When portia got up and ran, did you have a moment where you thought, oh, my god . Heres kate snow with hostage. Its the modern day town square. A Gathering Place that fulfills our every need, shopping, eating, socializing, a trip to the mall is an escape on weekends. And not just in america, in nairobi, kenya, the modern West Gate Mall was the place to unwind at the end of the workweek. It was the last place you would expect Something Like this. Gunshots, explosions, armed men taking over every floor, methodically shooting anyone in their way. That was the unbelievably brutal scene that played out in front of a shocked world on september 21st. Just after the smoke cleared, dateline traveled to nairobi. Tonight well take you inside the mall attack with never before seen pictures of how it unfolded and new details from those who lived through it. Youll hear from two mothers caught in the cross fire. It was pretty terrifying. It really was. It was very, very scary. Two mothers caught on camera. Whats going to happen . Im going to die. The kids are going to die. In a matter of seconds, these moms, an american and a kenyan, would go from strolling through the mall to being forced to make life and death decisions to save themselves and their children. For Katherine Walton it began like any other saturday, with her husband philip away on business she took their five kids to the Westgate Mall. It was a place where all of them could be entertained, the teens and the toddlers. Her kids liked the chicken place, the candy store. Just an opportunity to walk around, kill a couple of hours. I knew we would go home and have naps and everybody would be happy. The waltons chose to move to kenya two years ago from texas. For katherine and philip, it was like going home. They were both children of mish missionaries and grew up in countries in west africa. They met in boarding school in africa, married in the states, and started raising their family. Blez was born 14 years ago and then ian, 10 porsche 4 gigi 2. Petra, the baby, 13 months old, was born in kenya. Their morning at the mall unfolded just as any familys might, they had lunch together in the third floor food court. After lunch the boys decided to race down to the first floor to a Big Department store, sort of like a super walmart, called nakumot. Mom and the three young girls were still finishing up lunch, so they lagged behind. As they were walking through the mall to catch up with the boy, with the baby in a sling and two toddlers holding moms hands, it happened, an explosion. The first thing that tells you something is wrong is a huge bang. Coming from where . It was the main entrance, so it was off to my right and behind me. I remember turning around and looking at it and just seeing people screaming and running. In those first seconds katherine was unsure what was happening. She thought it sounded like broken glass or something falling. But she immediately grasped that she and her girls were in danger. The chaos confused another mother not far from katherine on the main floor. Faith was in the mall with her two children, 9yearold daughter sy and 21monthold son ty. The agricultural researcher was shopping for an anniversary present for her husband. She was in a flower shop when she first heard the noise. It was so loud that i actually thought it must have been an earthquake and the building was collapsing. Thats the point when i just told my kids to lie down. Of course, im scanning the area wondering where were going to go. Reporter scenes captured on Security Cameras in the mall show how quickly the attacks again. You can see machine gun bullets flashing down the main concourse as shoppers frantically scramble and dive to the floor. And then i saw trace around starting to hit the shots that were straight ahead. Reporter katherines first thought, protect her kids. It was, you know, just instinct, to grab the girls and run. But we must not have gone very far and a kenyan woman came, scooped up porsche and we both ran right behind this display table, display cabinet. Reporter catherine, her girls, and the kenyan woman took cover the only place they could. Here they are crouching under a flimsy temporary display table. Petra was crying because i was laying on her and it was loud. It was very loud, very chaotic. Reporter what was happening around you . What were you hearing . You know, everybody was scrambling. The shooting was, like, coming from all directions. Reporter katherine knew her boys had been headed toward the Department Store amid all the noise and commotion, she managed to call them and yell out a quick warning. I said, dont come out of there. Theyre shooting. Go, run, hide. Do not come out. Reporter katherine knew the situation was dangerous, extremely dangerous, but at least she had some cover. Faith and her kids were also trapped on the ground floor but cowering out in the open, exposed to the gunmen stalking new victims. Im telling the kids lie down, this continues, loud sounds. Thats when i