making news in america this morning, irma cuts off more coastal communities. parts of charleston, south carolina, are underwater and we're seeing some of the damage in georgia as powerful winds move in. we have new video of the driver nearly hit by a falling tree. plus, recovery efforts under way in florida. our first look at the florida keys, where some areas are devastated. residents allowed to return in just a matter of hours and when flights are expected to resume at the state's major airports. a plane crashes into a park lot so hear what witnesses and the pilot are now saying this morning. and monday night football is back. with all our rowdy friends. a historic night for the nfl but

player did. it is a busy tuesday morning. hello. we'll start with irma. losing much of its punch but still swamping the southeast. >> irma is now blamed for at least 40 death, 10 here in the u.s. millions of people are also spending it night without power in florida, georgia and south carolina. and the damage left behind could total more than $90 billion. >> so the remnants of irma now pushing northwest into alabama and tennessee after being reduced overnight to a tropical depression with 35-mile-an-hour winds. but the storm slammed charleston, south carolina. look at these scenes. ten-foot storm surge sending a rush of water into the streets. overnight, what's left of irma spreading its rain across the southeast. the downpours swamping charleston, south carolina,

this morning. >> yeah, waves. >> reporter: a homeowner recording video as small waves roll through his front yard and several feet of water surround this restaurant, the strong winds toppling trees near atlanta, a close call for this driver escaping disaster as a falling tree nearly hits her car. in jacksonville, florida, the worst flooding in decades. the storm surge pushing the st. john's river nearly six feet above normal surpassing the record set by hurricane dora in 1965. the coast guard releasing these pictures overnight after they rescued more than 100 people and myrtle beach clearly not prepared for the storm. the papers inside this newspaper machine surrounded by water, with the ironic headline myrtle beach out of storm's path. and the extended flooding continues this morning in charleston, south carolina. by the way, irma is unleashing drenching downpours as it continues to march northwest. >> the latest on t

the surge let's turn to accuweather meteorologist paul williams who is tracking the storm for us. paul. >> good morning, kendis, diane, we still have dangerous waves of heavy showers moving throughout the tennessee valley region. mid-mississippi valley region and easing into the southern portions of the ohio valley region. yes, indeed a tropical depression with 35-mile-per-hour winds but that's 35-mile-per-hour winds and it's sliding its way toward the northwest. we're expecting the center to still track right into northern portions of alabama, mis, going toward the memphis or midsouth area, however, irma is going to spread flooding rains throughout several states and we're expecting the very gusty winds, as well. not only that but concerned about what's happening out in the waters because jose is still swirling around in the atlantic and will bring enough influence to bring rough surf and perhaps strong rip currents along the east coast. kendis, diane. >> as long as it stays out to sea. residents who fled the storm are anxious to return home to see what's left of their homes. >> the roads lea

city of miami beach are re-opening this morning ahead of schedule. crews have been working long hours to clear the way and the city tweeted last night, come on home. >> well, this is what's left of a marina in miami. boats piled on top of each other. the rising floodwaters even pushed some of them into trees. now, the only road into the florida keys is also opening up this morning. but all the people who live there will be allowed entry. >> the storm left parts of the keys in shambles before hammering the rest of the state and abc's david muir has more on the storm and the damage left behind. >> reporter: the new images now emerging from naples, florida, underwater. entire neighborhoods swallowed by the storm. this home's roof gone. the right side collapsed. it was here that hurricane irma hit with the highest wind gust reported in florida, 142 miles per hour. trees snapping, pieces of the roof above us turning into projectiles. debris flying through the air. after sustained wind speeds of more than 100 miles per

of the eye when forecasters tell you do not be fooled by the lull in the storm. and this is literally what it looks like the moment after irma passed. the winds have stopped. the rain has stopped and now we can see the devastation. but within 30 minutes afterward the wind suddenly whipping up again sheets of rain coming down. this was the back side of the hurricane. as it then headed north to ft. myers and hitting in jacksonville. all over florida, so many people trying to get home. in miami the massive traffic jam on the mccar thur causeway but here in key west they are not allowed to return home. andrew garcia saying he's been waiting but won't let anyone in. frustration and fear mounting for so many families waiting to see if their property, their homes survived. what do you make. destruction you're hearing about further down? >> further down is further down. the roads are washed away. you guys aren't going to go pave the roads before letting us in. it's going to be weeks before those roads get pav

