Louisville family looking for answers after tree crushes home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Families escaping disaster is now a story all too familiar to families all across Jefferson County who felt the impacts of Friday’s windstorm.

Some losing everything.

Friday March 3rd, 2023 is a day the Mehler family said they will never forget.

A large oak that once shaded over their home of 16 years, is now responsible for uprooting their lives.

“We just heard this really, oh my God, sound of wind and pressure coming and then next thing we know we heard snap, snap snap, and crackles,” Sondra Mehler said.

Next door, their neighbors also saw a oak tree destroy a part of their house.

The Mehler’s managed to escape tragedy but had to watch everything they built crumble before their eyes.

“We ran as fast as we could and as we were going out of the house, the tree was steadily falling and the house was steadily collapsing on us,” Mehler said. “And we barely made it out.”

Inside the home, tree branches and pieces of their roof can be seen stretching inches from where the family sat before disaster struck.

The visual is now a centerpiece of a nightmare they just can’t seem to wake up from.

“It just plays over and over in our heads,” Mehler said. “Hearing those sounds, and seeing the tree come down, and the feeling of the house just collapsing around us, and just getting out, and the wind was blowing so much and it was just really scary.”

However, even after all the trauma that should have snapped their spirits, Mehler and her family lean on their faith and say they’re thankful to be alive and to have neighbors that truly care about their well-being.

“God is good,” said Mehler. “God is good and he puts good people with good people to help each other. And that’s what we have to do as a community. Just come together and do what we can to help each other.”

What’s clear for the Mehler’s is that they’re happy to be alive. Where they go from here, however, well that’s still a little hazy.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know where to go from here,” Mehler said. “We’re still dealing with the shock of it all and just trying to do what we can to get the little belongings that we can get to safety, and try to build our lives and keep pushing day by day and pray that people are going to do what they can to help us because right now we don’t know.”

Mehler said they have reached out to the Red Cross and are awaiting a plan of action.

In the meantime, if you’d like to help the family you can check out their gofundme.

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