hour. this is a major humanitarian effort and the haitian embassy said the white house was the first to call for support. the priority now, saving lives. >> we need more people down here! >> reporter: frantic efforts continue to find earthquake survivors, buried in the rubble. for every miracle, officials fear hundreds of thousands more might be dead. president obama called the situation heart wrenching and promised his full support. >> i have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives. >> reporter: aerial images over the capitol port-au-prince show the scope of the damage, survivors describe buildings collapsing right and left. the presidential palace, the cathedral, hospital, schools and main prison and entire neighborhoods. the united nations headquarters tumbled with -- crumbled with more than 100 people inside, most still unaccounted for. >> basic services like water, electricity have collapsed almost entirely. we are yet to establish a number of dead or injured. >> reporter: rescue workers set up a triage in a hotel parking lot. the stunned survivors walk the street among the dead and wounded. a u.s. navy aircraft carrier is underway, expected to arrive on thursday and with another 2,000 marines on the way and leaving soon. >> the first hours and days are critical to saving lives and avoiding greater tragedy. >> reporter: the damage is so widespread, it's impossible to get a reliable number of casualties. after the -- pulled from the rubble, giving a thumbs up a sign that there is still hope. >> there are miracles even in this dire situation. >> reporter: the airport in port-au-prince was heavily damaged and is still operating on a limited capacity. some flights are getting out and on the news edge at 6 later tonight, we'll tell you what some of the survivors had to say, sean? sherri ly, thank you. for families here in d.c., the -- it's agonizing to hear from people. beth parker is live outside with the latest. beth? >> reporter: well, shawn, they're a long way from home. they have been calling friends and family all day, often with no response. it's not what they know but what they don't know that scares them most. an embrace from a friend is the only comfort rochelle can find right now. >> i lose somebody every second. >> reporter: she is a howard university student but today, her heart is back home in port- au-prince, haiti. >> i lost two friends. i thought it was a whole nightmare. this is real. >> reporter: she's not able to track down her parents, her father is an engineer in haiti's capitol. >> i spoke to my dad two days ago and now i can't find him. >> reporter: students gather at the chapel, lit candles and praise. [ indiscernible ] and mercy. with about the country of haiti. >> reporter: she is the example of the haitian student association, she feels she must comfort the community even in her own unthinkable distress. >> i am here at the same time and i want to be home. >> reporter: j.r. is waiting to hear from his family, too. his mom returned to hatey from a u.s. visit just days ago. >> this is my mother. i don't have to say anything else. this is my mother. there is no -- . >> he learned of the quake from a friend in d.c. >> my friend called me and said are you looking at the news? no, that is not true. after, that i went and looked at it. wow, i got a big head. >> reporter: in the video, he sees buildings he knows well, gone now. he said his country suffered for years battlingup rest and poverty. he wonders how they will recover now. >> he's got to be all of us. we have to put the hands together and -- [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: first, haitians will have to find a way to fix their own broken heart. there is a candlelight vigil scheduled for 7:30 here. i spoke awhile ago with the people you saw there in our story. they have not made any prress in reaching their relatives so the wait continues. live in northwest d.c., i'm beth parker, back into you, shawn. it has to be frustrating for all of those families, thank you. adding to the humanitarian crisis, the american red cross ran out of supplies. it handed out the equipment on hand. more supplies are on the way. right now, there is no way to know when they will arrive. the red cross staffer in haiti took the pictures of the earthquake's aftermath. you can help the victims of the earthquake in haiti. many organizations, including the red cross are looking for donations. text the word haiti to 90999 to donate $10 and you can donate $5 to the haitian charity by texting 501501. interaction, a coalition of u.s. aid groups has a list of agencies responding. go to www.myfoxdc.com to see the groups and how you can donate. a beloved priest who works closely with the haitian communeity in d.c. is missing in the after math of the earthquake. the father arrived in port au prince on monday for a short vacation. his friends and coworkers haven't heard from him and have no idea if he survived. our