Harold and Irene Hawes of Rome were home Thursday around 5:30 P.M. when they saw a black cloud headed their way. Irene says they heard thunder and saw lightening and then it began to rain. When the hail started falling and the wind began to roar, she says it sounded like someone was shooting a machine gun at their house.

The hail smashed windows, skylights, mowed down trees and dented just about every car in the lot of Hawes' auto body repair shop. Irene says it was the scariest thing she has ever witnessed.

"It started thundering and the rain, and then all of a sudden I could see these hail stones coming and it was horrors. I mean the windows started popping out of the house and the hail and the rain was coming right into the living room, water was running right down my living room floor," said Hawes. "It was the worst I've ever seen. I was never so scared in my life."

The Hawes' say, despite the damage, they feel lucky to be alive. A day after the storm hit, there are still piles of hail around their property. So me of it was the size of golf balls.