Kids at King-Chavez Primary Academy got a special treat today.

Chargers rookies Jason Verrett and Chris Watt used their day off from practice to make an appearance at the school, promoting the N-F-L's Play 60 program. The goal of the program is to get kids out and active for 60 minutes a day.

They were greeted by shrieks of joy from the crowd of elementary schoolers, dishing out as many high fives as they could.

The players were planning on getting outside for a Chargers junior training camp, but the heat was too much.

Still, Watt said the kids can focus on more than football.

“You really can play 60 in so many ways,” Watt said. “You don’t have to be playing a sport. You can be walking outside, playing with your friends outside.

He said it can be a challenge because of all the distractions kids face these days.

“I think the biggest thing today is a lot of these kids have TV, so many different video game systems,” he said. “I never had a video game system growing up. So it’s just really important to let them know there are so many ways to be active.”

Varrett said he wanted to impart some wisdom beyond exercise and nutrition to the kids.

“Follow your heart, keep your dreams alive,” he said. “That was something I did when I was younger. I just kept my dream alive, all about football. Making sure I took care of my body. All the right things to keep me going.”

The players also came bearing gifts for the school in the form of a $2,500 check, which will go toward the school’s physical fitness and nutrition programs.

The Chargers are bac k in practice on Wednesday as they prepare for Sunday’s game in Buffalo against the undefeated Bills.

A Rochester-area man has been charged on terror-related counts after the FBI said he allegedly tried to buy guns to support the terror group ISIS and talked about wanting to kill American soldiers in the U.S.

Investigators said Mufid Elfgeeh also allegedly boasted that he wanted to kill Shiite Muslim residents in his city and find others who would travel to join ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria.

Elfgeeh was first arrested in May, and the firearms charges were made public in June. The recruitment charges were contained in a grand jury indictment handed up Tuesday.

The Justice Department said in addition to posting tweets with photographs and captions like "fighting the American invasion," they said he tried to buy two handguns and silencers to carry out an attack. But the FBI had been watching him for months and said it was unlikely that he could have carried out his alleged plans.

Officials said they arrested Elfgeeh after he allegedly began seeking financial help to carry out an attack. In a sting, they said he tried to buy the weapons from undercover agents.

Elfgeeh came on the radar after an informant who was paid $21,000 for information tipped them off. A second undercover agent was paid $4,000 for his assistance as well, officials said.

Federal officials said they have Elfgeeh on tape boasting that he hoped to kill 10 to 15 soldiers or former soldiers before releasing a video claiming responsibility.

In one online posting, Elfgeeh allegedly said,”Every Iraqi Sunni jihadist is defined as a terrorist in international society; what they don’t know is that the State of Iraq and Sham (ISIL) will one day rule the world with the will of Allah.”

“We will remain aggressive in identifying and disrupting those who seek to provide support to ISIL and other terrorist groups that are bent on inflicting harm upon Americans,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.

Elfgeeh, 30, is a naturalized American citizen of Yemeni descent. In addition to allegedly contacting the informants for help buying guns, they say he also sent $600 to a Yemeni man to help him get to Syria to join ISIS fighters there.

Elfgeeh is currently being held behind bars without bail. Phone calls and emails to his attorney, with a Rochester public defender's office, were not returned Tuesday evening. 

Follow Jonathan Dienst on Twitter @jonathan4NY

A Georgetown University student died Tuesday after apparently battling a bout of meningitis, school officials say. 

Andrea Jaime, a sophomore at the School of Nursing and Health Studies, passed away at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. 

Several days ago, Jaime tweeted she had a fever of 105 degrees.

According to a letter shared by university officials, students and teachers at the school do not need to take additional action. Tests are underway to confirm the 19-year-old's cause of death.

"This is difficult news for the many members of the Georgetown community who know Andrea," officials said in a letter sent to students Tuesday. "Georgetown officials have been in touch with Andrea’s family and will continue to provide support and assistance to them. Please join us in remembering Andrea’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this time."

Jaime, who is originally from Bogota, Columbia, graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School in Miami, Florida, according to the school's newspaper.

"I know she was in a sorority, she was a really nice girl. I don't know her personally, but everyone's going to remember her," one student said.

