>> rshorter: the cg waves. and the final warning to run for cover. >> your time to get out is coming to a close. >> bracing forimpact. we look at the coast. >> tonight, it is inching to handle. we've sustain strong surfnd the rough winds and the one of most powerful storms to hit this area in decades. >> let's start with doug to show us the track and the potential impact up and dn the east coast. it is amazg. it is making its way to the east coast. as it moves in, it just stalls out. you can clearly seet offhe coast. this is cape t.look it is expected to make that turn to the west. so again, -a100-mihour

winds. this has increased. i told you the last hour that we ma see it increase. it is back to 105. that's why this is it in the middle of the screen. they're now updating it on an hourly even though it has increase in the intensity, that doesn't mean it won't createore problems. even 10, 15-mile-per-hour winds or less, the sberm surge wil the same and that's something we'll be watching.e now, lawres watching this. you're taking a look at the live pictures. you know it so well. >> i have a close spo in my heart in wilmington. i got married there last year. and in wrightsville beach, i spend most of my time ther i've been watching this throughout the day. at 11:00 a.m., we see the storm

surge. it is not even getting on land. it doesn't go on land until the overnight hours. i want to make a comparison. people thit because i down grading a little bit, it will be a category 1. remember hurricane sandy? one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in th united states, it came on land around the new jersey coastline as a cat 1. it was huge. the tropical storm w forceds were 175 miles wide.om we're seeing stropical storm force winds out of this that are almost 200 miles wide.we ave the storm surge as it sits and spins. it will push a lot of wind onshore and it will beca tastrophic flooding along the a north carolina south

carolina flooding. >> all right, thank you. hawk. >> powerful waters. things are only getting wo>>e. what are you seeing right now? >> reporter: florence is a f urs away but already these bands are really starting to whip us. these waves will kickto up s surge of up to nine ft when all is said and done. we want to show y some video from kitty hawk at high tide around noon today. tiny wooden hses on the beach. it could be devastating. the waves will be bthlding ugh the night. the real story h be could the flooding. it could be historic and likely

will be. not just here but inland. about three hours awayin us fro new be, north carolina, it is already starting to rise. the concern is the tributaries from the ocean and what they'll be bringing in in terms of flooding that again will be hestoric,epic, catastrophic, you name t adjective. fema says the threat will be with us for a while. >> your time is running out. the ocean will start rising along the coast and the back bay and inland areas within a matter of hours. it is coming to a close. >>ar thatng is coming a bit too late for fks who waited too long. the warnings have been here for almost a week. right now we go to wilmington.

>> your time to get out of the areas is coming to a close. >> forecasters are basically indicating feet of rain. not inches. >> millions leading the dire warning. carrying powerful winds and potentially catastrophicra . >> if you have an emergency, while the storm is oderway. whilers make the most of every moment to prepare. >> there is nothing we can do here. when the winds get above three digits, the only thing you can die.n your house is >> reporter: officials sounding the final alarm. >> if you have not left the evacuatines, you should leave now. time is running out. >> reporter: wherever she makes landfall, florencemises to make the record books. nbc news, wilmington, north carolina. >> and packban the outer s,

we'll be back team coverage. coming up live at11:00. a lot can happen between now and then. we've seam it hpen in the last five hours. so think five hours from now how much stronger it will be as florence comes ashore to our south from orre. we'reng for you. live along the north carolina ast. ji handly. >> and is that tide we see behind you, is that coming in on out? >> i tell you, it's going out. i can't eunn turn a or i'll get blinded. i'm wearing going ggles tonight. >> take a look at the impact from hurricane florence. ti're g impact from sand and debris blanketing the highway. e pictures were taken along highway 12 near cape hatteras

