After a swarm of small quakes recently hit the Salton Sea area, seismologists warned last week that a magnitude seven earthquake could hit by Tuesday.

San Diego State University geology professor Pat Abbott says the prediction is based on statistics, looking at patterns from past records of earthquakes, but in this case, he believes the increased probability was not significant enough to put out an advisory.

“Every Californian knows when you wake up every day there may be a big earthquake,” he says.

The big question is when.

Scientists don't really know, but after more than 150 small earthquakes near the Salton Sea earlier this week, the California Office of Emergency Management asked for a review from the state Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council.

The group of experts reported concerns that the quakes could trigger a larger earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, showing an increased probability to between .03 percent and 1 percent of the earthquake hitting by this Tuesday.

“First off, this is not based on science,” Abbott tells NBC 7. “Scientifically we have zero ability to predict earthquakes … An advisory or warning to make people get a little more tense or extra prepared? That's what I would call kind of a betrayal of public trust,” he says.

Still, it is a reminder to always be prepared for an earthquake because we really don't know.

“We know what's going to occur, where it's going to occur. We can’t tell you the when, but what’s the thing the public wants the most? The when,” Abbott says.

Measure C, the Chargers ballot initiative for a Downtown San Diego stadium/convention center hybrid, has earned an important endorsement: the San Diego Mayor. 

Mayor Kevin Faulconer's Deputy Chief of Staff Matt Awbry confirmed the mayor has come to support the initiative, which will be on the November ballot. 

Chargers executives told Faulconer they would cover any cost overrides for the construction or land purchases. They also guarunteed to him that the city's general fund money would not be used. 

Executives also told Faulconer, according to his office, that they would give the city revenue generated from non-NFL events. 

Faulconer said in a statement the reason it took so long for him to come out and support the measure was due to his long talks with the Chargers, experts and the community. 

He said he pushed for stronger protections for taxpayers and the tourism economy. 

"Measure C isn’t a perfect plan, but it’s a strengthened plan with these safeguards. If they aren’t followed, I won’t support moving the project forward. And not a dime will be spent unless voters authorize Measure C to begin with," the mayor said on a statement on his Facebook page.

At previous events supporting Measure C, fans criticized the mayor for taking so long to decide whether he supported the plan or not. 

“It is Mayor Faluconer's obligation to make sure the public knows all about this measure,” said Matt Awbrey, the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff. “That's why he's bringing people to the table to scrub this measure. The Mayor is committed to making sure the public has all the facts. There needs to be vetting of the financials behind it. It would lead to the largest bond offering in the city's history. We need to have it reviewed to make San Diego's fiscal health is protected.”

The Chargers made public their 110-page citizens’ initiative in late March. Since then Awbrey says the Mayor’s financial experts have been working to verify the details of the proposal.

Opponents of the plan will have a news conference Monday, unveiling a new independent study that estimates the plan could cost taxpayers $3.4 billion over 30 years. 

Most recently, the San Diego Downtown Partnership endorsed the measure.

Homicide investigators have been called to the scene of a dead body discovered Monday morning behind an Allied Gardens recreation center, San Diego Police (SDPD) confirmed. 

Officers responded to a call of a man down and not breathing at approximately 6:57 a.m. Monday on the 5100 block of Greenbrier Avenue, police said. 

When authorities arrived on scene, they pronounced the man dead. 

Homicide detectives were called to the scene after officers determined the death was suspicious. The circumstances of the death are not clear. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Donald Trump seemed to suggest Monday to a group of retired military supporters that veterans returning from war with post traumatic stress were not strong.

"When people come back from war and combat and they see things that maybe a lot of the folks in this room have seen many times over and you're strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can't handle it," he said.

Trump's statement came during questions about veterans and suicide and the care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Retired American Warriors conference in Herndon, Virginia.

It prompted a quick response on social media and a statement from Jon Soltz, an Iraq War veteran and the chairman of VoteVets.org.