why not let us go home? >> i'm glad they're okay. >> yes, we're very thankful and we're very grateful. >> residents and business owners will be allowed back into parts of the florida keys in a few hours. >> so irma made the first of its two landfalls as a hurricane in the keys. the damage is extensive. irma wrecked homes and vehicles, swamped and sunk many boats and washed away roads. the bridges to the keys appear to be in good shape actually but those returning should not expect any utilities. >> we still have no cell service. we still have no electricity for most of the keys. they expect in key west it'll probably take a week to ten days to get all the electricity in all the neighbors in key west but could take as long as a month to get electricity throughout the rest of the lower keys there about 200 electrical poles down there. >> and here's something of even greater concern. the drinking water. the keys get most of their water through an ago question duct from the mainland and it'll take a week to test

sure it is safe to drink. >> the commissioner said prepare for camping conditions if you come back home. >> okay. florida residents who left the state may find it hard to fly back in. >> some airlines services will resume but almost half the flights to south florida canceled already. the airlines will increase their schedules as the day goes on. but passengers are still encouraged to check with their airlines before going to the airport. tonight we will have an opportunity to help victims of irma and harvey. >> an impressive list of celebs will appear during tonight's hurricane telethon. you can see it on abc and 16 other networks at 8:00 p.m., 7:00 central. beyonce, justin bieber, justin timberlake and dave matthews of some of those expected to perform. all of the money raised will go to storm vics. >> too bad they didn't get bigger names for that event. all right, so still ahead today's big event from apple. the gadgets that we expect to see. plus, mass evacuations under way in the caribbean.

americans to safety. we have new video as abc news goes on rescue missions with the coast guard. also a plane makes a crash landing in a parking lot. how the pilot survived.

this is the tribute in light rising from lower manhattan where the twin towers stood before the 9/11 attacks. the lights shining through the night honoring those, of course, who died there 16 years ago. president trump marked his first 9/11 anniversary in office by participating in a moment of silence at the white house and then at the pentagon speaking of unity and strength in the united states. >> can't believe it's been 16 years. the united nations has slapped north korea with new sanctions as punishment for its latest nuclear test. the u.n. security council unanimously approved the sanctions which s

by the trump administration. among the new punishments a cap on the import of petroleum products and a ban on north korean textile exports. >> the white house is standing by the president's decision to fire fbi director james comey and disagrees with a new claim from former adviser steve bannon. bannon said he told president trump firing comey was the biggest mistake in modern political history but sarah sanders said the president is confident with his decision and attempted to clarify. >> since director's firing we've learned new information about his conduct that only provided further justification for that firing including giving false testimony, leaking privileged information to journalists. >> here's the deal sanders declined to elaborate on what false testimony she was referring to saying it was a matter for the justice department. equifax is facing at least 30 lawsuits stemming from its massive data

accuses the company of securities fraud. meanwhile, equifax is staffing up its call center to handle the increased number of people seeking information about the breach. the breach exposed vital information of potentially 143 million americans. and apple is expected to unveil the new iphone 8 today. the company's big announcement will be part of the first ever product event at its new spaceship headquarters in cupertino, california. one version of the new iphone is expected to cost a thousand dollars. some of the features are likely to include facial recognition technology and wireless charging. >> it's been ten years since the original iphone. many saying that it'll be called the iphone x. why puppies from a pet store are being blamed for making dodds sick. monday night football returns and makes history for something that happened off the field. this this is my body of proof. proof of less joint pain

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many flight attendants have been cancel the because of irma and the passengers of this allegiant air flight coming into myrtle beach may have wished theirs had been canceled as well. look as the wind blows it around. the plane kind of sideways at times as it attempted to land there. >> and royal caribbean is sending cruise ships to help hurricane victims in the caribbean. the ships are delivering much needed supplies like ice, water, garbage bag, clothing and canned food and they're also evacuating tourists and local residents. >> the u.s. government is hamming other rescue and relief efforts. >> but some of those evacuees are surprised to find out the service isn't free. they have to promise to reimburse the government. that's been the practice for more than 60 years but the state department does say no american will be denied assistance because they can't whip out a checkbook or a credit card. >> so most are eager to leave at any price. abc's linzie janis is there. >> i didn't think i would

