Family turns Hurricane Irma debris into artwork

ST. CLOUD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - After months of dealing with debris from Hurricane Irma, one St. Cloud, Florida family decided to turn the destruction into something beautiful.

Frank Etchevarria and his wife were faced with severe tree damage from the storm and the largest tree in their front yard was damaged to the point it would likely fall over in another major wind event.

So Frank, after seeing some of his work at a friend’s home, called local chainsaw artist Sam Knowles to give the tree new life.

Over the next five days, Knowles cut into the tree, chiseled away at it, and used a natural fork in the branches to create a statue of a bald eagle with its wings spread; ready to take flight.

"Yep, we got to good out of this one,” said Knowles admiring the freshly painted statue on Monday.

Knowles also transformed a smaller damaged tree at the home into two more eagles, and carved a turtle and frog out of a spare log from that big tree.

Etchevarria, a Marine Veteran said the bald eagle is not only a showing of his patriotism, but a way to show the beauty hidden under the storm debris; his neighborhood still recovering from that storm.

"A piece of beauty comes out of a traumatic event,” said Etchevarria.

Knowles said he’s been crafting chainsaw art professionally for years; starting his own company appropriately named Chainsaw Art.