on the day before the fourth of july, it's mother nature providing the fireworks. bolts of lightning over camden overnight. we're still tracking those storms this morning. a live look now at first alert weather radar. you can see the line of storms pushing through the area there. there's a chance for more storms on the way later today. and at the same time, tropical storm arthur is creeping closer to north carolina's outer banks. it's tracking up the east coast and will soon be a hurricane. a live picture here of cape mae with arthur approaching. we can look for surf to get rougher along the jersey shore and delaware beaches during this next couple of days.

good morning. this is nbc 10 news today. i'm chris cato. that lightning we showed you earlier can cause emergencies like this one. lightning is blamed for this house fire last night. thankfully no one was hurt. this large home on raven hollow drive burned. and that is the sound of the storms overnight. nbc 10s camera catching the thunder and lightning in camden county. heavy rain triggering flash flooding yesterday evening. nbc 10 in reading last night where some cars got stuck in high water. other vehicles never had a chance because the roads were already swamped. some businesses in the city also shut down because of the flooding. let's hope we don't see any more of that today. let's go to bill henley and his first alert forecast. >> we're watching them track through the area right now.

trenton still seeing rainfall. the big storms settled down. now we're dealing with low clouds and areas of lite fght f. the last few showers pushing through the area into north jersey right now. we're going enter a dry period that will last through the morning and too much of the afternoon before more storms are likely to take shape and come our way. the temperatures in the 70s right now. 75 degrees in philadelphia. don't be surprised if we see more fog before things start to break. the clouds will be breaking. 7:00 this morning, 77 degrees. humid morning. 81 degrees at 9:00. upper 80s at noon time with temperatures back in the 90s this afternoon. >> we've been checking overnight, those thunderstorms caused several thousand people to lose power. some of those outages are still in effect. gloucester county has 2300 people without power. new castle county, the same

number. kent county still has nearly 1,000 outages. nearly 900 in montgomery county. 600 in camden county. several towns that were going to have fireworks tonight have moved those events because of the weather. again, a chance of thunderstorms again this evening. for a complete list of the new dates and times, you can log on to nbc10.com. while you're there, remember with so much still going on, you need to be sure to get weather updates at your finger tips. can you do that on our weather app. you can download it for free at nbc10.com. a lot of people are greeted by rain as they hit the roads this morning. let's get to jillian mele. >> the roads are wet out there. you need to take your time. we're not seeing any accidents as a result of the wet roads out there. we have some construction out there. normal overnight construction set up. it's not active right now. we still have some cones in place out there on roads like

95, especially near girard avenue and for drivers in new jersey, same situation on 295 and the 42 freeway. it doesn't seem like people are slowing down really. speeds in the mid 50s on both 76 and the blue route this morning. you can really see how wet the roads are. slow down and take your time this morning. chris? >> you have been steering drivers around this obstacle for weeks now. this morning we'll see a major step taking in repairing the closed 495 bridge in new castle county. it was deemed unsafe last month after engineers found some of the support columns were tilting. nbc 10s katy zachry is live with what's being done to fix that bridge today. katie? >> reporter: hi, chris. i have to tell you the latest word is that repairs here to the bridge, they're moving pretty quickly and on schedule. later today we should see

concrete poured into the bases to give you an idea of just how big a job this is, these bases are 64 feet long, 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. before the concrete could be poured, crew has to insert steel rebar cages into the shafts. it's all part of a larger plan that includes drilling new concrete foundations into the bedrock to support the bridge and replacing two piers that have shown the worst tilting. we won't know if a 400 foot section of the bridge needs to be rebuilt. that would really delay plans for reopening the bridge. as it stands right now, crews hope to open the southbound lanes of the bridge by labor day. it has been closed, of course, we know since june. 90,000 drivers a day have been affected. an estimated 90,000 drivers take this bridge every day and for the last month they've had to

find routes around this. we know from jillian they've been taking 95 or locally route 13. that's reporting live in wilmington, katy zachry, abc 10 news. >> here's what else we're watching happening today. the philadelphia man who is accused of stuffing miz mother's body in a freezer is expected to turn himself in today. he faces charges of abuse of a corpse. the body of his mom was found in a freezer on tuesday after police got a tip from the family saying she had died of natural causes back in january. her son's co-workers tell nbc 10 he told them he was cashing his dead mother's social security checks. this morning rescue crews plan to resume their research of the delaware river for a man who disappeared when his boat capsized during the thunderstorms last night. a 24-foot sail boat overturned in philadelphia during the storms. four people made it back to the

