An Altha family had an early morning visitor they won’t soon forget. An enormous oak tree crashed into their brick home on Fuqua Street Tuesday, destroying two bedrooms and causing extensive damage to the residence.
Mike and Holly Nichols, along with their three-year-old son, were just starting to stir just after 7 a.m. Mike was still in bed. Their little one, who normally paid an early visit to his mom and dad’s bedroom to sit on the edge of the bed and watch Mickey Mouse cartoons, opted for the living room on this particular day. Suddenly, Mike heard a strange creaking sound and jumped out of bed.
Just in the nick of time, he made it out of the bedroom to his wife and son when the creak turned into a crash.
The walls in both bedrooms came crumbling down, along with the ceilings, scattering insulation. A brick wall was destroyed and an air conditioning unit crushed.
The family was alarmed to discover the source of the noise and destruction was the old oak tree on the corner that appeared healthy. The tree was covered in green leaves.
Before long, neighbors, police, family and friends arrived. Upon closer inspection, the uprooted tree base revealed a hollow trunk. Mike also noticed some dead areas that had been covered by the healthy leaves.
The house is owned by Millie Williams who is Holly’s aunt. “This was my mother’s house,” she told The County Record, tearfully looking around the damaged structure.
Despite the damage to the home, the entire family is confident of one thing: God was looking out for them Tuesday morning.
