Hurricane Horror: North Carolina Family Dies in Heartbreaking Attempt to Escape Storm

North Carolina Mother, Fiancé, and Her Two Young Sons Die While Fleeing Hurricane

The fiancé’s sister broke the terrible news of her brother’s passing and described the incomprehensible suffering her brother, his fiancée, and her children had experienced.

On Friday, September 27, 2024, as they were attempting to flee Hurricane Helene, the lives of four cherished family members were sadly cut short.

When their automobile started to float in the rising floodwaters, Alison Wisely, her fiancé Knox Petrucci, and their two young sons, Felix and Lucas, were trying to flee from Green Mountain, North Carolina.

The family tried to return to the house after being forced to leave their car behind as the flooding got worse. But they were washed into the neighboring Toe River by a huge wave.

A man who was there to watch the incident tried to warn them not to approach the water and then tried to help them escape, but he was unable to do so.

After seeing family photos, he later verified their identities. The family’s vehicle was later found by emergency personnel close to the river’s bank, quite a way from the road. When their house was checked, a lone dog was discovered inside even though it was vacant.

On October 4, 2024, Alison’s body was discovered in Tennessee; Felix and Lucas’s bodies were discovered the next day. Knox’s body was found on October 7, 2024, following extensive efforts by numerous organizations to get him back home and allow him to rest with his family.

According to her family, Felix and Lucas were encouraged to embrace their ideas and creativity by their loving mother Alison, who was well-known for her knowledge and profound love for her kids. She provided compassionate and elegant support to people throughout their time of bereavement as the Sanctuary Operations Manager at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary.

Knox was a talented musician and artist in addition to being a beekeeper and manager at Honey and the Hive in Weaverville. He was well-known for his support of bees and the environment. He led an authentic life, showing unwavering love and support to his friends and family.

Felix was a curious and intelligent nine-year-old. He cherished learning about the natural world, particularly its enchanted and enigmatic aspects, such as creatures that some people find unreal. Hurricanes and tornadoes also captivated him. He and his mother even created the Beyond Legend podcast, which explores folklore and the paranormal.

Seven-year-old Lucas, Felix’s sibling, was a kind and creative youngster. With his warmth and sense of humor, he made everyone around him happier, and he frequently wore sparkly accessories and superhero costumes. He made the finest cuddles and loved cows of all kinds.

The family established a life full of love, music, creativity, and nature while they were living by the river in the mountains of North Carolina. Family and friends are upset and will not be able to attend Alison and Knox’s wedding on November 9.

A GoFundMe page has been established to assist bereaved family members and memorial ceremonies. Funeral expenses have been kindly paid for by the Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, but any surplus money will be utilized to support people affected by the hurricane and pay tribute to the lives of Alison, Knox, Felix, and Lucas.

The family has expressed gratitude to everyone for their love, support, and unwavering prayers at this traumatic time, saying that their loved ones are experiencing unfathomable sadness. They have also honored Felix, Lucas, Knox, and Alison.

Briana, Knox’s sister, expressed her sadness and looked back on their love and shared memories in an emotional post where she broke the news. She praised Alison for becoming Knox’s most sage and devoted companion—someone who instantly made her feel like family.

“She instantly felt like a sister and I will always cherish the talks we had about the afterlife and the meaning of life over coffee when we spent time together in Lake Winnipesaukee,” wrote Briana.

Felix and Lucas were praised by Knox’s sister, who described them as the “brightest, magical, funniest little souls you could ever imagine.” She lamented not being able to accept her responsibilities as their aunt to the fullest.

In addition, Briana promised to uphold her brother’s principles going forward, honoring his legacy. “Knox, you have my undying affection. I don’t know how I would manage to live without you since you taught me the art of unconditional, fierce love,” she continued.

She honored Knox’s passionate devotion to his friends and family, his support of the environment and bees, and his intense love. Even though she can’t express how much it hurts to be without him, she promised to keep living up to his values of forgiveness and sincerity.

Briana sent her condolences to Alison’s brother Hayden, her parents Kathy and Bruce, and her partner, Lance Wisely, the father of Alison’s children. She pleaded for them to have support and prayers as they deal with this enormous loss.

She conveyed her sincere gratitude in her message to the community residents, emergency personnel, and volunteers who have pulled together during this trying time. She requested seclusion and time to help the family process their loss and deal with its anguish.

In a heartfelt note, Lance also expressed his deep love and pride for his sons. He said, “The boys were loved fiercely and generously by all of their grown ups, and by you, even many of you who never met them have watched them grow up and shared in our joys as a family.”

