hope you enjoyed today's program. see you back here tomorrow at 3:00 tonight, the coronavirus here in the u.s. and in the middle of it all, the state of emergency now unfolding tonight. homes being swept away. families forced to evacuate amid horrific flooding. the developing situation. two dams failing in michigan. thousands of families forced from their homes. water at record levels. houses seen floating away. a dow chemical plant evacuated. the nuclear reactor nearby already shut down because of the virus. tonight, the concern there. families who were trying to stay safe because of the pandemic, now trying to maintain social distance in shelters. some sleeping in cars. and this evening, the flood alerts at this hour from ohio all the way to parts of the east coast. rob marciano is standing by live tonight. reopening america. all 50 states now trying to

reopen amid the debate, how quickly should they go? as the nation's death toll, now at more than 93,000. and tonight, two ford plants temporarily forced to shut down already just one day after getting back to work. employees testing positive. vice president pence in florida. he and the governor at a restaurant, sending a message without their masks. and tonight, after weeks of debate, the cdc now making their guidelines public. the new guidance for schools, businesses, and restaurants. also tonight, antibodies and immunity. this evening, the results just in from a new study indicating antibodies provide some form of immunity. but for how long? and what does this now mean? new reporting tonight on the antibody tests themselves. at one point, 170 different tests on the market here in the u.s. so how do you know which test is accurate? we're getting answers tonight. the abc news series, "pandemic: a nation divided." we have reported here on the horrific toll on communities of

color and on rural america. tonight, we take you to part of this country in dire need. navajo nation, almost no medical facilities at all. the largest hospital nearby at capacity. tonight, the reality from the inside. what we haven't seen. and amid those images, packed planes. what one airline is doing. the spraying inside the cabin. how passengers are nrd those planes. what we've learned tonight. good evening. it's great to have you with us on a wednesday night. across the country, all 50 states have begun the difficult and careful task of reopening. but something else is playing out, families already worried about coronavirus, thousands forced to flee their homes. a state of emergency in michigan. one of the hardest-hit states from the virus, now facing this. homes swept away by the flooding. images coming in tonight.

two dams failing. there had been so much concern this would happen, and it has. homes being lifted off their foundations. this image sadly playing out more than once, homes could be seen floating away. it's impossible to imagine what the families are going through, now in shelters, trying to keep a safe distance from strangers. many not knowing if they will have a home to return to, and if so, in what condition. rob marciano leads us off from midland, michigan. >> reporter: tonight, horrifying images in the middle of a pandemic. >> oh, my god. that's somebody's house. >> reporter: homes in central michigan floating away. the national weather service warning residents to get to higher ground. two catastrophic dam collapses in just hours. >> be advised that we have a dam breach at edenville. >> reporter: this is the moment the edenville dam disintegrated outside midland, michigan, following days of rain. downstream, the sanford dam breaching less than two hours later.

>> the dam has failed. 100% failure. evacuate. >> reporter: 10,000 residents forced to flee. >> could it get worse? yes. >> reporter: a nearby dow chemical plant forced to evacuate too. officials say flood waters are mixing with containment ponds. the nuclear reactor on site already shut down as a coronavirus protocol. federal regulators had worried about a possible failure at the edenville dam for years. >> regarding the dams, the state of michigan is reviewing every potential legal recourse that we have. >> reporter: complicating matters, michigan remains under a stay at home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. officials say hundreds are in shelters. >> another 40 or 50 stayed in their cars. and the reason largely was the concerns about the covid-19 virus. >> on top of this 100-year event, we have a 500-year event in a flood that has absolutely devastated a lot of families. >> just unbelievable. rob marciano with us live from

midland, michigan. the images are heartbreaking, top of what families were already going through. this system is also on the move? where does it hit next? >> reporter: it's heading south. they're concerned about another dam failing. the water dangerously close. thankfully, sunshine today. but the system has moved into ohio. the midatlantic could see more rain, and this river is weekend. >> rob marciano, we appreciate you making that trip to be there with those families tonight in michigan. thank you. and all of this, as michigan and the rest of the country tries to navigate the reopening of america. tonight, the flashpoints

already. the vice president eating with the governor of florida, no masks. trying to send the message, this country is ready to reopen. and the cdc quietly making new gui guidelines public for businesses and schools. and two ford plants shutting down after some workers tested positive for the virus. whit johnson on that part of the story tonight. >> reporter: tonight, despite all 50 states now easing restrictions, protesters arguing it's not fast enough. >> these arbitrary laws and rules are crippling michigan. >> reporter: from michigan, where defiant barbers gave free haircuts on the lawn of the state capital, many not wearing face masks, some armed. to connecticut, the last state to begin reopening. >> if you don't want to go back to work, don't go back to work. but don't deny the rest of us the ability to go back to work. >> reporter: today the state

