restaurants from all the great chefs. it will be 90s tomorrow. >> "nightly news" is next. we're back at 6:00. hope you can join us. breaking news tonight -- dorian is now one of the most powerful hurricanes in history, hitting the bahamas right now with astonishing force. wind gusts at least 200 miles an hour, roofs torn off homes, people fearing for their lives. >> please pray for us. please pray for us, everyone please pray for us. >> forecasters warning it could change the geography of the bahamas forever. some towns,ck at this red and states up the east coast watching the possible path. also breaking tonight, highway shooting spree a massive crime spree spanning two cities and ten miles in texas. >> i knew he was going to t t

>> seven dead including a child, a baby and policeman among the injured. tonight what we know about the shooter, and why it could have been even worse. comedian kevin hart battling serious injuries after an overnight car crash off an l.a. road >> it was kevin hart. >> the tmz photos show the car wrecked after it rolled down a hill. and a tennis lesson we can all learn from how two rising stars acted after their match has everyone talking. plus y the pop was late to work today, and h "nbc nightly news" with kate snow good evening on what is going to be a terrifying nigs the bahamas today hurricane dorian became the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the atlantic in almost 80 years. it is lashing the northern islands of the bahamas with torrential rain, life-threatening floods and high winds. it's hitting the abaco

islands right no some residents there begging people to pray for them as the storm passes, the path puts it close to the florida coast evacuations are under way in that area the forecast shows dorian moving north toward georgia and the carolinas. our team is across the region tracking the storm. we begin with morgan chesky in the bahamas. morgan, is it too late to evacuate? >> reporter: yeah, kate, good evening for those people who haven't gotten out of the bahamas, it is too late dorian is here, and it is simply pounding the islands to the north of us. all efforts go to rescuing those people in the hardest-hit areas. islands are now unrecognizable from a storm that just keeps coming tonight historic devastation. >> this is my >> reporter: and dorian isn't even done yet. the category 5 hurricane shredding the northern bahamas m surge towering00 two stories

on abaco island, a paradise turned nightmare. >> please pray for us. pray for abaco please, i'm begging you. my baby is only 4 months old please, pray for us. >> reporter: gursa and her infant are par of nearly the 70,000 people caught in the past their only option, to stay together and survive. >> this is probably the most saddened and worst day of my life to address the bahamian people. >> reporter: the island's prime minister says it could take days before the total damage is known, the center of the storm now headed for grand bahama, where many have already sought shelter. >> i have brought everything but my house, which i still don't think i brought first glimpses of dorian's aftermath brings the biggest concern of all >> loss of life. there is no doubt about it, that we are frightened to death at the potential consequencf severe storm >> morgan, we mentioned experts say this could literally change the geography of the islands of the

bahamas. how so >> reporter: kate, it certainly could. we're already seeing evidence of that in the low-lying islands, particularly in the northern part of the bahamas. the storm surg that's more than 20 feet high has already inundated them causing a lot to disappear even as dorian leaves, this coastline may never look the same. >> morgan, thank you there's now a hurricane warning in effect for parts of eastern florida, as dorian heads toward that state south carolina's governor has just ordered evacuations. gabe gutierrez is in stewart, florida. >> we have a mandatory evacuation as of 1:00 p.m. >> reporter: tonight, along parts of florida's east coast, the rush is on to get out. >> this storm at this magnitude could really cause massive destruction, and do >> reporter: in palm beach county, donna kirby is evacuating her parents, both in their late 80s. >> if it doesn't take

here as a category 5, so you have to act >> reporter: today president trump visited fema's headquarters. >> i'm not sure i've heard of a category 5. i knew it existed. i've seen some category 4s. you don't even see them that much, but a category 5 is something. >> reporter: yet during his administration three hurricanes impacting the u.s. were category 5s at one point -- irma, maria, and michael. for dorian, preparations are stretching up to georgia and the nbc's kathy park is in charleston. >> reporter: coastal flooding has already been a problem here this past wee with one of the highest tide levels of the year dorian could only increase the risk of extreme flooding >> reporter: back in florida, businesses banking on labor day weekend rushed to board up, as dorian intensifies. >> it's something we'rtinge unn this time of year >> gabe is with us gabe, it's changed

