right now the comparisons pouring in between melania trump's speech at the republican national conventional and michelle to obama's speech at the democratic national convention in 2008. and i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell outside right now. we have a few fair weather clouds drifting by. coming up, i'll let you know whether they turn into thunderstorms like they did yesterday. stay with us. the race for the whiteo

an nbc news poll out a few hours ago puts hillary clinton just one point ahead of donald trump. the results are within the poll's margin of error. trump is hoping for a boost in the poll numbers during the republican national convention taking place right now in cleveland. but much of the talk this morning is about his wife's speech last night. and its similarities to a michelle obama speech. nbc's tracie potts is live in cleveland with how the trump campaign is responding from the social media fire last night to all the rounds on the morning shows today. tracie? good morning. we're hearing a lot from them now. and trump's campaign chair says it's crazy to think that you can do this with millions of people watching. you might hear some mike checks going on behind me, maybe lights flashing, the are getting ready for tonight when trump will officially get that nomination. donald trump

formally get the republican nomination today after dramatically introducing -- >> my wife, an amazing mother and incredible woman, melania trump. >> reporter: her words designed to show trump's softer side. >> kind and fair and caring. >> reporter: but this morning there are questions about similarities to michelle obama's speech in 2008. >> you work hard for what you want in life. that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. >> you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you're going to do. >> reporter: in a statement the campaign says, quote, writers took notes on her life inspirations and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking, end quote. hours before mrs. trump told nbc she wrote the speech with very little help.

earlier -- delegates walked out. the chair walked off stage amid a failed attempt to prevent votes for trump tonight. monday's speeches focused on immigration, benghazi and national security. >> islamic extremist terrorism, you know who you are! and we're come to get you! >> reporter: today's theme, putting americans back to work. and behind me on the stage they are walking through doing a mike check to get ready for the session this evening where the speeches focus on jobs and the economy. you can bet they will be targeting hillary clinton, too. susan? >> reporter: thank you, tracie. the convention today will focus on the economy, and new jersey governor chris christie, house speaker paul ryan

mcconnell will be there. >> reporter: this morning republicans are waking up to a fractured convention. there's a rift in the party no doubt, but later today house speaker paul ryan and senate majority leader mitch mcconnell will be on that stage trying to unify the party. do you see muriel bowser will also be here to shore up support. and we have been hearing the delegates' take on this. some say larry hogan missing this has more to do with his re-election scene than more to try to stop hillary clinton from taking the presidency in november. >> don't forget chris and tom sherwood will be in cleveland all week to cover the convention for you. look for their live report tonight starting on news4 at

and good morning, everybody. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. there are a few clouds out there this morning not generating any rainfall. there's a big emirates a380 sitting at the terminal getting ready for the nonstop flight to dubai. most of us will be rain-free throughout the day. there's a 30% chance of a stray shower or two, but nothing of the coverage or intensity that we saw yesterday afternoon. currently, temperatures have made it into the mid-80s and will continue to warm up a little bit more from where we are now. up into the upper 80s, downtown locations are going to touch 90 degrees for a high temperature later on this afternoon. those rain chances going forward should be south of the d.c. metro area. i'll show you the future weather coming up in a few minutes as we talk about the weekend heat wave. thank you, chuck. metro says construction dust is to blame for this morning's incident at the pentagon

this happened as the yellow and blue riders were starting their commute. it just reopened after days of safe track work. service was not impacted, though. riders get a break from safe track work but only for a day because surge five starts tomorrow. orange and silver lines between east falls church and ballston will be closed for 12 days. they will focus on the first inbound track and the next few days will focus on the outbound track. police say gunman gavin long stalked the officers with military-like precision. newly released surveillance photos show long carrying out sunday's attack. officials say the former marine snuck up behind officers and shot them at close range. three died and three others were hurt. president obama has ordered flags to remain at half-staff until friday in honor of the fallen officers. and several people were arrested after bringing traffic to a complete standstill on i-95 in

