David Cox’s home were the tree fell on top of his roof during the storm

It was 3 in the morning on the 3rd of May when David Cox’s brother headed towards the main door of their Shepherd home to check out the increasingly dangerous “hail which was thicker than rain” when a tree fell directly on top of their home nearly killing David’s brother by a few seconds.

“It was through my bedroom and my kitchen” Mr. David recounts with horror as he retells the night in which they lost their home and almost lost their lives.

The inside of David’s brothers bedroom were the tree fell and could have killed him

He remembers calling 911 and having to wait in the home which now had active electrical wires in the water and being trapped until morning, fearing for his life and that of his brother as water poured in from the holes the tree had made on their ceiling. Eventually the pair was taken to a Red Cross shelter, but David’s home continued to be damaged after the tree’s fall due to the continuing rains which poured water over his home of 12 years mercilessly until a Red Cross team was able to remove the tree a couple of weeks later.

After staying at Red Cross shelters in Shepherd and Coldspring he is currently living in a cheap motel unsure of what lies next for him. Mr. David relies on social security income and has a wide array of medical issues which include diabetes, stage 3 kidney disease, and utilizes a heart defibrillator unit to survive. The Red Cross was able to provide for his immediate needs like shelter, food, water, and blankets as well as some monetary aid.

“We needed it badly, otherwise we’d be on the street,” said David.

However, nothing can replace a home of over a decade and all the work and memories that have been poured into it. Especially when David, like so many others affected by the weather in East Texas, does not have home insurance. For him, his only choice is to do his best to fix his home on his social security income and any other help offered to him.

 David’s plea to volunteers or those considering volunteering is “I desperately need help. I’ll take any help that I can get. I need heavy repairs. I am in a world of trouble.” As time goes on David realizes, “At the end of the month I will have no more money or a place to stay.”

If you would like to help make a difference for individuals like David who have been impacted by severe weather, you can make a meaningful difference by donating online or volunteering at redcross.org, you can also call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Story by: Rayza Trevino