knew they were shooting. Then i thought, oh, no, wrong choice of hiding place. I remember my daughter at one point asking me, mama, was this the best place to hide . Reporter the assault continues. Youre not hearing one gun . No. It sounded all like it was all over. Of course, in the building, it was just echoing and reverberating. You could look up and see other floors . Where i was laying i could see across and up the different levels. It was just chaos. Whats the smell like . The whole mall was cloudy and just smoke everywhere. Gunpowder burning smell. Did any of them come anywhere near you . I saw two of them that walked from the main entrance in front of the line of stores that were directly in front of us. Hold on. What did you see . I mean, you saw their feet go by . No, i saw them. I saw two whole men. You know, they were 50 yards, 30 yards away. I dont know. What did they look like . They had tan and gray clothing, and they were carrying very, very large weapons. Very large guns. Reporter hearing the gunfire and screams echoing through the mall, both catherine and faith could tell the gunmen were spreading out, killing people as they went along. Two mothers trapped with Young Children worried they would be next. And a growing fear seized katherine. Her boys were no longer answering their phone. Where were they . When we come back the terrifying uncertainty for those inside the mall and loved ones outside. I got woken up by a phone call. Your wife and sons are in there, and theyre separated. Soon, a friend of katherines whos been texting with her would go from worried, to frantic. When she sent that, my heart just sunk. To keep hair strong against hot styling tools, you need more than a conditioner,. You need a miracle. 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I told her we would see them later. Reporter katherine could only hope that was true. Half a world away a phone rang he in a hotel in North Carolina. Catherines husband phillip, a tech entrepreneur, had gone back to the u. S. On business meetings leaving her wife alone in nairobi with her five kids. I got woke up from a phone call from paul weaver, a dear family friend so i knew it was not good. Do you remember what he said . Yeah, theres an attack going on at westgate and your wife and sons are in there and theyre separated. Thats a call you dont want to have to make. No. Reporter paul weaver, the Walton Family friend, had been at home recovering from surgery when he got an urgent text from katherine. What time did the first message come . The first one came in at 12 52. What did she say . Pray. Shooting in westgate. Hiding. Thats a message. It just blew me away. I actually wrote her back, really . She said, yes. I dont know where the boys are. She said, find blaise. Paul texted the oldest son blez but he didnt answer. I started looking at the internet. They put something out on the internet dont call anybody because people are getting shot when their phone rings. Paul didnt call but stayed in touch with katherine through text messages. Her life line to the outside world. I sent a text, get me out of here. Like i really thought he could but i was just desperate. And that one, when she sent that, my heart just sunk. Reporter katherine didnt text her husband philip because she knew he was too far away to do anything and knew she would only panic him. Back in North Carolina all philip could do is wait. It was 6 00 a. M. And news of the attack hadnt hit the u. S. Yet. Im trying to imagine the feeling of getting that phone call and being so far away. I think helplessness is a pretty accurate word. You know theres nothing that you can do. I was so worried the girls would just be screaming and like uncontrollably panicking. And drawing attention. Reporter exactly what katherine was trying to prevent the girls from doing. I just kept telling them to stay little, to stay very quiet, and that the kenyan lady that was with portia just kept patting her and soothing her. And gigi was just curled in a little ball. Her breathing was so quiet and so shallow. I just kept rubbing her back and touching her because i was, like, maybe shes hurt and i dont realize it. Reporter cramped in her hiding spot she was desperate to reach her boys. After trying and trying, she finally got through again. I was able to send a text and just said, are you okay . And he told me that they were okay. And that they were safe. You thought your boys had gotten out. I did. When he told me they were safe, i thought they had gotten out. Reporter but they hadnt. The walton boys were hiding in the back of the store. The cellphone video captured the battlefield the store became. The aisles were a bullet riddled maze. Shoppers were stunned. Some drawing fire. And now there were gunmen headed toward katherines sons. Faith wambua was the other mother trapped in this nightmare. She had her two Young Children with her and was worried about controlling her toddler son. They heard gunfire all around them. I feel bad right now because i was lying on him trying to shield him at one point and i said, oh, my goodness, lying on this floor and then impressing down on his back, he must be so uncomfortable. At that point that is when i put my finger in his mouth, you know, hoping to give him something to suck on. Reporter they remained like that frozen in place, first for minutes, then for an hour. She was terrified her son would start crying and give them away. I can see his face creasing into a cry and, my goodness, hes going to cry. This is it. Coming up faith makes a fateful choice. We thought, now our cover has been blown. While our other mom, katherine, becomes terrified that she and her girls are moments away from being discovered. 