>> announcer: right now abc7 news begins with breaking news. that breaking news is from lafayette, right now the police are investigating a report of a mountain lion. the scene near lafayette community park. >> student are being kept from the grassy areas in the back of the school the open space. we have late word that this could have been an off leash dog spotted and not a mountain lion. you are looking at the scene right now as we continue to get more information you can get the latest developments on

abc7news.com. good morning i'm kristen sze. and i'm sheryl . our other top story, what the sinkhole in -- in san francisco looks like and the cleanup underway this happened yesterday in the visitacion valley neighborhood. >> that's where amy hollyfield joins us live. >> reporter: it is a huge mess out here this is creating an inconvenience for this neighborhood. today city crews tell me their focus is to help the people get back into their homes and restore some normalcy for them. >> we are not prepared for this. >> reporter: she was at work when the water started rushing toward her home she didn't have her medication with her and she didn't have a set of pajamas. now she needs them. >> it is like i'm in prison. like homeless. >> reporter: her home with 13

others are red-tagged emergency vehicles couldn't get to them, if needed. a huge sinkhole is block the way. being out of place made it tough for ran did to make it to school -- for ran dee to make it to school today. >> i didn't do a lot of homework we were waiting for a lot of hours. >> reporter: city workers realize the hardship this hole is creating for residents, so getting them home is their focus. >> we are trying to get pedestrian and emergency vehicle access. that will be the trigger to reopen all of these properties that are red-tagged. >> reporter: they are going to build a road around the mess and try and get people home this afternoon the solution for the school won't be so quick. water created such a mess officials expect it to be closed all week. power washing crews spent the morning focusing on the school's courtyard. city officials are going to

try to build a plywood wall around a section of the hole to make it smaller. >> temporary back fill around that smaller footprint so we can restore much of the intersection and greatly reduce the public hazard. >> reporter: the gravel they are shoveling was jut brought in so they could build a little road around the hole. then they are going to work on fixing the pipe that. is not going to be simple they say it is a 42 inch pipe, one of the biggest in san francisco. last on their list of thingses to do will be to figure out why in happened. amy hollyfield, abc7 news. -- now to the developing news out of louisiana here's the latest on hurricane isaac, right now massive flooding reported in new orleans and other coastal cities. 500,000 homes and businesses are without electricity because winds have knocked out

power lines. this cell phone video just in, it shows water gushing over-the-top of a levee on out -- outskirts of new orleans triggering life-threatening flooding. crews are making dramatic rescues today and trying to reach people who did not evacuate, including one man trapped in his attic. >> i was able to safe my baby food. -- to save my baby tpaofpld it came up so quick. >> governor state levee may be end tension ali breached to relieve pressure. heavy rains mixed with the flood at grand isle sitting on a barrier island it took a direct hit when isaac made landfall, 1300 people escaped before, 40 stayed they report

there is widespread damage across the town. >> a man in opinions co-lark florida struggled to stay -- a machine in pensacola florida struggled to stay dry his wife shot the video as he tried to use an umbrella during the storm. from the looks of it, didn't have much luck. >> we go live to new orleans in 10 minutes to see how the conditions are now. >> first meteorologist mike nicco has the latest on isaac's path. >> hurricane isaac now down to a cat 1 still is the winds dropping a little 75 miles per hour, still battering the same hours for -- the same areas for hours upon hours. the center is where the calm part of the storm is, 40 miles to the southwest or west southwest of new orleans that puts new orleans and baton rouge in the heart of

the strongest storms heaviest rain that's why we are seeing flooding develop. going to spin tomorrow moving through louisiana better part of friday raining on parched arblg saw. in san jose, firefighters made the -- arkansas. in san jose firefighters made the decision to let a business burn to the ground. >> reporter: firefighters back on the scene two minutes ago, they are here to put out a hot spot about the size of a campfire burning in the middle of what was 11 hours ago a 10,000 square foot summer winds nursery. it is all gone, firefighters let this nursery burn rather than have to deal with the chemicals inside the pesticides and the fertilizer they decided it was better to let it burn out then let

