are under evacuation tonight. for thousands, that means going to a shelter. we visited two schools now housing families just before hurricane ian hit. evacuating was an easy decision for eva glover and her son jaden. were you worried about him? >> i really was. that was my main focus was getting him out to safety. >> it would be very difficult for you with a baby and no electricity. >> very difficult. i did the right thing coming to the shelter. i came yesterday. >> hundreds of people are riding out the storm here. were you scared? >> yeah. >> among them, this family of 15. why did you decide to comef tre house. it's low in there. if any flow happen, we can be safe. >> the river is near there. trees, flooding, also the

electricity may go out. >> yes. >> this is actually an elementary school, which is also serving as a shelter. we're going to go in and talk to some officials. juan lopez's day job is in sales and marketing, today, he's a sherlt supervisor. what services are you providing people? >> we're providing all guests with space, a place for them to rest and be outside the elements as well as three meals a day, and we're also here just to help provide support, keep everyone calm. >> so people are kuzing classrooms as bedrooms? >> correct. >> wow. with air mattresses? >> each guest brought their own air mattress, sleeping

>> that's right, nora, heavy bands of rain and high winds are really intensifying as hurricane ian approaches st. augustine. >> you going the ride it out? >> that's the plan. >> brad melvin spent the day piling sandbags and securing his home to ride out hurricane ian. why did you decide to stay? >> part of it was i had to work. i also wanted to protect my house. >> as the monster storm pummels the west coast, floridians in northeast sections are preparing for extreme flooding and high winds to arrive in the next 24 hours. >> this bridge we do anticipate closing several times because of flood water. on thursday, it will be very windy, very rainy, and there

will be a significant amount of water covering most of the roadway. >> in 2017 during hurricane irma, almost 400 gallons of sewage leaked into the waters. the city has spent millions to prevent that from happening again. his wife and two young daughters are also getting ready. how do you feel about riding out the storm? >> a little nervous, but hopefully, everything will be fine. >> forecasters are predicting 15-plus inches of rain through friday. if the melvins are flooded out, they told me they have a boat they can use to try to get to higher ground. >> so you've seen people evacuating, already hunkering down. what's the situation now? >> for the most part during the day, there were a few stragglers out soaking it all in, but tonight, it is really dead. there's barely anybody out on the streets, just a few cars.

there was a bride and groom that was supposed to get married at another venue that got canceled. they were able to tie the knot a couple of hours ago safely inside the hotel. >> they'll never forget that day for sure. m in cuba, officials say power is slowly being restored after the desire island lost electricity. officials believe it's the first time the whole island lost power. at least two people were killed. the storm damaged homes and many of the country's important tobacco farms that produce cuba's famous cigars. there's a lot of news ahead. >> today's other big headlines, including the environmental disaster unleerned by the susp suspected russians' sabotage of gas pipelines.

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that targets congestion at the source. it relieves nasal congestion and soothes sinus pressure by reducing swelling in the sinuses. for instant relief that lasts up to 12 hours try vicks sinex. from vicks trusted relief for over 125 years. [sfx: relief breath] we are continuing to monito5 hurricane ian as more than 1.5 million customers are without power tonight. winds at 115 miles per hour, but the threat is not over. a flash flood emergency has been issued for parts of southwest florida, and an extreme wind warning is in effect for central florida. first, the rest of today's news.

scientists warn a dangerous amount of methane is pouring into the sea after two natural gas pipelines between russia and europe. it could possibly be five times worse than the california disaster in 2015. european officials are now ramping up security around pipelines. vladimir putin is expected to announce the annexation of four territories in ukraine following russia as a sham election. north korea today fired two short range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters the day before vice-president kamala harris arrives in south korea. u.s. and south korean navy ships are conducting drills. police in philadelphia today released video of the gunman wanted in a shooting outside a high school on tuesday that killed a 14-year-old football player and left four others

