going to be 10 grand to fix it, do you fix it? >> reporter: udock is not in limbo. the project was completed in record speed. >> the stsunami was a tron transformative i vent for this harbor. there has not been a project this big since the harbor was built years ago. >> reporter: the new udock won't age, weather or break like the old docks. >> this dock will fair much better. it's been designed and built to current standards. it has the flexibility associated with the plastic lumber product and has structural members and more flotation than the old system. >> good to see you, man. >> reporter: scott summers is considered the unofficial mayor of udock. his yacht suffered damage in the tsunami. it was the loss of his community that was harder to accept. >> it's a great community. we've been here for six years and it just -- everybody gets along. it's a community. we have parties. we have movie nights. where we hoist a sail and project a movie on to the sail. >> reporter: they nestle in udock, finally able to anchor at home. so you can bet there are going to be a lot of celebrations out here tonight. now, the tsunami caused $22 million damage to the harbor and work here is not over. now, work to replace the next dock over begins. reporting live from santa cruz, mary ann fabro, nbc bay area. >> thank you. coming up tonight at 11:00 we're going to take an emotional journey back to japan. what a san jose woman who survived the earthquake and tsuna tsunami. see what's left of the town she calls home and why she feels her work there isn't over yet. that's tonight at 11:00 after dateline. to developing news. you cannot get to yosemite from highway 140 tonight because a wildfire has closed the road east of meraposa outside the national park. park officials say anyone visiting yosemite should use 121 or 41 instead. the 3,000 acre blaze was started by a motor home yesterday. it is burning on the sierra national forest land. not within yosemite's boundaries but very close. the terrain is making it tough for firefighters to get a handle on the blaze. campgrounds at cedar lodge, merced have been evacuated. others in the area could also be closed if this fire gets any bigger. well, it appears your tax dollars have been paid, paid for a state worker to hob nob at the golden globe awards. those are findings from an audit on state employee waste. the report detailed there are 5 $51,000 in spending by a mental health executive saying going to the golden globes and concerts was a way for him to schmooze celebrities and ge them to sign up for public relations campaigns. his case, one of the most egregious of seven the auditor focused on. another, a psychologist at a prison. >> he was leaving an hour every day for a five-year period that we looked at and was also using state equipment, computer for his own business. >> the audit showed that psychologist wasted more than $212,000 in state money. this twice a year audit has turned up more than $30 million of waste since it was launched 17 years ago. the nfl's chief of security and san francisco's chief of police met today to discuss issues after last week's violence at the 49ers/raiders game. both will be at the stick for the game against houston. numerous fights broke out in the stands last week. one man was beaten unconscious in the stadium bathroom. and two more people were shot in the parking lot following the game. so this weekend, no tailgating once tomorrow's game begins. you won't be able to get that last beer during the fourth quarter. also be forewarned there will be several dui checkpoints set up nearby. the two men convicted of killing an oakland journalist because of a story he was writing will never likely see freedom again. a judge handing down multiple life sentences today for a series of killings that stunned the bay area and the nation. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez was in the courtroom as the case came to an emotional conclusion. she has the details. >> i'm just glad everything is over with right now. it's been a very long and hard -- a very heart-bearing on the entire family. >> reporter: chauncey bailey's family is relieved the two man convicted of murdering the oakland journalist in 2007 will never be free again. former your black muslim bakery leader usef iv and antoine mackey got life sentences without the possibility of parole for killing bailey, who prosecutors say was targeted because of a critical article he was writing about the bakery. >> i would hope that the message is that there's nothing you can do to kill a story. i mean, a story is going to come out. that's what the freedom of speech, that's what the freedom of press is all about. >> reporter: the men also got life sentences for killing oakland chef, michael wills. a man prosecutors say came under fire simply because he was white. bay and mackey listened without emotion as bailey's ex-wife tearfully told them her son must now grow up without a father. and as will's mother