Tragedy continues in western North Carolina, where a family of four was killed while trying to evacuate their Green Mountain home.
Alison Wisely, her fiancé Knox Petrucci and her two children, Felix, 9, and Lucas, 7, died in the storm Helene.
According to family members, around noon on Friday, as the storm approached, the four attempted to leave their home in Green Mountain in their car. As they drove through the floodwaters, their car began to float. When the family got out of the car to try and go back to the house, they were swept away into the Toe River.
Tragically, this story is all too familiar; it’s a testament to how quickly Helene ripped through the North Carolina mountains, giving families and residents little time to escape the deadly storm.
Relatives in contact with Alison and Knox said they had made some preparations for the storm and were anticipating minor flooding in the basement. They bought pallets and sandbags, confident that living in the mountains would protect them, as the region had never experienced such an extreme weather event.
The actual flooding in the area, however, was more devastating than they had anticipated – with the Toe River rising by 22 feet and water levels reaching just a few inches below the ceiling of their single-story home.
All of their bodies have been recovered.
The couple planned to wed on Nov. 9 in Burnsville.
Petrucci’s sister, Briana Petrucci Yarbrough, said the family of four had created a life full of love, family, creativity, bees, chickens, cats, dogs, lizards, music and magic.
Yarbrough said her brother embraced being part of the Appalachian beekeeping, arts and queer communities.
“Knox had described to me with gratitude the neighborliness of the people of Burnsville and Green Mountain, saying how even though people came from many sides of the political spectrum, if someone needed help their neighbor would come through,” his sister said.
She said he wanted to live there for the rest of his days.
He was a local beekeeper, manager, community educator at Honey & the Hive in Weaverville and an aspiring blacksmith.
Along with being an advocate for the Earth and bees, his sister said he was also a gifted musician, songwriter and artist.
“Knox was always there for friends who were like family and inspired others in the way he moved through life with authenticity and boundless love and acceptance,” Yarbrough said. “I would like people to remember my brother Knox as a person who brought together community and was always seeking meaningful connections with others.”
She said Wisely encouraged her children to stretch their imaginations and nurtured their creative, loving, funny spirits.
“Brilliant and wise Alison, was a most loving mother to the boys she shared and co-parented with Lance Wisely, their devoted dad,” Yarbrough said.
She said the boys enjoyed painting, drawing and playing Minecraft.
“Beloved, curious, precocious Felix wanted to know everything about the world,” she said. “He delighted in all things magical and scientific, and loved to talk about wonders and the unknown. He and his mother recently had a lot of fun producing Beyond Legends, a family-friendly podcast about cryptids, folklore and the supernatural.
“He loved all the creatures of the Earth and beyond, even the ones others don’t believe in.”
Yarbrough said Lucas loved exploring the outdoors and had an incredible imagination.
“Sweet Lucas brightened his family and friends’ days with humor, kindness and caring nature,” she said. “Most often sporting superhero garb and all things sparkly, Lucas never failed to make the grown-ups in his life laugh. He gave the best cuddles and loved cows of every kind.”
The boys’ father, Lance Wisely, expressed his gratitude for the community and the people who loved and cared for his boys.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the people who loved and cared for my children, their mother Aly (Alison) who was an excellent mother and co-parent [and] Knox, who the children were excited to call their step-dad,” the boys’ father said.
“So many have reached out in the wake of this disaster to tell me how the community was touched by our family. Our family was touched by all of you. You have all been an essential part of this journey, and I am forever grateful.”
Despite this unimaginable tragedy, some of their furrier family members managed to survive.
The family shared that search and rescue teams also found their cattle dog, Reishi, who survived by floating on a mattress in one of the bedrooms. She got trapped behind a door that had swollen shut due to water absorption, which helped shield her from the intense surge. Reishi is being cared for by a neighbor.
The family’s cat, Mowgli, was also found and will be adopted by a family friend. The boys’ lizard, Sheila, managed to survive by floating in her tank. Moonpie, the family’s hound is still missing, but family members and friends are hoping to adopt her if she is found.
“It would bring great solace to have their dearly loved pets close,” Yarbrough said.
https://go789.ac/Wisely worked at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, helping guide others through times of grief. The cemetery has generously offered to cover the cost of burial and funeral services.
A GoFundMe has also been created to support grieving family members and friends in their travels to the family’s funeral services. The money will also help friends and family who have been impacted by Helene. The family said extra funds will be donated to local organizations that meant the world to their family and the people who are working tirelessly to assist those affected by this horrific climate tragedy.
