Brings new carpeting. The neighbor comes knocking on my door and say the water coming. We opened all the gates and within seconds you had water this high in the front yard. The daughter was kicking back. Police came into my house, we need to be evacuated. We start panicking because we have a baby. The waters have receded but the concerns have not. A spokesman for the menlo park Fire Protection says a levee along the creek have been damaged by the third highest flow rated since the 1950s. They will look to clear that added to the backup last night. We would like to get people out so we have a hundred year capacity of the water flows to go underneath these bridges. Reporter the answer may be inside for palo alto and east palo alto. Members. Joint Powers Authority who are in charge of the water flow, the project begins this summer will take 18 months, two years and then possibly all the flood problems down here will be history. Carolyn more rain is on the way. Dan which is exactly what we continue need but Spencer Christian is here. A wet christmas. Its dry across the bay area right now. There is rain well to our north and off the north coast. As you can see, its moving in our direction. That will be our next rain event. Meanwhile, lets look at storm totals. Weve had quite a drenching up in Sonoma County, over 11 inches of rain, 10 at ben lomond mountain, over 6 at san rafael. Quite a soaking and that is the concern about flooding. At the moment, things are looking pretty good. Russian river in guerneville crested at about two feet below flood stage and still receding. Enemy river, also crested below foot stage. Those waters are receding but more rain on the way which could increase our concern again about flooding. Here is a look at satellite radar, as the storm approaches and ill show you when and where it will first arrive and how much rain we expect. Dan for all the problems the storms caused, it has made for a very Merry Christmas for tahoe ski resorts. Carolyn the snow piled three feet of snow on heavenly feet, it is up to nine feet for the month of december alone. The resort says that the most in ten years. Well have a live report coming up in about ten minutes. Dan nearly six feet of snow over the last seven days, second snowiest christmas on record in alpine meadows. More than 18 feet has fallen so far. Its very good news for those folks. 17 inches of snow is expected at squaw and alpine this week. Carolyn San Francisco prosecutors filed felony hit and run as well as vehicular charges. The charges are in connection with an accident last thursday night on Christmas Tree point road on twin peaks. Police say the car slammed into another knocking four people into the embank ltd. A 56yearold person died in the crash and they also face charges of felony d. U. I. A driver that jumped into canal, the search has been called off. Police made a traffic stop for possible d. U. I. On sir Francis Drake boulevard. They chased him along the canal until they lost sight of him. Search crews could not find the driver. About 20 people in mill valley are without water. Sky 7 flew over the scene masmt run avenue was closed between bell lane and flamingo road for a short time. Water district crews are excavating the area to determine what they are dealing with. Dan now lets talk about holiday food. Christmas eve dinner would not be the same without dungeness crab. People are lining up outside Fishermans Wharf but at 25, this that decision not cheap. We started getting crab and then i make fettuchini but its got to be crab. The Stormy Weather and brief strike two weeks ago but a strain on the supply of fresh crab. Dan many supermarkets are already sold out of this very tasty treat. As you can see its a bit pricy but it is so good. Last minute toy drive is under way to make sure that every child has a Merry Christmas. Dan lefty odouls started attention donation this morning and will go through christmas morning. Reporter were up just up union square. Celebration is in full swing. Toys are being electricity. So far they have collected 2200 toys but they are falling way short of 15,000. Firefighters is asking people to come help children a toy of christmas. I think its good. I he is getting early christmas toys. Gifts like this skateboard are wellreceived. Its good really fun we get free toys every year for christmas. Sometimes you get like free food, too. I think it is great because some kids dont have this opportunity. Reporter that stuff is donated toys that have been delivered to lefty odouls by the San Francisco firefighters. Kickoff was ahended by mayor ed lee and other department heads. Donations have been stacked in the back of the restaurant, sord and put into barrels for delivery. This may appear to be a massive amount of toys, the need outweighs the donation so far. To find out there is more and more kids are going without toys this year. This year, were going deliver 43,000 43,000 kids with 200,000 toys. Luxor cabs is also helping them and delivering them here at no charge. Lefty odouls will be collecting until 2 00 in the morning. If you want to know where i can drop off toys, go to our website