>> this storm expected, as we keep emphasizing, it is the life threatening storm surge that will come ashore. hopefully most of us will never know what that's like. a look inside the worst-case scenario. >> reporr: it is often the deadliest part of the hush. let me show you. stting with a o to three foot water rise around normally dry ground. this might not soundike much. but remember this is storm water being pushed by the wind. we know one to three feet can knock you off your feet and carry cars away. it is too late to evacuate. when the waterises tohis level. let's go above that. let's go three to six feet, for example. very large objects can be carried in this kind o storm water. think of them as batteringms

nine feet of storm surge. this time it is not survivable unless you moveo the highest stories of whatever you happen to be in. so please follow thedvice of e local officials and evacuate as ordered when a return moves in. >> wow! quite a perspective og the approachorm. as hurricane florence batters the coast, president trump is lashing out andat alig people in a way that doesn't really have a modern precedent. harry truman had a sign on his desk that said the buck stops here. before he left office in 1953, he said the president, whoever he is, has to decide. anybody. fast buck to no one else can do the deciding for him. that's his jo that quote, a strong contrast to what we heard today. president trump falsely accusing democrats of inating the death

toll after hurricane maria slammed puerto rico last year. blayne alexander joins with us the blowback and it has been immediate. >> absolutely. even from members of his own party. let's break down the death toll number the president is disputing. he tweeted when he visited puerto rico, that there were 18 deaths mafl. so he's h questioning that number grew to nearly 3,000. the indiana report is looking at died.undreds of people who from things like lack of power and lag of clean water. president trump is looking back arguing 3,000 people did not die during hurricane maria in puerto rico. the death toll, he claims, was inflated by democrats to, quote, make me look as bad as possible. criticism from the man who led the effort in hurricane katrina. >> i would say folks on the

future damn storm. stop looking in the rear view mirror. >> today sayin his people's pain should not be questioned. and from house speaker paul ryan. >> there is no reason to dispute these numbers. >> george wasngton university tallied the deaths after maria hit. >> there is a big discrepancy on how people die from buildings collapse versus the secondary deaths. >> and having personal criticism saying he is under investigati for spending government money on private trips. >> doing something unethical is not part of my dna or my track record. >> promising to cooperate with the inspector gentle whileis an he agency remain focused on florence.

>> a that investigation had to do with a rather lengthy that he had between his home and north carolina. he used a driver to help him make the six-hour drive and at times his aidesereven put up in hotels at. at a pair exnse, at taxpayer expense. he said he would never knowily do something wrong. you will find maps in our app that wl show you the path of florence. the severe affec that will be continually updated as we get new atinformion. and chilling new clues in the d.c. mansionrom the savopoulos family alive reveals what he heard minutes before the house was set on fire. and the catholichuh in crisis. as the cardinal opens up.

as the cardinal opens up. and mor

here's to the stair takers, as the cardinal opens up. and mor breakfast makers, step counters, outdoor explorers, faith restorers, appointment keepers, fantastic creatures. farmer's market goers, cholesterol lowerers cell phone silencers. the new lease on lifers, and the positive thinkers. here's to you all that see every day as an opportunity to thrive your way.

i put criminals in prison during the day i'm jennifer wexton, and as a prosecutor, and changed diapers at night. later, when i had a law practice, i volunteered to help moms collect child support. then, as state senator, i worked across party lines to target sexual offenders and take guns away from domestic abusers. in congress, i'll stand up to president trump. i approve this message because, like every working mom, what's ahead is as important as what's in the rearview mirror. the power outages are ginning along the coast. hurricane florence makes landfall overnight tonight, unleashing a dangeeus storm

su and rain could drench the region for days. a falls church police officer has been suspended after being picked up by the fbi. 29-year- wd robert mcsean arrested yesterday charged with internet crimes against en chil he was hired as a dispatcher in 2011. he became an officer inanuary of last year. all of his equipment has been revoked pending an interna investigation. in court today, a long time hoper for the savopoulos family broke down as she testifiede in d.c. mansions murder case. we heard from a number of other people including bank workers and individuals who worked on the lawn and home security. >> chilling details from someone we haven't heardbefore.

