What was supposed to be a day of celebration for Tonika Sasser’s birthday turned into a nightmare after a power storm with high straight-line winds came through the area of Angleton, TX on March 15. Tonika, who is legally blind, was on her sofa alone that day when she heard the wind blowing and the lights flickering until they went out completely. With the power out Tonika had no ability to charge her phone and her phone went completely dead. She remembers the wind sounding violent, like a train was coming through, and the sounds of something hitting the house like giant balls, she later found out was hail.

Tonika ran into the hallway; she said that something told her to do that and that something was The Lord. She remained in the hallway the entire time praying for her safety. Tonika said she continued praying and meditating and with her hands up and as her hands grew tired, she thought of Moses who had asked Aaron and Hur to hold his hands up until sunset as Joshua fought and won the battle over the Amalekites. She also said that another story that came to mind was when Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the stern, and the disciples woke him and asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” The Gospel of Mark then states that: He then rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

At this point the storm had calmed, and Tonika walked to her back door to look for her dog Miiling and her puppies, but the water had risen to the steps. There was a tree that had fallen, and she had to be cautious due to the live wires, but she was able to get Miiling safely into the house. Tonika stated that this storm seemed like it should have been labeled as a tornado, but it was just a high straight-line windstorm and because of that no one was willing to come out and help her.

She remembers the arrival of Chatt Smith and Karen Gwynne from the Red Cross Disaster Action Team.

“It was like a ray of light had arrived at my doorstep,” said Tonika.

The Red Cross was the first to arrive at her side and their presence let her know that she was no longer alone. They provided a glimpse of hope and with that provided her with food, clothing, and financial assistance when no other entity deemed it necessary enough to provide any help. Tonika experienced roughly 25 days of being out of her home. During that time, she stayed with her mother who had undergone a heart attack. All her children came out to help her and were also able to provide shelter for her. Her Pastor provided financial assistance to help with a hotel as well.

As she went through these challenging times, she got in touch with a lady name of Pamula Goodson with the Coalition for Barrier Free Living who advised her, she would talk to Bill Spencer with Channel 2 news about getting her some assistance. Although for Tonika this situation seemed like the longest days of her life, Bill Spencer called her to let her know that Abacus Plumbing & Electricians agreed to do all the repairs to her house that totaled about $27k at no cost to her.

Tonika’s home means a lot to her because it was inherited to her from her parents. She explains that her father was also blind, and he had a hereditary eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. About 13 years ago Tonika’s blindness started to progress causing her to only see shapes and that is when she had decided to give up driving. Without being able to drive it was hard for her to be able to go seek help after the storm passed.

Tonika the God-fearing woman felt that the condition of her house was way bigger than the storm that came through Angleton on her birthday. The storm came through to expose, repair and bless her with the much-needed repairs that turned out to be a lifesaving experience in life both natural and spiritual. Tonika explains how grateful she is for the Red Cross and all those who answered the call when she needed them the most.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

Story By: Nichole John