Transcripts For KTVU Mornings On 2 20110312

good morning and welcome to mornings on 2. it's saturday, march 12th. we have team coverage this morning on the earthquake and the tsunami in japan as well as the new tense development at one of its nuclear power stations. but before we get to that, we want to check in with rosemary because rain is on the way. hi, rosemary. >> good morning to you! today mainly dry. maybe a spritz, that's about it. by sunday we're definitely going to see the rain. tsunami advisories still in place for our local coasts. we'll update you on that in just a few moments. for today we'll be turning cloudy, by tomorrow the rain will return. and into next week looks a bit unsettled with a few storms expected to follow. this morning we are partly cloudy and cool. we'll look at your current temperatures coming up. we start this morning with the very latest on the developing situation in japan following a deadly earthquake and tsunami. the 8.9 magnitude quake hit thursday night, resulting in a 23-foot tsunami that pulverized the northeastern apartment of the coast. today there was an explosion at a nuclear power station and right now a massive military response is underway to help many of those affected by the earthquake. japan's prime minister announced today 50,000 military personnel are now part of rescue. and recovery efforts in the country. the prime minister made the announcement as he toured the northern part of the country, home to some of the worst damage. more than 1,000 people are feared dead, in japan, after the tsunami washed ashore, slamming through towns, airports, and highways. as of this morning, the official death toll stands at 574. 784 people are missing, and more than 1,000 others are injured. another 215,000 people in the country are in temporary shelters because of damage caused to their homes. and about one million people still remain without any clean water. we do have team coverage this morning of the events unfold in japan. ali rasmus is in santa cruz looking at the damage. kraig debro has been monitoring events from japan. radiation leaking after an explosion at a nuclear power station. good morning, crai . >> reporter: a professor says there may have been a partial meltdown at that nuclear power plant. the fukashima plant is just south of sendee, the explosions called on videotape. an explosion blew off the roof and caused a radiation leak. they don't know what the proportions of the leak are. it prompted an evacuation and 12-mile radius around the plant. the government says explosion was caused and a build-up of pressure after the cooling system failed. destroyed the concrete structure but did not collapse the critical steel container inside. 30 minutes ago, i spoke to uc berkeley professor who specializes in nuclear waste management who says a byproduct found outside the reactor suggests a partial meltdown. >> the fact that the -- [not understandable] observed outside means either the fuel pin broken or some kind of meltdown might happened. >> japanese nuclear safety officials and international experts said because of the crucial design differences, the release of radiation at the fukashima plant would likely be much smaller than at chernomyrdin, reason if the plant there had melted down completely. coming up why power plants are so critical to japanese power needs. kraig debro, ktvu channel 2 news. four counties are under watch. governor jerry brown issued the emergency declaration for four counties. the water surged damaged harbors, ports and other infrastructure. >> no way! >> you are looking at video that shows that tsunami surge slam into the santa cruz harbor yesterday morning. local winemaker ryan beauregard shot this with his iphone showing the raw power of the ocean. ktvu's rasmus has more on the damage and the clean-up ahead. >> reporter: early estimates put the cost of the damage at $15 million. that number could go up. during yesterday's tidal surges, about 17 boats sank, and the concern is the boats now at the bottom of the harbor could be leaking fuel and other pollutants. a short time ago we saw the dive teams from the california state park system head into the water. they're one of several county, local, state and federal emergency officials out here to assess the damage at santa cruz harbor. there are boats here in the parking lot but they've cordoned off with tape from the california department of fish and game, off to our right here these boats are with california department of fish and game. they're going to be looking for any wildlife that may have been affected by polluted ants. off to the left there's a diving company, salvage company, that we've been told has been contracted by the coast guard to look for and later remove some of the leak eck boats that sank. taking a look at at harbor waters, the coast guard says there's still some minor surges here, but it's nothing like what we saw here yesterday. tidal surges generated by the earthquake in japan swept through santa cruz harbor, crashing and capsizing boats. again an estimated 17 to 20 boats sank. more than 100 boats were damaged. and this morning the clean-up begins. >> we're looking specifically into issues that are concerning pollution, with the sunken boats that are possibly leading fuels, oils, those kinds of things. >> back out here live, you can see more emergency response vehicles and personnel gathering in the parking lot next to the harbor. you can see from some of the caution tape, a good portion of this parking lot has been roped off to the public because they need space to work. this is a coast guard helicopter flying overhead, monitoring the waters and wave activity out here. the coast guard is supposed to give us a more comprehensive update later this morning. and as soon as we get some more information, we'll bring it to you. ali rasmus, channel 2 eyewitness news. red cross officials were busy all day yesterday in san francisco officials and volunteers had supplies packed and ready to go to japan. and in oakland, the red cross set up a phone bank to accept donations from bay area residents. the internet also appears to be helping with the relief efforts. >> we're noticing that a lot of people seem to go going online, using the text option, on or end mail some we primarily been giving information for donating. >> in san francisco owners for a restaurant are donating 10% of their proceeds to earthquake relief efforts in japan. and for more information on how you can help, go to ktvu.com, and click on the japan quake tab. we do have an update on a story we first brought you, a developing news on the 10:00 news les night. a woman and her four-month-old granddaughter are home safe this morning. the family says the pair left for a walk yesterday afternoon. family members called police when they hadn't returned an hour later. the search went on four 8 hours, until midnight, when a news photographer driving in the area saw the elderly woman pushing her baby stroller. >> i thought that was very strange, i immediately called berkeley police and they responded to the area. and it turned out that i found the missing people. >> he said he was just in the right place at the right time. the grandmother doesn't speak english and been the have any money id on the walk. pg&e is agree to go cover the cost into the investigation into the deadly promotion in san bruno. it was conducted which the california public utilities commission p yesterday pg&e said it would pay the commission for my expenses while investigating the explosions. the company will also pay for any future investigations related to that explosion. the cpuc has not yet provided an estimate on how much it will cost. gas prices continue to rise this morning, according to triple-a. in san francisco the average for a gallon of regular is now at $4 even. oakland and san jose are averaging $3.96 a gallon. the national average is 3.55 a gallon. and since february 22nd, gas has jumped in price 37 cents. the continuing unrest in the middle east is driving the gas prices higher. good morning to you. starting with a live look at the bay this morning. whether a beautiful start to the day! we've got a mix of sunshine and clouds, and are you being asked to steer clear of beaches today and marina as the tsunami advisory continues to be in effect. wave heights 1 to 3 feet above normal in some cases. we have high tide arrive at 3:47 this morning, and we are expecting low tide a little later today. we do have the national weather service updating us each hour. the possibility of those aftershocks in japan. and that's why we continue to see the advisory for our coastline this morning. satellite and radar, we've got a little rain over northern california, and we are seeing a mix of clouds. we've got low clouds moving in from the coast. we've got high clouds ahead of the next storm expected to get us whetted by tomorrow. we will be between partly cloudy, mostly cloudy skies by the evening hours. but here's the rain. sunday, 2:00, notice the north bay first begins to slide, but 5:00 or so we're barely getting down to golden gate bridge, along i-80, and then it moves further south through the evening how long. we could re are remain soggy in through the first half of monday. partly cloudy skies, a cool start but not too bad. 48 san francisco as well as oakland, 47 in concord. low 40s for mountainview as well as san jose. highs for today, temperatures very similar to yesterday. but we're going to be more gray. 60 degrees expected this afternoon in vallejo and santa rosa. 61 in oakland. low 60s in antioch. low 60s in the south. 62 fremont. 62 in san jose this afternoon. 63 los gatos and 60 in santa cruz, where again the harbor continuing to see a flux this morning. we are looking at the possibility of just a sprinkle, maybe the north bay. later today and into tonight. but our we are chance on sunday. more widespread. notice the temperatures not bad. 40s, low 60s across the board. monday that opportunity for a little rain through the morning hours. we'll dry out but more rain expected tuesday and wednesday. talk about how much rain we expect with this first storm tomorrow, coming up. right now police in new york are looking for the driver of a tractor-trailer involved in a deadly bus accident. fire officials say 13 people were killed when a worldwide tour bus was clipped by the tractor-trailer. an overturned at govern this morning. officials say it then skid need a pole which sheared off almost the entire top of the bus. the bus was carrying more than 30 passengers. six other people suffered critical injuries. 