friday marked the single busiest day in the skies ever. add in 34 million at risk of severe weather and we have a potential recipe for a travel disaster. we have your forecast and when you may want to steer clear of the roads. plus, a weekend of gun violence in america, at a nightclub in kansas and a block party in baltimore, injuring dozens and claiming two lives. what we re learning about these mass shootings. later, the ride of a lifetime that no one asked for. the scary moment at an amusement park that should give everyone pause. it makes me second-guess guesting on a roller coaster now. let s begin with what you need to know as you get ready for your independence day celebrations. sizzling temperatures and severe storms in the forecast while americans set travel records not seen since before the pandemic. aaa projecting nearly 51 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home as a storm system moves down over the carolinas and 36 million people under heat
following this hour. extreme heat and storms threatening holiday celebrations from california to the east coast as more than 1,000 flight delays frustrate travelers trying to reach friends and family by the fourth of july. also this hour, vladimir putin looking to strengthen ties with china after the public embarrassment of last week s armed rebellion as president zelenskyy argues the pace of ukraine s counteroffensive is not meeting its hopes. more troops occupying the west bank as president netanyahu faces criticism from the united nations. we begin this hour with what s become a record setting run-up to independence day. from busy skies to hectic highways, nearly 51 million americans are expected to travel for july 4th. friday broke records as the single busiest day in tsa history. extreme weather could slow everything down with millions under severe weather alerts an concerns over strong thunderstorms in the mid-atlantic states and portions of the northern great pla
you were doing the second you found out. reporter: alicia moffett was engaged to 22-year-old wade parker. they were called to fight an explosive fire threatening homes in nearby yarnell, spinning out flames as high as 20 feet. the crew lost communication and left their safe zone. trapping the hotshots, they were forced to deploy emergency shelters. all but the lone lookout perished. i went from planning our wedding that was going to be two months from them to literally planning his funeral and trying to attend 18 other funerals on top of that. reporter: it is still the deadliest u.s. wildfire in 80 years and the largest loss of firefighters looichs since september 11th. we recognize when you lose a quarter of your department, what that means on a human level is completely different. reporter: prescott fire chief
90 minutes north of phoenix became known for what it lost. 19 granite mountain hotshots died while fighting the yarnell fire south of prescott. you remember every detail of what you wore that day, to what you were doing the second you found out. reporter: alicia moffett was engaged to 22-year-old wade parker. they were called to fight an explosive fire threatening homes in nearby yarnell, spinning out flames as high as 20 feet. the crew lost communication and left their safe zone. trapping the hotshots, they were forced to deploy emergency shelters. all but the lone lookout perished. i went from planning our wedding that was going to be two months from them to literally planning his funeral and trying to attend 18 other funerals on top of that. reporter: it is still the deadliest u.s. wildfire in 80 years and the largest loss of