at abc7news. Com and click on a link there. Youll find some areas whereyou can drop off toys or if not, go to your nearest fire station. Dan thank you so much. Carolyn still ahead, its going on be an unpleasant holiday for these people. What happened when they arrived at that their point at the Passport Office. Dan in new York Firefighters rushed to a fire thinking they would help others but it turned out to be a trap. Carolyn teeing taking a look at traffic, its Christmas Eve its pretty heavy out there, east bay and lower deck of the bay bridge, the approach were seeing on the lefthand side of your screen. Stay with us. Abc 7 news continues after this. Dan police in new york state say a man who ambushed firefighters and served 17 years for manslaughter for the death of his grandmother. He set fire to lure firefighters and when they arrived he opened fire killing two firefighters. Reporter four firefighters responded to in the night to flames outside rochester looking to save lives. A gunman had set up an ambush and begin shooting. It does appear it was a trap. Two suffered serious wounds while two others why killed. A fireman who is also a lieutenant with the western Police Department was deceased at the scene. Mike not only volunteered for the Fire Department but also served as a full time Police Lieutenant and Media Spokesman in webster new york. Tomas also died in the shooting and joseph and theodore will spend the recovery in the hospital with bullets lodged in their body. One was embedded in his spine and that will not be removed. Other firefighters had to act in defiance, lmg the fire burn while an armored personnel carrier evacuated people. Seven homes were completely consumed, others nearby damaged. Shooter is deceased. He died of selfinflicted gun wounds. He targeted his victim today from a nearby berm close to the burning homes. Outside the firehouse, this tightknit community is in mourning. His mom passed away and he lived with his sister. They believe he lured firefighters into the ambush by setting fire to their home and his own car. Dan unbelievable. Todays tragedy in new york has touched from a firefighters all over the nation. The bay area is no exception. Coming up at 5 00, well talk to local firefighters about the dangers they face on the job and what they are planning to do. Carolyn registered nurses at nine bay area hospitals are walking the picket lines for a oneday strike. This is the eighth walkout by the California Nurses Association against Sutter Health this year. Union has been in contentious contracted negotiations for the past 18 months. Sutter did hire replacement nurses to fill in. Strike is scheduled to end at 7 00 a. M. Tomorrow. If you are interested in a career as a california Highway Patrol officer you might want to work on your resume. They will be accepting applications for a free day period after the year. You can only apply online and dates from thursday january 3rd through saturday, january 5th. This is the first time in three years the chp has accepted applications. If you are interested in applying, we have a link at facebook recruiting page on our website. Find out on see it on tv. A nice holiday gesture by president obama. It ruined Christmas Plans for dozens of people in the bay area. This group of people were surprised when they went to the San Francisco Passport Office only to find out that was closed. The office was supposed to be open today but last friday, president obama signed a last minute executive order making Christmas Eve a federal holiday. People who showed up with morning appointments and plans to travel today or tomorrow were just left out in the cold. I dont know what i can do. I am still waiting out here just trying with the hope they will open and kids can get the passports and can travel. Dan this is was especially frustrating for people who had done all the required paperwork and had been told to come in monday morning to pick up their passport. Carolyn yikes. That is unbelievable. Dan now they are stuck for a couple days. Carolyn back to the weather and its bringing a lot of snow to the sierra. Dan good news. Sally joins us live from heavenly mountain, at the top of gun barrel lift. Reporter i can hear you fine. Dan this is fabulous reversal of fortune compared to last year . We are able to go into this Holiday Season 100 open. Carolyn that means every lift is open . Every lift and trail and we have something for everyone here. Carolyn you dont need to make snow or do you still do that . Were still making snow in certain areas, like our terrain park but the last storm brought us three to five feet of new snow. People will enjoy the conditions. Dan sally, what are the crowds like . Do you have a great turnout . We have a great turnout. We have a great turnout. Happy holidays and good skiing up there. Carolyn it looks like there could be more snow on the way, too, in the days to come. