Moves along the northern coast of cuba. On saturday it will make a sharp turn northward, toward miami, as a category 4 hurricane. Its expected to move directly up through the Central Florida peninsula, moving up through floridas peninsula on sunday. Then monday, moving into southern and southeastern georgia as a category 1 hurricane, right around the savannah area. Its going to continue moving northward far, far inland as a Tropical Storm by tuesday moving through parts of tennessee, and kentucky. Even southern portions of indiana and ohio. Rainfall totals from this storm could be between 15 and 20 inches for much of the southern twothirds of florida, up into the jacksonville area, perhaps seven to ten inches, and beyond that into georgia and the southeastern u. S. , one to five inches of rainfall. Ive been tracking and covering hurricanes for four decades and never seen one quite like this. Amazing, spencer. As of this coming saturday, no one will be able to leave the miami and ft. Lauderdale area on a commercial flight. The airports will be closed through monday. Maybe even longer than that. The mad rush to leave continues. Abc 7 News ReporterLeeann Melendez is at sfo meeting a few passengers escaping to come here. Reporter thats right. To give you an idea, jetblue has canceled 878 flights through monday, september 11th. And thats just one airline. Now, some people flying out of that area wanted to get as far away as possible, and headed west. Marsha traveled to the bay area for her nieces wedding. She doesnt know when shell be able to return to ft. Lauderdale. It is just a mess there. Everybodys panicking. Houses are boarded up, the neighborhoods boarded up. Youre crying because youre happy to be here . Im happy to be here and worried about whats going on at home. Reporter this woman lives in miami. My moms going crazy. You need to get out now. Blah blah blah. So you came here. Yeah. Thats a long way. A long way, yeah, long flight. But im with mom. Worth it. Reporter as Hurricane Irma approaches, its getting harder for people to find a flight out of southern florida. As of saturay, all airports will be closed. I dont know what im going home to. I hope that everyones safe down there, but im here in california. Away from the storm. Reporter stacy hills a edge of wonder travels unlimited, says it may take passengrs a long time to return home. Theres always the option of flying as close as you can, renting a car, driving down, getting home that way. But for now, shelters. Reporter remembering andrew 25 years ago. I remember andrew. We cry and cry and cry because everything was destroyed. Lets see now, okay . Reporter shes now staying with her daughter in burlingame. And youll be able to eventually change your flights. It will be free. But a word of advice, try to do it over the phone with a live person, and not online. Its much faster and efficient that way. Again, it may take several hours. Live at sfo, Leeann Melendez, abc 7 news. Leeann, thanks so much. Bay area utility workers and firefighters are making their way to florida to help with relief efforts. One group of pg e workers set off this morning for south florida. They feel a sense of duty to help other communities that could experience widespread devastation. Im excited, nervous, theres a lot of unknowns. And looking forward to facing the unknown hurdles as they come towards us. Just great for all of them to go. 50 firefighters with the urban search and rescue team flew out today. Another two dozen are driving. They were headed home from houston when they got the call to turn around and head to florida. A team of bay area heroes returned home tonight after serving in Hurricane Harvey. They understand what lies ahead for their fellow team members who are being deployed to help with those in Hurricane Irma. Janine de la vega has the story from menlo park. Reporter these firefighters are glad to be home. They have turned in their gear. It needs to be decontaminated and handed off to the next crew. They could be deployed at any moment. The trucks rolled in. One by one. Inside, heroes who spent the last week and a half in wharton, texas, helping rescue victims from Hurricane Harvey. Fire chiefs from around the bay area came to welcome them back home. It was a long drive. Long trip. But it was worth it. Were glad we were out there, and had a great experience given the unfortunate reporter some are retired, some active, and an elite team fema uses to respond to National Disasters around the country. They specialize in water rescue. There were safety hazards we have to worry about, electrical wires, cars we couldnt see under the war, fences. So, you know, theres always that unknown. And use caution. Reporter for carl, the journey has just begun. He said goodbye to his wife at San Jose International airport. A member of task force 3 was just deployed to florida to get in position for the wrath Hurricane Irma may bring. The Mission Evolves as we get out there. Our job is to react to whats happening around us and take care of the people. Reporter hes responded to four hurricanes, including katrina and also helped in the Oklahoma City bombing and world peach takes an emotional toll. But he keeps something close to his heart as he travels. I keep we keep a couple of pictures in our helmet. Its pictures of your family. Reminds you what youre coming home to and why you need to keep yourself safe and take care of the other team members to get them home to their families. Reporter for now, he will keep his focus on helping other families trying to survive. In menlo park, janine de la veg a, abc 7 news. Hurricane irma is a recordbreaking storm on many levels. Youll see a