11 had minor injuries. clean-up on the deadly tsunami in another region of the united states. cars and a house ripped away from their owners. how leaders of one state are helping those affected. and potential new clues in the disappearance of natalee holloway. the item the fbi is now focusing on to help solve the case. and a live look outside. there's the nimitz. 880 in oakland, highway patrol not reporting any major incidents on bay area roadways this saturday morning. welcome back to you. a live look san francisco and the bridge this morning. san francisco, 48 degrees. light breeze come from the west. partly cloudy skies out there this morning. a state of emergency is now in place in hawaii after the tsunami surge caused millions of dollars in damage. some of the worst damage is in the bay on the bay island. large waves pounded the coastline most of the yesterday. this is video that shows those waves going over that seawall. also in that area, the tsunami surge managed to rip one home right off its foundation and sweep it into the water. look at that video. you can only see that top part of the home floating just in that water. the powerful waves also managed to toss around cars and each some fish. and nearby several businesses are cleaning up after the tsunami surge swept water, mud and debris into their buildings. within man had to survey the damage at his restaurant yesterday after the waves knocked off the front door. in northern california, the search suspended for the man swept out to sea by the tsunami surge. it happened near crescent city. coastal town near the california-oregon state line. the coast guard says the missing man and two friends were on the shoreline yesterday taking pictures when they were swept out to sea by the wave. two of the men managed to swim back to shore, but the third never did make it back. the coast guard says it is unlikely that individual survived. coming up later on mornings on 2, we'll take you live to carecen city for an update on the clean-up efforts there. right now a search and rescue team from los angeles is heading to japan. team members spent last night packing and loading up equipment. the 74-person group consists of doctors, building experts and firefighters. six canine teams are also making the trip. the team left last night and are expected to arrive early tomorrow morning. fbi agents are heading to peru in accept for new clues in the disappearance of natalee holloway. they will like in a laptop belonging to joren van der sloot who was never charged. holloway went missing during a trip to aruba. police say van der sloot was the last person to see her. right now he faces a charge in another case, accused of murdering and robbing a 21-year- old girl in lima last june. nasa is starting to prep the space shuttle endeavor for its final mission next month. mark kelly is the husband of injured arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords who was shot in the head on january 8th. on thursday, doctors at the rehabilitation center in houston gave an update on her condition. >> her speech is getting very good. she is starting to walk with assistance. and if you remember, from where we were just six weeks ago, this is a tremendous amount of progress. >> doctors say giffords does not remember the shooting but that they say is expected and is planning to expect the shuttle launch to support her husband. huge crowds of protestors expected in madison, wisconsin today. they are upset about the new law which takes away collective bargaining rights for public employees. governor scott walker signed off on the law yesterday after a nearly month-long battle with democrats and union supporters in the state. walker says the state needs the new law to help balance wisconsin's budgeted but opponents say eye simply union busting. become here at home, some key lawmakers are staying close to sacramento this weekend to work on the state budget. governor brown is trying to reach a compromise with republicans. he need republican support to call a special election on key extensions to close the state's $26 billion deficit. he hope to for a vote on the budget next week. the perjury trial for former san francisco giants slugger barry bonds is just about a week away. right now his lawyers are work to convince the judge to toss out evidence connected to his former girlfriend, october is to the introduction of voice messages he left for his girlfriend 151994 and 2003. in the voice messages he appears to sound irritated. prosecutors say that's proof bonds had a short temper, a possible side effect of steroid use. bonds is charged with lying to a grand jury. when he said he never knowingly took steroids. nfl season is still months away but this thorn it's unclear if it will happen. last night the national football league decided to lock out the players. the decision came hours after representatives of team owners and players arrived for walks in washington, d.c. to try to hammer out a deal. the two sides are trying to figure out how they should divide $9 billion in revenue. there's big money involved but the players union says it's on the side of the fans. >> we're going to do our best to save football. but right now, football is in good hands. >> it's in the hands of the fans who dig everything we do. and on their behalf, i'm sorry that we're here, but we'll be badge. >> a top legal fight is now likely that could lead to the nfl season being cancelled. we continue to follow search and recovery efforts in japan following the earthquake and tsunami. and mystery solved, what scientists say killed millions of sardines that washed ashore in southern california. >> partly cloudy and cool this morning, live look from bay point, where we're dealing with sunshine. starting tomorrow, sun will rise, an hour later. we're got daylight saving approaching. what you can expect as we move through the rest of the weekend, coming up. new video this morning showing the search for survivors in japan. here you can see crews finding people in debris and rubble. some rescued include children, the elderly and at least one person that was taken out on a stretcher. the survivors are now out of harm's way and an evacuation shelters away from the ruin. a state of emergency is in effect for oklahoma. authorities say 49 homes have been destroyed and 30 grass fires around that state. yesterday the fire department brought an extra crews and the national guard dropped water over the fires. the oklahoma county sheriff's says someone burning trash may have started at least one fire near oklahoma city. another fire may be arson. in new jersey, crews are still watching the river for flooding. several towns in the northern part of the state have been flooded since last sunday. yesterday new jersey governor toured the city of wayne, hard hit by flighting. residents are getting a break from the weather with no additional rain expected there until next week. researchers now say millions of dead sardines in a southern california marina tested positive for toxin called de mow ic acid, which scientists believe may have poisoned the fish offshore and distressed them. the low oxygen levels there then caused them to suffocate. this time of acid is generally found in the stomach of fish that have been feeding on toxic algae blooms. in ohio, 83 people have been rescued from a floating lawn that broke loose and crashed into a bridge. authorities say 100 people were left stranded for a short time on the riverboat restaurant. rescue crews set up a walkway to get everyone off safely. no one was hurt during the incident. it's amazing we still have the tsunami warning listed for people. rosemary is watching that. people staying away from beaches this morning. >> it's a good idea to steer clear of beaches, marineas, it's an advisory at this point, but we're not sure when it's going to expire. the national weather service is tracking it, and updating us from hour to hour. we'll have another update in 35 minutes. giving a lie live look, mix of sunshine and clouds. isn't that a beautiful start? maybe heading out for the big run going on for the seals. and that will be going on through the morning hours and early afternoon. partly cloudy with increasing clouds throughout the afternoon. we'll be sitting in the 40s to near 50 right about 8:00. your noontime numbers not too bammed widespread 50s. very similar to yesterday but maybe less sunshine. upper 50s, low 60s by 3:00 in the afternoon. we are leaving just the opportunity for maybe a stray sprinkle over the north bay today. the rested of us will see the rain hold off until tomorrow, from a quarter inch to half inch expected on sunday for the north bay, south bay looking at the possibility of maybe just a 10th or 2/10. driving out monday afternoon, but more rain on the way tuesday and wednesday. overall temperature-wise we are seasonal for this time of year. 40s in the overnight lows. low 60s for your afternoon. back to you. the pool of "american idol" finalist social security is down to 12. >> the person who may be heading home tonight is ashton. >> on thursday, 24-year-old ashton jones was the first semifinalist to be voted off the show. we did talk to jones about how she was feeling since being cut from the show. >> i'm feeling blessed. and excited. and very relieved, and happy that i went through all of that. >> jones because voted off after wednesday's performance of the diana ross song, when you tell me that you love love me. the judges said her voice were flat. the remaining 12 finalists will take the stage wednesday, and you can watch the action here on ktvu starting at 8 p.m. hundreds of thousands of you write in every day, why bart passengers are told to hold on and be on the lookout. >> emergency response crews are back in the water here at santa cruz harbor this morning. blobbing you're looking a little new video into our newsroom this morning showing the devastation in japan that took place just after the deadly earthquake and tsunami. here you can see floodwaters raging through one japanese city, sweeping away everything in its path. and good morning to you. welcome back to mornings on 2. we do start this morning with the very latest on the still developing situation in japan following that deadly quake and tsunami. the 8.9 quake hit thursday night, resulting in a 23-foot tsunami. now this morning a massive military response is underway. japan's prime minister announced today 50,000 troops are now involved in the rescue and recovery efforts in the country. the prime minister toured the northern part of japan we're where some of the worst damage is seen. as crews searched the towns, airports and highways devastated by the quake and the tsunami, authorities fear the death toll could rise to more than a thousand. as of this morning, the official death toll stands at 574. 