miguel almaguer is in louisiana tonight and the rescue efforts have been harder today because of that weather. >> reporter: tom, just a short time ago we had lightning in this area rescue teams had to pull out of the water. now they're back in. but adding insult to injury, there's a flash flood in effect in this area, and many people are still trapped in their homes. tonight the race to rescue is still unfolding in louisiana, the beaten and battered, stranded for days, plucked from homes where the water is rising and hope was fading >> we got rescued by a truck just now >> reporter: pregnant and desperate, heather finally escaped the floodwaters. >> our house is under water. we would have drowned. >> reporter: facing a complex maze of submerged roads, buckled highways and alligator infested waters which likely claimed one life, search teams still can't reach the hardest hit communities. in just this one area of jefferson parish, not far outside new orleans, they had about 135 rescues in roughly a day. they've never seen water quite like this before and if you want to go further, you'l

>> miguel almaguer with that new reporting tonight for us miguel, thank you. >>> we'll turn now to millions of americans traveling this labor day weekend, bringing with them new concerns of possible super spreader events. it comes as an alarming new report shows children now account for more than one in five new covid cases. we get more now from tom costello >> reporter: from the beaches to broadway to baseball, street festivals to barbecues, covid caution is back. more indoor mask requirements and fewer people taking that last summer weekend getaway. by one estimate, at least 10% fewer americans are going anywhere this weekend compared to prepandemic 2019 >> but we still need your to not spread germs and viruses. >> reporter: air travelers a bit more cautious >> why wouldn't you be if there is more contagious than the last version, that's reason to be concerned. >> reporter: in just the last week, more than 7,000 people have died of covid, most unvaccinated >> folks are seeing their loved ones get sick, get hospitalized and god forbid, dying. there is sadly nothing like fear to make someon

miguel almaguer with what it means for you. >> reporter: as booster shots rolled out today, long lines in cities like san antonio. >> it was well worth it. >> i feel like i'm well protected. >> reporter: the pool of americans eligible suddenly expanded overnight in a rare, unexpected move, the cdc director breaking with guidance from the agency's own safety committee in addition to those 65 and up in long-term care facilities and with certain medical conditions, the cdc director deciding health care workers and others at high risk of catching will be eligible for a third dose of pfizer's vaccine six months after being vaccinated. >> those on the front lines, in hospitals and classrooms and those in crowded settings who have put themselves in harm's way on a daily basis, i must do what i can to preserve the health across the nation. >> reporter: 50-year-old mike ryan is a manager at a grocery store. >> the last thing i want to do is get sick or bring something home to my family. >> good morning, everyone >> reporter: today the president also announcing he's eligible. >> i'll be getting

here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: as spectacular as it is dangerous, tonight the ongoing volcaniceruptions on the small spanish island of la palma are triggering a unstoppable, slow-motion disaster for four days, fountains of fire have spewed hundreds of feet high, rivers of bright red lava pouring into pools and engulfing homes. 20-foot high waves of molton rock consuming and covering neighborhoods in their path. >> we feared for our lives. we were running into the house just packing the documents. >> reporter: preceded by a 4.2 earthquake, the eruption continues to crack open fissures and volcanic vents as tremors rattle the canary islands. the sky filled with massive fumes of smoke and sulfur, forcing 6,000 to evacuate and now the scramble to save animals as 200 homes are destroyed. >> reporter: the 1,800 degree lava now flowing downhill towards the populated coastline and perhaps with the most significant threat still ahead. tonight this incredible display of nature's fury could be weeks, even months away from its fiery end. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> tonight we're hearing

here's miguel almaguer >> live from new york, saturday night >> reporter: norm macdonald could play anyonet famous for delivering the news on "saturday night live." as "weekend update" anchor in the '90s, he began to cement his comedic career >> the rock group crosby, stills and nash was inducted into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame. in addition a special lifetime achievement award was presented to david crosby's liver >> reporter: a standup comic from canada, macdonald first found stardom on "snl." his impression of burt reynolds, legendary. >> yeah, i saw this backstage. oversized hat. it's funny >> no, it's not. >> sure it is. funny. it's funny because it's bigger than a normal hat >> reporter: appearing in multiple films -- >> what's today? >> october >> reporter: and a regular on the late night circuit. after his passing, conan o'brien said, i will never laugh that hard again. mcdonald did face controversy for a comment that appeared to downplay victims of the "me too" movement, for which he said he was misconstrued and later apologized >> a new museum later dedicated to broadcast -- b

