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Downed tree splices Uvalde home, leaving family homeless

Joe Morales is devastated seeing his childhood home in disrepair. The family says local police condemned the home, which is at risk of collapsing.

SAN ANTONIO — Heartbreaking photos are emerging out of Uvalde following severe weather Friday night.

70 to 80 mph straight-line winds knocked a tree on top of a house Friday on West Garden Street.

The weather was so severe, it ripped off the home's front porch which now sits in the front yard.

Now the homeowner, Joe Morales, is looking for a place for him and his family to live. Morales says he's thankful everyone made it out unharmed.

"I just can't help or nothing, just see what the damage has done," said Morales in a phone interview Sunday.

He gets emotional seeing his childhood home in such disrepair.

"It's devastating, ma'am."

Morales lives in the home with his girlfriend. 

Friday night, he says the two arrived home about 10 minutes before the storm hit. Morales remembers the howling winds around 10:45 p.m.

"Then I saw debris flying into the side of my house," he recalled. "Next thing you know, I saw my girlfriend come outside screaming that the roof collapsed and I didn't know why. Then when I went inside I saw that tree."

A neighbor's tree nearly spliced his home in half. Morales, a double-amputee who uses a wheelchair, was on the back porch at the time. Inside were his girlfriend, her daughter and grandchildren.

"That roof came down on top of them, but she was able to get her kids out of there just in time," said Morales. "It was all dusty. She couldn't see anything in there because of all the debris. If I would have been in my side of the bed, I would have been crushed." 

Morales's daughter, Kaitlin, tells KENS 5 that FEMA can't help the family unless Uvalde County makes a disaster declaration. The family tells us local police condemned the home, and at any moment the entire structure could collapse.

"All of us are lucky that we're still alive to live another day. That's the more important thing," said Morales.

In the meantime, Morales is staying with his son. His children are chipping in wherever they can to help him move forward.

The family started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Morales.

The American Red Cross is helping the family with belongings.

We asked Morales if he was able to salvage anything from the home after the storm.

"The little clothing I got left," he replied. "But that's it...I just need to get another place for me."

As of Sunday evening, KENS 5 Meteorologist Ryan Shoptaugh says the National Weather Services has yet to confirm a tornado in Uvalde Friday night.

I wanna give Tres a huge shout out!!! Last night as we pulled into town after driving though the storm I saw someone...

Posted by Steven Garcia on Saturday, June 3, 2023

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