Disaster is still unfolding. We saw several buildings that have collapsed and smoke in the air and death toll that will no doubt rise. Thousands of people have poured out and flooded the streets here as fear spreads across the region. There was an 8. 1 earthquake in earlier this month. And todays quake comes on the 32year anniversary of a massive earthquake in mexico city that killed some 10,000 people. As a matter of fact, many folks were drilling or having drilled preparations for a major earthquake hours before the 7. 1 quake was triggered. We also know they are e evacuating hospitals and schools and the airport is shut down here as many people scram canable for shelter. Were seeing the image of people fleeing their offices and now crowded in the streets. Reports of the smell of gas. What about the airports . They are closed as this it point . The major airports into mexico city have been suspended. All flights have been suspended. Some show as leaving on time, but no flights will be coming in as they inspect the runway there. Mexico city is built on bed soil, which were told it can magnify the earthquake. It certainly felt a lot stronger to many people there. Seismologists also tells us that mexico city should brace for several major aftershocks that will likely come in the wake of this major quake. Only to complicate any search and rescue operation there. We can tell you that President Trump is monitoring the situation in mexico city. We are all watching to see this play out again. Right now they are as high as 49. But well continue to watch that number. Youre looking at scenes outside build thags have collapsed. No telling how many people were inside those buildings. Also an update on Hurricane Maria baring down right now toward puerto rico. A live report tr there when we see you a bit later on. Im lester holt in new york. Good day. Well continue to follow that earthquake in mexico city. Our top story chere, our team meteorologists tracking two hurricanes. Maria, which is closing in on puerto rico, and jose, which is affecting our area. Chief meteorologist tammie souza begins with joses impact. Were watch jose still bringing in some bands of rain into delaware. Clouds across the area. But you can see this still has enough of a spin. This is the center of the storm thats still fairly intense for a category one storm. Thats sort of stationary brushing the shoreline. This is what were expecting. Were expecting a track thats going to loopy loop and come back on itself. And then it loses the steering mechanism. Its going to wait for a nudge from maria as maria turns and comes close to the east coast. High pressure thats blocking it both to the east and west. Something were watch iing for the tide. This morning there was a minor flooding that we saw in atlantic city. But higher of the two tides today is going to come this evening. So 7 45 this evening, we could see a storm surge of water coming in. Those things well be following closely. When i come back, well talk about perhaps what we are going to see right after the weekend dealing with jose. In the meantime, want to take you to the jersey shore for a look at the impact jose is having there this afternoon. Ted greenberg is joining us live once again in ocean city. Whats the situation where you are right now. Reporter the waves are incredible to see. They are huge and have been causing this beach erosion along the coast. Were not going to be able to stand in this spot much longer because the ocean has been coming all the way up to the back of the beach. In one shore community, the storm is prompt iing a renewed outcry. Laurie had to trudge through high water to cross nassau avenue in margate. This is just a colossal problem. Reporter the beach block was still fooded hours after this mornings high tide. She blames drainage problems connect to the statemandated beach protection project thats still underway in this community. Its flooded in the past, but this is really bad. Its usually not this high and go back out with the tide, its not going anywhere. The ocean made angry by jose far out in the atlantic coming up to the foot of newly constructed dunes. Margate just rebuilt beaches already being eroded. The army corps of engineer is working on temporary and longterm measures to mitigate the drainage issues here. Pounding surf taking a bite out of ocean city beaches. A preplan ned project here this fall will repair the damage. Its unfortunate to have this timing with the army corps schedule scheduled. After dealing with minor flooding this morning, coastal communities could see higher water during the high tide. It happens 1 to 2 hours later on the back bay. You can see as we approach that high tide, the ocean continues to come closer up to the back of the beach. Boarding up and bracing for maria, the category 5 hurricane is hours away from striking puerto rico. Krystal klei is joining us. Its been 90 years since the island saw a hurricane of this magnitude. Lets take a look at the updated track. You can see its moving right through parts of puerto rico. Potentially as a category 5 at landfall. This is between wednesday and wednesday afternoon. By thursday is moving to the north. And starting to track to the north, which may start to run it parallel to the east coast. Starred and sunday weakening to a category 2 hurricane. Four instances of a category 4 or 5 hurricane have made. Landfall. Its just clipping. You see the line in red. Its okay cheechobee that impac. That happened in 1928 and the only category 5 hurricane thats made landfall over puerto rico. This could be one for the history books. No matter 4 or 5, it will be causing serious damage for the area. With both hurricanes jose and maria turning off the east coast, theres a chance the two storms could interact. That could influence each path of the storms. Break down that possibility at 5 30. Tragic accident and not a crime. Thats how the death of a 19yearold College Freshman was described. He was drinking with friends in the days before his death. The da says the lafayette College Freshman was seen stumbling around campus at a local Convenience Store and believed hi hit his head during a fall in his dorm room, but there were no signs of an injury. A friend called for help and the da says no one knew