KENLY, N.C. -- Communities throughout central and eastern North Carolina are recovering on Monday after tornadoes moved through the area this weekend.

The storms killed two people – 60-year-old Marilyn Gomez in Kenly and 11-year-old Joshua Wiggins in Wilson County – and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses in Johnston and Wilson counties. Since then, emergency responders have been working to help families pick up the pieces.

Gov. Mike Easley got a first-hand look at the damage Monday before holding a news conference to give an update on the situation.

In all, 66 homes were damaged or destroyed – 26 in Wilson County and 40 in Johnston County.

Easley sent condolences to the families of Gomez and Wiggins. He said he couldn’t believe more people weren’t hurt.

“The first thing that goes through your mind when you see the damage from an aerial perspective is that you're amazed that there were no more injuries,” said Easley. “These homes were sporadically hit or miss. But when they were hit they were pretty much flattened.”

Easley thanked volunteers for helping with the clean-up effort but warned danger could be among the rubble.

"There can still be people getting hurt from debris that is not safe, is contaminated or sharp," Easley said. "People get hurt or cut."

Easley said he is waiting to hear back from damage assessment teams before he can declare a disaster area for Wilson and Johnston counties.

Easley said he wants to help families whose homes were damaged, but he said the area may not qualify as a federal disaster area because the damage isn't widespread enough to meet those guidelines.

If that's the case, the state can make up to $28,000 of grants available for tornado victims after assessments are complete.

Even so, Easley asked donations be made to the American Red Cross for victims.

"In times of disaster, you go to the Red Cross," Easley said. "They come through. They do a great job. But in tough economic times, when people need them the most, they get the fewest donations."

Easley said the community will work together to get help to those who need it.

"At the end of the day, we're going to make sure everyone is taken care of and made whole," Easley said.

An emergency shelter was opened to help house the dozens of people left homeless by the tornadoes.

People are staying at the Kenly Freewill Baptist Church as well as in free hotel rooms. Volunteers are also providing meals.

School remembers lost classmate

In Wilson, Toisnot Middle School is remembering the student who friends and teachers say made a deep impact on their lives.

"Josh was a loving, young sixth grader that had his whole life to look forward to," said Hilda Bridgers, Wiggins' teacher.

Although he was only at the school for less than a semester, Principal Craig Harris said he had already become an important part of the school.

"Josh was a very fun-loving young man. He was always smiling. Every time I passed him in the halls, he always had a smile on his face," Harris said. "He interacted well with his peers. Clearly, he was well-loved and well-respected by both his peers and his teachers."

Now, the school is focusing on the other students and staff. Greif counselors are now working to help the community.

"What students have done, they would write messages to Joshua, or their personal feelings, or what they're thinking," Harris said. "They would put it in balloons and we would just simply release it."

Although Bridgers said she is concerned about how her student will deal with Wiggins' death, she's confident they can come together to heal.

"I think age is more of a factor for them because it's their peer, that's their friend," she said. "But we're all going to get through it."