They hunker down and wait out the severe weather. Some of them from the bay area and theyre hoping to come home safe. Chief meteorologist jeff ranieri tracking those conditions. Where do things stand now, jeff . Right now the storm system is starting to pull away from Puerto Vallarta. Watch how much this has started to diminish. Now that it moved inland, its starting to shrink at the current moment. Down from the max winds of 200 Miles Per Hour, to 100 Miles Per Hour. Pressure is also rising. Another sign of this storm system weakening. How close of a miss is this storm system from Puerto Vallarta . Its only an 80mile distance, so very, very close miss here for that town. We do want to underscore a lot of mexico is getting hit very hard right now from this storm system that is still a category 2. Remnants of the storm head right for texas saturday and sunday, and that will cause flooding issues. This storm system was able to go from a 40mileperhour system to 200 Miles Per Hour in just 36 hours, all due to el nino and the warm waters in the pacific. If we did not have that happening, this storm system would not be here today. Im tracking more and have more in just a few minutes. Many tourists rushed to get out of the storms path. One bay area woman and a friend vacationing in port a vallarta are still there. Peggy, she said she had no choice. She just had to stay put and make the best of it. Thats right. You can imagine how terrified. She said that she couldnt get any information from the mexican authorities or u. S. Consulate. She and her Three Friends from san jose decided to hunker down in their hotel room. Weve been talking to her throughout the evening. This is what she told us. The largest hurricane to hit the western hemisphere. Hurricane patricia blasted into mexico, with winds pushing 200 Miles Per Hour. An unprecedented speed. With roads closed, and flights canceled, americans vacationing in Puerto Vallarta scrambled to find a safe place to ride out the storm. We were evacuated from our hotel this morning for the hurricane. We came to this convention center. They said its not a safe place, so were going to another center. Lisa smiley from san jose and a few of her girlfriends flew to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate a big birthday and found them trapped in the path of a monstrous storm. Called the u. S. Embassy, tried to change flights. But to no avail. Lisa said the u. S. Consulate in mexico was not much help, issuing the following statement that says in part, we strongly encourage u. S. Citizens to take shelter as advised by mexican authorities. Or at any time they feel in danger. They put masking tape on the windows. Which didnt seem very secure. So theyre going to shut off the power. Our expectation is that were going to ride this storm out in a bathroom with a mattress in the dark. As they pass the time waiting for the storm to hit, lisa told me her biggest fear. Just not getting home to my family. Around 8 00 tonight, we talked again. By then, lisas hotel had completely lost power. Were hoping now that its just passing by. Although it does sound like its picking up. Its speculated about 7 Million People are currently in this heavily touristed area. Ive not talked to lisa in several hours. Ive been reaching out to her but have not heard back. Weve heard that people there are hunkering down, but theres no power everywhere. That is the latest from her from Puerto Vallarta. Im sure communication lines are down. Thanks, peggy. Patricia is the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the western hemisphere, bigger and stronger than Hurricane Katrina. This is video of katrina ten years ago. Maximum wind gusts during katrina, 110 Miles Per Hour. Patricia clocked in at more than 200 Miles Per Hour at landfall. Lets compare it to another devastating storm. This is hurricane andrew which killed dozens when it devastated south florida in 1992. It had wind gusts of up to 175 Miles Per Hour. A lot of people in the bay area have families and friends in the path of Hurricane Patricia. Right now, they can only pray and hope for the best. Nbc bay areas pete is in the mission district. Pete, you spoke with a man who is on pins and needles now as he waits for word from his family in mexico. Reporter a difficult thing for him to watch, as the historic hurricane made landfall. Its on the hearts and minds of his customers. A typical day at this bakery. A social meeting spot for decades, right here in the mission. Undercurrent of worry is in the air. Patricia heading toward a place where louie calls home. It does really hit a chord when somebody you know is in that area. Reporter louie continued working. No reply for several hours. And then a phone call. Theyre protected by the sierra madre, a Mountain Range that is going to keep them out of the center of the eye. The caretaker of the house told me that the roof on the third