11:00. enjoy the rest of your holiday. good night. on this monday night, state of emergency. a ferocious outbreak of tornadoes and flash floods demolishing homes, tossing cars onto roofs like toys. high water rescues. tonight at least three dead and a frantic search for the missing including a mom and her young children swept away. also tonight, blown away. a day at the beach suddenly turns violent as a tornado comes ashore seemingly out of nowhere sending a bounce house full of kids flying 20 feet in the air. air scares. fighter jets scramble amid threats of ten planes coming into u.s. airports. and paying tribute on this memorial day at arlington and across america honoring those who have given their lives

for this country. "nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, kate snow. good evening. as we come on the air on this memorial day, it is a very dangerous night for at least 30 million americans under the threat of violent weather. historic relentless rainfall and flash flooding combined with an outbreak of deadly tornadoes has already produced catastrophic damage. homes destroyed across mississippi, oklahoma and texas where the governor has declared a state of emergency. and there's a frantic search underway for the missing. some of whom were swept away in raging flood waters which are still a big threat right now as new tornadoes fire up on the radar. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in the flood zone tonight in wimberley, texas. >> we want to search o some large debris

piles. >> reporter: tonight a desperate search for the missing as the effects of the historic flood sinks in. >> it's a flood of biblical proportion. it's nothing we've ever experienced. >> reporter: in the air and on the ground -- >> it's texans helping texans right now. these are people in our communities. it definitely affects us on a personal level. >> reporter: -- the texas army national guard scour the banks. >> we have drone capabilities bringing into this thing. geothermal images. you name it we're bringing it in. >> reporter: saturday night the river crested at 43. >> moments ago had the opportunity to fly over blanco river and to observe first hand what the devastation looks like. and you cannot candy coat it. it's absolutely massive. >> reporter: jonathan

macome somehow survived the rapids but his wife and children were swept away. >> this house was floating down the river and then it ended. >> reporter: joe macome is praying for the finding of his grandchildren. >> there's still hope. >> reporter: at least five people have died in texas and oklahoma including alyssa ramirez. the violent weather now turning even more deadly. this morning at least 13 people were killed in the mexican border town. a tornado tossing cars into buildings. in oklahoma the fast-moving storms have prompted dramatic water rescues. >> we're in the creek. we're out of it. we're not having any luck. >> reporter: those first responders made it out safely. but in the town of clairemore a heart breaking loss. captain jason farley a nearly 20-year veteran firefighters drowned while trying

to save people trapped in the rising waters. a memorial day many here will never forget. we have seen heavy rain here on and off throughout the afternoon. the river behind me is rising and the list of the missing has now grown to 12. here they were temporarily suspending that search because of the dangerous weather. kate? >> gabe gutierrez in texas tonight, thanks. stay safe. a tornado strike of a different kind today in south florida. it was a water spout seemingly out of nowhere coming on shore blowing a bounce house full of kids 20 feet in the air. nbc's mark potter has our report. >> reporter: on a cloudy and windy day in ft. lauderdale a crowd of beachgoers were surprised and excited to see a rare sight. a water spout formed in the atlantic actually coming ashore right in front of them.

>> underwater tornado! >> reporter: at first there was laughter as the spinning winds chased a canopy down the beach. but quickly it all turned serious as the winds flipped over then lifted up two inflatable bounce houses. one with three children inside. police say the children were as high as 15 to 20 feet in the air when they were ejected onto the sand. >> the bounce house continued to travel across the parking lot, through the median and onto the southbound lanes of a-1-a. >> it was horrible. it was like a movie happening in front of my face. >> reporter: two of the children with minor fractures have been released from the hospital. one is being held for observation. shemoia ferguson's daughter and stepson were in the bounce house. >> i was crying. i was crying and i was like oh my god. oh my god. i can't believe this. and it was like she's

going to be okay. >> reporter: also all along florida's east coast, more than 150 swimmers had to be rescued after being caught in rip currents. at least five having killed since the weekend. stiff winds, rough seas and a water spout making for dangerous holiday conditions on the florida beaches. mark potter, nbc news. nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer joins us now with new tornadoes firing up over the radar. what are you most concerned about? >> we are still really concerned about eastern texas and southern oklahoma. this is where we do have a tornado watch in effect until 10:00 p.m. central time. there have also been several tornado warnings. it's in those areas near dallas and parts of southeastern oklahoma where we have the tornrential downpours. tomorrow an isolated storm or two still possible across texas. but the most widespread storms move into the ohio and

tennessee river valley extending into the gulf state. we could have several inches of rain and also some large hail. that's the area we'll focus on tomorrow. >> thanks dylan. tonight the fbi is looking into a series of phoned-in threats against commercial airline flights. many of them involving flights from overseas coming into major u.s. airports. one of those calls even prompted the military to scramble fighter jets. officials say the calls were a hoax. and now they're trying to find out who's behind them. we get the latest from our justice correspondent pete williams. >> reporter: two u.s. military fighter jets were scrambled to escort air france flight 22 today after an anonymous caller said a chemical weapon was on board. the plane landed safely and nothing was found. >> thank god it's over and we're safe and the plane is safe. >> reporter: it was one of ten flights today that were the subject of telephone threats. the calls apparently came from the same

