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Published on December 26, 2024
Tampa Family's Home Collapses Amid Repairs, Leaving Them Displaced for the HolidaysSource: GoFundMe/Joanna Runkle

A Tampa family is without a home this Christmas season after their house collapsed during what was supposed to be routine post-storm repairs. Victoria Sowell and her family watched in disbelief as their home was destroyed due to errors made by a team of roofers hired to fix damage from Hurricane Milton, as reported by WTSP. The family had been hopeful for a new roof in time for the holidays, but their excited anticipation turned to despair on Monday.

According to Bay News 9, Sowell described the moment the disaster unfolded, stating, "It went from the 23rd of December, at 6:30 in the morning, everything was fine, hunky dory, to 1:30 in the afternoon, we lost our entire house." The family, who had been excited for a new roof for Christmas, was initially delighted when the roofers arrived but panic set in when they saw daylight piercing through the cracks where the wall meets the ceiling, realizing the grave danger.

The catastrophe escalated quickly, with Sowell recounting to WBRC, “I started screaming, ‘Stop! Stop what you’re doing!’ So, we started grabbing stuff, saying stop, stop, stop. The tree was right under where the wall was starting to crack, and I grabbed all the Christmas presents and the tree. The people came in, and they were like, ‘Oh my God.’” Neighbors' photographs later revealed roofing materials piled heavily on the roof, seen sinking, and pointing to a possible miscalculation of the load-bearing capabilities.

Action was swift once the severity of the situation was grasped. The Sowells managed to escape from their bathroom window with help from the roofers, who provided a ladder for their exit. Tampa's Neighborhood Enhancement Division moved to demolish the house by Christmas Eve over concerns that the structure could fall onto adjacent properties. Sowell says the entire house collapsed, as detailed by WTSP.

The Sowell family remains hopeful about rebuilding their lives. Victoria Sowell expressed a resilient outlook despite the disaster, saying, "We will rebuild, or whatever we're going to do, it’s a testament to our family and how we can handle things," a sentiment captured by Bay News 9.

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