video explaining how and why on our website abc7news. Com. Shocked and angry. Thats oakland mayor libby schaafs reaction to the word that a Fire Department captain was jailed on child pornography charges. Live in lafayette near that firefighters, home, eric . Reporter after working hard to reform the Oakland Police department, the mayor seems genuinely upset and offended by this latest incident involving the Fire Department. Richard chu was arrested at his home here in lafayette on harper court yesterday. Mayor libby schaaf pulled no punches. It is unbelievably disturbing and disgusting that a Public Servant has engaged in these types of alleged activities. Rporter shes talking about the arrest of oakland Fire Department captain chichd chu on two charges of child pornography. Heres the reaction when he realized what he had. Shock. Nowadays you dont know. Reporter detectives searched chus home on harper court in lafayette. Also fire station 15 on 27th street, where chu worked. Nobody answered the door when we stopped by station 15, but interim fire chief darren white issued this written statement. It says, quote, i am appalled by the disturbing nature of these charges. When we learned of the investigation, i immediately placed the employee in question on administrative leave. The statement goes on to say, if the allegations are true, this criminal behavior violates our Community Standard of decency and breaches the standard of conduct we uphold in the oakland Fire Department. Mayor schaaf says not only are the charges deeply upsetting to her, but also to the men and women of the fire service who put their lives on the line every day. This is oakland. We are tough. We will get through it, and we will hold this person fully accountable and ensure we are weeding out anyone who does not deserve to be in public service. Reporter richard chu is jailed on 200,000 bond. Abc 7 news. Police in union city want to find a man who reportedly told a woman jogger, quote, be my friend before groping her. It happened around 6 30 a. M. Monday on the walking trail Near Union City boulevard. This is a sketch of the suspect. The woman says that she had seen him several times before. The man ran off when he heard the sound of a Police Dispatcher on the victims cell phone. New developments in the case of the east bay teen who was declared brain dead more than three years ago after a tons lek tome. A judge said she may still be technically alive and wrote a lawsuit against Childrens Hospital in oakland can proceed. The hospital had argued the family could not seek damages because the county coroner signed a death certificate in 2014. The case has been at the center of National Debate since her mother refused to remove her from life support. She remains on a ventilator at a facility in new jersey. The ninth Circuit Court of appeals ruled today grandparents, aunts, uncles and other close families of americans should not be included in the trump administrations travel ban. A threejudge panel struck down that key part of the executive order this afternoon. The court also said refugees accepted by resettlement agencies should not be banned. Three equifax executives including the cfo sold nearly 2 million in stock three days after a major Security Breach was discovered. The Credit Bureau said criminals exploited a web application to access the files, so about 143 million americans in july. Equifax said the executives who sold shares had no knowledge of the breach. The massive breach wasnt revealed to the public, though, until just today. Your next lyft driver may not be a driver at all. What to expect if youre picked up by a selfdriving car. What do you do when a sale isnt what you may have been led to believe . Im Michael Finney. What happened to one mans free phone offer, ahead on 7 on your side. Im Laura Anthony in walnut creek with my friend al here. Hes just off a plane from florida. Well have his story coming up. Food. Water. Internet. We need it to live. But what we dont need are surprises, like extra monthly fees. I see you, fee, played by legendary actress anjelica huston. You got me, mark. We just want fast internet for one, simple rate. For all the streaming and the shopping and the newsing, but most of all. For the this. Internet for one everyday simple price and no extra monthly fees. Youre going to be hanging out in here. So if you need anything, text me. Do you play . Use the chase mobile app to send money in just a tap to friends at more banks than ever before. You got next . Chase. Make more of whats yours. Wow means is tyou save 50 or more. Ngs. There are three stages of wow. Denial. Is this price right . Acceptance. And boooyah wait for it. Boooyah has three os. Grocery outlet bargain market announcer this week, assorted flavors of power bars are just four for a dollar. Preparing for Hurricane Irma in florida, these animals awaiting adoption, now have a chance to find their forever homes here in the bay area. Abc 7 News ReporterLaura Anthony joins us live from walnut creek where the dogs and cats were welcomed to california. Wat a cutie you have there, laura. Reporter thats right, ama. This is al. He is 6 weeks old. He made the long journey from florida here to the bay area. One of more than 150 animals, evacuees, if you will, who will soon be up for adoption here in the bay area. Seven hours and 3,000 miles later, these fourlegged evacuees arrived in the bay area, moved out before Hurricane Irma is expected to slam into their former home. The florida coast. These adoptable animals, 150 of them, flew crosscountry from Broward County to hayward. To make room for all those expected in shelters there. Once irma moves through. One