we broke that news yesterday morning for those living in the berkeley arena. christie smith continues our coverage. >> reporter: the evacuation order was clear, get out of the boats and off the docks in berkeley. sarah greenwood was asleep. >> they drove by with patrol boats and also walked up and down the docks with loud speakers telling us to evacuate immediately. it was about 7:20 this morning. >> reporter: another long-time berkeley resident was alerted by a friend. >> i got a call from a friend in san francisco and she said be careful because there's something coming and then immediately right after that then knock, knock, knock. >> three hours with no water -- >> the red cross arrived quickly to help but some people left and others waited in cars. >> i am more worried about the residents of tonga, honestly. yeah, we're okay here. >> a red cross voluntary showed this video of water moving near the arena, and the west coast advisory prompted by an underwater volcano that erupted near tonga. >> there will be waves roughly one to three feet high in the marin

. >>> happening now more than 5,000 people in berkeley and piedmont are out of power. pg&e hopes to have power restored later this morning. >>> back to the breaking news in big sur, the wildfires is burning along the coast. you can see if flames burning along the ridge there. the chp shuts down highway 1, south of carmel. there are mandatory evacuations for people living in that area. this is a video taken by someone racing to escape the fire. this is in the palo colorado canyon, it is close to big sur, a few miles from the bixsy ridge. the american red cross has opened a shelter evacuees at carmel middle school. we'll continue to tweet updates and will continue to do so. follow us @nbcbayarea. >>> happening today, 60,000 covid kits are handed out. today ian cull is moving you forward explaining that you may have a chance to get a test. >> reporter: there is relief on the way for many frustrated south bay residents trying to track down at home covid tests. the county will be giving them out next week. >> starting tomorrow, 60,000 at-home antigen tests will be able for

there's the berkeley curve. tail london knights heading over towards the bay bridge without delay. no metering lights just yet. >>> well, good morning, mike, and good morning, everyone. happy thursday to everyone as well. hopefully the worst has passed for the stock market. it was fearing that the fed would start talking about interest rates, and, of course, that's exactly what happened yesterday. the fed started talking about interest rates. jay powell speaking after the conclusion of the federal open market committee's two-day meeting. now, there's no meeting scheduled for february, so the earliest rate hikes would come as likely march. wall street was freaking out about this on monday. you'll recall that huge dip and then the recovery. things looking very calm indeed out there as we inch towards the open this, mo. apple will report its profits today. now, the rate hikes only affect banks directly, but, of course, whatever affects a bank is also going to affect you eventually. the fed does not send cred cart rates. it doesn't set mortgage rate, but those rates do tend to rise whe

a former berkeley school superintendent will take over until a permanent replacement can be found. >>> relief is making its way to tonga finally after a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami this weekend. new zealand sent planes carrying fresh water, first aid and communications equipment today. u.n. leaders say more than 80% of the population was impacted by the volcanic eruption last weekend. more aid from australia and the u.s. will be arriving in the coming days. the eruption also triggered a tsunami warning and advisory for the west coast on saturday for several hours. >>> if you're headed out the door, beware it is foggy out there. you can see the glow from the lights of the san mateo bridge toll plaza. when i was driving about three hours ago it was very foggy. we're going to checkkari hall i moment, but first let's check in with mike on how that could be affecting the drive. >> it's definitely an issue. we are looking at traffic flowing smoothly at the san mateo bridge. meters lights are on. all lanes are currently blocked northbound 101 heading toward that skyway. there's

a former berkeley school superintendent will take over until a permanent replacement can be found. >>> relief is making its way to tonga finally after a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami this weekend. new zealand sent planes carrying fresh water, first aid and communications equipment today. u.n. leaders say more than 80% of the population was impacted by the volcanic eruption last weekend. more aid from australia and the u.s. will be arriving in the coming days. the eruption also triggered a tsunami warning and advisory for the west coast on saturday for several hours. >>> taking a live look at the san mateo bridge. there's so much fog there, the toll plaza there in the distance. we know that fog is going to linger for much of the morning. >>> you do need to allow some extra time to work. this just looks like a dark camera with a few lights, but that's actually our live view in palo alto this morning. as we take a look at current visibility, it's zero in novato and we've seen about a quarter mile visibility from oakland to hayward and napa into santa rosa. your commute leavin

