it's rising way too fast. we were fine until they released the reservoirs. so everything started happening really fast this morning. >> frightening moments. thousands still in desperate need of assistance. the faces of the countless numbers in need and those who are going out of their way to lend a hand are the silver linings. heavy rain that started friday continues to pound the region. today president trump will spend the day in texas with victims and first responders. >> north korea fires a missile off japan setting off alarms and warnings across the island nation. plus some good news for coffee drinkers. "early today" starts right now. good to be with you, i'm fes

rivera. philip mann is in houston following the recovery ertz as tropical storm harvey continues to batter the area. we'll join us in just a moment. but first texans are waking up to more rising floodwaters and an onslaught of rain and uncertainty as it engulfed the region. here's today's "houston chronicle" with evacuations occurring as far as the eye can see, the devastation reaching new heights. at least three deaths have been linked to harvey and an all-out search is under way after six members of a family trying to flee the rising waters were swept away in their van. that van has yet to be recovered. about 280,000 are without power in the state. upwards of 3,000 are expected to seek temporary shelter. over 2,000 individuals have now been rescued. the entirety of texas' national guard, roughly 12,000, now mobilized and a large contingent of citizen rescuers plunging themselves into water to help where they can. here's texas governor greg abbott. >> this is, if not the

has to be categorized as one of the largest disasters america has ever faced. and to see the swift response from the federal government is pretty much unparalleled. >> when all is said and done fema predicts over 450,000 people will register as disaster victims. the worry now is that the worst may lie ahead. bands of heavy rain are expected to blanket the area in the coming days as fears the storm may make landfall once again sets in. i want to bring back in my coanchor philip menna who is in houston right now. philip, good morning. >> all right, frances, good morning. as you can see, the rain continues to tall here in houston. unfortunately it has continued to batter us since yesterday. we're hoping for some relief but again, it has just continued to fall. right now i am at the edge of buffalo bayou. this is the bayou that we have been speaking about that runs right through the city, right through the heart of downtown

a mile here to my left, to the east. and this is now at record levels because of not only the rain but we talked about yesterday the dams that have been -- had that controlled release that was causing the bayous to swell. you can see there's abandoned cars here. there's scenes like this all over the city. flooded streets, roadways. this city is still very much paralyzed. rescues have been ongoing for days now. they continued through the night. and that has led to 30,000 evacuees is what's estimated when it's all said and done here. we know that there's eight shelters here, those are at capacity. the main shelter which is downtown here, the george r. brown convention center, that was the hub during the super bowl, houston hosted the super bowl a few months ago and that was the hub, it is now home to 7,000 people who have been displaced. they had originally only had 5,000 at capacity. but

away and they are now at 7,000 people. so people are sleeping there as they can. we went there and we caught up with a few people who had just gotten rescued and we want to have you hear from one of their stories. they're just amazing, harrowing stories. let's take a listen. >> our house has been hit two other times. this was the third. memorial day, tax day, now this one. this one was by far the worst. i've never seen anything like this, couldn't imagine it. it is at the roofs of some of our fleriends' homes. i don't know how we're going to be able to go back in the house and see things after this. >> i don't know if they have the picture over there that they might be showing right now. but you can just describe where the water line was to your home. >> yeah, it was all the way at the top. there's nothing that can be salvaged from that house after this. literally the clothes that we have on right now are what we're going to have to move on with. you just take one step at a time and you have to move on, you know?

to forget. most of these people who left, they left on a moment's notice. it was a life-or-death situation and they only left with the clothes on their back. they spoke with dozens of people yesterday. i spoke with a mother who she just left with her son and her daughter and they got airlifted by helicopter. they didn't have shoes. her arms hurt from carrying her daughter for hours on end. and they needed clothes and the red cross has been providing that. just as quickly as it comes, it goes. a lot of the community are coming together for this rescue. but this is the scene that we're seeing play out all throughout houston. unfortunately this is, again, a scene we're going to see for days on end, at least this will we get some letup from this rain, frances. >> yeah, that's the heartbreaking part that those are countless stories like that and countless images to go along with them. we'll check back with you in a little bit, thank you. tropical storm harvey has left a trail of destruction in its wake as we have seen with thousands of lives uprooted as we heard. officialsim

