The situation is worsening in Ukraine after a major dam was destroyed this week.
Now, Ukrainians living in the Bay Area are coordinating help for their families back home in Kherson, Ukraine, where new flooding has led to thousands of evacuations and leaving up to 70 towns at risk.
Fremont resident Irene Kucherova sais when she heard the news, her mind immediately went to her 80-year-old grandmother there, Svetlana.
“I absolutely was worried about her. I’m glad to know she’s OK, but the region is devastated,” she said.
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Kucherova was born and raised in Kherson, but now lives in Fremont. She’s been checking in with her grandma. Luckily, her loved one lives on higher ground.
“I knew this was not just another flood that we have here in the Bay Area and in America sometimes. The consequences of this will last years,” Kucherova said.
New video Wednesday showed hundreds more rescues of people and their animals. While another video showed a man walking through his flooded home.
Ukraine’s president was pointing his finger at Russia for the dam's destruction, calling it a "war crime," affecting some 100,000 people. While Russia is blaming Ukraine.
Tens of thousands have lost power and access to drinking water and evacuations and rescues are nearly impossible on the left bank of the river, which is controlled by Russian forces.
“In some places, the water rose 30 feet, 10 meters. The water is receding now,” said Igor Markov with Nova Ukraine.
Bay Area-based non-profit Nova Ukraine has people on the ground assisting, bringing supplies, food, water and helping Ukrainians evacuate.
“Elderly people, disabled people. They basically are driven to western Ukraine where they can stay,” Markov said.
Kucherova said her heart and mind are back home with a country already devastated by war and now dealing with a new disaster.
“The Ukrainian community all around the Bay Area, America, we are spending every hour, every minute of our freetime helping out people in Ukraine,” she said.