course a little bit over the weekend are you finding people are following the evacuation orders now? >> reporter: well, kate, the evacuations began just a few hours ago. for certain low-lying areas. and from what we have seen, many people are heeding the warning. a cat 5 will definitely get your attention. to our north, more mandatory evacuations are expected tomorrow. kate >> thank you, gabe all weekend we've been talking about the path of this storm wnbc's meteorologist rafael miranda has the latest update for us. has intensified into one of the strongest atlantic hurricanes on record here are the very winds 185 miles per hour gusts over 200 miles per hour catastrophic damage likely in the bahamas. then the track takes dorian as a maane st s stshore the florida l room for change to that track we'll be watching very closely. another landfall possible in the carolinas as we head towards the end of the week new hurricane warnings in effect issued this afternoon for the east coast of florida

we'll be tracking this one for the winds. catastrophic winds in the bahamas now through monday, and the rest of the southeast dealing with that threat. also heavy rain and storm surge threat for millions in the southeast. kate >> rafael, thank you now to the other major news this weekend. we're learning more about the shooting spree saturday in texas where the death toll has climbed to seven, and the gunman who led police on a chase through two cities firing along the way. miguel almaguer startse end. what more do we know about the shooter?it all came . the fbi and local police are still combing over the crime scene. investigators saat fatally shot by officers when they arrived, but two law enforcement officials tell nbc news the suspect had been recently fired from his job about of he before he began the rampage. >> shooting right there. >> reporter: as gunfire erupted, this

was the scramble to stay alive. >> get down, get down, get down. >> reporter: through the chaos and carnage, authorities hunting down a killer in west texas. a gunman on a shooting spree, mowing down 29 victims, seemingly at random, cutting a deadly path of terror through two cities and ten miles of interstate , wounded, rampage, ree law enforcement. among the survivors, a 17-month-old baby shot in the face. hayden carnegie called her dad as she huddled on the ground. >> she's telling me, daddy, i can see the gunman i don't know if he's pointing this way or not. that's the lt i'm going to see my daughter it's going to happen right in front of me >> reporter: it all started with a routine traffic stop outside midland. the gunman identified

as seth ator, immediately opening fire with an assault-style rifle, after a officer approached his vehicle. after hijacking a mail truck, he shot at civilians all over odessa. >> get down! >> he hit the barrier. >> reporter: initially fearing multiple gunmen, law enforcement tracked thesuspe opened fire. >> what's going on >> it's a shooter. >> reporter: the 36-year-old killed during the gun battle. authorities offering no motive but saying they believe the theater may have been a possible target. >> why go to the theater if you're not ring the theater? >> help! >> reporter: the bloodshed comes just four weeks after the massacre at a walmart in el paso with 22 killed there, tonight texas is reeling again. >> so hard to watch. miguel, what is next for the investigation? >> reporter: we know investigators are poring over the suspect's digital footprint as well as

that possible job loss recently we also are being told the death toll could have been so much higher as the streets were packed as the gunman rolled through them kate >> miguel, thank you we're learning so much more about those who lost their lives and those who barely escaped. our joe fryer has their story. >> reporter: as bullets flew aimlessly across texas roadways, rodolfo was driving his semitruck home from work. >> now he's gone >> reporter: his wife says her husband of 20 years ago, the father without her dad, like my girls another little girl >> reporter: he was e sevenh l carrier mary granados, who was preparing to celebrate her 30th birthday with he identical twin rosie >> she was very special. going to do without m her because i'm not going to see her anymore. >> reporter: among the

