everything we have is gone. >> that's the tornado. >> reporter: 11 of the 22 people who died in north carolina were from the rural northeast county, linda rafferty's inlaws were among them. >> i had a gut feeling when i couldn't get them on the phone and i knew how close it had hit. >> reporter: the stony brook mobile home park in raleigh was off limits again today, deemed too dangerous even for residents. three little boys ages nine, eight, and three, died in an instant saturday when a tree landed on their trailer here. >> it's so sad that so many people lost so much. >> reporter: this storm system which started claiming victims in oklahoma last thursday produced more reported tornados than any system in u.s. history. >> this upper level low decided to move across the whole country rather than lifting into canada. and because of that, it just colliding with a lot of warm and unstable air producing all these tornado outbreaks. >> reporter: after such devastation, hundreds of communities are rallying relief efforts. >> reporter: i'm angela palermo in gloucester, virginia. community leaders have set up a command center from perot ride ising everything from diapers to food to clothing to the more than 100 victims affected. the coordinator says once the victims' basic needs have been taken care of, local emergency management teams along with volunteers will go to the affected areas and help to rebuild. >> reporter: i'm deja knight in st. stevens, south carolina, where tornados ripped through this area leaving many homes and buildings just like this church behind me completely destroyed. today members of refuge simple are here sorting through what little is left of their church and trying to decide when and how they're going to rebuild. >> reporter: classes at raleigh's shaw university had to be canceled for the rest of the school year due to damage there. sophomore julius stokes, jr., grabbed his camera at the height of the storm, risking his safety to document damage at the oldest black college in the south. >> i really, really need, like, a lot of people out there to help my school because i love my university with all my heart. >> reporter: well, there's not going to be much time for people in this area or much of the country to recover from this round of deadly weather because forecasters say another potentially deadly storm system is now forming and it could trigger as early as tomorrow and again, katie, it looks like the starting point is going to be oklahoma. >> couric: bad news, cynthia bowers reporting tonight from rag league, north carolina. cynthia, thank you. now to storm clouds of another kind. in an unprecedented warning today, standard & poor's, the credit rating agency, said the u.s. government's stellar standing could be in jeopardy unless congress and the president get the deficit under control, s&p said there's a one in three chance it could be forced to lower the government's credit rating. as anthony mason reports that would raise the cost of borrowing. >> the democrats' budget is, frankly, an embarrassment. >> reporter: with congress far apart... >> republicans are headeding down a very dangerous path. >> reporter: ...in the debate in how and how much to cut if deficit, a top rating firm fired a warning shot over washington today. standard & poor's lowered the outlook for u.s. credit to negative citing a significant risk that congressional negotiations could result in no agreement. >> if we think the efforts of congress and the administration fall short, the rating could fall. that's the message we're sending out today. >> reporter: standard & poor's continue to rate u.s. credit "trill-a" one of only 17 nations with the highest rating. but the u.s. is the only triple-a nation with a negative outlook. wall street reacted quickly to the ratings warning, the dow tumbled 140 points. >> we think a reminder that it is important that we reach agreements on fiscal reform is always valuable. >> reporter: white house spokesman jay carney said standard & poor's assessment was overly pessimistic. >> we simply believe that the prospects are better. >> reporter: but s&p says the u.s. faces a significant risk of a ratings downgrade. >> there's approximately or at least a one in three chance that the rating could decline. >> reporter: and with the u.s. debt now at $14.2 trillion and rising, the consequences would be expensive. >> what that means is that going forward u.s. borrowing costs are a little bit higher and that trickles down through the rest of the economy and increases the cost to everybody. >> reporter: for example, with its triple-a rating, it costs the u.s. 6.5 cents to borrow a dollar for two years. but greece, with a double-b rating, these pay 20 cents for every dollar it borrows. u.s. debt is still viewed as one of the safest investments in the world, but this is the first time ever u.s. credit has been tagged with a negative outlook. katie? >> couric: anthony, we heard