A Pinellas County woman said she was trapped at her home for nearly nine days after Hurricane Irma.

  • Tree fell on power line connected to street light in front of home
  • After days of calls, fire department came, cut back tree
  • Homeowner still worried about downed power line

Nancy Settle said she couldn’t leave her yard for nearly nine days after a tree fell on top of a power line connected to a street light in front of her home.

“Yeah, it’s kind of like you can’t leave," Settle said. "You know if something would happen they would have to hoist me over a stupid fence to get me out of here.”

Settle said her grandchildren were able to hop over the fence to get food and essentials, while she sat outside on her front porch battling the heat and dealing with a power outage.

The grandmother said climbing over the fence wasn’t an option for her.

“I don’t do hopping over gates too much," Settle said. "I’m not 20 anymore.”

After days of calling for assistance, Settle said the fire department responded to her Lealman home to cut back the tree, so that she could finally get in and out of her front yard. But she’s still worried about the tree's contact with the power line, so she's reached out to the power company.

“[The tree] could snap at any time. You just don’t know how much pressure it will take,” she said. “The lady that came this morning ... she goes, 'Well, we’ve got more concerns with people not having electricity.' which I’ve been there, I understand that. But can you at least trim the branches enough to release the tree on down?”

For now, Settle said she’s not sure what the answer is, but she’s just happy she can come and go as she pleases while being extra careful as she walks out her front yard.