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city of -- where the body of an extreme skier arrived today. nelson was swept away in an avalanche on monday nearly 27,000 feet up. her boyfriend found her body. the world's famous adventurer %-p anchor katie couric revealed today that she is battling breast cancer. couric, 65, says she was diagnosed in june after a mammogram that she put off for six months. she underwent a lumpectomy and just completed radiation treatment. couric lost her first husband and her sister to cancer and she is encouraging all women to get their annual mammograms. i spoke to her today, and she said she is feeling well. all right, coming up next, we remember cbs' bill plante, one of the longest serving white house correspondents in history.

finally tonight, some sad news within the cbs news family. we learned this afternoon that former cbs news correspondent bill plante died at the age of 84. bill plante spent more than half a century at cbs news covering history. at age 26, he was sent to cover the war in vietnam. >> the first actual ground combat troops to enter the country. >> another big assignment, the civil rights movement. he interviewed martin luther king jr. as he marched from selma to montgomery. >> have all the activities of the past weeks in selma come to fruition now? >> and then political conventions and presidents. bill spent 35 years as our white house correspondent. >> did you make a mistake in

sending arms to tehran, sir? >> no, and i'm not taking any more questions. >> bill plante? no? bill's not here? that's shocking. >> this is the "cbs sunday night news." bill plante reporting. >> years in the anchor chair and traveling the world for cbs news. >> 100 years ago, the portage glacier came all the way here. this is bill plante, cbs news, proving you're never too old to do something stupid! >> bill loved biking, running, and wine. he also loved his family. the father of six children, he is survived by his loving wife, robin. as a white house correspondent, i traveled the world with bill. he always ordered the wine, and he always picked up the tab. he was a great colleague, and an even better friend. we will miss you, bill. i'm nora o'donnell in tampa,

florida, and we will continue to track hurricane ian as it moves across the state. good night, and stay safe. this is cbs news flash. more than 2 million people have lost power in florida. a powerful storm surge, rain fall of 12 to 18 inches along with 150 mile per hour wins creating dangerous conditions. emergency crews in some areas unable to respond to 911 calls. ian is now marching across florida with storm surges as high as 6 feet are still expected in the east part of the state. residents could see tornadoes, high winds, and flash flooding as the storm moves inland. it's expected to leave florida

peninsula later on thursday. for more news, download the cbs news app on your phone or connect on your tv. >> announcer: this is the cbs overnight news, reporting tonight from tampa, florida. >> as we come on the air tonight, the state of florida is being pummeled by hurricane ian. the massive category four storm made land fall this afternoon with winds at 150 miles per hour. but at this hour, ian is a still dangerous category three hurricane. ian slammed ashore north fort myers with dang use winds. tonight, hurricane ian is

dumping tremendous amounts of rain. to get a better understanding of just how big ian is, this is what the storm looks like from space, the powerful hurricane covering almost the entire state of florida, and the strength of this storm is astonishing. ian has knocked out power to nearly 2 million customers throughout the state. we have team coverage tonight. omar is going to start us off from hard-hit bradenton. waer starting to hear that people are trapped. >> reporter: the sheriff in naples are telling us their phone lines are flooded with 911 calls of people trapped in their homes by water and the deputies are going out to rescue them. this as the massive storm continues to pound florida's

gulf coast. this was fort myers as hurricane ian made land fall this afternoon. what was beach front property now underwater with fears of more catastrophic flooding to come. in 24 hours, these before and after photos showed the worsening conditions. >> so this is going to be a nasty, nasty day, two days, probably we think now it will be exiting the peninsula sometime on thursday. >> reporter: santibel island was among the first to feel the wrath as it came ashore causing major flooding. residence dens here were among the 2.5 million people told to evacuate. some decided to stay. >> we're 15 feet off the ground, so the bottom floor is i believe 12, but we're going to be safe. >> reporter: as ian came on shore, it overtook homes and submerged cars. in naples, fallen trees downed

power lines, sparked fires, and made roads impassable. several counties in the path of the storm issued emergency curfews starting tonight. as water began rising at this house, one man raced to rescue a cat trapped on an air conditioner. first responders were inundated too. emergency trailer breaking loose and floating down the street. several feet of water flooded this fire station. >> please, people, we encourage you to stay off the roads. >> reporter: president biden says fema is ready to help as soon as the storm is over. >> we'll be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help florida get moving again. >> and omar is back with us. i understand the conditions there are getting worse. >> reporter: they are. here in bradenton, we're expecting a storm surge of seven to 10 feet. we are noticing the wind is picking up.