testifying that amy savopoulos had an appointment at. 9:00 a on the day they were murdered. he said that no one answered the door then but he talked on amy at 1:12 that afternoon. the man said she sounded scared and nervous. she said her son was injured and she had to go to the hospital right away. 12 minutes later, 911 dispatchers receive a call that the mansion i on fire. the savopoulos family's long time housekeeper nellie gutierrez took witne and. the prosecutor played for the jurors the voicemail that they and their 10-year-old son and the housekeeper vera figueroa were held captive on may , 2013. >> i am ay in bed sick tonight and she was sick this afternoon. and vera offered to stay and help her out because we're going through some stuff with fep so

she'ng to stay the night here. okay? thank you. >> nelli started crying on the witness stand. so was savvas' mother who was in the front row of the courtroom. prosecutors tried to lay out the time linesking nellie about a covering she had with vera the night before the family was held hostage. vera was supposed to go with nellieo one of the businesses in chantillyut she decided to go to the savopoulos home instead. nellie testified that vera planned to leave at 3:30 with you she never made it out alive. nellie was at the chantilly location and said savvas' assistant left pearl day around 3:00, a few hours later, nellie said she was wh savvas when amy called telling him to come home. by that time the family was inside held hostage their home on woodland drive. we can that savvas would be

taken hostage, too, when he arrived home. >> reporter: now, the judge told jurors they will not have court on friday. so this trial will resume monday mornin >> thank you. we want to go back to hurricane florence as it is creeping closer to land. up at the international space station, an astnaut there calls it chilling even from space. towed use a super wide angle lens to capture this photo from the space station. >> tracking floren's path, doug? >> the one thing i've noticed, wealked about this about two hours ago. seeing it strengthen, it has gained a little strength again up to 105-mile-per-hour storm. it is just sitting there. >> movin at five miles an hour. really not moving at all and this is how it will be.ev once it gets inland.

lots of rain, lots of .wi >> this is around the buxton area. 'rif y fwam the outer banks, this is right around the cape hatteras lighthanse. so of us have been to the lighthouse there. cape hatteras and the point rightthere. this is very close to that point. this is on the back bay there of the open waters. u can see the rain down along the docks.se this is inthunderstorms around the central and insulating the inner core. it was moving to the north. we are looking at what we'll be seei here. the radar picture showing it.

it was moving to the nort once they wrap around, watch the motion to the left. this will wobble. this is some live pictures out of the surf city area. this iin now coming almost offshore here. i want to slow you one more region. a these some of the heaviests rain we've seen. this could spawn tornadoes. for us, we won't see anything like that bute are going to see the chance for showers then xt couple days. we had some bands, out thor

bands impacting our now we've got some sun, some light rain showers as we went throug the day. all of that indirectly impacts trom florence. you can see stretching into virginia. we were seeing the easterly flow. that means it is moving into our area. that's what we' seeing. you can see it moving from the south and east to the north and west. so for us tomorrow. the temperatures will be in the upper 70s. tomorrow, as this comes onland, some of it could be heavy. for this weekend, not awa out. a little breezy. temperatures around 80 degrees. a lot of people want to know about c. ance of showers. it will be humid. it will be all right. even outdoor parties, don't

cancel them. then we're watching for the remnants to come through our area. >> you mentioned the redskins game. we're talking the home opener. if you want to tailgate, a shower or two but nothi will stop you from enjoying it. a we are chance monday, into tuesday, the remnants of florence move into our area. once they move through, 82 next fryay. with ple of sunshine. hey, we get to chill out and relax. >> it good to ha something to look forward to in a f days. >> we're always looking to the fridays and the weeks to come.

we love to hate them. red light tickets. we're going to show you how we're going to show you how this mobe radar unitil

i'm neal simon. i'm the son of amigrant and a family man. daughter: hey, dad. neal: and now i'm running for the u.s. senate, unaffiliated with any party, because they're playing partan games and getting nothing done, and it's crippling america. i've created high-payiry jobs right here in nd by ltening, bringing people together, and finding common ground, and i'llr o the same thing as younator. they say an outsider can't do it, but... all: together... wral: ...we'll prove them ong. m neal simon, and i approve this message. let's finally put people over politics. time is running out.

