right now at 5:00, the rapture of an oakland radio host predictsd that was supposed to begin today at 6:00 p.m. time zone by time zone has so far failed to materialize. we'll take you to the radio station where some people have actually gathered to rally. san jose unveiled something today that caused months of heated controversy years ago. we'll show you what sparked a firestorm in the vietnamese community. louisiana families are packing up their lives tonight in the face of mississippi floodwaters headed their way. the news at 5:00 starts right now.

good evening. i'm diane dwyer. according to an east bay preacher, the beginning of the end of the world should be starting in just about an hour. he spent millions of dollars on billboard advertising and reportedly received tens of millions of dollars from believers over the past few years. the 89-year-old harold camping se says today is judgment day as described in the bible and christian theology. he predicts the so-called rapture will begin. quakes will begin shaking the ground, true believers will ascend to heaven and leave everyone else behind to face the world's destruction over the next couple of months. camping reportedly has 100 million listeners for his radio show and his captured the attention of many nonbelievers as well. nbc bay area's kimberly tere is in oakland where protests are under way outside the family radio network where harold camping does his weekly radio address to the nation. hello, kimberly. >> reporter: hello, diane. we have two groups out here. there's a few people who are

followers of harold camping who do believe this is judgment day. the majority, though, are members of a milpitas church. they are here to tend to campings followers who might feel disappoint or distraught when or if it turns out camping it wrong. the preacher has stirred up a lot of controversy in recent weeks claiming the end is near, really near camping says the rapture will start with a earthquake in new zealand at 6:00 p.m. pacific standard time and spread from there throughout the world. camping says it is judgment day and his radio station is behind the billboards we've seen across the bay area warning that jesus will return today and save souls who will leave the earth for eternal rapture in heaven. the preacher has ignited considerable religious controversy. the american atheists are in oakland for a west coast convention this weekend. they are among many who have targeted camping, criticizing his theory that the world, as we know it, will end today. >> we think the rapture, the whole idology of the rapt

surpossibly the worst thing about religion. and so we're here celebrating another end of the world that never happened. >> reporter: american atheists are planning on holding a rapture party to give skeptics a chance to discuss their disdain for camping and his message. while camping is encouraging his followers to be with their families at home and prayer today, you can see there are still plenty of people outside his radio station in oakland protesting his marriage saying it's turning the religion of christianity into a joke. >> thank you kimberly. in louisiana, thousands of people are bracing tonight for what's expected to be the worst river flooding in nearly a century. when engineers opened a spillway on the mississippi last week to prevent severe flood damage downstream in baton rouge and new orleans, the move put thousands in rural areas in harm's way. experts say the area could see as little as five feet of water

or as much as 25 feet. nbc's janet shamlian reports some areas could end up under 25 feet. >> as the mighty mississippi flows toward louisiana, at the meyers home, it looks like moving day. filling boxes in the living room, stacking canned goods in the kitchen. they are in all-out evacuation mode. >> we're a little worried about the back flow going up into the local lake here and flooding out the area. a moving company will pack their furniture and other large items destined for higher ground 30 miles away. >> a lot of people in town are looking at us funny like why are you evacuating. and a lot of people only think one gate of the morganza is going to open. and they just really don't seem to be aware of what's going on. >> reporter: but it's hard to miss on the rural roads. mile upon mile which are now lined with sandbags. on the vulnerable bayous where some of the wildlife seems oblivious to what's ahead. state inmates earn time off

their sentences for long hours and heavy lifting. >> i love morgan city. i love louisiana. just need to take precautions when you live -- when you live here. >> reporter: it all comes with a big price tag. at this ship yard repair business, they've been building levees instead of turning out product. >> just in the last couple of weeks we've lost $300,000 worth of work anticipated coming into the ship yard. it's been a big cost so far. the crest has been pushed even further back. now scheduled for a week from today. giving families like the arnonies a little more time to load up and move out. >> we don't know what to expect. so we're planning for the worst and hoping for the best. >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news. what's in a name? well, it's a lot, if you ask san jose's vietnamese community. thousand s were on hand to witness the unveiling of a sign unveiling an area called little

saigon. if you remember back in 2007, the effort to name the area little saigon sparked massive demonstrations and even a hunger strike. so what were they so upsite about? much of the san jose vietnamese community wanted the name little saigon. but city leaders approved the name saigon business district. the move set off numerous protests and open meeting lawsuit and prompted one activist to set up a tent at city hall and refuse food until council members changed their minds. >> we felt very happy that right now the city official have recognized that the majority of the community, this very prosperous district area to be named little saigon which is our identity as a political refugee here. >> reporter: san jose has more than 100,000 vietnamese residents. there are strong signs the bay area's job market is getting back on its feet. new numbers released yesterday show the bay area added 5,400

