LONGVIEW, Texas — Imagine leaving your home for a few hours thinking it can withstand a storm, but later find out your house is the only one on the block left barely standing.
It's a reality Yuvonna Johnson and her two daughters, Amaria and Aunesti Lovely, are still processing. Their home was severely damaged on July 3 by a series of storms that swept through Gregg County.
"It's almost like coming upon a bad wreck scene," Johnson said. "Just seeing the damage to the home to the front and the back and knowing that everything we had over the past few years is gone."
Johnson and her daughters have been living in their home for seven years and leave occasionally on weekends to visit family.
"We left town that morning to head to Marshall and everything was fine and normal and we come back to a home no longer there, nothing," Johnson said.
A local fire marshal notified Johnson a tree had fallen on her home causing significant damage.
"When we did enter with the fire marshal, you can't even walk through, it's installation everywhere, broken glass, nails, you name it," Johnson said. "It's just a disaster."
The loss of her home added to the loss of a loved on earlier in the week.
"After losing my grandmother, early Sunday morning, we've been at Marshall with my dad and just been going back and forth and taking it one day at a time," Johnson said.
Since July 3, neighbors like Patrick Johnson, founder of J-Star ministries, have stepped in to lend a helping hand.
"I definitely wanted to see as far as J-Star ministries what we could do to help," Patrick said. "I raised so far $1,510 that I gave her, but also going to be giving her personal hygiene items, just a lot of different things in helping her out." I'll be helping her out more because right now, the biggest thing she needs is help financially.
"It takes a big weary and stress off knowing that I'm not out here alone trying to fight this," Johnson said.
With Johnson and her family dealing with two devastating losses, one thing they haven't lost is their faith.
I don't know when I don't know how but I do believe that God is going to make a way and he will open up a door and we will be able to rebuild and get our life back on track," Johnson said.
Click here to learn more about ways you can help Yuvonna and her daughters get back on their feet.
You can also reach out to Patrick Johnson at 903-424-1757.