Hurricane Helene has been ravaging the United States after making landfall in Florida on September 26. Since it hit the U.S., Helene has claimed 223 lives, many of whom are families and children.
Throughout the country, many individuals are without homes, food, electricity, and supplies. Relief agencies are open and accepting donations, but many things cannot replace the lives lost to this tragic disaster.
A family in Georgia is grieving the loss of their two youngest children after the hurricane ravaged their community
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Taylor family was spending their evening as they normally do, despite knowing that Hurricane Helene was heading inland. The news outlets had not been exact about where the storm would land in Georgia, so they continued their evening as normal as possible.
Mom of three, Crystal Taylor, was watching TV with her oldest daughter on the couch
Inside, her husband, Herbert, was going to bed with their two youngest children, Harmony and Derrick. The family exchanged kisses and hugs before going off to bed. At that point, the storm had not yet hit inland.
Around 4:00 a.m., Crystal shared her mother called to check on the family
Embed from Getty ImagesAs their town quickly became the “center” of where the storm was landing, Crystal’s mother called to ensure that her family was okay. The wind was beginning to pick up, and so far, things seemed to still be intact. However, the storm was getting worse.
Herbert got out of bed to see how things in the yard were
Embed from Getty ImagesA large oak tree that took over the vast majority of their yard was still standing firmly in the ground. However, when Herbert looked out the window further, he saw the cover of his truck lift into the air. The storm was picking up and the winds were getting worse.
RELATED STORIES
Trying to act quickly, Herbert ran to the back of their home to check on their youngest children
Herbet was unable to get to their bedroom before the house exploded in flames. The large oak tree, whose leaves shaded their entire yard and home, fell directly onto their house. The tree landed directly on the bed where both Harmony and Derrick had been sleeping.
Herbert screamed out in desperation
Unable to get to the bedroom, the father of three screamed, “My babies,” loudly for all to hear. The tree ignited an electrical fire, making it impossible for Herbert to get anywhere in the home. Crystal and their oldest daughter, Cassidy, made it to a neighbor’s house safely.
Cassidy, their 11-year-old daughter, called the police
Despite being scared, their oldest daughter was able to call the authorities and report what was happening. Despite this, it wasn’t easy to get to the youngest Taylor children. The tree was completely blocking off the bedroom to the two children and authorities could not get in immediately.
Crystal Taylor didn’t lose hope
Wanting to believe that her babies were OK, Crystal told news outlets she reassured herself, saying, “My babies are going to come out. They’ll be alright.” However, later, they believed that the youngest Taylor children died immediately on impact from the tree.
The family is now dealing with the aftermath of the loss
Along with losing their home, the family is now grieving the loss of two children. Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe page in their names, trying to help them get back on their feet after the tragic losses and to support them during this time. In addition, they are accepting donations through Herbet’s CashApp at $Rick4715.
In addition, the parents have spoken out and thanked those who have reached out to them
Crystal Taylor posted to her Facebook saying, “Hello everyone, I wanted to reach out to everyone and say that nothing has went unnoticed and me and my family appreciate all the love that has been shown to us during this time. Unfortunately my cashapp has started acting crazy, so if you’re trying to send anything to me and it’s not going please send it to my husband instead. His cashapp is $Rick4715.”
Herbert Taylor also posted, saying, “I wanna thank everybody for the calls txt and all the luv and prayers we been getting it really means a lot to us at this difficult time much luv to yall.”
