appreciated your time. probably some sharks in that tonight, the race against time. hurricane dorian now gaining strength. the track showing it could slam into the east coast as a major category 4 storm. a state of emergency across florida. residents lining up for gas, supplies and sandbags. when will it hit and where? we just got the latest update. rob marciano standing by. also new tonight, the doj saying former fbi director james comey violated fbi policies in his handling of memos about president trump. the justice department declined to prosecute. why comey says he's the one who is owed an apology. the growing alarm about vaping, as one american city urges everyone to stop immediately. the sharp rise in the number of severe lung injuries. what do we really know about the safety of these products? the school bus scare. a child nearly struck when a driver blows past the bus with

its stop sign extended. >> stop! >> the warning from that mother to other parents. escaping the volcano. a massive eruption throwing lava, rock and ash into the sky. then raining down as nearby tourists flee. out of control. the hot air balloon bouncing off the ground. the pilot and a passenger thrown from the basket. and america strong. alex trebek is back for a new season of "jeopardy!" amid questions about his cancer fight. tonight, his message to fans. and good evening. it's great to have you with us on a busy thursday night. i'm tom llamas, in for david. and as we come on tonight, all eyes are on dorian. it could now be a category 4 storm when it slams ashore. here's the latest storm track, with landfall shifting slightly to the south. you can see that right here. but all of florida is now in a state of emergency, and parts of georgia, as well. dorian already hammering the u.s. virgin islands on st.

thomas. roofs blown off and an island-wide blackout left behind. more than 17 million people on the u.s. mainland now bracing for impact. long lines at gas stations, some already drained dry. a run on lumber to protect windows from the fierce wind. and the race to meet the need for bottled water. people being warned to stock up with several days supply. tonight, dorian is shaping up to be one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the florida coast in years. abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano starts us off, tracking it all from florida. rob, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, tom. hurricane dorian now about 800 miles from here, over the open waters of the atlantic ocean with a lot of warm water and time to get better organized, and it's doing just that. here's the satellite picture, you can see it, 85-mile-per-hour winds. it has tropical storm force winds that range about 120 miles across. but it's heading into an area that has low wind shear and warm waters. that combination is going to allow it to strengthen, potentially rapidly. that high pressure is going to scoot it off to the west toward

the u.s. so, here's the forecast track and timing. it has slowed a little bit, so, that by sunday afternoon, maybe early monday, it's just off the coastline as a category 4 storm with 130-mile-an-hour winds. likely making landfall monday or tuesday. but a lot of uncertainty here. the two most reliable computer models, the european model and the american gfs are completely different. the gfs comes here and then goes north. the european goes towards miami and scoots up the coastline. so, we'll hope to get better grasp on this tomorrow, they're going to launch extra weather balloons tonight, more recon aircraft, so, the confidence in the forecast should increase tomorrow. but one thing is for sure, a high impact storm is likely to come to florida. so, residents here need to be prepared over this weekend. tom? >> rob marciano and his team tracking it all. rob, thank you. as we said, florida is in a state of emergency tonight, as hurricane dorian barrels towards the mainland. people are already waiting in long lines for gas and water and other supplies. abc's gio benitez is in miami tonight with the rush to get ready. >> reporter: tonight, worried residents are lining up across

the entire state of florida, snapping up supplies. outside this lowe's near orlando before dawn, racing to get generators. and long waits for fuel at this tampa-area costco. this is what we're seeing all across south florida. people preparing for this storm. loading up that plywood to board up their homes. at this miami home depot, we met jose noriega, buying 26 sandbags. >> obviously planning for the worst possible, but hoping for the best. >> reporter: dorian tore through the u.s. and british virgin islands wednesday, winds gusting above 110 miles per hour. ripping this roof to pieces. and tonight, it's getting stronger by the minute. florida's governor today telling residents the time to prepare is now. >> you should have seven days of food and medicine and water. >> reporter: with more than 17 million people, nearly the entire state of florida in the cone of uncertainty. mass evacuations are likely. >> it's mind-boggling, because nobody knows exactly where this storm's going.

>> reporter: hurricane hunters flying inside dorian trying to track the storm's every movement. at the kennedy space center, nasa using this crawler to move a 400-foot tall mobile launcher out of harm's way. florida power and light bracing for outages. some 15,000 transformers onhand. 5,000 crew members standing by. >> we are ready, we're prepared and we will address all the outages as they happen. >> reporter: dorian now potentially the strongest hurricane to strike florida's east coast since andrew, a category 5, in 1992. the last category 4, irma in 2017, first making landfall in the florida keys, packing winds of 130 miles per hour. >> irma and andrew leaving so much devastation behind. gio joins us live now from a home depot in miami. gio, the storm is still several days away from making landfall, and still questions about where it will hit. but from what you're seeing, some people seem to be taking this very seriously.

