'A Friend to Everyone': Father of 4 Die...

A father of four died after a neighbor's tree fell on his Charlotte, North Carolina home as Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the state

Published Time: 02.10.2024 - 15:31:23 Modified Time: 02.10.2024 - 15:31:23

A father of four died after a neighbor's tree fell on his Charlotte, North Carolina home as Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the state.

On Friday, Sept. 27 at approximately 5:11 a.m. local time, the Charlotte Fire Department "responded to an emergency on the 4200 block of Brookway Drive, where a tree had fallen onto a home, trapping two people inside," per a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"One person was rescued and transported to a nearby hospital. Tragically, the other person was found deceased. The minor children in the home were not physically harmed," the message added.

A GoFundMe page has since identified the victim as Tony Taylor, with friends and family paying tribute to him "in the wake" of the "devastating tragedy." According to The Charlotte Observer, Taylor was 62.

"My Uncle Tony tragically lost his life when a neighbor’s tree fell on his home during Hurricane Helene. Although his wife and four children survived, the loss of such a kind and loving man has left a profound void," a GoFundMe description written by his nephew Stephen read.

"For some time, we had been trying to get the tree removed, but since it wasn’t on our property, there was little we could do," the description added on the page, which was set up by Stephen but is now being run by Tony's wife, Sandy."We are left not only to mourn the loss of a man whose smile could light up any r -

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oom but also to support his grieving family through this incredibly difficult time," added the description. It also explained that any contributions would help the family to repair their home and belongings, and help them find a "temporary place to stay," as well as help cover funeral costs and daily expenses.

"Uncle Tony was a friend to everyone and treated every person he met like family. We are asking for any contribution to help support his wife and children as they rebuild their lives in the wake of this unimaginable loss. Your generosity means more than words can express, and we are deeply grateful for any support you can offer during this time," the message continued.

The GoFundMe page has raised almost $15,000 so far.

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Per CNN, at least 162 people have died across six states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia — following Hurricane Helene, which was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall over Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday, Sept. 26.

It had been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, according to the National Hurricane Center, by the following day. Hundreds remain missing as the recovery efforts continue.