The father went on to say that his boys were full of joy and cuddles, as well as adventurous and artistic. “It has been my great honor and pleasure, and exhausting privilege, to be their father for their time in this world with us,” he wrote in his letter.

Lance had nothing but praise for Knox; he took Felix and Lucas under his wing and never stopped showing them affection. In addition, he praised Alison, describing her as a loving mother, bright, and lovely. Lance cherished their cooperative co-parenting connection since they enjoyed the same parenting pleasures.

Lance acknowledged the profound sense of loss that so many people have experienced. There is a gap in the family’s life, but the love and support that have been shown for them shows how much of an influence they had on people around them.

The Taylor family experienced a horrible night as Hurricane Helene made landfall at their house. As we previously reported, the horrific storm claimed the lives of over twenty-two Georgians, including a brother and his sister. The community has been deeply impacted by this horrific occurrence as families deal with the devastating death of loved ones.

The night of September 26, 2024, started off calmly for the Taylors, even though they knew that Hurricane Helene was headed into eastern Middle Georgia. Even yet, they had no idea where it would land or how much of an impact it would have well inland.

As a result, they were spending precious time together as the kids unwind with their parents. The 34-year-old Crystal Taylor and her 11-year-old son Cassidy were cuddled up on the couch in the living room as they fell asleep.

The two had been watching a cooking show called “Beat Bobby Flay,” while Crystal watched her phone for weather updates. Her 39-year-old husband Herbert Taylor and their two other children, Derrick, 4, and Harmony, 7, were sound sleeping in their bedroom.

After midnight, the violent storm tore across the region, roaring across the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers and advancing from Valdosta into Augusta.

In the end, the 5,500-person city of Sandersville—which is situated in the middle of the triangle made up of Macon, Statesboro, and Augusta—found itself squarely in the path of the storm.

Crystal’s mother called to see if their trees were still intact at about 4:00 a.m. They were, Crystal reassured her, even if the wind had picked up a lot. A huge oak tree with a trunk as broad as a truck tire towered over the backyard.

On sunny days, the tree’s wide canopy shaded much of the home and the backyard, and it stayed upright. Herbert, a heavy equipment operator, walked outside to have a look when the winds picked up and noticed his truck’s cover lifting into the air.

His two youngest children were sleeping in his bedroom, so he turned to head that way down the hall. The house exploded before he could get to them.

Derrick and Harmony were resting when the massive oak tree toppled upon their bedding. “My babies,” Herbert shouted out, just as the impact set off an electrical fire. Cassidy and Crystal, meantime, hurried to a neighbor’s house in order to be safe.

Even though Cassidy was in tears, she contacted 911 without losing her temper. She added, “A tree fell on top of our house,” and gave the address of their residence. It includes my 7-year-old sister and my 4-year-old brother. The home is engulfed in flames.”

When rescuers got to the Taylor home on South Hospital Road, the storm was still howling. After putting out the fire, Derrick and Harmony were trapped since the enormous oak tree blocked their path.

Crystal cried, “I can’t get to my babies.” She tried not to panic, afraid that screaming their names would make them cry out and she would be unable to save them. The crew struggled for hours, and it took them over five hours to cut through the tree and get to the kids.

Crystal, a pre-K teacher at Ridge Road Primary, told herself, “My babies are going to come out,” as time went by and she saw no trace of her children. They will be OK.

She imagined Harmony would come looking for the special cooked white potatoes her beloved “papa,” made for her, while Derrick would ask for his favorite snack, cookies and graham crackers.

This future was tragically cut short. Derrick and Harmony, according to the Taylors, died instantly. The family is still mourning their loss and is grateful for the public’s well-wishes and encouragement.

“I wanna thank everybody for the calls, texts, and all the love and prayers we been getting. It really means a lot to us at this difficult time. Much love to yall [sic],” Herbert said on Facebook on September 28, 2024.

On the last day of September 2024, Crystal tweeted, “Hello everyone, I wanted to reach out to everyone and say that nothing has went [sic] unnoticed and me and my family appreciate all the love that has been shown to us during this time.”

Additionally, the Taylors have been getting donations via Herbert’s cash app $Rick4715 from kindhearted people. Additionally, the family has a GoFundMe page set up by Jenna Barefield and Brittany Price. As of this writing, it has raised more than $80,000 of its $100,000 target.

“Please consider giving to help the family with funeral expenses as well as finding new housing and everyday expenses during this incredible loss,” the page asks. They also need to take care of their eldest daughter.”

The Taylors are incredibly grateful for the community’s outpouring of financial support, prayers, and well deeds, since they have received over 1000 donations.