breaking news tonight, hurricane francine making landfill as a category 2 storm as we come on the air and set for a potential direct hit on new

orleans. the state of emergency. francine slamming ashore in louisiana packing 100-mile-per-hour winds and up to ten feet of life-threatening storm surge. a national guard truck running off the road. our team in the storm zone, and al roker tracking it all. also tonight, kamala harris and donald trump coming face-to-face again and shaking hands at a 9/11 memorial in new york just hours after their fiery debate. the candidates clashing over the economy, abortion, the border, and the moment the former president pushed a baseless and shocking claim about immigrants in ohio. did the debate sway voters, and will there be a rematch? plus, the impact the endorsement from taylor swift is already having. the raging california wildfire exploding ten times in size in just 24 hours. dozens of homes destroyed. dramatic rescues and word tonight of people

trapped including an off-duty officer. plus, the arson arrest in another massive inferno. inflation cooling to 2.5% with the fed set to cut rates. justin timberlake after his dwi arrest this summer reaching a plea deal. and there is good news tonight, the special storytime from space. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, and welcome. we want to take you right to new orleans where hurricane francine is taking direct aim with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour. the now category 2 strength hurricane making its landfill tonight close to morgan city, louisiana. the national hurricane center warning of dangerous and life-threatening hurricane-force winds. the storm marching ashore along the gulf of mexico bringing heavy rains and flooding and a storm surge of up to ten feet. dangerous conditions including a tornado

risk expected through the evening impacting southwest louisiana, mississippi, all the way to the florida panhandle. the rapid development of francine over just a few days left a shortened window for hurricane preps with sandbagging not getting under way until yesterday in some places. on its current track, the storm could be a direct hit to new orleans. the heavy rains testing the crescent city's network of pumps. tom llamas is there for us. tom, what are you seeing? >> reporter: so, lester, the situation here in new orleans is getting more intense by the minute. this city has faced bigger and stronger hurricanes, but when this hurricane came ashore, it had a rapid intensity. now, a category 2 hurricane, and soon the big easy will feel those 100-mile-per-hour winds. just behind me here is lake pontchartrain, and as you know, new orleans is between the mississippi river and lake pontchartrain. 50% of the city is below sea level, so water is always the big threat here, but tonight there's also the scare of

tornadoes. tonight, hurricane francine lashing the louisiana coast. the massive storm barreling into the new orleans area and drenching surrounding communities. >> take this storm seriously. it is a serious storm. >> reporter: the warm waters of the gulf strengthening the powerful system, now a category 2 hurricane. wind gusts churning at 100 miles per hour. dangerous storm surge slamming into the coast with pounding rain and flash flooding threatening many neighborhoods. >> i wasn't really taking it serious until now. i see, it's really real. >> reporter: and besides dealing with the hurricane, first responders in new orleans also putting out a fire in this district. you can see the firefighters are inside the structure. the massive hole caused by the fire as the rain bands from hurricane francine come down on them. gas stations shut down. flights canceled. businesses boarded up, and the national guard on the move. no injuries were

reported. the president approving a fema emergency declaration for the state. >> the time to evacuate has now passed. it is the time to go to ground and hunker down. >> reporter: flood watches are in place for 9 million people from louisiana to florida. these are communities that still bear the scars of past hurricanes. tonight they're once again bracing as another massive storm makes its move. >> i'm just praying to the lord to protect us. >> tom, what are you seeing around you? are people heeding the warnings and staying indoors? >> reporter: lester, this is pretty incredible. in just those two minutes that we saw that report, the situation has gotten even worse here in new orleans. we're feeling now those hurricane-force wind gusts. people were out here earlier. this is the lakeview section of new orleans. people love to come out here in great weather. even during thunderstorms and before hurricanes to see the storms rolling in. right now i can't see anybody out here. it is dangerous, and we've just gotten an alert that in jefferson parish, which is the suburbs around new orleans, they're asking people

to limit their water use. they're scared of the water coming in and backing up those pipes. lester, back to you. >> tom llamas and team, thank you. to al roker tracking francine. now it's going to be a long night. >> it really is, lester. you can see the bands which are those heavy bands just to the south of new orleans. that's what tom is dealing with right now. it is pushing in, and it is going to be the next 24 hours very difficult. right now francine still a category 2. 100-mile-per-hour winds moving northeast at 17 miles per hour. heavy rainfall, they are going to be looking at four to six inches or more. wind gusts of up to 75 miles per hour. that means power outages, isolated tornadoes. if fact, tornado watches right now including new orleans and parts of louisiana. we're going to be watching this system push its way up into the mississippi valley. look for rainfall, up to 4 inches, some places up to 12 inches of rain, lester. >> all right, al roker, thank you.

now to the race for the white house and the day after their heated debate, vice president harris and former president trump were together again. this time marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. here's peter alexander. >> reporter: at ground zero today, vice president harris and former president trump shaking hands again, both appearing at the solemn ceremony commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack and the nearly 3,000 americans who lost their lives. >> jack charles aron. >> joshua todd aron. >> reporter: later in a show of unity, president biden briefly wearing a trump hat handed to him by a supporter of the former president. it comes as the harris campaign is touting her performance at last night's debate calling for a second one. the former president, who had insisted on multiple debates, now noncommittal. >> are we going to do a rematch? i just don't know. i would do nbc. i'll do fox too. >> reporter: it follows their historic face-off, the first ever meeting between the two that began with an unexpected greeting initiated by the vice president. >> kamala harris.