described how she's constantly haunted, imagining what her son was thinking as he tried running for his life. >> my client still proclaims his innocence. he contends he did not order anybody killed. >> he has not admitted these claims and said he's not guilty of these climbs. >> reporter: despite their claims of innocence, both men will likely never taste freedom again. the victim's families say now they can finally move forward. >> chauncey is no longer with us here at this time, but he's above us looking down on us. saying that we did a very well thing, justice definitely was served. >> reporter: in oakland, jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. richmond police are investigating the death of a mom in what could be a home invasion robbery. it took place at around 4:00 this morning on moran avenue on 32nd street. a gunman walked into a home, started opening fire killing a woman and critically injuring her son. two other kids in the home at the time were not injured. police detained the than in the area and are looking for another man for questioning. a strange twist, the woman killed in the attack was robbed at gunpoint last week. at this point police don't think the crimes are connected. tomorrow marks three months since the disappearance of nursing student michelle le. the 26-year-old disappeared may 27th during a break from her job at kaiser permanente in hayward. her car was found inside with some blood. le's family has been relentless in their search holding out hope she'll be found alive. even though hayward police classified her death as a homicide. tomorrow's anniversary from 3:00 to 6:00 relatives and friends will release balloons in hayward. dozens of people escaped serious injury in today's derailment of the california zephyr which travels from emeryville to chicago. the train struck a large crane in southwest nebraska. passengers said it appears the crane was being used to demolish a nearby silo. the impact forced two locomotives to roll over on their sides. all of the passenger cars luckily stayed upright, though. a few of the 175 passengers were taken to the hospital with neck and back pain. none of the injuries turned out to be life threatening. transportation officials are now investigating the accident. amtrak put the passengers on buses to try to get them back to their destinations. coming up here at 6:00, a live team coverage of hurricane irene continues. with a look at the preparations all across the east coast including the unprecedented move taken in new york. plus -- >> reporter: hurricane irene may be thousands of miles away but it's already being felt here at ffo. coming up in a live report, we'll tell you how many flights are already canceled. >> thank you, alice. the friendly skies get a lot more high-tech today thanks to a silicon valley gadget. and on the satellite we're watching low clouds showing up in bright white off the coast but take a look at the green in the lightning bolts. not too far away. we have thunderstorms moving up out of southern california. some of this may try to spill closer to the bay area as we get your weekend started. we'll have a look at changes in your weekend forecast coming right up. some 6 o million people up and down the east coast are bracing for hurricane irene tonight. rescue crews from the red ross in california are on their way there. category 2 storm's winds and rain already being felt on the outer banks of north carolina. in the north, 2 million people in coastal and low lying orders have been ordered to evacuate. hurricane warnings are posted from north carolina to new york and watches and warnings are posted for new england. new york has ordered more than 300,000 people who live in flood-prone areas to leave. and public transit inside new york city is scheduled to stop service at noon tomorrow. and this is the first time that the transit system has been shut down because of weather. broadway will also shut down. all plays on saturday and sunday night will go dark. we have live team coverage tonight. our meteorologist is tracking the hurricane. nbc's jay gray is braving the conditions in north carolina for us. we'll get to him in a morning. we begin with nbc bay area live at sfo with passengers already feeling the impact. already getting tough to get out tonight, isn't it? >> reporter: more than a dozen flights from the east coast to sfo have been canceled because of hurricane irene. airport officials say it's only going to get worse this weekend. hurricane irene may be thousands of miles away, but she is already packing a powerful punch at san francisco international airport. >> so pretty scary. we'll see what happens. >> reporter: scared passengers try to touch ground before the hurricane does. >> my daughter just had a baby so i'm hoping i'll get to see the baby over the weekend. >> reporter: already several flights into sfo from jfk, newark and philadelphia have been canceled. sfo spokesperson mike mckaren anticipates all flights