floor blew off. Reporter the same could not be said for juan, a local customer i met outside. Heres a picture of his familys home, before the hurricane. Hitting at 185 Miles Per Hour. Right on the eye of the storm. Reporter while louie can breathe a sigh of relief, juan must prepare for the worst. Right now im kind of a little you know, i would say nervous. Reporter now, louie is still waiting to hear from family members. Juan plans to fly to mexico as soon as possible. He may have to wait for a bit. In san jose, dozens people came out to pray for their own loved ones. A church in san antonio kept the doors open all night. Theyre receiving phone calls from people waiting to hear from family members. This community here is mostly mexican immigrants, spanish speaking. Theyre separated from their family. Theres already that heart ache of separation. And this makes it even worse, because the communications are down. The churchs next move will be to help those impacted by Hurricane Patricia. Parts of texas already flooded from another storm. Now bracing for more. Those remnants of Hurricane Patricia are expected to move into texas this weekend. Nearly ten inches of rain have already fallen in the dallas area just in the past couple of days. And another six inches are expected in the south and central parts of texas this weekend. Chief meteorologist jeff ranieri joins us now. The size of the hurricane is astonishing. It is really unbelievable. We calculated the overall width and the height of this storm, if you will, in terms of miles. And then we equated it to the United States to see how much land this would occupy. The way it was at its max size, it would have covered missouri, illinois, indiana, ohio, iowa, and also west virginia. Just astonishing when you think about that with this storm system. Im back with a full update and bay area rain chances in about ten minutes. See you soon. Thank you, jeff. Take a look at this. Here you can really see the magnitude of this hurricane. Astronaut scott kelly posted this picture on twitter that he took from the International Space station. From this view, you can see the eye of the storm. But you cant even see the Pacific Ocean underneath it. Hurricane hunters fly right through that eye that janel mentioned into the storm, to better understand how the system is working. Tonight we have amazing video of a flythrough of Hurricane Patricia. The video posted on youtube. Scientists at the noaa flew into the hurricane yesterday when it was still a category 4. They wanted to get to the eye and they had to pass through the strong winds first. You can hear the plane getting pelted by rain and hail. You can barely see the planes propellers from the window. When they get to the eye, it is clear and calm. Well be updating our digital platform throughout the weekend. Go to nbcbayarea. Com or download our free app to get the latest information 24 7. If youd like an update in spanish, go to our sister station telemundo, live updates at 7 00 in the morning. Hurricane patricia special will be airing at 5 30 on channel 48 telemundo. Still to come at 11 00, a Major Airline apologizes after leaving a disabled man stranded after a flight. The dramatic steps it took to get off that plane. Its being sold on the streets of San Francisco and it could be deadly. The important warning vofinvolv a common Prescription Drug that may not be the real thing. El nino in california. Actions youre urged to take right now. The negligent death of a baby gorilla. The usca has slapped the San Francisco zoo with a fine for what they call was the negligent death of a baby gorilla. 750,000 is what they were fined. The 15monthold gorilla was crushed under an electric door back in november. It angered animal activists. They said Better Safety measures should have been in place, and the fine is meager for a gorilla. He darted under the door as it was closing. A warning tonight about counterfeit san xanex is being on the streets of San Francisco. Last week one person was found dead with it on them. Another almost died after taking the pills. Doctors say taking it could reverse the effects of those fake drugs. A followup on a stabbing at a pittsburgh grocery store. Were learning lots of tips from the public that led officers to the suspects home and eventually his arrest. They tracked 34yearold anthony to his home in pittsburgh this afternoon. He was arrested as he was walking out. Police say harmio was stealing shaving razors from a supermarket last night. When employees confronted him, he stabbed three of them. A west el nino winter still on track for california. Tonight theres an Important Message from fema. Theyre urging homeowners to get Flood Insurance even if you dont live directly near a creek or river. Buying Flood Insurance they say is the most powerful action to prepare for el nino. There are maps on the fema website that help you to check to see if