but among the devastation the best of humanity has emerged. hundreds of volunteers from across the country coming together to offer their time and resources to those most affected by the storm. nbc's joe friar has more. >> reporter: with floodwaters rising to new records, volunteers are rising to the challenge. from boats to tractors. all types of machines are descending upon this disaster, everyday folks who simply want to help. these guys are the cajun navy, a group from louisiana that drove through the night. >> when louisiana gets in a bind, when we have problems, texas responds. and we're not going to leave our brothers behind. >> reporter: help is pouring in from across the country. helicopters from arizona. red cross teams from philadelphia. police and firefighters from new york. yet sometimes the best help comes from home. beneath an interstate bridge the pleasant family anxiously awaits for mom, michelle,ho

days. what's it been like for her? >> she's been crying and -- worrying how she's going to get to her five children. >> reporter: but now she's in sight. michelle was picked up by good samaritans with a boat. strangers, now delivering her to a relieved family. >> i'm ready to get home to my babies. >> reporter: she's grateful to the young texans who saved her. >> thank you, thank you, thank you! >> we're not heroes or anything, we're just here to help people, you know. >> yeah, god is good. god is amazing. >> reporter: a flood of emotions and gratitude. >> thank you. >> reporter: joe friar, nbc news, dickinson, texas. >> so much dividing the nation, so great to see communities and so many people coming together. i want to turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins for head for harvey. that rain still coming down, not letting up.

looks like, then we can finally try to get these river levels to come down. these rainfall totals are staggering. we're now up to 44, almost 45 inches in webster, southeast of downtown houston. everyone is heading into the 30-inch range. someone easily could end up near that 50 mark. also some feeder bands into areas of louisiana. but the really heavy stuff is in between houston and the beaumont area. when you see the bright yellows and reds those are rainfall rates that are 1 to 2 inches per hour, in some cases even worse there south of beaumont this morning. as far as the forecast path of the storm is going to go, we are going to be watching the storm slowly traveling to the east and then heading a little further to the northeast. right now 45-mile-per-hour winds on this. and again, about one more day of this, and then we take the storm up into louisiana. hopefully give our friends on the gulf a break. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. there's a closer look at the day ahead. the heaviest rain this morning between houston and be

storm a little bit further to the east, we can give a break to areas around houston. we have to watch out around new orleans too. heavy rain yesterday and there's the potential for more again today. we'll give you some more stats and information coming up. >> okay, hope there's some good ones along them, bill, thank you. we've got some other stories to tell you about. bloomberg reports president trump fired his long-time rally organizer george gigikos after a campaign rally in phoenix that some way less than full. nbc news has not independently confirmed the story. a new study finds coffee is beneficial to your health. spanish researchers found drinking at least four cups of coffee a day can lower your risk of death. a bathroom disease. you're a life of unpredictable symptoms. crohn's, you've tried to own us. but now it's our turn to take control with stelara®

for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. before or during treatment, always tell your doctor if you think you have an infection or have flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop any new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion, and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions can occur. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. we're fed up with your unpredictability. remission can start with stelara®. talk to your doctor today. janssen wants to help you explore cost support options for stelara®. maria's always on the go, taking over 7,000 steps each day. and she does it in any shoes she wants, with lasting comfort. only dr. scholl's stylish step has insoles

dr. scholl's. born to move. (vo) more "dper rollres for mom" more "doing chores for dad" per roll more "earning something you love" per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll. bounty the quicker picker upper. i put it out that i had pardoned, as we call --

say, sheriff joe. he's done a great job for the people of arizona. he's very strong on borders, very strong on illegal immigration. he is loved in arizona. i thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly when they came down with their big decision to go get him. >> president trump during a joint news conference with the finnish president remarking on his decision to pardon controversial arizona sheriff joe arpaio. and he was clearly prepared to defend that decision taking out a list and rattling off other presidential pardons and commutations that came before him. leading the news, nbc news can exclusively report federal investigators working with special counselor robert mueller are focusing on the president's role when he crafted that response to a news article about a meeting between russians and his sons. the bombshell comes from three sources familiar with the matter. they tell nbc prosecutors want too know what trump ka that you about the meeting and whether he sought to conce i

