but this pales in comparison to the destruction in santa barbara counter. >> and tracy layer has the latest from montecito. >> reporter: it felt like the sky opened up around 3:45 tuesday morning. but the rain didn't stop a fire from breaking out. it was difficult to reach because roads were blocked by boulders, tree trunks and debris. by day break, it looked like a warzone. sheriff deputies in a military vehicle had the grisly task of recovering storm victims who were washed away. many people without power walked toward the freeway overpass where they realized the guardrail was gone and so was the 101 freeway beneath. >> this is the worst i've ever seen it. we thought the fire was terrible, and this is absolute devastation. >> reporter: the cars here on olive mill road are unrecognizable. and this destruction goes all the way down to the train tracks and toward the ocean. near those cars, the rain didn't wash off a van that still showed child's finger painting used to thank thomas firefighters. and amidst all the confusion, people showed compassion by sharing simple things such as shoes. >> feel lucky. thank god they came and rescued us about 4:00 in the morning and here we are. >> reporter: the state's largest wildfires seemed damaging enough. it will take time to reconcile the destruction that followed from a single storm that came with ample warning. >> that was tracy layer reporting. we want to show you the extent of the floodwaters on highway 101. >> we'll juxtapose them for you. we created a before and after images of what part of the highway that flooded looks like normally, that is on the left, versus what it looks like this afternoon. you can see the road is barely recognizable. >> just stunning. and this is a look from live doppler 7 at the past 12 hours of the storm system. as it dumped the rain. thankfully it is moving on now. >> let's get the latest now from safr sandhya patel. >> and you will my that southern california the brunt of that storm is starting to shift southward as you mentioned. some of the southern california locates have picked up five to just over six inches of rain. and that is over half a foot. right now higher elevations snow and heaviest of the returns starting to push into the san diego county area. here in the bay area, we're getting some of the wrap around moisture, so i want to show you where at street level. scattered light showers, nothing like what we saw yesterday. from san francisco out toward emeryville, definitely slick out there. and as you take a look in the north bay, a few spotty returns on radar. our next system is right here, it is bringing us our next chance of rain. let's first get to our storm impact scale for tomorrow. it is a level one system scattered light showers, breezy at times and less than two-tenths of of a inch is expected. i'll time it out for you and let's you know when our next chance of rain will return coming right up. the same storm that slammed california is doing the same in nevada. part of the las vegas strip looks more like a raging river. this is the vegas strip. it is a, b rparking garage. after going nearly four months without rain, vegas is getting more than its share. as of this morning, it received 25 respect abo 25% of its annual rainfall in less than 24 hours. a and now a thank you to the who helped the fires. >> reporter: three months and one day since first responders for fire and tragedy. a few of them reconvened this afternoon. >> big deal. >> reporter: with no fire this time, the nearby covering scars with new green grass, this was about a county say thank you with a small but noble gesture. >> sometimes it's a bar, sometimes a certificate. >> reporter: in this case a challenge coin. thousands of them that will go to first responders from hundreds of agencies. >> this is something people keep. challenge coins they have something to commemorate an event, they will have that the rest of their lives and ability to give to their kids. >> reporter: the coins are a thank you from the county, but turns out the county did not pay for them. thousands of dollars for this came from one anonymous donor whose house was saved. >> they wanted help because they felt personally that if he had experienced the bravery and benefit of having first responders. >> reporter: in so many acts, in so many places, in the most trying of circumstances over and over. and not for awards or recognition, but because that is how as people these first responders were cast and minted. >> you do it frommen an engrain sense of service and we saw that each and every day. >> reporter: and this gesture three months and one day from when all of the north bay's pain began. in sonoma county, wayne freedman, nbc 7 news. you're now looking at some of the first cars to travel on a newly reopened section of highway 35 in santa cruz mountains. a massive mudslide knocked out part of the road last february. today's reopening comes after caltrans spent $10 million to replace the roadway and build a retaining wall. that wall is designed to protect the road from future slides. and for the latest weather information, be sure to download the abc 7 news app and it will push alerts for breaking updates on warnings and watches. and other news, a major accident involving a school bus this morning sent 12 people to the hospital. at least two seriously injured. leslie