rester >> miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> while infections from the delta variant may have peaked, thereis concern about new strains of a virus, like the new variant called mu. first identified in columbia earlier this year and now here in every state gabe gutierrez has more. >>> inside this hospital, the fight against covid has been raging this patient lying facedown told us he put off getting vaccinated and got sick in columbia, the predominant covid strain is the mu variant. it was discovered here in january. >> we can conclude that the new variant can transmit one or two times more than the original variant spread in wuhan, china >> reporter: now mu has been identified in all 50 states it's not nearly as contagious as delta. but several weeks ago, the world health organization labeled it a variant of interest. right now it makes up less than 1% of covid cases in the u.s., so experts say it is slightly more common in places like south florida because of travel to and from columbia. >> we take everything like that seriously, but we don't consider it an immediate threat right now. >> re

miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: gabby petito's body was officially identified today. the coroner now ruling her death a homicide discovered in a remote stretch of wyoming's teton mountain range, authorities haven't said how she died but named her missing fiance, brian laundrie, a person of interest. >> from minute one, brian laundrie has done absolutely nothing other than help himself and bide time to cover his tracks and actions. >> reporter: 2,400 miles away in florida, tonight the intensifying search for laundrie in this alligator infested swampland. laundrie's parents told investigators he came to the 25,000-acr reserve for a hike, a day before he was named a person of interest in his fiance's disappearance. >> terrain is very difficult. essentially 75 of it is underwater. >> reporter: after an fbi raid at the family home laundrie's parents telling nbc news through their attorney he left their house with a backpack and hasn't been seen in a week. >> we have been lucky so far. >> reporter: last spotted together in utah, laundrie and gabby petito were documenting th

strategy to combat the delta variant, there are fears of a new spike from holiday travel here's miguel almaguer >> reporter: just as covid cases began to stabilize in some pockets of the country, tonight there is growing concern the nearly pre-pandemic number of americans who traveled for the holiday weekend could fuel another nationwide surge. it comes just as many young, unvaccinated children return to the classroom for the first time, fearing worries over new outbreaks. officials urging parents to take extra precaution >> i'm concerned about that convergence, that perfect storm of flu, covid, and everything else >> reporter: with more than 100,000 hospitalized tonight, big cities like austin are already facing a serious shortage of icu beds in idaho, some ten medical centers are now activating their crisis standards of care, facing a crushing wave of covid patients the hospitals are working under disaster-like circumstances. the governor warned the entire state could soon have to ration care >> i wish everyone can see what i saw in the icu last night >> reporter: though many regions remain o

did the tracks themselves play a role miguel almaguer is there. >> oh my god >> reporter: while cluesie in the wreckage, tonight there is increased focus on the rails did the tracks or maintenance or perhaps human errors play a critical role in the deadly derailment? amtrak's black box similar to this one in 2013 will include critical data like braking and now front facing cameras like the one seen here will show the moments just before the train left the tracks frame by frame >> the focus is on the track itself and on the first wheel of the amtrak train that derailed. >> reporter: with several of the toppled cars just off the track this rural montana rail line has reopened the company that maintains the track says they are regularly inspected. >> the train is destroyed down there >> reporter: with passengers possibly ejected during saturday's accident, almost all of the first responders arrived were volunteers. trevor fosom was driving to a wedding and was the first person on scene. >> some were stunned beyond belief, lik they could not believe what had happened. >> reporter: with do