jobs last month. those jobs are not evenly distributed, however. the director of the business forecasting center told the oakland tribune that the only part of the bay area with consistent gains is the south bay. meantime, for the first time in nearly two years the state's unemployment rate also dropped. according to the state employment development department, the statewide jobless rate is at 11.9% down from 12% in march and 12.4% a year ago. president obama plans to begin a week-long european tour tomorrow. one of the trip's priority according to the white house is to more clearly define the west's role in promoting stability and democracy in arab countries without being overly involved or intrusive. before he leaves tomorrow, he's expected to address a powerful pro-israel lobbyist group. after side with the palestinians this week on the idea of israel rolling down its borders to the 1967 lines, he's likely not to be well received. israel's prime minister already

rejected the idea in person yesterday. >> while israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines. >> he's going straight into the lion's den to try to defend this proposal. >> the president is expected to give his address tomorrow morning. mr. obama is the first u.s. president to say publicly that israel should give back the land it won in that 1967 war. coming up next at 5:00, amanda knox, the young american woman found guilty of murder in italy is back in court. we'll show you how she claims her appeal is stronger this time around. >> they're going to tear down the building and put up a parking lot. >> students and faculty of a bay area college fight back against a plan to pave over greenhouses and a 50-year-old garden. we've enjoyed some sunny skies but breezy and now cooling temperatures around the bay area. a live look at oakland shows you 67 degrees. the winds cranking up. what about the rest of your

weekend forecast? enwhwehave a look at that ce gh.rickbat

the american foreign exchange student who was convicted of murdering her british roommate was back in italian court today. amanda knox returned as part of the appeal process. and once again, she said she is innocent. keith miller reports that this time some of the evidence might support that claim. >> reporter: appearing eager to have her day in court, knox greeted friends and family attending the court session. including her father kurt knox. her defense team is growing more confident as the weight of the dna evidence appears to be leaning in knox's favor. also in court today, the chief of the murder squad.

monica napolioni who was questioned about the police procedure during the murder investigation. the defense claims the police work was sloppy. but this appeal is all about the dna. forensic scientists appointed by the appeals judge asked for a 40-day extension to file their report because police have failed to produce all of their dna lab findings. >> i think it's more disappointing in why the forensic police will not provide the information, the independent experts feel is necessary for them to do a full evaluation and provide an opinion. >> reporter: knox, along with her former boyfriend rafael were convicted of murdering and sexually assaults knox's british roommate kircher. she died from multiple stab wounds to the neck which they say was a sex game gone wrong. the alleged murder weapon

reportedly had dna material on it from both knox and the victim. but according to italian media, the forensic scientists say the dna is slight. another piece of crucial evidence is this bloody bra clasp belonging to the victim. it reportedly had solecito's dna taun but only discovered six weeks after the crime, and the court-appointed forensic team found it had rusted and rotted after being kept in a bottle of water. knox and her former boyfriend continue to proclaim their innocence. keith miller, nbc news, perugia. still to come at 5:00 -- >> someone left their bumblebee costume. >> if you have ever wondered what happened to your lost luggage, tonight we have an answer. it does not end up in the trash. how you can feel a little better out where those lost items end up.

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thousands of bay area children might just be a little

safer tonight because of an unusual training session for grown-ups this afternoon. congresswoman jackie spiro held a training session to educate parents, and city leaders on how to spot the signs of human sex trafficking. the afternoon was spent showing people how to report it and how to raise community awareness. >> the best eyes are the ones that live right next door. and the truth is that sex trafficking is going on in san mateo county and every county in this state and across the nation. >> reporter: according to the non-profit group california against slavery, human sex trafficking is a $9 billion a year industry and the fastest growing criminal enterprise of the 21st century. so you ever wonder where that book or coat you left on the plane ended up? tonight we have the answer, at least if you fly southwest. when southwest passengers lose something or forget a bag, their unclaimed items go to sale in north texas. nbc's omar villafranca shows us how your loss is a texas

charities gain. >> reporter: book a flight. check your bags. go through security. in the hustle and bustle of commercial travel, something is bound to get lost. and it eventually ends up here. southwest airlines sends all its lot of and unclaimed luggage to this secret salvation army warehouse in dallas. >> i usually tell my friends if you fly southwest, wait 90 days and give me a call. >> reporter: major carl irk is in charge of unpacking, sorting and selling the forgotten cargo. from water bottles and weird costumes -- >> someone left their bumblebee costume on the plane. >> reporter: to expensive winter coats. >> the calvin klein, it looks like a pea jacket, a peacoat. small. >> reporter: the unclaimed and lost luggage arrives by the crate load. >> oh, all sorts of ear buds

from mp3s. >> and workers never know what they'll find. >> marine corps cap and i guess that's either navy or coast guard. shackles. some law enforcement officer is probably wondering what happened to these. >> just married and just forgot the frame. >> it amazes me the things that people forget. there's got to be some other reason for it, but i guess it's just being forgetful. >> some things like documents and medication can't be sold. >> we take these to parkland and they dispose of them for us. >> reporter: but all the $30 ipods and $10 watches -- >> nice italian cashmere coat. >> reporter: end up on store shelves turning a passenger's loss into a small profit for the salvation army. >> that was nbc's omar villafranca reporting.

