Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 10, 2025

Episode Date: January 11, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight we're live from the Pacific Palisades. Firefighters beginning to make progress against the massive wildfires just as a new blaze breaks out. We join first responders on the front lines as resources are stretched thin and exhaustion begins to set in. The firefighting aircraft now out of commission punctured after colliding with a drone. Los Angeles on edge after false evacuation orders were issued twice. Was the alert system hacked? We speak with actress Jennifer Gardner, who says she, like so many others, lost a friend in the fire and the overwhelming outpouring of support. Residents in Altadena returning to their homes for the first time after a massive eaten fire tore through their community.

The vibrant working-class neighborhood left shocked and devastated. We speak with residents now bonded by an immense loss, vowing to rebuild their lives no matter what it takes. Also tonight, President-elect Trump now officially a convicted felon. Trump sentenced to, quote, unconditional discharge, facing no punishment in his New York Hush Money case, the audio recordings inside the courtroom, with the President-elect said and the judge, in his own words, on why he made his decision. A state of emergency in the South, the major winter storm blasting the region with heavy snow and ice, the Delta flight forced to evacuate passengers, injured while using emergency slides landing in the snow at Hartsfield's Jackson Airport. terrifying video of the moment ice slams into a driver's windshield, leaving it cracked. And what would you take young people turning to TikTok documenting what they packed as they fled the flames, those cherishing the valuables they were able to save, while others face a reality of being left with nothing,

emphasizing what matters most is having one another. Plus, we speak with one man who was at his home when it caught on fire. He tells us if the firefighters had enough water, his house could have been spared, A special edition of Top Story starts right now. And good evening. We thank you for joining us tonight. Top Story coming to you live from the Pacific Palisades right now. An area, as you can see behind me, where thousands of homes have been lost, including right where we are standing.

There continues to be a threat to this community from wildfires all over the area. Right now, officials are saying at least 11 people have died in the fires and more than 100. 100,000 people remain under evacuation orders, with others being told to be on alert. Where we are is roughly 16 miles west of Hollywood. The Palisades Fire, just one of several fires that firefighters are working to get the upper hand on before those devastating Santa Ana winds are slated to return. The Archer Fire, a new blaze breaking out near Grinai Hills. That's just north of Hollywood, about 19 miles.

It briefly prompted evacuation orders, but crews were able to stop the growing progress there. Tonight we're getting the first aerial visuals of the widespread devastation in Altadena, a tight-knit community of 40,000 people, just 40 miles northeast from here. It is just surreal. It is absolutely surreal. It's like a nuclear bomb went off. Neighborhood after neighborhood left decimated, officials saying more than 7,000 structures, homes and businesses are damaged or destroyed. As these fires continue to burn into its fourth day, all of Los Angeles County remains anxious. Major questions tonight after 10 million people

received an evacuation alert by mistake, sparking widespread panic, we're looking into what went wrong. And Governor Gavin Newsom now ordering an independent investigation into why fire hydrants are running dry. It comes after reports that power was cut to a critical reservoir in the Pacific Palisades

just as the massive blaze broke out. Tonight you'll hear from people who lost everything, the crews on the front lines, and those jumping into help amid the devastation. The firefight in California now in day four. Today we saw firsthand how homeowners continue to face the wildfires head on. Topanga is there. If we burn, Topanga burns, we need to stop this.

Using water hoses, shovels, and sprinklers. These residents have been fighting for days. You're sweating, you're covered in water and dirt. Why are you doing this? Because there's a whole community behind us, and if we go, they go. With firefighters on the ground and the wind slowing down, air assets attack the blaze from above. We're in the middle of the Palisades Firefight right now. That is a firehawk. It's a Black Hawk helicopter that has up to 1,000 gallons of water dropping it right on some of the hottest spots of this wildfire. The accuracy of those airdrops was in unbelievable. Even Carmen Harmon, who is six months pregnant, spraying down her home with water.

She's expecting a boy and says she's trying to ensure her baby has a point. place to come home to. You're going to keep going? Yeah, we're going to stay and fight. And you're not going to evacuate? No, no. We want to protect the house and we'll leave we're packed and ready. We're ready to go if we need to. We have routes out, but yeah, we want to try and stay and fight. And the threat isn't over. Today, new evacuations ordered as a fire broke out in Granada Hills. And last night, another new fire near Calabasas. A furious effort held back these flames. But with each new outbreak, already thin resources are being stretched. even further.

Today, there's one less firefighting plane in the air after a super scooper was struck by what the FBI is investigating as a civilian drone strike. The damage left a fist-sized hole in its wing, grounding the vital aircraft designed to drop 1,500 gallons of water on fire. The fires have now burned more than 56 square miles. That's larger than the city of San Francisco. than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. These stunning before and after images of the Eaton fire in Altadena showing what the fire did

to a vibrant community. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the fires have now killed 11 people, including 83-year-old grandfather Rodney Nickerson of Altadena, and the number of dead is still expected to rise. There's still a lot of people who are unaccounted for. We don't know where they are. I think this toll is likely to go up, whether it's significant or not. Pray God, it's not.

