>> gabe gutierrez, thank you. >>> more severe weather in the midwest and south. six people died in texas after a weekend of heavy rain and flooding. millions are under flash flood watches in several states now. janet shamlian is in louisiana tonight. janet? >> reporter: kate, good evening. the southern storms have been relentless. tonight, it is louisiana in the cross hairs. thousands of homes like this one in the flood zone. the lake charles area has been especially hard hit by this dangerous flash flooding. one car swept off the road and under a foot bridge. more than six inches of rain in the region since midnight in some areas, ten inches. in lafayette, interstate 49 shut down in both directions for several hours but despite the conditions, some drivers still trying to make their way through the rising water. the storms also battered new orleans where for a second day some events were cancelled. tonight 20 million americans are under the threat of more severe weather and flooding and thousands of homes are like this one, without power in the water and more se

>> gabe gutierrez tonight, thank you. >>> a massive power outage this afternoon in seattle, knocking out traffic lights and leaving half the city paralyzed. it caused significant delays, as you can imagine, on the rails and the roads. the fire department also got several emergency calls about people suddenly trapped in elevators. crews said an equipment failure at a substation was to blame. but they were able to get things back up and running. >>> president obama made a rare public apology during his visit to japan. after that nation's leader in a highly unusual moment dressed him down on camera over a murder that's been linked to an american from the u.s. military base in okinawa. nbc's ron allen is in japan with more on the death overshadowing the president's visit. >> reporter: anger aimed at america's massive military bases in okinawa, japan. after the body of a 20-year-old woman missing for weeks was found raped and murdered in the wooded mountains not far away. tonight japan's prime minister scolded president obama, and then said his entire nation is in shock. i feel profound r

nbc's gabe gutierrez has more from the danger zone. >> reporter: today in tennessee, a flood emergency. up to seven inches of rain pounded the county within hours, prompting water rescues. >> bridge is completely out. people cannot get in or out. >> reporter: overnight, lightning burned down this strip mall. while missouri saw baseball-sized hail. and in mayfield, kentucky, the cleanup is under way. >> holy mackerel! >> reporter: after this tornado swept through. injuring ten people and narrowly missing an elementary school. >> no matter what anybody can say, god was with us yesterday. >> i didn't think i was going to make it. >> reporter: gus barely survived, clinging to a tree outside his home. >> you can't rebuild lives. we got lucky. >> reporter: the damage in kentucky comes after days of wild weather. in oklahoma, this tornado upgraded today to an ef-4, the strongest so far this year, with winds of up to 200 miles per hour. rising air causing instability, combined with strong winds in various directions makes the atmosphere ripe for tornado outbreaks. since saturday, there have be

nbc's gabe gutierrez is in abilene, kansas watching it all unfold. >> reporter: late today a new round of severe storms slamming several states. a tornado touching down in brian, texas, another in northeast, kansas. the relentless wild weather grounding flights in colorado and forcing the brief evacuation of kansas city's airport. and in a kentucky cave, 19 people rescued after being trapped by rising flood waters. all this after a half-mile wide twister chewed through dickinson county kansas late wednesday on the ground for almost 90 minutes. watch as these storm chasers leave a camera on the ground. the incredible 360 video revealing an extremely rare glimpse inside of the storm. as the tornado barrels through swallowing the camera. >> he said it's coming. it's going to get us. >> reporter: denise and her husband sam survived in their cellar. >> the roof went and the rest. he said the house is gone, and i just really didn't believe it. >> reporter: in oklahoma, high winds derailed this parked train overnight. in illinois, lightning set this house on fire and tonight, neighboring the

nbc's gabe gutierrez is in puerto rico with more. >> reporter: dr. gloria rodriguez vega is on the front lines of the battle against zika. >> i have commitment. >> reporter: puerto rico's growing financial crisis has forced her hospital group to lay off nearly 500 employees. even as she and her colleagues are seeing more zika related cases. >> we have a financial crisis at this point. it's a humanitarian crisis, it's a health crisis. >> reporter: today the island defaulted on its largest debt payment yet. other hospitals are in danger of closing. is this the perfect storm? >> yes, it is, definitely. >> reporter: dr. diana otero said resources are already stretched thin and it's tough to get lab tests done. since november, there have been more than 700 confirmed zika cases in puerto rico, 89 of them pregnant women. 43-year-old jose gonzalez just returned to work a month after being diagnosed with a geon bar guillian-barre syndrome. a zika complication which paralyzed part of his face. >> it was very serious, very heavy cramps, on the legs, arms. >> re

gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >>> isis has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bombings along the syrian coast. more than 120 people were killed in the suicide attacks, according to activists. among the targets, two bus stations and a hospital. the blasts are the deadliest attacks yet on two cities considered strongholds to the syrian regime since the conflict began. >>> tonight alarms are being raised after a series of deadly tragedies on mount everest. four people killed in four days. and questions about whether the mountain is getting too crowded after climbers have been kept from the summit. nbc's joe fryer has details. >> reporter: the highest peak in the world is balancing great feats one moment with tragic loss the next. at least four dead in as many days, including three climbers from altitude sickness. among them, maria, who taught finance in australia. >> it's such an incredible tragedy. >> reporter: dutch climber eric arnold also died. he finally reached the summit on his fourth attempt. but his exhausted body could not handle the trip down. experts say the descent can

nbc's gabe gutierrez is in the danger zone with late-breaking details. >> reporter: late today, a powerful tornado touching down crop across oklahoma. >> that's an f-4 tornado. that's violent, violent motion. >> reporter: tonight parts of oklahoma, texas and arkansas in the bull's-eye for relentless wind and hail as 18 million americans are at risk for severe weather. >> storms likely to go well past dark tonight, from kansas city to st. louis, and likely including little rock as well. tornadoes are not out of the question. >> reporter: the menacing slow-moving line of storms is slogging east after producing wild weather over the weekend. >> mike, i can't see any debris. that's going to be a tornado right there. a wide cone right now. >> reporter: this brief tornado near marlow, oklahoma, and in lawton, flash floods and high winds stranded drivers in their cars. in west texas, pounding hail up to the size of baseballs, while this twister was spotted in kansas. the sprawling system also spawned tornadoes across colorado. slicing through this neighborhood. >> shocking. it's shocking. unbelie

nbc's gabe gutierrez has the story. >> what's your problem, buddy? >> he's out of his mind. >> that's a good way to get shot. >> reporter: the confrontation last november started with sheriff's deputies trying to restrain an unarmed man south of atlanta. he was resisting the deputies and was handcuffed. >> stop fighting! >> okay, i quit. i quit. >> reporter: records show deputies discharged their tasers 15 times in less than 7 minutes. 32-year-old chase sherman died at the scene. >> he always had a smile on his face. i'm going to miss that smile. and his phone calls. >> reporter: he and his family were flying home to florida after attending his brother's wedding. during their layover in atlanta, he started hallucinating and said he used synthetic marijuana. they decided to drive the rest of the way but his erratic behavior continued so his mother called 911. but they think deputies used excessive force. >> he was having a mental problem. you can look at him, his eyes. he has no idea where he was at. >> reporter: the local district attorney is now rev

>> gabe gutierrez. tonight, al roker with us right now. al, we're heading into a holiday weekend. we keep watching the floods and rains in the central part of the texas, now tropical storms. >> that's right. we've got a lot going on. 11 million people under at least some sort of flash flood warning or watching stretching from texas to louisiana. probably end up with about two feet of rain before this is all said and done. and we're watching what could become tropical storm bonnie. winds of 35 miles per hour, moving west-northwest at about 13 miles per hour. looks like it will make landfall sometime saturday afternoon. may even slow up. we're looking for dangerous rip currents, rough surf, heavy rain at times. we're looking at rainfall amounts anywhere, lester, from about three to five inches of rain. this will be the only -- only the eighth tropical storm to form in the month of may since 1980. >> al, thank you. >>> the memorial day mad dash is well under way with 38 million americans expected to travel over the next few days. one of the busiest periods of the year. we'll take a l

