EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — As another round of severe weather moved through the Tri-State Friday night, two sisters in Evansville have been dealing with the aftermath of two tragedies.
Heather Williams lost her home when a tree fell on it during a storm last month. She moved in with her sister, Melissa Oaks. Just weeks later, Oaks’ home caught on fire, forcing them to find temporary housing until the damage can be assessed. They are hoping to organize an event soon to help replace what they lost.
“So we usually do popcorn, and lemonade, and the snow cones, and we’re trying to do that to raise money for the house,” says Oaks. “We don’t have a location yet so we really need a church or a business to open up a parking lot so we could have a location.”
Malissa’s sister Heather says that things are improving, though she is still trying to find a place to stay.
Their third sister, Rosemary Durbin, lives 600 miles away, but is doing everything she can to support her sisters.
“I had not spoken to Heather much, we started speaking again in December,” she tells Eyewitness News. “But we have all grown closer together.”
Although three dogs and countless memories were lost between her and her sister, Malissa is staying positive.
“I’m happy that me and the kids got out,” says Malissa. “I’m happy that the house is fixable. It’s just another obstacle to go through. We all go through obstacles in our lifetime, it’s just something we have to overcome”
Oaks says they should have access to the house sometime tomorrow to see what can be saved.
A GoFundMe has also been started to get the family assistance.
