Florence Shelter At Joel Coliseum Closes

A shelter at Lawrence Joel Coliseum for people escaping the floods of Florence closed Monday after more than a week as a temporary home.

At its peak during the weekend that the storm swept across North Carolina, more than 400 people stayed at the coliseum, waiting for word that it was safe to go back home. As of Monday, that was down to about 40.

Stephanie Murphy is a public information officer for the American Red Cross. She says she's seen a spirit of camaraderie develop among the evacuees.

“There's really been a sense of community,” she says. “It's a very difficult situation, but most people have made the best of it and we've tried very hard as well to make it as pleasant an experience as possible.”

Murphy says most people returned home or found friends or family to stay with. There are open shelters in the eastern part of the state for those still without a place to go.

Officials warn that the dangers from Florence for coastal residents are not over, and flooding is still possible Tuesday along parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers.