. a new warning from tsa might change travelers' minds about what they carry on board a plane. that story straight ahead. >> i'm karen moriarty live at the mall. and an embarrassing start to the holiday weekend for a well-known oakland city council

man. good afternoon, everyone. i'm heather holmes in today for tory campbell. the holiday get away is in full swing. this is what it looked like this morning at oakland international airport. as you can see, there are plenty of people arriving and departing today but airport officials say holiday travel peaked in the past two days that's when 36,000 travelers passed through oakland airport. right now, there are no flight delays and a short wait at the security checkpoint. it's much the same story at san francisco and san jose airport where officials say that the good weather is keeping flights running on time. >> as holiday travelers rushed to catch their flight, they may not be aware that federal security officials have issued a new terror alert. for passengers, it means the less of banned carry-on item is getting even longer.

>> nearly 100,000 passengers are expected to travel through sfo on this christmas eve. many of them were unaware of tsa's new terror alert concerning thermoses. i don't carry any extra drinks. i think that's slightly ridiculous but given past experiences, i guess, it's -- i guess it fees like it's necessary. >> reporter: tsa announced that terrorists might try to conceal explosives inside thermoses. tsa is not gapping any but anyone carrying them may go through additional screening. right now, no reason has been eye tied. >> it is kind of a shock, but you can't take that risk. >> i mean, it became very popular recently.

>> on college campuses and things, everybody carries those thermoses, if that's what you are thinking b the metal one? >> the tsa office is closed for the christmas holidays. all questions are being referred to their website which indicates that, quote, tsa is monitoring closely new indications of terrorist tactics. a pilot based at san francisco national airport has resigned. it comes as he was previously suspended from the program for posting some behind-the-scenes individual on the interin the of what he considers lack security procedures for airport ground crews: airport security is kind of a farce. it's only smoke and mirrors. >> the video shows crews

entering restricted areas without being checked. the pilot is still working but he is under scrutiny from tsa and may face civil penalties for disclosing information on restricted areas. police in san francisco are hoping surveillance video will help them identify the gunman who made his way to the valley fair mall yesterday, carrying a rifle. it begap around 5:00 last night. that's when the suspect entered the club monaco clothing store and reportedly pointed a weapon at the sales clerk and demanded money. he didn't get any cash but then moved outside making two up successful attempts to steal a car before eventually robbing a men's men's wearhouse store. he had it more concealed inside of a trench coat. >> my heart was just beating

because that's just -- that's unacceptable, you know. i don't want to be a victim. >> reporter: the suspect then ran outside and carjacked another victim at knife point. police are now looking for the car he stole, described as a white any many san altima with the license plate that you see there on your screen, 6-da 526. they are asking any-up with information to call san jose or santa clara police. >> panic buyers are flocking the stores all across the bay area looking for last-minute christmas gifts. and retailers are welcoming them with sales on what's being called fantastic friday. tara moriarty is there with a few shoppers. she is there at the great mall of mall malpitas. according to figures, mad dash

may cap off the best holiday season in three years. the national retail federation predicts that holiday sales will reach nearly $452 billion this year, up 3% from last year. and the largest year over year increase since 2006. part of the reason for today's success may be due to the fact that christmas eve falls on a friday this year. >> a lot of people have the day off before christmas. i mean, you know, they still have the day tomorrow to travel. so i think everyone is doing their last-minute shopping. i think people are feeling optimistic about the economy. >> reporter: while still cost conscious, some row tails are calling today fan as it trike day. it is a different breed of buyers compared to black friday when shoppers are on the hunt for hot ticket items. these shoppers are hair quid and hunting for the deepest discount. why did you wait until the day before christmas? >> because that's the time

where people can go get everything that they need and stuff. >> reporter: maybe some sales? >> yeah. >> i did a lot of online shopping this year more so than going in the stores. so this was the last-minute shopping that there were a few items left to pick up. >> reporter: online sales are up this year. americans have been lurid by free shipping and so far this season dished out more than $36 billion online. many stores have extended their hours this year. some even stayed open for 24 hours and most people that we talked to said they got some great deals inside. we are live in malpidas. >> a lot of procrastinators. >> get beginning at 6:00 tonight, height way patrol kicks off the annual holiday crackdown on drunk driving. police departments all across the bay area will have sobriety check points. last night, a half dozen law enforcement agencies banned a dui check point in central raphael with similar ones expected throughout the day. there will be more than 200

