As Hurricane Florence makes landfall along the coast of North Carolina with winds raging at more than 90 miles per hour, shelters across that state and others are preparing for whatever damage comes next.

On Friday, the storm surge knocked out the power for a half-million homes and businesses as it barreled into the East Coast. For thousands of people who didnt have the means or opportunity to flee, shelters offer a welcome respite if they arent full.

North Carolina has approximately 12,000 evacuees staying at 126 shelters across the state, CBS reports. One mega-shelter with the capacity to house 1,000 people was already 75 percent full by Thursday morning, according to the Citizen-Times.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper encouraged those in the path of the storm to take immediate action.

Dont relax. Dont get complacent, hed said Thursday morning.