breaking news out of mexico right now. that is where we are watching rescues, frantic rescues still underway and the death toll continues to rise after that huge 7.1 earthquake that happened in mexico city. keeping a close eye of course on the hurricane, hurricane maria. it continues to make its way towards puerto rico. take a look. you can just hear the roar of this ferocious storm. check out the new video. this is in from saint croix and you can hear hurricane maria and the wrath that she is bring iin and tearing through the island there. in puerto rico now rain is falling across the entire island, winds getting stronger. video from yesterday where residents were rushing against time to get ready ahead of maria striking.

is expected to take a direct hit from the massive storm. puerto rico's governor saying the storm could hit with, quote, a force of violence that we haven't seen in several years. we are a part of you. just don't forget about us. we've already seen what maria is capable of. >> obviously they wanted everybody to leave the island, and here's what it roolooks lik right now. this is maria spinning. we're talking about a category 5 hurricane now. if we zoom in, here is the center of the storm. it is very close to puerto rico right now. as we go through the next couple of hours, this thing will be making landfall in puerto rico. let's show you the updated track here. we're looking at a category 5 storm hitting the island of puerto rico. this is going to be devastating. 160 miles an hour. it is closing in. in just a few hours. as we go through time it will be nearing the dominican republic staying e o

it's what it does by the middle of next week. could get close to the united states. watching this very closely. we'll have more updates coming up in a bit. angie. >> sheena, thank you. 4:02, we continue to follow the breaking news out of mexico. the death toll continuing to go up after that major earthquake. we have learned at this point 226 people have lost their lives. rescues continue this hour to reach people who remain trapped in all the rubble. you're looking at video of ordinary people, people in the community, everyone chipping in to try to rescue people. they're actually assisting crews, removing rubble from a collapsed school here. 38 students this morning still missing. two parents say that they have received text messages from their children who say they are trapped. 22 students died when that school collapsed. the 7.1 quake hit yesterday afternoon

region. nbc's dan shan nemann reports. >> reporter: a powerful earthquake struck mexico rattling the capital and 1esendg people flooding into the streets. more than 20 buildings in mexico city collapsed. emergency workers and ordinary citizens rushed to the rubble desperately trying to free people underneath. >> unfortunately i saw it collapse thinking there were children inside. it was regrettable and the way it happened was shocking. alma gonzalez said she was rescued from the fourth floor of her building after she was trapped and she is grateful to be alive. this struck on the 32nd anniversary of another quake that killed thousands

people emptied into the streets when the real quake struck. it also came less than two weeks after the most powerful earthquake in mexico in a sentences century. an 8.1 magnitude quake that killed 90 people, destroyed thousands of homes and was felt by tens of millions of mexicans. just to give you a little more incite into that quake from 1985 that dan just mentioned. yesterday's quake hit 32 years to the day after the quake that killed 10,000 people. 3,000 buildings wereestred leaving thousands of people homeless. that earthquake was a magnitude 8.1. the after shocks caused gas mains to break causing fires and explosions throughout the entire city. now mexico city bracing for more after shocks today. now to decision 2017 and a pivotal debate in the virginia governor's race. the two major party candidates going face to face.

democrat ralph northam and ed gillespie. they shared the debate last night. this is a big opportunity for the candidate to get the message to the virginia voters in what is essentially still considered a tight race. overall it was mostly cordial there on stage with northam and gillespie agreeing on some issues. the candidates sparred on taxes and sanctuary cities. they answered questions about whether the state's confederate stat use should be taken down or preserved. >> we're on the side of preserving the evil institution of slavery, you're on the wrong side of history. our history is our history. i believe that we need to educate about it and teach about it. >> i would think the statues would be better placed in museums with certainly historical context, but i am leaving that up

