gunned down. erin coleman is joining us with more on this difficult day for them. >> somber day for these students as they return to what simply used to be their high school but now has become the site of a national tragedy. take a look at what was waiting for marjory stoneman douglas high school students. dozens of police officers and volunteers and really members of the community held signs of encouragement. therapy animals were an added distraction and plenty of hugs to go around as students faced their fears to try to get back to a new normal. >> there's no right time to go back to school but we're all with our friends, united as a community. >> i felt safe before, but like now i feel more safe because everybody is here. >> reporter: the broward county public school superintendent spoke to "today" moments before they marched into school together. >> this is the best place for everyone to be with their colleagues, their peers, their

friends so they can work together as we go through this difficult process of trying to go from grief to some better state. >> reporter: the freshman building where the shooting took place is closed. there is talk of demolishing it. today was a half day for students. the superintendent said about 95% of students were in class today. >> can't imagine what they were all going through. erin. in the wake of the florida massacre, one of the largest sporting good retailers based here in pennsylvania will no longer sell assault-style rifles. >> dick's sporting goods also raised the age limit on firearm sales to 21. the pittsburgh-based retailer has 11 stores in pennsylvania, 6 in new jersey and 3 in delaware. customers remember split on the decision. >> if dick's wants to ban it and they're willing to, whatever the consequences are, that's on them. that's fine. it's their business. they can do what they want. >> i don't think that they

should because that is up to the individual if you want to have an assault rifle. >> dick's will also stop selling high capacity magazines. nbc 10's cydney long spoke with those customers about the decision. >> she's joining us live from the dick's sporting goods in deppford. >> too often on hot-button or controversial issues like this one, i've been turned down. we've had people literally walk away, even run away from our cameras, too nervous to weigh in. today, not so. not one customer turned down our request for their reaction to this ban. today marks two weeks to the day since 17 students and staff were murdered inside this florida high school. and now on student cries for help and change, dick's sports says, quote, we hear you loud and clear. >> yeah, tickled pink they took that stand, and i think more companies ought to do the same. >> reporter: effective immediately, dick's says it must be part of the solution and

stopping gun violence and mass shootings by no longer selling assault-style rifles and raising the firearms purchase age from 18 to 21. >> age restrictions, i assume it's legal since nobody is contesting it. 21 is a good age, which is fine. you're more mature at 21. >> reporter: the ceo's letter regarding what some consider a bold and touchy second amendment stand immediately visible under the gun case glass in area stores. louise is a gun owner and doesn't agree with the company wide change. >> they should check people and make sure that they have the right background to own an assault gun. i don't think they should ban them at all. >> reporter: dennis colonel does not own a gun, still -- >> i believe everyone has a right to owner a weapon for hunting or pistol shooting but there's really no need for automatic weapons in this day and age. >> reporter: it's a major revenue loss for dick's but perhaps an investment in public safety that could save lives. >> absolutely. >> reporter: will it stop you

from shopping here? >> no, it will not. >> reporter: and we did also speak with a former south jersey law enforcement officer earlier today. we will share with you some of his thoughts coming up on nbc 10 news tonight at 5:00. for now, live in depford, cydney long, nbc 10 news. within the last hour, president trump got an earful from lawmakers over guns and school safety. now the president is ready to do something. mr. trump met with members of congress from both sides of the aisle. he told the group he was writing an order to ban bump stocks which allow guns to become fully automatic. he also said he's a big fan of the nra but said it's time for reforms and a bipartisan bill. pat toomey, who was in that meeting, raised the issue of background checks. >> one of the big gaps in our background check system today is sales at gun shows and sales over the internet are not necessarily subject to a background check. we think they should be. these are essentially commercial