784 people are missing, and more than 1,000 others are injured. another 215,000 people in the country are in temporary shelters because of damaged in their homes and one million people still don't center any access to clean water. today in japan all eyes on the nuclear power plants damaged by the earthquake. kraig debro is following the developments. but we want to start first in santa cruz, where there's a lot of activity underway. look at this new video of the harbor when the waves hit shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday, just giving you a glimpse of the work still ahead. ali rasmus is live in santa cruz with a look at the damage. ali. >> reporter: good morning, mike. we're in a parking lot right next to santa cruz harbor and this is become the staging ground for a variety of local, state and federal emergency officials. right now you're looking amount a boat from the california department of fish and game. the warden told me that their boats are going to be patrolling the harbor waters here and looking for wildlife, birds and fish that may have been exposed to leaking boat fuel and other pollutants. when the tidal surges came through yesterday, about 17 boats sank. so the concern this morning is that the boats are still at the bottom of the harbor may be leaking fuel. over to our left, there's also a vessel assist boat, working on removing some of the boats that capsized. there's still a tsunami advisory in effect this morning. and the coast guard says there are still some minor surges on the harbor waters but it's nothing like what we saw out here yesterday. tidal surges interestingered by the earthquake in japan crashing and capsizing boats. again, about 17 boats sank. more than 100 boats were damaged. we talked to one of crewmembers who works for a company that the coast guard has contracted. their task is to dive into the water and look for and remove any boats that may be leaking fuel. >> our first thing is just giving assessments of the work damage or vessels that are -- that may be spilling fuels into the water and our first concern is to identify them, stop any leaking. >> you can see that vessel have sift tow boat still monitoring the waters. this california department of fish and game boat is about ready to get into the water. there are dive teams also with the california state park system, the coast guard, and later this morning the coast guard is expecting to give us more comprehensive update of what their plan is for later today. reporting live, ali rasmus, ktvu channel 2 news. now back to that tense situation in japan, because there have been major developments overnight with explosions at a nuclear power plant. kraig debro is keeping an eye on what is happening and joins us live with the latest. >> reporter: the next question for japan could be how to keep people safe from nuclear power plants following a natural disaster. it's the third largest nuke lower power user, 53 nuclear power plant reactors provide japan's electricity. the explosion at the fukashima power plant was caused by a billup of pressure after the cooling system failed, destroyed the concrete structures around the reactor but did not collapse their steel container inside. four people were injured in the explosion at the nuclear power plant. but a meltdown of the core could have made the count much higher. it's one of two run by the tokyo electric power companies cooling systems damaged by the earthquake and tsunami that hit japan yesterday. a scientist at berkeley says the detection of radioactive material in the air mean there was a partial meltdown. >> the fact that the -- [not understandable] means either the fuel pin broken or the -- some kind of meltdown might happened. >> the radioactive is a fragment of uranium that has been split. a normal operation would you see radioactivity in the cooling area, the amount found above the normal levels. that radiation is decreasing at the pressure inside the reactor and dropping but coming up the japanese prime minister find out why he is saying there wasn't even a leak at all. kraig debro, channel 2 news. this morning a vigil at the pacific school of religion in berkeley at 8:30. the u.s. state department has posted a travel alert regarding the disaster in japan. the department is urging u.s. citizens to avoid non-essential travel to japan, saying strong aftershocks are likely for weeks. the alert says citizens currently in japan should contact family to let them know they're safe if internet and phone serves are down. text messaging or social media. and there are still flights in and out of japan scheduled for this morning. we checked with san francisco international airport, and there are three flights scheduled to arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. there are also two departures scheduled between 11 and noon. we were there yesterday as people waited all day for a flight to tokyo following the deadly earthquake. they finally took off after 10 p.m. last night. we continue our coverage of the earthquake and tsunami on our website. to see a slide show and incredible video, and to learn how to help the victims in japan, just visit ktvu.com. today is the sixth-month anniversary of a man's death in berkeley. he was shot and killed by two men at the bart station after a party. a news conference will be held today by the berkeley police department. his fiance is also going to hold an all-day block party to celebrate his life and memory. the case does remain unsolved. police in san francisco are renewing their plea for the public's help in solving a homicide there. on january 24th, 83-year-old juan chen was attacked and beaten by a group of unmen. he died from his injuries two months later. there's a $100,000 reward offered in the case and police are asking anyone with any information to give them a call. two men are under arrest in connection with that beating at a redwood city caltrain station. a 47-year-old san jose man was beaten and robbed last friday night. he remains in critical condition. the two suspects are both teenage boys, a 19 and 18-year- old boeing from redwood city. as many as 15 people took part in that attack. the next time you ride bart, make sure to keep an eye on your ipod or kindle. the number of electronic devices stolen onboard the trains doubled between 2009 and 2010 to 166 thefts. the top four most stolen devices -- bart says most victims usually involve passengers, not paying attention to their belongings. good morning to you. giving you a live look at all that bright sunshine over the estuary this morning. light winds outside our door. waking up mostly cloudy, santa rosa waking up with mostly gray skies and we'll continue to see partly cloudy, mostly cloudy. we are continuing with the tsunami advisory at this hour. we are looking anthony wave heights 1 to 3 feet above the norm. so national weather service continuing to track this at this hour. we had high tide early this morning with low tide arriving later today. low-lying coastal areas, if you're living in the areas, good idea to stay on alerted as the advisory continues and for our spectators you're asked to keep your distance. we're looking at the beaches as well as marinas and harbors. we're updating this every half hour to hour or so. we'll continue this national weather service, again just holding the possibility of maybe aftershocks and so want to be safe. for our weekend, we are locking at mostly sunny skies in some areas, turning mostly cloudy by the second half of the day and the rain is expected to arrive and i sunday. northern california dealing with some energy, already today. a weak front moving through, bringing just a few scattered showers. we're going to remain dry. north by area by tonight may be the possibility of just a sprinkle. chances are slim. tomorrow, our best bet at getting wet. start in the low 40s in santa rosa now, within a few degrees of yesterday. the winds are light. your afternoon highs for the today, not too bad. but we will be with mostly cloudy skies. low 60s in the forecast and right around fairfield 62 and antioch. little cooler in berkeley. 60 degrees. 61 expected in oakland. get to the coast upper 50s, pacifica and san francisco. and areas right around san jose looking at 62, morgan hill 63 as well as los gatos. your extended forecast, we're going to be dry, by the afternoon temperatures similar to yesterday but it's going to feel cooler. less sunshine there. the rain will arrive on sunday. we are with that possibility still sprinkles come monday morning. but we do dry out by the second half of the day tuesday and wednesday unsettled. another storm expected to arrive. temperatures hovering right around the low 60s across the board for the afternoon. coming up, we will pinpoint the storm show you when we expect it to be on our doorstep, coming up. today looks pretty god for parades so if you're headed to downtown san francisco, do not forget to wear your green. today is the 160th annual st. patrick's day festival and parade. over 5,000 people are expected to participate, including irish dancers, bagpipeers and even san francisco police and firefighters. this is the largest st. patrick's day parade west of the mississippi. the party may create some traffic backups in the city. this is the parade route now which starts at 11:30. so starts at second and market and ends at civic center plaza. so keep that in mind if you're headed in the city. this is the bay bridge toll plaza where things are moving nice and smooth but the parades can certainly change things so just keep that in mind. the deadly tsunami traveled 5,000 miles, slam into parts of northern california, including crescent city, where some people were swept away by the rising waters. a live report from that coastal community straight ahead. and a medical center under the like scope after allegations about equipment that was