youre in a floodprone area. It is the warm el nino waters that made Hurricane Patricia grow. Its hammering cities with severe wind and rain. The category 5 storm is a powerful reminder of what thousands of people endured during Hurricane Katrina ten years ago. Survivors know what people in patricias path are going through right now, and how they will feel when the storm blows over, and their lives are blown apart. We have one couples story. It is a long road ahead. Reporter thats right. August 29th, 2005. Sylvia and johnny clarks lives changed forever. They lost everything they owned in Hurricane Katrina. They said watching patricia hit landfall in mexico brings back horrible memories. Already made landfall oh, my god. Reporter for sylvia and johnny clark, watching Hurricane Patricia reaching land along the coast of mexico is painful to see. Because ten years ago, they were in the eye of another powerful storm, Hurricane Katrina. We were setting down watching the news with my son. And thats how we knew our house was gone. Reporter the clarks home was located in the new orleans seventh ward. The place they called home their entire live. Katrina changed their lives forever. We had no money. You know, i mean, because you couldnt use your debit card, because everything was the storm destroyed everything. Reporter theyre hoping people in the path of patricia wont have to go through what they did. But if they do, they say it wont be easy. I can imagine what those people are going through. Especially when they have nowhere to go. Reporter Emergency Management experts say the first thing people need following a Natural Disaster is monetary help. Because you never know exactly what people may need during a crisis. Unrequested, unsorted material becomes a burden to people trying to manage the disaster. Its actually early when theyre told to by the government. And for whatever reason they have not followed that advice, they have to shelter in place. Reporter thats easier said than done when youre in the eye of the storm. The clarks have a message for people in mexico. I would tell people right now to stick together. To hold on to your beliefs. Hold on to god. And just fight it together. You can make it through. Reporter the clarks tell me tonight they have Strong Family and strong faith, and they say that is what got them through. Reporting live in emoryville, sheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. Puerto vallarta are sticking together. Hurricane patricia brought a change in vacation plans. And for another couple, that meant moving their entire wedding party. The couple had planned a beachside ceremony but Hurricane Patricia forced them to evacuate their hotel as soon as possible. Instead of walking down the aisle, they were bused to a shelter. They were told only to bring small bags with necessities. Despite the unexpected chaos, the couple stayed positive. There was about 70 people on our guest list. We made sure everyone is taken care of. And were good. Im really happy. The couple got some good news. They texted us just a few hours ago and said the wedding is back on for tomorrow. Jeff ranieri mentioned, the worst of the storm will spare Puerto Vallarta. Lets talk about where the hurricane is headed. Were still continually seeing this storm system weaken after landfall at 4 15, just to the south of Puerto Vallarta this afternoon. Its gradually starting to shrink. Right there, losing its formation. So were really thinking the worst is over with this storm system. And Puerto Vallarta, again, spared from the strongest winds and heaviest rain by just 80 miles. As i mentioned before, thats like a drive from santa rosa to san jose. Thats how close of a call it was for that tourist town. A lot of mexico is still getting hit. Well have more on the track of that in just a moment. Well get you into the morning forecast for the bay area. Lets start off with 51 degrees in the north bay. San francisco 57. Peninsula, 56. South bay 55 degrees. Lets get you into the storm track. If youre doing any traveling this definitely could wreak some havoc on the air travel as we head through tomorrow. The latest coordinates have the winds from the max of 200 Miles Per Hour down to 100 Miles Per Hour. Its beginning to pick up speed northnortheast at 20 miles an hour. That will mitigate some of the flooding possibilities. By 5 00 a. M. On saturday, its a Tropical Storm. So continuing to weaken. And then once we head through the upcoming weekend, texas will be the bullseye zone for remnant moisture and potential of some flooding. Lets get you into the bay area forecast. What you are going to notice here throughout the region is well have portly sunny skies on saturday. I dont think its going to be a totally cloudy day. Well get the filtered sun. Temperatures will be in the 80s. Theres still that slight chance of some spotty showers as we head through sundays forecast, marin, napa