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Katherine walton was still in her makeshift hiding spot on the main floor of the mall, an hour into the attack she was still trying to keep her three restless daughters contained under that flimsy table. Their only protection from the roaming gunmen. It was a job that got harder as the mall got quieter. There was a lull. And petra picked up the phone and was playing with it and gigi was trying to take it away from her. Then the shooting started again. One of them threw the phone and it just got underneath our bodies and i couldnt reach it. You couldnt text anybody. I couldnt text anybody. Couldnt get ahold of anybody. For a couple of hours there i was texting her and no more texting from then. Other people were calling me saying this was really bad. Were seeing pictures of people being killed. And shes not responding to you now . No. Just down the corridor another mother struggled to keep her children quiet. Youre thinking about our survival, also thinking will this stop and run to an area where its safe. There was nowhere else for faith and her children to go. She told them being quiet wasnt enough. She made an incredible decision, they would all play dead. Her 9yearold daughter could understand how important it was to stay still. Amazingly her 2yearold son seemed to sense it, as well. He didnt move, except for an occasional blink. Men with machine guns scoured every inch of the mall. We were right next to a corridor where we could see them passing from time to time but there was no way i could change my position. Reporter as the minutes dragged into hours knowing her son might stir at any moment faith was relieved when he dozed off for a bit. He was lying down on the ground, you know, snoring away. I didnt know whether he was alive because one eye was shut, one eye was open. Hot, cramped, with numb limbs, faith urged her kids to fight the need to move. My daughter, whenever i felt like she was twitching or changing her position because my hand was on her arm, i would just squeeze a little bit, and she understood that to mean, stay still. Reporter but then 2yearold ty woke up, faith wondered how much longer he could hold on. She took a chance and played game. She pretended glass and cement were insects to keep them distracted. Theres an insect coming. He would watch it. He really likes insects. Reporter the gunmen continued to brazenly troll the mall floors looking for victims. Katherine was worried they would finally see her and the girls. After all, she was seeing the gunmen. When they walked by you were they shooting . No, they were walking very slow. They almost had a demeanor like they owned the place, like they knew they were in control. Did they see you . They looked my direction. I knew that as those men came out of that store and came around behind us, that they could see us. Reporter those men had already killed dozens of shoppers. In this video captured by a Security Camera, a wounded person is prodded by a terrorist. Other parts, too graphic to broadcast, show the gunmen callously shooting people in the mall. Even the injured. As the siege dragged on, the outside world was beginning to get some idea of how terrible it was. Good evening. Loud explosions were heard tonight in the kenyan capital of nairobi. Reporter those still trapped inside the mall couldnt know they were part of a terrorist attack. Faith and her two kids remained absolutely still. It was their only chance for survival, but her mind raced. Thinking about my husband, where is he . How will he get to know about this incident . Im wondering will any of my children get shot . Will i get shot and my children have no mother after this . Reporter faith was determined to protect her children at any cost. I remember covering the children. My sons head and i said, any bullet would have to pass through me first before it gets to these children. Reporter faith and her children had been flat on the floor for a full 3 1 2 hours when suddenly she heard something. We had heard voices from above us from higher floor asking us to get up. Mother, mother with the children, you mother, down there with the children. I knew they were now addressing me. Immediately we got up on to our knees and trying to get up and go, the shooting started