Walt Tackett, 90, and his daughter Cathy Fuller described the pandemonium outside this Virginia Avenue home on Tuesday evening that Tackett slept through.

"It was just this huge, loud bang," Fuller said.

Tackett, who was napping at the time of the impact, said he did not hear the "bang" from a tree hitting his home and Fuller's car because "I took my hearing aids out."

Fuller, who is her father's caretaker during the daytime, said she is touched by small gestures and visits to check on her father.

"We've had so many people reach out to us," Fuller said. "It's been terrific."

Tackett laughed, describing how neighbors have been stopping by his house to take photos of the massive base of the tree that pulled up the sidewalk when it tipped over.

"They'd stop their cars as they were driving by," Tackett said. "People watching [from] up and down the street. Everyone's taking pictures of the calamity."

Tree trimmers who have been criss-crossing the Saugerties neighborhood estimate trees like the one leaning against Tackett's house can weigh up to 10 tons, which is more than enough weight to cut right into a home. They point to concrete slabs and branches that took on some of the tree's pressure as reasons for why trees on Market Street, Elm Street and Virginia Avenue did not break through the roofs of homes they hit. 

That is not the only stroke of luck here.

Fuller said she was just about to leave in her Jeep on Tuesday afternoon, but decided to stay longer. Minutes after that decision, the tree smashed into her Jeep, along with the house.

"I opened up the kitchen door to go into the garage," Fuller said. "And I was like, 'Holy crow.' "

"We're extremely lucky she wasn't in her car when it hit," Tackett said. "She'd still be there."