>> i block by block, door by door search of structures to assure that there are no people we have left mind. >> it's just defs tavastating. >> i've been through katrina, iraq and this and this is the worst. >> 25,000 people in desperate need of assistance. the outpouring of generosity in the face of one of the worst natural disasters in american history. dr. john torres is on the scene. >> high blood pressure, and all that medicine is gone? >> yeah. >> it's mass casualty situation. >> it is. and then in london, where princes harry and william pay

after her death. "early today" starts right now. good to be with you. i'm frances rivera. my co-anchor phillip mena is there in houston following harvey's impact. harvey is still unleashing rain, but is now classified as a tropical depression as it heads northeast. a dangerous situation is taking place right now at a chemical plant in houston, which could explode any moment. there's no way to prevent it. and at issue, no power or working generators. couple that with possible calamity of 2 million pounds of chemicals being released. overnight, the death toll reaching at least 28. officials say that number is certain to climb after a dramatic day of rescues played out, including this of one monther and her son reunited after they fought for their lives. >> i thought y'all was going to pass up, because

up. when you seen y'all looking at us, we got so emotional, like please help us. we didn't know where to go. i'm so relieved now. i'm so relieved now. y'all just don't know. we on dry land. we ain't walking in water. >> as of this morning, the storm which saw 132-mile-per-hour winds is relenting, with just 35-mile-per-hour winds in some areas. still, the destruction left in its wake is unprecedented. over 19 trillion gallons of water has been dumped in southeast texas. harvey could be the most expensive natural disaster ever, with $160 billion worth of damages. there were more than 32,000 evacuees in temporary shelters, and help is needed more than ever. it's on the way thanks to those like j.j. watt, who has amassed over $9 million for victims. corporations including nbc's parent comcast, walmart and other donates funds and supplies in the

meanwhile, rescues continue this morning for families and the best friends who may have been left behind, as more mega shelters are open across the state. phillip mena has new details on that chemical plant in danger of exploding. fill us in on that, phillip. >> reporter: yeah, flarances, gd morning. we are getting reports of plumes of smoke over that chemical plant. it's about 20 miles northeast of here in a town called crosby. they had already evacuated about a mile and a half radius around that plant as a precaution. we have a reporter on the ground. it is a developing situation. we'll bring you more as we get it. back here at the main shelter, we have seen the number of displaced residents decrease in the last 24 hours. what was 10,000 just yesterday is now down to 2500. some of them going back to check on their homes, some looking for more permanent in

shelte shelters. but still, the flood threat remains. there are evacuations, and there are still rescues under way. for more on the latest, let's go to gabe guer t tgutierrez. >> reporter: the rain here in houston has relented, but look at all this water that is still gushing into this suburban neighborhood. it is simply astounding. in texas, the death toll grew sharply. search crews discovering this van believed to belong to a sultivar family. six relatives missing for days. the youngest just 6 years old. >> our worst fears have been realized. >> reporter: also near houston, two volunteer rescuers are dead and two others missing after they hit a power line and were electrocuted. the uncertainty of other families still searching for loved ones, some faces posted online. do you e

climb? >> yes. i worry about what we're going to find when we start doing our secondary searches, and when the water starts finally moving along. >> reporter: so far, water rescues have topped 18,000 and more than 32,000 people are packed in shelters. evacuees streamed into one of houston's newly opened mega shelters. >> we're inside. they got people all in the bleachers, mattresses on top of chairs. >> reporter: in port arthur, run by water. jo joel osteen defending himself. >> the fact is, i don't know that we would have opened any sooner. there were safety issues. >> reporter: houston's mayor imposing an overnight curfew amid scattered reports of looting and armed robbers posing as police officers. although the rain has stopped in

