NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, October 6, 2024

Episode Date: October 6, 2024

Hurricane Milton on track to hit Florida as a major Category 3 storm; President Biden sending more troops to the storm zone to help after Hurricane Helene; Fire breaks out on a Frontier Airliner; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, another major hurricane heading straight for Florida as the military sends in more troops to help people recover from the last one. Hurricane Milton getting stronger, faster today, and taking direct aim at Florida's west coast. Evacuations already ordered, even with debris from Hurricane Helene still not cleaned up. I don't think there's any scenario where we don't have significant impacts. So will this storm hit the same spot? We have the latest track, plus 500 more troops rushing in to help North Carolina and Tennessee, and a legendary racetrack, now a massive donation center. The very

scary moments for this frontier flight, fire on the plane, reports of smoke filling the cockpit. What passengers are telling us about those frightening moments. I look out the window and start seeing smoke coming from the bottom. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are coming on the air with yet another dangerous hurricane barreling toward western Florida. This one putting Tampa in the bullseye. You can see Milton here out in the Gulf of Mexico.

As we're just learning late tonight, it's expected to strengthen to a category four before it hits land as a cat three. Our team's digging through the models to look at when it might make landfall and just as critically where. You see just how wide the cone of uncertainty is there along the Gulf Coast. And the concern now, all that rain and wind right on top of an area already reeling after the last hurricane just nine days ago. And we're not losing focus on the aftermath of that storm either. With new updates tonight on the federal response in North Carolina and Tennessee, along with the surge in private donations. We have team coverage tonight, but let's begin with NBC meteorologist Angie Lastman, who's following Milton. Angie, talk us through the latest. Good evening, Hallie. We're continuing to see this system

rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico. A Category 1 now with winds up to 85 miles per hour, still 800 miles to the west-southwest of Tampa, but likely to become a Category 4 in the next day or so. By the time it makes landfall as we get into the west southwest of Tampa, but likely to become a category four in the next day or so. By the time it makes landfall as we get into the later parts of Wednesday, a category three. The landfall point anywhere from the Big Bend to Naples, we'll see that happen in the second half of Wednesday. Storm surge will be, of course, concerned near the center of that system. Wind damage as well. But the rainfall will be quite impressive across the state of Florida. Five to 10 inches of rain and in spots, localized amounts up to 15.

Hallie? Angie Lastman, thank you. Let's take you to Florida now, where they are racing to get ready for Milton. Marissa Parra is in St. Petersburg, where they're already ordering evacuations. Marissa, what's going on where you are? Hey, Hallie, we're joining you from a very busy sandbagging station in St. Petersburg, Florida. The line of cars anywhere between one mile to two miles long, they are bracing for what could be yet another round of storm surge just over one week since Helene. We've got mandatory

evacuation orders up and down the Gulf Coast. We have over 50 counties under a state of emergency. That's pretty much every county south of the Panhandle. And one massive risk here are those debris piles left over from Helene. Those could be very dangerous projectiles. So we just heard from the governor, Hallie, who said clearing those debris piles is a top priority. Hallie. Marissa Parra, thank you. It's all happening as President Biden is sending in more troops to help with the disaster left behind by Hurricane Helene. Kathy Park joins us now from eastern Tennessee. Kathy, what's it like where you are? Allie, good evening. More than a week after Helene's devastating blow today, President Biden has called up 500 more active duty troops to help with the ongoing recovery efforts across the Southeast.

One of the biggest challenges in the Carolinas and right here in Tennessee is navigating the damaged infrastructure. If you take a look behind me, that's part of a bridge that is washed away, making it just too dangerous for crews to get through to bring help to people cut off from critical essentials. Hallie. Kathy Park, thank you. To an emergency landing now in Las Vegas and the fire on a frontier flight with flames shooting off the plane. Our Maggie Vespa talked with passengers on board about those scary moments and how it could have happened. Stunning video of a plane

on fire on the runway after a mysterious midair emergency led to what airport officials call a hard landing in Las Vegas. We have no communication with the pilot whatsoever. His radios are out. We have no communication with the pilot. Tonight, the NTSB and FAA are investigating after the FAA says Frontier Airlines Flight 1326 from San Diego to Las Vegas yesterday made an emergency landing after reporting smoke in the cockpit. Passengers remember severe turbulence as the Airbus 321 approached the runway. He felt a drop. Yeah, we landed and it was so hard.

I felt it through my body. Just seconds after that, I told her, I think it's on fire. Lucas Shook and Alondra Soto watched as firefighters doused the plane, adding they waited on board for close to an hour. Finally evacuated by firefighters, they say they saw the plane's tires blown out. Frontier saying no injuries were reported, adding the cause of the incident is currently under investigation. After reviewing emergency communications to and from the cockpit,

NBC News aviation analyst and former FAA investigator Jeff Gazzetti believes this case will be complex. I think this was a very serious incident. Something happened in that cockpit that created smoke and really challenged that flight crew. A mid-air scare leaving unanswered questions on the ground. Maggie Vespa, NBC News. With just a month until Election Day, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are now ramping up their push to reach voters. Aaron Gilchrist is traveling with the former president in Battleground, Wisconsin. Aaron, good evening. Hallie, good evening. The former president spoke before a crowd of thousands here in Wisconsin.

He almost immediately attacked Vice President Harris on the stage here before turning his attention to the economy and encouraging his supporters here to take advantage of early voting options. Vice President Harris today launching a media blitz with an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. She'll continue that effort this week with appearances on 60 Minutes, The View and the Town Hall for Univision. Hallie. Aaron Gilchrist, thank you. When we come back, there's good news tonight. Tears of joy as fans celebrate the victory Vanderbilt hardly saw coming.

I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week.