injured, a 17-month-old child, anderson davis she was hit in the chest and face by bullet shrapnel, but is expected to make a full recovery. her family says -- we hurt so badly for those who didn't survive this tragedy we are thankful for our beautiful baby girl and look forward to reuniting her at home with her twin brother soon one of many close calls. >> i don't know how he didn't hit me. >> reporter: shauna says she was at a stlight whene gunman pulled beside her car and fired. >> there were three more shots i -- i'm pretty sure they were for me, but he missed. he missed us entirely. >> reporter: isaac eaton was also caught in the chaos. >> it was like a war zone r.here were cars >> reporter: yesterday his company's tow trucks helped clear cars off the road. today hed those trucks to build a texas-sized tribute along a highway that's now a memorial at last check, a dozen survivor were still in the hospital, including one in critical condition we have also learned the youngest victim to

pass away is 15-year-old laila hernandez. relatives say her older brother was also shot and is still recovering tonight. kate >> so unfair joe fryer, thank you. this was the second mass shooting in texas in just a month. today, coincidentally, new laws went into effect in that state making it easier for people to carry weapons. garrett haake on the controversial new rules. >> reporter: in houses of worship across texas this morning, guns now welcome in the pews, unless the church puts up a notice like this one am i more safe in your church if the person next to me is carrying >> in this church, you probably are. >> reporter: it's a view not shared by everyone. >> we don't believe there's any place for guns in church it's that simple >> reporter: new laws going into effect today will loosen tar state's gun rules and will allow firearms to be stored in vehicles on school property, block landlords from keeping tenants to have guns on their property, and loosen laws for guns in foster homes

>> this is the wrong direction for us to take it's going to be measured in the lives lost, not in the lives saved. >> reporter: texas republican governor pushing back what do you say to people who look at that and wonder if texas is going the wrong direction to stopping more shootings? >> some of these laws were enacted for the purpose of making our community safer. >> reporter: in washington, the deaths of more texans in a mass shooting seem t do little to shape the debate. >> we're looking at a lot of different things, bills, ideas, concepts it's been going on for a long while. background checks. >> reporter: the state with the most register making them more accessible amid a debate about how best to stop more violence. garrett haake, nbc news, odessa, texas. overseas news now. some of the most chaotic demonstrations yet in hong kong pro-democracy groups blocked access to the international airport today, leaving traveler stranded at the terminals. that follows

saturday's violent clashes with police, which included throwing explosives and setting barricades on fire. pope francis was late to sunday prayers in st. peter's square today. he's known for being prompt, so the crowd was naturally concerned. when he finally showed up, the 82-year-old pontiff told them he got stuck in an elevator for nearly half an hour he apologized for the delay, then thanked god for the firefighters who helped him get out. still ahead tonight, comedian kevin hart hospitalized overnight after his car veered off an l.a. road. we'll have those details. plus, close calls. a warning for any parent putting their kids on a school bus

superstar comedian and actor kevin hart has been in a serious car crash. according to the california highway patrol, his vehicle veered off a famous los angeles road overnight. sarah harman has details. >> the car went off right there. it was kevin hart. >> reporter: it happened just after midnight kevin hart in a car with two others. you can see the aftermath from tmz they were driving the extremely windy mulholland drive in los angeles when they veered off the road over an embankment and rolled down a hill this photo from tmz shows just how crushed the car was. hart and the driver, 28-year-ol jared black, were rushed to the hospital the california highway patrol says that both suffered, quote, major back injuries.