brinkley has amazing surveillance video showing the whole accident. >> reporter: this is sound from a cellphone aboard the school bus right after the accident. >> are you guys okay? are you all right? >> reporter: this is what is left of a vw bug and pick july truck. the crash took place on san pablo dam road this morning. a neighbor shared his surveillance video that shows it all unfolding. you see a sedan in the center slowing down. the vw bug to the left puts on its brakes, but the silverado truck behind it pushes it into the southbound lanes where it slammed by another white truck. and the silverado collides head-on with the school bus. >> you could heart metal crunching. and you hear the cars, you knee, hitting their brakes, tires squealing. >> ran out to the bus, render aid to the children. bus driver is pregnant, panicking. i did what i could. >> i told one ever oof our youn children, he had to go on the school bus to try to calm the kids, keep them chatting and distracted so they wouldn't be freaking out. >> reporter: the bus driver who was 34 weeks pregnant was rushed to the medical center. and the man who drove the vw and passenger in the silverado were seriously injured. out of caution, chp says four of the children were transported to kaiser and three transported to children's hospital oakland. in the end, they were all okay. san pablo dam road was closed for five hours as crews worked to clean oil off the road and chp investigated the cause of the crash. >> drugs and alcohol were not a factor. it is possible speed with the combination of the wet slick read ways. >> reporter: this surveillance video that shows the departments wi accident be likely be a big part of the investigation. leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. tidiners pitched in to rais money for the family of a highway patrol officer killed in the line of duty on christmas eve. abc 7 news was inside famous dave's barbecue where many officers and first responders stopped by for lunch. famous dave's will donate 35% of today's sales to help the family of fallen officer andrew camilleri. >> police and firefighters take care of our communities 24/7. so our philosophy here is that we need to come together as a community when one of our first responders dies in the line of duty. and show our support. >> he died after a suspected drunk driver plowed into his patrol car on interstate 880 in hayward. now local politics. we now know who will run to fill the term left behind by death of ed lee. >> one prominent name is out. city attorney has decided not to run. now the board of supervisors should decide who should serve as mayor until the special election in june. >> carolyn tyler is in the newsroom with the story. >> at today's board of supervisors meeting, they told me they would call for a special meeting a week from day for his colleagues to choose someone to run the city until a new mayor is elected in june. whatever the decision they make, it is going to be controversial. with the clock ticking, the san francisco supervisor paid her filing fee this morning well before the 5:00 p.m. deadline. she joins a crowded field including acting mayor and board president london former senator. and the death of ed lee triggered this contest. between now and june 5, would should serve in that top spot? currently board president london breed is acting mayor per the city charter, but there are those like these progressive democrats who believe that gives breed considered more moderate too much power and a leg up in the june race. they are pushing for a caretaker mayor, someone not running for the full-time job. >> we need franciscans to get to choose who our mayor is and we cannot have a 1 1 people in the board of super ors have their thumb on the scale. >> reporter: and if they can't reach a common census, breed will continue as acting mayor. she has supporters, including the head of the commission another status of women and former mayor willie brown who says she should continue to lead. >> whatever happens whethill ha and ultimately i want to ensure that my good relationship with my colleagues continues. >> reporter: a political strategist says there is no right or wrong, but wonders if a caretaker is in the best cities of a city always in the spotlight. >> just have somebody who is not even a figure head, just somebody who is just there to maintain the administration for a few months and if nothing exciting happens in five months, sure. but when have we ever gone five months where nothing interesting ever happens? >> carolyn tyler, abc 7 news. busy say for senator feinstein. she met with the president and other lawmakers at the white house over immigration issues. but her day started with the release of a much talked about transcript. feinstein decided on her own to release the judiciary committee's interview with one of the founders of fusion gps, she says the american people have the right to know what was said. fusion gps helped produce an unsubstantial yaltsed dossier that outlined the russian effort to help the trump campaign. s on the committee had refused to release the transcript saying it could taint the investigation. controversy tonight over the last remaining floating community, costly relocation has reads wondering if the city should be using its money elsewhere. plus -- >> i only live one time. this