Lutz family unscathed after tree falls on home during storm

LUTZ, Fla. - A family narrowly escaped some dangerous moments as severe storms pounded Hillsborough and Pasco counties Thursday afternoon.

As storms pushed through a mobile home park in Lutz, a large tree was struck by lightning and fell on a home.

A father and his son were nearly caught in its path.

"It just sounded like you're inside, like a Pepsi can," Chris Maltry said. "It was just being crunched, and you just hear sounds from every direction and the sound of glass being broke. It just roared through the whole house."

A severe storm caused a tree to fall on top of a Lutz mobile home.

Maltry says he was folding laundry while his son was in the living room. He says his son was startled by the thunder and wind, and came into the room where Maltry was.

Maltry says in a matter of seconds, a huge tree in their yard crashed through their roof.

"I was just on the ground within two seconds," Maltry explained. "I'm like, the glass is all on his head. There's rain falling on my son's head. I'm getting caked. I just need to move. I didn't know. I didn't even realize the tree was that directly above us."

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Maltry says he pulled his son to the ground, out of the tree’s path, and shielded him with his own body.

The rest of their family arrived home a few minutes later. They were in shock as they looked at the damage.

The family says lightning struck the tree.

"The tree would have fell on my son if I was not standing," Maltry said. "If I were to take you inside the house and see right where I was standing, if I wasn't on my knees, on the floor, I was going to get hit with the tree on the top of my shoulders."

He says their family doesn’t have insurance for their home, so the damage is going to be extremely costly to salvage what they can and try to repair their home.

Maltry says they don’t know if and when they’ll be able to be back in their home.

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"So I'm going to stay positive," he said. "But when I look at them and see them cry, it's so hard to stay that strong person when I don't want them to be the one to think it's just not going to. I know it's going to work out, but it's not going to work out tomorrow. It's going to take time."

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue taped off the damage.

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Maltry says seconds of damage have left them with a clean-up that’s going to last much longer.

"I pray that this doesn't happen to anybody else," he shared. "And I hope that if it does happen anywhere else, get out. Don't stay and try to clean up. Get out, because it could be a lot worse within minutes."

The family is very thankful that everyone is alive and safe.