williams had been hurt. He says they continued to check on williams into sunday afternoon thinking he was just sleeping it off. Between 1 00 and 1 30, they purchased food thinking it would be good for him to eat something. They also got him some water. The da says it was a few hours later they got him to a hospital by calling 911. Still ahead a new program in Delaware County aimed at giving second chances. Well tell you why women are specifically targeted and they got out of dodge just in time. Were talking to families who escaped Hurricane Marias path and made it on one of the last flights to philly today. Emotional reunion only nbc 10 was there when a 4yearold girl had been missing for hours was found safe. Hear from her family, next at 5 00. A 4yearold girl from philadelphia is back with her family this evening. She wandered away from her house at 4 00 in the morning. That led to an allout search. We talked to her family and the woman who found her about how this happened. This is where that frantic search kicked off this morning. This is in southwest philadelphia. The little girl, that 4yearold wandered away from it this door and walked down the sidewalk just like im doing. Thankfully, a neighbor over here just right next door heard the little girl crying. She came outside, brought the girl back inside and kept her safe for a few hours. Thank god. That everything is fine. Everything is positive. And that they had great neighbors to see a child that was out wandering and took the child in. We were there for the emotional reunion. The family of the 4yearold on edge their thoughts running wild after she went missing for a fur hours early this morning. The neighbor tells us she was the one who found her crying outside. She fed the little girl before she fell asleep on her couch. I called her and said i want i said where your mommy at. She said they left me. Investigators were on the scene searching every inch of the village and also the nearby area. They tell us the mother left her 4yearold and 7yearold alone while she went to mcdonalds to get a cup of ice because she was hot. She later realized she was gone. She looked out the window and saw all the commotion and came aanother neighbor who told her what was going on. She came outside with the little girl. You think about calling police . I dont have no phone. I didnt want to bother anyone. Reporter the Investigation Continues tonight. The head of Philadelphia City council is pushing tr changes to a Police Oversight board looking for a better relationship between police in the community. The Council President daryl clark and curtis jones shared their ideas with nbc 10 today. They want to revamp the commission aiming to get complaints handled faster and give it investigatory powers. We have to find a way to fix this. We have a great city. Were not even remotely close to st. Louis where so many other troubling activities are taking place. They also want to guarantee funding for the commission and they are plan ing ning to take referendum to city voters. Philadelphia closer to having a plan for paying its police. The board voted today to use 345 million in reserve funds to cover the new police contract. However, the mayor says the final plan wont come until the city decides how to pay other workers. Hurricane maria is inching closer to the island of puerto rico. The powerful storm expected to make landfall in the coming hours. Brian mendoza is in san juan where people are bracing for the storm. Today the governor of puerto rico called it the spaces and emergency workers will not be able to help them once the wind reaches a certain point. As of right now its 100 miles south of st. Croix. According to the hurricane center, its expected to strike the Virgin Islands and puerto rico by tonight and continue tomorrow as a category 5 hurricane. 500 shelters are available to help those in need of a safe place. One of those being the convention center, which is still housing from other caribbean islands. Its prepared to accept thousands of residents as the worst of the storm strikes. We will be keeping an eye out on this storm as it makes landfall. In puerto rico, im brianmen is a. A close eye on hurricane jose as the hovers off the coast of the united states. This is a live look at avalon beach where the sky is gray. The sea is choppy. It is a day to play it safe and stay out of the water. Thats for sure. Tammie souza is joining us with the impact well see from jose tonight. We could see when we get the high tide this evening a surge of two feet in some areas, which would cause more flooding than we saw earlier today with the earlier high tide this morning. Clouds across the entire area. 78 in philadelphia. The winds are out of the north at 14 miles per hour. These are the bands thatc are coming in from jose. Butt heaviest of the rain is definitely in south jersey. You can see that toward washington and out towards ship bottom. Thats the nature of these tropical bands. Heres a look at jose spinning around. Not really moving anywhere. Does not have a mechanism to steer it in one direction. Theres High Pressure blocking it off to the northeast. Theres High Pressure from the west. Its sandwiched in here going nowhere. Going to try to make a a move. But thats not going to be successful. Were watching maria down here southeast of st. Croix, which looks like its going to be a direct hit. You get a good idea of how far away it is. And the eye about 10 to 12 miles across. If it goes over the islands like it did last night, its going to be fairly catastrophic. This is a category 5 hurricane. Theres not going to be much left of some of those areas. Lets go back to jose. 75 mile an hour winds. Were going to watch it try to make a move to the northeast. Its sort of blocked in. We could see it coming back inland by the time we get to early next week. What were going to see is a high risk of rip currents. Were going to see the dangerously high seas. The localized flooding. The waves could be 10 to 15 feet. Gail warnings out. Nobody should be out anywhere in the water. Now lets take a look at whats going on. The pressure drops to 916. Not as low as we saw with irma, but the storm is intensifying. The track is going it take it close to st. Croix as a category 5 storm. Across some point. And then across the turks and cay koes as a 4 changing from a 4 to a 3. Basically its going to come on up along the shoreline in our area and then its going to kind of interact with jose. Thats going to be the steering mechanism that may give jose that shove inland. 