the water still being released from two city reservoirs to ease pressure on the dam. >> it's just devastating. >> reporter: up to 40,000 homes could be damaged with no telling when people can return. >> just thinking of what i could have done or what i left the garage full of stuff, i keep thinking what's in there? >> reporter: the rescues aren't over, in a city so tired of water. texas governor greg abbott says that the national guard in this state is maxed out. so another 10,000 members from around the country are being deployed. phillip? >> gabe, thank you. we want to go now to my colleague garrick haik, with more on the flooding here and what's going on in port arthur and beaumont. >> reporter: phillip, good morning. we came back to the same spot where we reported from yesterday to check on the progress of pu

it shows the slow motion nature of this disaster here, that the water level hasn't moved here along highway 6. this despite the fact that the attics and barker dams have been pumping out 60,000 gallons per second down through the bay you. that's created problems in neighborhoods where the water has moved to neighborhoods that were largely dry through the storm itself. now having to deal with all this water. that's a little more activity where we are today than this was yesterday morning. police say that's because they were having to patrol this neighborhood now on boats after reports of break-ins in some of these businesses around here. and in some of these homes. up here, this is more of a property damage story, but east of here on i-10 in communities like beaumont and port arthur, this is a life or death storm situation. after what was left of harvey dumped feet of rain on those

efforts ongoing all night long to get folks to safety. they are out of the path of the rain by later in the day today. so hopefully things will dry out there as well, and somewhere this water will start to move. phillip? >> thank you. and frances, over here since there are much less -- there are much fewer evacuees that are here, now maybe the red cross is going to start to move some of those volunteers that we were seeing here en masse to the east of us because of the problems that we see that garrick was just mentioning. >> finding less and less people in need when it comes to that one shelter. we want to turn now to bill karins with what's ahead. harvey is weakening, but where is it? >> still worried about the heavy rain threats around western tennessee, memphis.

it's still spinning near alex ar -- alexandria. flash flood warnings around beaumont and areas of western louisiana. and those flash flood watches go through memphis, nashville, lexington and louisville, kentucky. compared to what has fallen in the south, this is south, but two to five inches widespread. isolated totals could be seven inches. if that happens in a short period of time in western tennessee and the hills, so watch out memphis to jackson up to louisville. those are the concerns for today. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. rain and thunderstorms will also be hit and miss through areas of alabama and georgia. we could have a few severe storms, maybe isolated tornadoes in mississippi. and

and tropical storm irma will become a hurricane in the days ahead. >> bill, thank you. other stories to tell you about. a federal judge has blocked texas from enforcing a tough new law in so-called sanctuary cities there. the law would have allowed police officers to ask immigratii immigration status. the so-called open carry sword law will allow texans to carry blades longer than 5 1/2 inches. and more than 20,000 took part hurling tomatoes at one another for an hour in spain. it was tough getting out there on stage. 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?

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hit song at the mtv video music awards sunday night. the national suicide line has seen a 50% spike in calls since the performance. there are about 11,000 u.s. troops in afghanistan. far more than the 8400 previously reported. this comes as the pentagon prepares to deploy almost 4,000 more americans. and in missouri, president trump has laid out the principles of his tax reform plan. a simpler and more competitive tax code. tax relief for the middle class and the return of wealth overseas. despite offering few details, he still ramped up the pressure on congress. >> so this is our once in a generation opportunity to deliver real tax reform for everyday, hard-working americans. and i am fully committed to working with congress to get this job done. and i don't want to be

disappointed by congress, do you understand me? [ cheers and applause ] >> leading the news, massive health hazards in harvey's wake. some hospitals are still closed and the flood water poses a serious threat. dr. john torres brings us more. >> reporter: although the water is receding in some parts of houston, shelters are cluttered with people, presenting major medical challenges. nearly two dozen hospitals across the region have evacuated. >> kidney disease, my legs swell up. >> reporter: robert jordan's medication washed away. high blood pressure, and all that medicine is gone? >> yeah. >> reporter: with military precision, a medical response team at the houston convention center has set up triage areas, a pharmacy, and stockpiles of supplies. what can you treat here? >> we can treat initially pretty much anything, minor wounds, suturing, deliveries. >> reporter: dangers from the storm

flood water contaminated, even fire ants and alligators. the health risks include wounds, medication shortages, food poisoning and disease from dirty water and close quarters. and stress leading to heart attacks and ptsd. both spiked after katrina. she's beside herself with worry, praying her baby sophia will be okay. the critically ill infant was one of several flown from corpus christi to cook children's in ft. worth. >> it was really scary. everything was so intense. >> reporter: now reunited, baby sophia is in better shape and so is her mom. frances, the mental health of evacuees, especially in large shelters like this in houston, is a big concern. the bright lights, the loud noises at these shelters can all add to that.

