Underwater days after helenes blast. North carolina hit hard. Communities including asheville Cut Off. Millions without power. The race against time. Hundreds unaccounted for. Our team in the Storm Zone. And the storm impacting the 2024 race. Donald trump touring the damage in georgia. Kamala harris cutting a Campaign Trip short to return to d. C. For a fema briefing. It comes as their Running Mates gear up for tomorrow Nights Debate. Just in tonight, u. S. Officials saying israel appears to have begun a limited Ground Incursion inside lebanon. After a series of small raids. Our Richard Engel in beirut tonight. The dangerous midair encounter. A russian plane nearly colliding with a u. S. Fighter jet. The massive outage for verizon. Tens of thousands of reports of Service Disruptions. The man who served more than 20 years for a murder he didnt commit. Our cameras in court for the moment he is exonerated. And our conversation. We ask how does it feel to get his good name back. And celebrating a century. The Birthday Bash as former president Jimmy Carter reaches a major milestone. Announcer this is nbc Nightly News with lester holt. Good evening and welcome. These are desperate hours in the Storm Zone tonight, now four days after making landfall in florida the aftermath of Hurricane Helene still inflicting maximum pain on communities in North Carolina and tennessee. Many still Cut Off from power, Running Water and communications. The Death Toll still rising. By an nbc News Count 121 people are now confirmed dead. As a grim search is carried out for the many still unaccounted for. Much of the destruction centered on the city of asheville. A Charlotte Councilman Volunteering in the lake lure chimney Rock Area posting these horrific images, what he could only describe as a postapocalyptic landscape. So much left unrecognizable after the region was pummeled by floods washing homes and neighborhoods away, families short of so many things and beginning to grow short on patience too. George solis is in North Carolina for us tonight. George, how is the recovery going . Reporter lester, Recovery Efforts are ongoing. Certainly not making things any easier. The rain, officials telling us they have received thousands of calls but theyve prioritized 150, trying to get to those people that are elderly and medically dependent. Tonight Hurricane Helene has moved on but left in its wake a trail of death and destruction. Officials in North Carolina say they were blinded by helenes sheer intensity. Homes swept away. Restaurants and shops torn to pieces. Communities Cut Off from clean water and electricity, leaving residents nowhere to go. Shelters are at capacity. Those shelters only provide overnight lodging, food and water. Fuel is not at these locations. This is basic necessities only. Reporter asheville among the hardest Hit Tonight remains largely Cut Off from relief, frustrating residents. Nobodys going to help us. I dont know what were going to do. Do you have any faith in the federal response here . No. No. Reporter Ricky And Devana Browns Auto Shop has been in this location for 30 years. This is devastating. Its just hard to see this. Its hard to come and look at. You know what i mean . This is your whole life right here. This is an old building to somebody but to us this is our life. Reporter the dropoff of communication has left relatives of missing locals pleading with officials for information on their loved ones. What do you say to the residents who feel that the local and federal Response Wasnt fast enough following this storm . First, people are working around the clock. What we want to tell people is that more help is on the Way And Help is continuing. Reporter in North Carolina every single county has been impacted. The western part of the state by catastrophic flooding. The eastern half by heavy rains and tornadoes. Do you have the manpower right now to handle this response . So this is a multifederal agency response, which is why were bringing in people from across the federal government. Reporter fema says theyll deploy 1,200 first responders to the state to support relief efforts. Relief that cant come soon enough for towns like boone, two Hours North of asheville, where mudslides ripped through neighborhoods. 100 miles south the river in Henderson County reached 30 feet. Oh, my god. Smashing all previous flood records. Rivers and lakes jammed with debris. Back in asheville residents dont know where to even begin. Its a lot of work destroyed, a lot of things that i loved of course, and my business and my job and my livelihood and all that. So you know, i dont know. And george, what is the status of the communications right now in asheville . Reporter lester, conditions are only slowly starting to improve. There is better service here, and Word Tonight from the White House that the president will be in North Carolina on wednesday. Lester . All right. George solis, thank you. In neighboring tennessee an agonizing wait for so many who have yet to hear from missing loved ones, and harrowing stories