not sterilized. good morning to you. getting outside early this morning? bring a light jacket. light breeze. an alameda soldier has been killed in afghanistan. staff sergeant eric trueboard was 27 years old. his mother says he was walking towards an improvised explosive device that had already exploded when a second ied detonated. her son graduated at the top of his class at a military bomb disposal school. he is the fourth technician to die in a week. this morning we're learning that 19 miners have been killed in an explosion in southwest china late lasts night. state officials say all the bodies were recovered and 15 others escaped. an investigation into what caused the blast is currently underway. the white house released president obama's weekly online video address this morning, and this week's focus is on women's history month. >> to work even harder to close the gaps that still exist and to uphold that simple american ideal. we're all equal, and deserving of the chance to pursue our own version of happiness. >> president obama also gave praise to former first lady eleanor roosevelt and her advocacy for women's rights. fewer than two in 10 americans approve of congress doing its job. the drop in two months ago when congress surged in popularity. overall, only 18% of americans approve of the job congress is doing. it was 23% in december. the death toll from japan's deadly quake and tsunami is likely to extend all the way here to california. reporter david is live with more details on the accident that swept one man out to sea. good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning. we're here in crescent city getting some looks at the damage. you can see the boats sunk in the harbor, sailboat mast sticking out. six boats are confirmed sunk butt bigger damage is all of the docks, smashed here. some 300 people depend on this harbor for their livelihood, and the harbor will be shut down for quite some time. this is the biggest fishing port north of san francisco. the fish and the crab caught here go throughout northern california and beyond. so there thereby a devastating economic impact this morning. the last time there was a tsunami here was in 2006. it did $20 million damage. the harbor master estimates this will be even more than that. clean-up recovery will take weeks, months, if not years. they were just in the process of redesigning a new harbor to try to withstands something like the tsunami we saw yesterday. it's about 60% designed but there's still no money. later today they'll be getting visits from some of the state and federal politicians to the area. i'm sure one of questions they will be asking is, where can you help us find the money to try to prevent something like this from happening again? a new lawsuit accuses a hospital of exposing patients to hiv and hepatitis. patients filed the class-action lawsuit against the tulane medical center in new orleans. it comes after the hospital sent letters home to the patients stating endoscopes at the hospital were not sterilized correctly. they're devices used by doctors for colonoscopies and other procedures. >> now they must live with that stigma, and uncertainty of knowing whether or not they've contracted hepatitis and hiv as a result of tulane's failure to properly sterilize their equipment. >> officials say the risks of infection is minimal to nonexistent. the highway patrol is recommending charges against the windsor high school student who jumped offer the golden gate bridge. the 17-year-old survived and landed in the water next to a group of surfers. one of the surfers told our crew the teen said he jumped for fun. he was at the bridge as part of a school field trip and those trespassing charges could be punishable by up to a year in jail or a $10,000 fine. the san francisco police misconduct probe is now in the hands of the fbi and a u.s. attorneys office. the allegations stem from surveillance videos that appear to show a total of 8 police officers conducting illegal searches. the district attorney says new information in the case has surfaced and it's now best too have the fbi take over. however, he is not saying what that specific information is. san francisco police are taking a tough stance on panhandlers. yesterday police received several complaints about aggressive panhandlers in the downtown area. they launched an undercover operation and identified the people responsible. police say two unemployed south san francisco residents were cited and released. police say this is part of a zero-tolerance approach to discourage panhandlers from heavyweightering in the area. the spca is hoping all 29 cats rescued from a trailer will receive. on tuesday morning the cats were taken from a elderly man lindbergh field in that trailer and kept in five separate trailers on the property in small crates without food or water. most of the cats are suffering from respiratory infections, but hopefully none will have to be euthanized. the devastation in japan has some people asking here could it happen here? what experts say about what kind of tsunami are our own faults can generate. >> planning your weekend outdoors, today is the better came we're dry today, turning wet tomorrow. giving you a live look outside. little haze, few clouds out there and cool. we've got your forecast coming up in just a moment. this is video of skyscrapers in tokyo swaying back and forth when the 8.9 earthquake hit. the video was shot by a resident. officials are still working to assess the amount of damage to those buildings. when it comes to quakes the bay area is never outs of the woods. what happened in japan is also something that could happen here in the northern california coast. the cascade zone north of the bay area is capable of an earthquake as big as the one in japan. >> when it hatchings, it will be big continue will almost be devastating. there will be tsunamis, there will be a lot of shaking, a lot of people will feel it. >> that cascade zone is similar to japan's but busier, averaging a mega-quake every 250 years and the last one was 311 years ago. tsunami experts tell ktvu the surge for from next mega-quake would certainly be greater than the one in japan likely inundating the waterfront, airport, alameda and san francisco's marina district. we're following some developing news. right now san francisco police are investigating a double stabbing in golden gate park at a children's playground just after 4:30 morning. police say two people were stabbed and there may be as many as 6 suspects involved. officers are not sure what led up to the stabbings. the two victims were taken to the hospital. the extent of their injuries are unknown at this time. there's a lot we're watching. changing weather, tsunami advisory also in place. rosemary is watching all that for us. >> good morning. as you mentioned, that advisory still in place for the coast all the way down to about los angeles and north to the oregon border. so we're watching that for you. just a good idea to avoid beaches, marinas, harbors, until this finally expires. giving you a live look at san francisco under sunny skies, city hall. we're going to watch as the gray sky returns a little later today. how about your forecast? we're tracking this next storm expected to hit us by tomorrow. we'll be between partly cloudy and mostly cloudy skies today. temperatures seasonal, and there it is, by sunday afternoon a north bay getting it first. no surprise there. and it will slide south over the course of the afternoon and evening hours. light rain expected anywhere from quarter inch to half inch possible for the north bay. monday morning, we're still dealing with the possibility of a few scattered showers and soggy conditions. then we'll dry out monday afternoon but it won't be for too long. we continue with the unsettled pattern. for today, low 60s expected for today. we're going to leave just a slight possibility of maybe a sprinkle or two for the north by bay by the second half of the afternoon. showers and rain tomorrow, temperatures not budging, in the low 60s. monday into tuesday, we drive for just a little bit. another storm moves in on tuesday. and then we could be -- looks unsettled through wednesday, even thursday into friday. so keep that umbrella handy. back to you. >> thank you. producers of broadway spiderman will shut down the show for a few weeks starting next month. preview performances for the show will be cancelled from april 19th to may 11th. producers say ticketholders will be able to exchange or return tickets for a refund. the show will open june 14th. the $65 million show has suffered several setbacks, including four injury accidents. if you've been wanting the ipad 2, will you finally be able to find it in stores this morning. >> whoa! >> customers packed the apple store yesterday to get their hands on that new and improved tablet. it went on sale last night at 5:00. the store did limit each customer two to ipads. the second generation ipad is lighter, faster and thinner than the original model but does cost the same as the original did starting at about $500. if you are on a hunt for a deal and want to contribute to a good cause, there's a huge rummage sale going on in san jose today. this is video of the event from two years ago. this year's sale will feature everything from jewelry to gardening supplies. children will also get free vision, dental and other health screenings. all proceeds benefit the junior league program. the sale goes on today and tomorrow at the santa clara county fairgrounds. help break an nba record and a huge comeback win against the orlando magic. third quarter, wright cuts it to one with the three. that was the story both nights nor the teams. here's jason with the 3. magic up in the third. then in the fourth, wright with another 3. the warriors had a chance to win at the end of regulation. they tied the game and sent it to overtime. the 3-appoint wherage continues there. ellis with three of his 39 points there. golden state wind 1-23120. both teams combine for 36 3-pointers and an nba record. four california counties under a state of emergency because of the tsunami surge. we're live at the santa cruz harbor as crews survey the damage left behind. plus, sending aid to japan. how about the bay area is helping in the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. . 