"action news" delaware valley's leading news program. with rick williams, sara bloomquist, and meteorologist, david murphy.

good afternoon sara bloomquist is off and in the news former president, george h.w. bush remains hospitalized after experiencing a shortness of breath and officials determine the cause of an apartment blaze in delaware. but the big story is the christmas eve rush, people are trying out of town or driving to grandmom's house or going to the stores to get last minute gifts. >> the action cam found this man trekking through the rain with his suit case in hand. we have team coverage of the holiday rush this afternoon and john rawlins is at the owe airport and walter perez is live in south jersey where last minute shoppers are busy but lets begin with karen rogers at the big board. >> reporter: that is right, we told you that the first half of the day is the wettest than is what we see on stormtracker 6

live double scan, specifically south and east of the city we see the heaviest rain so far, the areas of yellow and red hitting millville and this is route 40 here and if you are traveling near mays landing, heavy rainfall near haddonfield, and driving rain near route 70 this is all heading in that direction, if you head on 70 to the cherry hill mall you'll see more there. and lets take a look john rawlins going to be talking about the flight delays but weather related problems now, it's a nasty day for it, with the fog and rain, we are looking at 45 minute delays, 40 minutes for departure flights and 29 minutes in newark and new york city right now. if we look at stormtracker 6

live double scan it stretches through a large reason right now and rain is to the south and hugging the coastline then is all heading in our direction and affecting a wide region, specifically the fog, 2.5 mile visibility at philadelphia international airport, and .8 miles in millville and 1 mile in the poconos. a flood advisory is posted until 1:00. it's a nasty day to be out there. changes are coming, this afternoon rain some heavy, later this evening and into tonight it drys out a bit and it's mild and in the overnight hours, heavy rain and even thunderstorms rick, we'll talk more about that in the seven-day forecast, and of course have the call for christmas. >> santa better be careful tonight. we'll check back in later. we invite you to check out the new features we added to the 6 abc storm tracker app, just

match the icon and your photo and share a digital postcard using a photo from your mobile device, select your favorite weather pick and download and update your storm tracker app now to get the great new features. >> the fog is not affecting those on their destinations today and the rainy skies is making for flight delays on this christmas eve. john rawlins live at the philadelphia international airport with the latest on the travel situation there. >> reporter: hi rick, we are at the security check point at the tsa for terminals d and e and things are running smoothly there, and behind me are the status boards for departures, out of the 125 posted, 29 delays and five cancellations, believe it or not that was better than 24 hours ago. >> hopefully it's really smooth

and there is no delays because of the rain, you make it on time. >> holiday air travel with unsettled weather including rain along the eastern seaboard, today's low ceiling and poor visibility is responsible for late arrivals here and a ground delay for incoming flights, it works like this -- >> everything was fine until we got on the airplane, and due to the weather we would be waiting a while maybe 45 minutes, but 30 minutes and it wasn't too bad. >> and these red eye passengers coming in from los angeles said the delay happened when they landed. >> we were on ground hold for 20 minutes, not bad. >> still waiting for the bags, but other than that we are good. >> the belt stopped moving? >> yes, 15, 20 minutes on that just waiting for the bags. >> many travellers surrounded by loved ones were on their way as

for holiday plans -- >> family and see everybody and hang out for a few days, mummers parade and then i have to fly home. >> home for the holidays for many, many folks today, some delays from the airport, mainly because of the weather on days when they have good weather here at philadelphia international airport, air traffic control tries to run 60 to 80 flights an hour that, is down to 32 flights an hour, so there will be delays, if are you flying bring your patience. john rawlins, channel 6 "action news." thank you. lets switch live to walter perez at the cherry hill mall in new jersey where people are getting good deals this afternoon. >> reporter: you know ricky have to tell you i did not think there would be this many people at the mall on the day before

christmas but as you can see the cherry hill mall is packed with shoppers and parking is at a premium and blowup sales are happening and christmas is arriving in less than 12 hours, when it comes to procrastinators the pressure is on. >> all through the cherry hill mall, last minute shoppers are stressing out. >> you are running out of time. >> i know. >> ask them they don't know what they want for christmas. >> i am feeling the pressure, it's getting deep now. >> the pleasure in and off itself is not a bad thing. >> christian of berwyn loves the pressure. >> i perform best under pressure that is why i'm here. >> and cleo says pressure what pressure? >> i am good. doing good. don't i look calm? >> you do look calm and it's making me feel calm. but in the end maybe lisa palmer has the right idea, she says she

