many different buttons. al, you had a chance to sit down with him al happens to be in new orleans right now. al, i know you shared some real memorable moments with ed asner. >> yeah. i was surprised at how open he was talking about past mistakes and regrets. and he was also still very

passionate about his activism. so he is truly going to be missed on so many different levels, guys and as we see, the clouds finally starting to lift a little bit, the light is out, and people are starting to walk around here in new orleans and here is what we've got, the latest from the national hurricane center on what was hurricane ida, now tropical storm ida. 45-mile-per-hour winds it's moving to the north at 8 miles per hour it's going to continue to pack a punch as it leaves, the strongest wind gusts up to 172 miles per hour it is pushing now to the north it is going to bring a lot more rain heavy rain, tornados possible still along the gulf and then continue to make its way to the northeast through kentucky, tennessee, causing flooding there into the mid-atlantic by wednesday, and then finally, off the coast by thursday. still bringing more heavy rain with it and that flood threat, 55 million people stretching from new york all the way down to the gulf. we've got a tornado watch down

here through the gulf, as well anywhere from 5 to 7 inches of rain up and down from the gulf, locally could be 12 inches at 5 to 7 inches as you get into the northeast. okay. avuncular. good monday morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. we take a look at our temperatures, where we're headed for today. still very hot for the inland, east bay as well. south counties reaching into the mid 90s. up to 85 today in san jose and 82 in napa. san francisco will see a high of 67. oakland today headed towards 73. we are still looking at a wide range in temperatures and moderate air quality, smoke drifting by. we'll see the smoke clearing out tonight. cooler temperatures in the forecast the rest of the week. guys, interestingly enough, about 15 minutes ago, we had two caravans that really important here, one, the cajun navy. about four or five boats went through. and then we had a number of entergy utility trucks moving through on their way to try to restore power here >> help is on the way.

>> al, thank you so much mr. daly, got a little pop start for us >> we do we're going to start with broadway they're making a big comeback and doing it in a big way. this morning, we're highlighting the start of a new campaign to bring audiences back to new york's theater district. it's called "this is broadway" and is a result of actors and theater owners to get together industry hit particularly hard we have for you this morning, the first look at the short film narrated by oprah highlighting broadway's rich history. take a look. >> hello this is broadway the beginning of something truly spectacular, where you know you will always get goose bumps. this is where time stops every time a show starts ♪

this is broadway and we can't wait to welcome you home >> to watch the entire short film and learn more about "this is broadway," you can head to today.com. next up, the foo fighters, you may remember the drum battle with the music phenom mandy mitchell and now things have come full circle this weekend, foo fighters invited mandy on stage to perform "ever long" when they were at the form in los angeles. her excited dad taping that performance from backstage ♪ ♪ >> oh, she's showing off now that is awesome. >> yes >> rock star moment to remember

forever. wow, and not shy finally, chip gaines we've known to love his locks, perhaps? >> i'm not sure. >> no. >> but last week, he decided to chop off some of his hair to raise money for st. jude's hospital every donation milestone means he would chop off extra inches of his hair. the question is how much did he have to cut off? well, see for yourself chip posted a video of the big haircut on instagram >> i want to be a handsome bald person >> hey, chip, are you ready to see your fixer-upper >> what? that is a bald head. i've got a lot of feelings a lot of -- all the emotions >> and you did it for a great cause. i think it's so special. >> how about that? completely bald now. that campaign raised a whooping $509,000 for st. jude. so chip, good on you, man. >> carson, thank you still ahead on "today," our series "kids under pressure" and a new approach to mental health.

>> how some coaches are getting into the campaign with their students with one simple idea -- benice a very good monday morning to you. it is 8:26 now. i am laura garcia. breaking news overnight that we are following, the caldor fire spreading, leading to new evacuations for south lake tahoe. barton memorial hospital is also being evacuated. the fire burned more than 263 square miles or an area larger than san jose and oakland combined and it grew so quickly, caught fire crews off guard. containment levels dropped from 19 to 13%. more are under evacuation orders. more than 650 structures have been destroyed.

five people injured. of course, smoke from that fire entered the bay area. kari is keeping tabs on that. starting with moderate air quality in the bay area, especially the inland east bay. we'll see hotter temperatures remaining today with highs reaching into the low to mid 90s. today, 76 degrees in hayward. looking at heat today, improved air quality and cooler temperatures in the forecast for the rest of the week here, laura. >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us. we'll be back with another update in a half hour. hope to see you then. enjoy your monday morning.