miguel almaguer has more. >> reporter: it's the news gabby's family hoped they would never hear. >> earliersistent with the description of gabby petito. >> the body was found in a spot the 22-year-old and her fiance were planning to visit late last month according to her mother. >> as every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family. >> reporter: her devastated sad posting this picture of his daughter on social media on sunday writing, she touched the world. her younger brother expressing his shock on instagram writing in part, i'm at a total loss. my heart is shattered. her parents first reported her missing on september 11th, 10 days after her fiancÉe continued on their cross country road trip without her. her dad selling "dateline" he worried he would never see his daughter again. >> i don't know if i could deal. >> reporter: laundrie refused to speak with investigators citing advice from his attorney. his family telling police on friday he left to go hiking at a florida wildlife reserve last tuesday and never returned. investigators bringing in drones and po

here's miguel almaguer with a look back at the life and laughs of a prolific comedian >> live from new >> reporter: norm macdonald could play anyone, but he was perhaps most famous for delivering the news on "saturday night live." as weekend update anchor in the '90s, he began to cement his comedic career >> the in addition, a special lifetime achievement award was presented to david crosby's liver. [ laughter ] >> reporter: a stand-up comic from canada, macdonald first found stardom on "snl," his impression of burt reynolds legendary. >> yeah, i found this backstage, this oversized hat, it's funny >> no, it's not. >> it's funny because it's bigger than a normal hat >> reporter: appearing in multiple films >> what's today? >> october >> reporter: and a regular on the late night circuit after his passing conan o'brien said i will never laugh that hard again. macdonald did face controversy for a comment that appears to downplay victims of the #metoo movement for which he said he was misconstrued and later apologized >> the new museum dedicated to broadcast -- ah. [ bleep ] [ laughter ] m

he has not been seen in almost a week and has been named as a person of interest miguel almaguer hashe latest. >> reporter: today the fbi executing a search warrant at the home brian laundrie shared with his parents and his fiance gabby petito at what was called the crime scene, laundrie's mother and father escorted away by agents who scoured the home looking for leads after their son vanished nearly a week ago laundrie was named as a person of interest in petito's disappearance. days before a body was discovered in wyoming. >> human remains were discovered consistent with the description of gabrielle "gabby" petito >> reporter: just inside the national forest near a campground, investigators scouring the area, but have not released a cause of death. still a crime scene, it is unclear how much time petito may have spent here. it is the same area where a woman says she found laundrie hitchhiking alone which police were investigating. >> he offered to pay us $200 to give him a ride. >> reporter: the couple who were documenting their cross country journey in a van -- >> our plan for tod

but after his summer materialize, we could now see a fall of mandates miguel almaguer, nbc news. los angeles. >>> more mutations are spreading across to hit the u.s., and it's in nearly ty, texas. >> reporter: over the last 18 months, we've gotten a full refresher on the greek alphabet as the coronavirus mutates >> it's like watching hurricane season and running if you're going to run out of letters in the alphabet >> it is a variant of interest >> reporter: it's on the radar, and it's arrived in north texas. still, it hasn't risen to a variant of concern like the delta variant, which still accounts for 99.9% of texas cases. >> it does not appear to be outcompeting the delta variant and doesn't appear to be a major concern at this point. >> reporter: meaning it's not necessarily more contagious or deadly, but it is proof that the virus continues to change. to understand why that matters, that doctor says think of the virus or at least the protein it produces as a lock, and our body's antibioody response as a key. and the current treatment is less likely to fight the virus that's

miguel almaguer has late details >> reporter: tonight the fda panel's dramatic denial. no booster shots for the general public, a safety committee overwhelmingly rejecting a third dose of pfizer's vaccine for most adults. but in an unexpected second vote authorizing its use for those 65 and older and for americans at high risk of contracting severe covid-19 >> we made the decision not to follow israel's lead, which is to just give a third dose, period >> reporter: at the core of today's split decision, clinical research from israel showing vaccine protection from infection does wane after six months, but remains highly effective in preventing hospitalization and serious illness. >> regardless of the vaccines evaluated, all vaccines have remained effective. >> reporter: while it may be too early for most to get a booster, the fda advisory committee agreed a third dose could be used under emergency use authorization. the agency could soon officially recommend a pfizer booster for well over 21 million people >> scientific debate is normal, expected and healthy in the scien

miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> and just a short time ago, i asked dr.hony fauci about the president's sweeping new requirements. >> there are a number of people for one reason or another who just do not want to comply and get vaccinated. we've got to get them vaccinated. and hopefully, they will do it willingly. if not, there will have to be things that essentially put pressure on them, such as you're not going to work in this particular agency or institution. you're not going to be able to go to this college author university unless in fact you get vaccinated. and i believe that once we start doing that, you will see more and more people willingly get vaccinated. >> los angeles schools are talking about requiring vaccines for children 12 and up. is that a model you think would be useful for other schools around the country? >> lester, i do. i do believe that that's the case. and this is not anything new. we have requirements for vaccination for a number of other diseases in the school system. so it would not be a unique situation to have requirements o

miguel almaguer is at the scene in joplin with the latest. miguel, good morning. >> hoda, good morning. at this hour, the ntsb is on scene here behind me with heavy machinery trying to cyst through the wreckage. here is what we know. three people are dead and more than 40 are injured as investigators try to piece together what went wrong. >> oh, my god, it's on its side. >> reporter: the chaotic scene unfolding along a rural stretch of montana. >> this hasn't ever happened. >> reporter: am amtrak can passenger train derailing just outside of joplin saturday with roughly 160 people on board, including 16 crew members. >> oh, the train is destroyed down there. >> reporter: the train was over halfway through its two-day journey from chicago to seattle and portland when around 4:00 p.m., 8 of the train's 10 cars came off the tracks. >> i'm a pretty big guy and i was picked up and thrown from my chair straight into the wall. >> reporter: emergency responders had to pull multiple people out of the wreckage. >> they did have to cut into one of the ca

nbc's national correspondent miguel almaguer is in baton rouge. hey, miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hallie, good morning. the president spent a few hours on the ground touring some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods and far too many communities there is still no power, no food and no other essential supplies. for some, the situation is growing more dire every day. on the ground just outside new orleans, president biden in what's left of laplace, a mangled minefield of homes, just a skeleton of what stood here before. >> i want you to know we're going to be here for you. >> reporter: the president's tour included a view of cities that have become islands. lafitte is lined with houses that are now only home to heartbreak. >> look, don't have the energy and in this heat, if you could help us, we could use it. we really could use it. >> reporter: help is what so many desperately need. >> we're trying to get whatever we can get to survive. >> reporter: five days after the storm, these are still the lines for water, ice, food and fuel. >> it turned int

our thanks to miguel almaguer for that report. >>> coming up, congress has just days left to raise thedebt limit or risk the damage and all that goes with it. there are several new developments on that front. we'll run through them. >>> before we go to break, we want to know, why are you awake? email your answers to "way too early". we'll read the answers later on in the show. nswers later on in the show. downy unstopables with voltaren arthritis pain gel my husband's got his moves back. an alternative to pain pills voltaren is the first full prescription strength gel for powerful arthritis pain relief... voltaren the joy of movement better shouldn't have to cost more. which is why at verizon, plans start at just $35. and if you're not a customer, we'll help cover the costs to switch. just ask wanda, she's been with us since... now. everyone gets $500 when they join. because everyone deserves better. the sleep number 360 smart bed is on sale now. it's the most comfortable, dually-adjustable, foot-warming, temperature-balancing, proven quality night sleep we've ever made. save $1,000 on

court ruled that the governor's ban on mask mandates can remain in place during legal challenges miguel almaguer tonight on the pandemic and schools >> reporter: tonight hundreds of thousands of students at the nation's second largest school district are now on the clock. by the end of this year, children 12 and older will need to be fully vaccinated lausd's unanimous vote to mandate vaccines could be followed by many districts nationwide >> they've done a great job trying to keep our kids educated and reopening schools in a safe way. >> reporter: the decision met with widespread but not full support from parents. >> it should be left up to the parents to make this decision >> reporter: with the white house pushing for mandatory vaccinations for all school employees, the cdc notes the unvaccinated are 11 times more likely to die from the disease in just the last month, covid clusters have triggered an estimated 1,400 school closures in 35 states. in kentucky, where icus are overwhelmed, the republican-led general assembly stripped the governor's power to issue statewide mask mandates, even in sc