Students gathered with heavy hearts Tuesday night for a prayer service in Jaime's honor.

"It's just sad," another student added. "Being a college student you don't expect someone to pass away like that. It's surreal."

If you are a student at Georgetown and concerned about your health, you're asked to call the student health center at 202-687-2200 or 202-44-7243.

A surprise storm wreaked havoc on central San Diego, its coastline and downtown on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a Sig alert, leading thousands to lose power and causing extensive damage.

More than 6,000 customers were without power Tuesday afternoon, and State Route 163 was shut down in both directions after a Sig alert was issued just after 6 p.m.

All northbound and southbound lanes of 163 south of Interstate 8 were closed due to downed eucalyptus trees. The Robinson Avenue and Washington Street exits off SR-163 were also shut down, but crews were able to clear them around 9 p.m.

As of 9:30 p.m., three SR-163 lanes remained closed because trees along the side appeared ready to fall over at any moment. California Highway Patrol and CalTrans officials wanted to investigate the vegetation to make sure it is safe before reopening the freeway.

Meanwhile, San Diego Gas & Electric was reporting on its website that 4,683 customers were in the dark in Mission Valley, Kearny Mesa and Tierrasanta. Another 2,552 lost power in the areas of North Park, Hillcrest, Normal Heights, Mission Hills, Old Town and University Heights.

The lights went out for several hundred others in Escondido, Pala, Santee, Carlton Hills, Fallbrook, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley, Casa De Oro, Mount Helix and La Mesa.

In the North Park area, crews had most electricity restored by 8:30 Tuesday night, according to SDG&E’s website.

In Mission Valley, only 141 people were still without power by 9:30 p.m.

As for the other areas, power was estimated to be back up between 9 p.m. Tuesday to Wednesday at 2 a.m.

The storm caused extensive damage throughout San Diego, as numerous downed trees were reported as well as lightning strikes. In the Pacific Beach area, many spectators on social media captured a palm tree on fire following one lightning strike.

Photographer Kit Corry tweeted these photos:

Lighting strikes a palm tree on Missouri Street in PB and starts a fire. @nbcsandiego pic.twitter.com/7BWus1DJrJ

— Kit Corry (@kitcorry) September 17, 2014

Residents of Missouri Street in PB try to put out the tree fire created by a lightning strike. @nbcsandiego pic.twitter.com/INtibPxcbF

— Kit Corry (@kitcorry) September 17, 2014

At Montgomery Field, winds caught up small planes and flipped them over onto the runway. One even went flying unintentionally over a fence and onto two cars.

A downed tree in Serra Mesa sent hundreds of pounds of branches crashing into another two vehicles.

Viewer sent in pictures of uprooted trees, cable lines knocked down and blocked roads across the county.

Inside a bar called Live Wire on El Cajon Boulevard, winds sent a tree shooting through their roof. One branch broke through the main room and decimated a trophy case inside.

Another long branch poked straight down from the roof into the bathroom, just inches from the toilet. Thankfully, no one was there at the time.

San Diego's storm is unrelated to the microburst that hit East County earlier in the afternoon, bringing high winds and heavy rains, said NBC 7's Dagmar Midcap. It was a pop-up thunderstorm brought on by an unstable atmosphere, she said.

A shotgun, dozens of rounds of ammunition and thousands of dollars in cash were found inside the home where a teacher was murdered, officers testified in court Tuesday.

They also showed graphic photos of how the body of Jason Harper was found.

Harper’s dead body was discovered under a pile of blankets and junk inside his Carlsbad home on Aug. 7, 2012.

His wife Julie Harper is on trial for his murder. Prosecutors say Julie shot her husband while their children watched cartoons downstairs. Her lawyer says the shooting was in self-defense.

Jurors listened as Carlsbad Police Officer Faye Escomiendo shared evidence found at the crime scene, including the blood-stained shirt she collected off Harper’s body. Escomiendo also found bottles of prescription drugs, including hydrocodone and Oxycotin, registered in Julie's name.

Prosecutors say Julie filed for divorce the week before Jason was killed, claiming he physically and verbally abused her. They say Julie also forged her husband's signature and pulled thousands of dollars from his account.

The victim's younger brother testified about what he calls “the worst day of my life.”