again. Reporter she thought by moving she had drawn attention to herself. We were scared. First because we thought our cover has been blown. Now they know that we are really not dead. Reporter faith didnt trust anyone now so when a man approached, she was sure it wasnt good. Thats when i felt somebody touching me, you know, they had come for us because now they know we are alive. So we just laid down there and i remember telling the children, shush, quiet. Coming up, faith has to make a splitsecond decision, their lives depend on it. Should she trust the man talking to her child . Baby, baby, touching my daughter, baby, baby. And then, a fresh shock for katherines husband. That was very traumatic to me. When kids are coming into my classroom they know that. Mr. Jackson is the rapping teacher we call it the remainder thats number that remains. Technology is a huge piece of education. Using the pen for the first time on the windows 10 pc is great. Im able to highlight different rhyme schemes, i can actually. See my lines when im shading in, i can change the. Weight drawing directly on my screen. I couldnt do this on my mac. I can definitely see the future. Happening, i mean i feel like the skys the limit. New york style. No way chicago deep dish. Neapolitan. Nah, white pie. Half veggies, half meat. [laughs] just cheese. No, pepperoni. Extra crunchy. Chewy. Has to be glutenfree. Top it with arugula. No, basil. Eggplant. Dude, really . 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Paired with crispy onions, fresh baby spinach and kale the signature sriracha sandwich is yours to enjoy on your choice of beef or chicken. Pick one up, and take the flavor up. But do it today. Because its only here for a limited time. Reporter for 3 1 2 hours after armed gunmen stormed the Westgate Mall, two mothers had been trapped. Katherine walton crouched for cover with three young daughters under a temporary kiosk, gunmen patrolling nearby. And faith wambua, three and her Young Children played dead. They moved once and were instantly shot out. As a man approached, faith held her position but he wasnt a terrorist, he was a Police Officer. Baby, baby, touching my daughter. Baby, baby, are you okay . Are you okay . I said, wow, in my mind im thinking this must be good, are you okay, not are we alive, are we okay . Then he said, its safe. Its safe. Its the police. I was able to recognize the uniform. Then he said, its fine, im going to lead you to safety, get up. Reporter desperately afraid to move, faith agreed it was time to make a run for it. Still worried that gunfire would erupt again, faith slowly got up and walked towards the exit with her children. I remember seeing a body lying there on the steps but i said, im focusing on where we are going. Im crying now because im free, you know, theres all of these tears of joy. Reporter in his hotel room 6,000 miles away in Charlotte Philip walton could only hope his story would have such a happy ending. He received a facebook message from a friend with freeze frame from a video. There was an unmistakable sight, his two sons alive and outside the mall. It was my two sons standing with my Business Partner. A joyful moment for phillip, knowing his boys were safe. But too brief, because he knew his wife and three young daughters were still trapped in the mall. The walton boys had endured 3 1 2 hours in the most dangerous area. It was terrifying for anyone but especially for two boys separated from their mother. This is blez walton. It was difficult for him to recount the story of what happened to him and his brother. He wanted to tell it, starting from the beginning. The two brothers had just paid and were Still Standing in the check outline when they saw something strange. Reporter whats the first thing you hear thats weird . Everybody looks to the main entrance. We look as well. Everybody in the store. A loud sound happens and three people go flying. Thats when people realized whats going on, and they run. Reporter he knew he had to protect himself. And more than that, he knew he was responsible for his younger brother. You grabbed your brother. Yes. Reporter as fast as you could. Yeah. And just ran. Reporter were you pushing him . Yes. Reporter you didnt want him to see anything. Blez, clutching his brother ian, racing from the gunfire with one thought. I thought, ian first, save him, me second. Reporter you headed to the back of the store . Other people were rushing back. We followed the crowd. Reporter they made it to a storeroom at the back of the store. Others were hiding there too, including an American Mother with her own kids. Without catherine there to comfort them, the boys stayed with that mother. Blez hoped they were far enough way from the guntoting terrorists. But they werent. Surveillance video shows the terrorists made it all the way to the back, hunting for more victims. But this wise 14yearold did something ingenious. I finally pulled ian inside, sat him beside a thing of flour. One by one by one meters