>> while the candidates were also asked about metro funding, they agreed the transit agency is very important to northern virginia but neither would commit to the money without getting more information about how the agency will meet its challenges. and speaking of the rails, today we're going to find out if work is going to start on the georgetown bridge trail. it's been closed in anticipation of the purple line construction that hasn't started yet. now that could change. a judge declined a ruling from purple lino pope nents to halt construction on that trail. that means construction could start as early as today. at 4:06, this is what all of us are pretty much used to if you live around this area, especially if you travel on i-66. gosh, it's enough to tire you out just looking at it. cars bumper to bumper

hour looking like a parking lot. today terry mccall live will announce the creation of new bus routes. it won't be easy to convince folks to ditch their cars. we also know that new toll lanes are on the horizon on i-66. there are sinkholes and then there's this. take a look at that. the incredible video that has a lot of people in the newsroom just mesmerized. we'll show you more. sheena? >> yeah, i guess that's a common thing in florida though, angie. we get sinkholes all the time. you would not want to be in that house or own that house for sure. here's a look locally. we have tropical storm jose which is off our coast line. wel see'l

sweet 4k tv, mr. peterson. thanks. pretty psyched. did you get fios too? no. mr. peterson, fios is a 100% fiber optic-network. what does that mean? think about it. if you got an awesome new car you'd put the best gas in it, right. so why hook up your awesome technology to anything other than a fiber-optic network? i got to go. peterson. peterson's wife. counting on you guys. your internet deserves the 100% fiber-optic network. and now get our fastest internet ever plus tv and phone for just $79.99 per month. ralpand i sponsoredralph northam, canthis adfor governor narrator: ed gillespie says dr. ralph northam doesn't show up? dr. ralph northam was an army doctor and a volunteer medical director at a children's hospice. he passed the virginia law requiring concussion standards for school sports. the smoking ban in restaurants. and dr. northam is working to connect veterans to good paying jobs in virginia. ed gillespie is a washington dc

"news 4 today." so a family is trying to figure out what to do next after this, their home was completely swallowed or partially swallowed by this sinkhole. there's a closer look at it in action. the giant sinkhole started to open up early tuesday morning in apopka, florida. they were able to get out of the house before it was too late. well, with 12 days to spare, major league baseball has a new se

>> alex hits it deep into right center field and gone. >> it's out at that hear. 5,694th homer of the year. that number includes every homer hit by every team in the league and breaks the record set in 2000. it was the 17th home run of the night and came just after detroit's alex presley tied the record. way to go. well, drink company in d.c.'s shaw neighborhood is known for a pop up. pub dread will open october 1st, we're told. it's going to run for 31 days until halloween. there will be three themed rooms, haunted forest, the dollhouse and the crypt. hearing about halloween, people getting ready for the hey rides, hot chocolate. fall is

but it doesn't feel like it. >> i don't know why, but the dollhouse creeps me out. ever since chucky the dolls really creep me out. i always feel like they're going to come awake while i'm sleeping. it's never good. >> not chuck bell. >> obviously he doesn't have any. that would be weird, too. it is feeling like summer outside. wait until this afternoon. we're talking about warm temperatures. i'll show you that forecast coming up next. thank you. it's a nightly ritual lighting up part of a city and it's for children. the inspiring story of people who live next to a children's hospital giving the kids mething to smile aboutso e

you're watching "news 4 today." welcome back. at 4:15, i'm angie goff. now to some stories we continue to follow on this thursday morning. a ninth person has died from a florida nursing home that was left without air conditioning after hurricane irma. the man was 93 years old. it's been three days since irma blew into florida when the nursing staff finally called 911. the lack of air made it unbearable inside of the nursing home. we know that 145 patients had to be relocated. there is now a criminal investigation into why staff did not call for help

president trump taking advantage of the united nations general assembly being in session. he scheduled to meet with several world leaders today, including prime minister theresa may. meanwhile, first lady melania trump, she will speak at a lunch for spouses of world leaders. if you are a t-mobile or sprint customer, you're going to want to listen up to this. according to a cnbc report, the two companies are in active talks about possibly merging, but people close to the situation caution that negotiators are weeks away from finalizing a solid deal. this isn't the first time that the two companies have talked about a merger. similar talks took place earlier this year. now to one of my favorite stories this morning. a heartwarming story about some incredible patients at a children's hospital and a moment they look forward to every single day. nbc's kevin

