A powerful overnight storm brought significant damage to the Choctaw area, with one family narrowly avoiding disaster. A tree landed just inches from the window of an 18-month-old child, highlighting the dangers that residents faced.
Storm Damage and Cleanup
Dennis Bachhofer, a Choctaw resident, recorded video of his 16-foot tree crashing into the front of his house around 4 a.m. The tree landed just inches away from his 18-month-old daughter’s window. “Our daughter’s room is right there. So, that was our first thing, was making sure she was fine,” said Katie Lambert, Bachhofer’s partner.
The KOCO 5 First Alert Weather Team reported wind gusts reaching up to 70 miles per hour in the area. Lambert described waking up to their house shaking. “I looked outside, and I literally saw the mist just like going in circles. It was so crazy,” Lambert said.
A few houses down, Matthew Dowling, who works for Affordable Tree Service, was busy clearing a neighbor’s yard after more trees fell. Dowling said this was the first of six calls he received Monday. For him, it’s a job. But for others, the cleanup process has been challenging.
Despite the challenges, Bachhofer expressed gratitude. “We are 100% grateful for sure. For sure,” he said. Residents are reminded that code enforcement may issue fines if downed trees are not removed within 10 days. Disaster relief services are available to assist those in need.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
