CHURCHTON, Md. — A local woman is expressing her gratitude after severe storms caused a tree to crash onto the bedroom where she was staying.
“I’m incredibly fortunate. I truly am,” shared Linda Trader. “Thank you, Lord, for granting me another day.”
Trader was visiting friends, Diana and John, at their home on Ellicott Street in Churchton, where she had previously lived. The three friends had stayed up late on Thursday night right as the winds began to rise, signaling the arrival of intense storms in the area.
“It was around midnight when I jokingly said that if we didn’t go to sleep soon, we’d be turning into pumpkins,” Trader recounted.
This decision to head to bed may have ultimately saved her life.
“Suddenly, the storm intensified, becoming incredibly fierce. Then we heard this massive boom—it was truly horrifying,” recalled Diana Lee, the homeowner.
A tree from the neighboring property came crashing down onto the guest room where Trader and her two dogs, Pollyanna and Pebbles, were staying.
Trader was making a quick trip to the restroom when the tree split in half, bringing wires, glass, and drywall crashing down with it.
“People told me that if I had been in bed, I wouldn’t have survived. Everything would have fallen on top of me,” Trader explained.
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However, Trader found herself trapped inside the house, with Pollyanna missing in the chaos.
“I couldn’t even access the bedroom because debris from the ceiling and roof had fallen everywhere. Water was pouring in,” Lee lamented.
Trader mentioned that she managed to call 911 but was initially placed on hold. Fortunately, emergency services from Calvert County arrived within 15 to 20 minutes and successfully rescued both her and her dog.
While everyone was safe, some of their possessions were not so fortunate. Tragically, John’s prized car, a classic 1967 Camaro he purchased himself, didn’t survive the storm.
“That was his first car after returning from the Air Force,” Diana related.
The homeowners shared with WMAR-2 News that several storms this summer had proven to be worse than those in previous years. They noted that they had previously expressed concerns about the tree’s condition to their neighbor before the storm took place.
Now, they are working with their insurance provider to secure temporary housing following this incident.
As for Trader, she is focusing on taking things day by day, offering prayers of gratitude while keeping her beloved dogs, Pollyanna and Pebbles, close as she navigates her future plans.