has not gone christmas shopping yet and is not starting now. >> i am window shopping and for me christmas is about family and spreading the love and going where the love is. >> reporter: i love her at tude i have to say, if you are stretching your luck and have not gone shopping yet. most malls across the region including the cherry hill mall close at 6:00 tonight. good luck. reporting live walter perez, channel 6 "action news." >> switching live to south philadelphia, this is the line outside of termany brothers bakery. we are inside of the bakery, this is a third generation 39-year-old philadelphia tradition here and the folks are here all day. lets take a look at the scene at the bakery before the sun came up, people started lining up to get their holiday sweets at

midnight and the doors didn't actually open until 2:00 a.m. it's a tradition, a family tradition, we have been coming here as long as i remember and they remember us every year. >> it's a pleasure to see the same people year after year, families and children, it's wonderful. >> they have several locations one on packer avenue and the terminal market this one open until 6:00 tonight. happy holidays. >> speaking of the terminal market, it was bustling with activity as well. people say it's a tradition to shop there on christmas eve to get fresh produce, meat and seafood and there is always a need for sweet treats as well. chocolate and candy was a popular option at the reading terminal today. in other news this noon, the vine street expressway reopened after an early morning crash involving a dump truck, it happened after 5:00 a.m. on the

westbound lanes of the expressway. the 55-year-old driver suffered several injuries when his truck crashed and rolled over, he is hospitalized in critical condition. the fuel tank ruptured and hazmat crews were called in. six philadelphia police officers were hurt when two cruisers collided on the way to the same call in north philadelphia last night. the 22nd district police cars crashed and one was carrying four officers, they were all responding to shots fired at nearby 20th and oxford streets, one officer suffered a concussion and each officer was wearing a seatbelt and the airbags did deploy, there was no shooter or gunshot victims found at the scene of the call by the way. now firefighters are pinpointed the cause of the blaze in delaware, it was caused

by a stove being used to heat a second story unit. it quickly spread and damaged 15 apartments on butter nut court, they are working to place the families in vacant units elsewhere in the complex. there is more to come on "action news" at noon. protests break out in suburban st. louis, after a black teen was fatally shot by a white police officer. and severe storms that may have sparked a tornado killed four people in mississippi and destroyed homes and businesses, and karen rogers returns with the complete accuweather forecast. for the christmas day holiday. no matter who you are,

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it's time. lower your blood sugar with invokana®. imagine loving your numbers. ask your doctor about invokana®. severe storms left death and destruction in their wake in the south yesterday. tornadoes destroyed homes and brought down trees and power lines, four people were killed in the storm, in georgia there was much of the same, strong winds and rain tore up neighborhoods and sent residents running for cover. tens of thousands of residents are without power and may not have it restored by tomorrow. there are violent protests once again in suburban st. louis

after a fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer, it happened at a convenience store in berkeley, missouri, just a few miles from ferguson where michael brown was killed in august. >> reporter: anger erupting on the streets of suburban st. louis again last night this time in berkeley, missouri, protesters gathered where a white police officer fatally shot a white teenager. berkeley police say that the officer was conductsing a routine check when the teenager pointed a gun at him, police released video captured outside after the incident. you have to look carefully, it shows a man raising a weapon towards the officer, the police say the officer fired in response. >> the video shows that the

deceased pointed a gun that has been recovered. >> the protest took a turn towards violence, a quick trip convenience store was vandalized and two officers suffered injuries. >> there are no winners just nothing but losers. >> the shooting happens just a few miles from ferguson, missouri, where michael brown was fatally wounded by a white officer in august. a woman in the crowd identified herself as the victims mother. >> the officer a six year veteran is on administrative leave, he was given a body camera to wear but did not have it on at the time of the shooting. in other news this noon president george h.w. bush remains in a houston hospital at

this hour, the 90-year-old was taken to the hospital yesterday after experiencing a shortness of breath and doctors are keeping him in the hospital for observation, he recently appeared at an event in november.