Hajime White lost her father, Anthony Mitchell, and younger brother Justin, who had cerebral palsy. In the Pacific Palisades, actress Jennifer Gardner's home was spared, but she's dealing with the loss of her own. I'm pointing to a street where a friend of mine lived, and she died in the fire right up there. So coming down here and seeing it, it's very, very, it's very real for all of us at my church. You lost your church. Can you talk to me about that? You know, it really hung in there, and then all of a sudden we were getting pictures of literally fire coming out of the steeple. But a church is a group of people. It is a group of people who are committed to each other, and that is not going to change. That's stronger than ever, and I feel that way about the palisades in general.

Amid miles of destruction, the National Guard now standing outside fire zones to prevent looting. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom called for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure in fire hydrants. This, as outrage is growing and questions remain about what impact L.A.'s mayor, Karen Bass's budget cut to the city's fire department, had on the response. Our local station, NBC Los Angeles, pressing the city's fire chief for answers. So $17 million cut did not allow us to do what we needed to do. And where that impacted us specifically for palisades was our ability to move into reserve apparatus. So that apparatus could not be utilized in this fire? We were limited with the number of resources that we could add and pre-deploy to this fire, yes.

Searching for answers as to what went wrong, as so many now search for a new place to call home. What has made these wildfires so devastating is the sheer magnitude of land they have cut. covered. As I mentioned, we're here in the Pacific Palisades, one of the hardest hit communities. But my colleague, NBC's Gotti Schwartz, has been on the ground in Altadena, and the damage there is indescribable. Gotti, day four for you out there. What is different about what you're seeing? Yeah, indescribable is the right word. How do you even begin to describe what was lost in so many of these homes and so many of these living rooms? Just a matter of perspective here, this is one home behind me. We're on a cul-de-sac. There's seven homes this way.

There are countless homes that way, but seven homes this way, and then you think seven thousand, seven thousand structures were lost here at the Eaton Fire in Altadena. It boggles the mind, and then you start to see some of the only things that are left standing from these homes are the chimneys. And you know that those chimneys represented fireplaces where families would gather for birthdays, for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, so many memories lost in an instant. Today in Altadena, there are doorways, stairways, entryways into emptiness, and storefronts, portals and windows into ruin. From above, the loss is staggering. Over 7,000 structures homes and businesses destroyed. And for Kim Hood, the greenhouse facing the mountain wasn't just her dream home.

It was what her parents passed down to her before they died. What was your reaction when you first saw it? Tears. Tears. tears. My husband's like, okay, I thought you already cried out. I'm like, apparently not. She shows us pictures of her family gathering around her fireplace for Christmas, one of the only remnants left standing. It's unbelievable. Up the way, Juan Perez puts the scope of destruction into heartbreaking perspective.

It's all gone. All gone. I mean, the kids were born here, raised them here, 20-some years. We built this and it's completely gone. Not just me, my whole neighborhood is gone. There's thousands of us that don't know what we're going to do. Don't know where we're going to go. There's nothing left, and I've been here for about an hour and a half, and I don't want to leave. It's home.

Everything that we know and love is gone. Not just this house, my whole city gone, man, the whole thing. Like, everything, my whole neighborhood, everything that I grew up to love and know is burnt up. In this working class community that feels more like a small town than a part of L.A., there's already talk of rebuilding where their roots are generations deep. Sometimes you get knocked down, but we're just not going to be knocked out. You know, you fall down and we get right back up. And when the rebuilding begins, the Altadena hardware store will be ground zero for reconstruction.

Jesus. Even if you've got building supplies in the parking lot. On the street, wherever we can put stuff to help people, we're going to put it. Yeah, we're going to do everything we can. Gotti joins us once again from Altadena tonight. So, Gotti, it sounds like a lot of people you spoke to are committed to staying there and trying to rebuild. Yeah, they sure are. And there's this resilience.

It's personified by Jimmy there, the one that owns that hardware store. He was talking about being there for the community. He also told me about what the night was like when the fire swept through. that his home was saved by a neighbor with a hose. He was trying to get into Altadena. When he finally got in, he found his home had been saved. They went to save another neighbor's home. That's why they didn't have time to go check on the hardware store.

They thought it might be okay because it was right across the street from a fire station there. And then even today, Tom, just before that interview, he was running late because he had to go to another friend's house to put out a hot spot with buckets. That is the character here in Altadena. It is something that we've seen again and again. And the other thing about these homes, Tom, so often we're hearing this was not just my dream home. This was my family's dream home. And it's not the family in the sense. It's like mom, dad.

It's no, it's this is the home that I inherited from my parents and the parents before that. These are homes that have been in the family for generation. So the roots run so, so deep here. And it's just hard to fathom the amount of. loss out here. But again, a lot of people committing to rebuilding because they say that the community isn't the buildings. The community is the people. Tom. Yeah, and a reminder at every home there, there is a story and a family and a history. And for so many, it's been wiped away. All right, Gotti Schwartz, we thank you for that. So many residents here in Southern California

now face with that question that is so difficult, right? Where do they go from here? Joining us tonight now is Blake Malin. He's a father of two from the Pacific Palisades. He and his family lost their home this week as the fires ripped through their neighborhood. Blake, thanks for joining us tonight. I understand you're staying with your family away from the fires in Santa Monica tonight. How are you guys all doing? Hey, Tom, thanks for asking you. I'm here at my sisters in Santa Monica. And yeah, we've had better days, that's for sure. But we're together, we're safe. So from the videos you took, it seems like you stayed as long as possible. We're going to show some of these videos so our viewers understand what we're seeing here.

you were with the firefighters as they battled the blaze in your own house. What was the moment you realized there was nothing more you could do and you had to get out? Yeah. I mean, I was there the whole time from watching it on Tuesday, Tom, coming over the hills to behind us in the highlands, chose to stay to do everything we could to protect my house in the street. And stayed there all through Tuesday night. I mean, it was the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life. It looked like absolute Armageddon, hell, fire on all sides.

