breaking news breaking news tonight, helene gaining strength, and i know a major category 4 storm set to hit florida soon. the monster hurricane bearing down on the florida panhandle with 130-mile-an-hour winds. heavy rain and up to 20 feet of life-threatening storm surge. tallahassee in the crosshairs. forecasters warning conditions along the coast will be unsurvivable. states of emergency and mandatory evacuations in effect. our team in the storm zone. and al roker with the latest track. also tonight, new york mayor eric adams indicted on federal corruption charges. the mayor accused of accepting bribes, free or discounted trips and luxury hotel stays from foreign nationals and a turkish official. the fbi searching his official residence. his defiant message as he faces calls to resign. israel's benjamin netanyahu vowing to keep striking hezbollah in lebanon with full force, despite the u.s. push for a ceasefire.

kamala harris meeting today with ukrainian president zelenskyy. donald trump saying he'll meet zelenskyy tomorrow after slamming him for not cutting a deal with russia to end the war. and the little hippo who is a big social media hit. and now you can see her 24/7. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. when this week began, hardly anyone was talking about a storm named helene. tonight it's all anyone can talking about along the florida coast and across the deep south. as we come on the air right now, category 4 hurricane helene powering its way ashore on florida's iconic big bend region. forecasters have warned it could gain even more strength before official landfall just a few hours from now. the hugely powerful storm captured these images taken from a hurricane hunter plane, producing sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. the sprawling mass of

helene a jaw-dropping 500 miles in diameter. already tonight, some dramatic images of the storm surge. water rushing beneath florida's matlacha bridge. a storm surge of up to 20 feet forecasted. virtually the entire west coast of florida under hurricane and storm surge alerts. georgia and south carolina also in the line of fire tonight. we'll get to al roker for the latest tracking in just a moment. but let's start in tallahassee with tom llamas. tom, what are you expecting there? >> lester, good evening. some are calling this tallahassee's most dangerous storm event ever. you can see the streets are empty right now. people are hunkering down. the rain is just starting to pick up. it is quite calm right now, but we know it's going to be a very, very violent night. as you just showed our viewers, this is a massive storm affecting almost all of florida. and right now on a collision course with millions of its residents. tonight, that monster hurricane helene aiming for florida's

capital, destroying these docks as tallahassee braces for catastrophe. >> this area has not had a major hurricane hit in quite some time, and certainly nobody in recent memory has seen a storm of this magnitude that has hit. >> reporter: with a foot of rain and triple-digit winds in the forecast, residents bracing for power outages and floodwaters raging in. authorities urging everyone to get inland fast. sergeant, you just came over here to tell us something important. what was that news? >> that evacuation is mandatory, and as you can see by the water, it's going to get worse. we need to make sure everybody gets cleared out of here as quick as possible and as safe as possible. >> reporter: a hurricane so severe the national weather service calls the storm surge potentially unsurvivable. 46 million under flood alerts. 20 million at risk for tornadoes. and helene's fury could turn trees into weapons. >> you have a great home that can withstand a category 3 storm winds. it's a lot more

difficult to withstand a big tree falling on your roofs. >> reporter: as hazardous tides menace the big bend region, some coastal towns could see storm surges 20-feet high. this weekend was supposed to be a big money festival at john turner's bar. instead, it's a disaster. you're obviously taking this thing seriously. what do you think is going to happen? >> we're going prepare for the worst obviously and hope for the best and pray for the best. >> reporter: for many, shelters are the only way the stay safe. that's where naomi alonzo and her three kids will ride it out. >> well, since, you know, we've never been through a hurricane like this big and we would rather be safe, you know, just in case. >> reporter: tonight, as the full force of helene lands on shore, local officials with a final warning. >> if you're just bound and determined to stay and not get out of harm's way, go and take a black magic marker, write your name, social security and everything on your arm so we can identify you. >> that's a sobering message, tom.