tonight -- >> biden went after big social media platforms to stop the spread of misinformation the country has gone from the only thing we have to fear is fear itself to please don't take medical advice from a meme >> dwyane johnson in studio tonight. back now, 8:30 on a monday morning on this august 30th, 2021. >> look at us outside. >> got a little crowd here we'll spend time with them in just a bit coming up on a monday, though, with school starting up again,

we're going to kick off a new week-long series, "kids under pressure." this morning, a look at how one state is calling on its sports coaches to tackle mental health and to help students in a whole new way. plus, hard to believe. soon enough, the leaves will be changing so if you're planning on maybe taking a hike this fall, we have some of the best gear for the great outdoorsect that i also one of our favorites, ms. lacksome -- lakshmi has a brand-new prosect that is all about getting kids into the kitchen and making memories. speaking of kitchen, it's make ahead monday. get ready for some back to school recipes we have one for you with three simple ingredients using a classic, the chicken cutlet. and coming up tomorrow, we'll have a live report from buckingham palace on the 24th anniversary of princess diane car crash. plus, shocking new details of meghan and harry out from their new book it's called "finding freedom." but next, al is in new

orleans tracking ida >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by abbott life to the fullest. let's look at the week ahead and show you what we've got. as you might imagine, ida is going to dominate the eastern half of country. out west, sizzling -- by the time we get to the midweek period, we have more flooding into the mid-atlantic and northeast. hot and humid, central plains. heavy rain developing in the southwest. good morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. as we look at inland temperatures the next seven days, going to be still very warm and smoky this afternoon, but we will see improvements as

a westerly wind picks up. we're going to cool down the next few days and see clearer air for the bay area. for san francisco, expect temperatures in the mid-60s. more clouds than fog each morning with some afternoon sunshine, breezy winds. we're going to continue to watch conditions around the caldor fire. as the winds spread, it may head to the cierra. >> all right thank you, mr. roker, down in new orleans. when we come back, "kids under pressure" could be a game changer. how one state is now relying on sports coaches to help kids manage mental health kate snow is standing by because she talked to some students who say it's working say it's working but first, this is "today" on

every time nacho fries came back, that bold seasoning was drawing something closer. and once they taste that warm nacho cheese sauce... they won't stop till there's nothing left. taco bell's fry force. now serving at a taco bell near you. this morning, we'r this morning, we're taking off our week long series "kids under pressure." >> with students returning to the classroom, we'll be focused on the mental health challenges many of them face right now.

>> and we're looking at how one state is getting people involved in their mental health nbc senior national correspondent kate snow is here with more on this one. kate, good morning >> hey, good morning, hoda well before the pandemic led to higher levels of anxiety and depression in our kids, the michigan high school athletic association realized that coaches have a unique opportunity to reach their student athletes it's one of a handful of states where every single coach is getting training around mental health in michigan, it's through a foundation with the simple name "be nice." who is looking forward to this school year? >> a little bit. >> you're anxious? >> yes >> what art environment again. i haven't seen, like, half of my classmates in over a year and a half >> reporter: josiah is a senior who runs track and cross-country. junior kaleb kanude and seniors chris and patrick play football at university of detroit jesuit high school.

>> one, two, three >> reporter: patrick, you said you're a little worried about things shutting down again >> yeah. just because we've got back at this point of something kind of normal i'm hoping it stays here and the whole delta variant doesn't come back and wipe that away. >> reporter: in a word, what has the last year and a half of school be line >> stressful >> eventful. >> tedious >> difficult >> reporter: difficult, yeah i get that sports are an outlet, so when every season was delayed or shortened last year, it hurt you said one of the lowest points maybe in your life was during the pandemic. >> not being able to be with friends and you feel like you're alone at some points >> i think missing out on a whole year of that opportunity to get out and socialize and be part of your community, i think that took a big toll on everybody. >> reporter: caleb has dyslexia and struggled with virtual learning >> i developed anger issues towards the end of the ninth grade year then it got worse with the pandemic there wasn't really anybody i

could talk to about my anger issues or a way to get my anger issues under control because i was inside all the time. >> reporter: who were you angry at >> i think i was mostly angry at myself yeah >> reporter: three years ago, michigan decided to train coaches to recognize risk factors, warning signs, and know what to do do you think the coaches can tell when you're not doing well? >> yes, most definitely. >> matt lewis is the football coach. jenny wind, cross-country and track. you sometimes spend more time with these kids than they probably spend with their parents in a day >> no doubt. >> absolutely. a kid is not going to be able to hide when they're running a 400. we can see right away they're having a rough day, they're struggling >> reporter: 20,000 high school and 10,000 middle school coaches have watched training videos with specific tips developed by the group "be nice." notice changes in athletes

invite a conversation. >> in a nonthreatening way saying i'm seeing this instead of pointing a finger at a student. you say i'm seeing this or i recognize this >> it gives you language >> it gives you language >> how do you make them feel comfortable that you're a safe person to talk to? >> i think it goes back to those relationships, you know, and we want to know about them not just as an athlete, not just an academic what's going on in their life. when you build those relationships, you start to build trust. >> reporter: that trust means a coach can empower a student to get help >> we aren't expected as coaches to have all the answers. >> but you can guide them. >> we can guide them >> reporter: christy buck, executive director of be nice saysything >> it's talking about this and normalizing that it's okay to feel this way, that you are not alone. i'm going to help you find a solution i am going to help you right now and we're going to get to the bottom of this that's what coaches can do >> reporter: can do and are doing at this school

