healing from within l thing. how xentan helhe within. >> building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc7 news. kristen: hello. i'm kristen sze. you are watching "getting answers." every day, we talk with experts about issues important to the bay area and get some answers for you in real time. are you a fan of hbo's "the last of us?" if so you know about the parasitic fungi that turn people into zombies. you can actually buy them in san francisco's chinatown, that is not fiction, and the price will leave you with sticker shock. but first, the atmospheric river slamming the bay area is moving out now, you may even see a

little sunshine where you live, but there are looming threats. the winds are so severe right now. take a look at this dangerous situation in san francisco. we've just learned a shelter-in-place has been ordered because glass is falling off of this building. do you recognize it? that is the bank of america building at 555 california near pine in downtown san francisco. it's a little hard to see due to the visibility being so poor, but glass is falling from that building, we are told. we have a crew on the way. there. we will give you updates as soon as we get there. obviously a dangerous situation underneath and around that building, so do try to avoid that area until we can get more information. now we want to take it to marin county, where a driver under a tree that fell across francis drake boulevard.

this car made it safely through that but the road was closed shortly after. now to monterey county in the south. more than 2000 people are still out of their homes after the levee breach along the howrah river. crews are working 20 47 to reconstruct the levee and -- 24/7 to reconstruct the levee and stop the flooding. now we will take you east to the sierra. high winds and avalanche danger have kept palisades tahoe closed today. you'd think, a great snow day, not the case because of how windy it is. look at that. this is radio from the top of the gondola. there's also -- video from the top of the gondola. there's also a risk of flooding the next 24 hours as well. the wind and rain have certainly caused many power outages in the bay area. the current pg&e outage map, showing how widespread the outages are. yellow, orange, green, those

colors to note the size of the outage, look at how many there are right now. the red ones, those are the ones that we don't see a lot of because those are the most severe areas where more than 5000 customers are impacted. we will talk to pg&e in just a moment. first, neurologist lisa argen is tracking the conditions of the storm and the evening commute. meteorologist: things are going to get better but these winds are still fears. 74 mph wind gusts, sfo, 88 above the hills, just to name a few, the winds have peaked at around noon time. pressure, a littlewhy we are getting the e drop in the very gusty winds. as we look at doppler 7, you can see the scattered showers around mount huz mounta. is the wind that is packg here's a look at the damage.

this is just the damage that's been reported. 97 reports, two injuries. the reports of flooding, 24 reports. non-thunderstorm wind damage, 71 reports of that. wind gusts have been just unbelievable. flooding, mudslides, both lanes are blocked. closer to san francisco, looking at san mateo, 92 is closed. the upper skyline boulevard due to downed trees. also trees down on mission street between south ns and 101. so what is really dangerous out there. the flood warning, for about another hour. in the north bay, we are looking at the possibility of more floodires s angwe fllstreamsor. just want to get you update on what to expect the next couple of hours. my computer crashed, but i'm getting it up right now.

we will see some gusts here and there but really by 4 p.m. 5:00 p.m., winds will dial back and we have a sunnier day for your ones and your thursday -- your wednesday and thursday. looks like we are bringing back more rain for the weekend. winds anywhere from 30-40 mph. in the hills, gusts from 50-60 mph. we have quite a ways to go before we are going to see things improve, at least the next couple of hours, because the ground is so saturated, we are looking at trees down in alameda, livermore. we just got a abt 00ee, looking at mount diablo, 53 mph, 45 mph, the nno motor has been busted on top of mount tam. as we go through the 4:00 p.m. p.m. hour, 20-30 mph winds. colors getting lighter, from orange to yellow. that means things certainly

coming down for the afternoon, just spotty showers. there is a look at a shaky bridge camera. here's a look at the wind gusts, 73 mph inthe hills, mount diablo, 79 mph, sfo, 83 because this was a fast mover, look at the ring totals to nevada, over an inch of rain. because i moved on so quickly, the south bay and the east bay spared the hiring totals. -- the higher totals. the rainfall is quickly out of here. it dissipates. the afternoon commute will be breezy but we willac less than s than 500ths of an inch out there. temperatures are in the 50's to near 60 degrees, certainly mild with the southerly winds. 64 concord. livermore, a couple of inches of snow.

we have been looking at a rain-snow mix in the sierra nevada. the rest of the day today, things quickly clear out for your wednesday, thursday, friday. we have rain returning for the weekend. next week, we could see heavier rain. as for bring totals, not a whole lot out there. here's a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. we are looking at dry skies tomorrow, thursday, friday a chance of showers, level 1 system saturday and sunda, spring arrives on monday, they rain looks to pick up -- the rain looks to pick up early next week. we have a couple of dry days. kristen: lisa, thank you. looking forward to the dry days but we are still in the middle of it right now. power outages are indeed a big problem as lease also alluded to. joining us live is pg&e spokesperson, thank you so much for your time. i know it's really busy for you right now. how many customers are