>> reporter: oh, they sure are, tom. this is a very busy store right now. and take a look at these shelves behind me. because some of them have just emptied up, because so many people are buying this plywood to board up their homes. the manager here says he hasn't seen it this busy in years. tom? >> the rush is on. all right, gio, thank you. and of course, hurricane dorian is arriving just ahead of labor day, disrupting a busy travel weekend. a record 17.5 million passengers were set to fly over the next few days. with millions more planning to drive. tonight, their plans could be changing. abc's kaylee hartung is at the airport in jacksonville, florida, tonight. kaylee? >> reporter: tom, all the major airlines are issuing travel waivers starting tomorrow for flights into florida's big airports like the one here in jacksonville. but the impacts of dorian as it approaches will be felt far beyond this state. throughout florida, airports are securing equipment. the military safeguarding planes, too. and the coast guard, they're strapping down boats. but the big question for the millions who live here is, what will happen on the states major will happen on the state's major

roads? officials trying to avoid a repeat of some of the traffic nightmares that happened in the leadup to hurricane irma. so, crews are clearing up construction along the roadways in advance of any potential evacuation orders. tom? >> kaylee hartung for us tonight. kaylee, thank you. we turn now to a big story out of washington. the results are in from the investigation of former fbi director james comey by the department of justice inspector general. the finding? that comey violated fbi policies for his handling of some memos. but the doj has declined to prosecute. tonight, the president is calling comey thoroughly disgraced. while comey says he's owed an apology. here's abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas. >> reporter: tonight, in a blistering report, the justice department's inspector general says former fbi director james comey violated fbi policy by disclosing details of a controversial memo to the media, laying out concerns about president trump. >> he asked specifically of loyalty. >> reporter: those misgivings led comey to write a series of secret memos, including one

alleging that president trump wanted him to go easy on former national security adviser michael flynn for lying about contacts with russia. >> i was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting. >> reporter: comey was so worried about the president, he provided the details of one of the memos to the press. >> i asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter. i asked him to, because i thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel. >> reporter: the inspector general bluntly says comey was wrong to secretly keep his memos and to leak, writing, "comey set a dangerous example for the over 35,000 current fbi employees." today, president trump tweeted that comey "should be ashamed of himself" and that the inspector general's report leaves him "disgraced and excoriated." >> he gave it to a friend to leak classified information. he did an illegal act. >> reporter: but the inspector general, while sharply critical of comey, did not find that he gave any classified information to the press and the justice department chose not to

prosecute. >> abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas joins us now from doj headquarters. and pierre, comey responded today in a tweet after the report was released, and he was defiant. >> reporter: tom, he really was defiant, pointing out there was no evidence that he leaked classified information. and that while he did not need a public apology from those claiming he had done so, he said they should think about sending him a message saying, sorry, we lied about it. if he's referring to the president, tom, i don't think that apology is coming. >> pierre thomas for us tonight. pierre, thank you. next, warnings about possible health risks from vaping spreading tonight, as the number of people suffering from lung disease after using e-cigarettes continues to grow. there are special warnings for teens and young adults. abc's clayton sandell reporting tonight from colorado, where teen vaping is soaring. >> reporter: tonight, colorado officials are sounding the alarm about the risks of vaping on developing young lungs. >> nobody's for sure what's in these products or what they're putting into their bodies or how

it might effect their health. >> reporter: the state with the highest rates of teen vaping now reporting two new cases of sudden and severe lung illness. the cdc already investigating about 200 cases of lung illnesses among users of e-cigarettes across at least 22 states, many of them in teens and young adults. the city of milwaukee now urging people there to stop using e-cigarettes altogether. >> i thought vaping was fine, i did all the tricks all the time. >> reporter: 18-year-old maddie nelson says she vaped for three years before winding up in a medically induced coma with a lung illness. >> it's very scary, because the doctors don't know the long-term effects of this. >> reporter: she says she still needs oxygen at night. here in colorado, one lawmaker now vowing to push congress to ban the sale of vaping products to anyone under 21. >> these products are just simply not safe for anybody under 21, and we have real health concerns about their safety for anybody, at this point. >> reporter: experts say it's