it's been a consistent 50 miles per hour, but we're getting gusts that are easily 80 miles an hour here. amazing enough, the power is on here, but just a few seconds ago, we saw a power flash over there. another big concern, the rain. 10 to 12 inch here, but we're going to have to wait and see. people are inside, they are hunkering down. >> we say you the power go out behind us just a short time ago. although tampa missed a direct hit, we are expecting wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. there's also rain fall and flooding that will continue throughout the night. david begnaud is with us. >> reporter: good evening. we thought it was lightning but realized it was the power flickering. the mayor said the worst was set to begin around 8:00 p.m., so that would mean now. this is going to be a result of

rain fall really rather than storm surge. 72 hours ago, it looked like tampa was going to take a direct hit, but as the storm tracked more towards naples and fort myers, that ended up taking the direct hit from the eye wall. over the last 12 hours, we have been watching something quite phenomenal, in tampa bay, the water has been pushed out into the gulf of mexico, and this has been on going since this morning. imagine the power to literally suck the water out of tampa bay, i'm talking about five to 6 feet, and at some point with the tide, as the storm continues to march forth, that water is going to come back in with damaging effects. i would say the wind is mild right now. some people here in the tampa area would say we've dodged a bullet. the mayor is saying, we're not ouf e woods just yet. >> david begnaud, thank you so

much. meteorologist alex wilson from our partners at the weather channel is in orlando tracking are with where the hurricane is headed next. >> the worst to come for the city of orlando, not just flooding rain fall but hurricane forced win gusts likely into tomorrow morning. the storm will move slowly off to the north and east. it weaken as it does so, but the big story will be the rain moving forward. we currently have a flash flood emergency in effect. these areas have seen nearly 20 inches of rain fall in spots, and unfortunately life-threatening flash flooding continue to be an issue. here in orlando, we could see 12 to 16 inches of rain fall, also, the southeastern states, flooding damage likely. a lot to go with hurricane ian. >> then into the the carolinas and virginia.

thank you so much. well, ian's hurricane force winds and storm surge is eroufor the millions of residence dens across florida's north coast and for those covering the monster storm. >> reporter: just came flying by. you know what? i think i'm just going to come in here for a second. just give me a second. >> jim, you all right? >> i'm all right. i'm fine. i'm fine. you just can't stand up. i'm going to let you guys look at the pictures, and i'm going to stand behind this wall a bit because i'm getting blown over. it just got real -- it just got

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>> announcer: this is the cbs overnight news. i'm scott macfarlane in washington. thank you for staying with uiro the russian legislature tomorrow to announce the results of his so-called referendums in ukraine and begin the process of annexing these territories to russia. western stays have divided the vote as meaningless, but putin is using it as validation for his continues invasion of the country. meanwhile, they're blacking moscow for two explosions.

the state department calls that ridiculous and is pointing the finger at russian sabotage. they continue to spew natural gas, and those bubbles are a half mile wide, and it could take months to repair the damage. the focus this morning is on moscow's attempt to reclaim four ukraine territories as its own. >> reporter: president putin is widely expected to formally announce the annexations of those four territories on friday. that makes this a fight on russian soil as far as he's concerned, warning to use all his means necessary to defend it. even with some of the worst fighting, forced ballots cast at gun point, the head of russian donetsk described a colossal victory saying it wouldn't be true to say we didn't expect such a result. neither did anyone else. this farce in the occupied

territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum, said ukrainian president zelenskyy in last night's address. the ukrainian military released this video said to show special forces overrunning russian positions in the donbass region. if president putin annexes territories here and elsewhere as expected this woob, he can claim that russia itself is now under attack, justifying the deployment of conscripts and even, he hinted, a nuclear response. the first of around 300,000 reluctants are being trained and are expected to be pushed up to the front lines long before they're ready, let alone willing to fight. russian men trying to escape the draft have fled to the border with georgia, lines so long they can now be seen from space. when you go to fight in a stupid war to kill your brother, say

