Wednesday morning, the Augusta Fire Department was busy programming traffic signs to direct anyone fleeing from the threat of Hanna.

The storm is marching toward the Carolinas and emergency preparedness departments across the Augusta area aren't taking any chances.

The fire department’s Special Operations Chief, Byron Taylor, is overseeing some of the emergency planning.

"Our best case scenario is to take all the precautions that we can possibly take at this time,” said Chief Taylor.

At the James Brown Arena, American Red Cross volunteers are caught up in planning for a possible 1800 guests arriving as soon as Wednesday night.

"We're ready now,” says American Red Cross Logistics Director, Pearlene Franklin. “The only thing that's not setup in this room right now is the cots. As far as the vendor for food, that's in place. Security's in place, the volunteers are in place. We're just waiting on [the evacuees]."

At the Augusta Red Cross, Calvin Noble along with his wife and four kids are trying to get some help for their trip back to New Orleans. The Noble family is one of thousands that fled their homes because of Hurricane Gustav just days earlier.

"We left Friday from the storm,” said Noble “Mandatory evacuation and we end up in Augusta, again."

This isn't the first time the Nobles have had to run from a hurricane. Three years ago, Hurricane Katrina forced the family to evacuate to Augusta.

"We lost everything. Lost everything and had to start all over," said Noble.

Noble says evacuations are a long and laborious process, made harder by high gas prices, hotel stays, and the thousands of others clogging the roads out of town.

"When you leave, it's a cost; it's a toll on you. It's a money thing and when you get somewhere else there's other problems,” says Nobel. “It's too much."

Volunteers like Franklin are hoping to ease those problems if and when evacuees arrive in Augusta.

"My thought is to make the job easier for each individual to go through," says Franklin. “You're frightened, you're scared, you don't know what to expect, you don't know what you're coming to. We have to make sure it's safe."

Augusta's Red Cross Executive Director, Jo Maypole, knows they can support whoever comes their way.

"We'll do our best to make sure their stay here is as comfortable as possible," says Maypole.

Noble isn't sure if he and his family still have a place to go home to, but he says one thing is for sure.

"Storm or no Storm,” says Noble. “Either way it goes, we're still gonna survive."