When Lorena Montealegre, 34, suggested playing parqués, a Colombian board game with her parents during a hurricane, she did not know that decision would save their lives.
After Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm, a tree fell on the mobile home of Zoraida Gil, 55, and Edgar Montealegre, 62, causing extensive damage.
“I can replay that noise in my mind, but can’t bring it back,” Gil said. “It was an earsplitting noise.”
The family has received support from the community through their GoFundMe account, which has already reached over $6,000. They plan on using the money to rebuild their house that was damaged.
They also hope to raise more donations that will be used to secure temporary housing, remove tree branches and debris, replace essential items such as clothing and furniture and help cover the cost of the repair.
Montealegre and Gil were in the living room playing board games to pass the time while the rain was intensifying. Montealegre was sitting on the couch and texting his sister-in-law who had heard the news about the hurricane and was worried about them.
At around 10:55 p.m., a thunderous noise that Gil described as a bomb came through the darkness.
Strong winds caused a tree from the neighboring property to fall onto Zoraida and Edgar’s bedroom, destroying half of the mobile home and leaving them without a roof to sleep under.
“That day my heart was agitated. It was telling that something was wrong, I didn’t feel calm here (in the house),” Montealegre said.
Their oldest daughter, Lina Montealegre, 36, called them throughout the night to ask if they could hear other trees falling.
“I always try to give my parents reassurance to start over when we are grateful they are alive,” Lina Montealegre said. “I try to provide them with emotional support and welcome them into my house.”
Moments after the incident, the family left the house with their pets and went to Lina Montealegre’s house, which was a block away.
In preparation for the storm, Edgar Montealegre cleaned the porch and cut some tree branches in the backyard to avoid damage to their 37-acre property.
Unfortunately, the tree was on unused land next to the house and the family has not been able to reach the owner. Gil and Montealegre did not have insurance.
A FEMA inspector visited them on Oct. 12 to evaluate the damage to the house. She took pictures of the bedroom and asked them what happened. They will have to wait seven to 10 business days to hear back from them, according to Lorena Montealegre.
Fifteen days after applying, FEMA answered them with good news. They had received a grant to help cover some of the repairs. The grant money will be used to rebuild the bedroom and other affected areas where the tree fell, the family said.
Lina Montealegre’s parents immigrated from Bogotá, Colombia, to the United States in 2016 and made Gainesville their home. That year, they bought the house located at 7015 SW 51st Ave. for $27,000.
For Gil and her husband, the property represented their effort and sacrifice as immigrants.
It was their “rainbow,” Gil said. “I always tell people: My house is your house.”
She would cook arepas, a Colombian traditional dish and sell them to “exchange our culture with other Hispanic people who live in the area and share our roots.”
Every Dec. 7, they host the Colombian celebration of Dia de las Velitas, or day of the little candles, when people gather to light candles and pray to the Virgin Mary. Gil invites family friends, and what started as a yearly meeting with three families has grown to a gathering of 62 people last year.
Claudia Giffuni receives Gil invitation every year.
Giffuni and Gil met four years ago through a Facebook community group named “Colombianos en Gainesville FL,” where Colombian people can meet with other expatriates, promote social events and help each other out.
On the night of Sept. 26, she received a text message from Gil telling her that a tree had fallen on their bedroom.
“She told me that if it would not have been for Lorena who stayed with them, the tree would have killed them,” Giffuni said.
Before the incident, Giffuni said she and Gil would often meet once a week for brunch and talk for hours.
“Zoraida is the kind of person who would stop eating to give her food to someone who needs it,” Giffuni said.
“They are a humble family. They do not ask for things, they work to earn them,” Giffuni said. “This is the time for them to receive what they have given to other people.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