savannah. >> miguel almaguer with the latest.s the country with thousands of deaths every year. now a top executive at general motors who lost his own son is trying to make distracted driving something none of us can ignore. tom costello sat down for a real oh emotional interview. tom, good morning. >> yeah, hoda, good morning. the problem is this distracted driving problem hasn't gotten any better, but has fallen off the national radar. this family in michigan have suffered a crushing loss, losing their 18-year-old son. and now they want to make this kind of driving, distracted driving, as taboo, as tataboo, unconscionable and unforgiveable as driving when you're drunk 18-year-olds are not supposed to die just two weeks after starting college but mitchell kiefer's life came to a sudden, violent end on a michigan highway five years ago this week, leaving his family devastated >> yeah. just so senseless. just so senseless. >> mitchell's car was rear-ended by a distracted young driver traveling at 82 miles an hour catapulting him i

vaccinated, and vaccine mandates are facing more and more challenges, which we'll get to in a moment miguel almaguer starts our coverage. >> reporter: divided over the science, tonight just hours before the fda advisory committee is set to vote on the future of boosters, members of the agency are voicing both support and opposition over a third dose of pfizer's vaccine with the stage set for a controversial decision, pfizer says their data shows booster shots are needed six months after the second dose as protection from infection begins to wane but its vaccine continues to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization and serious illness, its most critical function this debate over boosters, does that erode public the public confidence in vaccines >> it's normal for scientists to not necessarily have consensus around a specific issue the problem is we're in a very toxic environment now because of all of the aggression coming from anti-vaccine groups, and they use any kind of difference in opinion as a wedge issue. >> reporter: with volumes of vaccine data now public, a new study in the "new eng

determine a conclusive cause of death, which would be a key point in this investigation, chris. >> miguel almaguer, thanks to both of you. we'll continue to follow this story very closely. i know you'll get back to caty, if you find anything out of that search. >>> some very controversial topics from redistricting to restrictions on transgender athletes are on the agenda in another texas special session. will democrats flee the state to deny republicans a quorum once again? we'll talk to one democratic state senator about what he expects to happen next. you're watching msnbc reports. nt you're watching msnbc reports. this isn't just a walk up the stairs. when you have an irregular heartbeat, it's more. it's dignity. the freedom to go where you want, knowing your doctor can watch over your heart. ♪♪ ♪ ♪ dry eye symptoms keep driving you crazy? inflammation in your eye might be to blame. [inflammation] let's kick ken's ache and burn into gear! over the counter eye drops typically work by lubricating your eyes and may provide temporary relief. those drops will probably pass right by me. xiidra works

our miguel almaguer is there. >> reporter: tonight, this is the misery after the mayhem the lines for basic services, food, fuel, water, and ice stretching for hours in communities where ida's devastation is no match for its aftermath. >> it's just hard. hard for everybody out here >> reporter: on a day where sweltering temperatures reached dangerous levels -- >> it's hot. it's hot we have people in their 80s and 90s here it's hot >> reporter: st. martin manor, a senior community in new orleans, home to 150, is still in the dark disabled residents forced into the lobby as rooms easily top 100 degrees. 74-year-old joanne moss suffers from severe asthma. for three days unable to power her breathing machine. how much longer do you think you can last here >> i can't i can't last i can't. >> reporter: is this life and death for you? >> yes, it is. >> reporter: power across louisiana is still out to roughly one million homes and businesses today, energy was restored to more than 11,000 in new orleans, just a fraction of those in dire need it could be weeks before the mangled shredded power