13 people are dead after a tour bus crash in new york and the search is for for the driver who may have caused it. >> what japanese government is taking to protect citizens after the explosion at the nuclear power plant. >> response crews are starting to back into the water this morning here at santa cruz harbor. we'll tell you what they're looking for and what they're concerned about this morning. good morning. welcome to mornings on 2. it's saturday, march 12th. we continue to follow the devastation in japan after the 8.9 earthquake and tsunami, as well as the damage it caused right here at home. we do have team coverage this morning. but first we want a quick check on the weekend forecast. >> good morning. hi. and i'll start out by saying the advisory for the tsunami continues at this hour. the national weather service as well as noaa updating us every hour so we'll continue to track. that still a good idea to avoid the local beaches. today, partly cloudy disease outside this morning, cool start in the 40s. returning mostly cloudy by this evening, and the rain is expected to return by tomorrow. so get out and enjoy today! we'll break down the numbers for you for the afternoon, and we will pinpoint that storm coming up in just a bit. right now the search is on for the driver of a tractor- trailer involved in a deadly bus accident in new york. fire officials say 13 people were killed when a worldwide tour bus was clipped this morning. look at that video. officials say that bus skid need a pole and the top of the bus was almost end tired sheared off. police say the driver of the tractor-trailer did not stop after the accident. that bus was carrying more than 30 passengers. six other people suffered critical injuries. 11 had minor injuries. now to the very latest on the developing situation in japan following the deadly earthquake and tsunami. the 8.9 magnitude quake hit thursday night, resulting in a 23-foot tsunami. that polarized the northeastern coast. today there was an explosion at a nuclear power station and right now a massive military response is underway to help many of those on affected by the quake. japan's prime minister announced today 50,000 military personnel are now part of rescue and recovery efforts in the country. the prime minister made the announcement as he toured the northern part of the country, home to some of the worst damage. more than 1,000 people are feared dead in japan after the tsunami washed ashore, slamming through towns, airports, and highways. as of this morning, the official death toll stands at 574. 784 people are missing, and more than 1,000 others are injured. another 215,000 people in the country are in temporary shelters because of damage to their homes and one million people remain without any clean water. as we mentioned, an explosion occurred overnight at a nuclear power plant in japan. and this morning it is raising radiation fears. kraig debro begins our team coverage with more on that explosion. good morning, kraig. >> reporter: good morning. this morning there's not just concern about the death and destruction caused by the tsunami but what a leaking nuclear power plant might mean. this morning the prime minister is down playing the danger. >> regarding our nuclear power facility, some of the nuclear power plants have stopped automatically. but so far, no radioactive material or radiation has been confirmed or leaked to the outside. >> this is what the explosion at the fukashima power plant looks like. while the japanese prime minister denies the release of any radioactive material, at least one major newspaper says the blast could signify the gravest nuclear crisis since the chernobyl disaster. we spoke to the professor this morning and told them there was a leak. he says things could get worse. >> already the radioactivity is released, so this is beginning of something more serious situation. >> the fukashima power plant is about 150 miles south of sendai and northeast of tokyo. officials evacuated a 12 square mile radius around the plant. four people are reported hurt in the blast but the government says their injuries are relatively minor. coming up, why some experts believe the blast at the fukashima plant might get worse but not as bad as chernobyl. four california counties understand a stated of emergency this morning after the japan quake generated a tsunami that reached the west coast of the united states. this is animation of the tsunami moving east and south. it struck hawaii in the early morning hours, and reached the west coast of the mainland of the united states. the surge was moving at 500 miles an hour. it took 10 hours for it to cross 5,000 miles of ocean and reach the coast of california. >> whoa! no way! no way! oh, my god! look at this! >> this video shows the tsunami surge rolling into santa cruz harbor yesterday morning. local winemaker ryan beauregard shot this video with his iphone. it shows the raw power of that tsunami. japan's earthquake sent tsunami waves racing across the pacific where they slammed into santa cruz yesterday morning. ali rasmus is continuing coverage of the aftermath and joins us live from santa cruz with a lot of activity there this morning. hi, ali. >> reporter: hi, claudine. since the morning goes on we see more crews come out here. we're standing in the parking lot next to santa cruz harbor and off to our right you can see that there are some officials with the california department of fish and game. they are one of several local state and federal response crews here this morning. the california department of push it and game is going to be taking one of all four of their boats and looking for wildlife, birds and fish that could have been exposed to leaking boat fuel and other pollutants after yesterday's tidal surges. 17 boats sank in this harbor and the concern is the boats still at the bottom of the harbor could be leaking oil, fuel, and other pollutants. there are also dive team that have been hired by the coast guard. they started going out into the water this morning. we got video of them an hour ago, their task to look for those sunken boats or damaged boats that may be leaking fuel. there's still a tsunami advisory in effect this morning. but the waters out here are pretty calm. it's nothing like what we saw here yesterday when tied am surges triggered by the earthquake in japan swept through the harbor, crashing and capsizing boats. the state officials here say they're not here to recover lost boats and other property, their focus today is on the environmental impact of the damage. >> we're looking specifically into issues that are concerning pollution, with the sunken boats that are possibly bleeding off fuels, oils. >> back out here live, there are still some vessel assists and tow boats here because right now you're looking at a completely capsized boat that is just floating in the water. it's been out here this morning. so you can see some of the recovery and -- efforts are still going on this morning. but we're going to have an update starting at 10:30 morning the coast guard will have a more comprehensive update with an assessment of the damage here. and we'll continue to update you throughout the day. ali rasmus, ktvu channel 2 news. the search suspended for the man swept out to sea by the tsunami surge. it happened near crescent city, a coastal town near the california-oregon state line. the coast guard says the missing man and two friends were on the shoreline yesterday taking pictures when they were swept out to sea by the water. two of the men managed to swim become to shore but the third never did make it back. the coast guard says it is unlikely the man survived. >> we do get a small tsunami once in a while or surge in here and it breaks the docks up. but the worst i've ever experienced. >> later we'll take you live to crescent city for an update on the clean-up efforts there. some folks across the bay area have mobilized and now are working together to assist victims in japan. red cross officials were busy all day yesterday. in san francisco, officials and volunteers had supplies packed and ready to go to japan. and an oakland the red cross set up a phone bank to accept donations from bay area residents. the internet also appears to be helping out with relief efforts. >> we're unlessing that a lot of people seem to go going online, using text option, or even the old-fashioned mail. so we have been giving information to people about other options for donating. >> at this restaurant in san francisco, the owners for one week are donating 10% of their proceeds to earthquake relief efforts in japan. we are continuing to update our website with the latest information on the earthquake and tsunami. you'll find slide shows and more video there, at ktvu.com. good morning to you! starting with a look at the richmond-san rafael bridge where you can see mostly cloudy mostly gray decides. we head south of san jose, even parts of san francisco, mostly clear. and we will be mostly cloudy by the second half of the day. we want to continue with the advisory on the tsunami. still in effect at this hour. national weather service continuing to update us every hour. wave heights reported from 1 to 3 feet above normal in some cases. high tide arrived earlier this morning, low tide about 11:25 this morning. so they're continuing to watch, we're looking at the possibility of still a few surges and strong currents around the santa cruz harbor and again they're just looking at that possibility of maybe an aftershock in areas right around japan. your weekend forecast for today, we again waking up with mostly clear skies. cool but we will be turning cloudy by the afternoon. some areas along the north by maybe even the possibility of just a little sprinkle. the rain is expected to arrive for all of us on sunday. giving you a peek at satellite, where we have a little light rain over northern california. the rest of us just dealing with clouds out there. little virga popping up over the central valley there. most of that not hitting the ground but you can see moisture embedded within the clouds already. the main front will move through tomorrow afternoon. current temperatures right now, 44 in santa rosa. gray skies in santa rosa. 48 in napa. partly cloudy, mostly clear in areas right around redwood city. low 40s. mostly clear in oakland and fairfield checking in at 50 degrees. forecast highs for today, not a bad day. these temperatures right about what we typically get for early march. low 60s across the region. upper 50s on the coast. 