By GREG WOODFIELD

The first obvious sign was the dead fish bobbing in their creek and a toxic blue film on the water.

But now there's something else missing from one Ohio couple's woodland 'paradise' home two miles from the East Palestine chemical train disaster: Birdsong and the constant chitter chatter of squirrels.

The massive acrid black cloud that spewed from the fiery wreck engulfed Nathan and Kelly Izotic's property within 24 hours of the February 3 disaster, carried by a westerly wind.

Compounding the couple's personal tragedy, water that feeds the winding creek near their house is fed from a supply directly contaminated by the catastrophe.

The environmental and potentially lethal fallout from the Norfolk Southern rail company's 'chemical bomb' derailment attacked them on two levels.

Since then, they have been struck with agonizing sickness and coughing up blood,  and now fear a cancer diagnosis in years to come due to two known carcinogenic chemicals from the fiery cloud of the crash. 

The couple is facing an environmental catastrophe on their newly bought 15-acre property. Wildlife has fled and they now believe they might never bounce back .