team coverage continues now outside of the shrine of the sacred heart in northwest, paul? >> reporter: it's been more than 24 hours since the earthquake. no one has heard from father jasmine. they're particularly worried, of course, they have seen the images coming out of the haitian capitol. father jasmine is a native of haiti and has been assigned to the shrine of the sacred heart the last three years. he works closely with the haitian community here in northwest as well as with parishioners at saint camilla's and our lady of sorrow -- sorrows in maryland. father jasmine was heading for a retreat in haiti. when it was cancelled, he decided to visit his mother and sister in port-au-prince. >> what is worrying us, there was a group of priests gathered together at the retreat house and all, at least 100 have been killed and so we're scared to death that maybe father jasmine may have been among them. >> reporter: father jasmine does not own a cell phone, so, the employees here and the priests and workers here at the shrine are basically sitting by the phone, they're hoping that he calls them or at least calls some friends of his at other churches. there is a phone network going on hoping someone here is from father jasmine the next few hours, laura. >> very unsettling, we'll stay on top of this and let the viewers know how he's doing. learning more about haiti, the nation just a bit smaller than maryland in size. 9milion people live there and the red cross, tonight s estimating that 3 million of them are affected by the earthquake. hattie shares an island with the dominican republic and it's the poorest country in the western hemisphere. the u.s. government is doing what it can to help the mean of haiti, deputy -- help the people of haiti. mr. dogood, thank you very much this evening. we're hearing reports that possibly three americans may have been killed in the earthquake. what is the latest information you're getting in terms of casualties and the damage there? >> reporter: we're getting information right now of a nber of casualties being reported. i'm not in a position to confirm any american deaths or injuries, other than the ones that we did know, people who were injured that came into the u.s. embassy this morning, seek medical attention. there were 12 of the people. the situation is still fluid. i am happy to announce we have a team on the ground, a dark team flown in from our embassy in san jose, costa rica. we have a search-and-rescue team with equipment and 72 people on the ground and getting to work. we should be able to have more information and better information through the night as we proceed. >> we understand that president obama pledged all the help for the u.s -- that the u.s. condition can to the people of haiti. are we moving in military ships? have they started heading toward the region. >> we have a number of assets on the way. i'm sorry, i'm not getting your questions very clearly. >> reporter: i'm sorry, the question was do you know at this point if we have any u.s. region to help out? >> yes, indeed, we do. we have coast guard ships coming from puerto rico, three cutters on the way. the uss carl vinson who was on exper -- exercises in the atlantic is being outfitted to head down to haiti. there are a number of military assets at southern command. they have prepared and are on the way. the stage we're at right now is a stage for search-and-rescue. as both the secretary clinton and president obama has said, the focus is on saving lives and we need to do what we can. this period we're in is crucial for saving lives of people who could be trapped in the rubble. the first thing is to get our dart team on the ground and that is done. they're going to prioritize the sites that search-and-rescue teams will need is to search to look for victims who may still be trapped. saving lives is priority number one. the military is bringing in other supplies that are going to be needed next through the next 24 hours. >> let me quickly ask you, there are a number of people back here in the states with cell phone linedown, phone lines down. is there a number that people here in the united states can call if they're concerned about the relatives in haiti? >> yes, there are. if you're concerned about the american citizens who is in haiti, the number you can call is 1-888-407-4747. this puts you in touch with the ask force and that is charged with trying to help find american citizens. if you're not or the person is not, the task force can't help on you this number. you have to try to go through other means. if you're looking for an american citizens, 1-888-407- 4747. >> thank you so much for joining us and all the information, of course, i assume we'll check in with you again throughout the process. thank you for giving us the information. tonight, the international monetary fund said it will help, too, managing director dominique strauss kahn released a statement, it's as if the imf