drunk driving check points here during the holiday. it was an embarrassing start to the holiday season for councilman councilman ignacio de la fuentes. he failed a field sobriety. >> an officer stopped a drive who turned out to be mr. dela fuentes. he was promised at the north county jail in down town oakland. he was released and given a future date to appear in court we are learning today just how much damage was caused by this week's sudden mudslide in southern california. it will cost an estimated 70 million-dollar to clean up and make repairs in highland, riverside county and orange

county. the rain also washed trash, pesticides and bacteria into waterways prompting a health warning. a state of emergency has been declared in a total of nine counties. want to help make christmas a little brighter for some children here in the bay area? we'll tell you how to do that next and on the rush to fix damaged sewers in the north bay before the rain returns and the impact all of this work is having on nearby businesses. and meteorologists mark timaio is working on his computer model right now. he will tell us when the next system will arrive in your neighborhood and christmas comes early today in oakland as santa and the oakland police department make some very special deliveries. ♪ he knows if you have been bad or good ♪

. this christmas eve, people are flocking to bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of jesus. tens of thousands of people have gathered there. this holiday shapes up to the the largest sips the year 2000 helped in part by unseasonably mild weather. the festivity include marching band and the singing of christmas carols in arabic.

palestinian policemen are also hosted around towns to hold the peace. thousands of u.s. servicemen and women are spending the holidays in afghanistan. so the top u.s. commander flew to mute them. displ. a two-alarm fire gut add petaluma home this crist eve. the home on lombardi avenue was fully engulfed when fire crews arrived. firefighters entered the home on word that someone might be inside. but turns out two men live in the home but one of them spent the holiday at lake tahoe. the other men and two dogs were in the house. they managed to escape without injuries. investigators have yet to determine the cause of that fire the sewage spill in marin county is much, much big are that first thought. officials now say that as much as 3 million-gallons of sewage poured into cordo madeira

creek. rain water and sewage spilled into the creek on friday and saturday. some sewers overflowed in neighborhoods and residents say they were upset they were not directly notified. workers found large amount of debris stuffed into a pipe where a construction company was doing work. officials say they are not sure yet if the act was deliberate but the marin county sheriff department and the fbi are both investigating today, crews from the ross valley sanitary district are racing to prepare for the rain storms heading in tomorrow. they are laying large hoses and pipes along the main street to divert any x over flow of sewage during the heavy rainfall. some her merchants are irritated, saying that the

hoses may make it harder for customers to go. >> it depends on whether people can get through or not. if they can't find the entrance, i'm dead. >> reporter: he was told that the pipes will stay during the christmas holidays. holding the am toy drive right now. the restaurant has been sponsoring the drive for the last ten years along with the san francisco firefighters. their goal is to collect 15,000 toys and organizers say that the need for donations this year is greater than are. >> i think about 15,000 kids that don't have a present under the tree. i look at my kid and they have lots of toys and i think about it. it just makes me work even harder.

>> the luxor taxi company will pick up unwrapped toys so you might want to give them a call. some celebrities will hold an event of their open, and that includes our own sal castenada. and elves looked a lot like members of the oakland police department. ♪ oh, you better watch out >> reporter: christmas came early today thanks to the oakland police department. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: dozens of families across oakland woke up to santa and his helpers at the door bringing bags of toys and boxes of food. >> reporter: tell me about what you think about waking up this morning to this kind of delivery. >> it's a surprise, caught me off guard. >> reporter: it didn't catch you offbarred? >> it did. i'm thanful they are able to bring a lot of toys and food to my children. >> reporter: she is not working right now and she says that every present put upped the

tree this morning means that extra special christmas for her family tomorrow. >> that's a great gift for kids and we appreciate it. >> today is part of a 30-year tradition for the oakland police department. officers came to union headquarters before the sun came up to load up before moving out. these gifts are going to families these officers know. >> they actually find needy families and they see it on the front lines, you know, who really needs this stuff. >> we have never hit that number, 75, until this year. >> 75 is the maximum number of families that they can help and, yet, they dug deeper to year to get more. >> here is a bag of toys here and here is a bag of toys here. today, some officers brought their own families. teaching by example how to make a difference in someone's life. >> i think it's very special for us to do that. that's a good cause. we all help them have a good christmas, too. >> reporter: today is about

