TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In the tornado-torn rural stretches and cities of the South, the scope and size of a newly homeless population are beginning to sink in.

There are as yet no solid estimates of the number of people who need places to live, although it surely will be more than 10,000, federal and state emergency officials say. And many of them are poor, working class or elderly — those most at risk of becoming permanently homeless.

“It’s that middle group that was fragile, perhaps living paycheck to paycheck, who have now lost their homes and their jobs,” said Kim Burgo, vice president for disaster operations for Catholic Charities USA, which is working to feed and shelter victims.

Of particular concern are older people in the rural communities, where a third of the population is 65 or older and resources are slim.