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. A wet on one there and white one there. Under dry conditions from High Definition sutro camera, looking eastward across the bay. Its lovely Christmas Eve day across the bay area, mainly sunny skies and its dry, but that is only for now. Here is a look at live doppler 7hd. Its going remain dry during the afternoon and evening hours. We have rainfall down northwest offshore. That is moving in our direction. Its off the north coast. We are not getting any rainfall reports but that will change. Temperature readings are generally in a uniform range, mid50s. Low 50s in out lying areas. These are the forecast features. It will be turning cloudy and rainy and breezy Christmas Day and then spreading southward. Showers are likely on wednesday, as well. Cold in the interior valleys of the north bay and east bay where low temperatures will drop into the 30s up at napa. Santa rosa and fairfield and livermore and concord. Low 40s more for most other parts. Here at frontal system bringing our next bout of Stormy Weather. Well start our forecast animation, 7 00 at which point it will be cloudy and no rain has expected to arrive. But by 11 00 tomorrow morning, rain developing in northern Sonoma County pushing down santa rosa. Then steadier rain around the north bay, beginning to push south of golden gate and by 5 00 tomorrow afternoon, widespread rainfall across most of bay area with moderate to heavy rain in many areas. Showers will trail into wednesday. By 7 00 wednesday evening well be looking at mainly dry conditions but we will have received quite a bit of rainfall by then. Totals up to 2 inches in the north bay mountains. Inch and a half in the north bay. 1. 2 inches in the east bay. Half in peninsula and two inches in santa cruz mountains. Over in the sierra, winter storm watch is in effect, four to eight inches above 4,000 feet. Back here in the bay area, brings you wet and raw up in the north bay, rainy with highs in the upper 40s to around 50. Rain will spread. Monterey bay, dry and bit milder tomorrow with high temperatures generally in the mid to upper 50s. Rain will be late to arrive there if it does at all. Here is accuweather sevenday forecast. Showers wednesday, mainly dry on thursday, tah slight chance. Drying out friday. Another slight chance of showers on saturday. Then it looks great for new years eve. Revellers. Dan you will be wrong of them. I revel but i be careful. A holiday hero, they save a woman from drowning and what his wife has to say about the daring drive. Carolyn and 63 santa claus makes. Those headlights heading towards San Francisco. Its really ticky out. You can see its kind of slow going. Stay with us. Abc 7 news at 4 00 continues right after this. Dan jack klugman, acted for and regular guy who was loved by millions of people has died. He was the messy one in tvs the odd couple. He played the Crime Fighting coroner in quincy. Great show. He lost thinks throat voice to throat cancer and trained himself to speak again. He was with his family and exact cause of death is not known. His son says his father had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it he was 90 years old. Carolyn a Police Officer is being called a hero after rescuing a drowning woman in new england. He did it under the worst conditions. Reporter its protect and serve to whole new level. [ siren ] reporter this cellphone video shows boston Police Officer jumped into frigid river to rescue a drowning woman. He said he didnt think twice. I feel like i would expect someone else to do for one of my loved ones, my wife or my daughter or mom or anybody. Reporter the frantic woman was desperately clinging to a raft. She later said she accidentally fallen into the water during a torrential downpour. With a little help from the life preservers, the officer was able to keep her calm and above water until firefighters arrived. She kept saying, i cant hold on. I said hold on. Everyone made it out of the water safely but there was one casualty, his wedding ring slipped off and hero or not, his wife had some new marching orders for him. Make sure you get a new one. [ laughter ] carolyn job well done. Dan imagine how cold that water was. Moving on. End of a disappointing 510 season for Arizona Cardinals but that did not stop one player of brightening the day of one young fan. Sam honcho, he gives his glove to a fan and talk about an early christmas for the Arizona Cardinal fan. Carolyn how cute is. That the boys reaction, one of delight. Showing his mom may be the best Christmas Present of his life. Dan that is sweet. When we come back, still ahead tonight, messages of hope from across the nation to the residents of newtown, connecticut is very difficult Holiday Season. With not many hours left to go there is a quite a Christmas Eve shopping frenzy. Many of last minute shoppers are men. Well hear from those men coming up. Carolyn imagine that. Happy holiday getaway for this injured california sea lion at mammal center. Injured no more. Dan there is not much time left for shopping. And mad rush is on. Carolyn wouldnt you know it many of the shoppers are men. Business and Technology Reporter david louie is tracking their moves for us. Reporter and i would be smug and say i got all my shopping done but they need to get the presents under tree. Some of the major malls are closing at 6 