“He had found like a deceased male who matched Jason's description, and then I broke down for about 10 minutes,” Brian Harper said.

Brian also said he feared for his life until Julie was taken into custody.

“I barricaded the front door with the metal chair from the dining room, got the knife from the kitchen, brought it to the kids' room, and then I stayed awake until the morning," he said.

The Harpers' two children are expected to take the witness stand Wednesday.

The woman who was caught on camera stealing an angel statue from a Middletown, Connecticut, grave site over the weekend has turned herself in, police say.

The woman's friends saw her photo in a news report and urged her to confess, according to police. She showed up at police headquarters Tuesday evening and turned over the statue, which depicts an angel holding a puppy.

According to Middletown police Capt. Gary Wallace, the woman was driving through Calvary Cemetery on Bow Lane thinking about her own ailing loved ones on Saturday when she spotted the grave site and pulled over.

"She had an ill friend and another family member that wasn't doing well, and then decided when she saw the statue... that it just reminded her of her ill family," said Wallace. "And when she saw the statue, she just decided to take it."

The statue is now at the police department and will soon be returned to its rightful place alongside the headstone of 19-year-old Brandon Reeve, a Middletown High School graduate who died in a motorcycle crash in 2004.

According to police, the family set up a hidden camera after Reeve's headstone was defaced a couple years ago.

"It was vandalized once before," said James Reeve, Brandon Reeve's father. "The stone was tipped over once. Things were stolen. Somebody had the nerve one time to take one of the bigger statues and then the following week take the second one."

James Reeve said the camera has been in place for more than two years – and on Saturday, it finally came in handy.

"We're just keeping his name and memory alive," James Reeve explained. "I don't know why anyone would want to do this to us."

Video footage shows a woman, who has shoulder-length blonde hair with bangs, driving up the grave site in a white SUV, stopping to pick up the statue and driving off with it, police said.

Although the statue is valued at $100, police said “the sentimental value is priceless.”

James Reeve said this angel watched over his son's grave for nearly 10 years.

Now the family is struggling to make sense of the crime.

"It's sacrilegious to do that to gravestones," James Reeve said. "I don't get it. I really don't understand it. If you've got a problem with me, come see me."

Police said the woman, who has not been charged, is apologetic. Wallace said she didn't realize a camera was rolling.

"She was very surprised, from what I understand, when they talked to her, but she was very remorseful," he said. "She wants the family to know it was a huge mistake and she just wasn't thinking."

Brandon Reeve graduated from Middletown High School in 2002. A scholarship fund has been set up in his honor and golf tournaments are held every summer in his memory.

The Baltimore Orioles won their first AL East crown since 1997, using home runs by Steve Pearce and Jimmy Paredes to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 Tuesday night before a boisterous crowd of 35,297 at Camden Yards.

With their ninth win in 10 games, the Orioles clinched their second playoff appearance in three years following a run of 14 consecutive losing seasons.

Afterward, the Orioles converged behind second base, fireworks soared in the outfield and streamers sprayed throughout the crowd.

It was Baltimore's ninth AL East title and only its second since 1983, when the Orioles last won the World Series.

The franchise has enjoyed a rebirth under the guidance of manager Buck Showalter, whose 1,254th victory thrust him past mentor Billy Martin into sole possession of 36th place on the career list.

Baltimore is 42-23 in a division that includes the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox, the free-spending New York Yankees and pitching-rich Tampa Bay. The Orioles led by only four games on Aug. 6 before going on a 27-11 run.

The clinching victory featured an unlikely list of contributors, not at all unusual for a team that often delved deep into its 25-man roster. Ubaldo Jimenez was making his first start in a month; Pearce has morphed from a bit-player to a key starter; and Paredes didn't join the team until Aug. 28.

Pearce provided the Orioles with the lead for good with a three-run drive off Drew Hutchison (10-12) in the first inning. Pearce has 18 home runs this year, one more than he had in 290 games as a part-timer from 2007-13.

Paredes hit a solo shot in the second to make it 4-2. It was his second homer in 10 games with Baltimore.

