MATTOON, Ill (WAND) - A family in Mattoon is left with no roof, but an army of help. Their roof was torn off in the tornado that passed through Friday evening. 

"We could feel the room sucking in and out," said Wendy Cox, one of the homeowners. They had to cling to a small cement step all together and wait it out. 

"I was sitting in the middle and I have the two grandkids on my lap. My daughter in law was in front of me. My son was on the left side. My husband was on the right side right behind me," Wendy said. They share about the moment they got the alert. 

"As soon as that happened, we called next door to get them out of the trailer. And it was like less than five [minutes before it hit], they got over here... they have two little kids a six year old and a two year old," Wendy said. 

That was barely enough time before the worst of it hit. But they didn't notice the worst damage until they walked outside. 

"We didn't know the roof was gone until we walked out. And then all the stuff in my attic is in the yard. So the first thing I said to my daughter in law was, 'I've been wanting to clean the attic," Wendy said. 

Wendy and her husband Gene live in a home next door to their son and daughter-in-law and their two kids. They are always lending a hand to those in need. 

"We're on the the [volunteer] fire department. So, you can get calls any time possibly for that," said Wendy's husband, Gene Cox.

"We're both on the fire department... I'm [also] a nurse at at Sarah Bush," Wendy said. But Friday, they had the roles flipped.  

"We got a lot of family here. We got a lot of friends. I'm a 4-H leader in Coles County for like 20 some years. [We have] an army here. We, you know, we were blessed right now. We got a lot of people here helping us," Wendy said. 

Thankfully, no one had to bury any livestock, but most importantly, they are all still together.

"These things can be replaced, but the most important things are your family," Wendy said. Â