shore. a 65-year-old man did not. >> when the rains and winds started, it caused the 24 foot to capsize. >> now that missing man is described as an experienced boater. police say he was not wearing a life vest at the time. this morning there are questions about the safety of food truck and who is responsible for insuring that safety after a leaking propane tank caused a truck to explode in philadelphia. here is that video again. the blast injured 13 people. five of those critically. there are more than 300 food trucks like them in philadelphia. nbc 10 found while the city health department spekts the food and equipment, it does not inspect the propane tanks. and the department of licenses and inspections only checks to make shurt trucks are operating in the right areas. >> do you inspect the propane tanks? >> no. >> do you know who checks the

propane tanks? >> number. >> now nbc 10 found this cell phone video. can you seat truck smoldering there. witnesses are seen carrying her 17-year-old daughter from the truck. both of those women remain in critical condition. now to a story we brought you as breaking news last night at 11:00. the $2 per pack cigarette tax that will help the school district cleared major hurdle last night. tracy davidson joins us. the pennsylvania house ok'd this new tax. so is this over? >> so it's not over. the senate still has to approve it and then go to the governor'sbeing for his signature. what happened in the capitol was a huge step forward towards closing that huge gap in the philadelphia school budget. at this time yesterday morning, the cigarette tax bill didn't have a prayer. nbc 10 was in harrisburg all day

yesterday waiting for an outcome. some lawmakers made a last minute push for a no vote. and then late last night the votes of the bill came through. >> this was one of the critical votes in the history of the philadelphia school district. >> we needed to make sure we delivered the support to the school district of philadelphia so that, again, we wouldn't have 21 children in a classroom in september. 1300 jobs wouldn't be at risk. and we will be sending a strong message that education is our number one priority. >> so again, here's what happens next. the cigarette tax bill and amendments go to the senate. then if it passes there, it goes to the governor's office. he is expected to sign it next tuesday if all goes as planned. we'll keep you updated on air and on nbc10.com. >> from our trenton bureau, chris christie vetoed a bill that would have limited ammunition clips to ten rounds.

the current cast is 15 rounds. he says that bill would do nothing to prevent mass shooting. instead, he is calling for a series of reforms for mental illness treatment. >> a stormy night but things are settling down right now. we'll see clouds break for some sunshine. there is still a possibility of storms later on. during the day, another hot and humid day. yesterday, 96 the high temperature. we'll be in the lower 90s today. late day storms will take shape. could be strong if not severe as we head into the evening hours. and then overnight tonight some heavy rainfall. some of the moisture from arthur that's coming up the coast will come our way. a tropical storm now will likely strengthen to a category one hurricane. we're watching temperatures in the 70s this morning. rain is falling but tapering off. philadelphia, clouds are overhead, 75 degrees.

72 degrees right now in cape mae. you can see a little murkiness on the horizon. now our some areas of light fog but it's not widespread. certainly widespread storminess last night. storms are quickly pushing off to the north. we'll be drying out this morning. the humidity, we're going to feel that during the day to day. so the storms will break for most of the day. there is just a chance of a few showers popping up this afternoon. you see some activity to our south in virginia this morning. so the forecast is calling for a quick warmup. that will do away with the fog this morning. you can see light fog and two mile visibility. the worst of the fog is in the pocono mountains. hazelton is down to zero. take a look at arthur when i come back. >> get ready for some wet roads this morning. as you begin your day, nbc 10s first alert traffic reporter shows us what else to watch out for out there. >> good morning you to, chris. this is a live look at the ben franklin bridge. looking great in both

directions. this is the eastbound side. eastbound is where we've seen that construction project blocking the right lane. no delays to report. keep in mind the bridge surfaces can be slippery when we have any rain out. there use caution this morning. 202 is completely clear. this is a live look right by the pennsylvania turnpike. even 202 near route 29, that is quiet right now as well. and if you're traveling 422 this morning, you can see average speeds right now across the board on 422 in the mid 50s. our major roads are looking really good. the only thing you have to keep in mind is that the roads are wet this morning. chris? >> up next, a security stepup. a new threat that prompted a worldwide airport alert. plus, fire in wine country. also ahead, up in flames, tour buses belonging to well known rockers catch fire in philadelphia. and an interstate oops that's has plenty of people turning their heads.

