The storms that tore through Green Township on Tuesday left behind a scene of extensive destruction, and many residents were still without power well into Wednesday night. For some, the damage was far worse than a temporary inconvenience; it was the loss of their home, at least for now.
The Evans family in Monfort Heights knows that reality all too well. A massive tree, more than 100 feet tall, came crashing down onto their home on Boomer Road. Dan Evans described the aftermath as a mess of debris and rain, with tens of thousands of dollars in damage. The tree destroyed his stepson’s bedroom, ripping away the ceiling and opening the home to the elements.
“It’s quite a mess. Definitely could have been hurt,” Evans said. The family dog was the only one home when the tree fell; thankfully, she emerged safe, and no people were injured. But the house itself took a heavy hit. “My stepson’s room was completely destroyed, so the ceiling is gone,” Evans said. “Obviously, the rain’s coming in, so it’s a pretty big amount of damage, and it also took off a good chunk of the front of our house.”
Just down the road, Steve Calardo and his wife had their own close call. When tornado sirens began blaring, they rushed to the basement. That decision likely saved their lives. From their shelter, they watched the storm’s fury unfold through a window. “We literally thought we could look out the window and see the straight-line winds coming through,” Calardo said. “Trees were literally just bending in half.” Then came a massive thud as multiple trees came down, knocking out power lines and damaging their home.
“Knocked out the brick and the west wall of the house, into a bedroom there,” Calardo said. “Another limb protruding through the ceiling, which is still sticking through the ceiling in there.” He and his wife are counting their blessings that their grandchildren weren’t visiting that day. Had anyone been in that bedroom, the outcome could have been tragic. “Had someone been sitting in that bedroom that the tree came down, it could have been a different story we would be talking about,” he said.
Across the area, utility crews were out in force, working to restore power to thousands of customers. Duke Energy warned that delays were likely due to the sheer volume of damage, and residents were bracing for what could be a prolonged recovery.
