Houston woman 'trying to hold on,' cannot afford to remove tree downed by Beryl and could lose home

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman in southeast Houston said she may be pushed out of her home due to damage from Hurricane Beryl.

Breanna Maddox told ABC13 that the storm knocked down a tree that has been lying on her roof for nearly three weeks. She said she doesn't have the money to pay for its removal.

"I was standing right there when it fell in," Maddox recalled.

The nightmare situation has only gotten worse, according to Maddox. Now, with all the rain we've been getting, she has water leaking into her home.

When ABC13 asked Maddox if she felt safe in her home, she said, "No, because of the mold that's growing from all the water coming in."

Maddox lives with her two young kids. She said all she can afford is to make sure they are fed and clothed and the bills are paid.

"I am able to keep them on one side of the house, and I am still able to make our meals, hot meals. We have electricity, so I thank God for that," Maddox said.

Maddox said the house was passed down to her after her grandmother died. It's literally crushing under pressure, and she's hoping not to do the same.

"Learning how to just keep my head held high right now," Maddox said. "This is emotional cause I'm trying to hold on to what my grandmother left me."

Maddox estimated that removing the tree would cost $500, which is outside her budget.

In an effort to get some help, she's called around to places like the Red Cross. She said on numerous occasions that she'd been instructed to call 311 and ask the city for help, but unfortunately, she knows it's not their responsibility.

"If I don't take care of this or I don't get any help, we will have to leave and sell the house as is," Maddox said

Eyewitness News asked Maddox if she had anywhere else to go, to which she responded, "No... to a shelter, that's about it."

Maddox said she has filed for FEMA assistance, but she's waiting for a contractor to assess all the damage and give her an estimated repair cost.

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