Maple Ridge man’s home in Florida severely damaged by Hurricane Ian
Posted September 28, 2022 7:06 pm.
Last Updated September 28, 2022 7:14 pm.
An oak tree has come crashing through the roof of Jon Swisher, a Maple Ridge man who recently moved to St. Petersburg, Florida.
His new home is on the Gulf Coast near Tampa Bay, and because of Hurricane Ian, he already needs to make massive repairs.
Swisher says his mother-in-law was taking a nap nearby when the tree from his backyard came crashing down through the roof Wednesday, when Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm.
“My mother-in-law, who was here from Vancouver, was just starting to take a nap and the tree came crashing through the ceiling, it didn’t hit her luckily, it just pierced through the drywall in the ceiling,” he explained.
(Photo courtesy of Jon Swisher)
Swisher says he now has a hole through the drywall, and water has been allowed to pour in.
“It broke through the trusses… I’ve got some tubs set up to catch as much of the water as I can,” he said.
No one was injured, but Swisher says they were forced to evacuate after the same tree caused a power-outage at the home.
(Photo courtesy of Jon Swisher)
After spending three hours on the roof cleaning up the tree, and with the help of his next-door-neighbour, Swisher says he was able to create a temporary fix.
He plans to stay at the house of a nearby family member who still has power.
Just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status, Ian continues to ravage the gulf coast. Swisher is amoung many people living nearby who continue to face damages to their homes, severe flooding and power outages.