60 expected in san mateo and low 60s santa cruz. extended forecast, dry today, we're looking at rain for tomorrow. and then the scattered showers will continue monday morning. we're drying out the second half of monday but not for long. don't put the raincoat. tuesday and wednesday more rain on the way. temperatures in the overnight hours in the 40s and then for the afternoon, low 60s across the next several days. we will pinpoint the storm in a little bit. >> thank you. this morning we have an update on a story we first brought you on the 10:00 news last night. a woman and her four-month-old granddaughter missing for hours are home safe this morning. the family says the pair left for a walk yesterday afternoon, and family members called police when they had not returned about an hour later. the search went on up until midnight. a freelance news photographer driving in the area saw the elderly woman pushing a baby stroller. >> i thought that was very strange, i immediately called berkeley police, and they responded to the area. and it turned out that i found the missing people. >> the photographer says he was just in the right place at the right time. family says the grandmother does not speak english and did not have any money or i.d. when she let for that walk. pg&e is now agree to go cover the cost of the investigation into the deadly explosion in san bruno. the examination was conducted by the california public utilities commission. pg&e says it would pay the commission for any expenses while investigating that explosion. the company says it will also pay for any future investigations related to the explosion. they're not yet provided an estimate on on how much and will cost. a floating restaurant comes loose while people are enjoying dinner. the effort launched to bring them become to land! plus football moves into the courtroom. how it could affect the entire upcoming nfl season. and let's look outside. there's the golden gate bridge. traffic moving smoothly. many folks out there in the north bare can make it to san francisco. st. patrick's day parade later this morning on market street. we're getting new video in from japan in morning, where people are surveying the damage. this is what it looked like after the quake and tsunami. some cars as you can see. you can smashed up against houses. a team of japanese firefighters is stranded in the bay area. the 12 firefighters are here training with the menlo park fire protection district search and rescue team. because of flight cancellations, they have been unable to make it become to japan. through an interpreter, one firefighter told us that has them frustrated because they want to get back to help out. the counterparts are ready to go deployed to japan if called on. police in san francisco are once again asking for the public's help to solve a homicide. on january 24, 83-year-old juan chen was attacked and beaten by a group of young men. he died from his injuries two months later. the attack happened near third and the bayview district. there's a $100,000 reward being offered in this case. police asking anyone with information to give them a call. the highway patrol is recommending charges against the windsor student who jumped off the golden gate bridge. the 17-year-old survived, landed next to a group of surfers. one told our crew that the teen said he jumped for fun. he was at the bridge as part of a school field trip. the misdemeanor offense is punishable up to a year in jail or a $10,000 type. a state of emergency in oklahoma. 49 homes and 30 grass fires around the state. yesterday they brought in extra crews and the national guard dropped water over the fires. someone burning trash may have starred one every fires. arson is blamed for another fire further south. in ohio 83 people have been rescued from a floating restaurant that broke loose and crashed in a bridge. people were left stranded for a short time when the riverboat restaurant drifted about 85 yards down the ohio river. rescue crews set up a walkway to get everyone off safely. no one was hurt during the incident. researchers now say millions of dead sardines in a southern california marina tested positive for a toxin. it's a neurotoxin that scientists believe may have poisoned the fish offshore and distressed them as they swam into the marina. the low oxygen levels in the water then caused them to suffocate. this type of acid is generally found in the stomach of fish that have been feeding on toxic algae bloom. a new lawsuit accuses you a hospital of exposing patient to hiv and hepatitis. patients filed a class-action lawsuit against the tulane medical center in new orleans. it comes after the hospital sent letters home to patients stating endoscopes at the hospital were not sterilized correctly. they are devices used by doctors for colonoscopies and other procedures. >> now they must live with that stigma, and uncertainty of knowing whether or not they've contracted hepatitis-b or c and hiv as a result of tulane's failure to properly sterilize their equipment. >> officials say the risk of infection is minimal to nonexistent. the start of the nfl season is still months away but this morning it's still not clear if it will even happen. les night the national football league decided to lock out the players. the decision came hours after representatives for both team owners and players arrived for talks in washington, d.c. to hammer out or last-minute deal. the sides are trying to figure out who to divide $9 billion in revenue. there's big money involved but the players union says it is on the side of the fans. >> we're going to do our best to save football, but right now football is in good hands. it's in the hands of the fans who dig everything we do. and on their behalf, i'm sorry we are here, but we'll be back. >> tough legal fight is now likely and that could lead to the nfl's season being cancelled next year. the perjury trial for barry bonds is just about one week away. and right now the lawyers are working to convince the judge to position out evidence connected to bonds' former girlfriend. the lawyers are objecting to the introduction of voice messages he left for her girlfriend between 1994 and 2003. in the messages bonds appears to sound irritated and prosecutors say it's proof he had a short temper, a possible side effect of steroid use. he is charged with lying to the grand jury when he said he never knowingly took steroids. a group of friends still in japan after the earthquake. how they describe the moment the ground started shaking. >> good news here, the tsunami for the central coast cancelled. we'll talk more about that plus we're tracking the latest storm when we come back. take a look at this new video out of japan this morning. you can see that water as it came pouring to the streets after the tsunami waves came ashore. the official death toll from this earthquake and tsunami is at 574 this morning. but it could end up in the thousands. five people from the danville area are in that earthquake ravaged country. they headed there earlier this week for a ski vacation about two hours from toke chrome we did talk to them yesterday on the phone. they said they just returned from a day of skiing and they were in their hotel room on the 16th floor when the massive quake hit. >> all of a sudden, the -- building started to shake, told us to relax. and relax and ride the wave. it lasted over a minute. >> just rolling, the whole room was just swaying, closet doors clanging around. donny was on the couch. he was squeezing the couch so hard his nubbing releases white. >> they say there's no significant damage or injuries in the mountain resort town, just a lot of rattled member ins. both men say they were able to call their families back here in the bay area immediately to let them know they're okay. the men were supposed to head to tokyo monday but say they're rethinking that plan because they're concerned about how hard it could be to get home. swollen rivers and other waterways on the east coast are expected to overflow their banks today. flooding has already forced hundreds of people from their homes from maine to maryland. this is video from new jersey where several announce have been flooded nearly a weak. forecasters warn the worst is yet to come for many areas after a storm dumped up to 5 inches of rain but no new rain is expected several days. we've been watching that tsunami advisory this morning because it's been in effect but rosemary just got off the phone with the weather service and things are changing. >> good news, about five minutes ago they did cancel that tsunami advisory for the north and central coasts, that includes us. with that said, if you're going to be on the the beaches, area harbors, just use caution out there. we're starting out with partly cloudy skies, mostly sunny this morning. little haze there as you look at what is going on. cool start, light jackets this morning. in the 40s. very similar to yesterday. and your forecast shows you will be between partly and mostly cloudy skies. always a good idea to carry out a light jacket. the rain will hold off until tomorrow. we're looking amount sliding in by the afternoon and then the north by gets it first and then sliding south throughout the afternoon. we could see from a quarter inch to half inch out of this. we will remain soggy for monday morning before drying out. tuesday the next storm rolls in. and we could be lingering with the showers all the way into wednesday. our lows sinking into the 40s and widespread low 60s for the afternoon. back to you. a new poll shows fewer than two in 10 americans approves of how congress is doing its job. the surgeon have a says that's a drop from two months ago, when congress saw a slight surge in popularity. overall, only 18% of americans approve of the job congress is doing. it was 23% back in december. 13 people are are dead after a tour bus crashed early this morning in new york. now police are looking for the person who may have caused it all. rescue crews in japan continue to dig through earthquake rubble this morning. we're following the latest from the country, including an explosion and nuclear power site. we continue to follow the devastation in japan this morning. we have live team coverage of the disaster including the latest on an explosion at a nuclear power plant. and the clean-up here at home following the tsunami surge. but first, new this morning, police in new york are looking for the driver of a tractor- trailer involved in a deadly bus accident. fire officials say 13 people were killed when a tour bus was clipped by the tractor-trailer and overturned at about 5:30 this morning. officials say it then skidded into a poll which sheared off almost the entire top of the bus. the bus was carrying more than 30 passengers. six other people suffered critical injuries. 