allowing malls and retailers to open at 50% capacity. restaurants, measuring table distance for outdoor dining only. >> we've been waiting for this. >> we've beewar this we're ready. >> reporter: in florida today, disney springs welcoming shoppers with new restrictions. hair salons reopening in miami. and in orlando, vice president mike pence sitting down for a cheeseburger at a newly reopened restaurant with the state's governor, both not wearing masks, but temperature checks for staff and patrons. in new york, the governor urging residents to wear masks. >> the masks work. they are protective and they work. wear a mask. >> reporter: sharing videos from new yorkers competing for a new psa. >> i wear a mask so we can get back to work. >> reporter: each state now forging ahead with its own plan. as the cdc finally releases its detailed guidelines for reopening, including recommendations like sneeze guards in restaurants and bars. in schools, face coverings worn by staff and encouraged for older students if feasible, but not for children under 2. if someone in a school tests

positive, the building could be closed for cleaning. but as states loosen restrictions it's a daily struggle to avoid setbacks. just 24 hours after the big three automakers restarted production, ford temporarily shutting down plants in chicago and michigan after three returning workers tested positive. and health officials in colorado warning residents after these images showing dozens gathered shoulder to shoulder on monday at a creek in boulder county. >> way to social distance. >> reporter: in alabama, two high schools trying to bring back traditional graduations, attempting to social distance. students and families in attendance seated six feet apart. >> we can't forget the graduates tonight. whit is with us from connecticut. we see people gathering. the cdc with the new guidance on how restaurants can more safely reopen? >> reporter: david, in the latest guidelines, they're

recommending more protections for high-risk employees, and things like temperature checks and symptom screenings. daily health checks. and tonight, the governor in connecticut announcing as people are beginning to eat outside that he's hoping to have indoor dining and reopen movie theaters and gyms by june 20th. >> everyone studying the scene behind you. the families taking a chance to get back out. we'll see how this goes. whit, thank you. there's also encouraging news about antibodies and immunities. researchers finding that antibodies do provide some immunity. and with so many tests out here in the u.s., how do we know which ones are most accurate? here's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: tonight, a potential scientific breakthrough. a study of hospitalized patients finding nearly all with the

virus had some sort of immunity. emory university researchers finding a specific virus-neutralizing antibody in patients within six days of testing positive for covid-19. >> not only shows that you've been exposed to the virus and have made antibodies against it, but those antibodies at least, you know, to the extent we've tested now, seem to correlate with blocking a viral infection. >> reporter: by finding that key antibody, scientists say it will help them create a better test and vaccine. one unknown, how long does protection last? >> i think going forward, it will be important to understand the durability of these immune responses over the next few months to years after infection. >> reporter: but tonight, questions about the reliability of some of the crucial antibody tests on the market. at its peak, there were 170 different ones, most without fda emergency use authorization. this rapid antibody test bought at a pharmacy uses just a drop of blood and works similar to a pregnancy test. the screen with results turning

red. it didn't work. >> there's apparently no line at the front door. i first took a test on may 1st and it came back negative for antibodies. the results came with this notification. "this test has not been reviewed by the fda. negative results do not rule out a covid infection. positive results could also be due to past or present infection with non-covid coronavirus strains." today i'm taking another test. one of the 12 on the fda's emergency use authorized list. >> following the fda guidelines and the cdc guidelines, we're looking at every test and make sure that it's validated and has emergency use authorization. >> reporter: the full list of those authorized tests is on the fda's website. david? >> eva, thank you. we're going to turn to the abc news series, pandemic: a nation divided. we've reported on the awful toll

on the african-american and latino communities, and rural america. we turn tonight to the navajo nation. this evening, matt gutman is right there with the reality from the inside. what we haven't seen. >> reporter: before covid ripped her family of 11 apart, dorothy scott had lived in this hut. she shuffled toward the traditional navajo hut, but couldn't bear to go inside. her son was the first to die. she was standing over his open grave when she got the call that her husband had also passed. >> i just couldn't move. it's my husband. i know he was okay when i left. >> reporter: in all, eight in the immediate family testing positive. dorothy and several others hospitalized. we accompanied them on their first trip back. the puppies yapped.

the grandkids to be back on that rope swing, but for dorothy, the place felt haunted. >> just looking at it is sad. what happened in there. >> reporter: you lost everything. >> yeah. my husband's still in there. >> reporter: his spirit, she meant. they'd been married nearly 45 years. with a dirt floor and no heating, it wasn't much. but it was home. the va larger than west virginia, but 40% have no electricity and only 30% have access to clean water, which is why they come from all around to water wells like this. the reservation spanning parts of new mexico, arizona, and utah. the covid rate higher than new york. and the area's biggest hospital at capacity for weeks now. this could be called the

epicenter of covid in the country right now. >> yes, you're totally right. we currently have a higher rate per capita than any state in the united states. >> reporter: big families have been the bedrock of navajo culture. but in the age of covid, it's made them vulnerable. >> if you have one contact that's positive, you literally can almost guarantee the whole household has been infected as well, too. >> reporter: those not sick enough for the hospital, hundreds have been sent to four motels like this in gallup, new mexico. >> if you had told me three weeks ago i'd be starting elderly patients on oxygen and keeping them in a room, i wouldn't have believed it. >> so many corners of the country still in desperate need. matt gutman is on the arizona side of the reservation tonight. i know the experts you spoke with said the peak isn't expected until mid-june?

