significant snowfall. good evening, i'm ukee washington. i'm jessica dean. new jersey and delaware are also ready for whatever mother nature brings. we have team three coverage for you tonight and we will begin with meteorologist kate bilo, who has her eye on the storm. >> the storm is over the south east, guys and it is rapidly gaining strength and gaining moisture. you can just start to see here over portions of arkansas icing indicated a as this storm moves into colder air. we don't have a ton of fresh arctic air, but there is enough cold to changes specially this northern edge of the the precipitation into snow and heavy snow as it lifts through portions of the mid-atlantic and mid south and gets here in the north east as we get toward end of the week. it does still look like bull's eye for heavier snow will be on the ac and baltimore and those areas are under a blizzard warning tonight. here in philadelphia a though, we're under a blizzard watch. this will, should eventually change in the a blizzard warning by the day tomorrow. it continues right through

sunday morning. winter storm watches and warnings further are north and west and also down across portions of the shore points where we can expect more mixing, and at the the time of the heavier wind and strongest wind down the the shore it may be mainly rain. that is why they have for now, left the blizzard watch out of the extreme southern shore points of the new jersey, and southern delaware but blizzard watch means low visibility, very strong wind and we are dealing with heavy falling snow through the entire day saturday. area blizzard warnings around d.c. and baltimore where 2 feet could come down in spots. winter storm watches and warnings, in effect for portions of tennessee, portions of georgia, all the way up into the philadelphia area and into new york city as well. we have coastal flood watch to tell but friday night into sunday morning, it will be a major nor'easter. the as those wind, pile in the ocean water on the coast we will deal with moderate to major coastal flooding through the entire event. so without further adue here's what to expect. twelve to 16 inches. this has in the changed right along i-95 corridor including

wilmington, philadelphia and trenton. sixteen may be further to the south and west of that zone. twelve is further to the north and east. six to 12 in interior south jersey. this could shift either way depending where our band set up but expect around a foot of snow in the city of philadelphia we are watching a sharp northern cut off, how much mixing happening down the shore. we will talk about those wild card and more on the timing coming up in a few minutes. for now, ukee, back to you. kate, governor tom wolf has declared a tait of emergency. he said the declaration will allow the state to get resources where they need to be quickly. >> i urge all residents to heed all warnings and alerts from emergency management officials and law enforcement officials. your safety and safety of all pennsylvanians is my top priority and top priority of everybody here. >> as thinks first major winter storm for new philadelphia a mayor jim kenney as mayor a short time ago he asked residents to help one another. >> try to help your neighbors when this storm is over, clear the steps, check on our

seniors and people who are shut in. just work together as neighbors and citizens together to make sure we are safe and we get out of this as soon as possible and get back to normal as soon as possible. >> by the the way mayor kenney will deciding whether to declare a snow emergency for the city. with our eye on this major winter storm first responders in the region are carefully preparing for unique challenge s they have ma face in blizzard conditions. our walt hunter is live at berwyn fire company to show us how they are getting held i, walt. >> reporter: you see more than just preparations, on trucks, and fire fighters when you come to a a firehouse like berwyn, most of these fire fighters are volunteers, what you see, beyond that is dedication. these fire fighters, will leave their homes and their families and most of them like the berwyn fire fighters, will spend hours around the clock living in the firehousees, just to make sure that they are here, when the alarm

sounds. berwyn fire fighters no time, means everything, when a storm hits, so these volunteers who would normally respond from their homes to answer a alarm, now will bunk around the clock at the firehouse, leaving their families, so that they can instantly roll out. >> hanging out with each other but we are liking serving the community. it is an excitement in that. >> reporter: fire fighters marry ellen and her crew know first you have to beat the drifts before you can fight the flames. >> the biggest thing that we are always concerned about when we have snow events like this are response times. >> reporter: special four-wheel drive units and baskets which can slide patient as cross snow like sleds in place of traditional stretchers, all play a part. >> it will be a wet heavier snow, it will stick to everything and that creates problems. >> reporter: scenes like this are always too familiar to narberth ambulance crewness lower merion, who know the challenge of responding to emergencies like car wrecks in the the snow.

