take those white socks off before you come back. that's the broadcast for now. nightly news up next. we'll see you after the und gulf coast getting all they can handle from isaac. there have been dramatic rescues in the rapidly rising water while all eyes now are on those levees protecting new orleans. here in tampa, prime time for paul ryan. the number two man on the ticket is tonight's number one attraction here. we'll be joined here in the studio by ann romney to talk about her speech here last night. the first look at the explosive new book by a member of the navy s.e.a.l. team that killed bin laden. hugely controversial in the military and parts of the story now contradict what we were first told about the raid, including how bin laden died. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

well, good evening once again from tampa, the second night of this weather shortened gop convention. again tonight the weather is making news and lots of it, causing a lot of damage and suffering along the gulf coast, a surprising amount, in fact. isaac is no longer officially a hurricane but isaac is still a sprawling and slow-moving storm that has made for some dire circumstances and vast flooding in the southern reaches of louisiana. take a look at the satellite picture from overnight as it approached, the storm as seen against the lit-up population centers along the southeast. so again tonight before we get to the action going on behind us here, we move to our north and west to the battered gulf coast line and our weather team. beginning with gabe gutierrez who saw the worst of it in plaquemines parish south of new orleans. gabe, good evening.

>> reporter: brian, good evening of the flood gate behind me cost about $2 billion and prevented the floodwater from spilling in st. bernard parish, which is just a few feet away. just to the south there was no system like this. and today we saw the consequences. in braithwaite, louisiana, the wall of water came faster than they ever expected. danny mason was stuck on the second floor. >> i didn't expect it to be like this, you know, the water to come up like this. i thought we was going to have just a little bit of rain squall. >> reporter: it pounded plaque min p -- plaquemines parish. >> a couple of people through the front door that couldn't get in the attic. >> reporter: more than $14 billion have been spent improving the levee system in south louisiana since katrina hit seven years ago, but the levees around plaquemines parish were not part of the upgrade and

isaac is making residents pay. >> it was dark, couldn't see anything. these wonderful guys came by in a boat. i don't even know who they were. >> reporter: this small low-lying community had been warned to evacuate on monday. those left jumped in. others still refused to leave. >> don't want to leave, huh? >> no. >> reporter: the national guard moved in, so did local sheriff's deputies and volunteers rushing to rescue those trapped in or on their hopes and take them to shore. >> this one was the worst one we ever had, worst. let me tell you, it ain't nice. >> reporter: max landry and jimmy didn't think twice as they plucked people from their homes. >> i grew right here. i ain't never seen water like this. >> reporter: exactly seven years ago today, katrina hammered this parish. even with that history, the parish president said isaac was worse than he ever expected. >> there was 20 plus feet that rolled through the parish.

this wasn't supposed to be a katrina. it's turning out for the east bank to be as bad if not worst. >> reporter: at this rescue shelter, families who lost everything take comfort in what they have left. >> didn't think it would be that bad. everybody saying with it being a tropical storm that it wasn't going to be bad so we rode it out. i wish i wouldn't have. >> reporter: louisiana's governor said officials may breach part of the levee to release pressure on the flad walls. tonight we have late word 60 to 75 people have been rescued here. no deaths have been reported. brian. >> gabe gutierrez new orleans. lester holt rode it out all night yesterday and today. lester, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. those here seven years ago, this is a day that brought a lot of anxiety and a date that is never easy. for the region it's a day that brought a lot of damage.

it was a steady beating all night long. torrential rains and unrelenting winds tearing at the very fabric of this city and humbling those who dared stare it in the face. 80-mile-an-hour wind gusts roared through downtown. >> windows are blowing out of the building. >> daybreak didn't offer a break. >> one-tenth of degree of movement in the last hour. that's it. >> reporter: a barely moving isaac continued dumping heavy sheets of rain throughout the day, testing the city's post katrina flood defenses. those higher levees, new flood gates, and powerful pumps. >> the flood protection system in and around new orleans is holding strong, operating as designed. we have no reason to believe that system will be compromised. >> but there has been local flooding, many roads left impassable, a baseball field turned into a lake. there are downed trees, crushed cars, felled power lines.

statewide more than half a million electric customers left in the dark. and making matters worse, isaac is in no hurry to leave. >> this is a storm that we'll be dealing with thought only through today and tomorrow but we'll continue to see the weather effects of the storm especially as it moves to the northern part of our state. >> as advertised, isaac has generated a powerful storm surge from louisiana to alabama. parts of biloxi, mississippi, were left virtually under water. nbc's janet shamlian was in pass christian as the storm waged its height. >> let me show you the marina behind me, which was newly built after katrina seven years ago today. it is essentially been wiped out at this point. >> and in bay st. louis, national guard troops navigated roads turned into rivers as the gulf coast marked the anniversary of katrina in the worst possible way. >> i'm a survivor of katrina, too. i lost everything again. i don't think i'm going to stay anymore.