reaching out. it's about the christmas spirit. >> you can't open them yet. you have to wait until tomorrow, okay? give me five. hey, give me five. i give you five, too. today is about letting people know that people care. that means a lot. >> a new beginning of life. >> reporter: merry christmas. >> thank you, santa. >> reporter: so it's back to work and back to live for the opd and everyone else but on this day, more than ever, they felt like they made a difference in this community. in oakland, claudine wong, ktvu channel 2 news . well, the lake tahoe tourism industry is very happy. the new snow means that more people will head too hoe. 70 inches of snow is just two

shy of the record. tahoe business openers predict that word of mouth advertising will be strong. people will have time to get up there. looks like things are going to be desent for today? >> that's right, heather, for today and for tonight. things begin to change rappitily today and tomorrow. we have been tracking, of course, san tax all among long. the latest report, santa right now en route to south africa. very busy day for him but from what i hear, the perfect scheduling right now at the timetable to make the bay area arrival for tonight back here, san francisco currently showing you 53 degrees a few scattered high clouds but good news, day 2 of the break in the clouds continues. eureka and crescents city. that will be moving. here are the plans. few high clouds. next storm, this will be

packing some winds as well. the extended forecast, more rain, more rain chances in the five-day outlook. most areas in the 50s and even a few 60s showing up in hayward and mountain view. right around 46 degrees at last check. here is a storm on the satellite. that cold front will be a factor for tomorrow. at least for today, we did have a dry forecast, a few high clouds. here is the progression of that cold front and the associated rain fall for tomorrow. krments day, rainfall will be developing. expectations about 3/4 inch to about an inch 1/2 for the coastal hills. and winds increasing out of the south by late tonight into early tomorrow among. strong enough that we do have that wind advisory in place beginning tomorrow morning lasting until 4:00. gusts around 45 to 50 miles per hour. so this is in place for a good portion of the bay area, especially for the coast and especially for the higher terrain. here is the forecast models we do put it into motion, a few high cloud later on today. tomorrow morning, the possibility of a few light

showers. the main action with the heavy rain not moving late tomorrow morning into the afternoon hours and even into the evening, we could have a few showers and the possibility of some thunderstorms. let's head out to the east and there will be a snow producer for the sierra, not for today but mainly for tomorrow and also sunday, occasional snow showers, mainly for the morning hours. back here, 3:00 this afternoon, partly cloudy skies, 55 to right around 60. by 6:00, 48 to 53. 9:00 tonight, mostly cloudy skies, 45 to 50. here is a look ahead. get ready for that christmas day storm with rain and wind, possibility of a few isolated thunderstorms. chaps of a few showers on a sunday, mostly for the morning hours. could have a few sprinkles on monday, best chance up in the north bay and a chance for a few more hours for tuesday and into wednesday. looks like santa is going to beat out the storm for tonight and the storm is basically ming in early tomorrow morning. >> i know a lot of people are concerned about flooding and things like that. do we anticipate that with the

storm? >> we anticipate a wind advisory. the biggest problem will be wind. the problem will be power out ams. the u.s. geological survey says that a 2.2 earthquake struck this morning. en si yen ser six miles north of boulder creek and 7 miles south of saratoga. air quality officials here are asking residents to voluntarily skip burping that christmas yule log or any other wood product over the weekend. the forecast is not calling for poor air quality conditions and the air district wants to keep it that way. some needy bay area families are enjoying a festive christmas eve today. san francisco's glide memorial church is serving a primeau rib lunch. and in oakland, volunteers are throwing two special holiday

parties. >> for most people today that show up at our facility, it may just be their christmas. we are trying to provide and bring some smiles and some happiness to a lot of kids that came in frowning. >> city ministry is serving meals up to 150 homeless and under served families. members of the oakland alumni pipped in to dish up food and to help lend a hand and help get out toys to about 500 children. all right. how about a freebie this holiday? details on where you can get something for nothing. and something new for drivers along the bay bridge. we'll tell you about it next.

last-minute shoppers can get a free cup of coffee or tea. this is the emeryville-based company way of saying thank you to customers for their spert all year. there are 105 peace coffee stores here in the bay area. construction companies aring to what they can to get you into the holiday spirit. this is video that we took. they decorated the bay foot power with beautiful, red, green lights. coming up here on ktvu channel 2 news at 5, we are following that story about the whistle blower pilot at san francisco

airport who says that security for ground crews is far too lax. check out more of the startling videos he posted online and also find out what federal transportation security officials have to say about his allegations. that story and a lot more coming up at 5:00. have a wonderful day, everyone. hope to see you back here at 5:00.