in nature and they're on a scale that really matters. >> the president had lunch with the nra. told them, quote, it's time. we have to stop this nonsense, end quote. today a poconos church opened its doors for a marriage ceremony and couples showed up carrying their assault rifles down the aisle. steven fisher will explain why in about ten minutes. your first alert weather. warm end of february made it the perfect day to grab the pooch and take a walk in whitehall township. but some big changes on the way. >> you take your pooch for a walk? >> i did. >> big changes are coming to the forecast. first alert weather is tracking the return of rain tomorrow and the threat for strong winds friday. that's why we have issued a first alert. take a live look now at the schuylkill expressway at city avenue. pretty jammed up there. the weather conditions are fine outside right now. the afternoon commute tomorrow will be even busier than it is right now. nbc te10 first alert meteorologt

glenn "hurricane" schwartz is tracking those changes in your most accurate weather forecast. >> so the worst of this storm is set for friday? >> as far as the winds are concerned. there may be issues with coastal flooding that go into the weekend. but the number one threat from this major coastal storm covering the entire area is going to be the wind. this is 5:00 a.m. friday to saturday at 10:00 a.m. and we're talking about wind gusts 50 to 60 miles an hour, possibly even a little higher. we have rain coming and so the ground will be kind of wet and easy for some trees to go down. coastal flooding is going to be an issue. heavy rain could be an issue with this storm as well. but like i said, the number one threat is the damaging winds. we have clouds starting to increase here and the storm itself not really organized yet but there's plenty of moisture here. plenty of energy in the atmosphere.

strong jet stream, blocking pattern high up in the atmosphere. things are coming together over the next couple of days. this would be the low pressure tomorrow afternoon, but i just lost it. and we will have that storm go out into the ocean and become a major storm and not move very fast. talk more about the timing of the rain, how much rain, how strong the winds and the timing of those, too, coming up. president trump's former campaign chairman pleaded not guilty again today. paul manafort appeared in federal court to face new charges of money laundering and failure to register as a foreign agent. part of the investigation into russian meddling in the 2016 election led by special counsel robert mueller. a trial date is set for september 17th. last friday, manafort's former business partner and trump campaign aide rick gates pleaded guilty to charges. he is cooperating with the

mueller probe. the fate of allentown mayor ed pulowsky is now in the hands of jurors. they accused him of rigging city contracts to go to businesses that supported his political campaign. the charges against the mayor include fraud, bribery, attempted extortion and lying to the fbi. count on nbc 10 to bring you the verdict when it comes down. flames just overwhelm this house in south jersey early this morning. fire officials suspect it started in the back of the house on windmere drive. no one was inside. fortunately, no one was hurt. the burlington township school crossing guard shot his wife early this morning before turning the gun on himself. police tell nbc 10 gregory martin shot his wife multiple times in their edgewood park house. she was able to run outside and is now in stable condition. police found martin dead inside the house. the late reverend billy

graham now lies in honor at the u.s. capitol. family and close friends watched as a military guard carried his casket inside. president trump, the first lady and lawmakers stood in silence as the casket made its way into the rotunda. the public will be able to pay their final respects through tomorrow. graham will be buried in charlotte on friday. he was 99 years old when he died last week. 20 minutes of nonstop news continues with charity bail payments for some of philadelphia's inmates. nine people behind bars awaiting trial will get to go home this afternoon. aundrea cline-thomas is joining us. this local effort is shining a light on concerns over cash bail. >> reporter: that's right. despite the district attorney's efforts to end cash bail, if somebody who many people don't even have say $1,000 to post bail, meaning they have to stay in jail, even though they have not been convicted of a crime. kevin coleman was arrested in

january. his parents did not have the $7500 needed for his bail. now kevin is one of nine people benefiting from what's being called the black love bailout with help from a national organization, philadelphia's community bail fund paid for their release as they wait for their trial. >> nobody should be in jail because they can't afford to pay for their freedom when somebody else in their same position with money would already be home. they'll no longer seek cash bail for 25 low-level offenses but the final decision is up to a judge. >> some judges still putting bail on despite the recommendations? yeah. >> reporter: keer bradford is the chief public defender. her office is working to see if a new policy could apply to those already being held. >> we're getting a list of people that are in on those offenses, on only cash bail, and we're filing bail motions for them. >> reporter: but that would not have applied to detainees like kevin. he had to rely on help from

