‘I lost everything’: Fallen tree destroys Gastonia family’s home

GASTONIA, N.C. — A storm on Saturday night brought a tree down through the middle of a house, changing the lives of the family inside.

“So this right here where the tree is, this is my bedroom,” Porsha Brown showed Severe Weather Center 9 Meteorologist Joe Puma.

Brown was at home with her four kids late Saturday night when a powerful storm came through Gastonia. It knocked the massive tree onto the family’s home, sending it through the roof.

The family was able to get out safely, and while they did lose their cat, Brown said it could have been so much worse.

“Just a normal day. I got off work, I was tired, I slept majority of the day. That’s why I woke up to tell my daughter it’s time to go to bed,” Brown said. “An hour later, that tree came crashing through and changed our lives forever.”

Brown said the tree came within inches of her son, who was asleep in the living room.

“That could have been my son,” she said. “The story could have went totally different, a lot different. It could have been me and three kids.”

The house has been deemed a total loss, but they are staying positive and counting their blessings.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful because I lost everything. Because at the end of the day, we still have our lives. We are still here,” she said.

The Browns did not have renter’s insurance on the house so they have a tough road forward. If you’d like to help the family, click here to donate to their GoFundMe.

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