this is man, it is a war about nothing. a war president putin may not just be losing in ukraine, but in russia too. a renewed nuclear threat comes from the deputy chairman of russian security council saying, i want to remind you that russia has the right to nuclear weapons if necessary. closer to home, the fbi says americans lost about $7 billion to cyber crimes last year. ran some ware is one of the biggest problem. you can even buy ran some ware kits online. >> reporter: this community college in michigan looked look a ghost town in may after the school suddenly shut down. >> when i pulled up, i noticed there was no cars around, so i thought something was going on. >> reporter: the college was forced to close after a ran some ware attack seized its computer

systems. the school was back online two days later and did not reveal if the ran some was paid, but many companies do give into hackers' demands. a company found that 46% of organizations paid the ran some with an average payout of more than $800,000. cybersecurity expert says that's because it's easier than ever to commit these crimes. a new frort microsoft highlights how ran some ware kits are being advertised and sold on the dark web, giving hackers the tools needed. >> that's the part that's so scary, how easy it is to do. >> reporter: he showed us a website for sale for as little as 5.99. payments are made in untraceable crib toe currency. >> it allows them to remain

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a different kind of war movie comes to theaters and streaming services tomorrow. it's called the greatest beer run ever, and it tells the true life story of a bar owner delivering cold ones to his customers serving in vietnam. >> i had 50 years of telling stories about this, and 99% of the people didn't believe me. >> reporter: but his tall tale of the greatest beer run ever really did happen. >> what are we doing? >> we're going to run for our lives. >> reporter: it's now a motion picture directed by academy award winner, peter ferely. >> i immediately thought, that's a movie. >> what was it about that story that connected with you? >> it was the sure stupidity to even attempt it. but then, to actually go through

to pull it off, i love that guy. >> reporter: and what exactly did he pull off? >> i'm going to vietnam, and i'm bringing them beer. >> reporter: that's zac efron as the young chicky spending way too much time at a local bar in new york city. >> had you ever heard of zac efron? >> honestly, no. >> here's the good news. he said you nailed him. so what do you think you nailed about chicky? >> i think i understood a part of why he did it. it comes from a pure place inside of him. >> you got a good heart. it's your brain i'm worried about. >> where did this crazy idea come from? >> you don't have to go further than colonel lynch. >> he's a former gi who attended bar and hated seeing protests against the vietnam war, while boys from the neighborhood were fighting and diagnose over

there. >> do these protestors not know that our soldiers see that? >> in the movie, he's played by bill murray. >> i would like to go over to vietnam and track down all the give them a beer.orhood and just >> to the boys. >> to the boys. >> i could do that. >> do what? >> bring them beer. >> i'll go over there, and i'll -- i know how to get there. >> reporter: donohugh was a seaman, so he set out to find six guys, which became four when one was killed and another was sent home with malaria. >> did it occur to you that it would be hard to find fouadry. if i failed, i failed. >> who would take here,

toda at the world premier of a the greatest beer run ever. >> 500,000 soldiers and marines in the country at that time, and he finds four of us. amazing. >> what are the odds? >> million to one. >> tommy collins was the first. >> i said, what the hell are you doing here? he says, i came to bring you a beer. >> reporter: incredibly, he had barely stepped off his ammo ship when he found collins. >> this is my friend from back home. >> got some kcrewy friends. >> so as crazy as this idea was -- >> yeah. >> -- it just seems to have been blessed with good luck. >> i don't believe in convince dens anymore. somebody wanted it to happen. >> sticking out like a sore thumb, he got around vietnam by

talking his way aboard military flights. the constant question is, who the hell are you? >> i would whisper to them. i would say, major, if i told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me. and it worked. it worked. >> reporter: if you don't believe him, ask rick dugan. >> i took the picture, and the picture proves that he was there. >> reporter: he and his pla pla toon were manning an ambush site near the border with north vietnam. >> he found me, which is a miracle in itself. arer the moment when donohugh found dugan. >> i brought you beer. >> you shouldn't be here. >> was a turning point in the direction of the movie. >> it's light in the beginning because you think, how silly is this, but the reality of it is not silly.