>> congress did pledge action but as the i-te scott mcfarland reports, momentum has stalled. >> the scandal erupted lasear when a few ugly cases surfaced and it was revealed, taxpayers foot the bill for dumiscon. legislation was taken up to change the rules, that requires congressmen to tayir own sellment fees. there is still disagreement ovew to draft the final compromise plan. if they don't by january, the bills die. the house legislation was co-sponsored by virginia

republican barbara comstock. >> we have to mee s we get this strong legislation passed. >> the senate proposal requires them tbe liable fo searcx harassment only. not other types. we'll keep you updated. coming up in our next half-hour, team coverage of hurricane florence as a monster torm barrels toward the carolinas. >> the impact is already being felt. here's a live lookt the beach s the conditions start to deteriorate. >> high winds, rough surf and the time to get away is running out. you see the end of the road forf lot o people who live beyond these backhoes and front enad s. the road is starting to be

hurricane florence is already battering the coast.th sands are without power. the outer bands are hitting the region. >> that's justhe outer bands. florence is expected to make landfall tomorrow. could it drench that area for days. and people who ruse to

evacuate, they could end up alone in the dark because the time to leave is quickly running out. we have team coverage of the final b preparationsore that ashore.olls let's start with jim handly. >> reporter: it is high tide in cape hatteras and it is abouto be thend of the road. the people wevi interewed yesterday live on the other side of these front end loaders and backhoes that are still trying to shore up the dunes. as you can see, sand is already covering this main artery out for a lot of people, it is the only way out andy the o way back in. it could be some time before they could getack in. conditions are worsening as we speak. more coverage comingup. >> jim handly reporting. this is the coach of virginia beach which despite the threat of a storm surge seems to be drawing people to the shore sther than sending them away. >> theong winds and rough

water are drawing spectators. reporter: we're starting to feel stronger gusts of wind. we'reti exp in this area, the feel of the tropical storm type windsrooming h. not nearly what we'll see when jim handly is. aney're expecting up to three feet. be mindful of flooding. that's a real issue in the hampton roads area. it gets even worse. hat didas we point out, not keep folks away from the water. >> tonight, the locals becoming tourists on virginia beach's ocean front. florence' early wind and rough surf drawing a crowd. some snapping photos. a little too close t crashing waves. >> we saw some people trying to go into the tewa so we're keeping an eye on them.

>> reporter: the life guards restricting swimmers to ankle deep waters. >> putting a restriction on it. not just for their safthy but life guards. it is extremely dangerous. >> it has been really stressful. being a new mom here by ourselves without any family. >> reporter: nicoleut walker here with her father-in-law and .er ba like many, taking command of a single household. last year she weathered hurrican irman florida. >> weome go back for almost a month. now this is like deja vu. >> reporter: i was trying to keep up with airing. >> u to 40 knots. >> reporter: aren't you nervous in the midst of a potential hurricane? >> every time you're here you get nervous. >> is it pretty rough out th>>e? oh, yeah.

the wind isn't the problem, it's the waves right now. >> reporter: we're showing you some of the live reangs that come out of this mobile radar t. it allows to us get closer. we're seeing some gusts right here, up to 35-mile-an-hour winds. >> 35-mile-an-hour winds. we're starting to get. >> it is trying to strengthen now a it makes its way onshore. even if it increases to 10, 15 miles an hour, he you're still going to get the sameun a of rainfall. you can really see it wrapping

around the eye now. we may see it ngcontin cape hatteras has seen 84-mile-an-hour wind gusts. here'some of the outer rain wands. we'll show you where it is. right around virginia beceh. and you nohis area right here, this is an area that hand picked up on other radar. because we're mobile, i want to show you the coolest picture. you can see it spin they pick up the latest information and send it back to we take our radar into the storm, at least close enough to get accurate readings where other radars are not able to do so. so we'll continue ch it into the day tomorrow.

