Tuesday night’s storm wrecked houses, tore down buildings and impacted thousands of lives across upstate New York.

“I was scared," Canastota resident Phyllis Campany said. "I didn't know what direction to run into, if there was a direction to run into. When I looked at my windows and saw the impact that was around me, that was more scarier than the storm.”

The ground on Wednesday was still littered with tree branches and debris from damaged buildings.

For Campany, a Canastota lifer, it was shocking.

“It just, it doesn’t really hit Canastota. It goes around it. This is the first time it’s actually touched down and hit Canastota,” Campany said.

Campany’s dad and grandkids were also stuck indoors as the place Campany calls home was ravaged by an unrelenting storm.

“And I made the children hit the floor," Campany said. "One was so scared that she laid on the floor and I had to cover her.”

She doesn’t know how much damage her house sustained, but evacuated her family. Her father and grandkids are staying with other family members, but she decided to go to a shelter. No one suffered any injuries.

“I knew they were here to help," Campany said. "This would be the first place you’d end up going to, would be the Red Cross.”

On Tuesday night, the American Red Cross opened shelters in Rome and Canastota to help displaced residents.

“We're offering food and water and, support," said Dan Hartman, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross. "We have health services volunteers here, nurses who are helping with medical needs, disaster mental health.”

According to Hartman, 30 residents went to the two shelters Tuesday, with many more receiving support Wednesday. They will be open for 24 hours every day for the foreseeable future.

Campany said she's staying calm.

“I can't be nervous. I can't be overwhelmed with it. Because if I do, then the kids will get overwhelmed with it," she said. "They will start sweating and having a panic attack, and I don't want that. So I have to stay calm, even for my dad. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to breathe and take it one step at a time.”