>> reporter: that's right. and when it hits, the medical director said they could look like new york did two months ago. now, the navajo leadership has taken extraordinary lengths to try to flatten the curve. closures, and a 57-hour lockdown every weekend. >> thank you, matt. our special coverage continues later tonight on "nightline" and "abc news live" and across all of our broadcasts in the days ahead. matt, thank you. meantime, the coronavirus pandemic is also dealing a devastating blow to parts of latin america. the real death toll claimed to be perhaps three times higher. in brazil tonight, the third worst hit nation. the brazilian president dismissing the virus as a little flu. with hospitals and mortuaries

overflowing. when we come back, the packed images from planes. and the spraying of the cabins and how passengers are now boarding flights. that's in a moment. so, when you get a check... you can deposit it from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. you can detect suspicious activity on your account from here. and you can pay your friends back from here. so when someone asks you, "where's your bank?" you can tell them: here's my bank. or here's my bank. or, here's my bank. because if you download and use the chase mobile app, your bank is virtually any place. so visit chase.com/mobile. today, he's being tested to see if his cancer has spread. he may be the one getting the test, but we both live with the results. [announcer] you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now.

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as america reopens and passengers slowly return to flying, there are many questions. tonight, a first look here at one major airline, and new steps including spraying the cabin. gio benitez covers aviation. >> reporter: tonight, a first look at what delta says is the future of flying. as air travel picks up, delta bringing us on board, showing us how it hopes to reassure travelers. before every single flight, electrostatic spraying. the disinfectant clings to surfaces to kill viruses and bacteria. then comes a full wipedown. and an inspection by the on-flight crew. when it's time to board, passengers are asked to keep their distance with the back of the plane boarding first.

>> we will board from the rear of the aircraft. >> reporter: and not every seat will be filled. delta tonight promising that each flight will be capped at 60% or they'll call in a bigger plane. >> what we have done today lays the foundation for where we're going to go in the future. >> reporter: david, we may see even more changes. tonight, delta not ruling out the possibility of eventually redesigning the inside of an airplane. >> gio, thank you. when we come back, the deathbed confession from the woman at the center of the landmark roe versus wade decision. to severe rheumatoid arthritis or active psoriatic arthritis for whom methotrexate did not work well enough. it can reduce pain, swelling, and significantly improve physical function. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections like tb;

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had been paid by anti-abortion rights groups in 1995 to speak out that way. >> did they use you as a trophy? >> of course. i was the big fish. >> do you think they would say that you used them? >> well, i think it was a mutual thing. you know, i took their money and they put me out in front of the cameras and told me what to say and that's what i'd say. >> it was all an act? >> yeah. i did it well, too. i am a good actress. of course, i'm not acting now. >> in the end of her life, she wanted to make it clear her support for reproductive rights after all. saying that's why they call it a choice. "aka jane roe" premieres friday on fx. when we come back, when the children were told to turn around in the living room, what they saw. "america strong."

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finally tonight here, "america strong." so many parents who answered the call in this pandemic, knowing they would have to leave their own families for a time. tonight, the mom who is finally home. it was more than a month ago. a group of paramedics and front line workers from ohio gathering with their masks and their bravery. leaving behind their families to help other families in desperate need in one of the epicenters of the virus, new york's nassau county. paramedic leilani williams-lemonier was one of them. leilani and the team from american medical response making the long drive. and the emergency calls when they got here were immediate. all of them, front line workers answering the call, with their loved ones back home. 42 days later, back in green,

ohio, in this living room, you can hear the voice saying turn around. leilani's teenage children who had been so worried about their mom right there. >> look out the window. >> why do we want to look out the window? >> mom? mother! >> reporter: the tears were immediate. 42 days after that mom answered the call to head to the fronts lines, she is home, telling us tonight she is overjoyed. the sacrifice being made across this country by health care workers going to the front lines. >> mom! >> we salute her. her children are glad she's home. we are just grateful for her service. good night.

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this is abc7 news. >> how happy are you to be back? >> two months and two day, i'm happy. >> finally, back open for business in napa county, but it's a different dining experience that you can expect going forward. good afternoon and thanks for joining us, everybody. i'm larry beil. >> and i'm kristen sze. we'll have a lot coming up. first, we'll start with the latest headlines. a new record for daily coronavirus cases worldwide. the w.h.o. reports more than 106,000 new cases in the last 24 hours. 45,000 of them in the u.s. alone. by far the most of any country. now those numbers come as a new poll shows 83% of americans are somewhat concerned that lifting restrictions will lead to additional infections. and as we mentioned, a big day in napa county. the state is now allowing dine-in restaurants, retail stores and shopping malls to reopen. it's the first bay area county to do so. now in the south bay, flames