Ride of a lifetime: NC woman drives FEMA convoy of relief supplies to Florida

Photos from the U.S. Coast Guard flying over the city of Fort Myers in Florida show a terrifying story: Massive flooding. Neighborhoods underwater. Homes torn apart.

The mayor there is telling people to stay in their homes if they can – because it's too dangerous to go outside.

Meanwhile, rescue crews from across the state are still trying to get help to people who need it, with FEMA making plans to get emergency aid in place.

Shakisha Brewington, originally from Fayetteville, is one of 45 drivers taking FEMA relief supplies to hurricane victims in Fort Myers. She's the only female driver in her FEMA convoy, and today she's driving an 18-wheeler on the most important ride of her life.

Her journey started Monday in a small Texas town. The convoy made its way through Louisiana and Alabama before stopping last night in Gainesville, Florida. She says the trip was smooth, but there were some snags along the way.

"The hardest part of the journey is just the coordination and the organization of vehicles, keeping them in the convoy, being able to manage the tight turns and the overhead clearances – because we're not taking the typical route," she says.

Brewington, who runs a home nursing business in Fayetteville, received her Commercial Driver's License four years ago at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington.

In both roles, she provides aid to people in need.

"One by providing the transportation and supplies needed," she says. "And also, being available to those that may need my assistance in health care."

She's driven relief supplies for local emergencies, but this is the first time she's taken part in a national disaster.

Brewington says the devastation in Fort Myers is heartbreaking. Now, she's focusing on helping all the people who have been flooded out.