a uc berkeley infectious disease expert tells us this delay in getting results is a problem, because it takes so l this is video from foster city of a line of people waiting in the rain to be tested. in pleasant hill, another long line of cars at a drive-through test site. rapid tests may be your best bet, which, unfortunately, infectious disease experts say you might be good right before you go out, and it could miss a positive result because you don't have enough virus to be infectious. we are not at the levels we saw at previous covid spikes last summer and winter, but nationwide the number of children hospitalized with covid-19 is soaring. according to an nbc news analysis, at least nine states on the east coast and the midwest have reported record numbers of pediatric covid hospitalizations, and many have been hospitalized specifically because of complication from covid-19. >> children are just not supposed to die of medical conditions and covid, in a very short period of time, has become one of the leading medical causes of death for children in this country. i think it's about

and in berkeley a tall redwood tree toppled over. the fire department tells us it responded to more than 50 calls for service, mostly related to trees and downed power lines. >>> and north of napa, the famed silverado trail is still closed because of downed power lines. it shut down around world renowned wineries, and crews say at the earliest work could be done this morning. >>> for many in the bay area, it's been a struggle to find any at-home covid tests in recent weeks, but santa clara county came to the rescue for people who live and work there. "today in the bay" shows us. >> reporter: instead of heading to a local pharmacy and finding this, today 1,800 people in santa clara got their hands on coveted at-home test kits during the event. >> i think it's great. we need to do more self-testing. >> reporter: santa clara handed out free test kits at martial cottle park and there's also a location at foothill college. the county plans to give away a total of 60,000 kits through next week. >> we still see an incredibly high rate of co

berkeley curve and the maze remain clear. crash farther back approaching highway 4 will jam up, two trucks reported there. and they may be stuck together, though no major injuries. and east 580 doesn't show slowing around redwood street. >>> 5:53. happening now, police are patrol being a new section of coyote creek trail. under the $800,000 partnership have valley water, officers will monitor the newlystretch. the trail runs by the now cleared out homeless encampment. coyote creek trail saw a large increase of users last year and some residents remain wary about the nearby encampments. >>> still ahead, a step in the wrong direction. as our climate in crisis worsens, green house gas emissions increase. kari hall is breaking down the new data leaving scientists more concerned. >>> plus an off duty police officer targeted by armed robbers, new details this morning on what became a deadly encounter in southern california. >>> and at 6:00, it is back to school for thousands of east bay students. new measures being taken to keep ch

outside in the rain in foster city, and waiting on long lines at a drive-through test site, and uc berkeley infectious disease expert says labs are struggling to keep up delaying some test results. >> right now when we most need these tests they are the least available and taking too long to come back. it's very first rating. >> it's complicated the return to school, work and routine get togethers. the doctor says the tests can help you make safer decisions. >> the rapid test would be good for just before you go over there, and though it may miss that you are infected -- >> the test is recommended three to five days after traveling, even if you feel well. >> stanford doctor says while hospitalizations are not rising as fast as the number of omicron cases, they are increasing. >> in the last week or so we've seen twice as many hospitalizations and cases as we have since the beginning of december. >> san francisco, santa clara and contra costa show hospitalizations doubled in each county since christmas, which was just ten days ago. we are not at the level we saw previous covid spikes last wi

oakland joined san francisco and berkeley in requiring proof of vaccination to enter indoor businesses. >>> and a live look over san francisco. the city is about to dial back its masking rules. beginning tuesday, february 1st, masks will no longer be required in offices, gyms, religious gatherings or college classrooms, if everyone is vaccinated, boosted, and the gathering has fewer than 100 people. religious and medical vaccine exemptions will be allowed, but people will need a recent negative covid test to enter. for other bay area counties, current state masking rules are in place and will expire february 15th. >>> we have put together all the latest news you need to know about covid right on our nbc bay area streaming app. you can download it for free on roku, apple tv or amazon fire. click on covid, what to know playlist. >>> a castro valley man has been charged with stealing people's personal information to collect covid unemployment benefits. a federal complaint claims the 46-year-old was able to cash in on $1 million worth of benefits intended for people affected by the pandemi

