BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – In Bluefield, WV, one homeowner is on day five with a damaged roof from Sunday night (January 5, 2025), as ice accumulated from freezing rain – a tree fell onto Chance Burton’s home off Hale Street.
“About 2:00 AM, we were sitting in the house and all of a sudden, we just heard noise like a bear was running against us inside the house,” said Burton. “Next thing I know here comes this 40-foot tree behind us, just over the house. I mean, it shook the whole house. It was kind of crazy.”
Although Burton knew the storm was coming, he did not expect to see the tree partially damage the roof of his home the next morning.
“This was the first time, completely unexpected. Like I said, the ice, you can kind of still see on this tree. No warning, just come on right over. I mean, we have a little bit of, I’d say, yard damage, but nothing like this.”
The tree is partially hanging on the powerline, causing occasional flickering of their power, but Burton said they still have electricity and hope to have the tree cleared once it warms up.
Burton says, “We’re going to try to wait until the snow clears up, preferably before then, but as cold and slick as it is out here is with the wind chill, I don’t think anyone should be out here, especially on that high up in the, you know, touching it.”
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