Volunteers from the Treasure Coast are heading into the path of Hurricane Florence as disaster looms, while evacuated rescue animals were expected to arrive Wednesday night at a Palm City shelter.

A Fort Pierce couple who gathered donations is heading up the coast to Wilmington, North Carolina, directly in the path of the storm, which the National Weather Service warns will bring howling winds and "life-threatening" floods.

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Kelly and David Long collected tens of thousands of dollars worth of donated supplies from the Walmart distribution center in Fort Pierce. They'll head up Friday or Saturday to help in the immediate aftermath of the storm, just as they did last September in the Florida Keys during Hurricane Irma.

"As a community, whether we’re living there or not, we need to go," Kelly Long said. "For those people that are living from paycheck to paycheck, I can’t imagine the devastation they are going to go through."

In their van and 40-foot trailer, they'll bring diapers, baby bottles, food, clothing, tents, grills and charcoal, gas cans, lanterns, batteries and even a paddle boat.

The Longs head up Angels of Hope Ministries, a Fort Pierce-based outreach for the homeless with thousands of members.

"We were like, 'Look there's going to be a lot of displaced and homeless people. This is what we do,'" said Kelly Long. "Everything just started falling into place."

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The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast is taking in 48 animals forced to evacuate the Beaufort County Animal Shelter and Control in coastal South Carolina.

The animals were expected to arrive at the Palm City shelter by 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"Beaufort’s staff was desperately trying to find places for the animals in their care and the HSTC immediately stepped up to help," according to a news release from the agency.

Adoption fees will be waived until Sunday in an "Emergency Adoption Special" to help find homes for the 17 dogs and 31 cats, as well as the shelter's local pets.

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More than 30 volunteers and staff members from the American Red Cross's South Florida region, which includes offices in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, have deployed.

A staff member and a volunteer from the Vero Beach-based Coast to Heartland Chapter were sent to Raleigh, North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia.

They may be relocated if the rapidly-changing storm path creates need elsewhere, according to Sarah Ruwe, executive director of the chapter.

"That’s part of our mission — to make sure we’re there to help people. As we say, down the street, across the country and around the world," Ruwe said.

The Red Cross is also deploying vehicles, equipment and relief supplies as it prepares to help as many as 100,000 people.

"Just as our Red Cross colleagues came from all over the United States to help us a year ago during Hurricane Irma, now we can reciprocate the help and support," said Joanne Nowlin, CEO of the South Florida Region.

"We are One Red Cross and we come together when disaster strikes."