‘Unbelievable’: After 11 loved ones died in WNC flooding, a family cherishes recent memories

BUNCOMBE CO., N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – “I don’t know how it kept standing,” says Brian Craig, pointing to what you might call the Craig family tree in the Garren Creek Community.

“I can walk to that oak tree and get a sense of where everything was. Because everything where I grew up is gone,” he told Queen City News.

The area known as Craigtown in Buncombe County is largely unrecognizable in the wake of Helene.

Thirteen were killed in the flooding and landslide that resulted, including 11 members of the Craig family. The Craigs have owned the stretch of land near the Garren Creek Fire Volunteer Department station for 80 years.

The storm leveled the peaceful mountain neighborhood, leaving behind mangled cars and a few traces of where houses used to be.

“It’s never going to be the same,” said Craig.

“Well right here alone there were one, two, three, four, five, six right [houses] here,” he says, giving us the lay of the land.

“Lois and Jimmy Souther,” Craig’s mother and father were among those killed.

His uncle Ronnie Craig and aunt Sandy Craig were also casualties of the catastrophic storm, as were Freddie and Terri Pack, and Angie Craig.

“I don’t know, I still can’t wrap my mind around it either. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to,” Bryan said.

Two cousins, Brandon Ruppe and Tony Garrison, died while trying to rescue people when the mudslide hit.

“It’s still unbelievable,” said Brad Wright, walking us just down the road with his sisters.

They mourn the passing of their parents, Dan and Evelyn Wright.

“What’s left of my mom and dad’s place right here,” he said, standing on the barren site where his childhood home once sat.

The Wrights died less than a week shy of their 65th anniversary.

“To lose that many family members in one go is just tragic,” Brad said.

The slide cascaded down a mountain for miles before crashing through Craigtown.

“It was an incredible force of nature; nobody had seen anything like it,” says Brad.

“I’m going to believe that it happened so fast that [my parents] didn’t have a moment to process any fear at all,” he said.

The Wrights were as kind as can be, their son said.

“If you knew my dad, you probably ate one of his biscuits,” Brad says. “And if you knew my mom, she just loved on you the best she could, and you never got away from them without a hug.”

We never know when it could be the last hug.

“This is all that’s left, which really isn’t anything,” said Brad, still in a state of disbelief.

“We lost a lot of great men and women,” Craig summed up.

Just days before the deluge, his parents went to his oldest daughter’s wedding.

The couple watched their son walk their granddaughter down the aisle and, as always, they were so proud of Bryan and his kids.

The grandparents couldn’t miss the moment Amaron exchanged vows with groom Zack.

Bryan is the defensive coordinator for the AC Reynolds High School football team, and his folks were always there on Friday nights to cheer his team on.

“I think so, that’s what everybody always says that they were so proud of me,” said Craig.

The photos of the family together on that beautiful wedding day have even more relevance now.

“We’re blessed that we’re going to have those memories from that day, as well as some good pictures,” he says.

That oak tree off in the distance marks the spot where the family had deep roots. For those who grew up in Craigtown, it’s hard to accept that after four generations, most everything was wiped out.

“It’s gone. I mean there’s absolutely nothing,” said Craig.

“Some of the best people you’ll ever meet in your life,” Wright said of his fallen family members. “More willing than anyone you may ever know that would be willing to help take their shirt of their back, do anything they could.”

So far, a GoFundMe page to benefit the Craig family has raised more than 200-thousand dollars.

The Garren Creek Fire Department is asking the community not to bring in additional relief supplies at this time. Instead, the department encourages the public to donate money through Venmo at @ChestnutHill-BaptistChurch (confirmation code: 1372).

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