experiencing outages right now in the bay area? >> we are looking at close to 275,000 customers impacted. the majority of those customers are in the peninsula, the east bay, and primarily in the south bay. but we are seeing at all throughout the service territory and throughout the bay area, the nine counties. are meteorology team has been tracking this well in advance -- our meteorology team has been tracking this will in advance. we were able to make sure that we brought crews in from other areas that would be lesser hit. they have come to the bay area to provide support. we are just working around the clock to make sure that our customers are safely restored. but our first priority right now really is making sure that our communities are safe. so we are going out to areas that may have downed power lines due to vegetation, trees coming down into poles, and making

sure that areas are safe for the communities. kristen: let's pull that map back up. i want to focus on the areas i see a lot of outages, in the office park area, facebook has got an office there. in san jose, also a lot of companies. can you talk about what kind of companies and businesses, or residential are being impacted and to what extent they are getting their power backup? >> with the outage numbers this high, it is true that businesses will be impacted. they are impacted at this time. i can't get into specifics. but we are aware of that. we are working on those critical customers, those are our priorities, when we can, we make those the first places to repair. and get restoration taken care of. certainly this is an impact to everything from the large companies to mom-and-pop businesses.

and we understand how difficult this is for our customers. we want them to know that we are out in the fields, we are working to get power restored. as we were hearing, these gusts are just tremendous. kristen: lot during the ason, much more so than usual. ac ble 4-8 hours, trie tso getoe 12 maximum if possible, given the magnitude of this and the numbers, 275,000 ish or so, is that more than you expected? is it going to take longer this time to get everybody back up? >> this is certainly a very impactful storm. the wind is really what makes the biggest impact for us. so with these kinds of winds, that's why we are seeing such high numbers. we were anticipating there was going to be a very strong impact to the bay area. that is why we brought crews from elsewhere to this area to

make sure we are able to respond. certainly there will be customers who may be out longer than what we would typically like to see. there could be access issues. things like vegetation that's come down, and other issues that can cause those delays. and just a mass number of customers who have been impacted by this very windy weather event. kristen: can you offer safety tips for people both in terms of what to avoid out there with regard to power lines and downed trees, but also how to take care of themselves and stay safe should they be in an outage? >> yes, we want to make sure first and foremost that you are listening to your local advisories. if you hear about landslides, down to vegetation or flooding, please avoid those areas. if you see low or downed power lines, assume they are live. call pg&e immediately. if you are going to be using a

generator, make sure you are using it properly. it should be installed by a licensed electrician, and you want to make sure that there's plenty of ventilation. for folks whom may still have their power right now, this is the time to make sure that you are charging your electronics in casey to experience an outage. electric vehicles, yo your tablet, make sure you have flashlights standing by instead of candles for safety reasons. we just want to make sure that people are checking in on each other. if you know of a neighbor or an elderly friend who may live alone, go ahead and give them a call and see how they are doing. we know this is really impactful to the entire bay area. kristen: thank you so much for your insight and advice and information. coming up -- our storm watch coverage continues. next we will talk with a chp officer about safety tips for navigating the wet roads and

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thisten: even as today's storm wet roads and windy conditions, that means you need to take it slow. joining us with safety tips and the latest on road conditions is chp officer andrew barclay. thanks for joining us. i know most of the rain is out of here but we certainly have showers and we have downed trees and high winds. where are the trouble spots right now as we head into the iternoon and evening comme? >> think one of the biggest things we are dealing with right now is actually on the richmond bridge, very high winds blew over to vehicles, one of which

was a big rig. crews are on the scene on the eastbound lanes and actually trying to right the truck right now, but winds are still so high, they can't even get it back on its wheels. definitely something we are still dealing with. really all around the bay area right now, we are seeing these downed power lines and everything else coming with the wind really more than the rain today. kristen: i heard on was also a tree that came down that blocked all four lanes, then this, he jackknifed, a big rig on 680 in pleasanton today -- a jackknife, a big rig 680 in pleasanton today. it is difficult to drive a high-profile vehicle. give us some useful advice. >> when talking about big rigs, very high-profile vehicles, we actually issued a high wind advisory for all high-profile vehicles right now especially of the are unloaded,

they are acting like a sail, they just pick up the wind and go over. we are seeing is and larger trucks where the high gusts of winds are able to move them a little bit. it is even more important to make sure you are paying attention as you are driving through the storms. you are limiting your distractions and you are focusing on the drive. kristen: let's take some live looks at some of the key freeways in the area right now, so far they look kind of ok in key bottlenecks, these areas. it doesn't look like there's rain actively coming down. can people assume that they won't hit puddles at this time or hit flooding now? >> definitely not. as i was driving in i will start at the amount of standing water i was coming across, even in times that there wasn't active rain. the reason is, there's just been so much water that has fallen in the bay area. there is nowhere for it to go. it is taking much longer for

that water to drain away from our roads. and that is giving us more standing water, more pooling water throughout these few days. kristen: got it. are you still there? >> yup. kristen: that's . we are looking at the south bay right now, we can see foreboding clouds. roads looked dry for the mom i know when i was driving in today, i almost thought this irrational fear that a freeway sun was going to tear off and hit my windshield, or a tree branch was going to come downr -- or a tree branch was going to come down. i don't know what to say. i don't know if that's irrational, but how do we keep her eyes open and our super alert when there are things that could happen? >> that's definitely not a rational. when uc tree limbs sideways and power lines that normally hang

