DeLand offering free trees to residents affected by tornado in August

DELAND, Fla. - The City of DeLand is helping people rebuild from the tornado back in August, which left homes in pieces and trees uprooted.

They are giving out trees to those impacted by the tornadoes.

The tornado that hit DeLand was an EF-2, ripping out trees from the ground and throwing them over homes and power lines three months ago. 

“Our backyard was a mess after the tornado," Kathy Hersh said. "We lost huge trees and one of the reasons we bought the property was because of the trees.”

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Hersh said she moved to Deland from Miami to get away from severe weather.

"Hurricanes," she laughed. "And then I get hit by a tornado. So go figure."

No one was hurt and the house was still standing though, thankfully. 

“I really feel lucky because two blocks away there were homes that were demolished. I mean completely demolished. We lost a big shed. The tree fell and the tree that fell and crashed the shed, hit the back of our house, and crashed into the roof," she told FOX 35.

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Now three months later, there are plans to replace her roof. In addition, she and her neighbors will begin planting new trees on their properties.

From 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. this week, impacted property owners can pick up trees at the DeLand Municipal Airport Management Center. They will be self-pickup only and the city cannot deliver them to you. There are 500 trees available to collect.

You can call 386-626-7190 for more information.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.