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Storm cleanup slow in Spring, residents say
It's been weeks since a storm destroyed so many homes in the northern parts of our viewing area, leaving residents without power in this heat and many without a place to stay.
SPRING, Texas - The cleanup continues in the Inverness Forest neighborhood in Spring a week after severe storms and 80-mile-per-hour winds ravaged the area. The strong wind gusts blew over power lines and caused large trees to crash into people's homes.
Like many residents in the area, Jhonny Flores says the storm took him and his family by surprise.
"It just came and went and that was it. But it left significant damage and I’ve never seen anything like this," Flores said.
A massive tree crashed into his roof and left his home more damaged than any other hurricane they’ve lived through over the last 15 years.
"When Ike hit, that was nothing compared to this," Flores said. "Once we heard that big boom in the back of our house, we knew we had a problem. We knew there was a tree that came down. It’s just a matter of where one is going to go down, then maybe another one, that’s what we were scared of. We were out of power for five days, almost six days in this heat."
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Down the road at 87-year-old Jenny’s home, the inside of her house where she’s lived for the last 50 years has been completely gutted. Her roof and ceiling have been covered with a tarp, while industrial fans blast air into her living room to prevent mildew from growing.
Jenny says she was watching TV during the storm when a massive tree fell in her backyard fell and nearly killed her.
"That messed up the water line, some of the electric lines, and it also broke apart an AC duct. So, the humidifiers are in there now,"
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Ultimately, Jenny says she’s grateful she’s alive and surrounded by her loved ones.
"I have a family that cares about me. My daughter and son-in-law have been wonderful."
Experts urge residents who have to work outside in the extreme heat to drink plenty of water, find relief in the shade to avoid direct sun exposure, and take breaks in an air-conditioned location as much as possible if they start to feel overheated.