big storms overnight are taking a break. in the last few minutes, clouds are starting to clear already. we're in for a hot and humid day to day. the radar showing the storms pulling away from our area. but more wet weather will be moving in late today and tonight. >> it is 4:15. new from overnight, police in new orleans have a person of interest in custody in connection with that shooting on bourbon street that left a woman dead. justin odom is his day. he is on jail on unrelated charges. detectives are questioning him about the weekend shooting that started as an argument between two men. ten bystanders were hit by the gunfire. one of the victims, a

21-year-old woman, died. >> a chester county music teacher accused of sexually assaulting young students is set to be rained. police charged him with assaulting three 6-year-olds that he taught at the music school. he was also later charged with showing nude photos to three other students. and this morning the man accused of sparking a s.w.a.t. standoff on monday morning is in jail now. here's the suspect. police caught him yesterday in philadelphia. s.w.a.t. teams surrounded a home on monday after his ex-girlfriend called 911 saying he pulled a gun on her and tried to sexually assault her. he got away until yesterday. styxx and foreigner are taking the stage tonight but how they're taking the road is yet to be seen. two of the tour buses caught on fire. no one was on either bus at the time. investigators are trying to

figure out how the fire started. tonight's show is at the us is we hannah bank center. >> and a wildfire burning in the napa valley is growing. that fire burned 3800 acres. hundreds of homes have been evacuated. at this point the fire is not threatening any of the area's famous vineyards. so far, no injuries have been reported. happening now, it is day 37 of the oscar pistorius murder trial. and right now a sports medicine professor is testifying about a person's fight or flight instinct. in the past half hour, that expert testified that his instinct is to fight when he is not wearing his pros spetices because he cannot run away. now pistorius, of course, is on trial for shooting and killing his give in february of 2013. pistorius says he thought she was an intruder. the new england patriots say the organization doesn't owe former tight end aaron hernandez another penny. at a hearing yesterday, a lawyer

for the team said their contract with hernandez was terminated after he was charged in a death last year. hernandez is also charged in the murders of two other men. the families of those men ask the judge to keep the patriots from paying hernandez more than $3 million in signing bonuses and other compensation. >> the u.s. government increased security at some overseas airport that's offer direct flights to the u.s. because counter-terrorism officials say groups in yemen and syria are working on a metal free bomb that could make it through airport security undetected. this security is expected at airports in europe and middle east. it will not impact domestic flights. >> a airline flight on the way to australia had to turn around and head back to los angeles yesterday after water began leaking on the plane. look at this video. a spokesperson says the leak was from drinking water and no one was in danger. spelling counts. just ask painting contractor in

north carolina who botched the word only in a turn only lane. now a noly lane, apparently. you can see the incorrect word there on right. transportation officials ordered the correction but crews have to wait 48 hours because of severe weather in north carolina. >> well, just about the noly thing you have to worry about today is snow. it will be another hot and humid one. we'll get to the sunshine. also a chance that we'll see more strong storms. they came through last night. this morning, things are settling down. 7 75 degrees if philadelphia. still steamy. 87% humidity. this sim proving view of center city from the adventure aquarium. clouds are starting to thin out. we'll see sunshine today:there will be a warmup along the coastline. into the 80s this afternoon. very low 80s for the shore. there go the showers.

the thunderstorms are off shore. they take a break for most of the day. tonight, more wet weather is moving n and we'll be dealing with what may be a hurricane by then. in fact, likely reach hurricane status this morning. tropical storm arthur expected to move up the coast. by 8:00 this morning, reach category one strength. impact the carolina coastline and then it will be moving off shore heading off to the northeast. so friday evening, 8:00, it will be well offshore. we'll see improving conditions in our area as a cold front comes through to clear things out. so what does this mean for your holiday plans for the fourth of july? going to take in fireworks. your best bet is areas north and west. the rain is clearing out. but the philadelphia area is in good shape. we'll start with some rain on the fourth, tomorrow morning and clearing out in the afternoon. and improving conditions late day at the shore. temperatures in the 70s. >> 20 minutes after 4:00 now. and let's get a check of the traffic. nbc 10 first alert traffic

