GAYS MILLS, Wis. -- Red Cross volunteers are walking the streets of Gays Mills in an effort to get help to flood victims there as soon as possible.

Richard Dunn and Jennifer Davenport walked through Gays Mills Thursday to assess the damage and determine what basic needs flood victims have. They said they have heard stories from many residents who have lost everything they owned in the flood.

Davenport is a financial examiner for the state who is taking time to help document what people in Gays Mills don't have, such as electricity, drinking water or clean clothes.

"Right now, the Red Cross is out doing preliminary disaster assessments," Davenport said. "People are hurting. They're not going to be able to get in here to live for quite a while."

Gays Mills resident Mason Evans said he is just four months from retirement as a county highway worker. He spent Thursday going through what remains of his material life in piles around his home of 38 years.

"I had 15 cents in my pocket, and my wife had her pajamas. That's what we saved," Evans said. "It broke me. I'm broke. So I got to have help. I just can't do it. I'm not taking the rest of my retirement and stick in this place. I'm not going to do it."

After talking to Red Cross workers, Evans got access to the first real aid he has received since the flooding four days ago.

"Some of the people in this community cried (after the flooding), and you never see them cry. I mean, it's just outlandishly sad. And then you see (Red Cross volunteers) come in and then they're so happy that you have people come in like these guys," said Brian Johnson, Evans' nephew.

"At the end of the day it's inspirational to see how they're dealing with such a tremendous disaster," Dunn said.

The Red Cross said it will use the assessments to meet the needs of flood victims like Evans.

The Red Cross said that it needs more than $1 million to help the flood victims.