A mudslide caused by the “unprecedented rains” of Hurricane Helene left 11 members of the same North Carolina family dead. The news comes as the death toll continues to climb in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation of the southeastern United States as recovery efforts remain ongoing.
Fox News reported that the Craig family, which lives in an area of Fairview, North Carolina, called “Craigtown,” lost 11 family members due to a major mudslide that occurred “without warning by unprecedented rains” when Hurricane Helene bombarded the community on September 27. Fairview is a suburb of Asheville, North Carolina, which was hit hard by the massive hurricane.
In a GoFundMe page labeled “Support the Craig Family After Tragic Loss,” the Craig family was described as “pillars of the community.” As of Thursday, over $111,000 had been raised to support the Craig family.
The GoFundMe page notes, “Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated by the entire family — it will go towards rebuilding homes, funeral arrangements, medical expenses, unemployment during the grieving process, etc.”
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A Fairview resident close to the Craig family told Fox News that all of the Craig family members killed in the recent mudslide lived in multiple homes next to one another and that the mudslide destroyed the houses after pouring down a mountain located near their houses.
Fox News also reported that Tony Garrison, a firefighter who worked with the Fairview Fire Department and Garren Creek Fire Department, died trying to save victims from the mudslides caused by Hurricane Helene.
A video of a major mudslide in Asheville has been shared on X, formerly Twitter, showing the devastation not only caused by the hurricane’s winds and flooding, but also by the mudslides caused by “unprecedented” rain in the region.
Officials have estimated that over 230 people have been killed as a result of Hurricane Helene. While many victims still remain missing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that over 3,200 people in North Carolina have been rescued.
