"I'm trying to keep a sense of normalcy," said Debra Tobin, 41.

That will be a challenge.

Life for the Tobin family was turned upside down last Wednesday morning by an explosion in a chemical plant near their home on Bates Street in Danversport. The house can be saved, but it will require extensive repairs, which means the Tobins are one of the many Danversport families forced to live in hotels and motels for the next few days, weeks and - in some cases - months.

In all, nearly 70 homes on Riverside, Bates and Water streets were either damaged or destroyed. While many of those left temporarily homeless are living with relatives or friends, a total of 29 families received hotel vouchers from the American Red Cross. Those vouchers were good for only three days, so those families are either covered by insurance or paying out of their own pockets. The stays could be long, and the bills large.

"At a minimum, two months we're going to be out," said Debra Tobin, as she sat by a counter in a two-room suite at the Homestead Studio Suites Hotel, an extended-stay residence in Centennial Industrial Park in Peabody.

A few miles away, a half-dozen Danversport neighbors sat around tables last night in the gatehouse, a lobby and eating area at the Marriott Residence Inn on Route 1 in Danvers. Many of the families have been living there since the accident. While accommodations are comfortable - the rooms have fireplaces - it is still not home.

"I wish I was back in my house, but this is better than nothing," said Kathy Surawski, 53, of 18 Bates St.

The Surawskis sat at a table in the common area last night chatting with Richard and Jacqueline Boudreau of 16 Bates St. - their longtime neighbors.

"We live 20 feet apart on Bates Street and 10 feet apart here," joked Bob Surawski, 53.

Many of the families interviewed yesterday appeared in good spirits, but every day is hectic and filled with emotion.

They meet with public adjusters and insurance inspectors to review the damages. They fill out forms, attend meetings and make countless phone calls. They think of all they've lost - and all they have.

"It would be a lot worse it we had to go to a hospital" to visit family members, said Jim Tobin, 49.

Although more than 20 people were treated at area hospitals, no deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

Like many families, the Tobins' first priority is their two sons, Keegan, 9, and Jake, 8. They want life to be as normal as possible, even though there is no way it can be. Instead of having their own beds, the boys are sharing a bed in a crowded room that has a couch, TV set and small kitchen area.

"There's no room," Keegan said.

There are also no friends right outside the front door, but Debra Tobin plans to sign her sons up for an after-school Fun Club at Riverside School, so the boys can play with friends.

"We're fortunate," she said. "A lot of people I've talked to are having problems with their kids. They're anxious when it gets dark ... (and) they just don't want to go to bed."

The Tobins are adjusting to living out of two rooms, although a handicapped-accessible apartment would be better, said Debra Tobin, who is in a wheelchair. But she's not complaining. She has been through other challenges in her life: In a 14-month period, she gave birth to two sons, had a gall bladder removed and a leg amputated.

"My husband and myself are kind of good at a crisis," she said.

Lori and George Ataya, another Bates Street couple, are doing everything they can to turn the Marriott Residence Inn into a home for their daughter, Ashlee, 12, and son, Matthew, 10.

"We put a Christmas tree up in our hotel room," said Lori, 35.

Like many other families made temporarily homeless, the Atayas are grateful for the kindness being shown by the community.

"We're always the ones organizing fundraisers," Lori Ataya said. "It's hard to be on the other end. It's very moving how much people care."

Tom Dalton can be reached at 978-338-2523 or by e-mail at tdalton@ecnnews.com.