Drone Force 2 Video: Massive Tree Removed From Mount Vernon Family's Home
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A Mount Vernon family is still dealing with the damages left by the latest spring storm.
The Sharps family had a huge weight lifted Saturday – quite literately. A crane removed a 7.5-ton tree from atop their home.
"When people say your life can change in the blink of an eye, that's not a cliché, it really can," homeowner Dr. Paige Long Sharps told CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis.
Watch: Drone Force 2 over tree removal
Monday morning's storm sent a neighbor's enormous tree straight onto their Nuber Avenue house, landing just feet away from 14-year-old Ian Jr.'s bedroom, where he was sleeping.
"All I remember is hearing a loud boom and then my parents started screaming my name," he said.
"Extremely scary, but we constantly kept speaking to him. He said he was OK, he was not harmed," added Paige.
Rescue crews got him out of the home safely and no one was hurt.
"I'm so grateful, I'm thankful, and now maybe we can start rebuilding our life," Paige said.
Which starts with tree removal, costing about $35,000. The Sharps said insurance is expected to cover it.
The side of the home the three fell onto has to be demolished and the family was told it could take up to a year to rebuild. Experts recommended they demolish the entire house, but the family is trying to preserve its historic charm.
"This home was lived in and owned by legendary jazz singer Nina Simone," said Paige.
It was also the home CBS2's Elise Finch lived in for nearly a decade.
It's a house built on memories, and the Sharps family can't wait to return and fill it with more.
