LENOIR CITY, Tenn. — This is Cassandra Hubbard's childhood home. But in a matter of minutes Friday night's storm changed it forever.
"Ever since I was five, so a long time, I'm 23 now," Cassandra Hubbard.
It all started with a really sudden sound.
"We heard a loud noise and we were like what in the world was that," she said. "We opened up the door and all we could see is a tree."
In the dark, it was hard to see the extent of the damage. But in the shadows, her bedroom was completely crushed; her furniture broken and her belongings ruined.
"We're like, 'Oh no I think that fell in my room,'" she said. "I think it's gonna be done."
The family immediately called 911 and five minutes later they learned it would no longer be the place they called home.
"They basically told us the house is not stable you need to get out now," she said.
Fortunately, no one was hurt and the room was empty during storm.
"We was just in there watching TV and we knew it was gonna rain and we were like okay it's gonna rain," she said.
But Hubbard said that was pure luck.
"Normally we would be in that room," she said. "If it would have moved over a little bit it would have fell where my mom and my son were sleeping."
Now the family is packing up what they have left and trying to find the light in a difficult situation.
"It sucks cause we have so many memories in this house and now it's gone," Hubbard said.
But Hubbard believes there is a ray of hope because they have each other. That is everything they need to move forward.
"We're all safe. That is what were thankful for," she said.
And being thankful is enough motivation to make it to a brighter day.
"Count your blessings and cherish the people around you because stuff like this could happen and you don't know if they will make it out or not," she said.
If you'd like to lend a helping to this family, you can do so here.