BOAZ, Alabama — It was a scary night and a devastating day in Marshall County as dozens of homes and some businesses were damaged.
In Boaz, trees and power lines are down, cars are totaled, and some homes are completely destroyed after the storms.
Ricky King took shelter in his basement as an EF-2 tornado ripped through his neighborhood along Lee Avenue.
"I didn't get into the closet until it felt like the house was starting to peel away from me and shaking a little bit, and then I got on the ground and was getting in the closet and about that time it was over with," said King.
King says he forgot about the coronavirus pandemic since the tornado happened. The garage wall is blown out, windows are broken, and insulation is scattered throughout the inside of his home.
King said, "I'm not one to get scared real easy, but when I got down there and I thought it's going to peel this whole house away and take me with it, I got a little bit scared then."
Other homes in the neighborhood were flattened. One resident in the area says her husband and two young children were trapped after the roof collapsed on their home. The father was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
A different family took shelter in their bathroom. When they opened the door, they looked up and saw the sky. Their roof had been ripped off.
Despite the pandemic, dozens of volunteers and local businesses are helping clean up.
"We have some workers coming out that have lawn businesses," said Boaz resident, Kelly Adams. "We have Spices and Dale's BBQ. They're all out here, and Mill Street Deli is out here delivering food. I know they're just donating everything they've got."
People in the area say they will continue to clean up and stay positive.
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