Cherryville Family Lives In A Tent After A Storm Destroys Their Home

CHERRYVILLE-  Leigh Burnham and Kenneth Gerow own a nearly 100 year old home in Cherryville. They live there with Leigh’s mother and their pets;  three dogs and two parrots.

Everything was going well for the trio back in May, until Leigh got hit in the head with a ceiling tile. An oak tree was crashing down on their house as a storm rolled through their town.

The Red Cross did all they could for the family. They don’t have homeowners insurance due to some unusual legal issues with their property and the neighbors. But, they are seasoned campers.

“I had been planning to go camping when he got home from Arizona.” Burnham said, referring to her husband, Gerow. “So all the camping gear was here at the house.”

They had everything from the tent, the awning, and the kitchen supplies. “So he said ‘let’s set up camp in the front yard, at least we have a place to stay.’ And that’s what we did.”

Now, the clock is ticking.

The family was served a letter from the city saying they are not allowed to camp in their front yard, since it was not a zoned campground. They have to have the tent down and out of the yard by August 9th.

Before they can move back in Burnham and Gerow need their bedroom and bathroom rebuilt. They also need a whole new roof. They have received an estimate of 40,000 dollars.

They have a GoFundMe set up called “Crash, Bam!” for anyone who wants to help.