>> good to see you. >> reporter: but the pleasantries did not last long. >> this is so rich coming from someone who has been prosecuted. >> i probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me. >> reporter: for 90 minutes harris delivered on her strategy to try to provoke outbursts from the former president mocking his rallies. >> and what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. >> reporter: trump repeatedly taking the bait. >> she said people start leaving. people don't go to her rallies. there's no reason to go. >> reporter: harris pressing her rival on his refusal to accept the 2020 election results. >> donald trump was fired by 81 million people. clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that. >> reporter: and in another dramatic moment, slamming him for praising the repeal of roe v. wade. >> you want to talk about, this is what people wanted? pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid

they might go to jail, and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot. she didn't want that. >> reporter: though harris did not specify if she supports any restrictions on abortion. trump targeted harris for her record on the economy. >> i've never seen a worse period of time. people can't go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else. >> reporter: and on the border. >> they've destroyed the fabric of our country. millions of people let in. >> reporter: also going after her recent reversals on progressive policies like a fracking ban that she has since said she opposes. >> she will never allow fracking in pennsylvania. if she won the election, fracking in pennsylvania will end on day one. >> reporter: the vice president closing the debate on an optimistic note. >> we can chart a new way forward, and a vision of that includes having a plan, understanding the aspirations, the dreams, the hopes, the ambition of the american people. >> reporter: while trump argued harris is

all talk and no action. >> they've had 3 1/2 years to fix the border. they've had 3 1/2 years to create jobs and all the things we talked about. why hasn't she done it? >> reporter: as for a possible second debate, we've spoken to trump allies who say they're going to urge mr. trump to do another debate, because they say he allowed harris to get under his skin, and tonight we have just learned that more than 67 million people watched last night's showdown, lester. >> all right, peter alexander, thank you. one of the most inflammatory comments of last night's debate was a baseless claim by former president trump about immigrants in springfield, ohio. yamiche alcindor traveled there for us tonight. >> thank you. >> reporter: tonight, growing fallout over one of the most talked about moments of the debate. >> in springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. >> reporter: former president trump spreading unfounded claims that members of the growing haitian population in

springfield, ohio, are abusing pets. city officials say there's no evidence of that. mr. trump's running mate, senator j.d. vance, first spread the baseless accusations on social media earlier this week. when i questioned him about it in the debate spin room, he doubled down. >> senator vance, what do you say to haitian americans and haitian immigrants who say spreading false claims about them put their lives at risk? >> well, i don't think that -- no one has spread false claims. what they've said is that a small migrant community caused a lot of problems. >> the springfield city manager said there's no evidence that immigrants are eating animals. >> that just means the city manager, i think, isn't fully in touch with what's going on on the ground. >> reporter: city officials say the rumors may have begun with an unrelated case in another part of ohio where a u.s. citizen was arrested for a gruesome incident involving a cat. on the ground in springfield, we found deep tensions. >> it's just amid discrimination and xenophobia and racism.

>> reporter: this man runs a community center for haitians. >> they just believe that their words have no impact, and it's not true. so, immigrants in springfield, especially haitians, they also are concerned for their lives and the lives of the kids. >> reporter: in the last few years, officials say as many as 15,000 haitians legally in u.s. have moved to the city, which had about 60,000 residents before. city leaders had advertised newly created manufacturing jobs and springfield's some like bill monaghan said the city suffered from the change. >> it's been disastrous. >> what's your response to immigrants who say they're coming here to revitalize springfield? >> that's not what's happening to springfield. it might happen for them. it might happen for the landlords that are enriching themself, the city manager who is trying to pad his budget. >> reporter: in a city meeting last night, the parents of 11-year-old aiden clark spoke.

aiden was killed in a school bus crash last year after a jury found a haitian immigrant guilty and tensions escalated. >> i said to aiden that i would try to make a difference in his honor. this is it. >> reporter: tonight they're urging politicians and others to stop using their son's death to spread hate. >> you know that one of the worst feelings in the world is to not be able to protect your child. even worse, we can't even protect his memory when he's gone. please stop the hate. >> reporter: yamiche alcindor, nbc news, springfield, ohio. we want to get an update now on the worsening wildfire emergency in southern california where dozens of homes have been destroyed and several people have been injured including firefighters. dana griffin is on the fire line tonight. >> reporter: in southern california, the race to escape. a barefoot woman narrowly rescued by a fire crew as flames surround her. erratic winds fanned the bridge fire overnight burning across two counties destroying at least 39 homes. this woman and her cat helped to safety near

