(CNN) Thousands of wet and weary victims from Hurricane Harvey poured into the George R. Brown Convention Center to find dry land.

The second they arrived at the center, Fantaci Villanueva says she and her family instantly felt hope. They had been stuck as their second-floor apartment home filled with water. Villanueva says she had "never experienced anything like that before." She and her two small children, ages two and five, and her parents were eventually rescued by boat.

Houston city officials were initially planning for 5,000 to stay in this convention center-turned-shelter. But as the rain continued, more than 10,000 people filled the halls.

"We won't turn anyone away," Red Cross spokeswoman Betsy Robertson said.

This 2 million-square-foot convention center that includes exhibit halls, meeting rooms and a ballroom became a "makeshift village" overnight. With thousands of volunteers and countless donations, this shelter is a place many flood victims now call home. The hall has "stations" set up on all sides where evacuees can get hot food and water and all their necessities. The first stop for new arrivals is registration. The next is to find dry clothes. This includes a medical station, a bedding station, an area with baby items, including playpens and strollers, and even a charging station so people can stay connected to their loved ones.

Read More