Guerneville family displaced after tree fell on home, nearly hitting sleeping toddler
GUERNEVILLE, Calif. - A family in Sonoma County is displaced this holiday season after a tree fell and destroyed their house during the storm last week, barely missing a crib with a sleeping toddler inside.
A week later, the community is rallying around the family to help them during this difficult time.
The Montano family in Guerneville is stuck celebrating their New Year’s Eve from a hotel room, shelter provided by insurance, but they’re grateful to be alive.
The storm on Christmas Eve sent a massive redwood tree crashing into their house, splitting it in half.
The tree split the house in half, covering the inside with debris
What they're saying:
Cristobal Montano Puga said the loud sound of the tree crushing the house at around 1:30 a.m. woke him up and sent him on an adrenaline rush through the debris-covered house.
"I started crawling under all the stuff and yelling for my parents and my daughter and my siblings and no one was answering," he said, in fear they didn’t survive.
The tree barely missed his three-year-old’s crib where she was asleep.
‘A miracle from God’
"She was literally buried under so much insulation, you couldn’t even see her body," he said. "She was choking on insulation and dust and she has a black eye and a huge cut in her temple area."
Montano said they took their daughter to the hospital and she turned out to be okay. No one else was injured, a miracle he believes is from God.
"The tree didn’t fully smash through my parents' room, like you can see the tree hanging from the roof," he said. "The tree stopped smashing through the house right where the cross is in our room."
Debris also hit Montano's mother in the stomach.
Montano said he had prayed before he went to sleep for protection over his family. Not long after, the tree fell, but no one was severely injured.
"I know it was all a miracle from God, I know he helped us 'cause we’re a very religious family," he added.
Extensive damage
The damage didn’t stop at the Montano's. The redwood, estimated to be at least 100-feet-tall, hit another home, causing damage to its roof, and totaled three cars.
Alex Aldas, who lives next door, said two of those cars were his. He was celebrating his 28th birthday when he heard the tree fall.
"The ground shook a little bit 'cause it was a huge tree," he said.
Now, he said he is worried about the storm passing through this week.
"We’re kind of on the edge of staying here, or not staying here," said Aldas.
Montano said his dad, the homeowner, has insurance through Farmers, but a week after the incident, the company hasn’t sent anyone to inspect the property.
"I’m just a little upset just cause of the delay. You know? No one’s come to inspect our home yet," he said.
Farmers Insurance said in a written statement, "We are in contact with our customer and providing assistance with their claim."
Montano said insurance put them up in a hotel, but the family of eight needs more space, so they’re looking for a house to rent.
Whose responsibility is the tree?
What we don't know:
There is no official word on the condition of the tree prior to its fall.
It’s unclear which property the tree sits on since it’s directly between a private home and Highway 116.
Caltrans said the agency is surveying the damage to see if it was in their right of way.
"I just hope that everything goes well and that insurance does what they need to do and they help us rebuild our home," said Montano.
The family has not received a cost estimate for how extensive the damage is and they have no timeline for when they can live in their home again.
What you can do:
The community has created a GoFundMe for the Montano family, which has already raised more than $8,000. The Montano's are also asking for anyone who knows of a home rental in Guerneville supporting a large family to reach out to them.
Aldas also has a GoFundMe to replace his vehicles.