>> reporter: in is all that's left of the hotel where marie was staying in st. martin. the simpson bay resort was to be her dream birthday vacation. >> it went from the most beautiful resort ever to chaos to total destruction. >> reporter: the category 5 storm killed at least 37 people from barbuda -- >> this has been one of the worst days of my life, the entire country has been decimated. >> reporter: to st. martin to the virgin islands. now there are severe shortages of food, water and medicine. on sunday we left with the coast guard on a cutter as they rushed to st. thomas in the u.s. virgin islands to bring in needed supplies and to evacuate stranded americans to puerto rico. >> we'll have water, we'll have dry food, some clothes for kids in need and we also are dropping off federal agents to help with law enforcement and try to re-open the airport and the ports in st.

defense says 4600 service members are helping with relief efforts in the virgin islands and puerto rico. while the lucky ones from another devastated island, st. martin, are evacuated by c-130s. what did it sound like as it was hiting. >> a sound i never want to hear again in my life. >> like an airplane engine. >> it did. >> it was a whistle. a high whistle you never want to hear in your life. i don't wish that on my worst enemy. >> reporter: an estimated 5,000 americans were believed to be trapped on st. martin in the aftermath of irma. since friday, the u.s. state department has airlifted 1900 americans, france's president emmanuel macron is expected to travel to st. martin to survey the damage and offer relief to the french dutch island. many people left homeless. some forced to cook their meals on coals in the middle of the street. while tourists are able to look forward to going home, for the residents of the region they're left with little but their

grief. linzie janis in san juan, puerto rico. >> and the defense department plans to end its airlift operations for americans in st. martin today and move on to the british virgin islands where 500 americans are stranded. meanwhile, federal health officials say petland stores are at the center of a growing infection outbreak. they say at least 39 people in seven states have gotten sick after being in contact with puppies sold at petland. nine of those victims were hospitalized over the last year. most of the infections are in florida and ohio. dog owners are advised to wash their hands after handling their pets in order to avoid the illness. a stunning small plane crash caught on camera in hartford, connecticut. the plane flying straight into a tree then slamming down into the parking lot. it happened just outside a small airport in the county. the 80-year-old pilot says that he is doing fine. witnesses say he saw the plane landed then quickly take off again before hitting that tree. it was a monday night football double head story finish up the nfl's fir

with the vikings hosting the saints. >> minnesota quarterback sam bradford was the star of the show. three touchdown passes led the vikings to a 29-19 victory. >> and then the chargers faced the broncos. denver had a 17-point lead but they had to block a field goal attempt as time expired to avoid overtime. denver wins 24-21. plus history was made last night when this happened. >> travis benjamin, the fair catch at his own 10-year-old and a 52 yards -- >> became the first woman to call a monday night football game. and she's the first woman to call an nfl game in 30 years. >> so many interesting story lines from last night's game. hank williams jr. was also back ♪ are you ready for some football ♪ >> even wrote a new song. >> oh. we'll have to learn those new words now. up next in "the pulse," a man proposes to his girlfriend. sounds good

boy what happens after he got down on one knee. >> ooh. han solo, the traffic cop. see how harrison ford jumped into action. [phone ring] hi anne. so those financial regulations being talked about? they could affect your accounts, so let's get together and talk, and make sure everything's clear. yeah, that would be great. being proactive... it's how edward jones makes sense of investing.

your body was made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections.

