Outside, houses are torn open and trees lie with their roots in the air. Inside, stretchers are lined up in front of tables overflowing with food.
Mississippi, where a tornado caused chaos and death, volunteers are pouring in from surrounding towns to help.
The American Red Cross moved into a National Guard building less than 24 hours after the tornado struck Friday night, killing at least 25 people in the community of 2,000.
An ambulance is parked at the entrance of a room being used as an infirmary and, through the back door, boxes full of cereal bars and baby diapers keep arriving.
"We're trying to give people a place to stay overnight with food and medical support so they can just have a place to lay their heads, because they've lost everything," said John Brown, a Red Cross official for Alabama and Mississippi.
The city is "like a war zone," he said. "It looks like a bomb went off."
Whether or not residents choose to stay in the town center, they will at least have access to information and food and regain some strength, Brown said.
Anna Krisuta, 43, and her 16-year-old son Alvaro Llecha sit in the shelter, one on a stretcher, the other on a chair, electric blue energy drinks in front of them.
Their house is "in pieces," Anna Krisuta says, putting on a brave smile.
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