In addition, newcomer Alejandro De Aza hit a three-run triple in the seventh for a 7-2 lead. De Aza came to the Orioles in an Aug. 30 trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Jimenez (5-9) survived a rocky start to limit the Blue Jays to two runs and two hits over five innings in his third start since July 5. After signing a $50 million, four-year deal in the offseason, Jimenez struggled with his control for much of the season, sprained his ankle in a parking lot before the All-Star break and ultimately lost his place in the rotation.

Pressed into service because the Orioles played a doubleheader Friday, Jimenez issued four walks in the first two innings. But he bounced back to retire his last 10 batters.

Orioles fans have until Friday to register for a ticket lottery online. Winners will be notifed next Wednesday.

Detectives have been searching a Virginia property for the past week in connection with the infamous disappearance of two young Maryland sisters decades ago.

The Lyon sisters -- Sheila, 12, and Katherine, 10 -- vanished March 25, 1975, from a Wheaton shopping center.

Montgomery County, Maryland, authorities have been searching a property located in Bedford County, Virginia, between Lynchburg and Roanoke since last week. It was once owned by the family of Lloyd Lee Welch, Jr., who is also known as Michael Welch.

In February, Welch, 57, was named a person of interest in the Lyon sisters' disappearance.

Detectives have not found any remains, sources said.

The Bedford County Sheriff's Office confirmed that officers were assisting Montgomery County Police "with a homicide investigation."

The Bedford Sheriff's office also said cold case investigators had traveled to the area last week to meet with Bedford County authorities and Virginia State Police.

"Due to the sensitive nature of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time," a statement from the sheriff's office said.

The Lyon sisters' case is etched into the memories of several generations of Washington-area families. It shattered a sense of safety in the D.C. suburbs and made parents afraid to let their children out of their sight.

• Lyon Sisters' Disappearance Rocked Maryland Neighborhoods

On March 25, 1975, the Lyon sisters had a planned a day at a local shopping center. They were on spreak break, and wanted to get some pizza for lunch and see the Easter decorations at Wheaton Plaza, now known as Westfield Wheaton mall.

With less than $4, they left their home in Kensington, Maryland and walked the half-mile or so to Wheaton Plaza.

There, a friend saw the girls outside the Orange Bowl restaurant with an older man who had a tape recorder and a briefcase, according to news and missing persons reports.

The girls were later spotted walking home, but by their 4 p.m. curfew, they hadn't arrived. By 7 p.m. that night, police had been called.

Later, a composite sketch was distributed of the man who seen talking to them. Tips flowed in, but to no avail.

Sheila and Katherine were never seen again.

• Break in Decades-Old Disappearance of Lyon Sisters: PD

In February, police identified a person of interest in connection with their disappearance. Lloyd Lee Welch Jr., aka Michael Welch, is a convicted sex offender who has been in prison in Delaware since 1997 on a rape conviction. Welch was noticed paying attention to the sisters the afternoon they vanished, investigators said.

"Even though so much time has passed, we have not forgotten that those young girls deserve justice, and their family deserves closure," said Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger in February.

Welch is originally from the D.C. area. Between the 1970s and the mid-1990s, he traveled extensively through the United States while working for a carnival company with his girlfriend Helen Craver, police said.

Welch was charged with raping juveniles in Virginia and South Carolina. He was also arrested in a burglary not far from Wheaton Plaza. He was known to hitchhike throughout the D.C. area.

Many people who grew up in the area remember the disappearance of the sisters, and how deeply it shook their sense of safety.

"It was just stunning. It could have been anybody's kids," said Charleen Merkel earlier this year while shopping at Westfield Wheaton.

"It brings back a lot of memories of being scared growing up," said another shopper, who did not give her name.

In an era when children frequently walked to school and elsewhere alone, parents started keeping their children inside.

"The Community Just Held Its Breath"

In 2005, 30 years after the girls' disappearance, police spoke about the frustration of never being able to solve a case that struck such an emotional chord for the community and for themselves.

The Lyons' older brother, Jay, became a police officer.

"It's a hit-home case," Philip C. Raum, a longtime law enforcement officer in Montgomery County who headed the police's Major Crimes Unit for four years, told Montgomery County's Gazette newspaper in an article on the 30th anniversary of the disappearance.

The girls' father, John Lyon was a popular radio personality on WMAL in Bethesda and performer. 

