nbc's gadi schwartz is in baytown, texas, just east of houston's city center. gadi, we have been watching you over the last hour or two. rescue after rescue. a few moments ago you mentioned that there were some boats on the way to what had been turned into an evacuation center. >> reporter: that's right. this is a critical rescue mission unfolding as we speak. there are boats, loading these boats in the water and over here there are boats lining up on this bridge. there's boat here and over here another line of boats. basically 360 degrees of boats all coming here because on the other side of this overflowing bayou, an evacuation area, an elementary school where people had evacuated is now evacuating to here. so it's a lot of people that need to come over here very quickly. you've got people that are going out. we of soon a lot of people that have come in. they said that mandatory evacuation came before they could get out. the next thing they knew they had water up to their waists inside their homes. and so we've seen probably a dozen or so rescues so far in the

that is where nbc's gadi schwartz is standing by for us. gadi, with a good morning to you, what are you seeing? >> reporter: good morning, alex. we're seeing a lot of rain here. this is what we've seen on and off throughout the day. in fact this street right here usually floods. there's two different types of houses on this street. there are what neighbors call hurricane houses. i don't know if you can see, but this right here is a hurricane house. it's on stilts about six feet off the ground. and then we've got houses across the street that aren't on stilts. they are houses that have been sandbagged and are protected right now. you can see how hard it is. it's raining right now. neighbors say they're not worried on this side of the street. neighbors on this side of the street are extremely worried. you can see why, they're right there on the ground level. i want to show you something pretty interesting. i'm going to get out of the rain here. look at this, this is the radar map that we're looking at right there. that's us, that's that blue d

gadi schwartz, thank you. now beginning to see helicopter rescues here in houston, expected to continue throughout the night. one of the questions people are asking here is, why wasn't there a mandatory evacuation order for the city, which may be facing a new threat in the days ahead? here with more on all that is stephanie gosk in southwest houston. >> reporter: lester, we have some important news tonight from the army corps of engineers. they manage and control the two major dams in houston. they he will us tonight there has been so much water so quickly, they will have to do controlled releases overnight of those dams. one dam at 2:00 a.m., the barker dam at 11:00 a.m. this water goes through a bayou that runs through the center of town. to give you some perspective, these dams were built in 1945. they have never in the history of the dams ever had to release water during an event like this. when i spoke with the safety manager on top of the dam on saturday morning, he said their intention was to keep those

gadi schwartz is in central, wyoming.nd we understand that totality there is going to be, let's see, what, around 1:45? give it to me. what is it? >> it's going to be about -- it's going to be about two-and-a-half minutes, too. a while ago you heard a murmur from the crowd because the sun and moon are starting align. you throw these on, you can't see anything else other than the sun. but behind me, you can see this ridge starting to fill in with a lot of different people. and as we look out, you can kind of see a haze. some people earlier today were complaining because of the wildfires burning a couple states over, saying this is not a picture-perfect day. other people were saying this is going to make the eclipse even better, because it gives it a little red tinge. there is never going to be an eclipse like this again. people have come from all over the place. we have blake and reed here. you're from denver, right? tell me, what does it look like when you look up? >> it looks like someone took a bite out of the sun. >> r

i want to bring in gadi schwartz who is in baytown, texas.he site of the biggest refinery in the united states. what's the latest? >> reporter: a quick update from baytown. this is one of the last boats getting ready to pull out of the water. basically move the entire flotilla down the road 10 minutes away. there is an area where they put out an all call for people to come help save people who are stranded in their homes. the area behind us is pretty clear. earlier it was a critical situation. there was one area that had been evacuated. it was an area that everyone moved to higher ground in the elementary school. they were sheltering in place but that place was taken over by water. so they brought everybody here to dry land and now there is another place in need of assistance so we'll make our way over there. >> gadi schwartz in baytown. i do want to remind you all. i don't want to lose sight of the fact that there have been so many rescuers working to help families and pets and kids get out there. coast guard. urban search and rescue teams.

let's go to gadi schwartz who's in baytown texas. we've been watching rescues all day. >> there's a lot of stuff going on. you are trying to get out of the way, there's boats coming out of the water. this neighborhood behind me where the bayou came up has been cleared from what they can tell. you're seeing these boats, in fact a lot of these kboets are moving to different places. i'm going to wait for this boat to swivel around. >> i think we're having a little trouble with his mike there. he went probably too far from the camera, it seems to have cut. he's interviewing a gentleman who has his own boat. looks like he's search and rescue. underscoring how everybody is trying to do what they can out there to save as many people as possible. in the meantime, let's go to msnbc's garek hak who is in corpus christi texas. when are the president and first lady expected to tour the damage? >> well, touring the damage isn't really a part of this trip. they're headed back here to the airport right now. i just heard them fire up the engines of

