Dozens of volunteers from the Hudson Valley are in the areas affected by Florence to help people regroup and recover.

Elizabeth Anderson has been riding out the storm with 200 volunteers in an emergency shelter at a school in Myrtle Beach, distributing donated items and keeping children entertained.

"We built forts, we had a treasure hunt," Anderson says. "We bejeweled things, some games were donated so families could check out and play."

Anderson's job in Myrtle Beach is over, but she is preparing for her next assignment in another storm zone in the Carolinas.

Eli Russ, of Mamaroneck, is overseeing American Red Cross operations from drier land in Virginia.

He'll be there for another week, making sure people throughout six states have enough beds, bathroom and laundry services.

"We've become good at it," Russ says. "We've been doing this for years and we learned a lot of lessons from last year's hurricane season and they're coming to fruition in this disaster."

The Red Cross volunteers and staff will eventually make their way back to New York. But for now, they're motivated by the strength of those who may not have a home to return to.