is something that i feel deeply strongly about. >> he's back. jon gruden says he never wanted to leave the raiders in the first place. and also the simple steps michael finney says you can take to extend the life of things you use every single day. and the state of california wants you to take a hike. how you can get into 40 parks for fr sfx: stair creak sfx: clink sfx: deep breath sfx: grunt sfx: tinny headphone music sfx: feet shuffling sfx: slice sfx: gasp sfx: inhale. exhale. sfx: lights scraping on roof sfx: metallic scrape sfx: grunt covered california. it's more than just health care. it's life care. the city says it will help relocate the residents of dock town marina, but the costs have skyrocketed. >> i think about dock town dying and that doesn't make me feel good. >> reporter: that is what is on ellen's mind when she looks at the floating house she called home for some 15 years. the home at docktown on the water's off redwood city. but as she said, dockdo town on a floating community is nearly dead. most have already left or agreed to leave. their photographs now adorn the cyclone fence in protest. no trespassing signs and locks identify vacant homes. the lawsuit two years ago by a resident and newly built condo across the marina alleged that docktown violated public land use laws. redwood city settled the suit saying it would give relocation assistance to boat owners. >> original i wily it was going be $3 million and then 10 and now 20. >> reporter: last night the city council said that is how much relocation may cost. double what it estimated last year. all of that at taxpayers' expense. >> $20 million of taxpayer money to get rid of perfectly good homes, a lot of them providing affordable housing at a time when there is a terrible shortage. >> reporter: savage says dock town a half century old is now becoming an expensive ghost town. the city declined our request for an interview. however, there is chance the remaining residents will be spared. there are still several lawsuits pending in court challenging the evictions, but it may be too little too late. vic lee, abc 7 news. jon gruden is officially back as the head coach of the raiders and he says he is all in. >> i had a son here, some of my great memories in life are in oakland and i want to give them two of the best years of football that i can possibly help deliver. >> gruden returns to the raiders 16 years after al davis traded him to the tampa bay buccaneers. the 54-year-old says he is returning to coaching after being away for nine years because he loves football and the city of oakland. >> i never wanted to leave the raiders. i never thought i'd be back. but here i am and i'm ready to get to work. >> gruden of course was referring to two years in oakland because the raiders plan to move to las vegas in 2020. a subject he did not address. gruden side stepped questions about his record-setting record reportedly worth $100 million over ten years time. but he's back. do you know you can extend the life of some of the things you use every day with one simple step? >> yeah, interesting. in a partnership with consumer report, michael finney tells you how it can save you some money. >> reporter: the little machines that improve your life by cleaning your carpets, cooling the air or drying your clothes will last longer and work better if you keep their filters clean. >> when air can't get to a motor, it has to work harder and that can make it less effective and you may have to replace it sooner than you would have to otherwise. >> reporter: your over the stove microwave has a filter beneath to catch grease in the air. cleaning it twice a year will keep the fan working properly and prevent sticky film on your cabinets. check your manual, you'll see ifs filter is dishwasher safe. a dryer with a thick blanket of lint has to work harder and longer to dry your clothes. it also uses more energy. and can pose a fire hazard. make it a habit to clear the lint filter between loads. if your vacuum is overheating, lowesing suction our blowing dirts back in to the air, clog the filters could be the culprit. mo most people don't know where the filters are located. check for these small washable filters answer opd inspect the filters meant to catch fine particle. your vacuum will perform better and last longer. >> if you have a bagless vak up, you have to clean the filters more oftenen. >> reporter: dehumidifiers can go ignored because they are simple. so take a moment pull out the filter and give it a good rinse and dry to improve your air quality and your unit's performance. you will also prohibit the growth of mold, mildew mites. state wants you to take a hike. on saturday, 40le came c califoe parks will ever free admission. passes are good for the second saturday of each month. the red woods league says it is to celebrate 100 years of saving iconic red wood forest. if you want more information on how to get a free pass, visit abc7news.com. the question is, will it be raining for your hike? that is a good question. let's take a look at doppler 7. we have light spotty showers around the bay area. i'll take you into san francisco around 3rd street crossing 80, heading in to the east bay, you will notice light returns. street level radar in the north bay around ross, glenwood avenue, a little grip pi out there. wind is gusting to 46 miles per hour at sfo. and a warning issued for that air until 11:00 p.m. tonight. half moon bay also pretty gusty. storm soolgtotals, over 5 inchee the wettest spots. just about everybody in the 2 to 3 inch category. half moon bay got 2 inches in the last 24 hours breaking old record of 1.38 set back in 1959. even places like san jose picking up over 2 inches of rain. so for get about the rain shadow, this was a soaking storm. monday got 1.40 inches and the old daily record was 1.03. so yesterday was a record for san jose. same for sfwraan francisco, 3.1 15th wettest day on record. has the storm helped us? absolute lid. season to date, santa rosa now at 72% of average. just about that at moffett field. 