‘Being around my family will make everything way better’ Burton family loses home in severe weather
BURTON, Texas (KBTX) – A family in Burton has been displaced after Thursday’s severe weather destroyed their home.
The family is unharmed, but their story could have had a much more tragic ending.
It started out as a normal evening for 17-year-old Tony Pritchett. He got home from school and made himself a snack in the kitchen before heading into his room. Minutes later, a tree crashed through their kitchen ceiling.
“Makes me appreciate God. I feel like He gave me a sign to hurry up and get out of the kitchen,” he said.
Tony couldn’t believe what happened.
“If I was in there for literally two minutes more, I could have been severely injured,” he added.
He rushed to his family, and was relieved to see nobody was injured. But as water poured into their home, his mother, Lakendra Dixson, made another discovery.
“The weather was so bad, wind and everything, hail. We couldn’t even leave out of the house. We were just stuck here,” she said.
When the storms finally subsided, the family’s home was destroyed. They can’t go back inside for fear of the ceiling collapsing.
Lakendra described their home as ‘a total loss.’ A GoFundMe was started to help aid in their recovery, linked below
“I was sick to the stomach. I was nauseated. I mean, I feel like I lost everything. My kids, a roof over our head,” Lakendra said.
Despite what happened, the tight-knit family has hope for brighter days ahead.
“Family, being around my family, will make everything way better,” Tony said.
Tony said returning to school Monday isn’t going to feel the same knowing he won’t come back to his home.
Burton ISD was forced to cancel school Friday due to unsafe road conditions. Superintendent Rob Barnwell said they’re set to reopen Monday.