>> you want a taste of vietnam? you're about to get it. >> reporter: like the rest of america, he found out it was easier to get into vietnam than get out. but his incredible luck held. he was walking down a jungle road when who should drive up? >>'s there?n. >> it's mcclun. >> who? >> what the hell are you doing her? >> this is like a free fire zone, and i said get in, get in. i said, chick, holy jesus, mary, and joseph. >> to look around, it looks as though the entire war has been fought here. >> reporter: he still had one more name on his list. bob bibased at a huge ammunition dump. >> they blew up $8 million worth of ammunition in eight seconds. million dollars a second, you

know. >> reporter: it was a rude awakening. the vietnam war was nowhere near won, and he started taking it out on chicky. >> i start giving him the business, oh, yeah, the war is over. take a look at this place. it was like a horror show. >> when he was yelling at me, i started grinning because i thought he was dead, and here he was cursing me. nothing wrong with this guy. >> so your character has the best line in the movie. >> yes. >> he says to chicky, you got a good heart -- >> but it's your brain i'm worried about. >> it's going to get you killed. did you really say that? >> yes. i was a stanch supporter of the war, but when i got there, i saw things that just weren't right, and it was just false, totally false. >> i don't get it. why are you doing this? >> it's like you said, everyone's doing something. >> this movie is going to be how

most people remember you. you good with that? >> oh, yeah. i did the right thing.

during the pandemic, americans as a whole became a lot more gracious when it came to tipping, but as covid fades in most of the country, those days are becoming a distant memory. >> i work in healthcare, nobody tips me. >> reporter: these sisters, leslie and susan don't agree on tipping. >> stums i tip just because they're nice to me, but i don't feel pressure. >> reporter: leslie feels it. she says even when swapping her cards at kiosks, she always feels to give a little extra. >> you didn't even do anything. >> i always feel like i'm suckered in, like i got to give something. >> reporter: a recent survey shows tipping for takeout food

peeked at the height of the pandemic. it's still up from 2019. >> during pandemic, everything changed. what were meant to the temporary fixes are now standards, so there is a gratuity that is often expected that goes along with that. on average, americans are tipping nearly 2 to% for sitdown meals. and this expert says that's okay. >> you're not expected to leave the same type of gratuity as you would if you're in a sitdown meal. but if you're grabbing a cup of coffee and just want to leave the change or tip up or if you want to leave a dollar, by all means, feel free to do that. >> reporter: while you may feel like you're being judged, she says the worker behind the counter may just be looking to help the next customer. and that's the overnight news for this thursday.

be sure to check back later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online any time at cbs news.com. reporting from the nation's capitol, i'm scott macfarlane. this is cbs news flash. more than 2 million people have lost power in florida as hurricane ian pummels the sunshine state. a powerful storm surge, rain fall of 12 to 18 inches as well as downed trees and power lines creating dangerous conditions. emergency crews in some areas unable to respond to 911 calls. storm surge as high as 6 feet are still expected in the northeast part of the state. florida officials warn that residents could see tornadoes, high winds, and flash flooding. it's expected to leave florida

peninsula later on thursday. president biden will also getn update from fema. for more news, download the news app on your cell tone phone or tv. i'm dan lieberman. tonight, we're here in florida, where hurricane ian made landfall as one of the most powerful storms to hit the u.s. in american history. and there are reports tonight of people trapped in their homes. roofs torn off homes, cars submerged under water, and dangerous winds knock down power lines, as an enormous hurricane ian engulfs florida. cbs' manuel bojorquez is in hard-hit fort myers. >> reporter: the pool area of this hotel is now part of the gulf of mexico. >> catastrophic storm surge, floodwaters could reach as high as 18 feet. the weather channel's jim cantore battles dangerous winds in punta gorda. he joins us.