>> we are. andover, massachusetts, had some sort ofio expl authorities are saying to get out of the homes immediately. they say iis a very dangerous situation and they're working to situation and they're working to depressurize the gas lines.

i put criminals in prison during the day i'm jennifer wexton, and as a prosecutor, and changed diapers at night. later, when i had a law practice, i volunteered to help moms collect child support. then, as state senator, i worked across party lines to target sexual offenders and take guns away from domestic abusers. in congress, i'll stand up to president trump. i approve this message because, like every working mom, what's ahead is as important as what's in the rearview mirror.

tonight, cardinal wuerl releed a statementoday saying he believes the arch diocese needs new leadership help move beyond what he calls confusion, disappointment, and disunity.

it comes on e same day the u.s. group of cardinals sat with the pope to deal with the crisis. he explains the next steps the church plans to take. ng reporter: the mee lasted at the vatican about an hour. no big decisions weremade. certainly the vatican has made no statement about it. but just as it started,he pope announced that he had accepted nother ignation of yet nior american cleric. that's bishop michael brumsfield. the pope announced an investigation into allegations of sexual mihionduct. all of the bishop denies. >> the church is essentially in crisis mode. not only here in rome but alson in thed states. >> reporter: this morning there were two cardinals talking about

the issues, the crisis in the church including the horrific allegations in pennsylvania. survivors were not happy that the meeting was so short and behind closed doors. they are all meetings. we've seen that it come in wave after wave after wave. the pope found it very difficult to get a grip on dealing with >> question, the pope isun oit. r a great deal of pressure. this is the biggest challenge to his papacy so far. earlier this week he even said the devil was behind some of the accusations against him. a man clearly under a great deal of pressure. our late colleague jim vance was remembered last night for

his lifelongelebration of diversity and multiculturism. amongre those who rnted him at an icon events talk down. our general manager jackie bradford noted that vance set the standards forut journalism also he set the tone. one of respect, humility. his standards became part of dna of our extended news4 family and we miss him. when we come bakback, could traffic tickets be a thing of the past >> reporter: we all know about red light and speed cameras around here. one state says their residents should not have to pay these fines. i'll tell which you state and who is saying it, out there now, tracking the

latest onfl hurricane ence. yes, it is trying to intensify as it makes its way to the coast. a lot of storm surge flooding. this has a long way to go. we'll talk much more about this and what means for the ekend.

time is running out to evacuate as hurricane florence takes aim at the carolinas. here's a live look at the conditions as the storm's outer bands start to slam the shore. landfall is expected to happen overnightonight. the latest on the storm's path and the potential impact for all

of us coming up in three miistes. thi story that had a lot of people talking. out of state drivers may not have to pay those speeding or red light camera tickets in these parts. some new jersey senators say their peopl n areo longer going to cooperat we hear how the garden state is fighting backr: >> reporteove them or hate them, we are all familiar with speed and red light cameras around here. but lawmakers in new jersey say they want to protect their residents. if they get a fine from one of these things, they stay drivers shouldn't have to fe fine. >> we are going to stop our motor vehicle -- >> repter: he is joining us via face time. he has introduced legislation that would protect new jersey drivers from any spe or red light camera tickets. new jersey currently does not

use those types of cameras. >> we don't tolerate it here in new jersey. we don't want to tolerate from other governments taking advantage of our resident >> reporter: the jersey resident got three speed camera tickets the district. he was in town to bury his father who was in the marine co s. he was at arlington national cemetery. now, jay admits when he was here, he was over the speed limit but he questions the placement of some cameras. if it goes from -- >> reporter: according to theap city analysis, income jumped from just over$69 $123ion in 2015 to over million in 2016. d.c. leaders and numerous groups have always maintained that the program is set up for safety. but this new push for new jersey is not isolated.

south dakota also passed a law that essentially proteed their residents from these types of fines. news4. > now we go back to th weather. the storm was weakening but now it is getting stronger. >> it is getting stronger. this isn't sometllng that w look at and say oh, it gained ten milesn hour and now it's worse, no, no, it is undergoing streing but the nuts and bolts are still there. the extremely heavy rain and the storm surge which i already happening. >> absolutely. we've been seeing it. it won't make landfall until early tomorrow morning. >> the actual eye there at surf that's why you see the flags and the ocean.

well to thenorth, this is coming into some homes. we have water into homes already. you can see the storms rotate around. watch them go dark and then rotate all the way around this big mass of thunderstorms. ings lating the center. th is not changing all that much. moving at 105. it b hn on shore. and then weakening by about 2:00 in the afternoon and thenti again, the rain will best factor. re's wilmington. there's the eye. it is expected to start making its way toward the west.