>> as you can see, it's not over yet. lots of rain and more flooding potential. tomorrow, though, officials hope to get out and assess the damage. for many times, the residents say this will be their last hurricane. they are done and will permanently seek higher ground. >> lester holt, long day's journey into another night in new orleans. lester, thanks. all of this brings us back to weather channel's jim cantore on canal street in new orleans. jim, i'm watching the coverage seeing a lot of streets and neighborhoods, even structures that i'm familiar with there. i'm surprised in some spots how tough this storm was. >> yeah, it's just the longevity of it. brian, it has been raining hard and horizontal for more than 24 hours here in new orleans. as lester mentioned, the pumps handled about everything you can dish out. sure, there are scars, there's going to be with a storm of this magnitude. you can see the radar, a spinning fire hose continues,

sits to the west and southwest of new orleans right now. it will continue to slowly move north, eventually accelerating. the rainfall totals expected to be 12 to 20 inches. we've already had over a foot of rain estimated here in the city, which, as you heard, the pumps have done an amazing job. those rainfall amounts, even in the mississippi, will start to get lighter as the storm accelerates. you can certainly see that on the forecast track. mississippi, louisiana, alabama will eventually wait thursday night, friday morning when we can finally assess the full scope of the damage to the gulf states. >> jim, i do remember seven years ago the water approaching where you're standing on canal street. jim cantore, another long night in new orleans. jim, thanks. now to the event unfolding behind us here. the second night of the rnc convention in tampa. last night was all about ann romney and chris christie. mrs. romney will be here live with us just in a moment. tonight we hear from paul ryan. ron mott covers the vp candidate

for us. he is down on the convention floor with what will be the hottest ticket tonight. that's in the prime of the wisconsin delegation. hey, ron. >> good evening to you. in a lot of ways, paul ryan is a bridge, a condominiuit for the . he's injected youthful enthusiasm felt far and wide. a count-up to the countdown of the gop's hottest ticket. paul ryan's sales pitch to america that he's ready for the world stage, despite his age, a youthfulness evident on this stage by his young family. but it's precisely his lean and mean physique and warnings about a bloated government threatening generation toss come that quickened a new spirit among the party's fresh faces. the convention's youngest delegate. >> that's the challenge being a young leader in politics is making politics something that's vibrant, cool, and interesting

for people of my age. >> reporter: while ryan's speech is the talk of the town. >> are you going to listen to led zeppelin or -- >> you'll find out. >> chatter continues about last night. ann romney's appeal to women and her every day home life. >> i read somewhere mitt and i have a storybook marriage. well, let me tell you something, in the storybooks i read, there never were long, long rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once. and those storybooks never seem to have a chapter called ms or breast cancer. a storybook marriage, nope, not at all. what mitt romney and i have is a real marriage. >> she began her speech with a theme. >> tonight i want to talk to you about love. >> a tone in sharp contrast to new jersey governor chris christie. >> tonight we are going to do what my mother taught me. tonight we're going to choose respect over love.

>> who followed her and took 16 minutes to mention mitt romney by name. >> we stand up for mitt romney as the next president of the united states. >> while paul ryan shares some of today's spot line with his wife janna, who made her first public comments. >> it's wonderful to be here with you. >> democrats aim to put him on the defensive with a full page ad. in a speech tonight paul ryan will tell this crowd he accepts his generation's calling to help restore america's promise for future generations. brian. >> ron mott down in the wisconsin delegation. we'll check back in with you during our prime time coverage, ron. as promised, with us in the studio for her first live television interview since her speech to this gathering last night, ann romney. >> thank you. i brought you a present. >> i've heard about these, cookie recipe, the reason why journalists covering you have gained so much weight. thank you very much. i caught you in engaging in expectations management. you said you weren't used to

teleprompter, you usually spoke off the cuff. we saw what you did with the teleprompter. >> that was my first time using it. >> by all accounts, that was craftily delivered. this being a convention, people talk, people yamer. you know the deal. did you sense any of the sensitivity you and others have reported have reported today, chris christie. did you note the fact he didn't come out and say, how about that ann romney, the fact it took 16 minutes to get to your husband's name. >> not at all. these things don't bother us. everyone has their own -- basically what they are operating under. we aren't all coordinated. it was clearly chris christie's words and he clearly came out and supported my husband at the end. i think he was talking about a vision forward for america, which was a terrific vision. i enjoyed his speech. >> you probably didn't spend the day combing through the coverage of your remarks. were you satisfied your basic message got through? do you think it was received? >> you know, my intent was to speak from my heart to other

people's hearts. and i think that happened. i feel very good about that. i feel very good about the fact that the response i've just seen just from today, from just people around, that they really loved it. so i'm pleased with that. >> last night as you wrapped up, you said this man will lift up america. in an interview you did with natalie morales for my other broadcast, rock center, you used different language. i believe in my heart that mitt is going to save america. and that jumped off the screen to me. someone who knows you conceded if mrs. obama used words like that, barack was going to save america, there would be lots of hubbub. what do you mean? those are strong words? >> what it means, it comes right down to why we decided to get in the race. when i was deciding and mitt was deciding, mitt was reluctant. i said, i need to know one thing, is it too late basically

to do the things, fix the things for the direction this country is headed in? he said, no, it's getting late but not too late yet. i don't know if you can see that debt clock back there. we are fast approaching a place where if we don't make some dramatic changes, then we are going to be on the road to a greece, a spain, an italy. spain right now has 25% unemployment. if we continue to do what we're doing, we are going to pass burdens onto our children, debt burdens that are going to be overwhelming to them, that will really cripple their lives. so yes, it's a sense of it's time now to save what we now have as america. if we don't do these tough things and turn this economy around and have a job creation that will explode and bring, you know, this economic vitality back to this nation, we're headed on the same path europe is. >> mrs. romney, thanks for making the trek up here and talking with us. >> okay. >> good luck to you along the campaign trail beginning tonight. >> thank you.

looking forward to it. >> ann romney with us. reminder, back on the air in prime time tonight from here. condoleezza rice is speaking and, of course, paul ryan. the major address of the evening. our coverage all begins 10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific here on this nbc station. still ahead along the way for us as we continue from tampa, the navy s.e.a.l. who broke silence, broke the code and new details coming out in this new book about the raid that killed bin laden and specifically how he died. we have a first look at the book tonight. and another look at the damage, the wind and the water along the gulf coast tonight.

for many, nexium helps relieve heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflux disease. osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels have been seen with nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. talk to your doctor about nexium. throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age.

it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. nothing complicated about a pair of 10 inch hose clamp pliers. you know what's complicated? shipping. shipping's complicated. not really. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service shipping's easy. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that's not complicated. no. come on. how about... a handshake. alright. priority mail flat rate boxes. starting at just $5.15. only from the postal service. we were able to purchase a copy of it early. it was called "no easy day" and details the raid to kill osama bin laden. it's written by a member of the navy s.e.a.l. team that did the

job. among s.e.a.l.s, it is considered violating the rules of silence. for the rest of us, there were details in it not known heretofore because it was a secret operation. our report on it tonight from our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. >> reporter: it's the most detailed account yet of the mission that killed osama bin laden written bay navy s.e.a.l. under the pseudonym mark owen who helped take down the al qaeda leader. it was pitch black as they crept upstairs to the compound. the author says he was second in line when the lead s.e.a.l. saw bin laden poke his head out of the doorway and the lead s.e.a.l. opened fire. we were less than five steps from getting to the top when i heard suppressed shots. bin laden disappeared back into the room. the s.e.a.l.s found bin laden on the floor. he was unarmed and fatally wounded. two women wailing over his body. bin laden had been shot once in the head. as he convulsed on the floor, the author writes, he and another s.e.a.l. trained our

lasers on his chest and fired several rounds until he was motionless. the account appears to contradict white house claims that this was a mission to kill or capture bin laden. in fact, the next day white house officials claim bin laden was killed after engaging the s.e.a.l.s in a firefight and using one of his wives as a human shield. >> there was a female, who was, in fact, in the line of fire that reportedly was used as a shield, to shield bin laden from the incoming fire. >> reporter: but the author reveals, bin laden, the most wanted terrorist in the world, did nothing to defend himself. the weapons found in the room were not loaded. he had no intention of fighting. he asked his followers to wear suicide vests and fly planes into buildings but didn't pick up his weapon. president obama met privately with the s.e.a.l.s who took down bin laden. >> there was a chance for me to say on behalf of all americans

and people around the world, job well done. job well done. >> reporter: the author writes, however, the s.e.a.l.s resented that president obama would win political points for the raid. as one s.e.a.l. joked, we'll get obama re-elected for sure. can i see him now talking about how he killed bin laden. in response to the book the white house praised the s.e.a.l.s for their valor but avoided any of that criticism and asked if this was a kill or capture operation. military officials will tell you any kind these s.e.a.l.s go on a mission, somebody dies. brian. >> jim miklaszewski on duty at the pentagon. jim, thanks. up next a bomb is discovered in a major city, discovered to have been put there by the allies a long time ago. the millions of menif you af who have used androgel 1%, there's big news. presenting androgel 1.62%. both are used to treat men with low testosterone.