And at that time, the water was running. There was one other neighbor on the street, Alex, and we were going up and down the street with hoses, and we were putting out hundreds of hotspots, literally hundreds, all across our street. And it was working. And I was there the moment that late Tuesday night, all the water went out, just ran out, everything shut off. We got through the most of it. I spent the night going truck to truck and engine to engine with every firefighter that was in the neighborhood knocking on windows, and every one of them was out of water. And thank God, we made it through the night. The whole street made it through the night.

We thought we were on the other side of it. And then sure enough, Wednesday morning, we thought we were in the clear and one of the houses at the end of the street caught. And I went and knocked on all the trucks, and every fire in the neighborhood, I begged them just to make a stand for Kyida, Sarah. And there was one engine.

I think it was, I think it was F.R. 115. His name was Andrew. And I don't know what his role is, but he rallied every engine in the neighborhood. And I sat there and watched every firefighter available sit on Kyadisera around my house and literally do everything beyond what was even fathomable to save it. They held the line. They went into my house when the fire broke in.

When it got into the attic, I watched four or five firefighters put on oxygen tanks, masked, grabbed two hoses, into the attic and fight an attic fire. it was heroism at its full extent, Tom, I watched everything. Thank you, Andrew. Thank you, every engine that came and attempted to save the house. And unfortunately, it didn't go our way that day. I watched it. We did everything, and despite doing everything, it wasn't enough. And to answer your question, I was there until Wednesday afternoon where I watched our family home burned down. Blake, what was that moment like? I mean, I was just thinking watching you shoot the video of the attic fire and the fire blazing out of those windows,

and then you actually saw it go down. I mean, I can't imagine what that was like. It's, you can't explain it. I mean, it's surreal. It doesn't feel real. In that moment, I was just doing everything that I could do in trying to work with everybody around me, that they were doing everything they can do to save it.

Everybody was devastated. I was devastated, obviously, from losing everything and watching. Even the firefighters around me, because I know they put everything in it and try to save it. It just wasn't enough. I'll tell you, had there been water, had there been water in those hydrants, there's a hydrant right across the street from my house. Had there been water in the hydrants, my house would have been saved for a fact. Hayday Sarah would have been saved for a fact. Most of that neighborhood would probably be the same.

I was there. I watched it. They did everything they could with trucks refilling water, truck to truck, but it wasn't enough for what we needed up there. that was a shift and then Blake I yeah I'm looking at the notes from our producer and I almost can't believe this but is it true that your insurance company

dropped your fire coverage just a few months ago yeah Tom I'm so Cal Native I grew up in Newbury Park public service parents mom's a career educator dad a police officer I didn't come from a lot I was self-made entrepreneur for 25 years worked my ass off building businesses

to pay off that dream home It was paid off my family home. And state farm insurance dropped us in September, non-renewal for Fiverr. I told us we didn't qualify for the California Fair Plan because the house was too expensive. Tried everywhere to get coverage. E-mailed them yesterday, came back, they said no coverage. So my family home that I've worked my whole career for paid in full with no mortgage. They're telling me zero coverage.

It's a complete loss, total devastation, and total rebuild from my family and I completely, everything. Do you have any faith? Do you have any faith in your local government or the insurance commissioner that in some way you're going to get some money? I don't know if they can make you whole, but you'll get something, something that can maybe help? So here's what I have faith in. I have faith in people in community, the support that I've been getting just from starting with family and friends, but beyond that. Community is on a part of people I don't even know on social media. it's been insane. I have faith in communities and people, and I have faith if communities and people are unite in a direction, they have to force whoever is up there somewhere making some decision to make the right decision. But I will tell you, we need the right people in the right places

making the right decision. You've got to listen. Something has to change. Where we live, the amount of taxes we play, the amount of resources we have, the amount of will we gave everything, everything to save it. It's still gone. To have not enough water, to have everything. reservoirs, to me going around knocking on fire trucks, right, and having every firefighter saying we can't do anything, we don't have water, they're there, they're ready, but they don't have water. I mean, who makes these decisions? What's the answer? And more importantly, what are we got to do to create change? So I have faith in that time. I can't talk for government officials. I can talk for the community, and someone has to listen to the community, and I hope the right people find the right message. Yeah, I know you have a couple GoFundMe set up. We want to put them on the screen for our viewers here to figure out how they can help people in your community and what's going on. But I feel for you guys tonight, and I hope in some way you guys can be made whole again. Blake, we'll be thinking about you.