the group of black lives matter staged the demonstration during rush hour. protesters blocked all southbound lanes of i-95 and draped a sign on the overpass. the protest lasts a half hour and caused backups for several miles. right now family, friends and fellow police officers are saying good-bye to officer michael krol. his funeral is happening in his hometown of redford township, michigan. krol was one of the five officers killed during the ambush shooting of police in dallas. hundreds of police officers came out to support the family for the service. krol was 40 years old. he had always wanted to be a cop. bringing police and the people that they protect together. today montgomery county is asking the community to come together and to talk about the recent deadly shootings around the country. news4's kristin wright is live with more on this call to action. kristin? >> reporter: well, given everything that has happened over the past few weeks

happen anywhere. and so leaders here in montgomery country are saying, let's talk now. the police shootings that have taken the lives of so many don't seem all that far away to some in our community. people in montgomery county, maryland, are going to talk about it in a series of town hall meetings. community activist jeffrey tims will be there. he says the conversation must be had here and now. >> we are changing as a community the racial dynamic and the racial makeup that we once knew no longer exists. >> reporter: the first town hall on racing and policing is tonight at the silver spring civic building. county and government leaders are hosting with the naacp leaders and others. everyone is invited and asked to speak openly. >> we do not want to get caught in a situation where we do not have the conversation. we may not be aware of the problems out there. so shame on us.

happen in montgomery county. >> reporter: the awful moments caught on camera and the pictures of once smiling families are just pieces of a long conversation about tragedies we don't want to see at home. >> we always want one incidental way. >> i see it happening other places and that means it can definitely happen here. >> reporter: this first town hall is tonight at 7:00 here at the silver spring civic building. the next one is tomorrow night at 7:00 at the up county regional services center in germantown. erika, there is so much to talk about. back to you. >> yes, there is. an ongoing conversation. kristin wright, thank you so very much. a university of maryland police officer is off street patrol because of this particular incident we're showing you. the officer pepper sprayed students while breaking up a graduation party in may. this is the officer's body camera footage that the chief promised last week.

announce spray but only after using it. people start screaming and running. in the parking lot officers arrest two students and that same officer deployed pepper spray again where medics are treating people. the university police chief called the behavior unacceptable. charges against the students were dropped. right now we're getting new information about a teenager accused of attacking people with an ax on a train in germany. what investigators think prompted this terror plot. plus, a unique case of zika out of utah this morning. why doctors are having such a rd timeha man: hey baby, how are you? woman: i have a surprise for you. man: you have a surprise for me? narrator: at dominion, 1 in 5 new hires is a veteran. and when they're away, they miss out on a lot. but they won't miss out on financial support. because we cover any difference between their military pay and their dominion salary, and continue benefits for them

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new developments on the train attack in germany. a group affiliated with isis put out a statement saying a soldier responding to a message from the group was responsible for that attack. it was an afghan teenager 17 years old who pulled out an ax on the train and started attacking people last night. four people were hurt before police shot and killed the suspect. france's government is calling for an extended emergency declaration following last week's deadly truck attack in nice. it comes just as the city's famous promenade has reopened to traffic. 84 people were killed including three americans. when a truck driver plowed

celebration. it has become a makeshift with flowers, memorials, stuffed animals and candles. at least 59 people are still in the hospital. many are still in intensive care. this morning a couple hundred young catholics from northern virginia are arriving in europe. they are participating in a pilgrimage to culminate in poland for world youth day. they explain how organizers are working to keep young travelers say. >> reporter: it seems we come here every day with a new tragedy happening around the world. with that in mind, though, some 200-plus youth from northern virginia headed off to europe for world youth day. >> they are expecting anywhere between 2.5 to 3 million in poland. >> because it is a large thing, a catholic thing, it could be a target. >> reporter: those helping to lead the local youth are keeping strong in faith but preparing. >> if something happens, this is where we meet. every day they will know where that will be. more of us have phones with us and soal

we found that that's really a great way to communicate in an emergency. >> reporter: these young people, though, seem past the dangers praying for peace. david culver, news4. virginia's supreme court is hear arguments right now over one of governor terry mc mcauliffe's order. we will expect an update on the case later in the day. those workers at arlington national cemetery are on strike. they are pushing for raises and paid sick leave. currently, cemetery workers are paid $13 an hour. 400 russian athletes are waiting to find out if they'll be able to compete in rio. the international olympic committee is meeting ty