and so nome oh counties. Hurricane patricia is starting to weaken. That is the good news at this point. As we take a look at the microclimate forecast for saturday, across San Francisco, a high of 69. For the mission, up to 72. Right throughout the peninsula, 82 in palo alto, and 69 in pacific asmt san jose, 28 degrees. Cupertino at 84. North bay, east bay and trivalley, napa will come in with a high tomorrow of 82 degrees, and the partly sunny conditions. East bay, 76 in oakland, and for the trivalley well have 87. If youre tired to the mid to upper 80s and want more fall weather to return, sunday will be a lot more comfortable for you. 79 degrees in the south bay. San francisco 69 for the east bay. And for the north bay 78 degrees. Not only that chance of slight showers in the north bay on sunday, but we still have the possibility of some rainfall next wednesday. Remnants of what was once hurricane olaf combining the cold front, actually could produce about a quarter inch of rainfall. Four days in a row now, the models have shown this. Its looking very good to get the rainfall next week. Were excited. Thanks, jeff. Still ahead, United Airlines apologizing after forgetting about a passenger on the plane. And jimmy. We have a special performance from pharrell williams, and donald trump is here [female announcer] dsave up to 400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. N, get interestfree financing until 2018 on tempurpedic. Plus, helpful advice from the sleep experts. Dont miss mattress price wars at sleep train. The chp is getting sued by a woman who said they stole her private photos after a dui stop. They said the officer pulled her over in san ramon last year. They claimed harrington went through her cell phone. Shes now suing the chp for invasion of her privacy. United airlines is facing tough questions after a disabled man claims he was forgotten on a flight from sfo. He uses a wheelchair and was flying from San Francisco to arlington, virginia, tuesday. Neal said when the flight landed, everyone got off the plane including the crew and left him behind. He claims he had to crawl up the aisle to get help. Its humiliating. Nobody should have to do what i did. I feel Like Airlines treat people with disabilities as a secondary concern. So far, United Airlines has said very little, only that they regret the delay in providing an aisle chair to assist neal. A dramatic game tonight. We have to do something to get better. Thats unacceptable. Thats not what were going to do. Thats not who we are. Its not what were about. So were going to fix it. Yeah, fixing it is key as the 49ers looked broken last night. Just like last year, the seahawks came to town, and won easily against the rivals. Now the niners are 25. Only 3 of teams since 1990 have made the playoffs after being 25. Not a good percentage. The coach said changes are coming. Colin kaepernick still the starting quarterback. The Coaching Staff remains the same for now. Baseball, acls game six. Toronto looking to avoid elimination in kansas city. Blue jays trailing. Not anymore. Jose batista tworun home run. Were tied at 3. They had a 45minute weather delay. Eric houser after that coming through. Lorenzo came from first. Scoring all the way. That is some speed. Royals win 43. Going to the world series. Second in a row. Basketball, warriors officially begin their title defense on tuesday. First, making a cartoon, a game of thrones spoof called game of zones. Were not going to stop the wheel. Were going to break the wheel. What are we talking about . I zoned out. Warriors, a new season is upon us is it in the bay area . No, its actually quite nice. It is very nice. There you see the reactions with everyone having a good time. I encourage you to watch the whole clip. Its very funny. The warriors liked it, we know that. Stanford versus washington tomorrow. More news after this. Before we leave you tonight we have one final update on Hurricane Patricia its before we leave you tonight, we want to give you a final update on Hurricane Patricia. It is now pulling away from Puerto Vallarta. They missed the tourist spot by about 80 miles or so. The winds are down to 100 miles an hour, down from 200 when the hurricane made landfall earlier tonight. Patricia is weakening in strength. It should move into texas later this weekend as a remnants of the Tropical Storm dumping rain and possibly causing flash flooding. Whats the most important thing we should take away from it . They still have flooding concern, even though Puerto Vallarta was missed. Winds at 100 Miles Per Hour. This will be setting its sights on texas, potential of flooding this weekend. Thanks so much, jeff. Have a good weekend. Steve from studio 6b in Rockefeller Center in the heart of new york city, its the tonight show starring jimmy fallon. Tonight, join jimmy and his guests donald trump, terrence howard, musical guest pharre