We thank you for talking to us tonight. Thank you, Tom. I appreciate it. Stories are all on my Instagram at Blake Malin. If you want to see the real time, you can find the link to the GoFundMe. And prayers go out to everybody else affected. And thank you, firefighters, Andrew, every fireman, every year. engine out there. You guys are heroes and you're making a difference. Thanks, Tom.

Thanks for what you guys are doing. Blake Madeline, we thank you for that. The National Guard is also on the move tonight. Hundreds of members of the California National Guard have been deployed to the L.A. area to assist in securing fire areas. For more on their arrival, Ellison Barber joins Top Story Live tonight. She's in Altadena, California, where the deadly eaten fire, as we saw there in Gotti's report, is still raging. So, Alison, we can see the smoke rising up behind. You talk to us about what exactly the crews are doing and how the National Guard is here to help. Yeah, I mean, look, the Eaton fire, which is not far from here, it is 3% contained in the last update we had.

The National Guard, we spoke to a sergeant in this area earlier today, and he ultimately said, look, we're here because we're trying to secure the perimeter to free up resources, be that police and also fire officials and make sure they feel comfortable so they can come in and keep doing the work like they're doing here, putting out hot spots. This is an area that is just completely decimated in a lot of ways, Tom, when you walk through here, it really does. field like a war zone. And there's constant just these areas and pockets that are still smoldering. This fire crew has been here for the good of the better part of the last 30, 45 minutes trying to get all of the hot spots in this one area under control. In terms of the National Guard, the areas where they are set up, they've set up essentially a perimeter, taken over a lot of checkpoints that were previously being manned by California Highway Patrol. They are there essentially trying to stop people, particularly those who don't live in these communities from

coming in. Gavin Newsom said that he had activated 600 members of California's National Guard and that the majority of them had been deployed to the area where we are and also where you are for both the Eaton and Palisades fire, and that they were trying to do that in particular because of issues with looting at least 20 people. According to California, officials have been arrested for looting in Los Angeles County. But today, Tom, we saw a lot of frustrated people interacting with National Guardments, desperate to get up to their homes, poor homes of their friends, and really frustrated by the fact that they can't. Listen to what exchange we saw. Burned up. My truck is full supplies for him. He's got livestock. He has nothing.

My friend was able to get up there. He took his boots off and gave it to him. He got nothing. You'll see you. You look at my truck right now. It's full of water supplies for him. That guy frustrated. He couldn't get in the area. where there was a mandatory evacuation order to help a friend, but the police and also the National Guard there on the ground, essentially saying our hands are tied. We are told no one crosses through here. And the state, the governor has said that is because of issues with looting.

There is a curfew that goes into effect here and another mandatory evacuation zones at 6 p.m. Tom. Okay, Ellison, Barbara, for us there with the California National Guard. Alison, we thank you for that. As we've mentioned, the winds calming today, making the firefight easier, but more trouble could be on the way. early next week. I want to get right over to NBC meteorologist Bill Karen. So, Bill, walk us through what we expect over the weekend into Monday and Tuesday. Tom, it's very important

that we get these containment numbers up because we are going to see another Santa Ana wind event. It's either going to be moderate or strong. We'll figure that out in the days ahead. It looks like Monday night into Tuesday, maybe even continuing into Wednesday morning. So currently the winds are as light as they've been ever since the fire started. So the containment numbers should really begin the jump. As we go throughout the night, the water drops will continue. And then tomorrow during the day, the morning is calm, but then the winds kick up in the mountains as we go throughout the afternoon. So we could see containment, you know, the numbers may not go up quite as high as we'd like still get gust to 20 to 30. As far as the critical fire weather,

once again, we're in the Angeles Mountains and the Santa Monica Mountains and then also to the south here heading south of Riverside. So if any new fires form, but they could see some rapid spread. But they've got so many crews out there, we know, hopefully they can put it out quickly. And here's that next event. High pressure comes into the four-corner region. The downsloping winds in Southern California begin Monday night and the Tuesday. And right now our computers are thinking that the highest wind gusts are going to be in the 40 to 60 mile per hour range. Notice it's not in L.A. It's not in a lot of the areas that had the high winds in the super rare event two days ago. This is more going to be a typical Santa Ana wind event, Tom. The mountainous areas and the

communities there will be most at risk. Most at risk. Okay, Bill Kerrins for us, Bill. Thank you. Our coverage of the Los Angeles wildfire continues, but we're also following several other breaking stories tonight. President-elect Trump's sentence in his New York hush money case just days before he will be sworn into office. The audio recording from inside that courtroom. Stay with us. Welcome back to the special edition of Top Story live from Pacific Palisades. We're going to have much more on the multiple wildfires still burning out of control at this hour. but we do want to get to some of the other major headlines tonight. And that unprecedented moment that happened in New York,

President-elect Donald Trump's sentence in his hush-money case, given an unconditional discharge sentence, meaning he will receive no punishment. Trump is now the first American president to be a convicted felon. NBC News Senior Legal Correspondent, Laura Jarrett reports. President-elect Trump defiant, appearing in a New York courtroom virtually, as Judge Juan Mershahn handed down his sentence. Mr. Trump, given no punishment, but his place in history tonight cemented, the first former president, now a convicted felon, just 10 days out from his inauguration, the judge acknowledging the extraordinary moment. Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.