Radio personality Chris Core had just started working with him at WMAL when the girls disappeared.

"It's in that group of moments where the community just held its breath," Core told the Gazette in 2005.

"Partly because John was a well-known celebrity and partly because here are two innocent little girls going to the mall and disappear off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again."

Baltimore author Laura Lippman wrote a 2007 novel, "What the Dead Know," after being inspired by the Lyon case.

"The story... happened when I was a teenager, not much older than the girls who disappeared (the Lyon sisters) and living in a similarly 'safe' suburb," Lippman wrote in a chat on GoodReads.com. "It resonated very deeply with me."

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

To be on alert in San Diego, maybe you shouldn’t look up – but instead look down.

At least 39,000 tripping hazards and more than 14,000 insufficient curb ramps were identified by a group of interns who inspected 3,000 miles of the city’s sidewalks.

The engineering students from local universities, hired in February to conduct the study, are just over halfway done inspecting San Diego’s 5,000 miles of sidewalks.

The review will be taken into account as part of the estimated $2 billion infrastructure problems the city hopes to fix sometime in the near future.

City Councilman Mark Kersey, who spearheaded the project, said he’s not surprised by the results.

“We know there would be a lot of problems because we got a lot of complaints,” he said. “This really helps us in terms of actual data, so we know where the problem sidewalks are and we can make this part of our long-term infrastructure plan.”

Kersey did point out that the interns started inspecting the worst and oldest parts of the city first. Still, some of the sidewalks haven’t been renovated since they were put in 75 years ago.

Once all the data is collected, city officials will get to work to fix the sidewalk issues, he said.

“If we want people to walk around and enjoy the sunshine … We need to have sidewalks that are in good shape and that’s what this is all about,” Kersey said.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Police arrested a thief in the Times Square subway station Tuesday after they watched him pickpocketing a sleeping woman on live video, the NYPD said.

The thief apparently saw the woman sleeping on a bench on the subway platform just after 12:30 a.m.  and went to sit behind her, according to police.

Video shows a man slowly and deliberately reaching into the woman's pocket and pulling out a cellphone.

An officer monitoring the department's closed-circuit camera system at the subway station saw the theft in progress and alerted a patrol officer nearby.

That officer arrived on the scene and arrested the suspect, identified as Juvian Rodriguez.

Police said Rodriguez has 38 prior arrests on charges including grand larceny, assault and drugs. He was on parole for grand larceny at the time of his arrest, police said.

It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Continental Tire the Americas, LLC is recalling several types of Continental motorcycle front wheel tires.

The recall is due to a possible separation between the tread, belt and carcass, which could result in a loss of tire inflation pressure, increasing the risk of a motorcycle crash.

The affected tires include: ContiAttack SM, ContiSportAttack, ContiSportAttack2, ContiRaceAttack Comp. Soft, ContiRaceAttack Comp. Medium, ContiRaceAttack Comp. Endurance, and ContiRoadAttack 2 GTW motorcycle tires, in sizes 120/70ZR17 and 120/70R17.

The recall covers about 8,070 tires sold in the U.S. and Canada between 2007 and 2014, Continental said. It's part of a worldwide program affecting 170,000 tires.

Continental has not received any reports of accidents or injuries, but the safety recall is to avoid any potential risk to road-users, the company said on its website.

Continental said it willy notify owners and dealers will replace the recalled tries with new ones free of charge.

For more information on the recall, visit Continental’s website or call 1-800-847-3349.

San Diego’s new waterfront park is a work in progress.

The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $2.7 million in improvements for the park on Tuesday.

The funding will pay for new restrooms, an expanded “splash zone” at the pool and ground stabilization.

The highly anticipated park opened to the public on May 11. An average of 1,500 people has visited the park every day since then, according to the supervisors.

The high number of visitors has pointed out problems with the park’s original design. Kids sat on the jets in the fountain, spraying water into the decomposed granite next to the pool and creating a muddy mess opening weekend. That forced the county to drain the pool just two days after opening because sediment had seeped into the drainage and filter system.

The improvements to the fountain include an expanded splash zone to catch spraying water and a high-capacity drain. This will help prevent flooding and water loss, according to the county.

In addition, new restrooms will be built near the north end of the park, and the ground will be stabilized. This will allow food trucks to drive in the park during special events, for example.

