Eleven members of the same North Carolina family died in a mudslide caused by Hurricane Helen, the heartbroken family said.
The Craig family lived in three houses next to each other in Fairview, a suburb of Asheville in the western part of the state.
The area where they lived was known by locals as “Craigtown,” and neighbors described the Craig family as pillars of their small Appalachian community.
“I lost my mom and dad, my aunt and uncle, my great aunt and uncle, my cousins and cousins.” Jesse Craig He told local ABC11.. “However, there were 11 victims in total due to this landslide.”
Three houses representing 80 years of family history were washed away in a landslide caused by the earthquake. trillions of gallons of water What Helen dumped in the area was dumped in barrels into the mountains.
A picturesque mountainside in North Carolina suffered “absolutely overwhelming” damage from a landslide. Trees, homes, businesses, and everything in between quickly turned to dirt, rock, and destruction.
“They had to see it, witness it, and see it all,” said Brian Craig, a survivor of the tragic family. Local outlet WLOS. “And the sheer beauty of the water passing through the trees, rocks and mud is incredible.”
Brian said his family had just celebrated a family wedding the week before.
“We're going to have some really great pictures from that wedding and pictures of people who are no longer with us,” he lamented.
Family and neighbors have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses and rebuild property. The fundraiser had raised more than $184,000 as of early Saturday morning.
“This will never be the same,” Brian said. But we try to move on and move on with our lives. I know that's what they want us to do. ”
The Craigs are just a few of the more than 230 people who died in Hurricane Helen across Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
More than two weeks after the storm, authorities and volunteers continue to search the wreckage, and many people remain missing or unaccounted for. Initial White House estimates said the death toll could ultimately reach 600.