. >>> uc berkeley police issued a new warning to students about this man here on your screen. they say he was likely responsible for three aggravated assaults on the campus in the last 36 hours. thef business. officers urging people to use caution and they say if you see him, call police if you can do so safely. >>> an eviction battle now playing out in the east bay may be headed to the courtroom. tenants in a san pablo complex say they received eviction notices after the state moratorium ended last year. the landlord says he needs the units to be vacant to make renovations. residents say he's using a loophole to bring in new higher paying tenants. last night the city council rejected the request for a eviction moratorium. those tenants are considering taking the battle to court. >>> as parents watch their children get older, the joys and challenges of parenting and grandparenting continues to evolve. >> nbc's maria shriver met with experts on what to know about being a grandparent in the 2020s. >> how do you manage that two years of parenting experience up against 30? >> i th

>> our enforcement is getting involved and making sure people are staying away and happening at the berkeley marina, thank you for all of that information, we'll be right back after this, hope you can stay with us. from one moment to the next, our kids become the most important part of our lives. and even though the years pass, that never changes. we never stop worrying about them. that's why it's important to have health insurance. with covered california, we got a plan we could afford. it includes free preventive care, like cholesterol and blood-pressure checkups. because even though they grow up, they'll always be your baby. covered california. this way to health insurance. enrollment ends january 31st. go to coveredca.com. >>> we are under a tsunami advisory at least until 9:00 this morning. as we have been discussing, this is the breaking news. the tsunami advisory has been issued for the west coast of the entire u.s. this is what triggered this tsunami warning for hawaii and a tsunami advisory for the bay area. it was an under volcano erupted in tonga. people are being advised to avoid

the city of berkeley and alameda and marin and contra costa has reinstated mask mandates. everyone will be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status with omicron being extremely contagious and spreading among the vaccinated. you will need to mask up in places like gyms and offices and churches. january 31st is supposed to be the last day for san francisco's mask mandate. >>> it could be days even weeks before tens of thousands of people in the sierra get their power back on. pg&e says record snowfall caused severe damage to more than 5,000 areas of its power system. hospitals and critical supply line are all back on. now they're working on residential lines. pg&e expects to have 30% more power restored by tomorrow and most customers back on by wednesday on january 5th. >>> more air travel headaches may be in store as welcome this new year. an increase number of its own employees are testing positive. that could lead to extra help and cleaning protocols which then reduce the number of flyings the faa can handle. more than 11,000 flights cancelled for christma

take a look at the satellite pictures from the uc berkeley sierra snow lab. the one on the left taken in december before the storms dumped 214 inches of snow in the tahoe region, and the one taken on the right on new year's day. over that time the sierra picked up 214 inches, making it the region's snowiest december since at least 1970. now the trick is just getting up there to enjoy it. maybe we will have a window of opportunity, but i don't know about today, vianey? >> yeah, definitely not today. there's a lake wind there's a possibility of seeing more winds could make for treacherous conditions, the roads are narrow, and just avoid it for today. maybe we will have a better window in the weekend. we will have a couple chances of light rain head into the early morning hours. by 7:00, the north bay already with a little drizzle, and 8:009:00, move into the san francisco area, and then about 11:00 or 12:00, there could be shower activity, so not a huge rain maker out of this system. once we see this system move out it's going to get a little breezy, and about

. >> reporter: uc berkeley infectious disease expert tells us labs are struggling to keep up with the increased demand we are seeing, which means some tests are taking too long to come back in time to be worthwhile. this complicates the return to work and the return to school and after the holidays and the ability to safely get together with family and friends. can you see what i am talking about. this is video from foster city of a line of people waiting in the rain to be tested. in pleasant hill, another long line of cars in a drive-through test site. rapid tests may be your best bet, and they are more expensive and less reliable than the pcr test, and that infectious disease expert says even though rapid tests might miss a positive result, it could mean you don't have enough virus to be infectious. nationwide the number of children hospitalized with covid-19 is soaring. according to an nbc news analysis, nine states on the east coast and midwest have reported a record number of pediatric hospitalizations. some of those kids were positive after they were hospitalized with other issu

