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Jessica, Rodney, as we have been talking about throughout the evening, when we have this severe weather, the damage that is left behind can be lasting for days. But in this particular case, so has the help from folks in our community. What started as just simply a Facebook post has turned into a family helping dozens of homeowners with a helping hand, all free of charge, in a story tonight that is positively Columbus. An excavator, a fire truck, chainsaws, and a family on a mission to help. I had not slept since Tuesday night because of what's going on in my backyard, well, was going on.
Shawn Rogers Jr. says after Tuesday's storms, he's seen firsthand the kind of damage straight-line winds can do. I don't seen a lot. I don't seen tree branches slice um people's houses. Um I don't seen tree branches uh slice people's vehicles. And he knows not everyone can afford to clean it up. Hey, you know what? If they can't afford this stuff, then you know, I'll try to help them out as much as I can. So, Rogers Jr. posted his number on Facebook Tuesday night, offering to clear those down trees for free. Since Tuesday, he says he and his family have hit nearly 80 homes across the city.
His dad and brother are along for the job, and so is his 5-year-old nephew. They put me to work. They put me and my family to work. Thursday afternoon, he and his family came over towards Walnut Ridge to remove a tree from Nancy Davis's yard. I came out and looked at the damage, and I saw above my shed a branch hanging by a piece of bark, and if it broke, it was going to destroy my shed. Davis is a widow on a fixed income. She says she filed a claim with the city Tuesday, but no one had come to look at the damage. So, when Rogers and his family showed up at her door, she wasn't just watching a tree come down.
Honestly, I just really want to cry. Because somebody cared enough to come and do this for me. And you don't find that every day. And after an hour and a half of work, Davis says she can finally breathe a sigh of relief. That family is a godsend from the good Lord. There are still good people out there. And that family is one of them. Rogers Jr. says as long as people need help, he'll keep showing up. as I could put a smile on somebody's face, I know I'm doing my job. And Rogers Jr. says he is going to continue to take those requests over the next few days as long as he can make sure that folks have their properties safe as possible. On your side on the east side of Columbus and Positively Columbus, I'm Kiersten Lindquist live, Fox 28.
