Tree Destroys Home, Leaves Couple and Two Disabled Men Stranded
PUTNAM COUNTY, W. Va. (WSAZ) -- For James and Joyce Midkiff, it's one crowded motel room. The couple has been staying at the Motel 6 in Cross Lanes with their four cats and two dogs, after a tree destroyed their St. Albans home on Wednesday.
"I heard a big crash, like a tank hit the top of the house," Joyce said. "I called 911, and they said it's more than likely condemned and that we needed to just get out of the house."
But the Midkiffs and their six pets weren't the only ones that lived there. They had also taken in two handicapped men to provide care for them -- one of them being James' nephew.
Both men were injured after being hit by a train near Jefferson Road in July. James' nephew was left paralyzed, and his friend Scott Conklin disabled.
"I'm grateful to be actually able to stand up," Conklin said. "I have to use a walker because there's no feeling in my legs, and from my knees down it's just numb."
Conklin says staying with the Midkiffs was helping him heal. But now, he's saddled with another round of hardship.
"It's a heck of a tragedy," he said. "I knew I was going to go through some pain and suffering, but I didn't know I was going to go through it again. So it's hard to adjust to anything that's going on right now."
For the Midkiffs, thinking about tomorrow just brings worry and fear.
"It's scary not knowing what's the next move and where we're going to go," Joyce said.
The couple says they have enough money to spend one more night at the motel, but aren't sure where they'll stay after that.
They say they've contacted the Red Cross and several other organizations, but none has been able to help provide a permanent place.
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