strangers. now based on averages, it costs taxpayers more than $5,000 to keep kevin in jail while he was waiting for his trial. now these folks will be let out in about a few hours. reporting live, aundrea cline-thomas, nbc 10 news. camden firefighters and first responders were honored today for going above and beyond the call of duty. more than a dozen city firefighters and cooper university ems personnel received accolades from saving residents from two burning homes. saving lives is nothing new for these men and women. >> we see our members riding around in fire trucks, just know that each and every one of them would do the same exact thing if they were presented with the same exact circumstances. >> the men and women involved received citations from the city. lawmakers are making a renewed effort to reduce gun violence in the garden state. the new jersey assembly judiciary committee held a

special meeting to consider a seven-bill gun safety package. lawmakers are trying to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable, ban armor-piercing bullets and limit the size of ammo magazines. both gun supporters and control groups are firing back. >> let me tell you, i do fear in the next 50 to 100 years a tiranical government. >> this is a picture. i wish i had more i can pass around of my 12-year-old daughter odd addie. i took her out of south orange school last friday. she wasn't sick. just scared. >> so far two of the items up for debate have been voted on and approved. if this passes full assembly and staat, governor murphy has promised to sign it into law. bearing arms for blessings. >> worshippers packed a poconos church today walking down the aisle with their assault rifles in support of the second amendment. the crown-wearing worshipers

clutched tr weapons and renewed their wedding vows in a marriage ceremony at the poconos church. outside, state police and several protesters stood watch. the clash today over the gun debate was centered around the world peace and unification sanctuary in newfoundland. a nearby school even canceled classes today during the event. nbc 10's steven fisher witnessed the ceremony. he joins us live outside the poconos church. steven? >> reporter: today's marriage ceremony was a little different. people did bring ar-15s into the church. you see here behind me those ar-15s were part of the ceremony. but for the people here, the church, they say it's all about being able to defend yourself. well, protesters, they also showed up here and said this church went way too far. upon entering the world of peace unification church, ar-15 rifles were checked at the door. no ammo. no magazines. they were zip tied and then let into church for a marriage ceremony and blessing.

>> today's ceremony is a marriage blessing for couples having asked to attend with crowns and ar-15 rifles. >> reporter: during the ceremony, churchgoers were instructed to take their rifles out of the case and hold the muzzle up. >> we firmly believe that god created all creatures with the ability to defend themselves, including us. >> reporter: arthur brought his bushfaster ar-15 with him today. some call it a weapon. he calls it a tool of peace. >> in the hands of the average citizen, it's not a tool of war. but a tool of peace. >> i should also be able to protect my family and my community. and i don't think there's anything wrong with an ar-15 being used for that. >> reporter: on the other side of the literal fence were protesters. >> i'm confused about this basically. i just want to go back to the 1970s again. life was simple. >> i thought the idea is just as absurd as the idea of guns for god. >> reporter: it was scheduled months ago. the church said it had nothing to do with the school shooting

in florida, however patrick coglin isn't buying it. >> the idea of religious organizations sanctioning and blessing assault weapons is preposterous and outrageous. >> reporter: and just a half mile down the road here is an elementary school. they decided to close because of this ceremony which happened here this morning about 10:00 a.m. steven fisher, nbc 10 news. in west philadelphia, students held rallies against gun violence. these students from boys latin high school stood on the front steps of their schools as part of the we count too movement. they are tired of their communities being plagued every day by shootings and murders. >> i feel like guns should be out of our communities. make our communities better, especially for the black community. i feel we don't get enough attention for us. we matter. when our lives get taken, nobody pays attention to them. >> there's no one here that is