>> once in a while snow is inn convenient for some people it cannot be inconvenient in the medical, emergency. >> reporter: ar davee says while bunk rooms will be filled with crew ambulances will be loaded with blankets and medical supplies to keep patients warm, both outside and inside. >> we also have iv fluid that actually has a warming trend. so that not only can we warm you from the outside, but through iv therapy. >> reporter: the the chief advises if you need medications or oxygen, stock up before the storm. finally, the chief asks when it is safe, when you're shoveling make sure you shovel out that fire hydrant near you home, it is very important that it means extra minutes for fire fighters, if is there a fire in your neighborhood. live from the berwyn firehouse i'm walt hunter for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". >> that is so crucial, walt, thanks very much. they are getting ready for major winter storm down the shore. eye on the storm coverage

continues with alexandria hoff in sea isle city. >> reporter: this may have been their first season on the boardwalk, but tina spatafor is not new to this. >> i think now we are on guard for any storm especially a storm like this heading our way. >> reporter: she owns oasis frozen yogurt, during saint her other location on asbury avenue was hit hard but she walked away with lessons. >> making hure there is no wind damage to any of my signs at either location for all of the business owners, especially ones that are still opened in the heart of the winter. >> reporter: like mike, owner of mike's sea food and restaurant, the the 100 and five-year old sea isle stapel. >> they are all gamed in. there is in fresh seafood to be had. >> reporter: his cases empty, equipment high off the ground as he prepares for a storm that could provoke painly memories. >> when you sea water like that i never want to have that happen to me ever again.

>> reporter: sandy left his mark and he fears so will rising icy water tomorrow through sunday. >> when you have that ice lifting up, underneath your dock with these high tides, that will create a tremendous amount of trouble for the pilings. >> reporter: those who live or own property or beach blocks will have an add layer of protection thanks to tens of millions of dollars spent on beach replenishment projects, much of the dredging equipment used in the past several weeks for touch ups have had to be removed in anticipation of high winds and high tides. we're told that some official vehicles may be moved off shore during the storm, and any resident who may have their car park in a low lying area is being asked to move it. reporting from sea isle city, this evening, alexandria hoff for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". in the tait of delaware the plows are ready to roll and salties piled up ready for use. dell dot tells "eyewitness news" it is ready for this storm. >> we have been pretreating our roads in new castle county a and statewide over last couple days and now it is waiting for the event to

really start to happen. >> grocery stores in the the first state today were packed with shoppers, picking up all of the essentials. when winter weather hits you, you can count than us to tell the story share your photos with us on facebook, twitter, instagram with the hashtag cbs-3 snow. see your photos right here on "eyewitness news". now the healthwatch, parents of the children with due shane muscular dystrophy are fighting for their sick children pleading with the f.d.a. to approve the first drug to treat a condition. >> melt reporter stephanie stahl joins with us this story. >> reporter: some f.d.a. reviews have doubts that this drug is effective, so, a family from trevose, and dozens of others, are going to washington d.c. to plead their case. just getting around inside history votes home is an ordeal for 15 year-old jake wesley. >> this is the one thing that the f.d.a. doesn't see is the human side. >> reporter: every year dushane muscular dystrophy steals more of jake's strength a simple trip up the stairs is a long process.

fatal genetic disorder prevent's jake body from producing a key protein. >> it makes me weaker and less able to do things that other people can normally do. >> reporter: disease can also cause scoliosis, jake recently needed a painful surgery to reenforce his spine. >> if you can save one family and one child from having to go through that it is worth it. >> reporter: jake's father keith wesley sees prom nissan experimental drugs, its maker says in small exploratory studies the drug helps dushane patients create the missing protein and slow progression of the disease. keith and jake know a patient who is receiving a drug in the clinical trial. >> his friend is actually able to lift his hand up over the head now. the drug does work. >> reporter: jake has not been able to take the drug because it is not approved. so he and other families are traveling to washington d.c. to make their case in person for fast track approval for f.d.a. advisory committee. >> i will be on my dad's side

as he speaks. >> reporter: f.d.a. has been reluctant to approve the drug saying there is not enough evidence that it works, but keith says, if there is ever a time for the f.d.a. to give dying children some hope, it is now. >> congress gave you the tools, use them. >> reporter: hearing in washington was scheduled for tomorrow, but because of the upcoming storm, it has been delayed for at least several weeks. so, keith and other parents will have have to wait, even longer, for their chance to make their case to the faa. they know this isn't a cure but at this point it is their best hope. >> it is hope, that is right. >> be right there by his dad's side. >> thank you, stephanie. still to come tonight the a hit and run accident nearly claims his life but now, this local actor is making his return to the stage and talking to "eyewitness news" about getting back to doing what he loves to do. and as we keep an eye on the winter storm music fans center their attention to the sound of summer, a big announcement about who will be playing at citizens bank park

this july, kate. summer sound good right about now but unfortunately we have got an eye on the storm and it is a big one tonight forming right here over gulf of mexico and deep south and heading our way and we're talking about over a foot of snow in some parts of the area. i will have latest on the timing and how much snow will fall and when this gets out of here wayne to expect when the storm exits all coming up in weather, don. well, it business time, flyers and penguins have their first match up of the season tonight, why the orange and black will go into tonight a's match up in pittsburgh shorthanded, coming up later in sports.

