Boaz neighbors begin cleanup process

A tornado destroyed homes in the community

More on the coronavirus impact in north alabama -- but first we want to give you the latest updates on the damage left behind by overnight storms. you're taking a look at brand new video from our waay 31 skytracker of the damage left behind in boaz.

You can see some houses almost completely destroyed.

Debris is scattered across roads and yards.

Waay 31's rodneya ross spent the morning talking to people who live in the hillview avenue area of boaz about the cleanup process.

Ll: community is the word getting people in this boaz neighborhood through the storm.

All day -- they've worked to board up windows, cut down trees, and put tarps over roofs -- all as they work to wrap their heads around what happened.

Sot theron drake "everybody always says it sounded just like a train coming and we didn't have very much warning at all."

Vo theron drake and his wife were home when they heard the storm coming.

They hid in their bathtub covered in pillows -- their next door neighbor hid in his closet.

But nothing prepared them for the aftermath.

Sot michael clay "homes totally destroyed just in a matter of seconds."

Vo while clay's home on received some damage -- it wasn't nearly as bad as the damage at his next door neighbor's -- theron drake's home.

Sot theron drake "blew my front windows out and i have a hole in my roof, up over my garage."

Vo still -- that's not the worst of the damage in their tight-knit community.

The storm ripped some homes apart.

It's something drake wasn't prepared to see.

Sot theron drake "you see this on television and you really just don't expect it to happen to you, you know.

But it did so we just have to clean it up and keep going."

Vo now the community is coming together to pick up the pieces.

Both homeowners tell me they're grateful no one was seriously hurt and for the support of the community.

Sot theron drake "it's just by the grace of god i guess."

Butt to michael clay "community always comes together in times like this."

Vo community is what everyone here hopes gets them through this.

In boaz, rr, waay 31 news.

The storm left many in the area without power.

We know crews have been working all day to restore it.

Within the last 20 minutes -- the marshall county emergency management agency said there are about 180 home without power in the boaz