opposed to someone hunting or shooting skeet. no one. what they are opposed to is the ability to have an 11-year-old buy a gun that doesn't know how to shoot and shoot someone in this community. >> other high schools held similar rallies this morning. nbc 10 first alert weather tracking the return of rain tomorrow. >> it's going to be a wet and windy end of the week. nbc 10 has issued a first alert. major storm moving into our area. >> let's toss it over to glenn "hurricane" schwartz. >> this will be a storm that's going to develop, especially once it gets just offshore. and then it's not going to move quickly like the other storms of this winter. this one is going to get stuck, and it's going to grow and that increases the impact on our area. this is for the entire area and the biggest threat is damaging winds. friday, 5:00 a.m. to saturday at 10:00 a.m. 50 to 60-mile-an-hour wind

gusts, possibly even higher in some spots. but we also have issues with coastal flooding and heavy rain causing potential localized flooding. so there's a lot going on with this storm. the damaging wind gusts, the coastal floods, the periods of heavy rain, the heaviest of the rain thursday night into friday morning. the worst of the coastal flooding may wait until saturday. here are the clouds coming in right now. the first batch of significant moisture still well back to the west. like i said, it's not going to look real impressive until it gets right on top of us and moves just offshore. we're 60 degrees right now with a southwest wind near 60 elsewhere across the area. believe it or not, it's possible we could see some snow before this system is out of here. here we are tonight. temperatures not dropping very much as you can see. start off the day tomorrow with clouds. the rain starts moving in.

generally in the afternoon from philly northward. late morning in delaware and new jersey. this gets heavier as we go to thursday night but still quite mild. later thursday night, the yellows indicating somewhat heavier rain. and then by friday morning, now we're starting to see some snow. up in the poconos and a wintry mix in the pink. here's friday, 11:30, and temperatures are dropping into the 30s. 36 in allentown. and some of the computer models do bring the snow, wet snow, with temperatures well above freezing. even into the philadelphia area and beyond. that would be later on during the day friday. at the same time, the wind is increasing as the storm is intensifying off the coast. so by friday, at 1:00, we're starting to see these gusts into the 30s. rehoboth beach, close to 50 miles an hour. and look what happens later on friday and into friday evening.

gusts to near 50 across much of the area and even near 60 miles an hour down toward rehoboth beach. lewis, delaware, could get hit hard. this will be a northwest wind coming right across delaware bay. it's going to be a really nasty storm. here's saturday. we still have gusty winds. not quite as strong as friday. but at the same time, we have a northeast wind offshore, and that's causing the waves to pile up at the coast. so you'll have a combination of problems right at the shore saturday afternoon, the wind finally starts to die down. how much rain is expected? well, not much by 4:00 tomorrow afternoon, but by the time it's done on saturday, generally 1 to 2 inches across the area. so we're not talking about widespread flooding, but especially toward the shore, when you have a coastal flooding

and heavy rain on top of that, that's when you start getting water in the streets. more on this storm coming up. nbc 10 responds is helping erase some of the medical debt building against more than a million people in our area. nbc universal owned television stations across the country are donating $150,000 to a non-profit that buys and forgives unpaid medical debt. that includes $2 million worth of debt in our area. and since we first aired the stories in our series on monday, nbc 10 viewers have also donated. donated more than $2,500 to the initiative. it's easy to give, and every dollar counts. for instance, a $10 donation, that can abolish $1,000 of debt. you can head to nbc 10.com or tap the free nbc 10 app to learn more. to this now, leave nature alone. >> that's the message for supporters of a popular walking

and jogging trail. still ahead, the pavement problem that has some people in the community protesting the future of this state park's land. medicine miracle. the experimental drug that helped a child bounce back from a severe case of the flu. and thrills and chills. what goes up didn't come down at this amusement park. it's next at 4:00. and here's a look at the closing bell on wall street. that did go down. rough day for stocks across the board. - [narrator] look around.

