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NEWBERRY -- It's like what you see in movies. Debris and rubble piled up in what used to be houses.

Harvey Sherman found out his cabins were destroyed on Monday but still hoped something was there.

"From the photos we had, we could tell that the woodshed was still there. So we were honestly expecting to find some part of the acreage that wasn't burned, and it didn't happen," said Sherman.

He says losing the cabins was like losing years of memories. For decades, it's been a family tradition to visit.

The most heart wrenching part for many residents is seeing what all their memories have been reduced to:  melted metal.

"I kept a daily journal, it's gone. That was for my grandkids. I can't replace that. I can't replace that," Sherman said.

Officials estimate more than 50 residents came back to see their properties throughout the day.

"Some of them are very angry, some of them are very sad, and you know some of them are just accepting. They realize there was nothing anybody could do. It was just an awesome force of nature they were subjected to," said Wilson.

So far, DNR officials say 136 buildings were lost. Of those, 49 were cabins and homes.

For Harvey and his family, they're looking to stick around.

"Again, we are going to go ahead. We are not done up here for sure! It may be down the road, it may be right back where we were, but someplace we're going to rebuild. That we've decided," Harvey said.

Road access is only open to residents daily from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.