Upstate New Yorkers that endured destructive flooding are now forced to clean up and rebuild. But some are simply just trying to recover from the raging water that upended lives.

Flood victim Katharine Dagaev is working to regain anything close to normalcy.

The disabled Hudson Valley woman said she was grateful to be alive. First responders rescued her by boat when her apartment flooded.

"I mean all the furniture, anything that was two feet from the floor is garbage. You know, the water was just up to my knees," Dagaev said Tuesday.

She said she planned to return home to try to salvage her belongings with the help of her neighbors.

"We're all going to go down and get out, what we can, the most important things," she said. "I mean I need my clothes, my jewelry. The most important thing are my mom's ashes, and my dad's ashes. Because I didn't actually have my dad's ashes in an urn yet, they were in a box under my desk, so I don't even know if they're going to be there."

She said she has to remain strong to figure out the next steps of her life.

"The hardest thing right now is figuring out where I'm going to live," Dagaev said. "The Red Cross shelter isn't an option for me because of my disability."

She has problems with mobility, like bending down and getting up from a cot. She is temporarily staying with neighbors and friends until she is able to make her own temporary living arrangements.

"There's elements of this community that make it easier because they're willing to give you that hug," Dagaev said.