On March 3, an EF-4 tornado tore through an Alabama community, killing at least 23 people from age six to 89. Authorities say dozens remain missing.

The storm, the deadliest in the U.S since 2013, reached speeds of up to 170 mph. It ripped apart houses and businesses and scattered utilities, clothing, and family memories in a path of destruction nearly a mile wide.

From above, the degree to which tree lines and homes were shredded by the storm becomes clear:

Losing a home pales in comparison to the heartache of losing a loved one. Among the those killed by the tornado was David Dean, a 53-year-old husbandand father who was found dead by his son.

"My life is gone," said Carol Dean, David's wife. "He was the reason I lived, the reason that I got up."

The family returned to the home finding Carol's wedding dress and a Father's Day note to David Dean reading "Daddy, I love you to pieces."

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A 'train-like' sound in Beauregard

Dorothy Wilborn was in her home when the storm hit and one of those in Beauregard who survived the storm. She said she heard a "train-like sound" five minutes before the tornado struck her home, ripping the ceiling off.

She hunkered in her hallway with her son and his wife, hoping to survive the powerful winds.

"I'm just thanking God we're all still here," Wilborn said.

The family returned to the home to asses and clean up the damage the day after the deadly tornado.

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Finding a family ring in tornado debris

Hunter and Emily Lashley had bought their home in the community after getting married two years ago. They weren't home at the time of the storm and initially thought their house had survived the tornado. But they returned to see it torn apart.

Emily had left her wedding ring in the shower that day. The ring, a vintage, gold and diamond piece, was a piece of jewelry her grandmother had owned and passed down.

"We had about 10 people out here looking and we managed to find it under some shampoo bottles," Hunter Lashley said.

"It's priceless," Emily Lashley said as she spun the ring on her finger.

Nate Chute is aproducer with the USA Today Network. Follow him on Twitter at @nchute.