WINSTON SALEM, NC — The remnants of Hurricane Debby can still be seen here in the Triad region weeks after the storm passed through.

In Winston-Salem, William Cortright’s mobile home was badly damaged after a tree fell right on top of the house during the storm. While the tree itself was safely removed, the family is still waiting for the money to get everything repaired.

And it was already a tough year for the Cortright family: within a few months they lost the head of the family, an aunt and an uncle.

“It’s been a really rough year. I mean – I don’t want to say it – but it feels like one thing after another has happened,” said Susan Beeson, daughter of homeowner William Cortright. “My dad’s sister died a few months ago. My mom’s brother died in January… We all just want this year to be over and then this happens.”

The “this” she is referring to comes from Hurricane Debby, when a tree fell on Cortright’s trailer during the storm.

“I laid down and fell asleep and suddenly something made a NOISE,” Cortright explained. “And I rolled over and hit the tree with my arm.”

Beeson said she received a call from her father’s neighbor immediately after the incident.

“He called me in a complete panic and said, ‘A tree fell on your dad’s RV, a tree fell down…’ and he just talked nonstop,” she said.

The tree fell on the roof of the house and landed in the bedroom, right next to Cortright’s bed.

Luckily he was fine, but it was a scary time for Beeson.

“We lost my mother in February,” she explained. “And I could only imagine losing him too.”

Since then, Cortright has continued to live in the house, but it is anything but comfortable: the ceiling is still covered with tarps and there are still cables in the bedroom.

But for Cortwright, moving was not an option.

“I went to her son’s house and started having back and leg problems,” Cortright said. “I stayed one night and said I can’t stay here, I’m going downstairs.”

And Beeson knew that this would not be the right decision.

“I knew he wouldn’t be happy if he wasn’t here and could go out and tinker with all his stuff, mow the lawn and do his thing,” she explained.

To help, the family has now set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise support to rebuild the house.

Beeson just hopes there is a light at the end of this long tunnel.

“It’s been a long and very arduous process,” Beeson said. “I just want to keep him here because this is his home, the only home he and my mother have ever owned.”

If you would like to support the family, you can donate using this link.