of the lessons we learned after Hurricane Katrina is you needed to allow people to take their pets to evacuate or they simply wont. In advance of what theyre anticipating in florida, broward is getting ahead of the curve, getting their animals, adoptable animals cleared out. Reporter the ride from wings of rescue from the rescue foundation. Here in the bay area, these dogs and cats will be given a thorough checkup and dispersed to three different shelters. The berkeley Humane Society, east bay spca and tony la russas arf, which has had a 20year relationship with the Humane Society of Broward County. Were all working seamlessly together. Certainly all of us could use additional fosters, donations for medical supplies for these animals. As well as large crates. Many of them should be available for permanent adoption starting next week. Laura anthony, abc 7 news. Today a Senate Committee voted to restore 10 million in funding for the u. N. s Climate Change agency. The u. S. Has made these payments since joining the agency in the early 90s. President trump planned to eliminate them. California senator dieann feinstein tweeted shortly after todays vote calling it, quote, a big victory. Two days after President Trump announced hes ending the deferred action for childhood arrivals program, daca, hes now striking a more conciliatory tone, but its who urged him to do so thats the surprise here. Abc 7 news anchor kristen sze has the latest on daca. President trump stunned a lot of people with the new tweet that teams to reassure daca recipients. For all of those concerned about the status of the sixmonth period, you have nothing to worry about. No action, as in no deportation. Thats not a reversal. He did give congress six months to come up with legislation that would address the young undocumented immigrants protected by the Obama Program that mr. Trump is ending. But its a softening of his tone, and surprising as it comes at the urging of a leading democrat, House Minority leader nancy pelosi. I said, thanks for calling. This is what we need. The people really need a reassurance from you, mr. President , that the sixmonth period is not a period of roundup. A youth immigrant Rights Group Said the president s tweet does not make them feel any safer. And their battle to defend daca just got a boost. Colin kaepernick offered a 25,000 donation to the group, part of his milliondollar pledge toward organizations what he called oppressed communities. Kristen sze, abc 7 news. Happening now, oakland is celebrating the grand opening of its firstever Lgbtq Community center. Abc 7 news visited the center earlier today. As you can see, the balloons were already in place for tonights party. Theres a strong focus on what happens after the party. Were already, weve trained over 300 volunteers who are going to be able to help with youth groups, elder groups, mental help counseling, hiv testing. The centers cofounder also told us that the dream of having a place for oaklands Lgbtq Community began about ten years ago. Lets go back and talk about the weather forecast. The weekend approaches here. Christian is here with the latest. Weve got record highs just a few days ago, to far below average temperatures today. Now we have another warmup coming our way. Were using the sevenday High Temperature trend in santa rosa as our indicator of whats coming our way generally across the region. This time of the year, the average high in santa rosa is 84 degrees. Tomorrows high will be 80. Still below average, but up to about average on saturday. Sharply up to about 92 degrees in santa rosa on sunday. 89 on monday. A sharp drop in temperatures on tuesday and further cooling on wednesday and thursday. Thats what the inland areas can expect over the next seven areas. Lots of clouds and moisture. And some light isolated showers in some parts of the bay area. Theyll taper off overnight and give way to clearer skies tomorrow. Right now were looking at mixed sky conditons from our abc 7 exploratorium camera. These are current temperature readings. 69 degrees in San Francisco and oakland. Low 70s in Mountain View and gilroy. 66 in half moon bay. From emoryville, more temperature readings right now, 72 at novato, and fairfield. One more view of, wow, dramatic presunset sky from mount tam. Well see a few showers this evening. A sharp warmup this weekend. Then a chance of showers again early next week. Overnight, well see low clouds moving out over the bay. A few high clouds passing by as welg. A little drizzly along coastal spots. Overnight lows mainly in the low to mid60s. Tomorrow well see sunnier skies in the afternoon than we saw today. Highs range from mid60s at the coast to mainly low and mid70s around the bay. Inland, upper 70s, maybe up to mid80s in places like antioch. As you look ahead to saturday, it starts to warm up. Well see highs in the upper 80s in some inland areas. Mainly mid70s around the bay on saturday. Upper 90s in the warmest inland spots. Few 80s around the bay. Mid70s on the coast. That temperature range will hold out pretty much through monday before the cooling starts. And before the next chance of rain arrives. Heres the accuweather sevenday forecast. Upper 90s inland on sunday and monday. Mid to upper 80s around the bay. Talk about beach weather, coming our way for sunday and monday. A sharp drop in temperatures coming on tuesday. A few extra clouds in the sky. Slight chance of showers, maybe measurable rainfall on tuesday. The clouds will linger into thursday and friday, which will be cooler than average for this time of the year. All right. Thank you, spencer. Coming up next, the difference 5 million will make in cupertino, app