wasn't that a gun there? not sure how that ended up on the plane. we're going to check with rob mayeda on the weather. it was a little windy out there. >> you can see we've got the trees blowing around a little bit. and a healthy sea breeze into san francisco. 59 degrees. sunshine for now. we'll probably start to see some low clouds reappearing on the coast. 60 in oakland. southwest wind at 18 miles an hour. it's another sweatshirt or jacket evening around the bay area, including shoe ining san . cooling thanks to the marine layer punching down into the valley. also the prince concert coming up this evening. it will be a little chilly for that and the big sharks game on nbc tomorrow come noon. up towards santa rosa, 74 degrees. closer to 70 around sunnyvale. 74 in gil roy. it's a little breezy out. you can see that if you have allergies. oak and olive pollen high.

the grass pollen over the last week has dropped off into the moderate range. hopefully this horrible allergy season continues to improve somewhat here over the next week. we have been watching a few showers this afternoon. and the far north portions of lake county. not a whole lot happening if you are heading out to the sierra, scattered showers and thundershowers. that likely will continue, but a little bit of good news. highway 50 now is open after the construction over the last week. but you'll run into those showers and maybe even some thunder hit and miss showers as we wrap up the weekend there. back to the bay area tonight. low clouds reforming on the coast which means maybe some misty skies and a few spots. especially along the coastline for tomorrow morning and during the day, expecting a dry day, except in the north bay hilltops may see pop-up showers. and as we head into monday and tuesday, a strong ocean breeze. our temperature is going to be staying mild for a while. tonight, lows in the 40 tos low 50s outside. patches of low clouds coming back. and tomorrow's highs generally

in line of today. upper 60 tos low 70s. for most of the inland valleys. san jose, 67 degrees. as you wat the sharks game here on nbc bay area at noon tomorrow. 61 in san francisco. around concord and san ramon, low 70s. up toward fairfield and santa rosa, two of the warmest spots around the bay area. the way our weekends have been, this is not that bad. 60s and 70s outside to wrap things up. stay tuned next weekend. maybe strong ridge of high pressure building back. if that's the case we'll have to boost those temperatures into the 80s. >> which should be the case. it's memorial day next weekend. >> getting close to june. thank you rob. we'll be right back with sports. hey marcel, watch this!

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desk on nbc bay area news. >> the giants taking on the a's at at&t this afternoon. it's 1-0 in the fourth. the fifth, sorry. fifth. the giants won a nail biter last night. and the sharks found themselves in a must win situation last night at the shark tank. they were down two games to nothing coming into friday night's game. and they got it done. san jose jumped out to a 3-0 lead early on and then held on for dear life. they withstood a furious rally from vancouver late in the game but came out with the much-needed win. 4-3. game four of the series is tomorrow. a game you can see right here at nbc bay area at noon. the players offered their thoughts this morning. >> things have been going good. you know, it's nice when the bounces start going your way. definitely a game of inches. you just put in the work and keep going in the same areas. keep going -- those hard to score areas. good things happen. >> we want to play good at this time of year. i think last year was a big step

for us getting to this point. and now, yeah, we just push each other day. so just all we want to do is compete, play hard and win games. >> that's how you win playoffs. you have to win the special teams game. we still can step up the five on five play and, like he said, whoever does that is going to have a better chance of winning. >> earlier today on nbc bay area, the 136th running of the preakness stakes. animal kingdom a 2-1 favorite made a late charge to finish second to shackelford. once again there will not be a triple crown winner since affirmed back in 1978. so again, giants ahead of the a's, 1-0 in the fifth. still to come at 5:00, a fight to stop a bay area college from, as the song goes, paving paradise to put up a parking lot. [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card

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in germ, parking lots are not known for their beauty, but

gardens typically are. a plan by the college of san mateo to plan over this garden is not welcomed by many. they have hung notes on the trees in the 50-year-old garden in protest. they argue that state law requires the school to do a full environmental review to see if it's legal to pave over the area. horticulture students are some of the most vocal opponents. >> certainly makes me feel like they don't care about my interests. it's a beautiful campus. a beautiful garden. it's a wonderful program. they've got great teachers. and they are going to put a parking lot in. very sad. >> the school says it needs the planned 200 parking spaces not only for staff and students but visitors who want to use a new event facility that will house everything from job fairs to weddings. the chronicle reports opponents have hired an attorney to try to block that move. more than 6,000 people in san jose are raising awareness about a developmental disorder affecting children.

they gathered this morning at kelly park for the annual autism speaks walk, an annual event designed to raise money and increase awareness about autism. the organization says 1 in every 110 children in the united states is diagnosed with the disorder. the day included a three-mile walk as well as a community resource fair for parents, therapists and schools. all proceeds from today's walk support the local and national work of autism speaks. we're still waiting for the final amount raised. last year the event attracted 5,000 walkers and raised more than $325,000. and right now we're going to check in with rob. check in on tomorrow, still breezy out there, though? >> good hockey weather around the bay area. 60s and low 70s. the only chances of showers we'll find tomorrow, some of the hilltops north of napa county. lake county, parts of extreme northern napa county, hilltops may see a pop-up shower. the seven-day has more 70s on the board as