Courtesy of Tony Heitmeyer:

SIDNEY, Ohio - A family was displaced Saturday night after part of a large tree crashed through the roof of their Sidney home. It happened just after 9:30 in the six-hundred block of Lynn Street. The Sidney Fire Department responded to the scene and determined that the house is uninhabitable until officials can inspect the structural integrity of the property. 

 

The residents were home and uninjured; however, it was quite a shock. "We thought it was just firecrackers, and then all of a sudden we heard a large crash, and my husband said 'the tree's in our house,'" said Kayla Pelphrey, the home's owner. "The foundation cracked; there is a branch in the kitchen ceiling. It came through the ceiling," she continued, describing some of the damage. 

 

The tree fell from the backyard of a neighboring home, but it's unclear if that residence sustained any damage. Pelphrey said she's already been in touch with her insurance company, and that she and her husband will be staying with family until it's safe to return to their home. "Accidents happen, I'm not mad at anybody," she concluded. 

 

While it had rained earlier in the day, there were no storms in the area when the tree fell, and weather is not believed to have been a factor. Sidney Fire officials remained on the scene for about an hour and secured the home with yellow caution tape. AES was also requested to the scene because the fallen tree was resting on utility lines.