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Storm damage in Pierce County
Q13's Hana Kim reports.
GRAHAM, Wash. - On Wednesday Julie Pietrowski grabbed anything and everything she could from her home of 20 years.
"It sounded like a jet airplane over our house," Pietrowski said.
That was the powerful wind storm that knocked down a big tree over her bedroom.
"As soon as we left the bedroom the tree came crashing down," Pietrowski said.
But an even bigger tree was about to slice into the living room where Pietrowski’s long time partner Aaron Colladay was standing.
"All the dry wall came over me and two big branches actually impaled through, it crossed my couch so hard, it pushed it through the floor," Colladay said.
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If Colladay had been standing inches another way the family says he could have died or been seriously hurt.
"I thought he was gone when he finally made some noise, we absolutely had our angels with us," Pietrowski said.
Before losing the roof over their heads, the couple says they couldn’t afford insurance for their property nor do they have any savings.
"We have no money to replace anything, none of it," Pietrowski said.
They need help, but Colladay says it’s hard to ask.
"I am a very humble person, I’ve never been a person to put my hand out," Colladay said.
With no long-term place to go, they’ve reached out to the Red Cross.
Still, the couple counts their blessings because at least they still have what is most important.
"I’ve got family and friends, everything that is important to me survived," Colladay said.
The Graham couple says they are staying at a hotel set up by Julie’s sister Wednesday night but they are not sure where to go after that. That is why family members are asking the community to help in any way possible.