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this is "nbc 10 news." >> take a look at this. with literally no strings attached, daredevil nik wallenda walked a high wire between two buildings in maryland. he walked 75 feet above national

harbor plaza in ft. washington with just that balance bar for safety. took him about four minutes to make it across the 230-foot cable. right here near the finish he kind of played to the crowd. he was pretending to lose his balance. the width of that cable he's on is just about the size of a nickel. and you know how i feel about that, jackie. >> right. not in a million years. >> no way. >> might feel the same about this. >> yeah, riding a roller coaster. it can be intimidating as well. >> imagine getting stuck on one. stuck up there. that's what happened to these riders at universal studios theme park in japan. the coaster was climbing to more than 130 feet when one of the sensors detected something was off. the ride stopped. it took about an hour to get riders unbuckled and off the ride. no one was hurt, fortunately. universal studios is owned by nbc universal. >> glad it ended up okay. >> thankfully. apple, pear or hourglass?

>> women represent a lot of different body types. and depending what shape you are could impact your health more than once thought. we'll explain that still ahead at 4:00. now we've got a wet and very windy end to the week. nbc 10 has issued a first alert. especially for the wind. i'll have more on the changing conditions you can expect in your most accurate weather forecast. she came here, according to police, to empty up these parking meters for her own gain. that story coming up. all new at 5:00 -- found footage. the touching moment a robotic camera happened to catch on camera at this park. that's all new at 5:00. (phone buzzing) i like these yogurt bites. (phone buzzing) and i like these yogurt bites... ah... ooh!

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this is nbc 10 news. >> right now at 4:30, an nbc 10 exclusive. police say a parking authority employee in delaware county broke into an office, stole some keys and then stole money from several parking meters in upper darby. nbc 10's miguel martinez-valle is joining us with this story. >> surveillance video helped police find their suspect. >> reporter: that's exactly right. her job was to check the parking meters and write parking tickets in millborn borough. but she came here to these parking meters to try to empty them for some quick cash. none of this, though, before being caught on those security cameras which led police to her. it's not the crime of the century but it does involve multiple police agencies, theft and some empty parking meters. >> an employee. a parking employee of millborn coming into upper darby and stealing out of at least 20

parking meters. >> reporter: michael chitwood said the person responsible is tiffany blockston. >> to ruin your life for something like that. she's 28 years old. never been arrested, now. >> reporter: she used a stolen key to get into parking meters across town and take the coin boxes. this was caught on security camera by local businesses which led to her arrest. we got a hold of that same surveillance video. you can see the person they say is blockston stopping by. this is her using a key and a tool to break in and take the coin boxes. >> so we charged her with theft. got a warrant for her yesterday, i believe. >> reporter: she got away with about $500. the lesson here is clear. >> my first message is stupidity rules the day and the second thing is that thank goodness that we were able to capture people who commit crime on

video. more and more cases are solved that way. >> reporter: each of these coin boxes is worth 50 bucks. so altogether, she did manage to get away with around $1,500 worth. she did appear in court today, and police say that she was able to get out with a $20,000 unsecured with a condition of rehab. i'm miguel martinez valle, nbc 10 news. if you've been outside today, you know it is a gorgeous wednesday across the entire region. >> everyone is enjoying the sunny skies and these kind of warmer temperatures. nbc 10 here in rittenhouse square. you only needed really a light jacket today but big changes are on the way. nbc 10 flerte10 first alert wea tracking a major coastal storm that will bring rain and the winds. a live look at i-95 in south philadelphia. not this afternoon but tomorrow. nbc 10 first alert meteorologist glenn "hurricane" schwartz. more on the changing conditions

and the first alert for our area. >> this storm is going to be unusual for -- compared to all the other ones this winter. they were all moving quickly out. this one will not. and so the impacts are higher. they last longer. we have the first alert for the major coastal storm for the entire area. this whole thing starting around 5:00 a.m. on friday as the rain is getting heaviest, and it may continue through saturday when the coastal flooding is continuing. so the rain may be long gone by saturday, but at the coast we still may have significant problems. 50 to 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts. especially friday. coastal flooding, especially friday and saturday. and the heavy rain thursday night and friday. these things happening at different times. clouds moving in. the rain back to the west. the storm has not organized yet. it's going to take a while before that happens.

