Tree Destroys House During Storm Eunice, British Family Go To Pub

There are many ways to react to an emergency, you can panic, you can get angry, you can cry... or you can just go to the pub.

That's exactly what the Good family did when a huge 400-year-old tree came crashing through their home yesterday (18 February).

Storm Eunice caused absolute chaos across the country yesterday (18 February), with winds reaching 122mph on the Isle of Wight.

One of those badly affected by the storm were the Goods, whose detached property in Brentwood, Essex, was wrecked after a tree fell through their roof.

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Sven Good said he was working at his parents' house when he heard a creaking sound followed by a 'massive bang'.

The bang in question was the massive tree falling over and through several rooms of the house.

But after the obvious shock set in, Sven said they just 'did the very British thing and went to the pub'.

Speaking about the incident, he told the BBC: "I was on a conference call when I heard a huge breath of wind, a creak, and then a massive bang. The whole house shook.

"My girlfriend was working in another room and told me she had heard something, and asked if a window had smashed.

"I said, 'No, the house has just been destroyed'."

And it wasn't just the house that was damaged either.

Sven said his car, which his mum told him to move ahead of the storm, also fell victim to the tree.

He said: "Ironically, if I'd left it where I'd originally parked it, it would have been fine.

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"We stood outside looking at what the storm had done, and my dad had a tear in his eye - and then we did the very British thing, and said, 'Let's go to the pub for a pint'."

Dominic Good, 57, said he and his family were lucky to have escaped without injury.

The dad-of-two told the PA news agency: "A big gust just snapped the base of the massive oak tree in our garden, that is probably around 400 years old.

"The whole tree fell on the north-west corner of the house and the roof took the brunt of it.

"The roof is pretty much destroyed, and my son’s and my daughter’s bedrooms are completely filled with rubble."

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Despite the damage, the Goods were able to stay in the house overnight, but they're not sure what will happen once the tree is removed.

Dominic added: "We spent the rest of Friday trying to salvage stuff out of the rooms but everything is covered in dust and rubble and was just a general mess.

"I think probably once they remove the tree from the house they will have to knock down quite a large part of the house and rebuild it.

"We will just have to speak to the insurance company and take it from there."