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JUDY WOODRUFF: The search for 
tornado victims is winding down 
tonight in Eastern Alabama.

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Now survivors in Beauregard and 
other communities face a long 
road to recovery, after Sunday's

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twister blasted the region with 
winds of 170 miles an hour.

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John Yang begins our coverage.

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JOHN YANG: Across Lee County, 
Alabama, residents are coming to 
grips with lives lost or forever

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changed in an instant.

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ANGELA LOCASCIO, Tornado Victim: 
Feeling like you have to start 
all over, like everything

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you worked hard for was gone.

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JOHN YANG: Angela Locascio is 
grateful she and her family 
survived the nation's deadliest

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tornado in six years.

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ANGELA LOCASCIO: Wondering why.

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But we know we can't 
predict the weather.

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And we just got 
out of harm's way.

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Luckily, we were one of the 
lucky ones that got out.

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I had some friends and 
family and co-workers 
that didn't make it out.

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JOHN YANG: Today, authorities 
released the names of 
the 23 known victims.

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Seven came from a single family.

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The oldest victim 
was 89 years old.

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The youngest, Armando "A.J."

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Hernandez, was just 6.

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WOMAN: There's been 
loss of loved ones, God.

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There's been loss 
of homes, lord.

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JOHN YANG: At Lee Scott Academy 
in Auburn this morning, the 
community united in prayer

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for another young life lost, 
10-year-old Taylor Thornton, 
a student at the school.

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Carol Dean sat in what's left 
of the home she shared with 
her husband, David Wayne Dean.

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It's also where he died.

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CAROL DEAN, Widow of Tornado 
Victim: I really can't describe.

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He's just -- it was 
just a special bond.

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He completed me, 
and I completed him.

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He was the reason I lived, 
the reason that I got up.

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JOHN YANG: Officials say the 
search for more victims is 
winding down and heavy equipment

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will be hauling away the debris.

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KATHY CARSON, Lee County 
Emergency Management 
Agency Director: This 
has been an ordeal for

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all of us, but I'm going to tell 
you, I think the people here 
and the people who have come

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to help us have 
performed admirably.

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JOHN YANG: As survivors 
prepare to bury the dead, 
and rebuild shattered lives.

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For the "PBS NewsHour," 
I'm John Yang.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Joining me on 
the phone now is Mayor Bubba 
Copeland of Smiths Station,

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Alabama.

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It's a community just east of 
Beauregard that is now grappling 
with this tornado's devastating

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aftermath.

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Mayor Copeland, thank you 
very much for talking with us.

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Tell us how your 
community was affected.

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BUBBA COPELAND, Mayor of Smiths 
Station, Alabama: We have a 
town of 5,000, but a township of

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22,000 that represents 
the greater populace 
of Smiths Station.

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It's a 27-mile-long tornado.

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It was about two football fields 
wide, 170-mile-per-hour winds.

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It -- everything in its path 
pretty much was destroyed.

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It's hard to put into words, 
besides the fact that I have 
never been in a war zone, but

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I have seen a war zone, 
and it's very familiar, 
just total annihilation.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: It's 
extraordinary that you 
didn't have loss of life.

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BUBBA COPELAND: The 
lord really blessed us.

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And it's unbelievable.

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It's a miracle.

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We had two injuries, but they 
were not life-threatening.

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If you were here, you would 
be even more amazed than you 
would be just by saying it, just

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to see the destruction of houses 
and homes and mobile homes.

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We're just so lucky 
and so blessed to not 
have any loss of life.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: How are you 
helping the people who have lost 
their homes and lost everything

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they have, or a lot of it?

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BUBBA COPELAND: Well, you know, 
down in the Deep South, we 
are great a country of people

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who come together.

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And what has happened is, is 
15 minutes after this storm 
come through, people just show

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up everywhere like angels.

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They just come and 
they volunteer.

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Today, we had people from 
South Carolina, Florida, 
Georgia, North Carolina.

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They just drove down with 
heavy equipment and began just 
clearing people's houses, yards

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away, so people can actually 
get out of their houses and get 
to where they could go to the

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store or what have you.

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We also organized 
an effort with EMA.

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Also, Red Cross is here, 
as well as the Alabama 
Forestry Commission is here.

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The Alabama National 
Guard is here.

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Tomorrow, we're expecting 
FEMA to come, hopefully, 
if the president declares 
an emergency, and

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they will come in 
and help us rebuild.

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Right now, we're 
organizing our efforts.

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But the community 
is pulling together.

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And we're trying to help people 
get the clothes they need.

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We have fire stations that are 
open for showers and clothes, 
and we have churches that are

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coming in and feeding 
people that don't have food.

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A lot of people can't 
get out, so we're taking 
food to where they're at.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: How do you 
process, Mayor Copeland, 
that just, what, as 
we said, 15 miles away

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in Beauregard, where there was, 
what, 23 people at least died, 
how do you process that it

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had that impact there, but 
your community, even though 
there was a lot of damage, was

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spared in terms of loss of life?

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BUBBA COPELAND: Our hearts go 
out to the Beauregard community.

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They're part of Lee County.

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We're all part of 
Lee County, Alabama.

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And our hearts are so heavy 
for them, with three children 
being lost and whole families

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being lost.

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Words can't describe 
the sadness.

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This is a very, very 
sad day in Lee County.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, our hearts 
go out to all of you, certainly 
to them, and to everyone

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who has experienced a 
loss in your community.

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Mayor Bubba Copeland of Smiths 
Station, Alabama, thank you 
very much for talking with us.

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BUBBA COPELAND: Thank you.

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It's an honor.

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Thank you.