to and from the northeast will be grounded by noon tomorrow. >> there's not a lot you can do. mother nature is always going to win the argument. we have to be flexible and just wait out the storm. that's all you can do. >> reporter: mckaren says passengers could be waiting for days. >> four, five days, maybe even a week to get everyone rebooked just because this is a very busy time. >> reporter: with more than 65 million people trying to get out of irene's path up and down the east coast, the ripple effect could reach far beyond airports. eileen's son, ray, is on a cruise. >> we're traveling to rochester, new york, but when we're not worried about flying but we're worried about our son who's on a cruise to the bahamas. so they had to miss a day or two in the bahamas and hurry back to baltimore. >> reporter: in new york, it's the first time part of the nation's largest city is being evacuated. and never before has the entire mass transit system been shut down. so even if passengers make it to the big apple before the powerful storm hits, they could be stranded there. >> i'm heading to connecticut which means i've really got to thread the needle and get out as quickly as i get in to new york if i'm going to get home. >> reporter: and in the last hour we've also gotten words flights from sfo to jfk and boston have been canceled tonight and likely travel across the country will be impacted by the storm so over the next few days if you are flying anywhere it is best to call ahead before coming to the airport here. live at sfo, nbc bay area news. >> here's a look at nags head, north carolina. see the size, the powers of the wave. it's expected to intensify with each passing hour as the hurricane moves in. nbc's jay gray joins us from kill devil hill, north carolina, part of the coast where irene is expected to make landfall tomorrow. you've covered a lot of hurricanes before. how does this one feel as it comes toward you? >> reporter: it's building, jessica, no question about that. it is a storm of a magnitude they haven't experienced along the east coast in quite some time. we're feeling some of the rain and wind from the early feeder bands of irene. take a look out across the dunes and sand. the surf is building as well. right now the waves cresting 5 to 6 feet. forecasters say that will double before it's all said and done here. we do expect hurricane conditions in this area by the end of the night. moving into tomorrow morning when the storm will make landfall. look, there's a lot going on along the outer banks. let's take a look now at atlantic beach. you can see the waves building there as well. this video just a bit earlier. and everyone along this shoreline bracing for impact and understanding that the magnitude, just the massive size of this storm, is going to cause some very serious problems. the wind's one thing. then we'll have a storm surge and we'll have that driving rain for 10 to 12 hours. understand that this is an area that floods when they get heavy rains on a normal time. now with this wind-driven rain, they're going to see massive flooding. they're going to see water in places they haven't seen it for decades. jessica, they're very worried about what that water may do. >> jay, you and i have both been in the hurricanes. there are always the people who say i've been through this before and don't leave. how have people heeded evacuations there? >> reporter: yeah, you're absolutely right. you know the drill. but unfortunately there are some here who are doing just that. what they told us today, we talked to several, they just said i don't want to leave my home. if something happens i want to be able to take care of it right away. one of the big problems is there are only two ways in and out of this island. those bridges will be closed and many fear they'll with closed for more than a week. that's too long, they say, to wait to get back to assess the damage at their homes. now, local authorities are doing neighborhood checks or were earlier today. what they told those who are deciding to stay, they can't force them to leave, what they told them is, you're on your own. we're not sending officers out to get in harms way until the storm has cleared and gotten past. so that's the situation with those who have decided to stay and now that window of opportunity to leave has just about slammed shut, jessica. >> a difficult situation to be in. thank you, jay. stay safe. let's turn things over to rob miada. is it expected to stay on the course it's on right now? >> from 24 hours ago to right now the path hasn't changed a lot. the storm has weakened a little bit. we're talking a category 2 hurricane, winds close to 100 miles per hour. you saw jay gray in kill devils hill, south of norfolk and virginia beach. see the outer bands stretching across the outer banks. the eye wall of the storm shows up offshore. this is where the hurricane-force winds, winds of over 75 miles per hour, right down here near the