what are some of the big concerns for the state's capitol tonight as the storm moves in? >> lester, you heard the governor say it, right. they want to make sure tallahassee is ready. they haven't seen a storm like this in a long time. one of the concerns these beautiful oak trees. they're all over tallahassee, right. they provide beautiful tree cover, but when they come down, they can be dangerous. we're talking about a category 4 storm that could turn this city upside down. >> tom, thank you. the impact of this hurricane is being felt well beyond florida. priya sridhar is in atlanta. priya, what's the situation there tonight? >> that's right, lester. businesses and schools in atlanta are already closed. officials say hurricane force from helene will be felt here in the city and across the state, warning of the potential for sustained power outages. tonight millions are being urged to stay off the roads as we brace for helene's impact. lester? >> priya sridhar tonight, thank you. al roker is tracking the storm. al, what's the latest? >> okay,

130-mile-per-hour winds, but it's moving a little faster now, moving northeast at 23 miles per hour, a category 4 storm with tornado watches from the carolinas down to the keys. some tornado warnings embedded in there as well. landfall somewhere tonight between 8 and 11:00 p.m. and what we're looking at is that dangerous storm surge, 10 to 20 feet from apalachicola to south of cedar key. tampa bay may see its all-time worst. wind gusts from 75 to 110 miles per hour along the florida panhandle. tomorrow as we move into georgia, 50 miles per hour wind gusts all along the i-95 corridor. a lot of damage. we could be looking at a major flood event across the appalachians, but down in the panhandle into the mid appalachians, we're talking, lester, 10 to 20 inches of rain. the flooding could be catastrophic, lasting right on into early next week. >> this is going to be a tough one. al, thanks very much. i want to get now to that sweeping federal corruption indictment of new york city mayor eric adams. prosecutors laying out how they say he abused his power for years.

adams maintaining his innocence and defiant today. here is laura jarrett. >> reporter: tonight, the first sitting new york city mayor in modern history indicted on federal bribery charges. >> i follow the rules. i follow the law. >> reporter: eric adams vowing to fight and stay in office as prosecutors revealed allegations in a sweeping 57-page indictment unsealed today, just hours after a predawn search of his official residence at gracie mansion. >> the conduct alleged in the indictment, the foreign money, the corporate money, the bribery, the years of concealment is a grave breach of the public's trust. >> reporter: adams accused in the indictment of accepting free or deeply discounted trips to china, sri lanka, and india, luxury hotel stays and more to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. bribes prosecutors say adams illegally accepted from wealthy foreigners and at least one turkish government official, all in exchange for political favors. >> year after year, he kept the public in the dark.

he told the public he received no gifts, even though he was secretly being showered with them. >> reporter: among the allegations of favoritism, in 2021, adams was informed it was, quote, his turn to help turkey. so he pressured the city's fire commissioner to green light approval of this building, despite serious safety concerns from the city, all because turkey wanted it opened in time for that year's united nations general assembly. after the approval went through, prosecutors say that unnamed turkish official wrote adams, "you are a true friend of turkey." >> these are bright red lines, and we allege that the mayor crossed them again and again. >> reporter: prosecutors also accuse the mayor of masking illegal donations from foreigners, secretly routing their money through small dollar donors based in the u.s., so-called straw contributions, and they say his campaign took advantage of a new york program that matches smaller contributions to, quote, steal public

funds, raking in more than $10 million. but his defense team says the evidence will exonerate him. >> there are emails with mayor adams this telling this staffer, telling all of them, do not take foreign money, period. >> reporter: the policeman turned politician has lived under a legal cloud for more than a year, one growing darker in recent weeks as members of his administration have come under increasing scrutiny, several different investigations. the city's police commissioner, top lawyer and school chancellor have all resigned. but adams has steadfastly maintained his innocence. >> wait to hear our defense before making any judgments. >> reporter: some democrats now calling for adams to step aside. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: as he headed back inside gracie mansion today, protesters shouting after him. >> and laura, the mayor says that he is not going to resign, but his future isn't necessarily entirely up to him? >> there is a scenario, lester, in