analysts saying it will trickle down to everybody. if the rating is actually lowered, how will this affect the average person in this country? >> reporter: well, borrowing costs for us are tied to borrowing costs for the government. for example, the mortgage rates are tied to the ten-year treasury so for example back in the early 1980s when the government was paying 15% to borrow, our interest rates on mortgages were up to 18% katie. >> couric: anthony, thank you so much. in other news tonight, this wednesday will mark one year since the explosion that led to the worst oil spill in the nation's history. more than 200 million gallons gushd from that b.p. well. experts say most of it is now gone from the gulf of mexico and in an associated press survey, more than three dozen scientists give the gulf's overall health a rating of 68 out of 100. that's just a few points below what it was before the spill. mark strassmann is in empire, louisiana tonight. mark, that report sounds encouraging, but those who live and work along the gulf coast may need some convincing. >> reporter: yes, katie, absolutely right. for instance, take louisiana's oyster farmers. last year was awful, their harvest plunged more than half. the smallest catch since 1966. and they've yet to win back many of the customers they lost after the spill. for gulf seafood, the perception problem begins right at the water's edge. we first met dean blanchard last may. on grand aisle, louisiana, his company is the gulf's largest shrimp processor and now karen hopkins, his own bookkeeper, refuses to eat them. >> they don't look the same. they don't smell the same. i won't eat it. i won't feed it to my family. and i recommend, you know, that no one eats it. >> reporter: many americans who eat seafood agree. b.p. oil and gulf water still don't mix. in a recent survey of national restaurants, half of all customers had unfavorable views of gulf seafood, despite government assurances. in this mississippi lab, government scientists test gulf fish from the spill zone for 12 hydrocarbons. known carcinogens found in oil. 10,000 fish tested here since last april, no red flags. >> we are not aware of even one piece of tainted seafood making it into the marketplace. >> these are severe bacterial infections. >> reporter: but jim cowan's troubled by dozens of diseased red snapper sent to him by worried gulf fishermen. >> the infection has eaten through the gut wall. >> reporter: this l.s.u. oceanographer blames these bacterial infections on an unknown toxin and in 20 years of studying gulf fish has never seen this before. >> too much of a coincidence for it to be not related to the spill somehow some way. >> reporter: that sort of finding makes many consumers question all gulf seafood. perception is the big issue for louisiana's oystermen. roughly half their oyster beds died during last year's disaster. what's left ready for market-- if there was a one a market. >> we're still tainted. we're still stanted. >> reporter: mitch jurisich wants customers. last summer this third-generation oysterman told us his grounded fleet was losing $30,000 a week. his oysters never touched by oil are still smeared by suspicion. >> the product is clean. it's safe. it's ready to go. people just need to eat it. >> reporter: all these fishermen want to get back in the water. that's where mitch jurisich plans to spend wednesday's spill anniversary, filling his first oyster orders, katie, since last june. >> couric: mark, how have these oystermen be able to hang out without making none? >> a lot didn't, katie. some of them who have survived got their six-month survival money from b.p. they're either putting in a claim for long-term damages or suing for the rest. but if this summer doesn't go well, you'll see a lot fewer of these boats on the water next year. >> couric: all right. mark strassmann in empire, louisiana. mark, thank you. and still ahead here on the "cbs evening news," it's income tax day, but nearly half the population doesn't pay a penny. and soaring gas prices force drivers to make some tough choices. hey, pete. yeah, it's me, big brother. put the remote down and listen. 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[ male announcer ] if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-877-niaspan. niaspan is not for everyone, like people with stomach ulcers, liver, or serious bleeding problems. severe liver damage can occur when switching to niaspan from immediate-release niacin. blood tests are needed to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you have muscle pain or weakness; this could be a sign of serious side effects; this risk can increase with statin use. tell your doctor about alcohol use, if you've ever had gout, or are diabetic and experience increases in blood sugar. flushing, a common side effect, is warmth, redness, itching, or tingling of the skin. ask your doctor about niaspan. fight back. fight plaque. everything is better