over its options. now the group uncovered a state-run doping scheme in russia that included 28 sports in both summer and winter games. the world anti-doping agency is calling for a ban of russia's entire olympic team. the olympic games are now 17 days away. a reminder that you can watch the opening ceremonies and coverage of the olympics right here on nbc4. so health officials in utah are trying to solve a mystery. a person who contracted the zika virus but didn't travel abroad. the person was carrying for an elderly patient who had an unusually high level of the virus in his blood. the patient contracted that virus while traveling abroad and died in june. the cdc is trying to figure out how the virus was transmitted from the patient to the caregiver. the caregiver has recovered. until now officials believed see zika can only be transmitted sexually

tonight a meeting will be held on the zika virus to help you to better protect your family from this potential health threat. they will talk about preventing breeding sites and how to dress going to an area with a lot of mosquitoes. the director of health in fairfax county says zika may be closer than you think. >> the mosquito has been found here in virginia and has the potential to spread zika. >> the meeting is at 7:00 p.m. in council chambers on lynn street. >> a fresh coat of paint on your house can make a big difference, but you want it to last. consumer reports tested popular paint brands that sell for a variety of prices to find out exactly which ones last the longest. >> that color you agonized over looks great, but will it hold up over time? exterior paint needs to do a lot more than just look pretty. >> you want an exterior paint that stands up to the elements, su

also that it resists dirt and mildew. >> reporter: that's why consumer reports designed pretty tough tasks. exterior paints are applied to pine doors and roofs of the consumer reports headquarters. the conditions are so harsh that one year of exposure simulates three years on a wall door or fence. the boards are inspected periodically to see how well they resists cracking, fading dirt and mildew. here's a top performing paint. >> even after three years of exposure up on our roof, it still has no cracks. there's a little dirt and mildew but it's still intact. >> reporter: when you compare it with this paint, after three years you can see the difference where it's starting to crack and flake off. and this one isn't even the same color. the top is the original shade. >> after one year it got lighter and two years it was lighter and after three years it was a completely different color. >> reporter: after testing the

for about $40 a gallon and clark and kensington were about $35 a gallon were at the top. the consumer paints should last about nine years on your house. and consumer reports say flat paint with a dull finish look best on exterior walls older and more weather worn. the best time to apply paint? during the day when temperatures are between 50 and 90 degrees with no wind. so any morning this smer could work for you. >> you sit there and think about how much time you toil over one color and just to have it flake off within a couple of years. not so good. meanwhile, the popularity of the game pokemon go is prompting safe spots for the game. and players, where you can take part in a 12-hour pokethon tomorrow. and how to add a new member of your family by taking part in a weekend event called clear the shelters.

all right, so this is serious. we have a new picture as police try to solve the pokemon go connected robbery. the university of maryland police say this is a person of interest. in multiple on-campus robberies last week, police are describing it to be four people including multiple students had their phones stolen at gunpoint. three of the

in light of all this, fairfax county is taking a new approach to dealing with pokemon go players. the county is hosting a 12-hour pokethon tomorrow encouraging fans to play safely and avoid breaking the law. this comes after two men and three teens were caught trespassing and caught playing the game inside a springfield elementary school last week. this will take place at the sully district center from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 tm tomorrp.m. tom night. and look at this severe weather that rolled through central oregon last night. this video is from primeville. the hail fell so hard it looked to be snowing. cloudy weather with temperatures in the 70s are forecasted there today. that's insane, right? >> that felt like snow. >> right? snowfalls nice

that hail is impressive. >> for us, hot, hot, hot. yes. we had the thunderstorms around yesterday. we could have a scattered shower or thunderstorm around later today. looking at the skies now, clouds are building a little bit. nothing showing up on storm team 4 radar at the moment, although there's a 30% chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm coming our way later on today. it's up to 85 degrees now in washington. winds are fairly light out of the east averaging 6 miles per hour. and once you factor in the humidity, it feels warmer than the temperatures actually are. it feels like 90 in leesburg and culpeper right now. it feels like 87 in annapolis. it will be another hot and humid afternoon to be outside as you're planning out the remainder of the day. sun and clouds staying dry through 2:00 to 3:00. by 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 this afternoon there's a chance for an isolated storm or two, far duer than yesterday for sure. skies clear out after 8:00 and will be turning less humid as we get later on into the evening. for today, just the typical