hart is one of the biggest comedians in the country, the highest paid stand-up comedian of the past two years. >> you do the same thing every today, yep, yep, yep. >> reporter: and the star of blockbuster "ridealong" and "night school." the car they were driving was a 1970 plymouth barracuda, seen here in a video posted earlier in the day. according to tmz, it was a gift he gave himself for his 40th birthday in july according to the highway patrol, the driver was not under the influence. sarah harman, nbc news up next, keeping kids safe when other drivers ignore those school bus stop signs. plus, tennis lessons. the extraordinary moment when two young girls showed the world how the game should really be played

this week millions of us will be sending our kids back to school, many putting their kids on the school bus while things usually go smoothly, new videos show just how often other drivers ignore those stop signs when a school bus is pulled over to pick up kids, putting children's lives at risk as molly hunter reports, it happened more than 50,000 times in one county alone. bus after her firstch as a cars past the bus >> wait, wait, wait! stop >> reporter: this kind of reckless drivers so prevalent police forces are taking on new methods. montgomery county in maryland have equipped buses to catch these dangerous drivers. these videos show the near misses. and one direct hit as a child is hit by a car and tossed off its hood miraculously she got up and ran off >> it's a

selfish, self-centered attitude is what causes people to commit such acts >> reporter: back in february, an outrageous incident in brooklyn an impatient driver weaving onto the sidewalk, as tiny children get off their bus. the numbers are staggering school bus drivers reported more than 95,000 illegal passings on a single day. that's an estimated 17 million violations across the school year across the country even more states are passing laws to allow police to issue citation based on school bus cameras. many more municipalities are installing them. >> what these cameras are doing is letting people know there's an additional presence out there to let them know they're doing wrong. >> reporter: from montgomery, maryland, after installing those cameras, they've cited more than 54,000 drivers for putting school children at risk molly hunter, nbc news another delay for getting the american airlines boeing 737 max flights back in the skies.

it will mean some 143 flight cancellations per day. the planes have been grounded since march after two fatal crashes killed more than 300 people. boeing is still working on flight control software fixes. the planes will be out of commission through early december. a teenage girl got the surprise of her life yesterday 16-year-old lily jordan got a visit from the jonas brothers she's a huge fan of the group, but she had to miss their hershey, pennsylvania, concert because she's going through cancer treatment. she posted that on social media, and you see what happened. the guys surprised her. you can see it lifted her spirits. a great smile from her. when we come back, a tennis lesson we could all learn from. two powerhouse playe show us the tr >> announcer: "nbc nightly news" is brought to you by symbicort. please visit us at -

finally tonight, the moment so many people are talking about today. tennis pros coco gauff and naomi osaka competed at the u.s. open on saturday, but it's what happened after the game that said a lot about sportsmanship. here's blayne alexander.te in sports, it's a familiar formula, a win and a loss only one gets the glory. but saturday's u.s. open showed us a different way. coco gauff, the 15-year-old fan favorite bested by the best in the world, naomi osaka.the al magic is in what came next. in her moment of victory, naomi chose to share her spotlight. >> i'm going to cry. >> reporter: and with the world watching - >> i guess mary jo is going to interview

both of them >> reporter: two tennis sensations poured out their hearts >> she did amazing, i'm going to learn a lot from this match. she's been so sweet to me thank you for this i don't want people to think i'm trying to take this moment away from her she really deserves it so, thank you. >> reporter: embraced by the one who brought her u.s. open run to an end then naomi's turn, sending her love directly to coco's parents. >> i remember i used to see you guys training in the same place as us. for me, the fact that both of us made it and we're both still working as hard as we can, i think it's incredible. >> reporter: for millions, an incredible moment. from tennis legend billie jean king -- we've witnessed the dawning of a new era in women's tennis. a master class on the court and lesson for life blayne alexander, nbc news. >> that is support that is "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. i'm kate snow. for all of us here at nbc news, have a great night.

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right now at 6:00, planes and police. we continue to track breaking news out of oakland international airport. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening everyone. thank you for joining us. i'm terry mcsweeney. at oakland international airport where a driver trying to escape police made it on the tarmac and he made it in the good.

ally wolf is there live with the details. >> reporter: terry, we're in the area where this happened. we can tell you the gate over my shoulder here that suspect rammed and got through to the tarmac. over to my other side, that's the water.