well, as more and more people appear to be doing holiday shopping online,

according to the number of packages being delivered. the u.s. postal service is delivering 2.2 million packages on monday breaking its own record for the most parcels being delivered in one day. the post office, fedex and ups took the increase in online shopping and were prepared. this noon, gay and bisexual men were banned from blood donation buzz that policy could be changing, they favor banning a ban on donations with a modified policy, the ban dates back to the aids crisis but many groups like the medical association says that it's no longer supported by science given advances in hiv testing. the "action news" team is working on news stories tonight beginning at 4:00, like this one, gas prices are still

falling below $2, in new jersey and the movie that caused an international incident is about to hit the big screen, which theaters have decide to show "the interview."

santa claus is coming to town tonight and while you wait for him to come down your chimney, you and your kids can track his progress, this is a live look at norad's tracking system and he was last seen in

pakistan. and they can notify you on social media of his location, but right now santa is in pakistan. let your kids know. >> i have been good, i don't know about the kids -- but i have been. stormtracker 6 live double scan looking around the region and you can see we have rain, soaking rain in some spots, in double scan you can see that with areas of red, lets go in tighter with the street level view, if are you traveling along route 40, the rain is leaving you at 322 near glassboro and medford lakes and route 70 and looking close at the city and the rain is passing north and east of the city right now and soaking rain and spots are heavy, let go outside and show you what it looks like at sky 6 hd, the visibility is 2.5 miles

in center city and the current temperature mild and 52 degrees, the dew point is 50 and the air is saturated and the wind out of the northeast and breezy, tomorrow we get the gusty winds, satellite 6 along with action radar showing the rain moved in this morning just on schedule and we'll be stuck with it for a while. so here is how it will look, future tracker 6 has a great way to show you what it will look like at 3:00, people are running errands and visiting family and we can see pockets of very heavy rainfall and we advance this to the evening hours and it's not that bad, mostly damp and later tonight and we can see especially along the coastline we get showers still, and a look at 1:30 in the morning still if you are going to midnight mass and you'll get another round of heavy rain, you see the line there, we see a thunderstorm embedded in this. and the front moves off the coast and this is 7:00 in the

morning when are you waking up tomorrow morning on christmas you'll be dry and the rain is moving off the coastline, here is what to expect as you look ahead, it's more mild this evening, 3:00 p.m., 59 degrees and heavy rain in spots, by 5:00 p.m. on, we are looking at showers especially along the coastline, by 7:00 p.m., 63 and look at the overnight low, 52 for the overnight low, and here is what to expect for christmas day and we are dry christmas day and gusts up to 45 miles per hour and we'll help to dry out the roads, 53 for the high on christmas day, here is the look at the exclusive accuweather forecast, rainy and fog and it's mild though, 63 for your high and late tonight we'll hit the high, and it rains into the overnight hours, and it's dry and gusty winds for christmas day and 53 degrees, peeks of sunshine mixing in as well. the first day of kwanzaa it is nice and sunny, and we have not

seen sunshine and we'll get some of that back and saturday staying mild and 53 degrees, sunday things start to change and it's still mild at 50 degrees and the rain develops late and maybe some snowfall mixing with rain on monday. cooler at 42 degrees with rain or snow, depends on what time it hits us. tuesday brisk and chilly, 41 and flurries in place especially early on, for today it's mild but the rain is sticking with us. santa has to wear the slicker and rudolf will help him out. >> there is much more ahead in the next half hour of "action news" at noon, sony backtracks on its decision on the movie that sparked an international incident. you can take the movie in locally and today's art of aging we'll introduce to you people taking time to spend a few hours with those in needs of holiday

cheer.

"action news" at 12:30 continues. >> hello again, sara is off and here are the stories we are following at 12:30, travellers are hitting the roads, rails and skies, we are at the airport to

see if the rain is slowing down holiday traveling today and holiday officials take precautions to make sure you can keep an eye on santa tonight, they are using anti-grinch software to keep hackers at bay. >> and santa for seen yorz, how volunteers are providing cheer for people that need it the most. the rain is putting a damper on the holiday spirit this christmas eve, from the travel to the christmas shopping, folks are out and about but keeping a handle on christmas shopping. karen rogers is live at the big board to let us know when the skies will clear up, hopefully in time for santa's journey. >> the rain does not affect san tarks he is magical and can a drive through the rain. stormtracker 6 live double scan showing we have got rain through the area, we can still see areas of heavy pocket of