They had food and water to distribute on Monday, but the American Red Cross said people really needed mental health counselors.

An aid organizer struggled to compare east Alabama to other disaster scenes after a wave of tornadoes killed at least 23 people here.

“It’s devastation. That’s all I can say,” said Kelly Striplin Hodges, executive director of the American Red Cross’ central Alabama chapter.

The Red Cross opened a shelter at Providence Church in Opelika just after the storm but only four people were able to stay there Sunday, Hodges said. Some of the survivors who had transportation didn’t have a road to travel. Streets were still being cleared Monday morning as disaster assessment and counseling teams were sent out.

Some of those whose homes were damaged refused to leave even as the roads were cleared, and as temperatures dipped into the 30s. “We’re trying to get people to the shelter where there’s power, heat, blankets. During times of disaster it’s tough to get people to leave what little they have left,” Hodges said.

At the same time, the Red Cross was being “flooded with calls” from people wanting information. Many of them were asking about the well-being of friends or relatives. The Red Cross has a site where survivors can register on a database to let people know they’re OK. But it’s hard to register when you have no power.

Alabama Power said extra crews were working in Lee County overnight, but by noon Monday power was still out for about 1,800 customers. Most of those homes were in small communities like Smiths Station and Beauregard, where tornadoes left a path of broken poles and downed lines.

Hodges said some of the other calls coming in Monday were from community groups or businesses offering help. The Red Cross is planning to set up a center for multiple organizations to offer services at one location, but there’s no time frame for that yet. Still, Hodges said the people of the area are eager to contribute.

“These communities are really coming together,” she said.