which the governor, governor hochul could actually force him from office. it's a lengthy process that has not been used in modern times. she has not said she intends to use that power, only that she wants to do what's best for the people of new york. >> all right, laura jarrett, thank you. in the middle east, israel carried out new targets in lebanon after prime minister benjamin netanyahu rejected a u.s. plan for a temporary ceasefire. richard engel is in lebanon. >> reporter: hours after israel rejected calls for a u.s. ceasefire, the military was in action in beirut. israel said it killed the head of hezbollah's drone unit in a targeted strike. its leaders are being systematically eliminated. arriving in new york to speak at the u.n., israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said there will be no ceasefire, despite an initiative from president biden and france for a 21-day pause for diplomacy. >> translator: we are continuing to hit hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we achieve our goals. first and foremost, he

said, returning residents of northern israel safely to their homes. israel wants to push hezbollah away from its border and destroy the militia's rockets, missiles, and drones which hezbollah has launched at israel for nearly a year, including today. to do it, israel is bombing intensely, pounding hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern lebanon in what is for now an air war, which lebanon says has already killed around 700 people. israel has threatened to invade lebanon, most likely crossing the border here in the south. but u.s. military officials tell nbc news they are not seeing the kind of buildup israel would need for an imminent ground war. lester? >> richard engel, thank you. and back home, vice president harris meeting with ukrainian president zelenskyy at the white house. and former president trump saying he'll meet with zelenskyy tomorrow as he urges him to cut a deal to end the war with russia. here is garrett haake.

>> reporter: tonight, vice president harris standing side by side with ukraine's president zelenskyy. >> my support for the people of ukraine is unwavering. >> reporter: accusing former president trump of wanting ukraine to surrender. >> there are some in my country who would instead force ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory. they are not proposals for peace. instead, they are proposals for surrender. >> reporter: late today, trump responding. >> it's not a surrender. what my strategy is to save lives. i'll meet with president zelenskyy and we'll see what happens, but i believe i can work that out. >> reporter: and saying he can still work with iran, despite his campaign saying u.s. intel briefed him on iranian assassination threats. trump pulled out of the iran nuclear deal in 2018. would you try to make a deal with iran of some kind if you were reelected? >> sure, i would do that. i believe in getting, you know -- it doesn't -- it doesn't

matter. i have a -- i have a great memory, but it's a memory that wants to serve the people. >> reporter: meanwhile, the former president tonight slamming harris the night before her second trip to the southern border in four years. >> kamala harris will be visiting the southern border that she has completely destroyed. >> reporter: trump blaming harris for the record over 10 million migrant crossings since she and president biden took office. >> she keeps talking about how she supposedly wants to fix the border. why didn't she fix it almost four years ago? >> reporter: harris overnight dismissing trump's complaints after he directed republicans to block a bipartisan border bill this year, which he said wasn't tough enough. >> he killed a bill that would have been a solution because he wants to run on a problem. >> reporter: after his meeting with zelenskyy, trump is in the critical battleground state of michigan where absentee ballots were mailed out today. lester? >> all right, garrett haake in new york tonight, thanks. in 60 seconds,

beyond the hurricane zone. we look at the coastal catastrophe in north carolina. why are housing being swept away, even after measures were put in place to protect them. away, r type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. multiple beaches are closed in north carolina tonight after several houses collapsed into the sea. as anne thompson explains, it's not the first time it's happened there, and in this era of climate change, it likely won't be the last. >> oh my god! oh my god. >> reporter: this month, nature seems to be playing a cruel game of dominos with homeowners on north carolina's outer banks. three houses in four days on the same street swallowed up by the ocean in rodanthe, including sharon floyd's. tell me, what is it like to lose your house that was your family gathering spot for 16 years? >> it's pretty devastating. >> reporter: troy's home now one of ten in the area gone since 2020. how many homes in dare county are at risk of

