On social media, a heartbreaking photo of two loving grandparents making a last-ditch effort to flee North Carolina’s rising floodwaters has gone viral. Many people have been moved by this tragic image, which depicts the actual effects of harsh weather disasters. As floodwaters rose, Megan Drye, her parents, and her seven-year-old son Micah were forced to flee their Asheville home. This was a common situation for many families in the country at the time.
Hurricane Helene destroyed numerous communities in the Southeast, including theirs. As the floodwaters surged, Megan, her kid, and their elderly parents reportedly sought safety on the roof of their home, according to the Daily Mail. Megan’s sister, Jessica Drye Turner, posted pictures of her family members gathered on the roof, wrapped in blankets and dressed in their regular clothing, watching cars and debris float by, on Facebook in a frantic cry for assistance.
Sadly, not long after the pictures were taken, the roof they were clinging to collapsed. Little Micah and Megan’s parents, who were in their 70s, tragically lost their lives in the collapse when the floodwaters carried them away. Megan, on the other hand, was left emotionally broken by the loss but amazingly lived.
“I’ve never had such a sense of loss, destruction, and inner agony. In an emotional Facebook post, Micah’s aunt Jessica wrote, “I cry out to my Lord.” She revealed that Megan had been discovered alive in a subsequent update. Tragically, Micah’s body was found 0.5 miles from the place where the structure collapsed.
Following this unfathomable tragedy, Heather, Megan’s other sister, launched a GoFundMe page to assist the distraught mother. “For Megan Drye, our miracle, who has lived a mother’s worst nightmare,” is how the page is described. She had lost everything and yet managed to withstand the unthinkable. She will be carried by the help of others and inspired to continue living day by day and taking one breath at a time. Over $66,000 has been raised for Megan and her family through the fundraiser as of right now.
Hurricane Helene left countless people homeless or stranded and over 130 verified deaths across numerous states. The aftermath was catastrophic. President Biden has acknowledged, according to CBS News, that over 600 people are still unaccounted for, with communication lines cut in multiple affected areas. On Monday, Biden told reporters, “God willing, they’re alive, but there’s no way to contact them.”
According to the White House, more than 3,500 federal response personnel have been sent to the area as part of ongoing rescue efforts. The Drye family’s tale is just one of many that have suffered greatly as a result of the hurricane’s fury.
It’s crucial that we remember and pray for the people impacted by the storms during these trying times, and that everyone in susceptible areas takes all the required safety steps.
