GALVEZ - A declaration of emergency was filed for Ascension Parish after yesterday's storms left behind a trail of debris and destruction.

"I went through hurricanes, but I've never witnessed it like this," said Galvez residenet Todd Theriot.

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado producing 105 mph winds hit the area on Thursday. The powerful tornado slammed right through homes and smashed through one car's windshield. The vehicle is now covered in a pile of tree debris.

"When I got the alert on my phone, it was already in the backyard," Theriot said. "That's how quick it was."

Another resident, Kassie Harper, was right in the path of the storm. Her home received massive amounts of damage.

"We'll be out of the house for six months to a year," Harper told WBRZ. "We are trying to figure out where we are going to stay.

On Friday, crews were hard at work sawing debris and clearing out the area while cranes were brought out to remove trees that fell right through homes.

The Department of Public Works will pick tree debris this weekend but only for areas affected by severe weather. All debris should be placed by the curbside.