>> gabe gutierrez, thank you. >>> tonight, a blockbuster clash is brewing over transgender rights, and north carolina's so-called bathroom law. the state's governor is going to the mat taking on the u.s. government and suing the obama administration. the feds shot right back with a lawsuit of their own, and strong words from the attorney general. it could lead to a landmark decision. our justice correspondent pete williams has details. >> reporter: both sides turned up the heat today in the battle over transgender rights, beginning with governor pat mcrory wh defend his state's new law that forbids people to use the bathroom of gender identity. >> we believe a court rather than a federal agency should tell our state, our nation, and employers across the country what the law requires. >> reporter: his lawsuit said the federal government's effort to stop enforcement of the law is a blatant overreach. civil rights law, he says, does not outlaw discrimination based on someone's transgender status. >> governor mcrory said he was acting in part to prevent the federal government from cutting

>> gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. we'll talk about that rain right now with nbc news meteorologist dylan dreyer. it has been a rough few days in the south and there's more wet weather on the way. >> there certainly is, thomas. quiet right now in texas. but through the next couple of days we'll see more isolated severe storms start to develop. but as we get to wednesday and this cold front moves in, that's the best chance of seeing really heavy rain with some areas picking up four to five inches of rain this time centered closer to san antonio giving houston a break but still we're looking at another couple of inches possible in the houston area through the middle and end of the week. and that obviously will lead to more flooding. also want to point out the remnants of bonnie. it's made a mess of the memorial day weekend down through the carolinas. we'll start to see it clear out in the northeast by tomorrow but more wet weather is likely through tuesday down through north and south carolina. thomas? >> dylan, thanks s

gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >>> the brewing coffee controversy at starbucks. the target of a lawsuit which claims the company has been shortchanging its customers by overfilling their ice drinks with ice, and not enough of the actual beverage. tom costello has details on this court battle. >> reporter: no stranger to controversy, coffee giant starbucks is now the target of a lawsuit in which a customer in illinois accused the starbucks of false and misleading marketing and sale of cold drinks. that starbucks has engaged in the practice of misrepresenting the amount of cold drink a customer will receive. at issue, whether customers get more ice than drink when they order an iced coffee. in chicago, the woman is seeking $5 million in damages. outside a maryland starbucks today, mostly skeptical reviews. >> i think it's a familiar one. >> what else are we going to sue people for. what has the world come to. >> reporter: the suit includes a photo of a starbucks cup and claims the black lines on the cup are meant to guide baristas across the country in how much liq

gabe gutierrez is live in abilene, kansas, where a massive tornado touched down there. n incredible scene of devastation behind you. tell us about the impact and what you're expecting today. >> hi there, kristen. the severe weather threat extends all the way from the upper midwest down to texas today. the threat for tornados is considerably less, though, than it was yesterday. as you mentioned, this area is still devastated. there were heavy rains here overnight as they continued to clean up from that massive ef-4 tornado that roared through here late wednesday, but the area that got the biggest downpour overnight, that was texas. and for many there, it was a miserable start to the holiday weekend. from terrifying tornados to devastating flooding, yet another round of severe storms is ravaging the country. overnight near houston, relentless rain prompting water rescues. >> from the time we turned around, my -- my car was underwater. >> this morning bryan, texas, in shock after this tornado roared through. >> i was scared for my life. you just kind of -- you know, 30 seco

>> gabe gutierrez, thank you. >>> a shocking road rage incident out of florida. it was caught on tape. a driver facing charges tonight in tampa accused of running right over a motorcycle with two riders. nbc's kerry sanders has the jaw-dropping video taken as it all unfolded. >> reporter: car versus motorcycle, a road rage incident all captured on a cell phone. in slow motion the car turns right, then accelerates, right over the motorcycle. did you think this guy was trying to kill you? >> yeah. >> absolutely. without a doubt. >> reporter: joseph, a navy vet, and melanie were returning with friends from a memorial day observance in florida when both say a driver in a car began to weave in and around traffic. they all ended up at a red light and words were exchanged. >> the window was already down when we pulled up next to him. >> and he said -- >> i can't say it on tv. >> you said? >> i can't say that on tv either. >> reporter: he has a broken leg. his girlfriend, melanie, a painful road rash. take a look at the video. what do you think when you look at that? >>

