Armed with rakes, chainsaws, and the willingness to work, an army of volunteers took to Elm City early Sunday morning.

"We got a call yesterday that they needed help,” said Tim Treanor, a volunteer from Rocky Mount,  “and so we gathered about 100 men from the area."

With such widespread destruction, it was tough to figure out where to start.

The work was slow going, but crews set a steady pace.

"Nails here, nails there, sheet metal and stuff,” said Treanor.  “It's just a lot of good hands out here, so it's really not too bad."

Many of the people putting in the longest hours just showed up on their own, while others were trying to help long-time friends. 

"We're trying to salvage some of her Christmas stuff," said Phyllis Dry, who came from Holly Springs.

"The workers are doing great, and they deserve a great round of applause," said Becky Evans, who woke up Saturday to her roof tearing away.

Evans said the entire experience has been surreal, from the moment the tornado struck.

"I saw all those trees and I thought, well what is that?  It's not time for trees to be putting out their buds," said Evans.

Of course, it wasn't budding trees -- but freshly-picked cotton, stuck to almost everything, making a strange-looking sight that much more bizarre. 

Evans said she's happy, though, to pick through the wreckage and to salvage what she can.

"When you go through that, and you come out of it alive, this is nothing," said Evans.

Wiggins' Funeral Set

Joshua Wiggins' funeral is tentatively set for Saturday, with a visitation on Friday -- although details are still being worked out.

Neighbors are in the process of setting up a fund in Joshua's memory, and another for a pair of families who are now homeless because of the tornado. 

Both funds will be through any branch of the State Employees Credit Union.