reporter jillian mele has a look at the roads that have rain on them. >> we have wet roads out there. you can still expect to see a few spots of flooding. bristol, oxford valley road is closed. you can take trenton road if you need to get around that problem. this is what it looks like on 76. this is right near spring garden. traffic is among along just fine in both directions. the entire lengthth of 76 is clear. no accidents on the majors in delaware. let's keep in mind we have that closure on 495 between exits two and three. setting the stage, the home of the phillies is being transformed into something that goes beyond baseball. we'll explain. and a dirty trick. how did this fan work his way on to the field at the world cup.

[casino sounds] >> man: yeah [speaking excitedly] >> man: yeah [speaking excitedly] [dog bark] >> man: yeah [speaking excitedly] [loud kiss smack] >> man: yeah [speaking excitedly] [party sounds] >> librarian: shh >> man: yeah [speaking excitedly] [fly buzz] [hand clap] >> announcer: 888 casino.com. the worlds leading online casino has arrived in new jersey. join now and get 50 free spins for the chance to win $1,000,000. every spin could win you $1,000,000. absolutely free. >> man: yeah [speaking excitedly] join 888casino.com now. must be 21 years old and in the state of new jersey to play real money.

4:24. officials remind what you see in this video sill legal and dangerous in philadelphia. swimming in the city's creeks. a 15-year-old boy drowned in a creek. nbc 10 checked out the devil's pool in fairmont park. we found plenty of people swimming in the water there. today the welcome america festival continues. tonight it's pops on independence concert. the philly pops will celebrate america's birthday at 8:00 p.m. yesterday the go forth and learn program focused on history. kids learned about candle making at the national constitution center. historic re-enactors is there to give lessons about philadelphia's past.

nbc 10.com has your complete guide to the activities in philadelphia this week. can you find out about fireworks shows, locations, parades, detours and all the other things you need to know right there at nbc10.com. all right, another big event happening this weekend in south philadelphia, a live look here at citizens bank park where jay z and beyonce take the stage for a concert saturday night. you can see it's a good thing the phillies have a long road trip. crews are building a big stage there for the couple to perform on in the outfield. of course, the singer and rapper are bringing the tour to philadelphia. the show benefits their charity, the sean carter foundation to support students. and another way can you support nonprofit groups in philadelphia, don't forget about the grant challenge. it is called 21st century solutions. there is a $50,000 grant available along with two $25,000 grants. our goal with this is to help good ideas become great ones.

applications are being accepted until august 8th. for more information and to apply, go to nbc10.com. >> a stormy night. still some clouds overhead and we're watching for some areas of fog. that's a live view from the comcast center. get ready for another steamy day. we're back in the 90s this afternoon. how is that traffic looking? >> it looks good out there, bill. this is a look at a quiet roosevelt boulevard. 76 is looking good. i'll take you to a live look at the blue route.

here is lightning captured by our camera at cape mae. more thunderstorms are under way for tonight. we're tracking the storms this morning. here is a live look at first alert weather radar. get set for more rain. >> and we're also tracking arthur and so are people in north carolina. >> we have the storms move through overnight. let's check the progress now with bill henley. it's a warm start to the morning. >> yeah, mugginess is going to be with us for much of the morning, much of the day, in fact. we're going to heat back into the 90s this afternoon. the storms overnight, they're done for now. we're going to see some breaks of sunshine this morning. still clouds over center city. that's a live view from the comcast center. the last rainfall is moving through north jersey right now.

that is the last rainfall for this morning. and for this afternoon, we'll be watching the skies especially late this afternoon for another round of heavy storms in the area. right now 7 ain philadelphia. dropped to 69 degrees in millville and 73 in allentown. we're tracking arthur and the march is up the coast. that may not bring us a ton of rainfall for the weekend. but it could bring us another threat. jesse gary is live this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we may our way to atlantic county here at the jersey shore. we've seen a little lightning off in the distance just off the coast. but nothing like we saw as we made our way down. lightning vertically and horizontally. the heavy rain we're experiencing up in the philadelphia area, that h