People visiting the park Tuesday thought the cost of the improvements seems pricey, considering the county has spent about $50 million on the park already. However, they all agreed the changes will make a big difference, especially the bathrooms.

“He’s in a swim diaper actually, so it’d probably be a good idea to have a restroom on the other side so families don’t have to go too far if they’re out here enjoying the day,” said nanny Erin Moffet.

“If you want them (using the restroom) in the facilities, you have to make them accessible,” mom Vanessa London said.

The 12-acre park is located next to the county administration building at Pacific Highway and Harbor Drive, between Grape Street and Ash Street.

Opponents of San Diego’s minimum wage increase turned in more than 55,000 signatures Tuesday in their referendum petition drive.

The San Diego Small Business Coalition announced the end to their petition drive one day ahead of the deadline.

"I'm proud of the effort we put forward to empower San Diegans to have their voices heard and urge City Council to follow the voters' lead and rescind this policy," said Jerry Sanders, president of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Supporters of the referendum want San Diego voters to decide on San Diego’s minimum wage. The coalition need at least 34,000 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2016 ballot.

However, opponents also turned in 2,000 signatures from those who say they want their names removed from the petition, claiming the signature gatherers used unethical practices to get people to sign.

“Considering the expense and deceit that big business poured into this campaign, I am not surprised that this many signatures were collected,” City Council President Todd Gloria said.

But the City Attorney's office said any "withdrawal of signature" forms have to be handed in the day before the petition was turned in, so the only forms accepted will be those given to the City Attorney by Monday's end of business.

As for the referendum petition, the signatures will be sent to the Registrar of Voter's office for verification.

Gloria suggested the official counting of signatures should be closely monitored.

“It is imperative that an honest count occur and that the signatures gathered are scrutinized for validity,” he said.

Under the San Diego’s Earned Sick Leave-Minimum Wage Ordinance, the minimum wage in San Diego will rise to $9.75 on Jan. 1, 2015. Further wage hikes would be phased in to $11.50 an hour by 2017, followed by automatic inflation escalators.

Through the proposal, 279,000 will have the opportunity to earn up to five sick days per year.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer vetoed the measure on Aug. 8 but a 6-2 vote from the City Council was enough to override the veto.

Supporters of the petition drive want the state’s minimum wage increase to take affect before a city-only increase is approved.

The fear is that if the city’s minimum wage increases first, small businesses may be forced to move out of San Diego.

A sudden thunderstorm brought powerful winds and intense rain to San Diego's East County Tuesday afternoon.

“All of a sudden you couldn’t even see the parking lot because the wind and the rain were pure white just coming down," said Debbie Barrett, who was at a Rancho San Diego shopping center when the storm hit. "Everything in the front was flying around. Trees were falling."

Fallen trees crushed cars, damaged buildings and blocked roads.

“Everything was just going sideways. I saw some of the dead branches starting to blow off and the next thing I know, the whole tree is going over," Dan Barber said.

NBC 7 meteorologist Dagmar Midcap said the sideways winds were caused by a microburst.

"A microburst happens when the rain cools the atmosphere and the weight of the storm begins to collapse. That air has to go somewhere when it hits the ground. Those wind bursts go sideways,” Midcap said.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flash Flood Warning for northern San Diego County in the area around Borrego Springs until 7 p.m. Get severe weather alerts here

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning expired at 3:30 p.m. NBC 7's Doppler Radar showed the storm cell ranging from Encanto to Harbison Canyon around 1:30 p.m. The storm had mostly moved out of San Diego County and into Temecula and Murrieta when the warning was issued around 2:30 p.m.

No injuries have been reported.

Rancho San Diego seemed to be hit hardest by the storm. Trees and debris littered the area around Avocado Boulevard.

Avocado Boulevard and Call Verde were closed for cleanup. Traffic was at a standstill on State Routes 125 and 94.

San Diego Gas and Electric's outage map shows several hundred customers in the area are without power.

Rancho San Diego resident Kari Craig said she didn't even know it was raining when she walked out to the garage to finish up some laundry.

"I opened the side door, and it was pouring rain," she said. She said the winds downed three trees, broke two umbrellas and damaged a large gazebo.

