On March 4, 2025, Julia Norris was at Texas Children’s Hospital with her infant son, Federick, eight weeks old, who was a pediatric patient when the storm struck her home.  

A pine tree was brought down by the storm hitting a Magnolia tree preventing it from going through the roof of the house but causing damage along the way. The pine tree hit the front side of the house and rolled off preventing it from entering through the roof; however, the tree caused large holes in the roof allowing water to enter the home. As the rain continued to come water poured into the home damaging everything in site.

Ms. Norris was notified by her neighbor about the damages to her house since no one was in the house when the tree crashed into the roof.  When they returned home, they were devastated to see the damage that had been caused but they had no where else to live so they placed a tarp over their roof and tried to make the best out of the situation. When the American Red Cross heard of the damage they immediately went to their aid. They were able to go out to the home and make contact with Ms. Norris and help the family financially as well as help them find a temporary place to live while they fixed their home.

Ms. Norris gave praise for the work and help of the American Red Cross Disaster Team, stating how calm they remained and that they were “very sweet.”  She stated the disaster team was very empathetic and expressed their condolences for the damage the family incurred.  Ms. Norris expressed praise for all the help they received from the American Red Cross.  The help the disaster team gave was very beneficial and helped the family through a very stressful experience.  She is extremely satisfied and grateful with the help she received from the American Red Cross. 

If you are interested in training to become an American Red Cross volunteer in your area or on a national deployment, please go to RedCross.Org/Volunteer to get started. 

Story By: Susan Wessman