>> even if i'm walking past him, he'll give me a fist bump, a high five, just to check in on me and see how i'm doing he does that with everybody. >> i feel like being part of the conversation is important. i feel like it's something that we have to do to get the ball rolling. it's okay to not be okay and just trying to get that conversation started is very important. >> so with the training in michigan, it's not complicated coaches watch a 14-minute video about the "be nice" mental health strategies. but that's the thing that is enough to teach them skills that school has gone further than that. they have to watch a training on concussions, guys. as coach wind said to me, her cross-country runners are more likely to deal with mental health struggles than ever have a concussion, so it makes sense. >> what a great concept. >> so important, kate. especially the mental health struggle in the world of sports

stigma is so great because of their reluctance to talk to coaches about what's going on with them. might jeopardize a starting position or something. so the program itself is fantastic. >> yeah. and it's really changing right now. >> all right kate snow for us, thank you so much coming up, we're taking a hike on the plaza, showing off some of the best gear to take in the great outdoors this fall but firs this is "today" on t,

this morning on "today wellness," our ultimate exercise guide to the best walking and hiking gear. >> so a lot of people rely on being outdoors for their health. one recent survey of active adults, 59% say they choose outdoor activities like walking, running, and hiking as the best way to stay fit. >> so we brought in contributing editor clint carter from men's journal magazine he's here with everything we all need to hit the trails and that qr code. you can see it at the bottom of your screen, it's going to give you instant access to all the items clint is about to talk

about. hiking took off at the beginning of the pandemic. everyone went outside, my family include. is it still wildly popular >> it is people want to be outside right now, but walking in nature is good for stress, anxiety, depression and it's helping a lot of people. >> let's get decked out. the right clothes, the right gear, you feel good while you're going. let's start from the top to the bottom >> what you're looking for in a shirt is something that wicks sweat away from your body and it's going to keep you dry these shirts from eddie bauer, perfect. made of polyester. great wicking material but they're treated to prevent bacterial growth on the pants, you want something with a little bit of stretch these from prada are perfect nylon but blended with some elastic fibers so when you're stepping over logs, striding it out, they stay comfortable >> and you should wear long pants when you're out hiking >> you can wear shorts, but if it's tick season, you should

probably want to stick with the pants. >> let's keep going. ageing, thn >> sun protection. spf, prevent cancer, premature ageing, the hiking sombrero, perfect. and it's vented at the top so all the steam heat you build at the top will move right out. people think you need to have big heavy hiking boots not necessarily the case you can get away with light weight what you're really looking for is look at the tread on the bottom of the shoe >> that's a merrill. that's a great shoe. >> reinforcement at the toe. a stiff sole that will make sure if you step on rocks you don't roll your ankle. >> are these expensive >> about $100, $120 depending on which pair you get >> these are for hard core hikers >> so if you're trying to build up your fitness, you want to get ready for longer hikes, these are great. they're ankle weights. only a pound or two, but because they're at the end of your arms and legs, they feel like a lot more these have the advantage of looking nice so you have a little fitness fashion going on there.

>> now, the walking stick seems a little odd to me >> big fan of these. you extend it out, you get one in each arm, keeps you upright if you're on rough terrain, but transfers energy from your legs to your arms so you're using your whole body. it's a full-body workout and you turn walking into a full body workout. >> you can pick up trash, too, on the trails. >> my favorite water bottle here, yeti rambler keeps hot beverages hot, cold beverages cold they have about half a dozen different lids depending on what you want to do if you want to drink coffee on the trail or water i love this one, it's a classic water bottle top but sticks on the side brilliant there. another alternative for hydration. the classic camelback, it has the water reservoir in the back. hold about 2 1/2 liters of water here you can drink from a straw on your shoulder strap. >> this is great for people who hike with their kids

because my kids, they always want to use my water bottle. >> so now you have your own. also, the lumbar pack, this one from osprey is great sits on your lower back. holds your snacks, your bug spray, that's an awesome option there, too space for two water bottles. the all trails app, if i want to navigate from your phone, you have all your trail maps in your phone. use your phone's gps to navigate it doesn't matter if you have a internet service or not. that's awesome if you're using your phone to navigate, you want to have a battery charger. waterproof, just in case, you can clip it on the outside of your bag and charge a couple of phones all the way >> clint, thank you, honey thank you so much. >> yeah, of course to find these products, head to today.com/shop or use that qr code just below so we may get a small commission through the purchase price with the links. still to come, padma lakshmi is here.