important to note that while these cases are associated with vaping, the exact cause is not proven. possible culprits include the vaping process itself, the substance inhaled, such as thc oil, that, of course, is the main chemical in marijuana, or some combination. tom? >> clayton sandell for us tonight. clayton, thank you. now, to the race for 2020. front-runner democrat joe biden under scrutiny tonight for a story he often tells on the campaign trail about pinning a medal on a serviceman in afghanistan. but there are questions tonight about how much of that story biden got right. here's abc's senior national correspondent terry moran. >> reporter: for years, joe biden has been recounting a story of american heroism and heartbreak on the front lines, recently telling a crowd in new hampshire how he traveled to afghanistan to pin a silver star on a young navy captain. >> one of his buddies got shot, fell down a ravine about 60 feet. this guy climbed down a ravine, carried his guy up on his back under fire and the general wanted me to pin the silver star

on him. >> reporter: and then, a moving moment as biden approached with the medal. >> it's the god's truth, my word as a biden. he stood at attention, i went to pin him, said, "sir, i don't want the damn thing. do not pin it on me, sir, please, sir. do not do that. he died. he died." >> reporter: but "the washington post" dug into the story, and determined biden "got the time period, the location, the heroic act, the type of medal, the military branch and the rank of the recipient wrong, as well as his own role in the ceremony." biden seems to have conflated several events. kyle white, the serviceman he describes, an army specialist, not a navy captain, was actually presented with the medal of honor by president obama in washington, d.c. but the vice president did pin a medal on a different man in a different part of afghanistan for a different act of valor, army staff sergeant jeremiah workman, who tried to rescue a fellow soldier from a burning vehicle. workman telling "the post" he did say to biden then, "i don't want it, he died."

and workman adds, biden looked him in the eye and said softly, "i know you don't." >> terry moran joins us now from washington. and terry, joe biden is responding to the story tonight? >> reporter: that's right, tom. he's in south carolina campaigning. he told reporters there that, quote, the central point of the story is, quote, absolutely accurate, that a young soldier did absolutely try to refuse a medal biden was pinning on him. biden trying to make the argument there that's what counts, the heroism and heartbreak, not so much the details. tom? >> terry moran for us tonight. terry, thank you. and another major update in the race for president. tonight, joe biden and nine other democrats have qualified to take part in the third presidential debate. abc news is hosting and it will be the first debate with all the leading candidates together on one night. the vice president will be at center stage, you see it right there, flanked by senators elizabeth warren and bernie sanders. senators kamala harris, cory booker and amy klobuchar will be there, along with julian castro, beto o'rourke, mayor pete buttigieg and businessman andrew yang. the debate, two weeks from tonight.

that's thursday, september 12th at 8:00 p.m. eastern, right here on abc. we head overseas now tonight, a powerful volcano erupting in italy, sending residents and tourists racing away. the incredible moment, you see it here, caught on video. that's lava and smoke rushing down the hillside and into the water, catching boaters by surprise. abc's james longman with the stunning images. >> reporter: face-to-face with nature's fury. the island volcano of stromboli, near sicily, erupting right in front of this tour boat. as it blackens the summer sky, you can hear screams from those onboard. and as the boat speeds away, a plume of hot ash shoots out over the water towards them. other boats nearby also capture the smoke cloud, rising more than a mile into the air, even visible from space. this is the volcano's second recent eruption. in july, hot ash and rocks rained down on tourists and locals, killing one hiker.

the 400 or so people who live on the island are used to their angry neighbor. it's been in a constant state of eruption since the 1930s, but it's rarely as violent as this. and tom, scientists warn that further major eruptions could cause part of the rock face to break off into the sea. and that could trigger a tsunami. tom? >> james longman with that wild video and warning tonight. all right, james, thank you. there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this thursday. the school bus scare as kids return to class. a driver blowing past the bus with its stop signs out. a little girl nearly hit. and tonight, the warning from her mother. plus, the hot air balloon out of control, bouncing off the ground. the pilot and a passenger thrown from the basket. and the close encounter off the east coast with a great white shark that was a little too close for comfort. stay with us. thanks to you, we will. aw, stop. this is why voya helps reach today's goals... ...all while helping you to and through retirement.

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watched a driver break the law and nearly hit her child. here's abc's marcus moore. >> reporter: an excited mother waiting for her daughter after her first day riding the bus to and from school in houston. >> there goes malena! >> reporter: the bus's arm swinging out to signal stop to oncoming traffic before this terrifying moment. come here. no, wait, wait, wait! stop! >> reporter: a car appearing to blow right past the sign, seconds before that little girl tried to cross the road. >> it takes ten seconds to stop so a child can cross the street. >> reporter: harrowing close calls at bus stops across the country. one survey reported six children were killed getting on or off the bus over the course of a school year. this car narrowly missing a 7-year-old as he tried to cross the street to board his bus. and this fourth grader nearly hit when a passing car didn't stop. and tom, the mother in that latest video believes her screams may have saved her daughter, and tonight, she hopes this is a reminder for all drivers to make sure they stop when they see a bus picking up