>> i'm just going to come in here for a second. >> the latest storm track. where dangerous hurricane ian is heading next. classrooms turned into bedrooms. we visit shelters and speak to families riding out the storm together. >> my main focus was getting them to safety. >> and remembering legendary cbs newsman, bill plante, who covered more than half a century of history. this is the "cbs evening news" as we come on the air tonight, the state of florida is being pummeled by hurricane ian. the massive category 4 storm made land fall this afternoon with winds of 150 miles per hour. ian slammed ashore north of fort

myers, with dangerous winds and catastrophic storm surge. tonight hurricane ian is dumping tremendous amounts of rain along the i-4 corridor. and to get a better understanding of just how big ian is, this is what the storm looks like from space, the powerful hurricane covering almost the entire state of florida. and the strength of the storm is astonishing. a hurricane hunter from the national weather service, whose job it is to fly into the eye of hurricanes, described the flight into ian as the roughest of his career. ian has knocked out power to nearly 2 million customers throughout the state. we have team coverage tonight, omar is going to start us off from hard-hit bradenton. we're starting to hear that people are trapped. what can you tell us? >> reporter: they're telling us

their phone lines are flooded with 911 calls of people trapped in their homes by water. this as this massive storm continues to pound florida's gulf coast. this was fort myers as hurricane ian made land fall this afternoon. what was beach front property now underwater. with fears of more catastrophic flooding to come. in 24 hours, these before and after photos showed the worsening conditions. >> this is going to be a nasty, nasty day, two days, probably we think now it will be exiting the peninsula sometime on thursday. >> reporter: santibel island was among the first to feel the wrath as it came on shore causing major flooding. residents here were among the 2.5 million people told to evacuate. some close to stay.

>> we're 15 feet off the ground, so the bottom floor is i believe 12, but we're going to be safe. >> reporter: as ian came on shore, it overtook homes and sub certaining cars. in naples, fallen trees downed power lines, sparked fires, and made roads impassable. several counties in the path of the storm issued emergency curfews starting tonight. one man raced to rescue a cat trapped on an air conditioner. first responders were inundated too. emergency trailer breaking loose and floating down the street. several feet of water flooded this fire station. >> please, people we encourage you to stay off the roads. >> reporter: president biden says fema is ready to help as soon as the storm is over. >> we'll be there to help you clean up and rebuild to help florida get moving again.

>> and omar is back with us. i understand the conditions there are getting worse. >> reporter: they are. here in bradenton, we're expecting the storm surge of seven to 10 feet. we are noticing the wind is picking up. we're getting gusts easily 80 miles an hour here. amazing enough, the power is on here b but just a few seconds ago, we saw a power flash over here. another big concern, the rain. 10 to 12 inches here. right now, the good news, people are inside hunkering down. >> thank you. we saw the power go out behind us just a short time ago. although tampa missed a direct hit from hurricane ian, this city is not out of the woods yet. we are experiencing wind gusts of 60 miles per hour and rain gusts and rain fall that will continue throughout the night. >> reporter: we thought it was

lightning, but then rerealized it was the power flickering. the mayor said the worst was set to begin around 8:00 p.m., so that would mean now. the majority of the effect in tampa is going to be a result of rain fall rather than storm surge. 72 hours ago, it looked like tampa was going to take a direct hit, but as the storm tracked towards naples and fort myers, that ended up taking the direct hit from the eye wall, and now the flood is going to be the result of the rain that's falling. in tampa bay, the water has been pushed out into the gulf of mexico, and that has been ongoing since this morning. imagine the power of this storm to literally suck the water out of tampa bay, five to 6 feet, it's still sitting in the gulf so to speak, and at some point with the tide, that water is going to come back in with damaging effects.