this is a satellite look from uc berkeley sierra snow lab. the one on the left was taken on december 2nd before the storm dumped the snow in the tahoe region, and the one on the right was taken on new year's day. 214 inches picked up making the region the snowiest december since 1970. great to see. >>> a live look at downtown san josÉ. a little rain out there in some parts, but will it be a lot? vianey is in for kari this morning. how are we looking? >> well, it will be just enough to where you will notice it, and as quickly as you notice it, it will be gone. not expected to carry over into your weekend plans, which is good news. if you have not been outdoors recently, here's a closer look at what to expect. santa cruz, not the best beach day because it will be cloudy and a small chance of showers. still in the upper 50s, and so if that's chilly for you, may not be a good beach day at all. in the city, a closer look, and mainly tomorrow morning the impacts will be the fog, and aside from that we are tracking sunshine and temperatures in the

and the berkeley curve, no slowing. maze is moving smoothly. but i circled a crash westbound 80 just past highway 4, there was a traffic break. should have cleared to a shoulder, but that is a key spot this the upper east shore. and there may be a crash in the opposite direction as well. north 101, we are seeing slowing. and so volume may be building. we'll watch silicon valley coming up. >>> and next up here, the new national champion crowned in college football. we'll tell you about the change at the top not seen in decades. >>> and want to share this post kris sanchez shared on facebook. one of her daughters had a possible covid exposure and she shared how she tried to book a pcr test. unfortunately, it is not always an easy task. she either had to wait one week through the county, ten days through health care providers or three days in the school district. what is your experience? don't forget, if you need help finding a test, look at nbcbayarea.com, head to our web page, click on our covid testing locations tab. it is right up there on the

as you look at the berkeley curve, a little more crowded, but not a big problem. not a lot of slowing. we'll show you how things are shaping up because there may be another issue in the tri-valley, perhaps two, coming up. >> thank you. >>> 6:44 right now and new this morning, new troubles for the employment development department facing two major backlogs while trying to verify claims. during the pandemic fraudsters cheated the state out of at least $20 billion in bogus claims. more recently the edd froze some 300,000 suspicious disability accounts. now the chronicle is reporting that it's requiring at least 1 million self-employed californians to prove that they were entitled to the benefits they received. those who do not show proof may be required to pay that money back with a 30% penalty. >>> diplomacy may be working to help diffuse the situation in ukraine. >> the russians are pointing to rational elements in america's plan. >> reporter: rational elements, that doesn't sound like much, but that is a direct quote from their foreign minister, sergey lavrov, our

go was born in berkeley, grew up in fremont before moving to the east coast for a career in finance. long-time friends are heartbroken. >> i had friends who went to high school with her. as i was talking with them, we just felt compelled that we need to do something to honor her memory. it feels random but as a member of the community, you realize that it keeps happening over and over and over again. >> speakers at tonight's portsmouth square gathering will include friends and local leaders. go's family gave us a statement saying she was a beautiful, brilliant, kind and intelligent woman who loved her family and friends, loved to travel the world and help others. >>> all right, 6:36 now, early voting starts today on a measure to recall three san francisco school board members. opponents fault gabriella lopez, faau, ga maliga and allison collins, they cite misguided priorities including a botched school renaming effort and delays in bringing students back to the classroom in person. opponents point out all three are people of color and they call the recall effort a power grab. electio

believe it or not, despite the high number of cases, scientists there at uc berkeley doing unique research using sewage out of the counties of san francisco, marin rna in those ss has sha higher than what they were seeing at the beginning of december. but some good news there. things appear to be positive on that front. but as you can see, a number of hospitalizations still continue to rise, a story we'll continue to follow. cierra johnson for "today in the bay." >> we'll take that downward trend even if it's slight. >>> the white house announcing it will provide 400 million free n-95 masks to people across the country. the administration will begin shipping masks this week to pharmacies and health centers to distribute the masks in thousands of locations. they hope to have the program fully operational by next month. >>> also, the federal government's new free at-home covid-19 program is now up and running. >> consumer investigator chris chmura is here to walk us through how to get your four free tests. >> signing up is super simple. we'll walk you through it real quick. start at covidtes