83% of normal at sfo. san jose 69% of normal. san francisco 71% of average. we need storms just like yesterday to really continue to push those totals up even more. certainly without the destruction. temperatures right now in the 50s and the 60s. here is a live picture from the south beach camera. this is a beautiful view as we look across the bay back toward the west. isolated shower ended this evening. a few light showers are expected tomorrow and it will be dry and milder later in the week. on the storm impact scale, tomorrow's system is a level one. nothing like what we saw yesterday. scattered light showers breezy at time, less than two-tenths of an inch is expected. so what is left of tonight is just an isolated shower. and then we go into the morning commute, there will be plenty of fog at 5:00 a.m., so please be careful. at 7:30, we see a few showers developing around sonoma sonoman at 10:00 a.m., into the east bay and around noon, very spotty and light. not a washout. but keep the umbrella handy. by 4:00 a.m., this is all gone. temperatures in the morning will be chillier than today. temperatures dropping down low 40s to the low 50s. once again watch out for that for the afternoon, temperatures will be mid-50s to low 60s. plenty of clouds lingering. and can't rule out a shower or two. accuweather 7 day forecast, level one system. light showers for your wednesday along with some sun lingering clouds thursday. notice those temperatures trending higher for the end of the work week heading into the weekend. numbers will be in the low to mid-60s. above average for this time of year. and there is a slight chance on martin luther king jr. day of a few showers developing, computer models are not in agreement. you can download the accuweather app and track live doppler 7 anytime you want. of course we'll keep a close eye on the accuweather 7 day forecast in the event that that holiday monday for some changes as far as it's just my eczema again,t. but it's fine. yeah, it's fine. you ok? eczema. it's fine. hey! hi! aren't you hot? eczema again? it's fine. i saw something the other day. eczema exposed. your eczema could be something called atopic dermatitis, which can be caused by inflammation under your skin. maybe you should ask your doctor? go to eczemaexposed.com to learn more. there was rare snow in the sahara desert. reported will i this is only the third time in 40 years they have seen snow. is it started snowing sunday and was cold enough that is it stayed on the ground and didn't melt until the evening. tonight the school need tsz help looking at all the pictures. photographer sent in more than 50 thousa 50,000 photos. if you would like to help, we have a link to the website on abc7news coming up at 6:00, it's been a bad flu season. the number of cases statewide are nearing record highs. with a startling number of deaths. tonight we examine the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine and how long the season could last. plus how a local school district plans to help families from el salvador following a deportation threats from the trump administration. and go bikes are all over the bay area. but some of them are about to get easier to ride thanks to a special modification. that is all coming up and more at 6:00. finally tonight, an orphaned mountain lion cub has found a second chance of life at the oakland zoo. >> she's recovering after being found on the side of the road by a couple last month. they say the cub was so weak, it couldn't move. as they approached. she is eating solid foods now. >> the cub is one of three or fanned rescued by the state and now recovering. the zoo says the three will become ambassadors for wildlife education. >> you know what that means. class field trip. >> that is true. world news is next. >> from all of us here, we appreciate your time. tonight, as we come on the air in the west, the skeens sce devastation in california. the deadly mudslides. we're on the scene right now. houses and cars swept away in california. the death toll growing tonight. a 14-year-old pulled from the mud alive. president trump, just days after the book "fire and fury," the author claiming white house insiders told him the president does not read, does not listen. today, the president spending 55 minutes on television, negotiating on immigration, the dreamers and his wall. and what the president said today when he was asked if he could beat oprah in 2020. the major development involving the dossier about donald trump and russia. the former spy behind it, and what we now know tonight. and there's breaking news this evening coming in on steve bannon. the schoolteacher who argued