OZARK (KFSM) -- There were downed trees throughout the area after Thursday (May 19) night's storms. One lost tree in particular meant a lot to a local family.
"It's kind of like a family memory and it's sad that it's gone," said Ronny Drain.
Early in the morning, the Ozark home owner was woken by a loud crash.
"So I looked out the front door. Just at that moment, we had a blast of lightning. And when it did, I could see the tree had fallen," said Drain.
The broken slab of concrete was the least of his worries. He estimates the tree was nearly 100 years old and weighed around 14 tons. It had been in Drain's family since he was a young boy.
"We moved here in 1951, but the tree was here when we moved here. So I've seen it grow for the last 69 years. And it was already pretty good-sized when we moved it."
Though he's sad it's gone, Drain is relieved the wind wasn't blowing east, or he says it would have crushed his home. It did, however, cause his home to lose electricity and gas. The electricity has been restored since.
The repairs, according to Drain, may cost a few thousand dollars. But nothing could replace a family memory.
"It was a beautiful tree and it did its purpose and now I guess you can say it's going to go to tree heaven and do somebody else some good."