Over a handful of family members from a North Carolina household perished due to Hurricane Helene.
The Craig clan had accumulated eight decades worth of cherished moments in a region affectionately known by locals as "Craigtown," situated in Fairview, North Carolina, as reported by CNN affiliate WTVD – a region that saw its death toll surpass 100 following Hurricane Helene's destructive path, covering approximately 500 miles from Florida to the Southern Appalachians within a mere 48 hours.
Helene's wrath resulted in a devastating mudslide that swept through Craigtown, dissolving numerous dwellings and the lives within them, as reported by WTVD. Some members of the Craig family were left powerless to witness their homes being ravaged by water and mud, as per WLOS.
Losing a single loved one is heartbreaking, but the Craig siblings, Jesse and Bryan, are grappling with the simultaneous loss of 11 precious souls. This inexplicable grief has left them struggling to recognize their former hometown as they mourn their devastating loss.
Jesse Craig enumerated the lives he had to bid farewell:
"My mom, dad, aunt, uncle, great-aunt, and uncle – I've lost cousins, second cousins," he confided in WTVD.
Bryan Craig shared his thoughts on the mudslide with WLOS, expressing his awe at the sheer force of nature:
"They witnessed it, and they had to watch it all unfold – the water tearing through the trees, the rocks, the mud. It's incredible."
The Craig family had celebrated a wedding just a week prior, but tragedy struck before their joyous occasion could linger. Now, as loved ones rummage through the wreckage of what remains of their homes, they are left to preserve their memories, enhanced only by the photos and personal possessions that miraculously survived the mudslide.
"We'll have some fantastic wedding pictures and pictures of people we've lost," Bryan shared.
Friend Steve Runion, recalling the Craigs as a lively and influential family within their community, described them as "pillars of their community."
"They were always there for you. They had servant hearts," Runion told CNN affiliate WRAL. "They were just kind, loving people."
For those family members who continue to dwell in the area, their focus lies on rebuilding what the Craigs labored tirelessly to establish since the mid-1900s, as reported by WTVD.
"They managed to salvage a couple of wood stoves from a couple of the homes," Runion shared with WRAL. "They're considering creating a memorial from these wood stoves, which would be quite moving."
A GoFundMe page has been established to support rebuilding efforts, funeral arrangements, medical expenses, and financial aid for the grieving family during this difficult time, according to the page.
"This will never be the same; there's no way this can ever be the same again, this little area. But we have to move forward, to keep living – I know they'd want us to," Bryan asserted.
The Craig siblings are united in their grief, as they've lost 11 family members in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.(Jesse and Bryan, as mentioned in the text)
The community, in mourning, looks to rebuild what the Craig family had lovingly built over decades, as a symbol of resilience and healing.(As mentioned by Steve Runion to WRAL)