of those who made it to safety and those who did not. Priscilla thompson is there. Priscilla, what challenges are crews facing now in this Search Effort . Reporter lester, the challenge here is massive debris piles like this one as the search for the missing intensifies. Tonight, the Flood Waters in tennessee have receded. But the pain is still flowing for some families. They are just desperate to find out where she is, where if shes been found. They just want news. Reporter Rosa Andrade and Monica Hernandez Corona are among the 150 people still unaccounted for in tennessee, officials say, after three agonizing days. Authorities say more than 100 responders are scouring debris as today efforts shifted from rescues to recovery. They confirm only three stormrelated deaths in the state so far. They used everything they had to save life that day. Some were saved. Were still searching for some. We all have hopes that we will find some more alive. Reporter relatives say Rosa And Monica were working at impact Plastics Factory when the water began to rise and that they got into the back of a Semi Truck trying to escape. A man who says he was also on that truck posted this video online showing Water Rushing by as cars and yellow pipes floated away. Their Family Members were in the back of an 18wheeler holding on to pipes, calling 911 for help. And that help didnt come. Reporter in a Statement Impact Plastics says when the Parking Lot and Service Road began to flood employees were dismissed but that some remained. Boarding a neighboring Companys Truck as the flooding intensified. That truck tipped over, impact plastics says. Five people were rescued by helicopter, but six others were never found. We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees, the company wrote. Loss made all the more painful by the wait for answers. They are really grieving and all they really want is closure. They just want closure for their families. Reporter priscilla thompson, Nbc News, irwin, tennessee. This disaster is already having an impact on the president ial campaign, with former President Trump on the ground in the Storm Zone in georgia while Vice President harris just spoke at Fema Headquarters in washington. Garrett haake now has that part of the story for us. Reporter tonight former President Trump visiting the Storm Zone in valdosta, georgia, coming with franklin grahams aid group, bringing trucks loaded with supplies and fuel. Were here today to stand in complete solidarity with the people of georgia. Reporter and hammering Vice President harris for not being there herself. Of course the Vice President , shes out someplace campaigning, looking for money. Reporter the quality of the federal Storm Response could have a major political impact on the Vice President , whos hoping to repeat president bidens narrow 2020 georgia win. Harris was briefed aboard Air Force two, cutting campaigning short in Las Vegas to return to washington. Meeting with fema officials tonight. We will do everything in our power to help communities respond and recover. I plan to be on the ground as soon as possible. But as soon as possible without disrupting any Emergency Response operations. Reporter trump also accusing the White House and democratic governor in hardhit North Carolina of, quote, going out of their way to not help people in republican areas. Without providing evidence. What was that a reference to . Just take a look. Where is that coming from . Do you have any evidence for that, mr. President . Reporter it comes as the candidates Running Mates prepare to meet for the first time at tomorrow Nights Debate after largely going after the person at the top of the other ticket. They do not share our values. Look, its not even about policies. Its about sharing our values. Man. What a nightmare the american southern border is thanks to Kamala Harriss policies. Reporter tomorrow perhaps the final candidate showdown, with harris having accepted a late october debate, trump saying its too close to the election. And as you say here in Las Vegas, im all in. Im all in. Even if my opponent is ready to fold. So. Reporter and Today Trump says he hasnt offered j. D. Vance any advice ahead of Tomorrows Debate and that he plans to watch it and provide live commentary on social media. Lester . Garrett haake, thanks. And Tomorrow Night you can watch the Vice President ial debate right here. Full coverage on nbc and Nbc News now starting at 8 00 eastern. We turn now to a major escalation of Israels War against iranianbacked hezbollah in lebanon. A limited Ground Incursion appears to have started according to two u. S. Officials. It comes days after israel killed the Groups Leader following nearly a year of Hezbollah Rocket attacks on residents in northern israel. Richard engel is in beirut. Reporter u. S. Officials tell Nbc News tonight that israeli troops appear to have crossed the border into lebanon to attack hezbollah. Israeli officials say the goal is to deliver a Knockout Blow to what has long been considered the most fearsome, bestarmed