Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Southeast on Friday. Now, some of the people flying back to the Bay Area are describing the conditions of the hurricane before boarding their flight to San Francisco.
Helena, now a tropical depression, slammed into Florida leading to rescues stretching from the Sunshine State to the Carolinas. So far, more than 40 people across four states were reported dead.
First responders with the Oakland Fire Department and the Contra Costa Fire Protection District responded to the Southeast to provide extra help.
"Our folks are subject matter experts in running these types of incidents so they’re coming into assist with the jurisdiction," said Linda Buell, battalion chief of Oakland Fire
Robert Scott, a sergeant with the Henry County Police Department in George, said the damage is widespread in the region with floodwaters taking over neighborhoods.
"The river rose and overtook the roadways we had a lot of people stranded out there and stuff…so we had to assist to get them to safety," said Scott after landing in SFO.
Scott added that the conditions up closer were a scary sight.
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"You got high winds and visibility is limited, [you] can’t get to the calls," he said.
Christiana Kav, of Atlanta, said she is relieved she boarded her flight safely.
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"It was really scary, the rain was really really really heavy, and power went off for a few hours, so I was worried about that," she said.
If weather conditions take a turn for the worse, Buell said there is the possibility more local firefighters could be sent to the region.
"It depends on how long the rain will keep going…if another storm comes behind it, the water doesn’t get a chance to dissipate," Buell said.