how in their darkest moments a flashlight gives them a ray of hope. >> reporter: just before bedtime at the has borrow children's hospital up on the floor. >> the magic minute. >> is that what they call it? >> yes. >> good night lights. >> everyone wants to be a part of it. >> reporter: okay. it's time. >> all right, guys, turn them on. >> reporter: across the way lights begin to flicker. >> oh, my gosh, this is so cool. >> reporter: as if it was magical morse code. residents, businesses, even the police and fire departments are saying good night. >> close to the community. >> reporter: and the kids are beaming right back. >> it's amazing. >> reporter: 10-year-old abby waldron is winning her battle with cancer. >> every time you go to bed you know people are saying good

you. >> her mom feels the positive energy of lights. >> after the yucky days, the hard days. you get yourself to that window at 8:30 and you have that little piece of happiness. you cannot help but put a smile on your face. >> reporter: steve broadnihan entertains as the resident cartoonist. he came up with the bright idea. >> the experience of seeing a whole community of people supporting them. it's a memory that you're going to hang on a little tighter. >> you can signal back to them and show them some love, too. >> reporter: he knows he's not fighting alone. >> they take time out of their day to do something so little but it's so meaningful. >> reporter: when they're facing light's darkest moments, simply shine a light and say good night. kevin tibbles, nbc news, providence, rhode island. >> how about that? it's the little things, right, sheena? >> i was just going to say that,

when i was younger, even today probably, i would have loved that. it would have been so much fun. it is the little things. >> such a wonderful way to connect. so talking about our weather, looks like we're going to see warmth. >> it's going to feel like summer. it's too bad a lot of schools are closed now because this is the kind of weather as we go into the rest of the week and into the weekend, you'll want to be by a pool. friday is the first day of fall. we're watching hurricane maria. currently 71 in washington, 66 dulles, 63 frederick, 68 in quantico, 71 in clinton. for the bus stop this morning, it is going to stay mild. 70 degrees by 8:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. four and by 3:00 p.m. upper 80s. now we're looking at hurricane maria. it is closing in on puerto rico. it will be making landfall in a couple of hours as a category 5. there is the center of it.

from land in puerto rico. this is going to be a huge deal from puerto rico. they're already starting to see the effects of it. this is going to be catastrophic. 160-mile-an-hour sustained winds. here's the track. we'll have another track coming out for you. as we go through the weekend it will turn up north. by the middle of next weekend it will go east of bahamas. here's a look at the radar from puerto rico. they're dealing with a ton of heavy rain there. aside from that, we're still watching tropical storm jose. that one though will continue moving away. below cali are dry from this. maybe a few sprinkles around annapolis but that's it. then as we go through the afternoon, future weather, sunshine will be warming up this afternoon. it's not just today that we warm up. look at the temperatures. 88 today. tomorrow, friday is the first day of fall.

normal high, angie, is 78 degrees for this time of year. we're going to be feeling like summer this weekend. >> wow. thanks, sheena. 4:20. by now you know amazon is looking for a home for its second headquarters. prince gorges county is offering them a few different sights. the area officials are proposing hoping to land the company in our backyard. and if you're just turning on your television, we continue to follow this breaking news in mexico city where hundreds are dead after a major earthquake. the latest in the rescue still

yeah, i just saved a whole lot of money by swhuh.ing to geico. we should take a closer look at geico... you know, geico insures way more than cars. boats, motorcycles... even rvs! geico insures rvs? what's an rv? uh, the thing we've been stuck on for five years! wait, i'm not a real moose?? we've been over this, jeff... we're stickers! i'm not a real moose? give him some space. deep breaths, jeff. what's a sticker?!? take a closer look at geico. great savings. and a whole lot more.

you're watching "news 4 today." well, that is the lime bike. it's one of the dockless bike companies hoping to hit the streets today. lime bike is an alternative to bike share. this is how it works. you'll be

the bikes parked anywhere around the town. you'll need a smartphone and corresponding app. the demand came by people not nearby the share stations and wanting to keep up for bike options. someone picked up the bike without the app. unlocking the bike. it sounds a warning and an eventual alarm. well, it is an opportunity, a chance no one in our area really wants to pass up. the chance to have amazon's new headquarters right here, right here in our backyard. now prince gorges county is making an all out push to attract the company, but it seems maryland's governor has something else in mind. news 4's prince gorges county bureau chief tracee wilkins explains. >> they don't give us what we deserve. >> reporter: many are well educated and make a lot of money but earn their living outside of the county. >> we've got all of these folks that live here in the county, would love to work in the county. >> reporter: that's why county