with swanson broth in it, an essential ingredient in any kitchen. swanson 100% natural chicken broth. you have frequent heartburn, right ? yeah, it flares up a few days a week. well, we're the two active ingredients in zegerid otc. i'm omeprazole, the leading prescription heartburn medicine. and i'm sodium bicarbonate. i protect him from stomach acid so he can get to work. look, guys, i've already tried a lot of stuff. wow. with zegerid otc, you get 24-hour relief. so, this is goodbye heartburn ? gone. finito. zegerid otc. two ingredients... ...one mission. heartburn solved. >> couric: just looking at the signs can make you wince. gas prices rising by the day. the government reported today that gas is up another nickel in the past week, now selling far nationwide average of $3.84 a gallon. in six states and the district of columbia, the average price is over $4. and bill whitaker reports that is wreaking havoc on some family budgets. >> reporter: gas prices topping $4 a gallon in california are forcing the dwain griffith to make tough choices. this public school security guard drives 60 miles most days and sees a direct correlation. gas prices go up, his purchasing power goes down. it hits this single dad where it hurts most. >> heart breaking. heart breaking. >> reporter: his ability to give seven-year-old dallis life's little pleasures. >> i was unable to stop and get her ice cream. i had to make an excuse "we'll get it later." >> reporter: it's not just her wants he can no longer afford, it's her needs. >> used to be able to just by shoes, a $25 pair of shoes or whatever. i can't afford to do that now. try to be the man in your kid's life, he's suppose to be the hero and unable to do the things you're normally able to do. >> reporter: with prices rising about a penny a day last week, three quarters of americans say they are or soon will be pinching pennies. at these prices, the average american will be paying $750 more for gas this year per car. in southern california, a.a.a. reports a 13% jump in calls from motorists who've run out of gas. >> more people are trying to extend that gas tank a little farther, they don't want to go back to the gas station unless they have to. >> reporter: up the coast in central california, kurt coupler felt parked his suburban and hopped on a bike, saving $200 a week on his 50 mile a day compute. >> it's a 42 gallon tank so you can do the math on that one. (laughs) it's... i haven't filled it up forever. >> reporter: as for dwain griffith, he can't afford to completely fill his tank, either. he's switched to cheaper regular grades instead of the recommended premium. >> my car is running bad now. running bad now. >> reporter: because you're putting in wrong grade? >> i'm putting in the wrong grade. i hate it. i hate it. >> reporter: and if prices keep rising, griffith says he doesn't know what other corners he can cut. bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. >> couric: now to the nuclear crisis in japan. robots were used today to go where humans can't. two american-made roe boots were sent into that crippled nuclear plant to test the radiation levels inside. they found levels that are too high for workers to safely return. yet another setback in a crisis the plant's operate oversays could last up to nine months. and coming up next, income tax day. what the president paid and who paid nothing at all. >> couric: tonight is the deadline for filing federal tax return bus you might being surprised to learn how many americans pay no income tax. here's senior white house correspondent bill plante. >> reporter: the day of reckoning with uncle sam is less painful for some than for others. the tax policy institute says 45% of americans don't owe the government anything today, but they're not the superrich. >> many elderly people don't pay any federal income tax. low-income elderly. the second group of people is low income working people and people with families. we have a large number of credits that have been introduced in the tax system. >> reporter: the very rich do pay, but they pay a lot less than they used to-- 17% in 2007, down from 26% in 1992, according to the i.r.s. but tea partiers protested around the nation charging that the government takes too much. while the liberal view move on.org protested corporations pay to little. president obama's return, released today by the white house, shows a sharp drop in the first family's income, from $5.5 million last year to $1.7 million this year, reflecting fewer sales of the president's books. the obamas paid $453,000 in taxes, about 26% of their adjusted gross income. the president and tax protestors do agree on one thing, that the tax system is too complicated, needs to be reformed. but doing that would likely mean an end to tax breaks like the mortgage interest deduction, politically very difficult. bill plante, cbs news, the white house. >> reporter: in other news, the pulitzer prize is the highest honor a journalist can receive and this year's winners were announced today, including the "los angeles times" for public service for its coverage of the corruption scandal in bell, california, where city officials were paying themselves enormous salaries. and the "washington post" won for breaking news photography for the unforgettable images from the earthquake in haiti. congratulations to all the winners. and coming up next, steve hartman's "assignment america." the game that wouldn't end and the fans who wouldn't leave. 