chemicals combine with the water from the fire hoses and have it run out. when firefighters arrived midnight, the 50-year-old nursery was engulfed in flames. these pictures from a firefighter show what firefighters were up against. >> it was determined at the time the priority was to let it burn off that would create less of a hazard than dumbing thousands of gallons of water on. >> reporter: the water that was used in spots but prevented from entering the gutters was tested to see if the plan worked. >> most of the products are organic only a few are of concern. the testing was well, well below any -- anything hazardous. >> reporter: the regional manager for the nursery chain raced to the scene in the middle of the night and could only watch. he choked up when i asked his thoughts. >> i don't know what thoughts i have. memories, a lot of memories in

this store, 50 years of doing business. a lot of good people have worked here. it is kind of tough to see it go. we will be back though. >> reporter: a nursery employ arrived at work this morning, concerned his job, like the building, had been lost. >> scare me because my job, you know i work -- >> reporter: the manager assured him he still had his job. tony came out to take pictures of what remains of his neighbor's landmark. >> my mom likes shopping here a lot. >> reporter: she is going to be missing this place. >> yes, she will. >> reporter: the because of the fire under investigation. right now it is considered not suspicious they believe it started in the corner of the building where the building had the electrical panel. terry mcsweeney, abc7 news. still ahead, the bay

area's own former secretary of state condoleeza rice will speak at the republican national convention. later on, major league honor for the petaluma boys of summer. the building celebration the

uc berkeley police investigating the theft of thousands worth of electronics 29 ipads were stolen from the lawrence hall of science,

android tablet and headphones also stolen between june 15th and august 10th, total more than 13,000. former second that -- former secretary of state condoleeza rice will talk to the republican national convention tonight after mitt romney's wife spoke last night. she stumped for her husband again this morning she reflected on a trip to puerto rico speaking to a latino republican group. >> a peak into a culture and vibrancy and energy, a passion that i saw from that little island that that is really what represents the best of america. >> president obama left colorado for virginia today. the president will speak at the university of virginia that state will wrap up a four

day swing to college towns aimed at reaching younger voters. mark matthews will be reporting live from the convention in tampa all week. for updates you can follow him on twitter or our facebook page. we'll be streaming live news coverage of today's republican convention on abc7news.com starting 4 p.m.. more kids going back-to-school today they have a sunny and clear day. are we going to start to cool down. >> just in time for the holiday weekend. warmer weather on the way in yourself haven't -- in your seven day forecast. winds changed, smoke up north due to fires has come our way. beautiful picture from sky 7 hd right now. this is my first time seeing something like this. dramatic rescues in

louisiana as isaac slams into the gulf coast we'll go live to new orleans, next. special e-mail a san rafael boy got from neil armstrong

you check out the view of hurricane isaac from space. the international space station flew over the storm

and recorded these images massive the swirling shape of a hurricane is visible as it hit into the gulf coast. >> it is a slow moving storm flooding cities and hundreds of thousands without power. brandy already dramatic rescues. >> reporter: yes, hurricane isaac is still wreaking havoc on this region the hardest hit area is a place called plaquemines parish where the rescues are underway now. we are hearing about a father and son who have gone into their own boat to rescue families from flooding. we have seen waves crashing over the levees there, they've been flooding hopes. these two in their boat have rescued families from rooftops and people who have been stranded on the levees. all of this is happening on the seven year anniversary of hurricane katrina. hurricane isaac is taking his time as he slowly batters the

gulf coast. the category 1 hurricane is a triple threat with strong winds, heavy rain and powerful storm surges. >> affects we thought would come from a major storm are taking place. >> reporter: waterpowering over levees in plaquemines parish and flooding homes some didn't evacuate in time. >> it is horrible! everybody house is gone! nobody got a house in brathwaite, nobody! >> we were trying to leave, but trying to drive in the car, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. >> reporter: it has toppled trees and cut off power to hundreds of thousands of homes including the local new orleans station wgno. >> we just lost power as well. >> reporter: it was seven years ago today hurricane katrina ravaged the region. louisiana's new 14 billion dollar levee system and pumping stations are being put to the test. thousands are waiting out