being swept away by the ocean? >> we're looking at another 20 that are going to be potentially compromised here very soon. >> reporter: the homes in the bulls-eye of rising sea levels fueled by climate change. in 2022, we watched local authorities replenish beaches with sand dredged from the ocean. but projects like these cost tens of millions of dollars, and how long do they last? not nearly as long as you might think. then buying an extra five to seven years, leaving homeowners with few options. >> you can choose to move the property yourself. that's an expensive proposition. local government cannot do anything. >> reporter: sharon troy is trying to pick up the pieces, holding on to memories the ocean can't wash away. anne thompson, nbc news. and up next for us here tonight, with vice president harris about to visit the southern border, we visit a part of the border wall that's

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divisive issue, the border wall. unfinished and at the center of the presidential election. in 2021, president biden deputized vice president harris to stem the flow of migrants by looking at the root causes of migration. >> these issues must be addressed in a way that is informed by fact and informed by reality. >> reporter: but harris has only visited the border once as vice president and has kept relatively quiet on the issue while campaigning. her platform is largely penned on the promise to bring back a failed border security bill that includes new border wall construction, something the biden administration previously opposed. nbc news got rare access to this remote area of the border, now closed to the public in coronado national park. we made our way near the top of a mountain along the u.s.-mexico border. it was right here that contractors stopped wall construction at the end of the trump administration. a very tangible relic of her opponents' immigration policy. >> when the biden took

over, the materials were left behind? >> they were left behind. i've been told they can't get rid of it because it's metal. it's been sitting down here for the last 3 1/2 years. we've been frozen in time here. >> reporter: former president trump built more than 450 miles of walls, although the vast majority replaced existing barriers. he has made the issue a top campaign issue, from the wall to his plan for mass deportation. >> we'll also seal the border and stop the migrant invasion into our country. it's the greatest invasion that we've ever had into our country. >> reporter: border agent quinto, vice president of the border patrol union which endorsed trump says the wall is a critical tool to stop illegal crossings. >> you need it here because this is one of the top areas in the entire country for entries into the united states. >> reporter: harris who once called trump's border wall un-american and vowed to block its funding now says she will support a targeted border wall. state representative consuelo hernandez is campaigning for her in arizona. >> there are some

places that make more sense than others to have a wall, but we need more than a wall, and that is not the solution to border crisis. >> reporter: no new border wall has been built since biden took office. but as harris heads to the swing state of arizona on friday, the country is awaiting new details of her border plan and if she intends to pick up wall construction where trump left off. lester? >> all right, julia ainsley, thank you. when we come back, we'll take a trip to the zoo to see the new arrival, a global sensation. the new type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it.

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finally, there is good news tonight about a tiny hippo who has become a huge sensation on social media. now she has her own 24/7 live stream. janis mackey frayer is in thailand. >> reporter: with pink cheeks and dewy rolls, moo deng is the hottest little hippo on the planet, an internet superstar who seems to be showing up everywhere, on sports teams, at landmarks. she's this way. we saw moo deng here at the khao kheow zoo in chonburi, thailand, doing what the 2-month-old pygmy hippopotamus does best, sleeping, being cute, and sleeping some more. >> very cute. >> i get to see them with my own very eyes. >> reporter: moo deng whose name means bouncy pig or pork patty shot to fame after she was born when the zoo uploaded adorable images of

her. for the world, it was love at first sight. do you think she realizes how popular she is? moo deng may not know, says her keeper. but her mother may be surprised. before it was quiet here. now that she is the meme of the moment, zoo attendance has soared. her image now a registered trademark here. can i get a tee shirt? out of stock. and boosting awareness with pygmy hippos considered an endangered species. while cameras now offer a 24/7 live stream, we saw that beyond the antics going viral, moo deng wants only to be close to her mom, jona, a little girl unaware of her fame and happily unbothered. janis mackey frayer, nbc news, chonburi, thailand. >> adorable. that's "nightly news" for this thursday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.