children. tom? >> hard to watch. all right, marcus, thank you. when we come back, some good news for drivers before that holiday weekend escape. plus, the fiery car rescue. a woman trapped after a crash. the vehicle engulfed in flames. how police officers helped save her life. and "jeopardy!" host alex trebek is back. after revealing his personal cancer battle, tonight, his new message for fans. stay with us. when one student gets left behind, we all get left behind. this is a problem that affects each and every one of us. together with ibm, we created a whole new kind of school called p-tech. within six years, students can graduate with a high school diploma, a college degree, and a pathway to a competitive job. you know what's going up today? my poster. today, there are more than a hundred thousand p-tech students around the world. it's a game changer. p-tech students around the world. you may have gingivitis. when you brush, and the clock could be ticking towards bad breath,

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time now for our index and a fiery car rescue caught on camera near auburn, georgia. police responding to a single vehicle crash. the suv on its side, already engulfed in flames and with the driver trapped inside. the officers kicking out the windshield and pulling her to safety. everyone is going to be okay tonight. and two people injured when a hot air balloon lost control on a landing in austria. take a look at this. eyewitness video showing a gust of wind lifting the balloon back into the air. the pilot and a passenger then crashing out of the basket before the balloon finally came to a rest. a medevac flown in. both suffered minor injuries, but are expected to recover. and good news for drivers getting away this holiday weekend. the national average price at the pump, just $2.55 per gallon heading into the weekend. that's 30 cents cheaper than one year ago and the lowest labor day price since 2016. the cheapest state, louisiana, at just $2.15. not bad. and this is the summer of the shark. a close encounter that was too close for comfort. a pair of fishermen filming as a

great white shark, they say was up to 20 feet long, breached just off the rail of their boat in cape cod bay before circling back to feed on a whale carcass. the video going viral. #gonnaneedabiggerboat. i think that's right. and when we come back, after undergoing chemotherapy, alex trebek is back. and he hasn't lost his sense of humor. we'll show you the message he has tonight for all those "jeopardy!" fans at home. stay with us.

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>> now, just like 50,000 other people in the united states each year, this week, i was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. >> reporter: trebek vowing to fight on and keep hosting, something he's done since 1984. and tonight, showing fans he's back for another season. >> i'd like to welcome you all to the first day of season 36. so put your hands together. >> the host of "jeopardy!", alex trebek! >> i've gone through a lot of chemotherapy. and thankfully, that is now over. i'm on the mend and that's all i can hope for right now. >> reporter: and cancer not stopping trebek's work ethic or his sense of humor. >> who would i want to play me if they ever did a biographical film about me? betty white. >> reporter: and for "jeopardy!" fans, trebek has kept them updated throughout his treatments, including showing them he's keeping up with his hobbies, like working around the

house, tweeting these photos of his remodel job on his wife jean's bathroom. season 36 also starting with a party. trebek recently celebrating a birthday on set the only way he knows how -- with a question. who is 79? ♪ happy birthday to you >> we have some exciting things coming up and i can't wait to share them with all of you. let me tell you, it's going to be a good year. >> and we can't wait. thank you so much for watching. i'm tom llamas. have a great evening. good night. good night. too tight for a fire trucks.

firefighters say that's the case on some streets. homeowners are being forced to find a new parking spot. they say it's not worth it. >> a criminal charge for disrupting a meeting on homelessness and police station in another city. what witnesses are now telling our i-team about the outburst. >> plus a beloved south bakery is shutting its doors. lack of customers isn't the problem, but lack of bakers. >> announcer: now news to build a better bay area, from abc7. >> this narrow street in the east bay hills is a problem. the solution, fire officials say, is to keep people from parking here so those big fire trucks can get through on a narrow street. seems simple, but building a better bay area that's safer in fire season can get complicated. >> definitely complicated. now let's give you another look at that street up close. we take you for you can see its hair pin turns and steep ridges. this is on heather ridge way in the montclair district in the oakland hills. many of our hilly bay area

communities have these narrow winding streets and you see the no parking signs, right, on summit drive in corte madera. abc7 news reporter laura anthony is live and they think the no parking solution in corte madera will work for them. >> reporter: hi, the no parking on heather ridge way hasn't gone into effect now, but residents have been noticed it will sometime soon. this is all part of a fire safety program launched a couple of years ago. oakland is earmarked more than two dozen roads like this one for parking restrictions. the department says this road from pine haven to thorn hill is simply too narrow for any street parking, but some residents say a complete ban is a total over reaction. like many streets in oakland, heather ridge way can be a tight squeeze for a car, much less a fire engine.