some of the heaviest rain bands coming onshore. this is where the 70 to 80-mile-per-hour winds. are whad one at 66 miles per hour befor we were no longer reporting observations. the system broke there. and then at hats. look at the wind gusts. we saw all 77 that way. so 84, that is the area that did hit 66. you can see the heaviest winds still just offshore. >> once w get the winds coming from offshore, it isng blo that water onshore a well. it h doesn'te anywhere to go and that's where we talk about the storm surge.

here since 1960. agai here we go. storm surge flooding. the upper part, it is only about 30 feet above. we see the water come up. rm surge to see the s three feet. and then it ghes all t way up to ten fe. so let me show you the .floodi look at that. wilmington,nd the tributaries, about six feet above the ground. we've seen it since last weekd. all the way through the

tributaries. possibly even into sun, too. if you've seen it in the coastal area, a 60% chance of showers. that's the best part to see it. a good chance of showers, maybe some storms as the remnants move by. we get nice thursday and wefrid. l be right back.

here's to the stair takers, breakfast makers, step counters, outdoor explorers, faith restorers, appointment keepers, fantastic creatures. farmer's market goers, cholesterol lowerers cell phone silencers. the new lease on lifers, and the positive thinkers. here's to you all that see every day as an opportunity to thrive your way. has the brands you want...oss fall fashion event nooo... yes. ...at "oh, yes!" prices. like that handbag for-wait-how much? what? or that cute jacket that says "check me out" at a price that makes you say... check this out. that's yes for less.

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>> they are undefeated. >> half the teams can't say that. and they've even had a tie. so look at that. the redskins proved they can win on the road. a chance to show they can duplicate it at home. washington is a team looking to continue to build momentum. the redskins back to work on an overcast day in ashburn. the burgundy and gold in an impressive seaso opening win. for them it was a performance. i feel like we did a good job and hopefully we can do better next week. got to go for 2-0.

we are prepared ando racing see how we'll respond as a group. they got inhree of the four games. so this afternoon the two playing make-up baseball. and it is such a quick.tr chicago's anthony rizzo wore his unorm last night into the ballpark today.ti there were plechblt seats this afternoon. remember, on tuesday, spencer lost a tooth and h hitis first career home run. t sure if he lost another but yes, this is another he run. a solo shot. h ave of the sixth. tray turner just tied this one. we're knotted at 3 in the ghth. so with all the great milestones

the mysti achieved this season there is a feeling of sadness that the playoff run is over. the storm rolled into town. what a season it was for the mystics who tied with 22 regular season wins. washington facing elimination. got to within 5 in game three. but the storm completed the sweep for the championship. the king reached out. look at this. lebron jam tweeting to the mystics to congratulate them on a greng season tel them to use this as motivation for next year. thehi mystics, upset they lost, they know just how far they've come as aot team on and off the floor. >> last year we were brand new. we didn't know. i didn't even know her favorite beer.an that's pretty, a pretty important thing to know. nowo i can goe bar and order her everything she needs. knowing --

>> i'm going to need a lot tonight. >> i got you, panda. evything aboutbasketball. knowing she likes to dribble handoffs. quit telling the secrets. >> everybody knows this. they still can't guard you. >> certain things like that on court is huge but the stuffff court is bigger. >> what a great vibe they have going. rocking the uniqu -- >> decided to put all caps on there. he never breaks. this house is in south nags head. the family wanting to remind hurrice florence who exactly won the stanley cup. we certainly hope everybody is safe outit there the hurricane. >> and who knew the mystics play ss were funny? they're hilarious.

>> and natasha.

breaking news tonight, we are bracing for landfall here along the carolina coast. conditions areapidly deteriorating. right now, hurricane florence lashing the outer banks. this monster storm closing in on what forecasters fear will be a catastrophic direct hit. >> we started to see some debris flying around the backside of the building. >> at this hour, water levels are rapidly rising. neighborhoods and homes flooded, walls ripped apart right in front of our cameras, inand there are wags of life-threatening storm surge. iv >> but the rer has jumped its banks. >> tonight, we're upve and down the coast as millions hunker down for a disaster. anl roker is here with the brnew storm track. also breaking right now, massive explosions, multiple bl ts, one after