THAXTON, Va. – Tammy Johnston says she is blessed to be alive after a natural disaster took out half of her Thaxton home Saturday night.
"It sounded like a train coming through the yard," Johnston said. "I'm amazed that we're all OK."
Two large trees toppled in a thunderstorm and landed on Johnston's roof. One of them crashed through her daughter's room, but her daughter was not home at the time.
"If it was any other day, she would have been back there, probably napping or watching TV," Johnston said. "The roof came in right on her bed."
The disaster happened while the family is mourning Johnston's husband, who died suddenly of a stroke a week ago.
"I picked up his ashes and his military flag on Friday," Johnston said.
Johnston says she is counting her blessings after the storm because no one was hurt and the house is likely stable enough to rebuild.
"It has been extremely hard, but I'm blessed and doing a lot of prayer," Johnston said. "We have had friends reach out, too. We're going to be OK, but I hope I never experience this again."