is ready to do its part. i have asked staff to look into all the possibilities. the pictures coming in show the missery is staggering. this is a city street covered in the rubble from the collapsed buildings. the earthquake victims look for the damage, look at the damage. another photo here shows more in the street. the wall collapsed and there appears to be the utility lines down. you can see car lights as drivers try to make the way through the roads covered in debris. our coverage on the tragedy in haiti continues. at 5:30, we'll introduce you to the people behind the local relief efforts, plus the effects of the quake ft within 100 miles away and caught on camera. the news is always on www.myfoxdc.com. go to our haiti page for more on ways that you can help. is congress closer to inking a bon feed healthcare bill? what is going on behind closed doors. next. as one legislator told us, there were three tonics before the general assembly this session. mean, mean and money. and no surprise salt is bad for your heart health. will restaurants get on board this skip-the-salt campaign? we'll take you inside the new efforts. keep it here. fox 5 news at 5 is getting started. ciui if you have high blood pressure, like me, and get a cold... ...you need a cold medicine with a heart. only coricidin hpb has a heart, right here. it's the only cold and flu brand that won't raise your blood pressure. coricidin hpb. powerful cold medicine with a heart. >> we're following breaking news in northeast d.c. police are investigating a deadly shooting. it happen and hour ago on blaine street near the arts and technology charter school ount man was found unconscious and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. it's the third fatal shooting during the daylight hours the last 24 hours in the district. a 20-year-old man was shot and killed on eaton road southeast and yesterday afternoon in southeast, the 23-year-old man was gunned down on alabama avenue. the police are still looking for the shooters in all three cases. students and colleges in maryland may be paying higher tuition. the maryland lawmakers kicked off their 90-day session. the number one priority, figuring out how to cope with the cash crunch. >> reporter: governor o'malley tried to put the best spin on things. we have been able to weather the recession so far, better than any state in the union. to come out of it stronger than we were before it began, we have to create jobs, jobs, jobs. >> reporter: new programs from the state legislature are going to be a tough sell, given the roughly $2 million deficit facing maryland. the county executives from all around the state came to annapolis to plead for continued funding. >> we had two rounds of -- this year. the third round adds to the burden and we can't accept that. >> reporter: minutegomery county delegate proposed hiking taxes on beer and wine and bar drinks. >> we have the 48th lowest alcohol tax in the nation and public opinion is strongly behind this effort to raise it by a dime a dripping. >> reporter: republicans in the maryland legislature say that they don't want to hear about a tax increase of any kind. >> they always want to raise taxes and say they're going to give it to the children or help certain communities needing help. the problem is, there is no guarantee that money is going to go there. >> reporter: democratic senate president mike miller is disinclined to raise taxes. he's willing to give school districts the freedom to spend less during the recession. >> we have a law that says you can't reduce the amount you put in the year before. you might allow them to put less than the year before to make the budgetary obligations. >> reporter: college students in maryland brace yourselves after a four-year tuition freeze. governor o'malley supports a 3% hike. in annapolis, john henrehan. >> the 2010 seg of virginia's general assembly is underway in richmond n. three days, the commonwealth will have a new governor and he's facing serious issues. >> with a big budget shortfl and tax issues, big cuts could be on the way. tom fitzgerald has more from the state capitol. >> reporter: these are uncertain times. the first time, virginia faces back-to-back years of declining revenue and as the state gets ready to welcome the new republican governor bob mechanic on saturday, the budget left behind by the outgoing governor, democrat tim kaine has significant problems. the 2010 session kicked off in richmond with both members of the house of delegates and the stat senate taking the seat. on the minds of many were the $3.5 million shortfall faced here the next two years. still, the speaker of the house of delegates told members that they had to be aware of the tough economic times and try together. >> because of the weak economy and the decline in state revenues, the general assembly and governor face the most difficult budget situation confirmed by the virginia leaders in 70 years. when you