For those who evacuated due to Florence, it could still be days before they get back to their homes. One couple returned to their hometown of Bristol, Connecticut, to escape the water, but they're worried about family members still in North Carolina.
Seven hundred miles away, Sherry Webber is thinking about her parents. She and her family moved from Bristol to the small town of Atkinson, North Carolina, several years ago. When Florence came their way, her parents tried to leave, but with four dogs, their options were few.
"We tried everything we could to get out of here, but once the shelter was at capacity, there really wasn't a whole lot of other options for us. I wanted to make sure my children were safe, so I sent my daughter to Connecticut," said Sherry's dad, Steven Gagnier.
NBC Connecticut spoke to Gagnier on the phone. He says they called hotels in several states, but that none would take them because they had four dogs and that a shelter that could take the dogs was already full.
When Sherry and her husband tried to get back to Atkinson from Bristol, they realized they couldn't.
"The winds, the roads, there were multiple times I saw people trying to drive through the water, and the water, it just took their car right off the road," said Sherry.
Sherry says her parents' home isn't flooded, but they're without power and many of the roads have washed away. Her dad says they finally got some supplies on Tuesday but that most of the shelves in the stores are bare.
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"They're still doing water rescues down here because the flooding isn't over," said Steven.
While those in the region wait for the rivers to crest, Sherry says instead of being safe in Bristol, she wishes she could be with her parents and face whatever comes next together.
"I don't see me leaving my family like this again, no matter the situation. I'm going to stay with them. I can't be away from them like this when something devastating is happening," said Sherry.
The region received about 30 inches of rain, and while the water may still be rising, the rain is over. Sherry hopes that means she'll be able to get home soon.