i want to bring in gadi schwartz, in casper, wyoming. gadi, safe to assume, it's also gotten darker there, as well? >> reporter: yeah, starting to get a little bit darker and definitely the sun is almost covered up. the only way to really experience this is this first-class kind of lying down. and then you've got a hill over here. we're in casper, wyoming. this is my friend, maria. i'm just going to join you on the hill, here. just going to lean back, and tell me what you're seeing, maria. >> i'm seeing a huge sliver. and it almost looks like if it was white, it could be the moon. but it is the sun, so it's orange. and the black is coming in. >> reporter: it looks like it's the opposite, sun and moon. >> exactly. >> reporter: when was the last time you saw an eclipse? >> it was in the '60s, but it was a -- a partial. it was a pretty good one. and -- >> reporter: you still remember it? >> oh, yes. >> reporter: vivid? >> we were in the military, and we were in a military quarters. and i looked up, had no idea what was going on. suddenly, it

for sunday today, gadi schwartz, nbc news, new york. >> gadi, thank you. >>> next on "sunday today" when to study the stars, emplngineers contained the sounds of earth, from music to a baby's cry in case it came in contact with extraterrestrial beings. we have a cool update on that four decades later. because of a headache. that's why i use excedrin. it has two pain fighters plus an amplifier and for some, headache relief starts in just 15 minutes. now moments lost to headaches are moments gained with excedrin. did any bag of dog or buy cat food at petsmart we give a meal to a pet in need? help us reach our goal of donating more than 60 million meals so hungry pets across the country get to eat. buy any bag, we give a meal to a pet in need. petsmart - for the love of pets. with the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses and automatically adjusts on both sides. the new 360 smart bed is part of our biggest sale of the year where all beds are on sale. and right now save 50% on the labor day limited edition bed. >>> millions of us from coast to coast will be looking to the heavens tomorro

let's go now to nbc's gadi schwartz who's in a flooded neighborhood in hitchcock, texas. gadi, to you. what's the latest? >> reporter: i want to show you this road right here. the neighbors say that this road sometimes floods. they know the drill. they know to park their cars where the ground is still dry but they are not yoogd used to three or four days of rain. some of these areas will see 30 to 40 inches of rain so it's pretty concerning for people over here, like this house right here. this house sits on the ground. houses across the street are up about a foot. there's one house over here up about 6 feet. but you can see the storm did a little damage over here. howdy. was that from last night? that was from last night? >> from last night. >> wow. do you guys have sandbags up? >> no. >> no sandbags yet? >> no. >> reporter: so a lot of people around here, they did not evacuate because this is not an area that's under mandatory evacuation, but some of them are putting up sandbags. this house over here has some sandbags, but this is an area, again, that has seen flooding b

we have gadi schwartz making his way around casper, wyoming. >> just to hear this happening in all thelaces, i think our crew here feels the same way. when you hear those cheers er t erupting, you know exactly what they're going through. here on the other end of it where we've gone just past the point where it looks like this eclipse is over, you're left with almost a sense of not emptiness, but you want to see it again. you just heard kate talking about it. i have the same weird feeling knowing this is not something that happens very often, knowing that the chances of this happening here in our solar system are pretty astronomical, and knowing there is another one coming in 2024, it's something you can't put into words. you just have to chase these eclipses so i'm hoping for another one in our lifetime. ga >> gadi, thanks very much. the last one that happened was in 1929, but we don't have to wait that long for this one. be sure to join us for our live prime time coverage of the president addressing the nation, speaking about afghanistan and his plan going forward. the speech begins a

gadi schwartz has more. >> whoa. whoa. whoa what the [ bleep ]. the land of car chases this one starts with a crash. >> [ bleep ] bro. what the [ bleep ]. >> then another. >> whoa. >> the biker with a camera taking in all the action. >> hey. >> hey. >> hey. >> but then a driver takes off and the guy filming jumps back on his motorcycle and guns it. on the free ways he catches up, the car ahead of him smoking. >> hello. yes. yes. i'm in pursuit of a hit and run driver. hit and run driver. i think he's under the influence. he hit two cars, i just -- i am following him on my motorcycle. >> at one point the driver turns into a parking >> i got to chase him, dude. >> then they're back ripping through the streets, running lights, nearly 20 minutes through three cities, close calls with other drivers until finally it ends with a confession to police. >> and i just panicked. >> reporter: the 62-year-old driver arrested for suspicion of dui. dick danger wouldn't tell us his real name or show us his face and says he knows giving chase was dumb. >> i put mys

to gadi schwartz in bay town, texas. what is the situation where you are? >> the situation right now is that it is raining and the bayou is overflowing. take a look. this is where neighbors have come to launch boats, it is also where neighbors are bringing neighbors after they save them. you see the boats, you see that boat right there, that's actually drifting. that's how powerful the current is. so it is very difficult for these guys to get in and get out. there is a bridge over here, but you can't cross over into that side from this area. so they're worried about the people that are over on the other side, hoping that there are boats making similar rescues over here. but you see right here, people are loading in jet skis and you got neighbors out here that have come, even if they don't have a boat, to help drive people to shelters. so loading in these jet skis and another boat coming out. we were talking to the people brought out of their homes. i was talking to this woman a little bit earlier. you were saying you're worried about that is going on at you