11 had minor injuries. now to the disaster in japan. the death toll at 574, but hundreds and maybe even thousands of people are still missing. this is video of the search crews finding survivors in the de people were we just got this in. some of the survivors do include young children, elderly and at least one person who had to be taken out on a stretcher. we do have live team coverage this morning kraig debro is here, but first ali is in santa cruz where the tsunami surge caused millions in dimaggio damage. >> reporter: this parking lot next to santa cruz harbor is the focal pope but crews are gehrig to come together for -- put together a plan for today. this is a barge, some sort of tow boat, tugboat, pulling up 42 the dock this morning. also the focus this morning, the california department of fish and game is one of a myriad of agencies from the state and federal level here. the warden told me the department of fish and game boats, four of them, will be looking for wildlife, birds and fish, that may have been exposed to leaking boat fuel and other pollutants after yesterday's tidal surges. 17 boats sank in this harbor, and the concern is the boats still at the bottom of the harbor could be leaking fuel and our pollutants. off to the other part of the parking lot. there's a company out here, a caving team company, that contracted by the coast guards. divers are in charge of looking for some of those sunken boats and damaged boats that may be leaking fuel and they are going to be in charge of later removing those boats later, possibly later today and later this week. the tsunami advisory was lifted about half an hour ago. and the waters on the harbor this morning are pretty calm. it's nothing look what we saw yesterday, when the tidal surges triggered by the earthquake in japan swept through the harbor, crashing and capsizing boats. but again, state officials here say they're not here to recover lost boats and other property. their focus today instead is on the environmental impact of the damage. >> we're definitely looking for distressed animals, birds and we'll do the pest to pick them up and get them into the oil network and get them cleaned up and rehabbed as best we can. >> have you found any wildlife affected so far? >> not that i'm aware of. but that's -- today is nice, the seas have calmed down, beautiful day so we'll have a good chance to find wildlife if there's any out there. >> back out here live, this is the barge pulling away from the dock here. we've also seen some vessel assists and other tow boats here helping to retrieve and tow away boats that were damaged in the surges yesterday. like that capsized boat. you can barely see the hull kind of bobbing in the water. about an hour from now, the response crews here are going to meet together and put together their plan of action for today. and then we're told 10:30 they'll give us an update on what they have planned and what they'll be doing here today. so we'll continue to update you throughout the day and check become with ktvu for news at 6. ktvu's kraig debro continues our coverage with new information on the overnight explosion in japan. kraig. >> reporter: good morning, mike. you might say the japanese are experienced when it comes to earthquakes. that part of the world there are roughly 1500 earthquakes a year. this may be the first time that one of those earthquakes led to an explosions at a nuclear power plant. the blast at the fukashima plant injured four people. government now says the reactors cooling and the danger has passed. but japan is the third largest user of nuclear power, so there's a constant worry about what an earthquake might do to those plants. japan has 53 reactors which power more than a third of the country. professor at berkeley says there's a big difference so far between chernobyl and this explosion. >> the explosions could be -- could occur by various reasons, and may not be directly connected to the potential meltdown. >> regarding our nuclear power facility, some of the nuclear power plants have stopped automatically, but so far no radioactive material, radiation, has been confirmed, has been leaked to the outside. >> the fukashima power plant is about 150 miles south of sendai and 200 miles north of tokyo. officials evacuated a 12-mile radius around the plant following the explosion. an element was found in the air following the explosion. it's in the same family as sodium. some radioactivity is inevitable so the amount now being found is above those normal levels. but the government is now saying that the radiation is decreasing and pressure inside the reactor is dropping. kraig debro, ktvu channel 2 news. the coast guards has suspended their search for a missing man on the north coast. he was taking pictures in crescent city yesterday, when he was swept out to sea by a waves. coming up in 10 minutes we'll have a live report from crescent city. a travel alert is now in effect regarding the disaster in japan. the u.s. state department urges citizens to avoid non-essential travel to japan saying strong aftershocks are likely for weeks. the alert says citizens currently in japan should contact friends and family. despite the travel alert, there are still flights if outs of japan scheduled for this morning. we checked with san francisco international airport, and there are three flights scheduled to arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. there are also a couple departures scheduled before noontime. we are -- we were there yesterday as people waited anxiously for a flight to tokyo, following that deadly earthquake. >> i'm going there to visit someone. and my boyfriend, and i just really hope he's okay. i'd like to go see him if i can. >> yesterday travelers waited all day for a flight to tokyo. they finally took off just after 10 p.m. last night with five flights scheduled today. airport officials say a essential of normalcy is returning. they urge passengers to call ahead for passengers and clays. >> we to have on the phone now dan from sfo to give us an idea of what you can expect at the auer port. good morning. >> good morning. >> so there a backlog? you had a lot of people waiting trying to get out yesterday. are you still seeing a backlog? >> there's going to be some backlog with the passengers that we're going to fly out yesterday. but the airlines will cover them, and make sure they get out to japan today. >> how long do you think it will take? do you think after today things will get become to normal? i don't know what you're hearing from the airports if it's just getting back up and running, we heard for some people worried about even trying to get back here. >> well, there's no problem with coming into san francisco. as far as we know, yesterday at noon it did open so as far as we're concerned, we're at normal operations. obviously, there are flights cancelled there, there were flights we had that diverted and didn't go into norita on schedule, so those air planes are continuing on to norita last night or today. and talking to the airlines, we're at normal plagues and they were protect the passengers they have that are either there trying to get to san francisco or vice versa. >> before we wrap up, you can tell us about the state of those passengers at sfo who have been sleeping there overnight? >> we don't have that many passengers sleeping overnight because the airlines put them into hotel. we really didn't have a significant -- any abnormal number of passengers sleeping in the terminals last night. >> all right, dan. spokesman for san francisco international airport, on dittmer at this hour. we appreciate your time, dan. >> sure. no problem. many charities are encourage, people who want to help to donate money, not goods. we've had that ongoing search future survivors. the american red cross says it does have relief supplies stocked away and crews are standing by to help. but cash donations are the best bet had help pay for transportation. the red cross has set up a fund. if you want more information, go to our website, ktvu.com, and click on the japan quake tab. this morning berkeley there's a prayer vigil for victims of the japan earthquake. it's going to be held at the pack school of religion on scene you can avenue. that starts at 8:30. and of course, we are always continuing to update our website with the latest information on the earthquake and tsunami. you're also going to find slide shows and more video at ktvu.com. good morning to you! giving you a look at the golden gate, some of us waking up with abundant sunshine, some of us in the north waking up with gray skies. we're seeing low clouds from the coast, some of that radiational fog and areas around santa rosa this morning. and on the east side of the bay we've got plenty of blue sky out there. so enjoy it while you can. we do have changes in store. look at storm-tracker. we've got some rain to the north. this is going to stay north for the most part today. here at home again we're just dealing with a little gray out there. santa rosa and napa reporting partly sunny skies. you get south and looking pretty good. we've got partly cloudy skies, mostly sunny skies and most cases and holding on to the 40s. 48 san jose, 41 neer palo alto. looking at low 40s in and around mountainview. 