the first circulation you see starts off in ohio. but the wind starts coming in off the ocean as it starts developing right at the ocean. so the tides are going up. got a full moon making it worse. heavy rain making it worse. and then, as we go into friday, these winds coming around that intensifying storm. again, 50 to 60 miles an hour, and that with the soaked ground could knock down some trees and cause some power outages. more on the impacts of this storm coming up. here's a look at some of the other stories we're following county by county at 4:00. lehigh county where students collecting donations for a local food bank learned the fruits of their labor. students in allentown's parkland school district moved and wrapped up 25,000 pounds of food today to help load it onto a truck bound for the second harvest food bank. working really hard there

wrapping it up. you may remember last friday a fire crippled parkland's fleet of school buses and district officials say there are no signs that fire was suspicious. in atlantic county, the annual boat show weighed anchor at the convention center today. visitors can check out more than 500 boats. kayaks to a new car that drives on land and water. that would be cool. a spokeswoman tells us the boat show isn't just for those looking to buy. even the kids will find something they like. >> we have an indoor paddle pool where you can step up and try kayaks and paddleboards. the kids touch a boat tour where they can go around and learn about all the different boats and climb the show runs through sunday at 6:00. kids 12 and under get in for free. newcastle county, they got to see some pro basketball up close. the sixers developmental team the 87ers held an open practice.

schools from all over northern delaware were there to watch the practice, meet the players, and the kids even got on the court to play some games and work on their own skills. nbc 10 and telemundo 62 are teaming up with the department of human services to help foster children, find families. we're setting up a phone bank tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. to answer any questions about becoming a foster family. we'll share that phone number with you tomorrow on air and on the nbc 10 app. the flu season has hit children especially hard this year. >> it almost cost a 9-year-old boy his life, until his family and doctors took a big risk. we'll explain next. to pave or not to pave? i'm tim furlong. coming up. why the decision to pave over a popular trail in a delaware state park has so many people so upset. and all new on nbc 10 news at 5:00 -- touching tribute. a show of support during the sixers game that was hard to see

from where you may have been sitting. that's all new at 5:00.

a doctor's desperate attempt to save a little boy's life from a virus that was just overwhelming his body worked. parents of-year-old lucas say he was close to death. he'd come down with a serious viral infection. and a doctor in the north carolina hospital where lucas was being treated was running out of options. what did he do? he turned to an investigative drug that had only been used on adults. >> within three hours of starting this investigational drug, he was all other standard medical drugs to support blood pressure and heart rate which is simply an amazing response. >> lucas is now fully recovered, and the doctor says he may have had the flu but can't say for sure, but they were definitely thinking out of the box. are you an apple or a pear? it's a question that could impablth your health more than you realize. doctors have long known that

being overweight upped the risk of heart disease. a new study finds where you store your fat may matter more than your weight. researchers say storing fat in your waist and hips increases the risk of heart attack for women. a pear shape where extra fat is stored in the thighs and legs, doesn't appear to carry the same risks. we've got a first alert starting friday for the threat of strong winds and coastal flooding. more on the timing and the changing conditions you can expect in your most accurate weather forecast. >> and all new at 5:00, the super bowl. so thrilling. tonight some new eagles generating excitement. you'll meet them, all new on nbc 10 news at 5:00. when we see a woman who comes to cancer treatment

centers of america in philadelphia to have her breast cancer treated, she's coming for the expertise that we have, for the multimodal therapy where the specialists talk to each other and form a treatment plan together. we were looking for a cancer team that would help us decide the best course of action.