"These comments, as horrible as they are, are not shocking," he said. "We're talking about a person, in Trump, who believes that POWs aren't real heroes, and that he's made sacrifices akin to Gold Star Families who lost their loved ones in war. The constant disrespect Donald Trump shows towards our veterans and service members is sickening, and completely and totally disqualifying."

Also on Monday, Trump repeated his position that veterans also be allowed to seek government-funded private care. He said that the country's military was "depleted" and he vowed to expand it. And he said that under his administration, cybersecurity would be an immediate and top priority, and he criticized his opponent for putting the country in harm's way with her use of a private email server.

Hillary Clinton's only experience in cybersecurity was her "criminal" attempt to keep hidden her emails exchanged while she was secretary of state, Trump said, speaking to a veterans group in Virginia.

Clinton was criticized by the FBI director for her use of a private server but he did not recommend prosecuting her.

Trump warned against attacks by potential hackers from China, Russia and North Korea. 

"Cybersecurity is just one more area where the Obama administration has failed," he said.

Trump called cyber attacks the warfare of the future and said the United States' dominance must be unquestioned. As president he would instruct the Department of Justice to create a joint task force to crush the still developing area of crime, he said.

When he was asked for his plan to defeat ISIS or the Islamic State, he criticized President Obama for refusing to say radical Islamic terrorism and said he would stop ISIS cold, but did not specify how. 

Obama has said the debate over what words are used to describe ISIS and other extremists is a manufactured issue.

Nearly two tons of marijuana hidden in a shipment of cucumbers was seized at the United States-Mexico border on Saturday.

According to the Unites States Customs and Border Protection, a 2009 Kenworth Tractor pulling a trailer with cargo manifested as cucumbers entered the Otay Mesa port of Entry at around 10:30 a.m.

After the vehicle was referred for advanced inspection, agents opened the boxes and found 376 wrapped packages of marijuana hidden beneath the cucumbers.

In total, the packages concealed 3,100 pounds of marijuana, carrying an estimated street value of $1.5 million.

In seperate seizures at California ports of entry over the weekend, more than 500 pounds of marijuana, cocaine methamphetamine and heroine were intercepted, preventing an estimated $2.5 million worth of drugs from reaching the streets of the U.S.

The San Diego Gulls started their 2016-2017 training camp at the Poway Ice Arena on Monday. The Gulls are entering their second season in San Diego as the top minor league affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. Last season, in their inaugural year, the Gulls made it all the way to the Calder Cup playoffs. San Diego finished the season with a record of 43-28-4-2 which included the playoffs.

Fans can attend several training camp on-ice practices at the Poway Ice Arena at no cost.

The remaining open practices will be held on October 4-5 and 7 with the final open practice on Sunday October 9. All practices will run from 10 a.m. to noon.

The team will also host a free intra-squad scrimmage at Valley View Casino Center on Wednesday, October 12 at 7 p.m.

The Gulls will play two preseason games, both against the Ontario Reign. The first is Thursday, October 6 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The final preseason game will be on Monday, October 10 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

The Gulls kick off the regular season with Opening Night on Friday, October 14 against the Tucson Roadrunners at Valley View Casino Center.

Hours before Hurricane Matthew was coming ashore in Haiti on Tuesday, flooding was already reported Monday — a warning sign of what history tells us could be another devastating episode for the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, NBC News reported.

Matthew was a Category 4 hurricane late Monday afternoon, making it the most powerful Atlantic storm since 2007, stronger even than the three hurricanes — Gustav, Hanna and Ike — that killed more than 800 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes in 2008.

"This is likely to be a humanitarian disaster," said Ari Sarsalari, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel. "I think very bad things are coming up here for Haiti over the next 24 to 36 hours."

The City of Santee has been a target of a number of recent car thefts, prompting increased patrols from authorities in the area.

Sara Irwin told NBC 7 that she got quite the surprise the morning of September 28 when she walked out to her parking space.

"I was getting the kids ready for school, I came out to my car and it was gone," Irwin said.

Her Mazda, was stolen in the middle of the night.

"At first I thought maybe it was a joke; but then I looked around a bit and knew it was gone," she said.

Irwin said her car was locked but she had left a key fob, which usually didn’t work, inside the car.

Deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) told NBC 7 cases like this are popping up all over Santee, including the 8200 block of Graves Avenue where four vehicles were reported stolen in the last couple of weeks.

Neighbors who have heard about Irwin's experience say they are now keeping a close eye on their property.

"Now that I've talked to some neighbors about it, yes, there's been a few people saying that their cars have been broken into, things stolen out of it," Irwin said. "My whole car was gone, so I was a little sad."

Deputies in Santee say they are increasing patrols in areas that are seeing an uptick in crime.

So far, no arrests have been made.

As Hurricane Matthew churns across the Caribbean Florida's officials prepare for the possibility that the Category 4 storm may move closer to the Sunshine State.

While visiting the City of Hialeah Emergency Operations Center Monday, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for all counties in Florida.

Scott signed the executive order to ensure counties have resources for evacuations and shelters.

"If Hurricane Matthew directly impacts Florida, there could be massive destruction which we haven't seen since Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami-Dade County in 1992," said Scott.

The governor also said the National Guard is standing by if needed. He added that officials are taking steps to move additional fuel to the state's east coast.

The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph early Tuesday, and forecasters said its slowly advancing center would likely pass near or over Haiti's southwestern tip after dawn. It would continue on for another landfall expected in the lightly populated eastern end of Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. 

The center said that a tropical storm watch or hurricane watch was likely for parts of Florida later Tuesday as the storm moved north.

At least four people have been killed, including two fishermen in Haiti, as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

"The best way to prevent further loss is to get prepared now and take this storm seriously," said Scott.

The National Hurricane Center says the slow moving storm could impact Florida as early as Wednesday.

State law prohibits extreme increases in the price of essential commodities such as food, ice, gas, hotels, lumber and water during a declared state of emergency. 

She encourages anyone who suspects price gouging to contact the Attorney General's office at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM. 

Satisfying the needs of a growing college campus versus satisfying the wishes of students and faculty.

It’s a balancing act, and one that Palomar College is currently balancing.

For the past 16 years, the Cabinet and Furniture Technology program at Palomar College has taken in donated wood at its storage facility. When nearby cities, citizens or businesses cut down a tree or have extra wood, it’s often delivered to the college’s urban lumber sawmill.  However, the sawmill will not be there much longer.

“The program itself is not going away. We’re just moving the facility,” say’s Laura Gropen, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Palomar College.

Palomar College will use the space where the sawmill currently resides to expand the storage area for four career technology programs.

 “Auto Technology, Auto Body, Diesel Technology and the Welding program. It will allow us to increase capacity for those extremely popular programs,” Gropen says. 

The Welding program currently has 336 students, the Auto and Diesel programs  have 669 students, and Cabinet and Furniture Technology program has 666 students.

Jack Stone, a professor in the Cabinet and Furniture Technology, understands the need for campus expansion, but thinks it can be done without removing the urban lumber sawmill. Stone is also concerned about the loss of access to this unique lumber.

“Without the ability to teach hands on how wood is milled, I suppose we could just show them a video, but we’re a hands on organization,” says Stone.

Palomar College administrators maintain the program will still have access to the necessary wood for classes.  However, students like Carl Reed have concerns, especially with regards to the programs environmental aspect.

“That program has kept a lot of wood and lumber out of landfills, which has cut down on greenhouse gases.  Now all that lumber is going to be going to local landfills and contributing to greenhouse gases,” says Reed.

Gropen mantains that the ultimate goal of this expansion, relocation project is to “serve our students better and the community.”

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange continued on Tuesday to promise a "significant" reveal of information somehow related to the U.S. presidential race before the November election but nothing was revealed so far, NBC News reported. 

"We are going to need an army to defend us from the pressure that is already starting to arise," Assange said via video link in an event timed to coincide with the group's 10-year anniversary.

He said WikiLeaks aimed to publish previously unreleased material weekly for the next 10 weeks, but did not say exactly what it would be.

