Tree falls through DeKalb home feet from where paralyzed woman slept

A southwest DeKalb County family is without their home but thankful to be together after a large tree fell through the middle of their kitchen Monday morning.

Kerry Walker said he, his wife and their two teenage children were getting ready for the day when they heard a loud crashing noise. Another family member, Walker’s mother-in-law Angela Brown, was awakened by the crash.

After checking on their family, Walker and his wife went toward the sound and found that huge branches now occupied much of their Marble Arch Drive home.

“It sounded like crashing and breaking, and it was very loud,” Walker told AJC.com. “That got our attention and we kind of figured it was a tree. We just didn’t know the amount of damage until we went toward the kitchen area to make sure my mother-in-law was OK, because she sleeps near that area.”

Brown is paraplegic, he said.

The fallen tree caused a gas leak, according to Walker. They called 911 and firefighters arrived quickly to turn off the gas and cut the power. All five family members were helped outside safely.

The tree came down as even more rain fell Monday morning on already soggy soil. A weekend system that brought strong storms and knocked out power for thousands of Georgians set up camp Monday over the northern part of the state, fueling more showers and downpours.

RELATED: Flash flood warnings issued as heavy rain douses Southside 

Walker said it was “a very close call.”

“One branch that pierced the kitchen is also leaning on the room where (Brown) sleeps,” he said. “If it would have came through and the structure wouldn’t have held, probably would have been either casualties or severe injuries.”

The family will be out of their home for a while. Walker said they were still looking for a place to stay as of Monday morning.