Valley volunteers arrive to help with Hurricane Florence relief

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A valley contingent has arrived in North Carolina and Virginia to assist in Hurricane Florence relief efforts.

Volunteers with the local Red Cross have been helping set up shelters for people who need a place to stay or even medical attention. Once the flooding begins, they planned to move to where they are most needed.

It has been an uncomfortable wait for people living in the path and preparing for the arrival of Florence.

Fresno native Douglas Kirkorian moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. Neighbors have told him to load up on water and supplies.

Kirkorian said, "They've saying this is a big one. We go through this, we'll never forget."

The American Red Cross Central California sent seven volunteers from Fresno and Bakersfield to North Carolina and Virginia to assist families who will soon be displaced by Hurricane Florence.

Shelters were being set up at schools and churches in anticipation of the storm.

Red Cross volunteer Louise Kolar explained, "The main push right now is to get ready for this to hit so most of them are in sheltering, which includes feeding, cots, getting supplies in. Whatever they're gonna need."

Kolar is a retired nurse from Bakersfield. She was in Roanoke, Virginia but said the team is very mobile so they're just waiting to see where the hurricane and storm surge impacts the most people.

She explained, "We have other areas we don't have shelters in right now that we'll be there if we need to if the flooding goes there so we all pretty much move around depending on what's needed."

Kolar was in Hawaii just a few weeks ago to assist families dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Lane.