Ultimately, finding an unconditional discharge the most appropriate sentence for someone about to occupy the highest office, meaning no jail time, probation fine, or other penalty. The considerable, indeed, extraordinary legal protections afforded by the office of the chief executive is a factor that overrides all others. The prosecution in agreement, Mr. Trump earlier, for the first time speaking directly to the judge, calling it a terrible experience. It's been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I'd lose the election, and obviously that

didn't work. And the people of our country got to see this firsthand. And then they voted and I won it. The jury found him guilty of doctoring business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election. But jail time was always unlikely, given the low-level nature of the crime. Mr. Trump's attorneys vowing to appeal the conviction. Tom, the state case may be done for now, but there's still all of this drama surrounding what should happen to the final report of special counsel Jack Smith. Remember, he's been overseeing the federal cases against the president-elect. And while those cases may be done, his final report detailing his findings is still out there. Obviously, the Justice Department wants to make public

at least a portion of the report having to do with election interference, but Mr. Trump and his allies are fighting back against that. The Justice Department is hoping to release it as soon as Sunday. Tom, back to you. Okay, Laura, we thank you for that. Now to the Supreme Court hearing today over that TikTok ban, set to take effect in just nine days on the east. of President-elect Trump's inauguration. The justices appearing skeptical of the social media app's request to block the ban, which will take effect unless it's Chinese-owned parent company divest from the app. Savannah Sellers is at the Supreme Court for us tonight.

And Savannah, what more do the justices say about this ban? Hey there, Tom. So, in short, the just do not seem convinced by TikTok's argument. They really went out this concept of it being an infringement on free speech rights. They don't seem to think that that's necessarily true. And especially the fact that TikTok itself is arguing that it's an infringement on its free speech rights, not just the creators who were also represented today saying that they would be having that right violated because they couldn't post to this app and communicate on TikTok anymore.

The justices also seem quite sympathetic to the real issue at hand here, which is, is TikTok a national security concern? Because its parent company, it's called Bite Dance, has those ties to China. And the concern there is that China could manipulate the content. that Americans are seeing, or also that China has access to the 170 million Americans who use the app's data. Both of those would be big concerns. There were several questions asked of the TikTok lawyers today in court. Now for TikTok's part, one of the things that they really brought up and kind of honed in on was why go so far? Why didn't Congress look at something less restrictive? Say a law that just officially puts sets in stone that it would be illegal for

TikTok to share any American data with China. The court did not seem to compel by that. So what happens from here? First of all, we are still wondering if the court could potentially decide to essentially put a pause on this ban because right now TikTok is on the clock. There's just nine days until it goes into effect. What would happen in nine days if the Supreme Court upholds this law, TikTok would either have to sell away from that parent company. They have said that's virtually impossible or they will face that ban in the U.S. What is that going to look like? If you already have the app, you'll stop getting updates. So it'll probably be essentially defunct within a couple months. If you don't have the app, you'll no longer be able to download it. So pretty big

implications here. We'll see if the Supreme Court decides to pause. Then we'll see what happens once we have a President Trump. Otherwise, we are waiting for a final ruling on the arguments heard right here today in the Supreme Court. That could come at any time. Tom, back to you. All right, Savannah, we thank you. Savannah Sellers at the Supreme Court tonight. We're also following that dangerous winter storm slamming the south. Tonight, more than 75 million people are under a winter weather alert as heavy snow and ice caught major disruptions from Texas to Georgia. NBC's Marissa Para has this report from Atlanta. Tonight, a deep chill in the deep south.

Snow and ice bringing travel to a grinding hall. Thousands of flights delayed are canceled from Dallas and Charlotte to Chicago and a full morning ground stop in Atlanta. The wintery mix, just the backdrop for a scary moment for passengers on a Delta flight in Atlanta headed for Minneapolis. Delta flight 2668, 2668 with engine failure landing. The airline confirms there was an engine issue just before takeoff. More than 200 passengers had to use slides to deplane. The airport confirming several minor injuries. Snow and ice are pummeling the south.

Our Kathy Park is in Tennessee where the snow was falling an inch per hour. And what is it like seeing Broadway covered in snow right now? Quite unexpected. We don't think snow in Nashville, ever. People are now digging out from Texas to North Carolina with at least six states under a winter weather state of emergency. 20,000 miles of Georgia's roadway salted in advance. But in the Atlanta metro area, the cars that didn't heed the warning were seen stalled and sliding, causing accidents along the interstate. In Kansas, a truck's windshield shattered by icy debris flying from a passing car, a warning for the 75 million people in the winter spring.

storm's path. And Tom, as this storm continues to shift northeast, one thing that people here and there will have to keep in mind is everything that got rained on, all of that's going to freeze into those overnight hours. So something everyone's keeping an eye on, power outages, downed trees, and of course, down power lines throughout the night. So if you are in those impacted areas, please be safe, stay home if you don't need to travel. Tom. All right, Marissa, power for us. Marissa, thank you. We'll have much more of our coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires just ahead. Take a look at these new satellite images just in showing the land completely scorched the jarring before and after pictures of where homes once stood.