person. a man who phoned them in early this morning. the calls were made to local police the fbi says including in maryland illinois oregon and new york. each conveying the same threat but naming different flights. among others a delta flight from paris to boston. a saudi arabia flight to jfk. united from madrid to edinburgh. and emirates from canada to dau buy. the threats were not considered credible but they were passed along to the airlines to be extra cautious. >> they told us to pick out our luggage, don't touch it. they took it. >> reporter: air fighters came to escort the air france line after the airline was closed for holidays and could not be reached in time. telephone threats to airplanes are distressingly common. but this one was unusual because it involved so many flights. pete williams nbc news washington.

and another scare. this one on the ground near the u.s. capitol building in washington. as thousands gathered for the annual memorial day concert last night police spotted a car with a pressure cooker inside and noticed a strong smell of gasoline and propane. you can imagine after the bombings at the boston marathon police were taking no chances with a pressure cooker in a car. they blew it up just in case. the owner of the car was then charged with driving on a revoked license. turns out he owns a food truck and said he had that equipment for his business. tonight our nation is marking a memorial day at a unique moment in history. it's the first since the end of the war in afghanistan but it also comes at a time of a debate over the role of america's military presence once again in iraq in the fight against isis. our senior white house correspondent chris jansing has our report. >> reporter: bathed in sunlight today as president obama laid a wreath at the tomb of

the unknown. he said hello to a 107-year-old world war ii army veteran. and before a crowd of 5,000 paid tribute to fallen heroes. >> on this day we honor the sacrifice of the thousands of american service members, men and women, who gave their lives since 9/11. >> reporter: this is the first memorial day in 14 years without u.s. troops in a major ground war. but it also comes against a backdrop of growing concern. after american-backed iraqi forces lost the key city of ramadi to isis. >> the iraqi forces showed just no will to fight. >> reporter: defense secretary carter's comments the harshest since the fall are raising questions about u.s. strategy in iraq. largely a combination of air strikes and training and equipping iraqis. >> the number of air strikes to assist the forces on the ground aren't going to help if they seize and control the terrain. right now they demonstrated they can do neither. >> reporter: right now

they're preparing for an attempt to retake ramadi. where scores died to protect a city now controlled by isis. >> many of us are upset and frustrated. it ultimately highlights the fact that men and women in the military are willing to defend our nation regardless of when and where. >> reporter: in cities around the u.s. that sacrifice is remembered today. and this morning the american and p.o.w. and m.i.a. flags flew at half staff over the white house. then were raised up again, a symbol of american resilience. iraqi officials pushed back hard after secretary carter's comments yesterday. so today vice president biden called iraq's prime minister. he pledged u.s. support in efforts to retake ramadi and promised to expedite training and equipment. >> chris jansing at the white house tonight. thank you. things remain tense in cleveland tonight. dozens of protesters appeared in court on this holiday. they were arrested during demonstrations after a police officer was acquitted in the deaths of two unarmed

people following a high-speed chase. 137 shots fired at their car. nbc's kevin tibbles is there. >> reporter: a tense weekend in cleveland as police in riot gear confronted protesters angered over the acquittal of an officer charged in the shooting deaths of two unarmed black motorists. while demonstrations for the most part remain peaceful more than 70 arrests were made. >> the initial decision to use force was constitutionally reasonable. >> reporter: an emotional 31-year-old brooi michael brilo was one of 13 officer who is opened fire on the couple following a high-speed chase in 2012. more than 100 officers and 60 vehicles were involved in the incident that ended with 137 shots being fired by police. timothy russell's sister says justice has not been served. >> i know that he wasn't right as far as fleeing from the

police but i've said over and over again, that does not warrant a death penalty. >> reporter: in court today, many of those arrested were charged with misdemeanors. some pled not guilty others no contest and were released after having spent the weekend in jail. >> we don't want no violence. we just want justice and equality. >> reporter: others in the city agreed with the verdict. >> i truly believe in his heart he felt he was protecting the community and himself. >> reporter: the officer remains on unpaid leave from the force pending the results of an internal investigation. kevin tibbles, nbc news cleveland. still ahead tonight website the price you pay for a summer getaway. lower gas prices means big savings on the roads. we'll tell you how much. and more americans than ever before are ready to fly, but why are airfares still going up? also tonight, remembering a beloved star of stage and screen. a career and a love story that spanned

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tonight the reality is setting in for a lot of families stuck in traffic on the way home that the long weekend is over and tomorrow it's back to work. and if it feels like there are more people on the road this year that's because there are. aaa says it's likely to be the busiest holiday weekend in ten years fueled by lower gas prices but why aren't those lower gas prices translating into lower ticket prices at the airport? nbc's stephanie gosk reports.