right now, i would say the wind is mild. some people here in the tampa area would say, we've donled a bullet. the mayor is saying, we're not out of the woods just yet. >> david begnaud, thank you so much. meteorologist alex wilson from our partners at the weather channel is in orlando tracking whether the weather is headed next. >> reporter: not just flooding rain fall, but hurricane forced wind gusts likely into tomorrow morning. the storm will continue to move slowly to the north and east. it weakens as it does so, but still likely to see hurricane wind gusts here in central florida. the big story will be the rain moving forward. we have a flad flood emergency in effect. these areas have seen nearly 20 inches of rain fall in spots. life threatening flash flooding continuing to be an issue. we could see 12 to 18 inches of rain fall.

also parts of north florida, the southeastern states, flooding rain and damaging wind gusts likely

>> announcer: this is the cbs overnight news, reporting tonight from tampa, florida. well, ian's hurricane force winds and record storm surge is dangerous for the millions of residents across florida's west coast and for those covering this monster storm. jim cantore learned this firsthand as ian's powerful winds battered the state. >> underneath the roofing, maybe in the roof. just came flying by.

all right. you know what? think i'm just going to come in here for a second. just give me a second. >> jim, you all right? >> i'm all right. i'm fine. i'm fine. i just -- you just can't stand up. all right. i'm just going to let you guys look at the pictures and i'm going to stand behind the wall because i'm getting blown oaf. it just got calm. it just got really calm here. it's still gusty, so it's not clean, but this is a big difference. maybe i spoke too soon. >> well, we're happy to report tonight that jim is okay. more than 2 million floridians are under a mandatory evacuation

tonight. ahead of the storm, officials had urged residents to go to higher ground. and for thousands, that meant going to a shelter. we visited two schools now housing families just before hurricane ian hit. evacuating was an easy decision for anita glover. she's taking shelter at this high school with her son, jafin, who turned two months old today. were you worried about him? >> i really was. that's why i really came to a shelter. that was my main focus was getting him to safety. >> it would be very difficult for you with a two- month-old and no electricity. >> yes, very difficult. they need electricity. you got to bathe them, you got it feed them. so i did the right thing coming to the shelter. i came yesterday. >> hundreds of people are riding out the storm here. were you scared? >> yeah. >> among them, this family of 15. why did you decide to come here? >> around the house, we have lots of trees. it's low in there. so if any flood happened, so we can be safe. >> the river's near there. trees, flooding. also, the electricity may go out. >> yes.

>> this is actually an elementary school, which is also serving as a shelter. we're going to go in and talk to some officials here. juan lopez's day job is in sales and marketing. today, with all hands on deck, he's a shelter supervisor. what services are you providing people? >> we're providing all guests with space, a place for them to rest and be outside of the elements, as well as three meals a day. and we're also here just to help provide support, keep everyone calm. >> so people are using classrooms as bedrooms? >> correct. >> wow. with air mattresses or... >> each guest brought their own air mattress, sleeping bags. >> we're worried about all those people there but glad they're safe. conditions are rapidly getting worse as far away as the

low-lying city of saint augustine. that's actually on the east coast of the state. and cbs' meg oliver is there for us. hi there, meg. >> reporter: that's right. the worst of it is expected to hit here tomorrow afternoon with winds topping 60 miles per hour and a storm surge of up to 5 feet. >> you going to ride it out? >> that's the plan. >> brad melvin spent the day piling sandbags and securing his home to ride out hurricane ian. why did you decide to stay? >> well, part of it was i had to work. i also wanted to protect my house. >> reporter: as the monster storm pummels the north coast, they're preparing for extreme flooding and high winds to rit 2hours. >> we do anticipate closing this bridge several times. on thursday, it will be very windy, very rainy within and

there will be a significant amount of water covering most of the roadways. >> reporter: in 2017 during hurricane irma, almost 400 gallons of sewage leaked into the water. the city has spent millions to prevent that from happening again. his wife and two young daughters are also getting ready. how do you feel about riding out the storm? >> a little nervous, but hopefully everything will be fine. >> reporter: forecasters are predicting 15-plus inches of rain through friday. if the melvins are flooded out, they told me they have a boat they can try to use to get to higher ground. >> so have you seen people evacuating, already hunkering down? what's the situation now? >> reporter: for the most part during the day, there were a few stragglers out along this sea wall soaking it all in. but tonight, it's really dead. there's barely anybody out on the streets, just a few cars.

