As the death toll climbs to nearly 200, the Bay Area is sending support for Helene

With the death toll nearing 200, Helene is now the second deadliest storm in 55 years, with hundreds missing across six southeastern states.

As search and rescue teams search through the rubble and focus on finding those missing, the destruction shows how many people from across the country are willing to step in and help.

Humanity perseveres in times of disaster, when thousands of first responders come together to help the most devastated communities.

One of those first responders is Robert Lipp, a retired deputy fire chief with the Oakland Fire Department who works as a public information officer with the FEMA Incident Support Team and the California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 4 in Oakland.

“Our efforts now are really focused on finding people who may be stranded or trapped,” Lipp said.

He said he landed in North Carolina on Tuesday and was shocked by the damage caused by the rainwater.

“Today I saw areas where the water level looked bad. “I didn't measure it, but it looked like it was 15 to 20 feet above the normal waterline,” he said. “There were a lot of homes and businesses that were literally washed away from their original location.”

Lipp said the Bay Area knows what it's like to need help.

“I remember the earthquake, the Loma Prieta earthquake, and how it affected the entire Bay Area,” he recalls. “We didn’t have the resources to handle it ourselves.”

He said this is one of the reasons he has been part of national relief teams for years, responding to multiple disasters.

The impact is far-reaching and even people in the Bay Area are feeling the devastation of Helene.

Simone Oni of Richmond said her father's third-floor apartment, 2,500 miles away in Atlanta, was flooded during the storm.

“His neighbors rescued him and my cousin drove from Macon, two hours away, to get him,” she said. “He pretty much lost everything.”

Oni said after starting the GoFundMe, she is already seeing support from her community.

“It just means everything to have support,” she said.

When President Biden toured North Carolina on Wednesday, he promised to support America.

“I am here to say that the United States, the nation, stands behind you. We will not leave until you are fully on your feet,” he said in a meeting with first responders.

Biden also announced Wednesday that he would send 1,000 more troops to the region. He will assess damage in Georgia on Thursday.

In addition, the Northern California Red Cross said it had sent about two dozen volunteers to the Southeast.