humidity. rain chances are lower today than yesterday. now tomorrow is going to be the day to be outside this week. much nicer, lower humidity and you need to enjoy it. because by the weekend friday, saturday, sunday, monday, temperatures will be back up near 100. and heat indexes could be at 105 or higher. here's future weather. by 2:00 today there will be a chance for thunderstorms developing primarily from the washington metro area southbound towards fredericksburg and into parts of southern maryland. that's where the little cold front is to bring us the less humid air. it's sagging down south of the metro. so it's dragging rain chances along with it. things will quiet down after about 6:00 or 7:00 tonight. if you're going to the baseball game this evening, there's a slight chance for a shower. but we're going to be able to play ball. let's hope that turns into a nationals win over the dodgers. the next couple of days look like this, 87 tomorrow. back into the 90s thursday. and this weekend is looking very hot. we might have our first 100 in four years coming up on sunday. more about that

if i got beaten that badly, i wouldn't show up either. >> welcome to cleveland. >> donald trump is addressing the republicans who are skipping the convention this week and refusing to support his campaign. plus, it is a problem only a handful of areas are dealing with and it is making it much tougher for people to buy homes in the district. we'll explain after the brk.ea

well, we have our eyes right now on the republican national conventional. and all the developments taking place, you're looking at a live shot right now from the convention floor. today the theme of the convention is jobs and the economy. the rnc runs through this thursday when donald trump will officially accept this presidential nomination. just before trump took the stage at the convention yesterday, he gave the "today" show's matt lauer an exclusive interview. they talked about ohio, hillary clinton and contention within the gop. >> welcome to cleveland. >> thank you. >> can i be the first to welcome you? >> you can. >> is it surreal to finally be here? we have talked about this week for so long. >> i think it's just a great feeling. it's a great accomplishment. but the real accompl

america great again. that's what i'm doing it for. that's why i'm doing it. >> the question is on the adoption of the resolution. >> already there's been a couple contentious moments, an entire delegate is walking out after a vote they didn't get. >> it wasn't a vote about me. it's about changing the rules changed in 2020. >> they wanted the rules change no ed now but it never would have taken place. >> it's never happened like this. and i think the press liked to build it up. but it really was about rule changes for 2020. >> so much violence in the country in the last couple of weeks, people are on edge. they are tense. you add to that the passion that comes with political debate. and there are people who are truly afraid that things could boil over here in cleveland. would you be willing to make a pledge to speak to everyone involved in this convention and say, please tone down the rhetoric? >> sure. and

toned down. i think it will be a great rhetoric. but we also need law and order in the country. >> can you say to the people going to the podium this week, no personal attacks, keep it civil? >> i think to a large extent it is a convention, after all, and when you say civil, we can't be too civil when you have a situation like hillary clinton with all that she's done. and all of the mistakes she's made. so they will be brought up. but i do think it will be very, very civil. >> your campaign adviser mr. mannafort picked a fight with the governor of the state. he criticized governor kasich for not showing up at the convention and supporting you. and paul mannafort said he's embarrassing the state of ohio. do you agree? >> well, look, he signed a pledge number one. but honestly, he got beaten so badly, i won i guess 37 states, even more than that, and he won 1. if i got beaten that badly, i wouldn't show up either. so he doesn't have to

it's fine. >> but you want to pick a fight with a popular governor in ohio? >> he may not be popular after the convention. i don't mind that he's not here. i think it's fine. i love ohio. >> and news4's tom sherwood and chris lawrence are both in cleveland right now. tom is talking to maryland delegates who are there and will both be on top of the roll call which begins tonight. that's all coming up with live coverage starting at 4:00. at the republican national convention the economy will be the main talking point tonight. here in washington, though, the cost of homes is getting new attention. here's cnbc's landon dowdy to explain. >> reporter: a new report finds it cheaper to rent than buy a home in just eight states and washington, d.c. gobankingrates.com compares the median price for a single family home, ownership includes mortgage, property insurance. rent has been rapidly rising and home prices have been, too, but mortgage rates are still

that's your cnbc morning business report, i'm landon dowdy. summer travel costs have reached a new low. aaa says the national average for regular unleaded gas is at the lowest point for the month of july since 2004. that's now around $2.21 per gallon nationally. aaa anticipates the low prices to stick around for the rest of the summer because of high crude oil supplies. animal shelters across the country are teaming up with nbc and stations to find loving homes for pets in need. the second annual clear the shelters event will be held this saturday, july 23rd. lisa lafontain joins us. it's so nice to see you. but we have another guest here. >> usually the four-legged guests steal the thunder from me. this is rhino. >> okay. is rhino up for adoption? >> he is. but if people see him on this broadcast, he may not lastnt

