A South Jersey couple managed to escape as a large tree crashed through their home during Monday’s nor’easter.
Dana Reganata was alone inside her home on West Mount Vernon and West End avenues in Haddonfield Monday around 6 p.m. as powerful winds hit the region.
“I always was a little worried about the tree between the houses,” Reganata said. “I just had a bad feeling about it.”
Suddenly Reganata heard debris falling into her chimney and she noticed her two dogs were acting strange. She grabbed a flashlight and ran outside as the storm continued. That’s when she discovered a giant red oak tree leaning against the house.
“I shined the flashlight. I could see that our fireplace chimney was cracked and it was leaning on the house. But the tree was still upright,” she said.
Reganata quickly called her husband David as well as the fire department who arrived within minutes. Firefighters told the couple to get out of the home immediately because the tree wasn’t stable. As Reganata and her husband grabbed important items, the enormous tree began to fall.
“So I ran upstairs to grab stuff for the boys. That’s when we heard this like crazy, loud, almost like an accordion sound and the tree just started to fall down,” she said.
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The tree crashed into their bedroom as Reganata and her husband ran out of the house. They escaped without injury. Their two adult sons were not home at the time.
The couple stayed with a friend overnight. They plan to assess the damage and estimated repair cost once the home is stable. For now they’re counting their blessings.
“We’re all alive,” Reganata said. “We have good friends and good insurance. We should be fine.”
