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Red Cross helps family who escaped falling trees
The severe storms wreaked havoc in DeKalb County on Monday. On Pinewood Avenue, three trees came crashing down onto a family's home while they were still inside. They barely made it out alive. FOX 5 helped connect the family with the Red Cross, an entity now doing everything in its power to take care of them.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A family is picking up the pieces after three trees crashed onto their home. They barely made it out alive. It happened Monday afternoon on Pinewood Drive in DeKalb County.
Lakeschia Dennis struggled through her tears after her family narrowly escaped from their home with just the clothes on their backs.
"We’re still in shock," Dennis said. "Our lives could’ve been gone."
Heavy rain and high wind toppled the trees. "We hear a loud boom," Dennis said.
Dennis, her four young children and her mom ran out as massive tree trunks and branches slammed through their roof and tore through their rooms.
"Then we hear another boom. The tree came in my room on my bed," Dennis said.
One of the trees nearly hit her young son. "The tree was one top of the bed. He literally ran right before the tree fell. He was able to get out," Dennis said.
The Dennis family lost everything. They didn’t know or where to turn.
FOX 5 helped connect Dennis with the Red Cross. Missy Griner is a disaster-response volunteer. "It’s absolutely heartbreaking when things like this happen to people," Griner said. I try to put myself in their position and I try to help the client as much as I can,"
Crews worked to remove the trees from Dennis’s devastated home as Griner worked to give the family hope.
"We’re making sure she has a safe place to stay for the next couple of days. And in that way she can think about what her next steps are and what she needs to do," Griner said.
Dennis was able to get her kids to school on Tuesday despite all her family was enduring.
Call the Red Cross if you are the victim of these storms or any disaster. That number is: 800-733-2767.
As for the Dennis family, they have set up a GoFundMe account to help the family of five get back on their feet.