the weekend. he's a wonderful dog. >> he seems very entertained. tell me about the need for pet adoption in our area. is it really that big of an issue? >> it's tremendous. and this is actually a national event that we do in collaboration with nbc and shelters across the country. that's one of the nice things about us is the national media gets everybody attention. and the summer is a tough time for us because the kitten season has just ended and there are so many kittens available and for adoption. our dog surrenders peak a little bit in may and june. so we are literally full right now. we have 250 dogs and over 130 cats. so we need homes this weekend. so we know it's going to be a hot day but encourage everybody to come down and find their next family member. >> well, for people that really say, okay, i'm missing a love of my life, a four-legged friend, what are the things to contemplate as they go and take a visit and see some dogs and cats like rhino? >> well, the biggest thing i should say is a dog like thi

amazingly cute and just charismatic. and well behaved. but we always tell people to look past the appearance. because it is really a lifestylish shoe in many ways. you want a personality to fit with your family. we do a lot of counseling. that's an important part i want to make. even though we are waiving the fees, we still do a lot of adoption counseling. it is sort of like matchmaking between people where we find out what is your activity level, do you like to sit at home are. you a tv watcher? do you wand a cud ler? do you want one to hike or walk with you? or do you want a cat to just cuddle next to you? >> i don't want to miss what you just said because that's a key part of what is happening this weekend. you guys are graciously waiving the fees for people saying, i just don't know if i can do it this weekend. but you're trying to get rid of the barriers. do the vaccines also come with it? >> a dog like rhino has all the vaccines. he's been neutered. and they have all of the medical treats

>> well, he looks very, very entertained. you had great success last year. >> we did. >> and this year we're hoping for the same. >> we have over 150 animals here thanks to nbc's partnership with us last year. that's 150 animals. >> i think we may have lost this here. >> 150 animals the next day were in loving homes. so that is the most important thing for us, to know that an animal that wakes up in a cage will wake up in somebody's bed the next day. >> we love that idea. if this is something near and dear to your heart, you're saying, i have room if my family and house. i need a loving companion. >> or if you have a friend who is looking, please, by all means come out. >> rhino, let's get you a home, buddy. >> thank you. >> back to you. thank you, erika. and taking a look outsideig

and we're keeping an eye on the chance of storms again tonight. chuck is back after the break with why tomorrow is thday to ge et

if you or your kids are looking for some relief from this heat this week, take refuge at a d.c. city spray park. d.c.'s 13 spray parks have extended hours because of the heat wave. those parks are staying open an extra two hours this week until 9:00 at night. just open up our nbc washington app for a map of all of the pools and spray parks in the city. just search spray park. the temperature is just right for a dip in the pool. looks look a good day to be outside. they may have to extend that to next week as well because our heat wave of intense heat is going to get worse as we head into the weekend. in fact, this coming sunday could be the first time we get to 100 degrees at national airport in four years. last time we got that hot

event. a 104-degree day at the end of june 2012. and at the end of july that was the hottest month on record here in washington, july of 2012 was, we were 4 degrees above average and had seven days that month 100 or higher. outside for today, no 100-degree heat today. we are comfortably in the mid-80s. it's a humid day outside for sure. typical summer levels of humidity. as you're looking outside, notice though the clouds are starting to fill in a bit. and so i do think we'll have a chance for a shower or two later on today. most of yesterday's heavier storms are well down off the outer banks of north carolina and moving away from us. but there is a weak cold front that is trying to slide down through the area. as a result, it will be an opportunity for a stray shower or two. here's future weather through the remainder of the afternoon. the better rain chances will be just south of the washington metro area. charles and st. mary's and calvert county, slightly better chances of a shower south of the