of flour on all sides of him. Reporter a barricade of flower bags . Yes, we pulled toilet paper on top of our heads so nobody would see us. Every once in a while we would hear gunfire, grenade sounds. And at one point these people came in, saying were the police, its okay. Reporter the gunfire the walton boys had been hearing briefly paused and those voices identifying themselves as police were encouraging people to come out. Around him, blez heard people start moving. They walked out. 15 seconds later you heard a lot of machine gunfire for about 30 seconds. Then it just was quiet. Reporter you think it was the bad guys luring them out . Yes. Reporter you did the right thing, staying put. A lady there told us what to do every step of the way. Without her, i think we would have gone out with the crowd. Thanks to her, were still alive. Reporter eventually police were able to break down a door and get people out. This Security Camera shows the chaos and the crowd after being released. Look closely. Theres blez in his red shirt, and ian with his backpack, free after 3 1 2 hours of being trapped. Relief washed over Phillip Walton when he saw his boys in the image his friend sent him. At least his sons were okay. I remember thinking at that ti time, at least i wont be alone. I remember thinking, you know, however horrific this day is, at least the boys and i will have each other, if it turns out worse, than we would hope or imagine. Reporter his wife catherine was still trapped under that tiny table with her three girls. And now things were looking worse. A man with a gun was headed their way. Coming up, just who was he . And then a daring escape plan from an unlikely hero. Then i told want lady, now what happened next amazed the world. So his house was rebuilt, good as new. The big bad wolf now has a job on a wind farm. Call geico and see how easy it is to switch and save on homeowners insurance. Your date with destiny has arrived. Lets do this new cinnamon frosted flakes are finally here. Sweet cinnamon and the frosted crunch you love. Well . Tastes like victory t. Tastes like victory. Theyre great buy one take one is back starat olive garden. 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And the kenyan woman said the cops are here. Reporter but it wasnt the police. It was a kenyan man named abdul haji, the businessman and father of four had received a text message from his brother earlier that morning. Message was very brief. It just read, at westgate. Terrorists. Pray for me. Reporter abdul haji bolted to the mall and was stunned by what he saw when he got there. Carnage everywhere. He was terrified for his brother who works for the Kenyan Intelligence Service and had received Death Threats from al shabaab, the same terror group that was not attacking the mall. At this point in time the magnitude of the whole situation dawned on me. Reporter Security Forces were just arriving. And abdul, whos licensed to carry a gun, decided in an instant to join them. They enter the mall from the parking garage on the top floor. Abduls brother was still in the mall and actually not far from Katherine Walton and her girls on the main floor. He was hiding in a bathroom. Abdul worked his way down to the main floor. And as he did, his brother managed to escape. I reached my phone to try and call him and i see this message on my screen saying, im out, im safe, please come out. Reporter but abdul haji didnt come out. Despite the gruesome scene, the blood, the bodies, the smell of smoke and constant gunfire, he decided to stay and help. Abdul searched through the mall looking for victims. Then he made a discovery that shocked him. I look down and i see somebody hiding behind a table. It was a lady. She looked very scared. And im thinking, she was right in the middle of the cross fire. Reporter katherine spotted abdul, too, but sensed he wasnt a threat. How did you know they werent terrorists . They werent carrying the large guns we had seen that the terrorists had. Reporter with just a few words between them, Katherine Walton and abdul haji quickly coordinated an exit strategy. We opened fire towards the door, you know, just to scare the terrorists away. Reporter and then it was time. And then we hold fire and then i tell the lady, now, and suddenly this young girl appears out of nowhere. And i just call to her to run towards me and she starts running. And immediately im thinking, what a brave girl. When portia got up and run, did you have a moment when you thought, oh, my god . I think that i realized that it was precarious that i was also trusting that if they were telling us to run, that it was safe. For katherine, it was a gigantic leap of faith after shielding her daughters for 4 1 2 hours, she knew that to save them, she would have to let them go. The image of 4yearold portia running to abdul haji was one no one would soon forget. Katherine wasnt far behind and they werent alone. These images show the terror on the faces of others being rescued by the police