militia in the middle east. Asked if he was aware im more aware than you might know, and im comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now. Reporter a u. S. Official tells Nbc News israel informed the united states ahead of time, describing the operations as brief, days not weeks, with a limited geographic reach. The official said israel had planned a broader campaign but the u. S. Pushed to scale it back. Tonight, american officials worry that over time the mission could expand. Hezbollah claims to have 100,000 fighters. Independent analysts, however, estimate the real number is about half of that. Still, a sizable dedicated force fighting on its home turf. This is the dead center of beirut. Its called martyrs square. And it is filling up with internally displaced people. People here have come from southern beirut. Theyve come from southern lebanon. Areas that are under attack by israel. And they are sleeping outside because they dont know whats coming. They dont know if theres going to be an israeli invasion of lebanon perhaps tonight, imminently, or even in the next several hours. Israel says the mission is to push Hezbollah North of the litani river, creating a Buffer Zone along the israeli border. Hezbollah says its ready for a long guerrilla war. And richard, this is not the first time israel has tried to create a Buffer Zone with lebanon. Reporter no, it is not. Israel invaded lebanon to create a Buffer Zone back in 1982. And i was here when israeli troops finally pulled out nearly 20 years later. Proving the old adage that it is much easier to start a war than finish one. Lester . Okay. Richard engel, thank you. And off the coast of alaska a dangerously close encounter for us to report. A u. S. Military jet capturing the moment when a russian Fighter Plane came alarmingly close, prompting the american jet to turn away. It happened in international airspace. A u. S. Commander said it was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all. In 60 seconds, were hours away from a potentially crippling strike by Dock Workers from New England to texas. The goods you use that could be affected. Next. Okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. Yay Woo Hoo ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. And ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. back now with the massive outage for verizon customers. Tens of thousands of reports of mobile Service Disruptions coming in from across the u. S. The company said service has restored started to be restored and it will, quote, work around the clock to fully resolve this issue. Also tonight were just hours away from a strike at several major u. S. Ports along the east Coast And Gulf coast. Christine romans is here with the High Stakes for the economy. Christine . Yeah, time is running out, Lester And Youve got truckers and rails just scrambling tonight to move billions of dollars in goods before the gates close at 14 major ports stranding everything from cars and bananas to electronics, apparel, shoes. Just thousands of other imports. Tens of thousands of Dock Workers from New England to texas vowing to strike at midnight when their Sixyear Contract expires. Now, the Union Boss was offered today a 50 pay increase. Its also asking for less automation. The maritime alliance representing the shippers and the ports theyve asked the federal labor officials to get the union back to the table. Every day of a strike could cost the economy 4. 5 billion. But good News Tonight, at least at the urging of the White House both sides are talking again, lester. Christine, thanks for that update. Up next, the long saga of the inmate, a wrongful Murder Conviction and the journalists who helped make it right. We were there for the final chapter. Id made some progress on my antidepressant. But i was still masking my symptoms. So i talked to my doctor. She told me i could build on my wins, without changing my antidepressant. Rexulti, when added to an antidepressant, significantly reduced depression symptoms more than an antidepressant alone. And less depression . Thats a win. Elderly people with dementiarelated psychosis have increased risk of death or stroke. 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His decadeslong cries for justice after being wrongfully convicted of killing a retired Police Officer coming down to a fourminutelong proceeding. The people do not believe they are in a position to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Reporter without Fanfare Or Apology the judge formally accepting the conclusion of a manhattan district attorneys internal investigation. The same office that once helped put him in prison. That j. J. Velazquez, as he is known, is an innocent man. I am granting that application. So this matter is dismissed. [ applause ] reporter j. J. s family and friends following him to a nearby park, where he sat down with me for the first time untethered to the criminal justice system. Your name. You got your name back. I think people maybe dont appreciate how important that