CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three children who were fast asleep in their bunk beds escaped serious injury after a large tree toppled onto their west Charlotte home, crashing through their bedroom ceiling.
The tree came crashing down around 2:30 a.m. onto the house on Old Steele Creek Road, near West Boulevard.
Large branches busted through the roof and plunged dangerously into the room where the three children were sleeping in their bunk beds.
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The children’s father, Abdikadir Arab, let Channel 9 inside the home to see the extensive damage to the room. He said he could not believe what happened and feels incredibly lucky that his children were not seriously hurt.
[IMAGES: Large tree crashes through west Charlotte home]
“I walked down to the hallway and I see, and I hear the noise that something is cracking,” he told Channel 9. “I look in my kids’ room -- the whole room is busted -- there’s a big tree, a whole branch that fell into their room, almost struck one of my kids.”
Inside the room, a large branch came crashing through the ceiling, landing right next to a bunk bed, inches away from where one of the boys was resting his head on a pillow.
Arab said a piece of plywood with nails in it also landed on his son's legs. When it happened, Arab said his kids -- ages 10, 8 and 4 -- were all calling for their dad.
“I’m shocked man. I’m shaking not because its cold -- I can’t believe what happened,” he said. “Like, where my kids were -- it could have been a different story right now. I don’t worry about the house, but my kids man.”
Everyone managed to get out of the house safely.
“I’m very lucky and blessed that none of my kids were hurt,” Arab said.
He said he’s hoping to get the tree chopped up and the roof fixed before it rains.
Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.
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