i can tell you there's a bride and groom that was supposed to get married at another venue that got canceled and were able to tie the knot a couple of hours ago safely inside a hotel. >> they'll never forget this day for sure. thank you so much. in cuba where hurricane ian made land fall as a category three yesterday, officials say the island is regaining power. they believe it's the first time the whole island lost power. at least two people were killed. the storm's 125 miles per hour winds damaged homes and many of the country's important tobacco farms that produce cuba's famous cuban cigars. today's other big headlines, including the environmental disaster unleashed by the suspected russian sabotage of gas pipelines.

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scientists@2 warn/v a --#r two pipelines between? russia and 3c it couldd worse thanád the californiahj disaster in 2015.:2 you remember that.+p european ramping upvs security around pipeline. vladimir putin on friday is expected to announce the annexation of four territories in youtube. putin is expected to announce those territories. north korea fired two short term range ballistic missiles the day before vice-president kamala harris arrives in south korea. they are conducting drills in region in a show of force against north korea. police in philadelphia today released video of the gunman wanted in a shooting outside a high school on tuesday that killed a 14-year-old football player and left four others

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when you can't sleep... try zzzquil pure zzzs gummies. from the world's #1 sleep aid brand. its special formula helps you fall asleep naturally with an optimal dose of melatonin. so you can wake up refreshed. for better sleep, like never before. tragic news tonight from the city of nepal where the body of

an american extreme skier arrived today in the arms of her boyfriend. nelson was swept away in an avalanche while skiing on monday nearly 27,000 feet up. her boyfriend found her body after searching in a helicopter. the world's famous adventurer was just 49 years old. katie couric underwent a lumpectomy and just completed radiation treatments. she is encouraging all women to get their annual mammograms. i spoke with her earlier today, and she says she is doing well. coming up next, we remember cbs's bill plante. one of the longest serving white house correspondents in history.

finally tonight, some sad news within the cbs news family. we learned this afternoon that former cbs news correspondent bill plante died at the age of 84. bill plante spent more than half a century at cbs news covering history. at age 26, he was sent to cover the war in vietnam. >> the first actual ground combat troops to enter the country. >> another big assignment, the civil rights movement. he interviewed martin luther king jr. as he marched from selma to montgomery. >> have all the activities of the past weeks in selma come to fruition now? >> and then political conventions and presidents. bill spent 35 years as our white house correspondent. >> did you make a mistake in sending arms to tehran, sir?

>> no, and i'm not taking any more questions. >> bill plante? no? bill's not here? that's shocking. >> this is the "cbs sunday night news." bill plante reporting. >> years in the anchor chair and traveling the world for cbs news. >> 100 years ago, the portage glacier came all the way here. this is bill plante, cbs news, proving you're never too old to do something stupid! >> bill loved biking, running, and wine. he also loved his family. the father of six children, he is survived by his loving wife, robin. as a white house correspondent, i traveled the world with bill. he always ordered the wine, and he always picked up the tab. he was a great colleague, and an even better friend. we will miss you, bill. i am norah o'donnell in tampa, florida. we will continue to track hurricane ian as it moves across the state.

good night, and stay safe. this is cbs news flash. more than 2 million people have lost power in florida as hurricane ian pummels the sunshine state. a powerful storm surge, rain fall of 12 to 18 inches along with 150 mile per hour wins creating dangerous ands. emergency crews in some areas unable to respond to 911 calls. ian is now marching across florida with lower wind speeds. florida fishes warn that residence dens could see tornadoes, high winds, and flash flooding as the storm moves inland. it's expected to leave t

florida peninsula on thursday. president biden will also get york. more than two million people ian pummels florida. streets flooded, homes damaged, more than two million without power. it's not over yet as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the u.s. continues moving across the state. dramatic rescue. good samaritans pull a man from a flooded vehicle carrying him through waist-high water to safety. >> it was my main focus was getting him to safety. families take cover. we go into two schools turned into emergency shelters for people who evacuated their homes.