in those same moments. Their desperation to be free. In North Carolina philip got a phone call from his Business Partner eric. I got confirmation from eric that he was standing with them and that they were all safe. Your whole family . Yeah. I broke down and cried. Yeah. And then it then you can let go. Then you can just kind of you can collapse. Reporter later, a picture followed. His wife and children trapped in that mall for hours in terror were now in the safety of a friends house, together. Simply the most precious thing i could even imagine, to see all of them, you know, sitting there in safety and knowing that they had come through it. Reporter philip grabbed the first flight back to kenya. It must have felt really good when he got off the plane. It was very good because he knows, as a mom, when dad is not around, you feel like you have to keep it together and youve got to be strong. And kids were very excited to see him. They had been asking. They were relieved to finally be able to touch him and hug him and have that extra security. Reporter these exclusive images show the devastation and destruction of the Westgate Mall, ravaged by a siege that dragged on for four days. Terrorists linked to al qaeda claimed responsibility and the kenyan government says at least 67 people died. For the survivors, its been difficult to make sense of it all, to move on. Faith wambua, went home, hugged her husband. Two days after the attack it was cause for celebration and time for reflection. Grateful for being alive, children for being alive. Im grateful to be reunite with his husband. I never thought i would see the second anniversary. And this incident has actually brought us more closer. We dont want to leave each others sides. Reporter faith and her children were reunited with that Police Officer who reached out to her on that terrible day, grateful he risked his life to save theirs. Hello. Reporter the waltons, too, are grateful for friends, new and old, especially young portia who beamed when we showed her a picture of her rescuer on a smartphone. Is that mr. Haji . Yes. What did he do . He saved us. He saved you. Hi. How are you . Good, how are you . Nice to see you again. Reporter three days after the worst day of their lives, the waltons were reunited with their hero. Hi. How are you . Abdul haji is himself the father of a 4yearold daughter and a muslim. Its not lost on him that he is now forever linked to a Christian Family who chose to live in kenya. Thats what humanity is all about. It happened that i was a muslim and they were christians but at that time, what i was seeing was a little girl and her mother. I was not seeing what religion they were. Lots of emotions. As weve been able to tell this story and spend time with haji and, you know, to see the courage of a man like that, is an inspiration to me. Reporter at just 14, blez walton has a new perspective. Youve seen the worst of humanity and youve seen best of humanity. Yeah, same day, its a miracle to live both of those in one day. Reporter and for katherine and her children, as dismal and as dark those events in that mall were, she refuses to do anything but grow and be positive for herself and her family. Because i dont want them to come out of this and hate or be angry about what happened. It would be easy to be angry. It would be very easy to be angry. I dont want them to see if bad part of it. I want them to turn that bad situation into something positive. What will you tell the girls when they get older . I think ill tell them that they were brave. You know . That we were in a bad situation but they were so good. Thats what i tell them now when i hug and kiss them and i just say, youre just my brave girls. Youre so i just cant believe you, youre so brave. Coming up, the latest on the catastrophic flooding in texas. She likes to dine with charismatic friends. 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Its time to savor. vo more dper rollres for mom more doing chores for dad per roll more earning something you love per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50 longer than the leading ordinary brand. So you get more life per roll. Bounty the quicker picker upper. Were live here in houston where harveys rains keep coming, the waters keep rising, and according to the National Weather service, the city is facing an unprecedented flood event. Thousands of people are in need of rescue, including these elderly residents at this nursing home in dickinson, 30 miles southeast of houston, who had to be airlifted out of waistdeep water. So far harvey has claimed two lives but officials warn the death toll could rise. Its estimated the storm has affected a quarter of the population of texas, or almost 7 Million People. Weve been following harveys path of destruction since late last week. We have nbc news correspondents throughout the region. We want to start with jacob rascon, this is his hometown. Jacob, good evening. Reporter good evening. Earlier you called it a city of