The Bay Area has been through a lot in 2018.
We've seen rising concerns about the dirty streets in San Francisco, the housing crisis across the region, wildfire smoke from Butte County and a horrific shooting in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The stories below were the most viewed stories with unique visitors, according to Adobe Analytics. Here are NBC Bay Area's top 5 stories of the year:
#1 - Suspect in YouTube Shooting Posted Rants About the Company Online
On April 3, Nasim Aghdam randomly opened fire at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, injuring four people.
One witness told NBC Bay Area he was at a fast-food restaurant nearby and heard at least 20 shots within two minutes. “I knew the shooter was right by me because you could feel the sensations of the bullet,” he said.
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Aghdam died by a self-inflicted wound.
NBC Bay Area's Investigative Unit later found that Aghdam felt that her videos were "discriminated and filtered" by the company.
#2 - Survey of Downtown San Francisco Reveals Trash on Every Block
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit surveyed 153 blocks of downtown San Francisco in search of trash, needles, and feces.
The investigation revealed trash littered across every block. The survey also found 41 blocks dotted with needles and 96 blocks sullied with piles of feces.
#3 - Photos of Raw Meat in Shopping Carts at San Jose's 99 Ranch Market Go Viral
Loretta Seto was about to shop at 99 Ranch Market, a grocery store at Hostetter Road and Lundy Avenue in San Jose, when she witnessed raw meat being transported in shopping carts, took photos and posted them on Facebook.
The post didn't just go viral, it caught the attention of the city's Department of Environmental Health, and it also sparked a conversation on the unsanitary methods the meat vendor used to transport the meat.
#4 - SF Mayor: 'There's More Feces ... Than I've Ever Seen'
NBC Bay Area interviewed San Francisco's then newly-elected Mayor London Breed about her plan to clean up the city.
In her first one-on-one interview since taking office, Breed said "There is more feces on the sidewalks than I’ve ever seen growing up here. That is a huge problem and we are not just talking about from dogs — we’re talking about from humans."
#5 - Northern California Air Quality Currently the Worst in the World
Smoke from the deadly Camp Fire smothered the Bay Area in November and dropped the air quality in Northern California to the worst in the world.
Skies were hazy and the scent of something burning could be smelled in the area for days. The air got so bad that it forced several schools to close campuses.
2018 Honorable Mentions:
Take a Look Inside the Palo Alto Estate Listed for Nearly $100 Million
In June, an estate located at the Palo Alto Hills was listed for nearly $100 million and could set a new record if sold. It's still on sale as of Dec. 26, according to the Palo Alto real estate's website.
Take a Look Inside the Palo Alto Estate Listed for Nearly $100 Million
Fisherman's Rescue of Entangled Whale Caught on Camera
A fisherman was being hailed as a hero after he jumped into the water off the Central California coast to free a humpback whale entangled in a rope.