>> gabe gutierrez, thank you very much.ing up, more on hillary clinton's e-mail scandal as it comes back to haunt her once again. >> this was fully above board. people knew i was using a personal e-mail. i did it for convenience. i sent e-mails that i thought were work related to people's.gov accounts. >> she said it was on a level but an independent investigator says she broke federal rules. what impact will the report have on her campaign? we'll talk about that next on msnbc live. ♪ [engine revs] ♪ ♪ [engine revving] the all-new audi a4 is here. wearing powerful sunscreen? yes! neutrogena® ultra sheer. unbeatable protection helps prevent early skin aging and skin cancer with a clean feel. the best for your skin. ultra sheer®. neutrogena®. i use what's already inside me to reach my goals. so i liked when my doctor told me that i may reach my blood sugar and a1c goals by activating what's within me with once-weekly trulicity. trulicity is not insulin. it helps activate my body to do what it's supposed to do release its own

nbc's gabe gutierrez has more. >> reporter: this morning parts of texas are preparing for more strong storms, historic flooding. rivers expected to reach some of their highest levels in decades. authorities in austin recovered the body of a woman who drowned while tubing in the floodwaters. >> this goes to show how dangerous the water can be right now. >> reporter: high water rescues were under way in symington. >> we thought we were going to sit it out. obviously it wasn't a good idea. >> reporter: some residents are refusing to follow mandatory evacuation orders. >> we don't want to leave anymore. >> reporter: the water reached 7 feet in some homes. >> i don't know what to say right now. i'm devastated. >> reporter: this is much worse than you expected? >> oh, yes. >> reporter: in rosenberg, residents scrambled to grab what they could. >> i took out my dogs before i took anything else. i can't leave my dogs. >> reporter: she wasn't the only one holding on tight. this 7-foot alligator found in the floodwaters got stuck in a trapper's car. other swaths of the country battling their ow

gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> incredible what those tornadoes can do.red. >> absolutely. what you heard in that story, more severe weather in areas like kansas, oklahoma, nebraska, texas today. we'll be tracking scattered thunderms what we're all noticing, the increased heat and humidity, 77 now with hazy sunshine. it's a little bit humid out there and it will be this afternoon. 85 degrees at 2:00. a high at 89 that will hit at about 5 p.m., tracking some scattered thunderstorms, especially west of 95. otherwise during the evening hours, still warm, 8 p.m., still around 83 degrees. so here's future weather. i'm just going to put it into motion and you'll see as we head on into the afternoon and evening hours some isolated activity out there, some brighter colors. that would be some heavier rain. as far as the severe risks are concerned today, high winds, hail, tornado. almost no risk to low. we'd really only be tracking some heavy rain and a moderate risk of thunderstorms that bubble up this afternoon. otherwise again, noticing the increase in humidity,

that was gabe gutierrez reporting. >>> none of that severe weather headed this way. we've had lots of clouds, though. start off with some sunshine in the lehigh valley. it got up to 65 degrees right now, but cloudier p.a. suburbs, delaware, south jersey. still only in the 50s. the warmest area, the closer you are to new york, there was more sunshine early, so bethlehem and easton, 66. nazareth and bath, walnut port also 66 degrees. then you get farther into burks county and reading is only 57. you can see the effect of just a little sunshine on the area. we're not seeing much on the live radar except down near baltimore and chesapeake bay. some of that moisture is moving in our direction. but it's going to take a while. as you can see, we don't have much in the way of sunshine. that has disappeared and headed to new york. and the showers are headed up i-95. the first batch is very light. the heavier stuff is west of washington. so we'll have to watch that for this afternoon. so we have showers for some neighborhoods coming up this afternoon. here's the futurecast. th

gabe gutierrez, nbc news, wynnewood, oklahoma. w being unreal and then realize the destruction left behind and these poor people face the reality of trying to build back up again. terrible. >> luckily for us our big news is just the rain we've been having. >> and you can see here on storm team 4 radar that it continues to move our way. and tom kierein is here now to tell us if it's ever going to end, tom. >> how do i break this to you gently? >> there's no way. >> let's say it's not going to be real sunny the rest of the day, though we might see a little sun by later this afternoon. we have a little more light rain here just south of la ray and north of there coming into the panhandle of west virginia. right now don't really have any rain, just a few sprinkles near olney along the howard county line. otherwise we're just going to stay cloudy for another couple hours. then a little rain does begin to move back in. right now temperatures hovering in the upper 50s to around 60. reagan national now at 58. upper 50s around the bay. and