our miguel almaguer has the late e. >> reporter: the cdc advisory committee signed off for 100 million americans fully vaccinated with pfizer, well over 11 million can now get a booster after fda authorization, the committee gave a green light for a third dose after six months to those 65 and older residents of long-term care facilities and people 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions >> the decision today is critical because it's answering a question all americans are asking, who should get boosters and when >> reporter: but there is still no clear booster timeline for adults under 65 vaccinated with pfizer or for the 45% of americans inoculated with moderna or johnson & johnson >> today's decision only addresses some americans in other countries they are mixing and matching vaccines why aren't we doing that here in the u.s. >> this is where we wanted to let data lead. we want to make the most safe and effective recommendations for americans. >> reporter: the care clinics and doctors offices. many are still anxious country living like hermits now waiting for the booster. so ther

miguel almaguer has the latest. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president unveiled several new mandates aimed at upping vaccinations. here in l.a., the school district decided to ask all students 12 and older to be vaccinated before the end of the year. across the country, many believe those changes could help. with the delta variant fueling more than 100,000 daily covid cases and some hospitals running out of icu beds, this morning, president biden is putting pressure on the unvaccinated. >> we've been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us. >> reporter: the president's new sweeping mandates requiring all federal workers and contractors be vaccinated. his plan calls on osha to issue an emergency rule that any company with 100 or more employees vaccinate its workforce or require testing once a week. the white house says it will affect 100 million workers in the public and private sectors. >> we're going to reduce the spread of covid-19 by increasing the share of the workforce that is vaccinated in busine

nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has more. >> reporter: as the country struggles to get the covid surge fueled by the delta variant under control, now concerns about the virus mutating yet again. the w.h.o. recently labeled the mu strain as a variant of interest. it's been found in nearly every state in the u.s. though still far less common than delta. the w.h.o. has labeled at least nine different variants as of concern or interest as covid continues to rage. >> it's continuously evolving trying to find the right key sort of like a locksmith molding a key to break through the gates of our own immune defenses. >> reporter: some data suggests mu could be resistant to antibodies or vaccines, though more research is needed. dr. fauci says the government doesn't consider the mu variant an immediate threat but notes that as long as a significant number of americans aren't vaccinated, covid will develop increasingly dangerous variants. >> as long as the virus keeps circulating like that, you give it the opportunity to mutate, and when it mutates, you can form another variant, whic

nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: frances, good morning. the damage you see behind me is fairly widespread in this part of louisiana, but what is also so upsetting to many people here is the heartbreak that you can't s see. this is the misery after the mayhem, lines for basic services, food, fuel, water and ice, stretching for hours in communities where ida's devastation is no match for its aftermath. >> it's just hot it's hard for everybody out here. >> reporter: on a day when sweltering temperatures reach dangerous levels -- >> it's hot. we have people in their 80s and 90s here it's hot >> reporter: st. maarten manner, a senior community in new orleans, home to 150, is still in the dark, disabled residents forced into the lobby as rooms easily top 100 degrees 74-year-old joann moss suffers from severe asthma for three days, unable to power her breathing machine. how much longer do you think you can last here? >> i can't i can't last i can't. >> reporter: is this life and death for you? >> yes, it is. >> reporter: power across louisiana is

here is miguel almaguer >> reporter: tonight, the battle over boosters as vaccine makers make their case ahead of friday's fda review of pfizer's booster shot for the general public >> and there you go. >> reporter: today both pfizer and moderna releasing reams of new data and research in their 52-page report, pfizer says boosters are needed six months after the second dose, saying the added shot may be an urgent emerging public health issue, citing data from israel showing individuals vaccinated in january had a more than twofold increased risk for breakthrough infections versus those vaccinated in april. >> but the question is not about how the vaccines are doing today or last month. it's really how are they going to do this winter. >> reporter: the president of moderna telling nbc news their vaccine also shows waning protection against infection over time >> your data shows protection is dipping, but americans who are fully vaccinated are still protected from hospitalization. so why are boosters necessary? >> we do know as we get to a very large number of breakthrough cases, some of t