russia-related news dogging the white house this morning. for more we go to nbc's tracy potts. what's the other aspect involving russia? >> people who were close to president trump on the business side were either asking for help from russia or thought that ties to russia might help the president win this election. take a look at the headlines. "the washington post" says that an executive inside the trump organization close to the president asked the personal spokesperson for president putin for help in a business deal that trump tower was trying to get done last year. but that seemed to be languishing. and reached out by e-mail to try to get some help to get that business deal done in the middle of the campaign. separate from that, a "new york times" headline saying that a trump associate boasted that this moscow business deal could help the president win the campaign. of course all of this is tied up in the fbi investigation, investigations here

hill. and the president yesterday talked about his rep with russia. >> i hope that we do have good relations with russia. i say it loud and clear. i've been saying it for years. i think it's a good thing if we have great relationships or at least good relationships with russia. that's very important. and i believe someday that will happen. >> reporter: separate from all of that, three sources are now telling nbc that the fbi investigators want to know what the president's role was in crafting a response for his son on that meeting with a russian lawyer. initially donald trump jr.'s response said the meeting was about adoptions. later we learned from the e-mails that he released that that meeting had a lot to do with him seeking damaging information on hillary clinton. an attorney for the president says that there was nothing criminal about the white house response on the president's involvement at the time and that the president had a minimal role in crafting that response. frances? >> tracie potts

you. police will soon have more military-style weapons in the fight against crime. president trump has signed an executive order giving local law enforcement full access to the pentagon's surplus equipment. armored vehicles, grenade launchers, high-caliber guns and much more will now be available. attorney general jeff significants delivered the message at the national convention of a fraternal order of police in nashville. >> we will not allow criminal activity, violence, and lawlessness to become a new normal. >> while sessions' audience of police officers applauded the moves, civil liberty groups and even some republicans were critical. republican congressman mark sanford of south carolina said the program incentivizes the militarization of local police departments as they are encouraged to grab more equipment than they need." just ahead, harvey's impact, how much more you may have to pay at the pump as the storm wreaks havoc on refineries. in any light, transitions® lenses help protect from uv rays and harmful blue light.

both indoors... and out. they seamlessly adapt. so you can live the good light™. find an eyecare professional at transitions.com. now, finance your glasses with no interest if paid in full within six months, and get up to $30 back when you combine select essilor® brand lenses. visit transitions.com for more details. i tabut with my back paines, i couldn't sleep and get up in time. then i found aleve pm. aleve pm is the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. i'm back. aleve pm for a better am. in our house, we go through a lot of mom!et paper. so we switched to new charmin super mega roll. get six regular rolls in one with charmin super mega roll our longest lasting roll. guaranteed to fit. enjoy the go with charmin. heare you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool?

try zyrtec® it's starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. stick with zyrtec® and muddle no more®. for 100 years, heritage and innovation have made gillette the #1 shave in america. now get gillette quality at lower prices -- every day. brought to you by 1200 workers in boston -- we're proud of giving you our best. gillette. the best a man can get.

the storm's economic impact could reach even further. tax reform, a trump priority and stock market favorite, has been put on the back burner as the president changes focus on the natural disaster. the more immediate impact, gas and oil prices. both are climbing after harvey

forced shutdowns in the heart of the nation's refineries with no word when production can start up again. nbc's miguel almaguer has the details. >> reporter: under sheets of rain and rising floodwaters, some of the biggest refineries in texas supplying about gas to texas stations is a across the country are stalled. >> there's nobody here, fys. this place is shut down -- >> reporter: the gulf coast produces 5 million barrels of oil per day. home to nearly one-third of nation's refining capacity. now the department of energy says 2 million barrels a day are not being processed. what does that mean for you? pain at the pump. >> we'll be facing very quickly the nation's highest price for gasoline so far this year, because of harvey. >> reporter: the forecast nationwide? in the east, rockies and west, prices could climb 15 cents a gallon. in the midwest, drivers could pay a quarter more per gallon. in the gulf, prices could surge another 35 cents a gallon. in