00. Weve already seen some stores already closed. You can tell from the long lines at the checkout stands and from the volume of cars pulling into the mall there is a lot of last minute shopping under way. I found out there is christmas tomorrow. I have a little shopping. But the shoppers are mostly men on Christmas Eve. Are you giving me a hard time waiting for the last minute. Reporter why did you wait so long . I got most of it done. Reporter these are the frosting on the cake for retailers. They are projecting holiday sales will be 23 above last year. Not bad considering the recession isnt over. Busiest uncertainty is what to buy. This shopper had two sesame street elmos. Im trying to figure out what to get that. Assault hardest thing. You cant buy things too intricate. Maybe the strategy which toys attract their attention. Santa can always use feedback. But going to the toy section with his dad and grandmother was having fun taking photos on a smart phone of her grandson using the store as a playground. They can spend a half an hour in an aisle. They had snow shovels and big plastic balls. He had a wonderful time. They put it aul back on the shelves and walked away. Reporter back on the shelves and not having to spend money. Last minute shoppers can also brag they are taking advantage of mark downs at the palace minute. Some stores were offering 2540 off. Dan thanks very much. Carolyn big retailers are doing a lot of deals to lure the shoppers. How are small local businesses competing . Lyanne melendez will that have story coming up at 4 55. Dan lets move to overseas news. After afghan policewoman is in custody after shooting death of an adviser. It happened outside the Police Headquarters in the capital city of kabul. She walked into and shot and killed the american. She was able to enter the facility armed because she is an officer and was election today carry a pistol. One afghan lawmaker is calling for additional screening measures for all candidates for the police force. Dan Nelson Mandela is spending christmas in the hospital. 94yearold leader has been fighting a lung infection and had gallstones removed in south africa at a hospital there. The she improving and responding well to treatment. He was admitted to the hospital december 8th and there is no timetable for his release. Carolyn traditional Christmas Eve mass at vatican drew thousands to st. Peters basilica. Pope benedict delivered a theme of world peace. The Service Begins at 10 00 p. M. Local time in rome. That is so the pontiff can rest before the Christmas Day speech. Dan american soldiers are spending an early christmas along with other International Troops in afghanistan. U. S. And other nato forces sat down to a special meal on Christmas Eve. They attended a Christmas Mass and candlelight service. They are based at high security compound at Kabul International airport. Even though they realize the importance of what we are doing here. I feel a little home sick. I wish i could be with family and friends. Nato troops are helping Afghan Forces to secure the country after 2014. Carolyn residents in newtown connecticut are planning to light candles in memory of the victims of the sandy hook shooting. The nation has opened its heart to this community this holiday. News reporter rob nelson has the story. Reporter during the sciences of giving, the people of newtown connecticut have been overwhelmed by love and support. Everybody does a a little bit and it means a whole lot. The post office has been flooded with gifts, letters and prayers. Incredible sprinkles of love from all over the globe. From brazil, australia, its amazing. At the local townhall there are mountains of toys and Hurricane Sandy victims wanted to spread christmas joy. Weve had so much help, we wanted to help somebody else. The people agree. Supporters in lieu of gifts to perform 26 acts of kindness. Everyone is joining in from giving away pie or this reporter who bought donuts for a cop and woman with grots arise and taught a kid how to ride a bike. A reminder of the greatest gift of all, love and care for one another. Dan that is rob nelson reporting. Carolyn lets take a look at new vacuums on the market. Michael finney has a look at the brands that work the best. Batted bad weather across the nation is likely to be the grinch spoiling travel plans. Mount tam camera, we see partly cloudy skies. Most mostly cloudy later and then the rain. Im Spencer Christian and christmas forecast is coming up. Carolyn it is a very easy drive right now on bay bridge, toll plaza live no wait even if you dont have fastrak, i can sail through. Well continue dan bad weather is spoiling good times for many this Holiday Season. There are many travelers will wont be where they were planning. Forecasters are predicting a write christmas for the northeast. Residents of syracuse, new york, plows are working overtime and frustrated drivers stuck with no place to go. The weather was bad. Winds were fierce and blowing the cars around. You could see the semis were swerving. There is no place like home for the holidays but the weather isnt making it easy to get there. It has delayed