amy met with our three specialties, radiation oncology and genetics-there are so many different options. rather than one treatment fitting all, it is a personalized approach to cancer therapy. we have so many tools available at cancer treatment centers of america. this is what attracted amy to our center all the way from new york. cancer is what they deal with every day. these were people who were experts in their field. and for us that was the best choice. learn more about our breast center at cancercenter.com/philadelphia appointments available now.

we have some breaking news just in to the nbc 10 news room. hope hicks is resigning as white house communications director. she is one of the president's most trusted advisers. her resignation comes after she testified in front of the house intelligence committee. reports say she admitted to telling white lies for the president. once again hope hicks is resigning as white house communications director in washington. right now on nbc 10 news at 11:00 -- have a tissue handy. >> an e-mail we answered from a viewer changed her life and it will touch your heart. lauren mayk went deep inside our video vault to find the news story a woman was desperate to see. >> jackie and jim, the woman wrote us this e-mail after she heard we'd interviewed her mother decades ago. now that interview happened just days before her mom died. she was just a baby then. until yesterday, she'd never even seen a picture of her mom. she wrote us, quote, i have been

waiting my whole life to find out about her. >> the video alone would give me the gratification of being able to see what i look like, if i looked like her. to be able to hear her voice alone is a blessing. >> and we took the video to scharday so she could see and hear the mother she never knew. and when you see sharday's reaction to the mother she never knew, you'll think about your own family. it's a story that really has touched all of us here. you can't help but think about your own moms, your own grandmas. >> a piece of video that really changed her life. you'd imagine so, never seeing a picture of her mom. >> she said that exact thing to me. those few moments watching that video, they were life changing for her. you'll see it yourself tonight. it is an unusual reunion. there are tears, as you may expect. but there is also a lot of joy. >> you were there for that reunion. that virtual sort of reunion.

>> yeah. lauren mayk, the mother she never knew. that's tonight at 11:00. we'll look forward to it. to your first alert weather now and tracking that return of rain tomorrow, the weather right now, it's fine for your drive home as we take a live look at i-95 in wilmington. the rain will impact the afternoon commute tomorrow. and the bigger weather threat is coming friday. first alert meteorologist glenn "hurricane" schwartz has more on the changes in your most accurate weather forecast. >> this storm is going to impact us over, i would say, a three-day period, unlike other storms that we've seen this winter. just zipped in and out of here. this first alert from major coastal storm covering the entire area, really. 5:00 a.m. friday. more with the heavier rain to later on saturday. as we continue to see coastal flooding even though the rain is long gone. and the wind is diminishing. 50 to 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts friday. friday night.

coastal flooding and the heavy rain causing some localized street flooding. so here's what the impacts could be. downed trees and power lines with some travel delays. that's late friday, friday night. coastal roads flooded. that could happen on saturday also. so we want to stay tuned for advisories on that. and heavy rain causing localized flooding and in the poconos, they are going to be getting heavy, wet snow out of this before it's over with. we've got clouds on the increase. the rain still way back to the west. the storm nowhere near organized yet. and ahead of the storm, of course, it's mighty and mild. 60 right now. our high 61 today. and we're going to be 52 in mt. pocono. hard to believe it's going to be snowing before too long. but there's the beginnings of one of the circulations, and there is the beginning of the coastal storm. but look at the wind coming right in off the ocean.

that's not good. and especially when you have a full moon coming. that raises the tides anyway. then when you have rain on top of that at the shore, for those of you at the shore you know the impact of the complication of those factors and roads in margate get flooded again. that's going to happen. and as it continues to strengthen offshore, we have strong northwest winds behind that storm. heavy rain thursday night and friday morning. the winds pick up. the colder air comes down, and changes the rain into potentially heavy, wet snow. at least in parts of the area. something is going to have to be watched. so we have the rain tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow night. we have the highest winds on friday, saturday is the threat for the coastal flooding. and then we finally improve the

weather as we go through the weekend. so we could have sunshine coming out late saturday but still have problems at the shore. and then another system coming in next week. so this is one of those large systems. we have a blocking pattern. that's why it's going to hang around a little while. >> need to get it to move out of here. >> all the other storms did this winter, but not this one. >> a mind of its own. leave nature alone. that's the message for supporters of a popular walking and jogging trail. next, the pavement problem that has some people in the community protesting the future of this state park's land. and all new at 5:00 -- come on down "price is right" fans. it's your chance to be the next contestant. that's all new on nbc 10 news at 5:00. ♪ we buy any car dot com ♪