The organization also declined to say whether any upcoming releases would involve the Republicans. In August, Assange also said he was planning to release "significant" information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

U.S. military veterans are rallying outside Trump Tower in New York City after Donald Trump seemed to suggest that veterans returning from war with post traumatic stress disorder are not as strong as others. 

A small group of veterans turned out early Tuesday morning at the Fifth Avenue tower where the Republican presidential candidate has a residence and office. They started by sharing their personal stories of being wounded in combat, suffering from nightmares and losing battle colleagues to suicide.

Stressing the importance of treatment, some held signs that read: #VETS AGAINST TRUMP; one held a banner that read: Sacrifice is NOT weakness.

Trump made the controversial comments about PTSD while speaking to a group of retired military supporters during the Retired American Warriors conference in Herndon, Virginia, on Monday.

"When people come back from war and combat and they see things that maybe a lot of the folks in this room have seen many times over and you're strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can't handle it," he said.

Trump's statement came during questions about veterans and suicide and the care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

It prompted a quick response on social media and a statement from Jon Soltz, an Iraq War veteran and the chairman of VoteVets.org.

"These comments, as horrible as they are, are not shocking," he said. "We're talking about a person, in Trump, who believes that POWs aren't real heroes, and that he's made sacrifices akin to Gold Star Families who lost their loved ones in war. The constant disrespect Donald Trump shows towards our veterans and service members is sickening, and completely and totally disqualifying."

Hillary Clinton's campaign said in a statement: "It’s no surprise that someone who attacked a Gold Star family, who insulted prisoners of war, and who dismissed the impact of IED attacks on soldiers in armored vehicles would diminish the suffering some veterans face after serving our country."

But one of Trump's advisers, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, said Trump's words had been taken out of context. 

"Mr. Trump was highlighting the challenges veterans face when returning home after serving their country," Flynn said. "He has always respected the service and sacrifice of our military men and women—proposing reforms to Veteran Affairs to adequately address the various issues veterans face when they return home."

And the veteran who asked the question, former Marine Staff Sgt. Chad Robichaux, also defended Trump.

"I think it's sickening that anyone would twist Mr. Trump's comments to me in order to pursue a political agenda," said Robichaux, president and founder of Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs. "I took his comments to be thoughtful and understanding of the struggles many veterans have, and I believe he is committed to helping them."

Many likely voters say they don't know enough about both vice presidential candidates to have positive or negative thoughts about them going into Tuesday night's debate, according to a new NBC NewsSurveyMonkey poll.

The poll found that 40 percent of likely voters said they didn't know enough about Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, while 33 percent said they didn't know enough about Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

Of those surveyed, 56 percent of Democrats and those who tend to lean toward Democrats with an impression of Kaine said it is favorable. Sixty-six percent of Republicans and Republican-leaners said they have a favorable impression of Pence.

Both candidates will seek to give themselves a greater presence among voters during tonight's debate.

A Maryland man is in critical condition after suffering a head injury during a fight with two Oakland Raiders fans from the tri-state area during a Baltimore Ravens game.

Susan Bauer told The Baltimore Sun that her 55-year-old brother Joseph Bauer was attending the game with his wife Sunday when he got into an argument with a group of Raiders fans at M&T Bank Stadium.

She says her brother is on life support and doctors have told the family he had a 30 percent chance of survival.

Court records show 28-year-old Scott Smith of Mount Vernon, New York, and 31-year-old Andrew Nappi of Eastchester, New York, have been charged with assault. It is unclear whether either man has an attorney.

The Ravens said in a statement that their sympathies go out to Joseph Bauer and his family.

Hillary Clinton is leading Donald Trump by six percentage points according to the latest NBC NewsSurveyMonkey Poll.

The Democratic candidate leads Trump 46 percent to 40 percent. In a two way general-election match-up, Clinton leads Trump 50 percent to 44 percent; a margin that has remained essentially unchanged in the last week, following the first presidential debate on Sept. 26. 

Among likely women voters, who historically make up a larger share of the electorate, 52 percent say they support Clinton, while 34 percent say they support Trump.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson fell one percentage point since last week while Jill Stein, the Green party candidate, has remained at 3 percent.

