Tree falls onto house during severe storm in Manor Borough

A severe storm made its way through parts of Westmoreland County Monday evening, leaving behind damage to several trees and homes.

“It was like a train coming. It was very loud,” said Stephanie Charrie.

Charrie said she was tired early, so decided to lay in bed and watch TV. She dozed off, and moments later, a 300-year-old tree in her front yard came crashing down onto the house from the storm.

“The next thing you know all the plaster is falling on my head,” Charrie said. “The tree didn’t come into the house, just the plaster and I really don’t know much after that. I just crawled out from under the plaster and my husband wasn’t here. I called him and then it all ran together from there.”

As soon as the storm moved out, clean up processes started.

A local company strapped the tree to a crane and worked until 4:30 a.m. Tuesday to get it off the house and removed from the property.

“The tree made it’s damage, but the house won,” Chuck Charrie told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek. “It held it up.”

Chuck Charrie said the home – which was built in 1879 – took some damage to the roof and a few upper rooms. He said had it been a newer home, this could be a much different story.

“The house literally stood there and protected her because of the way it was built back then,” Chuck Charrie said.

“If it were a newer home, the tree probably would have went down to the first floor, and I probably wouldn’t be here,” Stephanie Charrie added.

Because of how old the home is, the Charries say they’ll have to have a specialist work to rebuild the damaged part of the home and make new crown moldings that match what it once was.

But, they both say they’re glad they’re both alive.

“No matter the damage, it doesn’t matter,” Stephanie Charrie said. “Like, I’m here. I’m happy.”

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