We'll hear from the organizations on the ground helping people who have lost everything. Stay with us. It was like our dream come true that we worked so hard to get here and now to see it this way. I never thought I wouldn't live through something like this. We are back now alive from the Pacific Palisades. I once vibrant neighborhood now in ruins after the Palisades fire tore through an estimated 5,000 structures.

Another fire, the Eden fire in Althadena, burning across nearly 14,000 acres. You just heard from a resident there who lost everything. Officials likening what's left of that community to a war zone. Our Morgan Chesky is there in Altadena tonight where he's been on the ground following the firefight. Morgan, tens of thousands of people are without power across Los Angeles tonight. Some of those shutdowns are intentional to prevent more fires, right, from sparking up as those winds pick up. But you and your team saw a power line explode today? Yeah, Tom, we did just a few hours ago, in fact.

And we thought we were in a safe area, but we had to move slightly because we heard the pop-pop from a nearby power line. And then for an unknown reason, flames began to take over the power lines. Crews were able to come in shut down that section of the street, Tom. But it was stunning to see a fire erupt along the power lines that then at one point fell into the street. And that is why crews are still on patrol in this eaten fire area of Altadena. Because even though the majority of the massive fronts have been somewhat contained, there are still these spot fires happen. from embers and in what we witnessed an electrical fire. And I should

note here, Tom, that crews were especially cautious as how they fought it because they didn't know if the lines were still active. Tom, they had been told by the utility provider that all lines in this area had been shut down. Certainly did not appear to be the case this afternoon.

All right, Morgan Chesky for us. Morgan, we thank you for that. For more on what the greatest needs are for the people who have lost everything in the wildfires, I do want to bring in Red Cross's National spokesperson, Nicole Mall, who comes to us from outside the shelter set up at a Westwood Recreation Center. Nicole, I know you're a native of California. What has it been like for you and what are some of the stories you've heard from the people coming to your shelter?

Let me just tell you, it's absolutely heartbreaking. We've opened up shelters all across Los Angeles County. When I sit down and just talk to folks, right, and sometimes that's the most compassionate thing that you can do. I met a woman who's lived in Santa Monica for, gosh, she said 60 years, she shared her story. And the littlest thing that I could do was open a jar for her. And it's those micro moments that just matter. And what we're seeing here is compassionate action. Folks who had to flee from their home have a place of comfort at a Red Cross shelter. What are the people at the shelter telling you when it comes to their biggest worries and their challenges right now? As you can imagine, the unknown is probably one of the most difficult parts.

That's why we're partnering with our local government agencies. We have mental health folks on site, spiritual care folks on site. Sometimes that's just half the battle. We understand that there is potential for a significant amount of loss for these folks. But as we're still in this early initial stage, a lot of it's just shock. And sometimes sharing a meal with someone who's been through that exact same experience for you can be lifting that burden off of your shoulders just for a moment in time. Yeah, I can't imagine.

So what resources do you need? What are you asking from the rest of the country to help the Red Cross in some way? The scenes that folks are witnessing from across the country, I'm sure, probably weigh just as heavy on the heart as they do for me. The best and fastest way to make an impact

here in California is going to be by supporting our mission financially. And you can make a donation at Red Cross.org. Or you can even become a volunteer. We know disasters don't take a break. They don't discriminate in terms of whose lives they affect. So you can also consider becoming a volunteer. But if you go to red cross.org, you'll be able to find a meaningful way to connect with our mission.

All right, Nicole Mall from the Red Cross. We hope people help out. We know you're doing such a great job in helping those displaced here. And there are so many. We want to show you a live look tonight right now at the Palisades fire as the sun is setting here where we are in the palisades. This is just over the mountains there. You can see the smoky fire. This has been building over the last hour or so as firefighters are still on that fire. There's only about 10% of it contained so far. It is taken over so many acres. It's the fire that we were at earlier today, which they were finding there in Topanga, the residents fighting that fire as well. We're going to have much more from the fire zone from here in Los Angeles coming up right

after this break. And the Hoda Bration is on. Do you know these faces? I love these faces. We are the today producers, crew, staff. I can't believe you're out here! That, of course, is our colleague at today, Savannah Guthrie along with Hoda Kotby saying goodbye. We are going to switch gears a little bit now in our coverage to say goodbye to Hoda

and to mark that moment here for NBC News. Here on Top Story, we wanted to spend a few minutes saying our own goodbye, but also telling Hoda's story. I caught up with her earlier this week for Top Story Spotlight. Hoda Copy. Thank you so much for being here. Look at me on the Tom Yama show. I cannot believe it. This is cool.

This is very cool. So Hoda Coppe is a name that everyone knows, but where does it come from? Oh, so both of my parents were born in Cairo, Egypt, and they came to this country back in like 1960, and they went straight to Oklahoma, where we were born. Because of course, why wouldn't Egyptians go to Oklahoma? Who knows why? But it was like, some friends went, we went, it was nice. So they ended up in Oklahoma, and ever since then, we've been sort of on this ride around the country. And you were in Oklahoma, you were in West Virginia, Virginia as well.

With the name like Hoda Kofi, what was that like growing up in those communities? First of all, when I lived in Morgantown, West Virginia, we'd lived there our whole lives. So we were sort of, they knew us. It was like we were the kids, everyone knew how to say our names. When we moved, I still remember sitting in class. sweating when it was time for roll call. Oh, yeah. Because they were like, Chris Kennedy.