The poll was conducted online Sept. 26 through Oct. 2, 2016, among likely voters.

A San Diego Christian College student or employee has been diagnosed with mumps, the second such case reported in San Diego County in the past two weeks.

The person may have exposed others to the highly contagious viral disease on the Santee campus on Sept. 16, 19 or 20, county health officials said.

The person had been fully immunized, did not need to be hospitalized and has recovered.

Health officials said it wasn’t clear how the person was exposed to the virus and there is no apparent connection between the San Diego Christian College case and last week’s case at California State University San Marcos.

In that case, a student may have exposed others at Science Hall, Science Hall 2 and Markstein Hall, from Sept. 6 to Sept. 14.

In August, a mumps case was reported at the Casbah concert hall in Little Italy.

Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease that can be spread by coughing, sneezing or close contact. Side effects include fever, headache, earache, and inflammation of the salivary glands which can cause swelling in the jaw.

For more information on the disease, visit the County HHSA Immunization website here.

A number of businesses in downtown El Cajon reopened on Monday morning, three days after closing over fear of potential protests.

The shops and restaurants were encouraged by a downtown business association to close on Friday afternoon, at about the same time that police and the San Diego County district attorney released video of the shooting of an unarmed man.

The video showed the police shooting of Alfred Olango as he held a vaping device and readied himself in a shooting stance to two approaching officers.

Over the weekend, protests in El Cajon and San Diego were mainly peaceful, though 17 people were arrested in connection to downtown San Diego’s demonstration.

On Monday morning, it appeared to be business as usual on Main Street in El Cajon, as several businesses were opening up. One business was even boarded up, though it wasn’t clear exactly why.

One eatery, the New York Bakery, chose not to close at all, and the owner even said he saw an uptick in business over the weekend.

One El Cajon resident told NBC 7 he was relieved things were getting back to normal.

“I’m just happy that events have passed and they passed peacefully from what I understand,” Bob Hatton said. “And now we can come back to downtown El Cajon.”

The man found shot to death in Otay Mesa early Saturday morning has been identified, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed.

Miguel Angel Villalobos, 38, was found lying in the street on the 900 block of Picador Boulevard just before 4 a.m. He was unconscious when officers arrived and had suffered a gunshot wound to his upper body, police said.

Officers and medics tried to revive him, but Villalobos was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to some residents in the area, they heard gunfire, then saw a car speed off before Villalobos was found in the street.

Police say Villalobos' family lived in Imperial Beach and he had grown up in National City.

A white Nissan or Honda type vehicle has been identified to be of interest in this case. There is no description of a potential supect or suspects yet.

Anyone with information on the shooting can call the SDPD’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

An MTS bus t-boned a car in Bankers Hill area of San Diego on Monday after the driver did not stop at an intersection, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed.

The crash happened at approximately 4:07 p.m. at 5th Avenue and Hawthorn Street.

The driver of the car did not stop at the intersection, which had stop signs, and drove into the path of the bus. 

There were three passengers in the car, including two children. The adult passenger was taken to the hospital due to back pain.

The seven passengers inside the MTS bus were not injured.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday against a proposition that would make recreational marijuana legal in California.

Proposition 64 – the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative – would legalize recreational marijuana and hemp in the state for people over 21 years old. The measure would also allow California to establish sales and cultivation taxes by 15 percent.

On Tuesday, San Diego leaders – including County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore and San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis – held a meeting at the County Administration to voice their concerns against the measure.

The opponents believe Prop 64 will lead to more people driving under the influence of marijuana, which could end in more deaths at the wheel. The group also fears the passing of Prop 64 may lead to more marijuana easily getting into the hands of those under 21 and the emergence of more drug cartel activity.

The opponents site public safety as their main concern against the prop.

The group hoped the Board of Supervisors would pass a recommendation to oppose the prop -- and they did.

Meanwhile, supporters of Prop 64 say the measure would raise $1 billion in annual taxes that can fund drug education and treatment programs aimed at teenagers.

Ultimately, it will be in the hands of California voters to decide if marijuana is legalized.