is. Absolutely. I mean, when were born, our name becomes our identity. And so when were taken through the system, they strip you of your identity. They put you in a Shower Buck naked, hose you down like a slave. And then they give you a Number And Brand you. And that wasnt who i was. And ive been fighting for 27 years to tell them that my name is jonadrian j. J. Velazquez. Reporter velazquez has been physically free since 2021, when then new York Governor Andrew Cuomo commuted his sentence, granting him parole but leaving him stained with the mark of a convicted felon. I had curfew. I couldnt travel out of the state without permission. If i wanted to go on a date i needed permission. Reporter also there to witness his exoneration today, Dateline Producer dan slepian, whose dogged 22year pursuit of the truth in j. J. s case began with a series of Prison Letters he received from j. J. I can go on and on about this miscarriage of justice. What did that mean to you, to have someone listen to you . Well, besides my mother dans my hero. Everybody knows that. Like if it wasnt for Dan Id still be sitting in a cage. Well, dan, every time weve talked about this story you said you youre not advocating for j. J. youre advocating for the truth. Did the truth prevail today . Yeah, the truth finally did prevail today. But frankly everybody knew the truth for a very, very long time and it took a long time for the court to finally recognize it. Reporter the d. A. s review of j. J. s conviction looked at several factors including recanted eyewitness testimonies and dna evidence. J. J. s case one of several wrongful conviction cases unearthed by slepian, recounted in his book the sing sing files. Its the cases undiscovered that haunt both men. You feel you left a lot of innocent guys behind when you left prison. I know i left a lot of innocent people behind. Its that common . Its very common. Working on their behalf, j. J. s mission as he moves forward and catches his breath for the first time in a very long time. Does the world feel a little different now . Definitely does. I can feel the air is like cleaner for me. And i just like i feel different. An amazing day and a new life for j. J. Well take a break. Up next the Nba Hall of famer the world said goodbye to today. And for former president Jimmy Carter the good News Tonight. A giant Milestone Everyone can celebrate. Ne [ Cellphone Chimes ] [ clears throat ] sorry, honey. Its a work thing. Mines also a work thing. I just need someone to cover my shift. [ Cellphone Buzzes ] yup, so is mine. Alan says your Business Vehicle is now covered with progressive. Protected 24 7 just like your home and auto. Oh, thats great so dinner time is just phone time now . Sorry. You know i heard that Ground Turkey is the healthiest poultry. You know what, never mind. Just be on your phones. Stay ahead of your moderatetosevere eczema. And show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent, the 1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your skin from within. 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Mutombo, who played for 18 seasons, had more than 3,000 blocked shots, the second most in league history. The Congo Native also served as an nba global ambassador. He was 58. And finally, theres good News Tonight about Jimmy Carter. Amid his health battles the former president reaching a major birthday milestone. Heres andrea mitchell. Love your Neighbor Reporter a Birthday Bash for the ages. Love shack baby family, friends and fans celebrating gem carter, the only u. S. President to reach 100. What keeps him going . You know, i dont know what keeps him going. I think he doesnt know how to give up on anything. Reporter dubbed the Rock And Roll president in the 70s. In some ways my grandfather got elected with music. Right . Allman brothers, jimmy buffett, all these folks raised money for him. It made him cool. Reporter a washington outsider the Georgia Governor and Peanut Farmer was at first called jimmy who when he said he was running for the White House. The oneterm president brokered peace between Israel And Egypt at camp david. Hes mr. Resilience. And for him to live to 100, that is amazing. Imagine all the things that those eyes have seen. Good morning to you. How are you doing . Reporter carter is best known for his legacy after the White House. I remember my mom talking about Jimmy Carter, how he built houses with his own hands. Reporter with his wife Rosalynn Carter built thousands of houses for Habitat For Humanity and was awarded the nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Theres not enough word in the dictionary to say thank you to mr. Carter. Reporter as President Carter liked to say when he taught sunday school, use your talent to help others. A message he has preached and practiced for a century. Andrea mitchell, Nbc News, atlanta. Happy birthday, President Carter. Thats Nightly News for this monday. Thank you for watching. Im lester holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night. Thats putting some communities