nbc news' miguel almaguer has the details. >> reporter: more than 100,000 covid cases and some hospitals running out of icu beds, this morning president biden is putting pressure on the unvaccinated. >> we've been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us. >> reporter: the president's sweeping new mandates requiring all federal workers and contractors be vaccinated. his plan also calls on osha to issue an emergency rule that any company with a hundred or more employees vaccinate its workforce or require testing at least once a week. in all, the white house says it'll affect 100 million workers in the public and private sectors. >> we're going to reduce the spread of covid-19 by increasing the share of the workforce that is vaccinated in businesses all across america. >> reporter: the plan sparking conservative backlash. >> joe, you canceled all medical freedom today. >> reporter: some pointing to this answer from the president in 2020 on whether the covid vaccine should be mandatory. >> no, i don't think it should be mandatory. i wouldn't demand it to

miguel almaguer is in new orleans with more. >> reporter: the miz are you after the may help, the lines for basic services stretching for hours in communities where ida's devastation is no match for its aftermath. >> it's hard. it's hard for everybody out here. >> reporter: on a day where temperatures reached dangerous levels. >> it's hot. we have people in their 80s and 90s here. it's hot. >> reporter: saint martin manor, a senior community in new orleans, home to 150 is still in the dark. disabled residents forced into the lobby as rooms easily top 100 degrees. 74-year-old joanne moss suffers from severe asthma, for three days unable to power her breathing machine. >> how much longer do you think you can last here? >> i can't. i can't last. i can't. >> is this life and death for you? >> yes, it is. >> reporter: power across louisiana is still out to roughly 1 million homes and businesses. energy was restored to more than 11,000 in new orleans. just a fraction of those in dire need. it could be weeks before the mangled, shredded power grids is restored. our morgan chesky flew alongside

miguel almaguer is there. >> reporter: oh, my god.t's on its side. >> reporter: cell phones captured the aftermath. but tonight the ntsb confirms multiple train mounted cameras were rolling before and after the deadly amtrak derailment, traveling just under the 79 miles an hour speed limit the agency says passengers may have been ejected. >> we're literally thrown out of our chairs, my father and i. it was unlike anything i have ever felt. >> reporter: after multiple 911 calls -- >> 911, what is your emergency? >> hi. i just - i'm on an amtrak train in montana that just crashed. >> reporter: it was mostly volunteers who raced to the scene in the middle of rural montana. >> the train is destroyed down there. >> reporter: zach snyder is one of the three who lost their lives. his wife somehow survived also killed in the crash two passengers dozens were injured. five hospitalized. with the ntsb piecing together saturday's crash, amtrak's empire builder was traveling west with two locomotives and ten cars on a fairly straight stretch of tr

we begin with nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: the race to rescue is still unfolding in louisiana,, stranded for days, plucked from homes where the water is rising and hope was fading. >> we got rescued by a truck just now. >> reporter: pregnant and desperate, heather webe finally escaped the flood waters. >> our house is under water, we would have drowned. >> reporter: facing a complex maze of submerged roads, bucket highways and alligator infested waters which likely claimed one life, search teams still can't reach the hardest hit communities. in just this one area of jefferson parish, not far outside new orleans, they have 135 rescues in just one day. if you want to go further, you'll need a boat. the easiest ways into grand isle and la feet is through the area. what happened in minutes could leave the stranded for days. >> it was unbelievable, 4 feet of water just came rushing in. >> reporter: with the scope of destruction coming into focus, what's out of view is devastating, surrounded by water, half a million have none from their taps safe to drink. lines for gas and supplies

miguel almaguer is in wyoming with the latest. >> reporter: hoda, good morning.t body was discovered. the investigators believe belongs to gabby petito. forensic teams are still trying to determine if that is, in fact, her body. meantime, investigators are looking for another missing person, gabby's fiancee. >> it's the news gabby petito's family hoped they would never hear. >> earlier today, human remains were discovered consistent with the description of gabrielle, gabby petito. >> the fbi saying that the body was found sunday night near grand teton national park in wyoming, a spot the 2 -year-old and her fiancee were planning to visit late last month, according to her mother. >> as every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family. >> gabby's devastated dad posting this picture of his daughter on social media sunday writing she touched the world. her younger brother expressing his shock on instagram writing in part, i'm at a total loss. my heart is shattered. petito's parents first reported her missing on september 11th, ten days af