xeljanz can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate, and is also available in a once-daily pill. ask about xeljanz xr. irma still having a wide impact on millions in florida without power this morning and here's an example of how widespread the outages are. >> this is what south florida looked like on a clear night before irma. all those lights on the right are in miami. all those on the left are in naples. >> this is what the same area looked like after hurricane irma moved through. it'll be days before all the lights are back on. both disney world and universal are re-open

have trouble typing something to eat outside the theme parks. one of our crew spotted long lines trying to get a golden corral in kissimmee because it's one of the few restaurants open in the tourist district. hopefully you can get a turkey leg at disney world today. and a pair of horses had a nice warm place to ride out the storm. a laundry room. goose and dixie were allowed inside their owner's home because the hurricane was expected to destroy their barn. now, the barn luckily survived. good news because dixie is pregnant. she and goose are now back where they belong. i think they kind of liked the laundry room. >> matt gutman is comforting goose at this time to make sure they're okay. harrison ford has played famous roles for decades. indiana jones and han solo. >> this video moves we can add new york traffic cop. he got out of his car and started directing traffic outside the infamous congested midtown tunnel. he doesn't look like the most

>> no, not at all. he was yelling at drivers. a woman can be heard saying it really is him. and we have a word of advice about anyone about to propose. hold on to the ring. >> seth dixon popped the question to his girlfriend by popping open the ring box and then the ring popped out and fell into the kansas city pond below. so they took the video -- the person taking the video helped them try to find the ring. people swimming below tried to help them find the ring. members of their church tried to help them find the ring anda may effort underway across florida, as hurricane irma finally moves on. the storm has weakened to a tropical depression, but the state is seeing incredible damage this morning. irma is blamed for 10 deaths in the continental u-s, and at least 35 in the carribean.

flooded this monring. officials say storm surge flooding in jacksonvile exceeded the record set in 1965. dozens of people had to be rescued from their homes. they were not alone. irma impacted every major city in florida. right now, more than six million people are without power-- thats more than half the state. and officials warn that it could take weeks for electricity to be restored to everyone. meanwhile-- more than 180-thousand people were forced into shelters across the state. good morning washington im autria godfrey. and i'm larry smith. - irma is a tropical depression (heavy rain continues over the southeastern u.s.) - clouds from irma here today - showers for the wednesday morning drive - feeling more tropical tomorrow through friday (warmer & more humid) - watching hurricane jose today: mostly cloudy. highs: 72-75 winds: e 5-10 mph tonight: mostly cloudy. scattered showers. lows: 60-66 winds: ese 5 mph wednesday: mostly cloudy. scattered showers

highs: 79-83 winds: s 5 mph in the day ahead-- a virginia man charged with killing

a virginia man charged with killing two maryland girls, is expected to plead guilty. lloyd lee welch jr is accused of snatching 12-year-old sheila lyon and 10-year-old katherine lyon in march 1975. authorities believe he burned the girls' bodies on a remote mountain in bedford county. welch's murder trial was scheduled to begin this week, but the he will reportedly plead guilty instead. abc-7 will bring you an update on this case, later this morning. 4:xx - and we're following breaking news in the district.

southwest. this happened on martin luther king jr. avenue, near south capitol street. we're told the man was unconscious and unresponsive. so far no update on his condition. an update on a deadly crash in annapolis. toxicology report reveals a maryland woman.. .. killed in a wrong-way crash on route 50 was drunk when she slammed into two other cars. in fact, investigators say christine parks had a blood-alcohol level more than four-times the legal limit. in addition to parks, the july 26th crash also killed a woman from herndon. they say any landing you can walk away from is a good one. so if that is your measuring stick, then this pilot didn't do anything wrong. take a look. the man was coming in for a landing - when he swerved into a nearby parking lot, and hit a tree. this all happened today in plainville, connecticut. despite a very rough ride, the f-a-a says the pilot only suffered minor injuries. it's xx and we're just getting started.

the hurricane is over-- now the recovery effort in the hurricane is over-- now the recovery effort in florida kicks into high gear. houses and boats destroyed, millions in the dark-- and this morning, the death toll is climbing. good morning washington. - irma is a tropical depression (heavy rain continues over the southeastern u.s.) - clouds from irma here today - showers for the wednesday morning drive - feeling more tropical tomorrow through friday (warmer & more humid) - watching hurricane jose today: mostly cloudy. highs: 72-75 winds: e 5-10 mph tonight: mostly cloudy. scattered showers. lows: 60-66 winds: ese 5 mph wednesday: mostly cloudy. scattered showers through midday. some late day clearing. highs: 79-83 winds: s 5 mph back no

the storm has weakened to a tropical depression, but we will be dealing with it's impact for months. in south florida-- emergency officials