Fallen tree causes phone line damage in Danville, West Virginia

DANVILLE, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Since May 25, Debra Hopkins and her husband James haven’t had access to their phones after the tree directly behind their home fell into an unused trailer and destroyed the phone lines.

“I looked outside, and I thought ‘oh my God,’ and it ripped a hole through the ceiling. ” Debra said.

Debra has to drive more than 3 miles before she can get cell phone service. She said there’s no way to contact emergency services for her husband, who has a heart condition.

“It would take time for the ambulance to get here, so I’d be better off taking him in my car and run him to the hospital which takes about 20 minutes,” she said.

The location of their home has always made it difficult to take James to appointments.

“It makes you feel helpless, and he is just now getting to the point where he can actually go to the doctor every three to six months instead of every week being in the hospital.”

Debra and her daughter, who used to live in the trailer behind her mother’s home, said they’ve tried to reach out.

The last time Frontier came to evaluate the situation, they left her a paper that said, “Once the tree is cut off our line and a new pole is placed, we can safely get your service back working. It’s been reported, they are very busy.”

“She explained to them like I did about her dad and his heart condition, if he would have a heart attack we would be hurting.”

Debra said she’s thankful no one was hurt because of the damages to the trailer, and although her daughter no longer lives there, she’s tried to reach out to Frontier multiple times since May 25 to ensure the safety of her parents.

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