Emergency Roof Repair After the Storm

We're James and Diana Johnson. We've lived in our little house on Maple Street for 22 years. It's where we raised our two daughters, where we hosted every Thanksgiving, where the neighborhood kids knew they could always come for lemonade on hot summer days.

Last Tuesday's tornado changed everything in about 90 seconds. We huddled in the hallway with our daughter while the wind tore off most of our roof and the rain poured in, destroying the ceiling in three rooms, our bedroom furniture, and years of family photos we can never replace.

We're staying with Diana's sister right now, but her place is small and we can't impose forever. Our insurance deductible is $5,000 and the total repair estimate is $12,000. We've managed to scrape together $4,000 from savings, but we need help with the rest.

This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do — ask strangers for help. But Diana reminded me that we've spent 22 years helping our neighbors, and maybe it's okay to let them help us back.

Phase 1: Emergency tarping and waterproofing ($2,000) Phase 2: Structural roof repair ($5,000) Phase 3: Interior ceiling and insulation ($3,000)

Any amount helps. We just want to go home.