and stranded millions of travelers. There is a lot of spinouts further east. There is definitely going to be chain control for the next two days at least going into christmas. A huge snow snowstorm hits Northern California hard causing hundreds of delays and cancelling lights in and out of San Francisco, with the average delay averaging two hours. It has left many drivers in the sierras unable to stay on the road. Oklahoma is expected to get hit hard by snow tonight, complicating travel for the state after santa brought a record of 14 snows on Christmas Eve shutting the road bay down for the evening. According to aaa more than one in four americans will take a road trip this Holiday Season. The trip depends on if Mother Nature and christmas can get along. Carolyn lets check in with Spencer Christian with a look at our forecast. No rain in the bay area. As we shifted our attention you can see the rain off the north coast and will bring us wet weather tomorrow. Nationally, we can expect showers and thundershowers in parts of the mississippi and gulf coast. Snow in parts of oklahoma. Cold in the great high plains and mixture in the pacific northwest. Here the state, mixed bag. Partly sunny and milder down south. Mid60s in palm springs, farther northward, from fresno, its wintry. Sierra, snowfall to points in the sierra and rain all the way up to the northernmost mountains. We expect a wet christmas here. Its going to start up in the north bay tomorrow where the rain will be in the Early Morning hours north of golden gate. It will be cool with the high temperatures in the upper 40s to around 50. Late later day well see it sweep in different areas in the bay area. Mid50s will be high temperatures. Still a mixed bag tomorrow but by late in the day tomorrow, it will be weather in all parts of the bay area and locally heavy downpours and moderate heavy rainfall as the rain gets organized in the afternoon and evening hours. Good news it wont last too long it should break up by wednesday. Dan thanks. Carolyn still ahead at 4 00, a botox warning, what the federal government wants medical professionals to be aware of. And writing letters to santa, how one nineyearold Cancer Patients dream is now helping others. Carolyn california sea lion heads home for the holidays. Stay with us, abc 7 news at 4 00 continues right after this. Dan consumer news, if you are getting to buy a new vacuum cleaner. Carolyn you got up rights and listed goes on and on. Dan which models clean best in brandnew report comparison. Reporter nobody likes to vacuum but how many miles have you vacuumed in your life . Consumer reports has. In the latest tests, testers vacuumed 16 miles of carpets and floors. Vacuums are stylish and sleek. These are some of the 73 upright vacuums they put through tough tests. Ones we tested cost 80 dozen more than a thousand. Most important test, how well a vacuum cleans carpets. Consumer reports hard mix of sand and other things and presses the dirt in and then its time to vacuum. Some vacuums make big claims like this one like this eureka. It bets the dyson carpet cleaner at half the price. Reporter this eureka does cost 160 compared to 600 dysondc41 but. I found that they were both mediocre at cleaning carpets. Reporter they measure how much force you need to push and pull a vacuum. Consumer reports sized up how easy vacuums how to use by evaluating how difficult they are to carry and empty. For bagged uprights consider a kenmore at 170, for bagless uprights, try this air speed at 120, another best buy. Both do a very good job cleaning carpets. They say the vacuums areser to use on staring and named a kenmore canister a best buy. This model 21614. Im Michael Finney, 7 on your side. Federal regulators are warning doctors of counterfeit botox. A batch shipped by a canadian supplier could be unsafe. They have written to more than 350 medical practices warning that botox has not been approved it says the company has been linked to ship counterfeit cancer drugs. This is the fifth bogus drug alert the fda has issued this year. Dan a nineyearold cancer patient has raised nearly 9 million. Mark and ellen miller learned that she had an inoperable brain tumor. She gets to travel to paris but before she went there, she asked daddys write letters to santa. To believe her spirit during this time, otherwise, these times are really lonely. The goal was 10,000 letters. It escalated. To 241,000. Despite go treatments, she made her first public appearance this weekend. Thank you, happy holidays. What a sweety and cancer leaves her physically weak and alters her speech but it doesnt diminish her spirit one bit. Carolyn good spirits on rodeo beach in Marin Headlands where they released a healthy sea lion. He was is juvenile sea lion. They discovered he had a intestinal disorder but with medication and diet he was nursed back to health and raid to go. Dan get out of my way, i have to get to the water. Coming up next, santa whether children have been naughty or nice. Watching st. Nick as he makes his trip around the world. Well find out where he has been and where he is headed coming up. And Lyanne Melendez live