NBC 7's Derek Togerson said he watched a heavy downpour fall for approximately 20 minutes near Valhalla High School. 

If you've got storm images or video you'd like to share, send it to isee@nbcsandiego.com or share it through the NBC 7 Facebook page.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

So many NBC 7 viewers captured the sudden rain and wind that struck in San Diego Tuesday.

They shared the images and video with us through isee@nbcsandiego.com. Here's a look at some of the most memorable pictures and video.

Got something you'd like to share? Send it to isee@nbcsandiego.com or share it through the NBC 7 Facebook page.

A fast-moving wildfire ripping through the small Northern California town of Weed has destroyed more than 150 homes, churches and structures, injured three and charred 375 acres, Cal Fire crews said.

As of early Wednesday morning, the devastating Boles Fire along Siskiyou County's Boles Creek was 25 percent contained. Cal Fire officials said any information as to the cause of the fire could be worth a $10,000 reward.

Evacuation orders were still in place, and residents were asked to temporarily find shelter at the Mt. Shasta Armory. Highway 97 also remained closed.

Mary Niblock was one of the nearly 3,000 people forced to flee. Despite the major loss, she was thankful to the almost 970 fire personnel were battling the fire, which was reported on Monday. Firefighters received a standing ovation Tuesday night during a community meeting.

"There aren't enough brownies in the world," she told NBC Bay Area. "You can't thank them enough. They saved the town."

Much of the town, however, suffered major damage. That includes many homes, a Catholic Church and the Grace Community Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and part of the elementary and high schools. Their scorched remains were reduced to gray ash and rubble. Burned out vans, cars, stoves and other residential belongings were littered throughout residential neighborhoods.

Much of the challenge to fighting the fire was due to the weather, including gusting winds and low humidity. Winds gusting at up to 40 mph were pushing the flames toward the city of Weed, which sits at the base of Mount Shasta, halfway between San Francisco and Portland.

The city is known for its funny jokes about "weed" and more historically, as a lumber town.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

 Anyone with information should contact 1-800-468-4408.

A dance group launched in San Diego was selected to share the stage with rap superstar Snoop Dogg during an NFL halftime performance.

The young dancers were notified of the surprise performance an hour before showtime, which not only was at the San Francisco 49ers' first regular season home opener, but also nationally televised on Sunday Night Football on NBC.

"Snoop is a big hip-hop artist so for us to be able to share the stage with this type of music and artist we look up to was pretty big," said Kim Sims-Battiste, the dance group's choreographer.

Sims-Battiste said the dancing group, Culture Shock, started 22 years ago in San Diego.

"It was a group of different dancers from different styles of dance," she said.

Those styles have now made a home in Oakland.

Sunday's halftime performance at Levi's Stadium was so big, Culture Shock reached out to the entire Bay Area dance community. Chakis Dance Studio in Suisun shared the spotlight by sending 40 dancers to participate.

About 200 Bay Area dancers were able to perform on stage next to the hip-hop icon.

Another hot day means another shortened schedule Wednesday for schools short on air conditioning.

Despite a surprise shower of rain in San Diego County, a number of school districts have again called for a minimum day schedule as temperatures creep toward 90 degrees along the coast and 100 degrees inland.

The districts include National School District, the Coronado Unified School District and Sweetwater District Schools.

All of Coronado’s schools fall under the minimum day schedule, which means students will get out at 12:30 p.m.

In the Sweetwater and National school districts, the following schools will be released early:

• Castle Park Middle School
• Chula Vista High
• Hilltop Middle
• Mar Vista Academy
• Mar Vista High
• SweetwaterHigh
• Central
• El Toyon
• Kimball
• Olivewood
• Ira Harbison
• Las Palmas
• Lincoln Acres
• John Otis

The National School District’s REACH Program will maintain its usual hours, and the bus will switch to its Thursday schedule.

For parents who have to work as their kids are released early, the YMCA of San Diego County is offering free emergency childcare at its before and after-school sites. Closing times will vary per location.

The San Diego Unified School District will be back to its normal schedule on Wednesday after two days of early dismissal. Officials say no school temperatures are supposed to reach above 95 degrees.

For the first time this week, all sports games will resume Wednesday, but practices will be modified.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego