PERRYSVILLE, Ohio — Northeast Ohioans have been forced to be on their toes several days this summer with tornadoes and other severe weather invading the area.
One of those storms turned frightening for an Ashland County family after a tree came crashing into a Perrysville home and into a nursery for twin baby boys. One of the big branches landed near a crib and mere inches from a bouncer.
The scary ordeal happened around 5:30 a.m. July 29 on State Route 95 at the home of Tucker Burson and Kailey Bartram, the parents of the babies.
"There was lots of thunder, lots of lightning. The house was shaking. We were upstairs in bed," Bartram said.
The 16-month-old twins, Bowen and Lucas, were in the bedroom of their parents as the storm worsened, and then, the electricity went out.
Bartram knew it was time to get moving downstairs.
"The power flipped off and I jumped up out of bed. I'm like, 'Grab a twin. Let's go,'" she told News 5.
The couple didn't realize it at the time, but a large poplar tree in their yard had landed on their home and another branch had pierced the ceiling in the hallway before they raced down the steps.
"All of a sudden, we started getting hit with plaster from the ceiling. In my eyes, I'm like, 'Oh my Gosh, my ceiling is getting ripped off,'" Bartram said.
Everyone made it safely to the basement. After the storm passed, the family went to the nearby home of Burson's dad.
It wasn't until they returned home a few hours later that they realized how much damage was done to the upper part of their home.
The image of the tree in the nursery is hard to erase.
"It makes you sick to your stomach," Bartram said. "I still get goosebumps because of the what-ifs."
The couple said they are still waiting for an insurance adjuster to assess the damage, pointing out that insurance companies have been very busy in the area because of damage from multiple storms.
In the meantime, they are grateful to relatives and friends who have temporarily repaired the holes in their roof.
"I was so thankful," Bartram said.
She said the scary experience made a lasting impact on her and she wants to remind others to get to the basement or the lowest level when a nasty storm hits.
"Every time it rains now— like the last storm— it's downstairs instantly."
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