A massive tree crashed through a Long Island home during intense storms on Monday — trapping nearly three dozen cats inside the wreckage, according to reports and authorities.
The 70-year-old tree smashed into the Westbury home on Oakdale Drive around 9 p.m., terrifyingly “grazing” homeowner Wendy Kimball’s brother, who is a stroke and cancer patient, as he took a nap in bed, WABC reported.
“I missed the tree by this much, and my brother was actually grazed by it in bed,” Kimball told the outlet. “He was taking a nap. My brother is a stroke patient and a cancer patient.”
The family managed to escape the damaged home, and Kimball’s brother only suffered minor injuries — but a whopping 37 of their cats were still trapped inside.
The shaken homeowner then contacted multiple rescue groups to save the kitties, who she fosters to rehabilitate, News12 reported.
Animal rescuer John Debacker, who was assisting in rescuing scores of felines, posted videos and photos while navigating the wreckage of the home as he searched for surviving cats.
Town of North Hempstead spokesperson Umberto Mignardi issued a statement saying that the town has determined that the heavily damaged home is “unsafe to occupy” and that entering it could “put lives at risk.”
“The Town is awaiting an engineer’s report from the homeowners to determine the condition and stability of the structure and what, if any, access can safely be provided,” Mignardi said, according to Patch.
Rescuers Deb Oliver and Kathleen Mott-Leslie arrived on the scene on Monday night and are prepared with carriers and traps as soon as they get the green light to reenter the home, they told News12.
Roughly two dozen of the cats were still in the house after it was deemed unsafe to enter, Debacker said in an update early Tuesday.
Kimball said that she is most worried about her precious felines, especially Yogi and Baby Hope. She even considered removing the old, ill-fated tree but couldn’t bring herself to do so because of its sentimental value.
“The tree that came down was planted by my father, and my mother was a genealogist, and that’s a ‘family tree,’” Kimball told WABC
“Anybody who’s an animal lover would understand that they’re my children, and they’re the reason I get up every day,” she said.
“It’s not our time. And if God wants me to learn a lesson, I’ve learned it. I’m cutting down every other tree.”
