JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. —

A family in Bluff Creek experienced a terrifying ordeal when a storm hit their home at 4:30 a.m., causing a giant pine tree to crash through their roof just feet away from where they were sleeping.

Bill Hilleke, who has lived in the home with his wife for over 30 years, said it was a scary incident.

"You can see where the tree hit right above it and it was like a harpoon, it just came right through the roof and the ceiling and just made a big old hole in the roof," Hilleke said.

Hilleke noted that while they have experienced storms before, this has been some of the worst damage they've seen.

"We've been really blessed in here because other than just a few hits over that amount of time, this is one of the most significant hits that we've got," he said.

The sto

See Full Page