Evansville woman ‘grateful’ for community support amid explosion damage

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Wednesday marks two weeks since the deadly home explosion on North Weinbach Avenue.

The blast killed three people and destroyed or damaged 39 houses.

Rebecca Gonzalez lived on North Weinbach Avenue.

Her home was marked with a red sticker, meaning it was deemed uninhabitable. Gonzalez says she’s been told her home will be torn down.

[Previous Story: North Weinbach Avenue explosion victims recover from blast damage]

Gonzalez is a mother of a 4-year-old and 5-year-old. She says she’s a little apprehensive about moving them into a new home.

“It’s scary because things like this happen,” said Gonzalez. “You can’t stay in situations that are dangerous but each time that you are forced to create something new for yourself especially when its been taken from you before, it just feels a little less secure.”

Gonzalez and her family got the chance to enter their home on Tuesday to grab salvageable items and documents. Gonzalez says everything is covered in glass and insulation.

“I got cut, I mean just it’s all pretty much destroyed so we got a few things but I couldn’t put my kids in anything, I probably wouldn’t put any clothes on that were from in there,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez says the amount of donations she’s received leaves her floured.

She says the outpouring of support for her family and others impacted by the explosion is heartwarming.

”I want the community of Evansville to know how incredibly, incredibly grateful I am to them for all of everything,” Gonzalez said “It’s been a little bit of everything that people have helped donate. You know, some people wanted to give food, some people gave clothes, there are people who wanted to give us furniture which is lovely, they can call us in a week or so we just haven’t had any place to put it.”

Gonzalez says other explosion victims displaced from their homes can contact her to pick up some of the donated items.

Gonzalez says she is looking to sign a lease and move she and her family into a new home within the next week.

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