islands. I think that was a great way to describe it. It rains and storms so much here all the time but never quite like this. There so many bayous and creaticreeks and rivers throughout the city. They can handle it, but not two feet and then another two feet. This area, for example, is a great example. This area during hurricane rita and Tropical Storm alison flooded mere inches. This time it flooded more than ten feet. There are hundreds of homes back there that are flooded. And as you said and as the video shows, in the more than 6 Million People that live in this area, so many of them are affected and cannot move. The city is paralyzed, in a way. Schools are closed. The airports are closed. Hospitals have been flooded. Its really a precarious situation, especially because its day two in what will be a five day or so disaster. Lester . All right, jacob rascon, tonight. Thank you. President trump returned to the white house today after a weekend at camp david. He plans to travel to texas on tuesday to tour the devastation. The president has been praising the state and federal response to harvey on twitter. Gadi schwartz is in dickinson where neighbors have been reaching out and rescuing each other. Gadi . Reporter good evening. Right now were in dickinson. You see these are boats right here that are bringing people back. You guys all right . Please help us. Reporter were you guys over in one of those homes . Yes. Reporter wow. How high was the water . Chest deep. Reporter jeez. Im so glad you guys are okay. We lost our cars. Reporter im so sorry. What theyre doing is bringing them here to basically whats become something of an ellis island, if you will. Its high ground, its where people can come and be reunited with their family members. These are people waiting for their family. There are some rescue crews over in the distance. There are more rescue crews that continue to go out. A lot of people are worried about the weather, worried about family members still stuck there. Everybody looking at that forecast knows more rain is on the way. Back to you. Some remarkable scenes around here. Gadi schwartz, thank you. Were now beginning to see helicopter rescues here in houston, expected to continue throughout the night. One of the questions people are asking here is, why wasnt there a mandatory Evacuation Order for the city, which may be facing a new threat in the days ahead . Here with more on all that is Stephanie Gosk in southwest houston. Reporter lester, we have some Important News tonight from the army corps of engineers. They manage and control the two major dams in houston. They he will us tonight there has been so much water so quickly, they will have to do controlled releases overnight of those dams. One dam at 2 00 a. M. , the barker dam at 11 00 a. M. This water goes through a bayou that runs through the center of town. To give you some perspective, these dams were built in 1945. They have never in the history of the dams ever had to release water during an event like this. When i spoke with the safety manager on top of the dam on saturday morning, he said their intention was to keep those gates closed the entire time. Were now being told they have to open them. Lester . All right, Stephanie Gosk, thank you very much. So whats the forecast for houston and texas in the coming week . Nbc news meteorologist dylan dreyer joins me. The hurricane two days past, normally you would be thinking about recovery. Were still very much in the middle of this. And we still have several days to go. The thing with tropical downpours is they come and go, but when they come, they can produce one to three inches of rain at one time. Sometimes here theyve fallen at rates of four to six inches per hour. Right now the storm is moving, its finally on the move. But tropical moisture will continue to fuel downpours. This whole part of southeastern texas and louisiana will see more and more rain. We could end up with an additional 10 to 20 inches of rain on top of the 25 inches on the ground, putting storm totals up around 50 inches. Then the river flooding is a concern all through next week. When i was driving up through Corpus Christi on the outside of town, there were tornado wanderin warnings. Was that associated with the back side of the storm . Its the energy in the system, we still have the possibility of tornadoes on top of everything else. Thats going to do it for now. Well be keeping an eye all night long on the flooding here in houston. And dylan and i will be back tomorrow morning on the today show. And ill see you again tomorrow on nbc nightly news. Until then, im lester holt. For all of us here, good night. Nbc sports is home to the biggest games, brightest stars. That is just crazy. The best teams and prime times number one show. Sunday night football. And thats Downtown Minneapolis on this last sunday of of august and in five months this will be the center of the sports universe. When u. S. Bank stadium hosts sup super bowl lii. The vikings take the field