under water. many have already run dry. >> i am making sure that i have at least half a tank. >> reporter: in los angeles, gisele jiminez is worried. >> less money in my pocket, so i'm concerned about it. >> reporter: after the storm is over the thousands of employees who work at refineries like this may not even be able to get to work. roads everywhere are flooded and major freeways hike this one are deserted. harvey's impact being felt not just in texas, but at pumps across the country. miguel almaguer, nbc news, houston. >> for a lot of people away from that houston area outside of texas, philip, certainly will feel the impacts whether it's in our heart or whether as we just saw there in our pockets. but something, you know, that's way down the road, because right now we're still talking about more rescues and more rain. >> reporter: yeah, listening to that story, i was thinking how that obviously does affect so much of the

right now gas prices, that's almost one of the furthest things on the minds of everyone here. we know that there were issues in the surrounding areas. in victoria, as far as trying to find gas prices. i can tell you what a shortage here is the food. we were just trying to find food and find stores that are open. there's a handful of grocery stores that are open. we went to a walgreens just to try to get some food yesterday. they were only open for a few hours. and the line was 50 people deep. there was only a few things left on the shelves. so all those resources are really at a premium here in houston. >> yeah, you hear about that you hear about the rescues, people literally getting lifted from the water with nothing else. no shoes, nothing. so certainly hearts are with them, philip, thank you. just ahead we'll tell you how to help the victims of this historic disaster when "early today" returns.

i wanted to be clear. i wanted it to last. so i kept on fighting. i found something that worked. and keeps on working. now? they see me. see me. see if cosentyx could make a difference for you- cosentyx is proven to help people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...find clear skin that can last. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx, you should be checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. never give up. see me. see me. clear skin can last. don't hold back... ...ask your dermatologist if cosentyx can help you find clear skin that lasts. this scarf all that's my left to rememb... sayonara. what. she washed this like a month ago!

now available in matching scents across your entire laundry routine. to tinto a flamecker you'll need a spark. new emergen-c energy+ natural caffeine from green tea to focus your mind. 7 b vitamins plus vitamin c to fortify you. spark the energy within you every day. emergen-c energy+. emerge and see. ♪ ♪ the best way to get together is with a treat you make together. ♪ ♪ wiback like it could used to? neutrogena hydro boost water gel. with hyaluronic acid it plumps skin cells with intense hydration and locks it in. for supple, hydrated skin. hydro boost. from neutrogena

do yno, not really. head & shoulders? i knew that not the one you think you know the tri action formula cleans removing up to 100% of flakes protects and even moisturizes for sofia vergara hair as more and more people become victims of harvey, many of you may be wondering how you can help. we've got a list of charitable organizations linked on our facebook page. the list includes ways to donate to the state's network of food banks and the texas diaper bank and other local charities. the salvation army is accepting donations very phone and on its website. that information there is on your screen. keep it ear on "early today." hundreds of dollars on youmy car insurance. saved me huh. i should take a closer look at geico... (dog panting)

and fast and friendly claims service. speaking of service? oooo, just out. it was in. out. in! out. in! what about now? that was our only shuttlecock. take a closer look at geico. great savings. and a whole lot more. it can seem like triggers pop up everywhere. luckily there's powerful, 24-hour, non-drowsy claritin. it provides relief of symptoms that can be triggered by over 200 different allergens. live claritin clear. toddlers see things a bit undifferently with pampers easy ups they'll see a stretchy waistband you'll see pampers' superior protection and you'll both see an easy way to underwear pampers easy ups

good morning everyone. i'm kristin wright. in 90 seconds, tropical storm harvey continues to slam parts of texas. we're tracking the latest, including president trump's visit there today. but first, we're already seeing severe weather in our area this morning. chuck, how does it look? good morning. >> lots of rain coming our way. sooner than

now on "news4 today" at 4:00 a.m., tropical storm harvey continues to hammer parts of texas, but not the resiliency of those it hit hardest.

another strong show of force from north korea after it fired another missile and this morning one country is already taking action. you could say they've been making a big stink literally. what we just learned about the third corpse flower at the u.s. botanic gardens. first, take a look at storm team 4 radar, as well as the cameras outside the tud yoestudios. it may not look like much now but we're in for a dousing. i'm kristin wright. let's get you to the man of the hour, meteorologist chuck bell with a look at what you face as you head out the door. >> kristin, it's going to be a slow go for the commute. the late afternoon and evening commute could be rather on the wet side and windy as well as the storm which has