>> reporter: have cheap gas? will travel. or at least that's what it seemed like on the roads this memorial day. gas prices are set to peak for the year this week at $2.75 barring any unexpected supply problems. that's close to a dollar less than what people paid last year. that could mean $800 in savings. sounds great unless the cheap prices tempt you to drive more. when gas prices drop do you drive more? >> yes. >> reporter: you do. why? >> it's not as expensive. we take a lot of day trips. >> i try to save regardless. >> reporter: have you felt it recently? >> i have seen it recently yes. >> reporter: air travelers may see the low gas prices and think, fantastic. that will bring plane tickets down too. unfortunately not as much as they may hope. and it certainly won't lead to more leg room or space for that

carryon either. round trip domestic tickets are down only about 1%. the average price is $454. >> what we're seeing is airline carriers really using this year to make up a lot of the profits that they've lost in the past five to ten years. >> reporter: summer airline travel will be at an all-time high this year. 222 million passengers expected to fly. that's more than two-thirds the population of the u.s. so although there may be no place like home this summer many americans won't be sticking to their own back yard. stephanie gosk new york. up next tonight, one of the most famous men in the world admits he hasn't watched tv in 25 years. we'll tell you who and why when we come back. ♪

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well we thank you for being with us on this memorial day. one person who definitely is not watching our broadcast tonight, pope francis. in fact he told an argentinian newspaper that he hasn't watched television in 25 years. he says he simply decided it wasn't for him. he doesn't even watch his beloved soccer team but he says his security team they update him on all the scores. tonight we remember a beloved star of stage and screen who passed away this weekend. anne meara, the actress and comedian was half of a legendary comedy duo for more than a century. tonight he and his son and daughter the actors ben and amy stiller and millions of fans are mourning their loss. nbc's joe fryer takes a look back. >> hi. >> how you doing? >>. >> reporter: we can assume anne meara

laughed a lot in her 85 years. clever enough in her own life, she was matriarch of a funny family. >> and 38 of those years in therapy. >> reporter: together they formed the comedy duo stiller and meara. amazingly not too early for a sketch on computer dating. >> those computers are a great thing. >> terrific. >> i was reading all about it. >> takes all the guess work out of meeting someone. >> reporter: there was no straight man in this duo. >> you've grown. >> oh i forgot. >> reporter: yet the tall redhead also excelled on her own appearing in many tv shows like "rhoda." today her son actor ben stiller tweeted, all of us in our family feel so lucky to have had her in our lives. even later in life stiller and meara still performed together like in this episode from "the king of queens."

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finally tonight, a story about getting a few more miles out of something you'd think would be headed for the trash. airplane seats of all things after they've worn out their welcome being given a whole new lease of life thanks to some very special workers who are "making a difference." here's nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: the landing is just the start of the journey for these southwest plane seats. ready to be retired, they're stripped and shipped to workers like ron buck. what stuff do you find on here recently. >> gum and candy. >> reporter: he and his colleagues work for gartin. a company that provides jobs for developmentally disabled people. here they take the steps to recycle the seats made of leather. 43 acres of it.

originally destined for landfills now diverted to places. >> since there was a lot of heavy stitching on these, it made sense to turn them into three dimensional items. >> reporter: this team is turning the seats into satchels and totes and toiletry cases. bags they call so fly. finding fans in all 50 states with more than 10,000 sold in the last three months. >> some of them are fanatics around aviation sustainability and some say it's a great looking bag and i love the story. >> reporter: it's a story that started a year and a half ago when southwest began to send the leather overseas for a program that created jobs for people in kenya. along with soccer balls and sandals for kids who have never owned shoes. >> gone from a static product that brought joy to people because it took them on trips, but it's bringing joy to those children in africa. >> reporter: for them it's a trend that's taking off and taking recycling to new heights. hallie jackson, nbc news, portland,

oregon. and that'll do it for us on this memorial day monday. i'm kate snow. for all of us here at nbc news, thank you for watching. have a great night. ♪ news. sofia, jen and lady gaga still details on their i do's. >> now on "extra".." >> jen and courtney from friends to rival brides.

>> who do you think is going to have the first wedding? >> gaga planning a beach side ceremony with taylor. >> who is human in order to be ee loepg? >> emma tone calling out bradley cooper a cooper and our own aj. >> there's a little bromance. >> yes, ma'am ma was tracking cooper's workouts on the set of aloha. >> you are about to be so huge. >> male strip percent, impossible stunts and schwarzenegger "extra's" ultimate summer movie preview. >> all new star diet secrets. >> t50 pounds bye-bye. >> and which strengthy to be could be your shortcut to a better bikini body. and the boys from en rash on their super sexed up movie. >> quite risque. >> plus who you sean penn totally stunned new bachelorette kaitlyn. >> i was like -- >> this is "extra" at wroofrl studios, hollywood, the