84 in fairmont. Youll see 83. Allentown at 82 you sould see lingering showers. Maria is making a close path. 84 tomorrow. 86 on thursday prp 89 on sunday. Hot and humid weather even though fall ends on friday. It will be summer like on sunday for the eagles game and could see the return of jose next week. Well have to watch that closely. He knew something was wrong when he heard a sound coming from the cars engine. He didnt know a kitten was stuck there. How firefighters tore this car apart to rescue the little guy right there. Then what a family says happened at a local six flags Amusement Park that has them suing. Thats next at 5 00. New at 5 00 a new jersey family says a ride malfunction injured their daughter and now they are taking legal action two years later. The girl was not properly restrained while riding the ride and that she had to cling to the shoulder bar to hold herself in the seat. Tonight a local senator is asking a marijuana grow tore stop a plan to shut down and delay the states medical marijuana program. Senator leech says keystone relief should reconsider its lawsuit. The grower applied to get a state license to grow medical marijuana, but didnt get one. We spoke with senator leech today and he said in a competitive process tlrks will always be winners and losers. There will always be people who feel they are wronged in some way. We have more of the interview posted on the nbc 10 app. Tonight a bucks county crook is on the run. What hes stealing and the one store he keeps targeting. Plus this. The rain is starting to come back, but were also concerned about the water from the ocean. Ill explain what i mean when we come right back. And coming up new at 6 00, hurricane heroesc homecoming. Philadelphia firefighters on the front lines of two monster storms celebrating tonight. cheering a triangle solo . Surprising. Whats not surprising . How much money sam and yohanna saved by switching to geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. The death toll is rising after a powerful earthquake. Within the past half hour, the number of dead rose to 44. And youre going to see video of people in the streets. Some of them are injured. Buildings damaged. There are reports of people trapped in collapsed buildings after the magnitude 7. 1 quake. Workplaces held preparation drills on the anniversary of a quake that killed thousands. Ask just a short time ago, President Trump tweeted, god bless the people of mexico city. We are with you and will be there for you. Well continue to follow this breaking news out of mexico. Again, 44 dead after a major earthquake there. We continue to follow double trouble in the tropics as well. We are tracking two hurricanes. Hurricane jose on the lefthand side of the screen. Its churning off the east coast. And on the right, Hurricane Maria continues to clobber the caribbean. Gray skies in philadelphia. Hurricane jose bringing rain to our area as you look like at center city. The storm is bringing wind, rain and rough surf to the jersey shore. Look at these flooded streets. If you live in delaware, and along the engineer e see shore, youll feel it. Coastal flooding is the biggest threat. Continue we have issued a first alert. Our team of meteorologists is revealing the latest models. We are checking on conditions there. We begin with tammie souza. These are significant waves. 10 to 15foot waves. They could be along the shore. Were looking at foggy conditions. Light rain fall iing at times. 70 degrees right now in avalon and the winds are out of the north with gusts come in a little higher than that. As we look at the doppler radar, heres whats going on. This is what jose is doing bringing bands of rain into the area. Much of the shower activity though toward vineland and galloway picking up some showers at this point and down to the south. Were looking at lewis beach picking up some of the shower activity in delaware. This is going to continue on and off for the next 24 hours, perhaps 36 hours as we watch jose spinning around just offshore. Not moving. This is pretty much a stationary hurricane. Look at this thing. The track may actually loop it back around. And eventually it may come back to visit us with more rain by early next week. Lets check out whats going on now out there at the beaches. Heres tim furlong. Theres a fine rain and wind blowing through. The breeze picking up the palm trees here. The real concern here hasnt been all the rain. Its too choppy. Its blown out for surfing. The next couple days could be great. Today is perfect for people who like seeing the power of nature. I saw it go down on the beach today and i drink in all the wonderful energy. Pretty easy to drink it in. The wind blowing rain and sand right in your face today. I was looking at the weather. Want. Ed to see what it looked like. Lots of businesses were open today. Lots of people came out to enjoy the beach towns. People snapped pictures of the ocean. Not a pleasant day. But certainly something to see. Were thankful it isnt as nasty to us as others have been to our friends down south. This as rough as we want to see the atlantic. Stay out there. Ocean stay out there. Well stay here. I enjoy watching it. Lets come back live. The water is high. Not a good night to go swim in the ocean. Not even here in the bay. The current is moving here. Thats at 8 00 tonight. It was all under water and the water went up on to the street. Duey is known for the low lying streets. Maria. That ripped across the island last night. Up to 15 inches of rain is expected there. And authorities warn people to stay inside. The items no food or water. Hurricane irma battered the islands a few weeks ago. People are trying to recover from that storm as they prepare for maria, but marias path could impact hurricane jose. Its a rare dance between two hurricanes. Heres what we have been talking about. Early wednesday morning through afternoon to pass through puerto rico. Now the cone itself has tightened quite a bit. Almost enclosing the entire isl