I was like, oh, God, here it comes. Jack Cotton. Okay, I got a typo here. It looks like, is there an HK? I'm like, yes, there is. So I was used to kind of being the different kid. That probably helped you. I know you would visit Egypt.

I think you guys lived a time there as well, right? Yeah, a little short period. And you had some experiences. you've told me stories about that, about when you lived over there and how different your life was than when you were in America. What did you take away from those experiences? Well, one, just kind of the richness of another culture. And, you know, when you kind of have a second culture that you grew up with, you're like, wow, that's me too. I see my eyes and people, and I hadn't seen that before. You know, you look the same. You have the same vibe. But I also learned that I came from a family

of very, very independent women over there. And it was like when I watched, like my mom would go out jogging when we visited Egypt and my relatives were like, where are you going? She said, I'm going running. From what? Just nothing. Just running. So they kind of were always sort of acclimating.

Right. So, you know, people peek at different times in their life, but you seem like you were always peaking, right? Now, high school, you're the homecoming queen? Look, that was by default. Ask Margie Iani and Cameron Domain. How does that happen, though? You know what I was, Tom?

I was not the smartest, the most popular. I was an athlete, but I wasn't the best of anything. But what I was was always like a cheerleader, not a cheerleader with the outfit on, but just the cheerleader. Like whenever, when we were at football games, the players would look up in the stands at me and go, come on, Hodi. They called me Hodi. Hode, get him, get him going.

Because you'd fire them up. But by the way, and can I tell you something weird? That has been my role, my whole life, to today. Right. Like, I feel like that's why I'm here. You know, you're like, what am I doing here? I feel like no matter what job I've been in or what school I've gone to, I think that's why I'm around, really, because when you think about all of the partners

I've ever had in life, they've been extraordinary, like home runs. Like, you can't believe you're sitting next to them. And I feel like my job was just to kind of, I don't know how to say it, like be a reflector almost. Like, check you out, man. You're really good. So I feel like that's always been part of it. But you're also pretty good. But you're 100% right.

And I know from the times that we've anchored on the Today Show, when a new correspondent would come to the set for the first time, it's so, you know, you're just so nervous because you hear the Today Show. And you, the first thing you do, would you would say something so nice to them that would just make him feel like, I'm the biggest star in the studio. And it was so smart. Well, I feel like, you know what it's like. I remember the first time I was news reading on The Today Show. I thought I was going to barf. I sat down on the set 10 minutes early, rereading my copy, trying to see if I could get through without swallowing 15 times.

So I remember, like, yesterday, that feeling of like, don't flub it up. You got to do it. This is the big time, you know, kind of thing. So when I see someone walk on the set and I see the – We know the eyes. It's like we had those eyes. 2007, okay, it was a huge. huge year for you. You diagnosed with breast cancer. Did you know you were going to beat it?

And then talk to me what happens on the other side and your career. Did I know I was going to beat it? I was really, really, really scared. And just you saying it right now reminds me. It's like you have almost PTSD from something like that. I think I believed I would, but I was super scared that I wouldn't. I was super scared that I had not live my life right. That's really the truth of it. I was super scared that I had put all my my eggs in the career basket. And I was thinking, did I miss everything? Like life, like life, did I miss it? And after the surgery and after everything was over,

I had a mastectomy and stuff, and I woke up one night with an epiphany, and it was four words, and the four words that came to me were, you can't scare me. All of a sudden, I wasn't afraid of whatever I was afraid of. Like, go on the date, ask for the job, go up and march up and ask for things that you never ask for. I've always waited for things to come to me.

I've never been a seeker. I thought, well, they'll see me working hard here. They'll give me a promotion or give me a raise. Look at me. I'm working, but it doesn't work that way. So right after that, I went up to the 52nd floor here at NBC, and they were just about to start a fourth hour. And no one would have considered me because I wasn't that person. I said to Jeff Zucker, I had an epiphany, man.

You know, you can't scare me. I don't have cancer anymore, and I can do this job. And he was like, wow, you're weird. I'm sure he thought. But when it was all said and done, Jeff and the help of a producer who loved me named Amy, they hired me for that job. And I thought, you know what's weird? If I hadn't gotten sick, I wouldn't have had the guts to go up there.

To ask. I would have happily been working away. but sometimes you've got to be scared to try something new. You've got to be scared, and you've got to say to yourself, you know what, what's the worst that could happen? You don't ask, you don't get? Yes. It's a golden rule in news and in life. There's online, there's great super cuts of you and Kathy Lee that are just,

you can watch them for hours ago. They're so funny. First of all, when they told you Kathy Lee, did you know it was going to work? And when did you realize that it clicked? Like, oh, this is working? Kathy Lee came and filled in with me one time. before any decisions were made, and she was magic. Her cleavage was out.

Her hair was big. She was vintage Kath, talking about Cody like he was still five years old. And she charmed everybody. And it turned out that they loved Kath. So then they said to Kathy, let's figure out who we want to put with you. And she said, either it's with her or nobody. So she chose me weirdly. So, and I knew it was going to work.

