Tree tumbles down and damages Jacksonville family's roof

A local family wand their 11-month-old son was inside their home when a tree came tumbling down on their roof.

The storm on storm caused significant damage to the family’s house near Lakeshore South after, they said, a lightning strike snapped their tree in half.

Downed limbs, broken glass and water were found inside the Pirela family's sunroom after the tree landed on the roof.

Marquise Pirela said he heard a thud and knew something was wrong, so he went to assess the damage. “It’s still dripping in here, but you can see some of the wood from the ceiling has come down,” he said.

His family moved into the home after a tree landed on the roof of the property they were renting, after Hurricane Matthew.

“We are still recovering now. It’s just a lot to deal with right now,” Pirela said.

He said he had trees on the property assessed and the landlord was notified that a tree, the one that later fell down, needed to be removed.

“We had them access this tree, in particular, the one that fell down on our home, and they realized this tree is dead and they come out and fix it,” Pirela said.

He told us he’s grateful his 11-month-old son was on the opposite side of the house when this happened.

“I just went to his room and held him in the center of the house till the brunt of the storm passed,” Pirela said.

While the faily's personal items have been ruined, he said he’s just thankful that his family is safe. One step at a time, they plan to rebuild their lives.

“All of this stuff is replaceable. Everybody is OK, and we can come together and clean this all up,” said Pirela.

Contractors on Sunday evening put a tarp on the roof to limit the amount of moisture that gets inside. They’re expected to come back Monday to assess the extent of the damage.

Cox Media Group