nbc's gabe gutierrez has a look. >> reporter: in america's heartland, nature's fury on full display.> oh, no. >> reporter: this morning residents near dodge city, kansas, are cleaning up after a tornado yanked a home off its foundation. homeowners caught this one on camera then managed to capture another funnel cloud forming just miles away. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: traffic paralyzed as the tornadoes barrelled down street. some drivers cut off by heavy debris lifted in the air, first swirling around the twister and then dropped to the ground. >> this is about to be an accident. >> watch this. >> reporter: one car too close for comfort heading straight towards disaster before police stop the driver. across four states 26 possible na on social media pictures of supercells and dark skies poured in. after hail had pounded colorado earlier in the day. in oklahoma, possible tornadoes tore through homes just outside of tulsa. >> we just looked out our front window and, boy, the trees were doing this number and this number. >> reporter: while in arkansas the problem wasn't wild winds but

gabe gutierrez, nbc news, texas. >> and this just in. a county prosecutor in cincinnati is considering criminal charges in the controversial killing of an engarjed gorilla. zoo officials said they did it to save the life of a child who slipped into the animal enclosure, but a petition is going around to charge the parents with neglect. the 3-year-old boy climbed over a railing and walked through bushes before plunging some 15 feet inthis moat. the gorilla was seen dragging the child through water. zoo officials said they had to shoot it to save the boy. they did the right thing because a tranquilizer could have made the animal more dangerous. >> he gets popped. you wouldn't want to watch what would happen. you'd be sitting there going why in the world did they do that? why in the world? >> the boy was treated at the hospital, released the same day. the prosecutor's office said they'll wait for the cincinnati police department to finish their investigation before making a decision about charges. >>> we reached out to the philadelphia zoo

gabe gutierrez has the details there. >> reporter: as you mentioned spelman college and morehouse collegeh investigating allegations of a sexual assault that was posted anonymously on twitter earlier this week. detailing allegations that a freshman student self-identified here at spelman college at a party where she was drinking was in an up stairs bathroom and taken to another room where she was allegedly sexually assaulted by four students, four students at morehouse college acacording to this twitter post. the police department has not investigated this yet because no alleged victim has come forward. within the past two hours or so, there's been a new tweet that says, this issue is bigger than me, it's about all of college campuses not taking sexual assault seriously like they claim they do. the president of spelman college yesterday tweeted herself, giving a personal invitation to this victim to come forward saying sexual violence of any kind is destructive to our students, our academic environment, and our sense of social justice. two prestigious colleges here in the atlanta area are

gabe gutierrez is out now where some of the tornadoes hit last night. from what we see behind you, we can imagine the devastation around you. >> reporter: that's right, erica. good afternoon. as millions watch the damage, others are picking up the pieces. this home was obliterated. there is debris everywhere. two people were killed here in oklahoma include manning in his 70s, a 76-year-old. in the past few hours the national weather service has said one of the tornadoes here was at least an ef-3 tornado meaning it had winds topping 136 miles an hour. as you can see, utter devastation here. residents here are cleaning up and a frantic search not just for belongings but one woman searching for her pets and able to find two of her cats in one of the homes destroyed. we spoke with the owner of this home behind me ripped from its foundation. she was able to survive because she was able to race to her cellar just in the nick of time. we spoke with her earlier today and despite all this loss, she is grateful. take a listen. >> i'm very thankful. we bought our

gabe gutierrez is in puerto rico just outside of san juan with more. r: jose, good morning. we're here at a hospital just outside san juan and we spoke with a few doctors who really are on the front lines on this fight against zika. some of them are calling this a perfect storm, this financial crisis as well as a health care crisis. some hospitals have been forced to layoff many employees, resources are stretched thin throughout the island. all this as puerto rico faces its largest default on a debt payment yet. on the island of enchantment, there's trouble in paradise. >> you know, it's just devastating. >> reporter: alejandro doubts he'll find a job once he finishes his master's degree in boston. >> it looks very bad for a young person like me who really wants to go back home and live here and establish my life here. >> reporter: the island expects to default on its largest debt payment yet, $422 million. the total debt stands at more than a staggering $70 billion. unemployment is at a crushing 12% and nearly half the island lives below the poverty li