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[music playing] confidence available in color. depend® colors for women. looks and fits like underwear. protects like nothing else. depend®. good morning. great day. helping strengthen our bones. caltrate delivers 1200 milligrams of calcium and 800 iu of vitamin d plus minerals. women need caltrate. caltrate helps women keep moving because women move the world. >> couric: the 115th boston marathon was one to remember. kenya's geoffrey mutai ran 26.2 miles today in 2:02:02, the fastest marathon ever by nearly a minute. but it won't count as the record because the course was downhill and he was further helped by a strong tail wind. caroline kilel won the women's race to complete a kenyan sweep. the marathon, of course, is considered by many to be the ultimate test of endurance, but some baseball fans in new england might dispute that. in tonight's "assignment america," steve hartman tells us about the long night's journey into day at the ballpark. >> reporter: 30 years ago tonight baseball history was made here in pawtucket, rhode island, in front of a crowd of-- nobody. or almost nobody. that guy in the corner is bob brek. you're the only fan? >> i was the only fan on the first base side at the end of the game. i, by by comparison, the third base side was packed according to gary lev witt. >> there were about five to eight actual fans here. >> reporter: of course, it didn't start out that way. earlier that evening, 1,740 people had shown up to watch the pawtucket red sox take on the rochester red wings. most of the fans-- we can only assume-- had every intention of staying till the end of the game but several events conspired against them. >> cool and windy night here in pawtucket, rhode island. >> reporter: the first was the weather. >> felt like a blizzard but without the snow so a lot of people left during the course of the night. >> reporter: yet it wasn't the cold that drove away the bulk of them, it was the clock. the game started just after 8:00 and continued until just before sun rise-- the longest game in baseball history. it played 32 inings that night, spent eight hours in frigid cold and still nobody won. around 4:00 a.m., the league president ordered them to finish it another day-- which they did. in just one inning. pawtucket finally took it in the 33rd by a score of 3-2. today folks in pawtucket continue to celebrate every fifth anniversary of the game, not only to relive the memory but, according to then-equipment manager michael kinch to be reinspired by them as well. >> i think i got a good life lesson right there. >> reporter: back then michael's nickname was "hood" which he got for stealing hub caps. he says he was in never a bad kid but seeing those guys fight so hard for so long in such cold definitely made him a better adult. >> i found out what a professional was after that game and i carried it through all my professional life. >> reporter: he's now a deputy police chief. his words help explain why people in pawtucket still cling to that game after all these years. but it still doesn't explain these two. why would anyone who's not getting paid spend eight hours in bitter cold at a meaningless minor league baseball game? i posed that same we do both of them. >> when i was a little kid--. >> reporter: ...and got the same answer. >> my father left a sporting event early me once. we were going to beat traffic and go home and the other team came back and won and i said i'd never leave a sporting event early in my life i let that be a warning to you parents or someday you may find your children froze on the death in an empty baseball stadium. there's something else interesting about the endless game. cal ripken, jr., and wade boggs both played that night and they went on to big careers in the major leagues. if you want to know more, there's a great book out called "bottom of the 33rd" and you can read about it at cbsnews.com. >> couric: it got them on television, they're local celebrities. meanwhile, how did the game go on until 4:00 a.m., isn't there some kind occur few or rule? >> reporter: 1:00 a.m. is the curfew and there was then but it got left out of the umpire's book that year so the umpire said "it's not in our book, we'll keep playing." >> couric: steve, thanks so much. that's the "cbs evening news" for tonight. i'm katie couric. thank you for watching. see you back here tomorrow. good night.