down going full left, it's definitely something you look at that and go, "i really hope that doesn't come down on me." the best thing to do is to stay vigilant and watch the roads. limit those distractions. put on the phone. pay attention to the drive -- put down the phone. pay attention to the drive. kristen: if you don't have to drive right now, what would you advise people time to get back on the road? >> we may see the south bay may be not raining, but the north bay could be. my advice is wherever you are, look at your current conditions and look at those forecasts for your area but also where you are going to be driving, too. make the decision that is best for you. don't put yourself -- if you are not comfodriving,aitt waited out, if you can --

wait it out, if you can. kristen: thank you so much for your time and information, officer barclay. coming up -- a rare fungus made popular by a tv show is now for sale in the bay area. what is, what it will cost you, and if you really want to buy it. how does it taste? our here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. the three what? the three ps? what are the three ps? the three ps of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54 and was a smoker, but quit. what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65, retired, and take medications.

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and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information. kristen: fans of the popular hbo show "the last of us" the last of us have heard of -- "the last of us" have heard about cordyceps. are they real and can you find them in the bay area? san francisco standard -- the san francisco standard has published an article that answers all your questions about this fungus in the spotlight thanks to the series. joining us now is a reporter who wrote the article, han lee. good to see you. this is such a fun one. it seems like everyone is watching hbo's "the last of us,"

where cordyceps turn humans into zombies. the zombies part is fiction, but cordyceps are very much real, right? >> yes, cordyceps are real, but don't worry, cordyceps would not turn humans into zombies. so don't worry about that. the crazy part is actually cordyceps what turns mother insects like ants into zombies, controlling their minds and controlling their behaviors, spreading their spores. this is part of the nature. it has been happening for thousands of years. in chinese, cordyceps is commonly used chinese medicine. i'm sure you've heard of this before. kristen: i have, though don't ask me to repeat it. exactly what is it? where is it wrong? -- where is it grown? is it naturally found? tell us about it. >> there are different types of cordyceps.

when we talk about the chinese medicine version, it is normally cordyceps grown in high-altitude areas like tibet. there are cordyceps in areas and you can find them more easily. those prices are more affordable. kristen: speaking of prices, that means you can buy them -- you looked at where folks can get their hands on cordyceps in the bay area, and it turns out like so many things, han, you can find them in san francisco chinatown. right? >> yes, in chinatown, there is a store which literally means cordyceps city. they are specialized in selling different versions of cordyceps. mostly it is for chinese medicine, which means they are from tibet, and they are really expensive. the nicer version of it, they can cost about $30,000 per pound, which is super expensive.

but there are different types of cordyceps. there are more affordable ones found in tropical areas, or the mushroom stores in more affordable prices. kristen: what do they do? what are the health benefits? >> such expensive things -- expansive things. i interviewed a health medicine expert in chinatown. his name is kenny lao, mr. lao was telling me it is normally good for the lungs and kidneys, so if we are coughing, maybe we can cook the cordyceps into soup. it can improve our lungs and improve the cough. people might brew it into tea smash it into powder. you know chinese medicine. and generally improves -- it generally improves your health in the long term. kristen: i would think during covid it became really cordyceps

-- it became really popular. also with the show. have sales gone up since the show came out? >> i think there are a lot of people talking about this, but it did not really increase the sale because the price is so expensive. kristen: but you don't need to get a lot of it, right? he probably just need a little bit to brew it entity or in a soup or something like that. >> normally in chinese cooking, people just put a little in the soup and boil it for maybe several hours. you don't need to put a lot in one serving of the soup. just may be a little. also the cordyceps r drive. so it's very lightweight. -- also the cordyceps are lightweight. kristen: have you tasted it? >> i grew up in china, so it's very common in chinese

culture, cooking soup using these cordyceps. you can also eat it. when i was a good, it was more affordable. but now people see the value and that is becoming this expensive. kristen: does it take like ginseng? >> a little bit. it no longer has a taste if you cook it for hours in a soup. kristen: of course. that makes sense. thank you so much. that was very fascinating stuff. i don't think you watch the show. now i want to check it out. you should, too. now we have to see what they do supposedly with cordyceps in the show. [laughter] i appreciate it. folks should check out han's article at the san francisco standard

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kristen: thank you for joining us for "getting answers." we will be here every weekday at 3:00 p.m. answering your questions from around the bay area. tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. the dangerous encounter. a russian fighter jet colliding with an unmanned u.s. drone. it happened over the black sea. two russian fighter planes intercepting the drone in international air space southwest of crimea. the u.s. says one of those jets hitting the drone's propeller, forcing it down. what the white house is saying tonight. what russia is now saying. and martha raddatz with late reporting. two major systems hitting both coasts tonight. in the northeast, this nor'easter in some places, more than 30 inches of snow. wind gusts hitting 60 miles an hour. a passenger plane off the taxiway in syracuse. and now in the west, the second

atmospheric river targeting california. heavy rain tonight and a rare flash flood alert in