and despite a torrid of criticism and one website removing his auction, nbc's gabe gutierrez reports zimmerman is not backing down. >> reporter: today as the controversial auction was set to begin, the website gunbroker.com yanked it saying we want no part of the listing on the website and publicity it's receiving. tonight, it's up on a new site unitedgungroup.com. >> george zimmerman, not guilty. >> reporter: george zimmerman claims self-defense and was acquitted of second-degree murder in the 2012 shooting death of trayvon martin. now the pistol used to kill the 17-year-old is being offered to the highest bidder. zimmerman writes the firearm for sale is the firearm used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from trayvon martin. he spoke by phone with orlando's wofl tv. >> what i decided to do is not cower. i'm a free american and i can do what i'd like with my possessions. >> reporter: martin's family is outraged. >> this is devastating. trayvon was their son, and it is very, very outrageous to them that he would do this as they continue to grieve the loss of their child. >>

msnbc's gabe gutierrez is in san juan with the very latest. gabe?re here at a hospital outside of san juan and we've spoken to several doctors here, we're on the front lines of the fight against zika. some are calling this a perfect storm. puerto rico's financial crisis, coupled with the challenges they face in the health care system, as they deal with this staggering debt. now, later today, puerto rico's governor has said that puerto rico will default on the largest debt payment so far, $422 million. puerto rico has a staggering, more than $70 billion in total debt, unemployment, and it's at a crushing 12% or so. and more than -- less -- nearly half the population, i should say, lives below the poverty line. this is something that is devastating on this island. any talks in congress for any bill to rescue puerto rico have stalled. and now the question is, what happens next? as puerto rico faces the zika virus on friday, for the first time, a death, a zika-related death was reported here on the island. and late yesterday, puerto rico's governor issu

gabe gutierrez reports now from the storm zone. >> reporter: late today, this tornado slicing through mayfield, kentucky, as mi midwest and north texas -- >> please don't hit that farm. oh, my god. >> reporter: -- brace for another round of severe weather. in oklahoma, recovering from this twister, almost a mile wide captured up close on camera, smothering everything in its way, cutting a three-mile path and leaving a trail of destruction. >> it just blew off its foundation. >> reporter: at least nine reported twisters. more through oklahoma, killing two people. lisa buckner lived next to one of them. she barely survived riding out the storm in her storm shelter. >> i started crying. i was in disbelief. >> reporter: teenager daniel park home alone, when his dad called to tell him to take cover in the middle of the house. it soon collapsed around him. >> i was in the bathroom on the ground. >> reporter: the outbreak spanning six states within hours, at least 22 reported tornadoes. the threat far from over. >> tonight the threat of severe he expands from texas to illinois with the bigge

gabe gutierrez with more from south texas. >> reporter: this part of the brazos river has never creeped this high, cresting this afternoon, flooding homes, displayinging families. the devastation stretching for miles. >> my family told me to get out. the water was about this much from entering the house. >> reporter: on the ground, search and rescue teams on the move. more mandatory evacuations under way. >> the water just kept rising. it got to at least six inches inside the house. >> reporter: maria pulled from her flooded home as the waters rose. did you lose your home? >> everything. everything. >> reporter: today the weather related death toll in texas climbed to nine. they found the body of a 10-year-old boy who drowned. several attention as rivers cresting at historic levels. the brazos topping 53 feet, breaking a record. the colorado more than 46. the trinity river at almost 30 feet. expected to stay there through sunday. >> we never expected anything like this. >> reporter: yolanda gonzalez has lived in rosenberg almost 30 years. >> very hard. we got more rain coming our way. >

nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us from rosenberg, texas. gabe, good morning. get the residents to safety? >> reporter: hi there, jose. good morning. authorities have blocked off the roads in this neighborhood. this is one of the neighborhoods that is under water. the car behind me a total loss. the brazos river is cresting at near historic levels. it will crest at more than 53 feet later today. that's the highest level in almost 60 years. as you can see, this water has been creeping closer to some of the homes on this side throughout this morning. we saw it go up a few inches and we've seen it rise since we've been here early this morning. now, the weather related death toll here in texas has climbed to at least eight people and that includes a 16-year-old boy who was killed with a tree limb that fell on him during the cleanup effort. also authorities in austin overnight recovered the body of a woman who drowned while tubing with her friends. again, authorities say that there are mandatory evacuations in several communities here in texas, here in rosenberg, so

gabe gutierrez has more from abilene, kansas. >> reporter: more communities are assessing the damage after a monster tornado. the national weather service calling this a potentially catastrophic twister, a half mile wide chewing through dickinson county, kansas. the tornado on the ground for more than an hour damaging at least 15 homes. its sheer power lifting entire structures. near dodge city, kansas, tuesday this twister tossed cars. beth roberts rushed into her cellar with only moments to spare. >> it was like just a loud rumble, roaring, humming noise. >> reporter: the severe weather oklahoma. leslie kemp barely survived with her 2-year-old. >> trees were starting to fall around the house. so i grabbed my son and we got in the inner part of the house. we rode out the tornado. >> reporter: today the heartland bracing for the potential of severe weather again. this slow-moving tornado spared the small town of chapman, which was devastated by another twister in 2008. remarkably, no deaths and no injuries were reported. still this area is watching for the potential of more severe we

. >> gabe gutierrez in atlanta for us. >>> breaking news right now.arehouse that stores ammunit n ammunition. hazmat team has been called out. the fire may release some dangerous chemicals in the air. residents near by being ordered to stay inside at this point. we can tell you so far new injuries have been reported. we are keeping a very, very close eye on this four alarm fire in houston texas this aroun afternoon. up next, the next step for the presumptive gop nominee, intelligence briefing. donald trump is about to get classified cia access, we'll talk to jane harmon about that, next, plus - >> we all remember that hug from that young man who found despair and then found hopes somehow and he just wanted to give me a hug, the country marvelled. >> the young man in south carolina joins me. next. to folks out there whose diabetic nerve pain... shoots and burns its way into your day, i hear you. to everyone with this pain that makes ordinary tasks extraordinarily painful, i hear you. make sure your doctor hears you too! i hear you because i was there w

gabe gutierrez is there this morning. >> as you can see, not much is left.pped from its foundation, obliterated. at least two people have been killed here in oklahoma, including a man in his 70s this morning. residents are coming here. you can see behind me starting to pick up the pieces and assess the damage here. this tornado outbreak was remarkable partly because of the images we are seeing. stormchasers able to get close to these massive tornados here in wynnewood. a powerful storm roared through this county. a dozen homes damaged or destroyed. the weather here today is expected to be dry. so that could help the cleanup effort. this area is bracing for another potential round of severe weather tomorrow. a difficult day here. at least 19 tornados reported across the country. more tornados are expected potentially in the midwest later today. back to you. >> people are just trying to sift through what they can find. >>> not a problem with that here in california. we have a problem with a drought. california's mandatory water ban could soon be lifted after a

gabe gutierrez, nbc news, oklahoma. >> philadelphia police hope surveillance cameras can provide clues to help them track down the driver who hit a bicyclist in west philadelphia and then just kept on going. pamela osborne is live for us at the scene of the crash with more on the investigation. pam, what's the latest? >> vai, what we know is that police are in the process of looking at surveillance pictures of that vehicle involved in this hit-and-run crash. want to take you to the scene this morning. this is video we shaw around 2:30 when the victim was hit. he was on a bicycle when he was hit by a vehicle. he was taken to presbyterian hospital. i'm told he is in stable condition. police say the vehicle that hit the man is white or silver. it's traveling northbound on 52nd street. if you have any information, you're going to want to give police a call. we'll check in with them throughout the day to see if they do release pictures of that vehicle. maybe you have seen it, maybe you know where it is. if you do, give police a call. i'm pamela osborne, nbc10 news. 28 victims and their fami