in alameda where this year the independent businesses are saying, were not afraid of the big chain stores. Ill tell you how they are doing coming up. Dan coming up new at 5 00, only on abc 7 news, a harrowing rescue along the swollen napa river. Tins moments for firefighters as they bring this man to safety. Carolyn plus Michael Finney helps a woman when she cant get her television repaired even though its under warranty. You know how much grandma wanted to be here for your fist christmas . You see grandma lives waaaay down here, and you live way up here. Brian, your cousin, hes a little bit older than you, he lives here, in chicago. And your aunt lisa lives here, in baltimore. Uncle earnie . Waaay out in hawaii. But dont you worry, we will always be together for christmas. [ male announcer ] being together is the best part of the holidays and cheerios is happy to be part of the family. You just ate dallas carolyn Big Box Stores have been inundated with shopper is and some are staying open until 10 00 tonight. Dan a lot of men are waiting for the last minute. Many mom and pop businesses are doing pretty well. Carolyn Lyanne Melendez is live with that side of the story for us. Reporter i have to say guys its kind of convenient for People Like Us that work late that some of these Stores Remain open. In fact, a friend of mine posted on her account, facebook account for her friends, save up to 50 on christmas gifts, last minute sale. Despite the last minute frenzy, mom and pop shops are doing pretty well. They dont try to go head to head with the big chain stores. You dont competed witness and you stay open later for the customers. Reporter here is what many of indie retailers have. For starters its a more relaxed Shopping Experience along with extra customer experience. You have to be personable and Customer Service is key. Michelle says she has freshly baked cookies for her customers. Most of my customers i know by name and face. Its a different kind of ballgame. Park street in alameda is popular because of all the independent stores here. Many of them offer one of a kind merchandise. These are one of a kind, certainly. I think it is so important to support local. Lisa is the owner of laurens closet. She says her clients know why it is important to buy local. It keeps the money in the city. Reporter they opened her store, silk road just as the recession begin. She told us for the first time she overstocked and nearly sold out. Last year and year before i remember people would say oh, i like this, but you wouldnt get as much. I notice they are buying more. Perhaps the sign that Consumer Confidence is finally back to where it should be. Reporter they have one thing in common, both tomorrow the indies and the big stores will be closed for christmas but as we all know, that will some day change. Carolyn phones are ringing nonstop at Peterson Air Force base where volunteers are monitoring santas progress. Take a look at this video from norad. Annual santa tracking operation. They have answered more than 7,000 phone calls asking about santas journey. They are posting on facebook and twitter. You can see exactly what is going on with santa. You can tell from this map a little bit difficult to make out that giant red square there represents santa. He is over scotland and heading now for inverness. We have a link for you. Go to abc7news. Com and click on see it on tv. Dan thanks so much for joining us at 4 00. Carolyn abc7 at 5 00 begins right now. Safe and sound, a dramatic rescue of a man on a swollen napa river. Carolyn downed trees and messy mudslides, a big cleanup effort following yesterdays heavy rain. Im Spencer Christian in the accuweather forecast, rudolph will need bright red noegs and an umbrella. A harrowing water rescue on the napa river all caught on camera. Abc 7 news was there as this man was brought to safety. Im carolyn johnson. Dan lets go straight to News Reporter Cornell Bernard who begin our live coverage, really dramatic images . Absolutely. We arrived just moments after this man wound up in the napa river right underneath third street bridge. You what the is very cold tonight. The current extremely swift. Its no longer under a Flood Warning but firefighters say the man nearly drowned. 911 call went out about noon that a man was in the napa river. He was flailing. He needed rescuing. Firefighters went into action and threw him a rope and pulled him to the bank. It took about ten minutes, the victim struggling to stay afloat. A ladder was brought in and man eventually climbed out to safety. Firefighters say with the water so high, there was really no time to wait. Might not been able to get to him with all the debris they can get injured on and its a bad place to be any time. Reporter the firefighter said the man was in good spirits and possibly intoxicated. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution. He said he judged into the river because it seemed like a fun thing to do. Luckily he is safe tonight and he is thanking firefighters for rescuing him. Carolyn terrific ending to that one. In east bay, downed trees and mudslides prompted road closures. Crews are