**Stranded by Hurricane Helene: A North Carolina Family’s Treacherous Journey Home**

Morgan Ladlee and her fiancé set out on a journey that usually takes mere minutes by car but now felt like a daunting expedition. Laden with supplies in their backpacks, the couple trudged up the mountain, navigating a fractured highway. Entire sections had been swallowed by the creek below. Each painstaking step involved leaping over rocks and wading through thick mud that cascaded from the mountainside. The pair worked together, helping each other climb over ledges, fallen trees, and downed power lines.

After ascending 500 feet, Morgan, age 22, experienced an emotional reunion with her parents and younger brother. It was their first meeting since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across western North Carolina, claiming more than 90 lives. The family held each other tightly, every tear a testament to their survival through harrowing conditions.

The storm's impact was felt keenly in small, isolated towns like Bat Cave, N.C., where Morgan and her fiancé reside, and Gerton, where her parents live. Both communities were unprepared for the historic deluge that sent torrents of water and mud cascading down from the mountains, severing their connections to the outside world.

In tiny towns across the region, residents remain beleaguered and stranded, grappling with the destructive aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The relentless force of nature has left indelible marks on these communities, highlighting their vulnerability and resilience in the face of unprecedented disaster.