Scenes From the Small Alabama Town Devastated By the Country’s Most Deadly Tornado in 6 Years

Residents of the tight-knit Beauregard, Ala., are just beginning to sort through what is left of their homes after a large tornado—which killed 23 people ranging from 6 to 89 years old—hit the area on Sunday before crossing into Georgia.

Kara Mattocks and her husband Louie found shelter in their bathroom as the tornado hit their house, and watched as the roof and walls crumbled around them. They emerged to find their home in ruins and their neighborhood unrecognizable. They spent the last few days organizing what was left of their past while wondering about their future.

Neighbors are searching through debris for belongings scattered in the trees and grass. Each foundation and cleared plot of land which held a family home just a few days ago now only contain personal effects chaotically strewn over crumbled building materials and shredded insulation.

Some homes have had their walls peeled open or their roofs cleanly picked up and carried away, leaving the interiors virtually untouched. Others have exploded into splinters and disintegrated into the trees. The scar in the landscape left by the tornado is all that remains.