ACADIA — Severe thunderstorms swept through Eunice in the small-town community of Richie.
Elizabeth Francois has spent a lifetime in her family home, celebrating milestones and holidays. Now, she’s staring at what’s left after powerful storms tore through her property.
Her mother-in-law owned the home since the 1950's.
“You would have to know my mother-in-law. She really loved her home,” Francois said, reflecting on the place that once held so many cherished memories.
The scene outside speaks for itself...snapped trees, smashed cars, and debris scattered across the property.
Francois’ husband, family, and friends rushed to help with cleanup efforts.
“And you never missed a Christmas or a holiday here in this house,” she said.
But now, the home is unrecognizable.
"I’m still kind of in shock," Francois admitted.
She recalled the moments leading up to the destruction.
“All we could hear was a bunch of hail and loud winds, but not loud enough to make us think something serious was coming. Then the lights started flickering, and next thing you know, my son said, ‘Run!’”
Before she knew it, a massive tree came crashing down into the home next door, crushing a bedroom. The debris also smashed straight through the garage, destroying her car inside.
Another home on the property, where Elizabeth and her family were sleeping, lost a portion of its roof during the storm.
Her cousin Leroy...who lives in one of the homes, narrowly escaped disaster.
“This is the bed right here… and this fell right on top of it,” he said, pointing to the destruction.
Leroy had already left for work when the storm hit.
“I’m very thankful that I wasn’t in there and that my family wasn’t hurt,” he said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that winds between 90 to 100 mph swept through the area.
“It was a very intense line of thunderstorms,” said Doug Cramer with the NWS.
Despite the devastation, Francois is remaining resilient.
“It’s bad, but it could be worse. This is life...you just pick yourself back up and keep going.”