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i had an injury to my neck. it wasn't as serious injury it was a herniated disc. anything that could go wrong went wrong. i've been in the hospital twenty three times since. the bills started to pile up. i had nothing to give. we had nothing in the refrigerator. i would be dead and not sitting here right now if it wasn't for pond lehocky.

pat's king of steaks, may have done, in tonight, coming up at 11:00 while mark vetri was this see vittoria's wooled ill live report from south philadelphia taste with torey tonight on "eyewitness news". think a ahead to this summer because piano man is returning to philadelphia. for the third year in the a row, billy jell will will fill the seats. today live nation and phillies announced yell will perform at the ball yard on saturday, july 9th. mark your calendars. tickets go on sal, next friday at 10:00 a.m. us a great show. >> i may have seen him a few

times. >> a few, like 15 maybe. >> in the like 15. it is not that bad. >> fourteen. >> thirteen. >> a special return to the stage for a philadelphia actor nearly killed in the hit and run last june, the driver is still on the run. >> but after an amazing recovery michael toner is acting again despite losing his leg. greg argos has his amazing story. >> watching michael tone are act... you may never realize just seven months ago, he was in intensive care at thomas jefferson university hospital, fighting for his life. >> i was walking across the street. >> reporter: that is all michael can remember back on june 9th, car hit him, driver sped off and left him for dead late that evening. >> i was in the street, they estimate for a couple hours, found by a homeless person. >> reporter: by that time michael lost most of the blood in his leg. >> he said i had shadow of death across my face is how he

put it, and that was probably true. >> reporter: it had to be amputated and actor who has performed on stage for more than four decades was told he had a very long recovery ahead. >> what i knew already as an actor you work with the body and you work with your body and you're motions. well, i still have vocally, i have my voice, i have my basic set of emotions still there over 40 years, you know, i have to work with the body in a new way but you can still work with the body and do a play as a disable actor. >> reporter: with the help of the physical therapist, prosthetic leg and positive attitude. >> look at the situation as if the cup is half full, not half empty. >> reporter: michael is back on stage. performing at the walnut street theater in eugene o'neill's a moon for the the mist pagan. >> where is there a well is there a way. >> reporter: that is the truth for michael's amazing recovery. >> i really want to live life as much as i can, fully

because i came so close to this death experience. i consider myself very, very lucky to be alive. >> reporter: in center city. greg argos for cb is s3 "eyewitness news". >> bravo. >> indeed. >> no doubt about it. >> a ace mag man. >> kate joins us now with more on the storm coming our way. let me get this right now. a watch is conditions are favorable, and a warning means it has going down. >> you are spitting my own language right back at me. >> watch me conditions are favorable, warning means it is imminent, happening. right now it is a blizzard watch. i expect this to be a blizzard warning, generally within 24 hours of the storm or closer is when they switch from watches to warnings. we have blizzard warnings in d.c. and baltimore as our storm moves up eastern see game. lets look what is happening right now a lot of moisture and transport it is starting to lift north and east, and it will draw in even more strength, and more even why i from the atlantic ocean. water temperatures well above

average for this time of the year. once it gets off coast we expect the storm to continue to strengthen, and deepen and possibly bomb out which is when pressure drops very rapidly over a short period of time, you may have heard me use the word bumbo genesis and that is what we are talking about here before. thinks a strengthening into a major nor'easter. wind will be a huge part of this system as well. not only heavy falling snow but wind picking up the snow and blowing it around. we do expect ratios to be changing during this storm. heavy wet snow, also some lighter, fluffy snow depending where you are and which part of the storm we're in. of course, lighter snow will be blowing around easier. here's that blizzard watch, and lets talk about what a blizzard actually is. it has nothing to to with how much snow is falling, falling snow or blowing snow with wind sustained at 35 plus miles an hour and visibility below a quarter mile all for three plus hours. so we have extended period of time of strong wind and low visibility making it very, very difficult to see, out on the roadways.

