By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
A family of four was forced to flee their home early this morning (May 23, 2019) when high winds toppled towering maple into their home.
Scott Roehl, the father, said he was in the kitchen of the home 985 W. Wooster, watching the storm come in.
“This tree started moving and cracking more than it had,” he said. “ I ran the other way not knowing where the tree would come down. … It penetrated into the second floor” and knocked down half the home’s chimney.
His wife, who was upstairs, “made her way through dry wall, insulation, floor joists and rafters to get down the stairs to get out of the house.”
Their adult son, Cameron, and teenage daughter, Alexis, were on the first floor. All were safe as was the family’s dog.
Given the severity of the damage Lt. Jason Wilkins of the Bowling Green Fire Division said it was “almost a miracle” that Michelle Roehl escaped without injuries.
Wilkins said the call came in at 6:43 a.m. Crews responded from Station 2, just a few blocks away.
“We were able to safely walk them out of the structure, making sure nothing else was damaged and nothing else structural was going to come down.”
Emergency crews turned off utilities to prevent further damage. They also assisted the Roehls “getting hold of insurance companies and any other assistance they needed.”
Scott Roehl said firefighters hustled them out of the house as the family tried to collect valuables.
The force of the tree hitting the house, he said, was not as loud as one would expect. “But to have a maple tree in your second floor is not something pleasant at 7 in the morning.”
Wilkins stressed the importance that in such emergencies occupants not to worry about belongings. “The most important thing is the safety of ourselves and our family because they’re not able to be replaced.”
Outside the home, the family was trying to contact the insurance company. Roehl was concerned about getting the house covered to prevent further water damage to the home.
Wilkins said there were numerous reports of trees and lines down around Bowling Green. Some residents reported power out.
Social media reports indicate incidents elsewhere, including a power outage in Haskins.