not as much of an issue where the dryer air starting to move in from the north and west. by 8:00 tonight, most of the showers will be coming to an end. lonesome stragglers are down across southern maryland. we'll be comfortable and dry for tomorrow. get out to enjoy it. tomorrow is the day out of the next ten that you're going to be able to get outside and enjoy it. a comfortable day tomorrow. no rain chances after today. we're probably going to be dry all the way through the end of the week. over the weekend, blazing hot. 99 saturday. 100 on sunday. and 98 on monday. heat index values could be up to 105 or higher. we'll be keeping you posted on this dangerous heat that is coming our way for the weekend. >> enjoy. he said 100. all right. you probably have tasted a lobster roll, but how about a lobster corn dog? >> sounds amazing. after the break, eun yang is joined by one of the area top chefs to talk about the corn dog and other lobster options. plu

i'm eun yang. we are talking lobster with one of our celebrity chefs. while the judge was on last year's "top chef." now he's getting ready to open his new restaurant. today he's here to bring us a taste of maine. chef, welcome back. always good to have you here as always. i love lobster. people like to eat it right out of the shell and lobster rolls are popular. but you're showing

what do we have here today? >> here we have a take on your classics. we have lobster and a corn dog. lobster is different, so we have a lobster log guy. >> what does that mean? >> a log guy is traditionally a southeast asian minced meat salad. and on top of that we have a caramelized crispy garlic and chives. >> is that spicy then? >> definitely spicy. >> and two things i would not imagine us putting together is lobster and corn dog. i can't imagine the foods go together. >> they do. so we start with shrimp and lobster and make a lobster sausage. and then we cut that into coins, dip it into a corn dog batter and then -- >> it's like a little lolli pop. >> a little corn puree and dough. >> the lobster pot pie sounds complicated. >>

like flour and butter, a little bit of cream and lobster stock. >> we think of chicken pot pie, is this a traditional sauce? >> it's the same sauce using lobster sauce instead of chicken sauce. >> i fold in the lobster, some carrots, on the bottom is buttermilk biscuits. >> that sounds really good. >> and then i put a little caviar, just a little bit. >> a little bit of caviar. >> just a little bit right in there. >> very nice. >> and then -- truffles in there. >> you put truffles and caviar on top of lobster. this sounds decadent to me. >> it is. it's delicious. then you have your lobster pot pie. >> i'm going to taste it because it sounds amazing. while i'm eating, lobster i feel is something we typically order out because it is a decadent treat. but can you cook it at home? >> it's intimidating for most

you get it down. if you want to cook the whole lobster -- how is that? >> so good. yum. >> the best lobster is like 1.5 pounds to get. that's sweet enough to make it more tender. then you're going to put it in a pot of boiling water for about 12 to 16 minutes. take it out and it is ready to eat. >> do people tend to overcook it? is that the biggest mistake? >> people tend to overcook or undercook it. if you undercook it it's hard to get the meat off the shell. if it is overcooked then it is hard. this is a spinach puree with turbo and i make a sauce with the lobster bodies. that goes right on top. >> very nice. >> like potato crumble. and a little bit of fennel. it is all very simple. >> and is this lobster season? is there

best time of the year to eat lobster? >> lobster is available year-round. the lobster fishermen really have a sustainable process. in capturing the lobsters, essentially. they take them out of the water one by one. they measure the backs and if the back is not big enough they throw it back. if the female has eggs, they throw it back. they are sustainable in the way they catch lobsters but they increasingly catch more and more every single year. it's not because they are overfishing but using sustainable practices. >> that line of people will say, lobster is expensive and delicious, but it is worth the price. >> you tell me, is it worth the price? >> it is so good. thank you so much. thank you for joining us, as always. we are looking forward to it. see you soon. >> okay. looks tasty. >> our mouths are watering right now. >> all right. coming up, we're talking about the heat. we're also talking about pool safety. it's not as easy as keeping an eye on your child. >> that's right. after the break the i-team will

you determine if a pool enclosure is secure.

woman: i have a masurprise for you.are you? man: you have a surprise for me? narrator: at dominion, 1 in 5 new hires is a veteran. and when they're away, they miss out on a lot. but they won't miss out on financial support. because we cover any difference between their military pay and their dominion salary, and continue benefits for them and their families. why do we do it? because our vets sacrifice enough. "dominion. depend on us for more than energy." ♪ stand by me.

it is hot and chances are that you're thinking about jumping into the nearby pool to cool off. but so are the little ones. >> that's right. experts say it's a huge problem, especially this time of the year. the news4 i-team shows you how a stunning number of local children fall into pools and drown each summer. and what you need to think about now to keep it from hap

