A few days after Hurricane Helene made landfall stateside, many are seeing the major swath of destruction from Florida to Virginia. Now, some Bay Area first responders are deployed in the region to lend a helping hand.
Millions in the region are still left with power and communication, according to Tom Tanner, a volunteer with the Bay Area Red Cross.
"There's still people without power. We've got generators running right here," Tanner said, who's currently in Perry, Florida.
Tanner said the Red Cross has set up a shelter in the town to provide individuals with a safe space.
"Providing a cot and a blanket and safe place to rest and try to gather your wits," they said.
On Wednesday, the Biden-Harris administration surveyed the storm damage across the region, with Vice President Harris in Georgia and President Joe Biden in the Carolinas.
President Biden also announced that he would deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to reinforce the North Carolina National Guard and help deliver supplies, food, and water.
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However, retired Oakland Assistant Chief Robert Lipp said he has a different mission in that state.
Lipp, the public information officer for one of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Incident Support Teams, said infrastructure has been destroyed in a few areas around Asheville.
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"We have a few locations where we have things that are stuck underneath bridges that still have flowing water," Lipp said. "So we need to get into the water effectively and pick through everything. And make sure no one is trapped in that trapped debris.
The destroyed infrastructure has led to a line of cars with drivers packing an Asheville food bank. Doug Losket with Kids Against Hunger Bay Area said it's an all-too-familiar scene.
"It's survival," Loskot said.
With volunteers' help over the last few days, Loskot is gearing up to send about 120,000 meals to areas like Asheville.
The work "Provides an opportunity for people to see some hope that they can get through the next few days, weeks, whatever, and start putting their lives back together. You can't do that very well on an empty stomach," Loskot said.
Despite the help, Alejandro Mayorkas, head of Homeland Security, said FEMA does not have enough funding to make it through the end of hurricane season on November 30.