isaac in shelters, others ride out the storm in their local watering hole. >> we come here because if something really bad happens, with all these people here i'm sure they can help you do something. [ laughing ] >> reporter: a much different situation out here right now. hurricane isaac is continuing to circle overhead and expected to dump up to 20 minutes of rain in some areas before he is finished. >> brandy, thank you. >> that storm is a monster. >> it is huge for one thing it would stretch from here to l.a.. about 420 miles give or take. it is so slow inland flooding is going to cause problems and the breaching of the levees, i saw a tweet it was governor jindal ordered the breach of that levee for plaquemines parish to relieve some of the pressure unfortunately it flooded a parish that holds

23,000 they are playing with numbers versus 400, 500,000 that live along new orleans from vollmer peak book to the coast smoke coming from up north that fire still raging to our north this morning we could barely see the golden gate bridge then fog went away now trying to sneak back under the bridge, sneaky little fog going to stay there the better part of the next hour or two. fog pretty, -- pretty dry as far as clouds. fire to the north there, northwesterly winds coming down the coast starting to see smoke over bodega bay some of that could make it into the bay area the next couple of days. even though we are sunny, cooler than yesterday high pressure taking warmest weather with it the only air warmer than it was this time yesterday, san francisco because we have a calm wind

now that is about to change you saw the fog starting to roll in, 72 about as warm as we are going to get in san francisco6]. a lot of sunshine today close to average clouds at the coast comfortable once again summer will end on cooler than average note friday into saturday many three degrees warmer than average in livermore, oakland. doesn't get much more normal. 90 antioch, brentwood, livermore fairfield warm spot in all the bay area. mid 70s to low 80s along the east bay shore south bay low to mid 80s san jose and cupertino 83, 80s peninsula or close around menlo park at 79, san mateo and millbrae low to mid 70s. low to mid 60s coast.

low to mid 80s north bay valleys, low to mid 60s beaches. low to mid 70s the rest of the bay inland warmest mid to upper 80s. slight chance of thunderstorms around yosemite 95 otherwise mid 90s to near 100 central valley big sur 86 a lot of sunshine. coming back home most of the clouds along the coast a few spill into the bay i expect us to have flight operations normal at all airports tomorrow morning many two to four degrees cooler tomorrow, another two to six cooler friday and saturday feeling like fall, sunday to tuesday temperatures warm back where they should be. president obama this morning order flags flown at half-staff friday for astronaut neil armstrong's funeral. it will be emotional for a san rafael boy. the 11-year-old won a local

essay contest with a poignant piece about his dream of meeting armstrong. this is max and his adoptive father. he says when he looks at the moon he thinks whether his birth parents both dead are watching over him. his adoptive mother sent the letter and armstrong replied. armstrong says tell maxi send him my best wishes for good luck and success. max is considering becoming an astronaut or an engineer. some of the bay area big leaguers will salute the little leaguers friday. the a's will honor the petaluma squad before friday's game against the red sox. petaluma finished entire in the little league world series last weekend. the team is going to be the team is going to be honored w f@@@

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breaking news from san francisco a severed gas pipe at bahama at 21st street. a maintenance -- at alabama at 21st street. a maintenance worker punctured a gasline right now alabama between 20th and 21st street is closed. new information on that breaking news we told you about at the top of this newscast. lafayette police tell us they

believe a mountain lion sighting near lafayette community park may have been a false alarm. officers have not found any evidence of a mountain lion in the area. they did find a large dog walking off leash they say it is big enough to be mistaken for a mountain lion. good news, no danger to the children there. >> thanks for joining us today on abc7 news. >> who wants to be a millionaire is coming up. >> have a great day. >> b