>> kevin dillard was in tears as he tore out his pool earlier this year. when police found the body of his 2-year-old neighbor in the pool just 20 minutes after she disappeared from her home. virginia beach police did not press charges but dillard said off camera he was devastated by the toddler's death. and decided to rip out the pool after police found a hole in his fence just big enough for a child to crawl through. more than 280 kids under the age of 5 drown every year in pools according to the u.s. consumer product safety commission. the news4 i-team found more than 50 of those deaths happened in maryland, d.c. and virginia within the last ten years. the cpsd says most children die when an adult loses track of the child when they are at the pool together, but one out of every ten pool drownings happens after a child figures out how to get through the pool's fence. >> kids are natural born explorers. they see these

you know, tubes and noodles. >> reporter: the university of maryland's doctor rich lichtenstein is a pediatric emergency doctor studying maryland cases including 30 near drowning that is have happened in the last three years. he says while some involve teenagers who can't swim, most are toddlers between 1 and 4 years old. >> they don't quite understand the risk of, like, water in their mouth or water causing them to choke and then it's just a second. and then all of a sudden, you know, they can go, they can lose their lives. >> reporter: he says drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths for children under the age of 4. so it's critical for all adults, even those who do not have kids, to secure their pools. michael slatter is a pool inspector for the health department which inspects more than 300 pools each summer. he spends most of his inspection walking the perimeter of the pool's fence checking to make

pulling hard to see if the fence will come loose. >> making sure it's secure at the top. also making sure it's secure at the bottom. >> reporter: pool inspectors say it is simple to tell whether or not your fence meets code. in the state of maryland it has to be more than 6 feet tall. i'm 5'11", this is taller than me. this fence meets that rule. they also want you to use your fist. this is about 4 inches or the size of a child's head. so make sure your fist can't get through any holes, especially down here at the bottom where a child might try to squeeze through. 87% of all child drownings happen in residential pools according to the cpsd, which is why no matter where you live, all of the local governments in our area require pool owners to install self-latching gates and a tall fence. the i-team searched through hundreds of inspection reports and found multiple apartment

their fences before the year started. many neighbors complained about holes in their neighbor's fences. the i-team found all the fences were repaired or replaced after the inspectors visited. but that is not the case in fairfax county. even though virginia law gives counties the power to go after people who don't maintain their pool fences, including jail time and fines, the county told us it doesn't enforce the law. meaning it does not maintain any records of complaints or violences. records from the state's medical examiner and local police show at least eight children have died in fairfax county pools within the last ten years. dr. shareen says it is critical for parents to keep an eye on their kid. and should never assume a fence or a gate will keep a kid out. her staff saw 21 drownings in their emergency room just alone last year. >> a lot of peopl

covers on the pool. we have seen cases of toddlers downing in a small amount of wat water. >> reporter: you need to try to think like a toddler looking for where they can squeeze through so you never have to come home to something like this. tisha thompson, the news4 i-team. >> now everyone agrees you should teach a a child to swim starting as early as 2 years old. but even teenager who is can swim drown. so tisha and the i-team put together a list of what parents can do to protect your child at the pool. since the laws vary quite a bit county to county, you can also find a list of what pool owners must do to stay safe this summer on our nbc washington app. good advice for sure. all right. let's get one last check of your weather, chuck? >> yes? >> how are we looking? >> so far so good.

yet. partly to mostly cloudy sky out there. and there will be a chance for a shower or two later on this afternoon. but scanning the skies here on storm team 4 radar, nothing to worry about in the short-term. and rain chances later today are at 30% at most. slightly better chance now down to the south. we are in the mid-80s now and climbing to about 90 degrees for highs today. there's your chance at 30%. one or two storms possible but not all that likely. the extended forecast, it's getting ready to be hot, hot, hot around here. we won't worry about it tomorrow. but getting to thursday back into the 90s, low humidity tomorrow down into thursday. but the humidity comes back friday along with the intense heat. 96 on friday. 99 on saturday. and maybe our first 100 in four years coming up on sunday. really saturday, sunday, monday, all three of those days will be within a whisper of 100 degrees. so be ready for the high heat. >> lucky us, right? >> that's one way to put it. >> well, that's it for

midday." thank you so much for joining us. we are back on the air this

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