executive makes job growth a priority. >> we've gone to leading the state in job creation. >> reporter: now he's hoping to add 50,000 new jobs by attracting amazon hq2. the new proposed headquarters for the online retail giant. >> this is a moment in time where prince gorges county is ready. >> reporter: proposing three sites, sclej park, home of the university of maryland, green belt metro with its vast potential for development and new carrollton, a regional transportation hub with marc, metro, amtrak and soon the purple line. amazon's nationwide search is expected to be competitive. the county's diversity and proximity to d.c. will make it competitive. >> it should come here. >> i think the main thing is giving people a chance. you know, i think that's the main thing, giving them a chance to see what they can do, see what they can produce, see what they can bring. >> and maryland govr

baltimore, tracy reports. he will stand by any area of maryland in the state that submits a proposal. 4:26. "news 4 today" continues with aaron and un. "news 4 today" begins with breaking news. that breaking news out of mexico city this morning where rescuers are still underway after a massive 7.1 earthquake. >> right now crews and everyday people are combing through rubble it's 4:26 right now. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm eun yang with storm team 4 meteorologist sheena parveen. it rocked the same city 32 years to the day of that massive 8.1 quake that killed thousands of people. just a couple of weeks ago the sa

8.1 magnitude earthquake that killed 100 people. >> we'll get you up to speed on the latest coming from mexico city in a minute here. we're also keeping a close eye obviously on hurricane maria right now. that continues to make its way towards puerto rico hitting some islands on the way there and by the time the morning is over, that storm is likely to make landfall in puerto rico. sheena, i know you've been watching this. the strength of this, another massively powerful hurricane. just decimating the caribbean. >> it is a category 5 right now. this storm is huge. it is very well organized. it is very strong. we're going to zoom in here. take a look at how close the eye is to puerto rico. it's going to be making landfall in puerto rico in just a couple hours or so. so very shortly here it's closing. i would say it's about 30 miles away or so from land in puerto rico. the british virgin islands, the u.s. virgin islands on the right side, they're getting

too. they're getting it from irma. the eye is just slightly to the south of where irma was. again, same area. massive storm again. there it is. as we go through time here, the track is going to take it just to the east of the bahamas. it will be curving up into the atlantic. by mid next week it could be running up the coast line. watching this closely. still far out to tell. looks like majority will be heading out to sea. here's a look at the radar. puerto rico really getting pounded with heavy rain moving on shore and eastern sections of puerto rico will be tracking this throughout the morning. another update coming up at 5:00 and your local weather coming up in a bit. let's check the roads. hey, dave. >> good morning. we're taking a look. not many slowdowns. from buoy to freeway airport, the beltway that work zone is picking up. getting by two right lanes. beltway, work zone and back

moving well through it picking up the cones near the temple. no hazards or hangups. latest back to you. you take a look at the video and see the efforts going on here. crews digging through rubble trying to find survivors in mexico. that huge, horrible earthquake knocked down buildings there. people forced out of their homes and hospitals. more than 200 people have died. >> angie goff is at the live desk now with the latest information overnight. so devastating to see this destruction, angie. >> it really is rk, eun and aar. last checked this number is expected to rise. 217 people killed. one of the scariest scenes that we're watching unfold right now is actually happening at this elementary school that collapsed. take a look. we already know 25 people, mostly students, were killed here. and 30 are

hour. this is in mexico city. some parents say that they have received text messages from their children who remain trapped. crews have been able to get through the rubble and rescue some people so there is still some hope out there. other problems in mexico, we're seeing massive power outages and a lot of people who are just hurt, injured, need to be treated. what might be making this all terrible is just weeks ago an 8.1 earthquake hit in mexico. they're still reeling from that. two natural disasters close together. eun? >> that is tough. angie, thank you so much. i know you're monitoring the situation. we'll check back in with you. this earthquake hit 32 years ago to the day after a 1985 quake that killed 10,000 people. 3,000 buildings were destroyed in mexico city leaving thousands of people homeless. that earthquake was a magnitude 8.1. the after shock caused gas mains to break causing fires and explosions throughout