Taos family recovers after 100 mph winds takes roof
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TAOS COUNTY, N.M. – More recovery efforts are underway after a storm hit northern New Mexico Wednesday morning. 100 mph winds caused severe damage to several homes.
For a single mother of three, she and her family are heartbroken by the damage to her home, and the repair costs of tens of thousands of dollars.
The homeowner told KOB 4 she could not believe what happened. Now, a week before Christmas, she and her family don’t know where to go from here.
"So this is my house. That’s my roof. And I’ll show you where my roof landed,” said Elisa Montoya.
The entire roof landed on a power line and trees knocked out the electricity for nearby homes.
"That’s the power line right there. My kids trampoline is actually in between all that,” said Montoya.
Montoya is a single mother of three.
"I never ever imagined us in this situation,” said Montoya. "We were scared out of our minds."
It was just her and her son at their Des Montes home Wednesday morning.
"I was fast asleep and it woke me and my son up.We heard the windows shaking the whole house was shaking,” she said.
She and her son ran into the hallway, holding onto each other for protection.
"My son had his arms wrapped around me and we were just ducking for cover."
Then after about 30 minutes the wind calmed and both ran outside to go to her mother’s house right next door.
"We were literally in tears we couldn’t believe it. My house isn’t livable. I look up and see the sky in a lot of parts in the house."
The cost to fix all of the damage is more than $30,000.
"All of us have cried. I mean all of them. To see my kids cry because we don’t have our home, and to see our home in shambles like that was just devastating because that is what I worked so hard for us to have," Montoya said.
But Montoya and her family are staying positive.
"I’m just grateful we are alive and we didn’t get hurt."
Montoya and her three kids are now living with her mother for the time being until they can get everything situated.
"I’m a single parent. I have limited income. It’s been very stressful but I have to take it a day at the time."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Montoya family.