so in addition to the the snow, in the roads you will not see out there just treacherous travel conditions, through the the day saturday. here's 3:00 a.m. saturday. the it is snowing. notice how close that mix line is trying to sneak into southern delaware. that is one thing to watch. where band set up, when storm starts to strengthen moving off the companies we will see what we call convective banning setting up on the back side of the storm and that will dump heavy snow on the region. start times between 6:00 and 9:00 in delaware and southern new jersey. the city and suburbs we expect this to start between 7:00 and 11:00. later in the northwest and lehigh valley and poconos. wind could gust over 50 miles an hour down the shore, over 40 miles an hour in the city. that is why snow will be blown around and we still expect over a foot of snow in philadelphia a. around 12 inches in the the city. twelve to 16 in the blue shaded area with slightly less down the shore, thanks to the mixing. that brings me to our wild card. we have to watch the northwestern suburbs, that northwest cut off zone.

you can have a very sharp gradient where one town gets two or 3 inches. another town gets 10 inches. they are only several miles apart. where banding sets up that is where heavier snow will dump. how far inland will that mix line travel, will we change over to rain over south jersey, how far will that go. that is what we have to watch. either edge of the storm could be some changes to the snow amounts but in the city, again looking pretty cop cyst tenth for about 12 to 16 inches. major storm all day saturday. then we will clear out on sunday and warmer weather back to the 40's next week.

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don bell, he is here with sports talking hockey. >> big game tonight. >> we have been talking football all week. fun to start talking about the pucks, um. they love to hate each other. it has been 291 days since flyers/penguins have shared the same ice but tonight is

the night in pittsburgh. fly guys are three points out of the wild card spot and one point behind the pens. sean couturier is out with the lower body injury. they will miss him. he has been great ovulate. flyers trying to rebound after a heart breaking loss to the mapel leafs tuesday night. they gave up game winning goal with 7.5 left in the game. but they are ready for the pens. >> at home or away, every time we play pittsburgh, it is always pretty intense. it is a fun game to play in. >> it will be a tough game. anytime we play pittsburgh. we are in the bottom of the wild card race and we have to make sure we go there and we play them the same way we always play them. >> couple things to do saturday night while you are snowed in. one you could netflix and chill. or two watch sixers try for consecutive wins when they host celtics. by the the way in, word from the sixers if they will postpone that game, due to weather.

last night they won their first game against eastern conference when they beat magic in orlando. they were zero and 25 a against the east. there is no update by the way on nerlens noel who left that game with the migraine headache, and dizziness. as for college ranks, saint guess and lasalle they are not waiting until snowplows hit the streets. they have rescheduled their the saturday game for sunday 59:00 a.m. ville neff ace moving its game in providence to sunday at 1:00. now that will make a great sunday fun day indeed because don't forget the afc championship game is right the here on cbs-3. the the nfl today starts things off at 2:00. new england patriots and denver broncos from denver, at 3:00. brady verse manning, guys, for the 17th time, this could be the last time these two hook up, on a football field. >> let's go manning. >> let's go manning. >> let's go manning in that match up, brady has won 11 times, and manning just five. >> make it six. i'm tired of the patriots.

>> yes. >> they could be back again. >> it happens. >> we will see. >> we will be right back. >> thanks,

thanks for watching "eyewitness news" at 6:00. "eyewitness news" returns at ten on our sister station the cw philly. we are back here on cbs-3 at 11:00. up next, "cbs evening news". should the west coast be on the look out for a major earthquake. latest on mounting fears and what scientists are doing to prepare, tonight on the "cbs evening news". from new york here now is scott pelley. take care family, we will see you tonight.

>> pelley: d.c. deep freeze going nowhere fast in the ice capital of america as the east stocks up for the blizzard of 2016. >> they've run out of organic carrots, which is a terrible thing. >> pelley: also tonight, residents of flint say rip 'em out. >> will you ever trust the water coming through these pipes? >> not until they're replaced. >> pelley: the west looks ahead to the inevitable tsunami and tax preparations to new heights. and 88 keys to living past 100. >> i love to play the piano and make people happy. >> this is the "cbs evenin captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: the east is bracing for a weekend blizzard. airlines are canceling flight, washington, d.c., will close the