have an obligation. >> the state has to have a balanced budget so the cuts are going to have to come from somewhe. the big question now is where? at the state capitol, tom fitzgerald, fox 5 news. lawmakers are returning to capitol hill still facing a fight on healthcare. today, president obama and leading democrats met behind closed doors to narrow the differences between the house and senate bills. some of the issues are the house-approved tax on people making more than a half million a year and giving more federal mini -- money to states. the meeting was expected to last for hours. i'll tell you what, i stepped outside and was surprised to see the temperature rising. i was like whoa, it's 40 degrees. >> i know. my husband and i said that. who knew that 40 degrees would feel nice. gary mcgrady is in the weather center. how long is this sticking around? >> for awhile. looks like up through saturday and cool or sunday with clouds. the high today, 44 at national and warmer than we predicted. it happens. this is what is happening on true view. the clouds are overhead and getting gone. we have more moisture from the gulf of mexico the high pressure builds in. a few clouds and they'll go away for the evening, though. the temperatures falling through the 30s, winds out of the 5 to 10 miles per hour, of course, as we go through the overnight, we'll be down into the 20s, closer to 50s for tomorrow. that is the forecast. another look is coming up. >> thank you. the warmer weather is causing more and more water main breaks. the 12-inch main ruptured this morning in silver spring causing all eastbound lanes between piney branch and carol avenue to be shut down creating the delays throughout the morning rush hour. traffic in glendale, maryland s rerouted the past two days, thanks to repair work on this water main break on lanham severn road. the lanes are closed in both directions at maryland 139 and crews are still working to get the road fixed. the rush to rescue victims in haiti is on tonight. this local team is loaded up and on the way. how the fairfax urban rescue crew will help in a way that no one else can. that is coming up. we'll be right back. >> a chatter in redskins history came to a close. >> the team announced it's lose losing a veteran coach. lindsay murphy is here with the latest skins shakeup. >> reporter: he's a two-time former head coach in the league but known as an offensive line guru. today was the end of an era at redskins park. dave roth has the story of joe bugle. >> i am speaking from my heart. >> for the retirement speech of joe bugle the man affect atly called boss hog retired after 32 years in the until, including 15 with his beloved washington redskins. >> it was a privilege, an honor to coach at this level. >> reporter: he helped bring them to bc in the '80s and came back for a second go around around in 2004. >> the members, the second tour, i promised you we were not going work those obnoxious hours. we were not going work until 4 in the morning. we end up working until 5. [ laughter ] >> reporter: bugle had nothing but high praise for redskins owner dan snider and he did have one regret. >> you really think -- the regret is we didn't bring a super bowl to mr. dan snider. >> reporter: while joe bugle will be remembered for his incredible work ethic, the one thing players past and present will never forget is his vocabulary. >> coming from pittsburgh, working in the steel mill, hey, we didn't have a great vocabulary. i knew how to swear and the at that time, they were not swear words. >> he's right, he does not have a big vocabulary, a blue collar guy, tough and the toughness rubs off on you. >> oh, man. i don't know if i will miss those words. >> reporter: and while the colorful coach won't be forgotten, he will be missed. >> and his sense of humor. his expresses and see him before games. [ applause ] >> a lot of coaches don't get to say goodbye when they retire, the redskins threw him a lunch party. ladies, you know it's important when dan snider takes time to talk to the media. >> exactly. >> it was a big deal. >> yeah, says a lot about joe bugle. >> and he said his knees were shaken the whole time. you could not tell what he was saying, so, he's a good guy. >> he'll be missed. >> thank you. all rill be right back. when you feel good, people ask, "what's your secret?" no secrets. i take care of myself, and i eat yoplus. it has the great taste of yoplait, plus antioxidants, plus fiber and probiotics, plus calcium and vitamin d. this new yoplus gives me pro+active nutrition. when you've got yoplus, you don't need secrets. try new yoplus for free at yoplus.com... and plus up your yogurt. >> some of the big stories we're following right now at 5. new video from haiti is just coming into the fox 5 newsroom. after shocks rattled the country this afternoon and thousands of people feared dead from yesterday's powerful earthquake. the state department is checking into repor