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it's dirt versus pavement at a delaware state park. >> the state wants to pave over a popular nature trail on the east side of the brandywine creek state park. the state says this is about safety and accessibility. but opponents of the plan say leave nature alone. >> nbc 10 delaware bureau reporter tim furlong has both sides of the argument. >> just feels like you're more in the woods when you have the rough trail. >> reporter: the trails at brandywine creek state park are popular year round but the plan to pave over a big piece of the main trail on the east side of the river -- >> i prefer it unpaved. >> reporter: it's not sitting well with many folks who like it the way it is. >> takes away from the natural beauty. >> reporter: the trail is already paved at either end but state park leaders say gravel sections in the middle git muddy and sloppy and there's an ongoing erosion problem that does need to get fixed.

horseback riders say their horses like the gravel. some runners say pavement is too hard on their knees. plus the pavement plan is costly. it's going to cost a few hundred thousand. some have asked, why not use the money in some other way? that's expensive and the state is hurting for cash. why not maintain the trail that's already here? by law the state has to use that fund for trail upgrades and state environmental officials say this is one of the most popular trails in the entire state and they want everyone to be able to enjoy the trail. that includes folks in wheelchairs. >> i ran into some guys who mountain bike here. the main trail is really just a connector to get them to the dirt trails they love. if a couple miles of pavement means more get to enjoy the place, they're willing to see some pavement here. >> if people in a wheelchair can come out and enjoy this place, we've got the rest of the park. >> the paving was supposed to start march 1st. it's been postponed so state leaders can talk to more trail users. but contractors will begin fixing the low flood-prone spots

right away. tim furlong, nbc 10 news. >> another 90 minutes of news still to come. nbc 10 news at 5:00 is next. >> here are denise nakano and erin coleman. >> all new at 5:00 -- gas station gun battle. the deadly results and the new surveillance uncovered by nbc 10, next. all new parking proposal. >> and a first alert for a major coastal storm. it's going to bring destructive conditions the next couple of days. you'll want to know what it will do in your neighborhood. come on back for that. all new at 5:00 -- parking proposal. what your septa key card could soon get you. that and more at 5:00.

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guns and god. today's ceremony that brought heavy firepower to a holy place. touching tribute. the on-court salute sixers fans likely never noticed. and look what we've got. the park camera that captured something unexpected. >> nbc 10 news starts now. we begin with a developing weather threat that could bring dangerous winds and flooding to the area. you're looking live at cape may. not a bad way to close out the month of february but things will look and feel much different tomorrow. it's all because of a coastal storm brewing tonight. what you see here on first alert radar will start slamming our area very soon. >> let's get to nbc 10 first

alert meteorologist tammie souza. when is this expected to begin? >> it's going to roll out over the next three days. you'll need to pay attention to what area you live in for the impacts. we have a first alert for this major coastal storm. this is a big boy and it's for the entire area. we'll have different effects in different neighborhoods. this is from friday morning at 5:00 in the morning through stay at 10:00 in the morning. we'll start to see the rain and some of the wind moving in tomorrow night. the biggest threats to be the 50 to 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts across the entire area. major coastal flooding is possible, and periods of heavy rain. what's not on here is perhaps a half a foot or more of snow in the poconos. let's take a look at the storm. it's making its way now out of the southern plains and into the tennessee valley. it's going to lift across our area and it's actually going to strengthen off the coast. it's going to become one of those bomb cyclones and park there long enough to bring us conditions pretty rough across the area. let's watch the track of it. here it come