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snen ♪ ♪ 20 years ago today, the world was thrown into a

princess diana had died in a car accident in paris. known as the people's princess, she was beloved by millions, and two decades later, her legacy lives on. nbc's matt bradley is live with more. matt, what can we expect on this anniversary? >> reporter: thanks, frances. unfortunately, you're not going to be seeing much today. there are no official events planned. in fact, this is, as always, the palace is treat thing as a private affair. this is 20 years since the death of the mother of two princesses who are currently reigning. the big event we're seeing 20 years after her death is that these two princes, william and harry, have come out and spoken in several documentaries about their personal struggle with their mother's death, and they have spoken out in favor of more mental health care for the public. they've made this in some ways a political issue. the only thing we have seen from the palace so far was yesterday. that was when prince harry and william and kate middleton came out to hear r

flowers that had been laid in tribu tribute. this is a major media event. you can see pictures here of the two princes looking at the flowers that people have laid. and many papers have gone with the sun here, comparing the images from 20 years ago when the two young princes were out there looking at flowers. now, you can't really see from these papers, but there's a difference here. the princes are dressed more casually this time. this is an indelible legacy that was left by princess diana. she came out of this tower, this rarified atmosphere of the royal family, and came down among the people. that's something so many people we spoke with today are remembering 20 years on. frances? >> i met her a few times. she was like a little angel. when she speaks, she speaks from here. she makes you feel relaxed.

a >> reporter: this is a legacy again that so many people are feeling here. we spoke with some women that said her private struggle is something she lived out in public. so many people here saw a little bit of themselves in her. and that's something they're remembering today. >> she will always be the people's princess. matt bradley, thank you. when we come back, new details about the outpouring of generosity for the victims of hurricane harvey. you're watching "early today." ...solve problems. how? we eat. we eat almonds... ...strawberries... ...quinoa. and yeah...we eat chocolate. ♪ we eat in sweatpants... ...in skirts. we eat alone... ...and together. women are strong. we eat, and we own it. special k.

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we have been tracking donations to the hurricane harvey relief effort. j.j. watt from the houston texans started a campaign that's taken over $9 million, including a massive donation from the "ellen" show. >> what you're doing is incredible. we want to help. walmart is on track to donate over $20 million in cash and supplies to hurricane relief. but walmart is also donating $1 million to j.j.'s relief effort right now. [ applause ] >> i promise you that i will make this money go a long way. i promise you that will i help these victims directly and help rebuild houston. >> and miley si reucyrus announr donation of $500,000. and companies have donated $66 million to relief efforts. i lt guest bathroom. your privacy makes you my number 1 place to go number 2.

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in just 90 seconds, the new study that says how much time you waste trying to find a parking spot. we continue to track harvey. the latest on texas and louisiana as the tropical depression starts to head our way. including what that means for you labor day weekend. breaking news into the newsroom surrounding north korea, what the u.s. and s

now on news 4 at 4:00 a.m., harvey heads our way. we're working that angle and several more as texas and louisiana continue to reel from the

and breaking news just coming in about the rising tensions in north korea. the move the u.s. and south korea just made hoping to show some force. good morning everyone. i'm kristin wright. thanks for waking up with us. also ahead this morning -- ♪ ♪ you know him, you love him but does america? the latest on prince george's county choir quest to winnow owe. >> to the latest on harvey headed our way. take a look at storm team radar. you can see it's on the move and could impact your labor day weekend plans. let get to chuck with a look at that. good morning, chuck. >> hey, good morning,