here, the hardest hit area. here the fire has come down the hill. it is now burning along the roadway, jumping over to this side of the street where you can see trees are now on fire, hollowing them out and this will likely fall on the road and block it. >> how do you wrap your head around all of this? >> you don't. not yet. >> reporter: chuck lyons' dream home is now unrecognizable but he knows every inch. >> this was our basement. this was our living room. >> reporter: as fires rage 34-year-old was arrested for starting the fire. burning for nearly a week in san bernardino county. his family declined to talk. and the sheriff there says two people have been arrested for allegedly trying to burglarize evacuated homes in the fire zone. >> if you're going to an opportunist in san bernardino county, if we catch you, you are going to jail. >> reporter: air quality has plummeted as winds push smoke into las vegas, but as homes fall to the

fire's forward march, some vow to stop it any way they can. >> i built that damn house right there. it's not mine but i'm not going to let it burn. >> reporter: dana griffin, wrightwood, california. in memphis opening statements in the federal trial of three former police officers charged in the death of 29-year-old tyre nichols last year. priscilla thompson is at the courthouse. priscilla, what happened there today? >> reporter: lester, tadarrius bean, demetrius haley, and justin smith have all pleaded not guilty to using excessive force, failure to intervene, witness tampering, and more. federal prosecutors today argued that these officers took turns beating tyre nichols, but the defense said that the cops' actions were in line with their training. now, two other ex-officers, desmond mills and emmitt martin iii have pleaded guilty and will testify, prosecutors said. the three men could face life in prison if convicted. lester. >> okay, priscilla,

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when you bundle home and auto with us. what are those, cumulus clouds? u.s. inflation cooled again in august with overall prices rising at an annual rate of 2.5%. the lowest level in more than three years. christine romans is here. christine, this is good news, but maybe with a catch. >> yeah, lester, exactly. good news, because when the federal reserve meets next week it is almost certain to begin cutting interest rates, the only question, by how much. mortgage rates have been declining two full points from last october, good news for anyone looking to buy a home, but here's what isn't. shelter, the government's word for housing, up half a percent in just a month, and it's the main driver of august monthly inflation rates, and as mortgage rates drop, which boosts, of course, your buying power, there is a good chance because so few homes are for sale prices will only go up with more people entering

the market, so it's a stubborn problem, really, and one that the presidential candidates are now paying more attention to. >> okay, christine romans, thank you. up next she stole the headlines with her endorsement of kamala harris. how taylor swift is already having an impact on voters. [instructor] hold it! hold it! don't think i can hold it. bladder leak?

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friday. and another pop star making news, taylor swift giving kamala harris a surprise endorsement, but does this kind of celebrity support really sway voters? here's savannah sellers. >> breaking [ bleep ] news. >> she endorsed kamala tonight. >> reporter: just moments after the debate, it was the instagram post that ricocheted across the internet and social media. >> taylor swift endorsed madam vp kamala harris. >> reporter: pop megastar star taylor swift telling her 283 million followers that after seeing artificial intelligence of her falsely endorsing donald trump, she felt the need to be transparent. >> i'm sad that i didn't two years ago, but i can't change that. >> reporter: swift, who in this netflix documentary, agonized over not engaging in the 2016 election now declares, i'm voting for kamala harris, because she fights for the rights and causes i believe need a warrior to champion

them, and pushing her fans to a voter registration site. >> let trumpamania make america great again. >> reporter: trump enjoys celebrity endorsements as well, hulk hogan and kid rock showing their support at the rnc. a recent harvard study says when it comes to celebrities, evidence indicates that these voices are incredibly powerful. if not for candidate support, for boosting political engagement, an open question with young voters who may be encouraged by swift. >> i'm just following my own truth, and that truth has led me to barack obama. >> reporter: celebrities can also create momentum like oprah's endorsement of barack obama over hillary clinton and george clooney's op-ed encouraging president biden to leave the race. taylor swift, now potentially the most influential childless cat lady of 2024. >> and, lester, the swift effect already having an impact. that voter registration site that she pushed, by

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its second day. for astronaut anna menon, this mission is about more than distance, it's about connection. this morning from the dragon capsule, menon hosted a very special story time. the spacex medical officer read her book, "kisses from space," to a select group back on earth including her own kids and children with cancer. proceeds from the book will benefit st. jude's life-saving work. >> higher and higher we rose to the sky. who knew that a dragon could fly up so high? >> reporter: at the end of the story 7-year-old st. jude patient micah asked an important question. >> do people live in space, and do you want to live in space? >> for now we're living in space for five days, and we'll be home pretty soon. >> what was it like to ask an astronaut in space a question? >> it was cool. >> reporter: two years ago micah was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. now cancer-free, his mom rebecca says experiences like this have helped the family find joy. >> it kind of makes you special, because people want to bless

you and love on you and let you know that you're not alone. >> reporter: tonight as anna menon floats among the stars, micah's family is now inspired to embark on their own mission, to pay it forward. erin mclaughlin, nbc news. as we leave you, we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge this solemn date. a nation once more pausing to remember what happened here in 23 years ago. with all that is going on in our lives, in our country, in our time, the perfect blue sky of a september day reminds us our hearts have not yet fully healed. that's "nightly news." thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt, please take care of yourself and each other. good night.