she has a new children's book and her secrets to getting your and her secrets to getting your kids involve shoot. what's wrong? i think i'm down to my last inhaler. don't worry. you can refill it and get it delivered using the kaiser permanente app. smart. refill most prescriptions

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we're back with today's you see padm food. see padma lakshmi, top we're back with padma lakshmi top chef and hulu's "taste of the nation she's teaching us and it's a cool book, it's called "tomatoes for mila." she's bringing that beautiful lesson to children look at you, miss children's book author. how are you? >> i'm good. i'm so excited i love children's literature i have bought so many books with my daughter over the years this is based on a story i used to tell her at bedtime she came home wanting pomegranates in the summer and i realized that, you know, this child doesn't live near a farm or an orchard and has no idea where anything grows.

if you're lucky enough to go to a good grocery store, everything is available all the time in our land of plenty i started with tomatoes and it is paced on the story to tell children when our fruits and vegetables grow in what near us teaching a child to eato teaching them about the environment, nutrition, not only are vegetables fruits tast and it's also about cooking with their family members, every family member in the family because i think everyone has a i feel like it's all about lovey and i love the lessons of cooking and being with families. but the first thing i thought when i looked at this cover, which was breathtaking, was i thought about you and your daughter i looked and i said oh, my god, is that padma and her daughter who you said is now 11 years old. but first of all, what does she think of this?

and why was it important to depict someone like you and your daughter in this book? >> well, when i was growing up, i didn't have a lot of books that had, you know, characters with darker skin tones i grew up with filipinos and mexicans and everybody that was fine to have european american or caucasian skin tones, but i think it's nice to have all kinds of skin tones for characters for children's books, for all kids, because representation is important. i want everybody and every family to see themselves in mila and her mama i use indian words the mother has a nose ring they have a grandma who is called fati, the word for grandma in tamil they have a relationship with her. and in the pandemic, we've all not been able to get together with grandparents. but the grandmother has a very important part to play in teaching the child about recipes. it's also about writing down

recipes. i think recipes are a great way to teach kids all the things they're learning developmentally like spelling, sequential ordering, fractions, math, and so i did that with krishna when i was testing recipes, i would give her little tomatoes and a serrated butter knife and she would write down in her notebook those recipes >> that's the cutest thing did this pass the krishna test did you run it by her? what did she think when she saw it >> i did she knows the story well there was a squirrel in the initial story. i told her that got the axe. there's a lot. there's tomato facts in this book there's matter about farm workers because it's important to respect everyone in the food chain, and there's also resources for parents who want to teach their children more about farm workers and that whole situation, but also it's really just about cooking together, because the earlier you can get children involved

with the food they eat, the more likely they are to eat well. a child that has a hand in making their own food is a child that will take pride in their food and if you give a gift, the gift of good eating, to a child early on, that will serve them and benefit them long after we're out of their lives you know, you can have them shell peas, you can have them break ends off beans it is an activity for the family to do together >> i just picture you as a mother right now we've known you for so many years. you came on this show and we were pointing out when you were pregnant krishna is now 11 years old. what is your favorite part of motherhood >> it changes every day. because she's changing every day. and so am i. and, you know, when young parents ask me how do you get your kid to eat healthy, i say, well, how do you eat >> that's it that's the answer. >> i really believe in incorporating children into the daily life that's normal as early and as is age appropriate,

but soon, you know don't shield your kids from stuff. let them experience stuff with you. let them see you cry let them see you fail, you know, if you can she certainly sees me do all those things, i can tell you that >> this book, "tomatoes for neila," is gorgeous. every page is beautiful. it has recipes in the back i know people are going to love it so i hope people pick it up and this one you signed for me and my girls thank you so much. we're going to read it tonight and for more on that, you can get your hands on it, head over to today.com/shop. thank you, padma coming up, take a trip around the world with us and coming up next in the third hour, kate the chemist shows us a rainbow explosion. don't forget, we have a podcast, too. download it and enjoy.

a very good monday morning to you. 8:56. i am laura garcia. light rail service is back on track more than three months after the rail yard mass shooting. limited service resumed yesterday, transporting fans to the niners, raiders preseason

game at levi stadium. until september 13th, light rail fares won't be collected. also, only orange and green lines are running. happening now, kris sanchez is tracking it and has a complete report midday. and the caldor fire extending further overnight. new evacuation orders for south lake tahoe. that means people should be ready to leave.

every time nacho fries came back, that bold seasoning was drawing something closer.

and once they taste that warm nacho cheese sauce... they won't stop till there's nothing left. taco bell's fry force. now serving at a taco bell near you. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning and welcome to the third hour of "today." we are cruising through hours. it's monday, august 30th >> thinking of everybody down south. >> exactly in new orleans, the entire city is waking up without power this morning after hurricane ida hit sunday as a category 4 hurricane.