eye, which will continue to drift off to the north, the northeast as we head into tonight. very likely north carolina will be the first of two landfalls with this particular hurricane. the first coming in later tonight and tomorrow morning. then eventually paralleling the coastline. then making a beeline, it looks like right for long island and cape cod as we go through the weekend. the latest we have, storm now turning a bit to the northeast at 14. a path that will take it, as jay gray mentioned, over the outer banks of north carolina. likely as a category 2 hurricane. winds close to 100 miles an hour. as it approaches long island, moves off to the east of philadelphia, this is where the storm surge or the waltter pili up and the perpendicular coastline along long island, cape cod, we could see a surge coinciding with high tide. this is a worst case scenario. if the two things come together, the inlets or bays could see a storm surge or rise in sea level close to ten feet in some spots. you're looking at almost 15 inches of rain in the inland and hilly terrain in the coastal northeast and winds going from a category 2 eventually to a category 1 hurricane crossing over long island it looks like early sunday afternoon. just an incredibly large system, too, almost 500 miles wide. hurricane-force winds extending almost 80 miles away from the storm's center. back to our weather in the bay area. a typical spread of our summer microclimates. it kind of warmed up in the east bay valleys. we saw highs in the mid 90s. now we're starting to see the cool down as a sea breeze takes hold. 60s already in oakland. look at the fog going past the camera lens there in san francisco. now down to 61 degrees. we will see the low clouds surging inland thanks to the fact we have the strong case of ocean air-conditioning. tomorrow morning once again some misty skies, but here is the change. we've been watching it on our own radar. a bit of a tropical connection to our own weather moisture which is drifting up out of southern california. may impact some of our mountain areas. right now it's just the fog we're watching in san francisco. same story santa cruz mountains. no tropical air just yet. see all the lightning to the south and east. some of this into san los abisbo county and santa cruz county and areas around the diablo range tomorrow may see clouds buil buildsibuilding up. showers over the sierra. that's where we'll see the best bet of thunder. the high country, a good bet of seeing thunderstorms. tonight, low clouds and misty skies. cool temperatures. calm weather for much of the bay area. the item to watch tomorrow, the coastal rains south of santa cruz. wouldn't rule out a stray thunder shower. if you can head to moral bay, some of that may move out of the south. not much of a warmup around the peninsula. look at that. the east bay, 680 toward pl pleasanton. warming up, mid to upper 90s. cooling as the sea breeze comes back tuesday into wednesday. good taste of summer here. as we can see, a little too toasty for inland spots. >> as we get close to september, right? always happens that way. thanks, rob. still ahead at 6:00, a safe driving throwdown. parents and teenagers going head to head to see how distracting texting behind the wheel really can be. just ahead, does facebook really own the internet? the question over its allegedly staggering milestone. plus -- >> i'm scott budman. silicon valley technology in the cockpit. coming up, how a 1 1/2 pound a r wld of f et make a difference on your next flight. you've certainly seen ipads on planes before. the guy sitting next to you had one the last flight you were on. they can also make your flight safer. nbc bay area tech reporter scott budman logs on in the cockpit. >> the winds change, a traffic change, they want you to jump to another approach, we're going to program it in the aircraft in the flight management system and pull it up immediately on this type of device. >> reporter: it's a device you already know. heck, you probably fly with one. an apple ipad. now showing up inside airline cockpits and making the friendly skies a whole lot more high-tech. >> the ability to pull up, type in the identifier and go directly to it instead of having to pull out the 10, 12, whatever number of charts you need to get to where you're going to go. >> reporter: this is a united airlines cockpit. united says replacing 38 pounds of paper each flight with a 1 1/2 pound ipad can eliminate 16 million sheets s of paper a ye. by getting rid of all that weight, the airline will save 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year. it's silicon valley nohow helping pilots be efficient. >> aviation is interested in things to reduce loads, reduce weight, make things efficient. a small device, whether a smart phone or ipad can take the place of big computers or stacks of paper, that's a good thing. >> reporter: as long as the screens show this and not angry birds, it should be smooth sailing with a