androgel 1.62% is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. it raises your testosterone levels, and... is concentrated, so you could use less gel. and with androgel 1.62%, you can save on your monthly prescription. [ male announcer ] dosing and application sites between these products differ. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or, signs in a woman which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne, possibly due to accidental exposure. men with breast cancer or who have or might have prostate cancer, and women who are, or may become pregnant or are breast feeding should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin,

corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. talk to your doctor today about androgel 1.62% so you can use less gel. log on now to androgeloffer.com and you could pay as little as ten dollars a month for androgel 1.62%. what are you waiting for? this is big news. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. insuring that stuff must be a pain. nah. he's probably got... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. they can bundle all your policies together. lot of paperwork.

[ doug ] actually... [ voice of dennis ] an allstate agent can help do the switching and paperwork for you. well, it probably costs a lot. [ voice of dennis ] allstate can save you up to 30% more when you bundle. well, his dog's stupid. [ voice of dennis ] poodles are one of the world's smartest breeds. ♪ bundle and save with an allstate agent. are you in good hands? prcandidate is more likely toion return us to full employment. this is a clear choice. the republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper-income... people and go back to deregulation. that's what got us in trouble in the first place. president obama has a plan to rebuild america from... the ground up, investing in innovation, education... and job training. it only works if there is a strong middle class. that's what happened when i was president. we need to keep going with his plan. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message. for a long time, almost 70 years, yet the remnants still

mark our planet from europe to the pacific. we want to show you what happened in munich germany this week, they discovered an unexploded world war ii bomb, a big one. it was dropped on the city by the allies. they couldn't move it so they blew it up where they found it and watch this. the people had been warned in the neighborhood, those in the immediate area had been evacuated. windows were shattered across a wide area. small fires broke out. old bombs still surface frequently. a lot of them are becoming more dangerous because they are all decaying in the ground at the same time. they found one at the airport in amsterdam and it was closed down while they removed it. while london has been enjoying the glow of the well deserved olympic games today they welcome the world for the start of the paralympics. 251 athletes from 265 nations, including north korea for the first time, the queen, william

and kate at the now familiar olympic stadium. wen we come back tonight a final check on the location and forecast of what's left of isaac. [ male announcer ] if you suffer from heartburn 2 or more days a week, why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. exclusive to the military, and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you.

visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. on my feet and exactly where i needed more support. then, i got my number. my tired, achy feet affected my whole life. until i found my number. i tried the free dr. scholl's foot mapping center. in two minutes, i got my foot map and custom number. i'm a 440. that matched up to the dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic inserts with the right support and cushioning i need. i am a believer. i'm a believer! i'm a believer. go to drscholls.com to find your closest walmart with a foot mapping center. begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve,

which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. if we took the nissan altima and reimagined nearly everything in it? gave it greater horsepower and best in class 38 mpg highway... ...advanced headlights... ...and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ got a quick question for weather channel meteorologist

jim cantore, who is still in new orleans, before we go. jim, that is, how much more of this can the folks in the region expect and how much can they take? >> reporter: well, it's always been a big storm. it's going to continue to be that way. as a matter of fact, the folks in houston tonight are seeing winds gust out of the northwest at 25 miles per hour. a reach, if you will, of that windfield now over 500 miles. the radar showing the center, still very close to new orleans heading up toward baton rouge. it's those eastern rain bands now producing tornadoes just recently during the broadcast. damage to structures in the gulfport, mississippi, area. far reaching. just because it's downgraded doesn't mean it's over. >> great work to our entire team. any other event except for the story going on behind us, i'd be out there with you. jim cantore on canal street in new orleans. that's our broadcast for wednesday night. thank you for being with us. the a reminder, we're coming back on air in prime time with the republican convention.

i'm brian williams. of course we hope to see you back tomorrow evening. of course we hope to see you back tomorrow evening. good night from tampa. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com but somewhere along the way, something went horribly wrong. george allen voted for trillions in debt while voting to raise his pay four times, then voted to keep special tax breaks for oil and gas companies and took over a half-million from them.