Had you guys tested? Or it was just... We didn't test. We just had a long lunch at the Rainbow Room and we're drunk as could be laughing. She got on the table and was singing. I was like, this is the best day of my life. But that's what she does.

And so we had a real chemistry, and it worked. And do you remember when it clicked? I mean, is it from the get-go? I remember, no, it wasn't from the get-go. When I was newsperson straight, I had cards, camera one, camera two. And she was just like, no way, she didn't have anything in her ear, and no one was talking to her. And one day in the middle of it, she goes, hey,

Hey, and I looked at her, and she goes, I'm right here. Stop with these cards and this. I'm right here. And from that day, I looked at her and listened, and we talked. She said to me, if we go to black, so what? Let's make TV magic, okay? So it was like that. So we had a vibe.

And from that moment on, I knew it would work. Before we go, talk to me about your next step. I'm so excited. I've been loving the wellness world for a long time, so I am starting a wellness company that will be retreats and app, like podcast, all the things. And I feel like I've, I feel like I've been feeling better and better in life. So we're going to launch, and I'm guessing, like, April, we've got pieces in place, but it's going to be really good. And it's for everybody. It's not for, you know, oh, look at those people who are all woo-woo.

We're going to take the woo out of woo-woo. Just make it regular, woo! So let's do it. So, like, to do health that way. You are somebody who I think you don't have an ego, where you've conquered your ego. And I say this because I was watching your last interview in Kelly Clarkson, you announced to the world

you now have a minivan, which, Hoda Coppy, she's kicking the minivan. Because you're so good to everyone. You've been very good to me. You're good to everyone at NBC. I've never once seen you get mad. I've never once seen you pull a diva move. Or I'm a talent, I'm a big talent move.

When did you call, is that always been inside? Yeah, yeah. I think that, you know, when you come from like, Like our family was like, you're not a big deal. You're like, oh, okay, I'm not a big deal. I think I always imagine myself. This sounds weird. And I don't imagine myself as someone's sitting at the desk.

I imagine myself as someone who's watching outside at the people look on the desk. So I think I've always sort of felt like more like that than like this. The one and only, what a copy. No ego and all heart. We will definitely miss her. We're going to continue our coverage here from Los Angeles. tonight. What would you take if you had to leave in a moment's notice? Gen Z posting on TikTok about what they grabbed as they fled the Los Angeles wildfires. The irreplaceable items

and a reminder of what matters most. Sam Brock with a very special story. Stay with us. We are back tonight with more stories of residents escaping these catastrophic fires. Some young people turning to social media to share the moment-by-moment race to get out of their homes and what they chose to bring with them. Sam Brock has this one. All of this has my important documentation, cash, cards, memories, whatever, insurance, everything. Tonight, Gen Z, taking to TikTok to process a whirlwind of emotions as they flee the out-of-control fires ravaging the West. I don't know what is even in there. I just grabbed stuff and left. Creators posting so-called evacuation halls, sharing what they threw in their bags as they fled their homes.

I don't have any of that. Sammy Breel moved into her West Hollywood apartment on Tuesday, rushing home from a workout class to pack her valuables when she found out her new home was in a level two evacuation zone. It's just a Pilates and another fire broke out while I was there. It's right over there, so I don't have a car, so I'm running. She was able to fill one suitcase with valuables, sharing the moment on social media to bring some levity to her own scary situation.

Talking to my phone is like one of those senses of comfort for me because it's like a personal journal and a personal diary. And it just makes me personally feel less alone. Now I am going in his car and I hope he is safer than the fire. I don't have a car here in L.A. and I asked my neighbor who I saw was evacuating, could I come with you? And he was like, yes, sure. And I went with my brand new neighbor that I met yesterday into his car. We're okay now. We're heading south. Sammy and her neighbor making the journey to safety sharing a once in a lifetime bond that they never could have anticipated. I'm like, hi, I know, like, we just met. Can I hold your hand? Like, I'm scared. And we literally held hands

the entire, like, her ride. Sophia Navarro from Palisades also made it out. Emotional over the few memento she was able to save in her evacuation hall. This photo of me and my grandmother, but the frame broke while I was running, trying to get out. I had five minutes to maybe grab something, and my brain was obviously not in the right place. And I grabbed, like, a car. couple of things, a couple more of the sentimental items. As neighbor started to share videos of their community, Navarro's worst fears starting to look more and more like a reality. We got a video of our street and every single house was burned down, but you couldn't make it up to my house. You couldn't see through the smoke. So we still had no clarity and it was just

really difficult. Then these haunting photos confirming her family had lost everything, separated and without a lifetime's worth of treasures. My mom, she's just in a hotel and we're trying to find a place to rent so that we can all be together. I know that we still lost everything, but for anyone who believes in God or whatever they believe in, like any prayers just help so much. And like, that means the world to us. Sam Brock, NBC News. We thank Sam Brock for that report.

And we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires is going to continue tonight. And through the weekend, there are thousands of structures that have been destroyed, many of those people's homes. The death toll still rising tonight as firefighters are going neighborhood by neighborhood and scouring what's left from these devastating fires. And the firefight still continues. You're looking live now at the Palisades Fire, which is still burning tonight as firefighters are all over it. Thank you for watching.