Linda Justice and her adult daughter had just passed the one-year mark living in their cozy rental cottage when Hurricane Helene hit.
They moved to Georgia from Ohio to be close to extended family after the passing of Justice’s husband.
The storm hit the compact house hard, felling eight trees on the tiny lot, three of which sliced through the roof, and one crushing Justice’s car.
Soon ceiling tiles were falling in the bedroom and water was coursing down the walls.
“The air conditioner ripped off the house,” said a family member. “It was actually suspended around the other side of the home up in the air.”
A gas line was ripped from the side of the house, causing a gas leak.
“They were calling me about it,” said the family who wished to remain anonymous. “I opened the door and saw power lines all over the road and a tree in my drive way.
“We’ve always been told you can’t step outside while those lines are live. They were in the house with gas and with trees falling. I had to call 911 and get somebody out here and shut the gas off.
“They opened the front door during the hurricane to air it out and trees were still falling onto the roof. It was a wild situation. The gas line getting ripped off while they were in there and couldn’t get out and with live lines and the weather, that was horrifying.”
The family is now equipped with a new generator and chainsaw.
“My concerns for the next storm are trees which are now leaning that weren’t leaning before,” the anonymous family said.