51 san francisco. also reported in oakland. and if we slide into areas where we've have gray skies. napa and santa rosa reporting mid to upper 40s. the gray skies will continue to roll through. we've got the low clouds this morning and some cases we'll have the high clouds for the afternoon. the high clouds we get ahead of the next storm. so the energy moving over northern california going to stay there today but more is rolling in. we have a series of storms expected to move through over the next week or some let's start with the one expected by tomorrow. partly cloudy today, temperatures similar to yesterday but not as warm without the sunshine. by sunday afternoon, already over the north bay and sliding south we'll linger sunday night, even into monday morning. and possibility of soggy wet weather through morning morning. by the afternoon we'll be drying out but not for very long. another storm is arriving on tuesday. let's enjoy today. we'll sit in the 40s to low 50s as we movie through the 9:00 hour. noontime numbers, 50s, even upper 50s and then for the afternoon, upper 50s low 60s, and there you have it, low 60s around the region. even 62 expected in right around fremont as well as san jose. extended forecast, dry today, possibility of just a spritz or two for the north by. rain for tomorrow, drying out monday afternoon, another shot at rain moves in on tuesday. we will pinpoint the storm for you and talk about how much we do expect to see come sunday. back to you. new this morning, san francisco police are investigating two overnight stabbing attacks at golden gate park. officers found the two victims just after 4:you there morning at a playground in the park near 46th and lincoln way. right now the two are at the hospital. their conditions have not been released. investigators believe as many as six people may be responsible for the attacks. gas prices continue to rise this morning. the national average in san francisco is now at $4 a gallon. oakland and san jose are averaging 3.96 a gallon. the national average is lower as 3.55. since february 22nd, gas has surged by 37 cents. analysts say anxiety over the unrest in the middle east is driving gas prices higher. aid from the united states is on the way to japan this morning. the two teams preparing to hem in the earthquake and tsunami aftermath. and let's take a live look outside at the freeway. looks like things are getting busier. we've got some activity in san francisco, a parade later this morning, so keep that in mind if you're headed there. good morning to you! giving us a look at just a little bits of filtered sunshine this morning live from bay point. enjoy your day! right now crews from the u.s. are headed to japan to aid with relief efforts. the uss reagan aircraft carrier set by president obama and maybe pilots are helping with recon missions. a 74-person search and rescue fire team from los angeles also on its way. that team consists of doctors, building experts and firefighters. six canine teams trained to search rubble are also making that trip. the tsunami surge took the lives of people in japan, as well as right here in california. reporter david beenick joins us live from crescent city with more details on the man who was swept out to sea. david. >> reporter: we are now finding out that the man was swept out trying to take some pictures down along the klamath river, with two other people. they did manage to make it back to shore. that man's body has not yet been recovered. here in the harbor people are coming out in boats to assess the damage. there are six confirmed boats that have sunk, but the bigger economic impact is going to be from the fact that all of the docks here were smashed. the harbor master tells us this morning he estimates that this damage is going to be even worse than the 2006 tsunami that did some $20 million in damage. so a lot people here are breathing a sigh of relief this morning that this was not as bad as the monumental tsunami of 1964. that is the one that wiped out much of crescent city. let's swing around, see this building here in the parking lot of the marina? that tsunami would have been above or at least at the roof line of this building. nearly a dozen people were killed in that tsunami. and what has a lot of people on edge this morning is not the actual physical damage done, but the pictures they're seeing out of japan. because they know that sooner or later, there's going to be an earthquake out in the pacific ocean offer the west coast that will do damage or at least produce a wave similar to what happened in japan. >> thank you, david. when it comes to those quakes, bay area also has that on their minds as we are not out of the woods with those things. what happened in japan is something that could also happen on the northern california coast. the abduction zone is cape allege of an earthquake as big as the one in japan. >> when it happens, it will be big. it will almost certainly be devastating. there will be tsunamis. there will be a lot of shaking, a lot of people will feel it. >> the zone is similar to japan's but it's busier, averaging a mega-quake every 250 years. and the lasts one was 311 years ago. tsunami experts tell us the surge for the next major quake would be greater than the one in japan and likely inundate the oakland waterfront, airport and marina districts. our viewers sent in photos of their own witness accounts of the tsunami surge. this is photo sent to us by michael who shows us what he says is the surge in the richardson bea as seen from sausalito. this shows the destruction of the boats in santa cruz harbor. whenever there is breaking news, we want to hear you from. so send your pictures or videos to us. e-mail them to us! turning to other news, today 26-year-old american students will be back in an italian courtroom, planning to appeal their murder sentences for the killing of meredith kincher in 2007. in december they were found guilty and sentenced to 25 years. a third person involved was sentenced to 30 years in prison. but that sentence was reduced to 16 years after an appeal. fbi agents are headed to peru in search of new clues in the disappearance of natalee holloway. they'll look flew a laptop that belongs to joren van der sloot who was never charged. holloway went missing in a trip to aruba and he was the last person to see her. rights now he is facing another charge accused of murdering and robbing a 21-year-old girl lima, peru last june. protestors expected in madison, wisconsin today upset about the new law which takes away collective bargaining rights for public employee unions. governor walker signed off on the law yesterday after a nearly month-long battle with democrats and union supporters in the state. walker says the state needs the new law to help balance wisconsin's budget. but opponents say it is simply union busting. a bigger sports team plans to help the victims of japan's earthquake and tsunami. how you can be involved. plus, a big win for the golden state warriors. the nba record they broke to help with the lan day magic. >> getting the outdoors, heading to the parade today? we've got your afternoon forecast and when we expect that rain to move in. a state of emergency is now in place in hawaii after the tsunami surge caused millions of dollars in damage. this is the bay where the surge ripped one home right off its foundation and swept it into the water. take a look at this video, showing the home just floating in the water. there's a fish there also. there's a car. the wavers also managed to toss around cars and the fish we did see there. the oakland a's have announced plans for a fund- raiser to aid victims of earthquake and tsunami. the team opens this season with a three-game series against the mariners. they have planned to add a fund- raising come and component to japanese heritage day, which is scheduled for the final game of the series on sunday, april 3. more details will be announced as the game gets closer. the series will feature two of japan's greatest modern day players, oakland matsui and suzuki. another finalist in "american idol" has been sent home. >> after the nationwide vote, the person who may be headed home tonight is -- ashton. >> on thursday night, 24-year- old ashton jones was the first semifinalist to be voted off the show. yesterday morning we talked to jones about how she was feeling about being cut from idol. >> i'm feeling blessed and excited, and very relieved. and happy that i went through all of that. >> jones was voted off after wednesday's performance of the diana ross song when you tell me you love me. the remaining 12 will take the stage next wednesday and you can watch here on ktvu at 8. the warriors helped break a nba record in a huge come back win against the orlando magic. third quarter, warriors down by 4. wright cuts it to one with a 3 pointer. that was the story of the night for both teams. here's former warrior jason ripped rich around sob with a 3 of his own. become up by 1, the warriors did have a chance to win at the ends of regulation but hits the 3 to tie the game. to overtime. the 3-point wherage continues. with seconds counting down in overtime, they both miss frederico the 3-point line. golden state wins 123-120, with a franchise record 21 3-pointers, both teams combining for 36 3-pointers, an nba record. san francisco turns green today for the 160th annual st. patrick's day parade at 11:there in morning from second and market streets. it will go down market, and end up at pacific center plaza. more than 5,000 people will participate. it's the largest st. patrick's day event west of the mississippi. this year there's also a festival before, during and after the parade at civic center plaza. we're getting close to springtime which means it's time for to you move those clocks forward. the change occurs at 2 a.m. tomorrow morning but people are being urged to move their clocks one hour ahead before bedtime tonight. fire officials say it's also a good time to check batteries and your smoke detectors and other warning devices inside your home. it's also a good day to enjoy the day. we'll have sunshine at least today part of the day. >> yes, the better day to be outdoors. we will be turning cloudy by the afternoon and into the evening hours. and the rain is expected to return by tomorrow afternoon. for today, if you're getting up, maybe to the st. patties day parade, maybe runs for seals this morning, we're starting in the 40s and we're warming into the low 60s for the second half of the day. looks like we will be dry. i'm going to leave in just the possibility of maybe a sprinkle over the north by for the second half of the day but all of us expected to get wet tomorrow. quarter inch to half inch for north. and we will continue to the unsettled weather as we move through next week. >> doesn't seem too heavy. >> no, just clipped. just few sprinkles here and there. >> good. thank you. that's mornings on 2 this saturday morning. thank you for waking up with us. we'll continue out major stories of the day on ktvu.com. have a great day, everyone. see you back here.

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