"It's every night. I relive it every day," said Jesse Craig. "There's not a night that I don't lay my head down and relive it. That's been tough."
For Jesse and his wife, MeKenzie , the past year has felt unreal. "I know it's been a year, but it doesn't feel like it's been a year," McKenzie said. Jesse added, "It seems like I'm standing here on September 27, 2024. I cannot grasp that it's already been a year."
A community swept away
When Helene hit, mudslides tore through Craigtown, destroying homes and taking with them Jesse's parents and nine other relatives. Piles of rubble replaced what had been a proud family homestead purchased by Jesse's grandfather more than 80 years ago. In the days after the storm, Jesse walked ABC11's Diane Wilson across the land, still in shock but determined to share his family's story.
"I catch myself thinking almost every day, standing in the middle of all this unfathomable destruction-and the miracles that came out of it."
Besides Jeese's parents, Fairview Volunteer firefighter Battalion Chief Tony Garrison also lost his life along with his nephew, Brandon Ruppe while trying to rescue people in Craigtown. They both are part of the Craig family and live in Craigtown. Garrison's widow, Mary Garrison, shared with Wilson what that day was like, and this last year has been life without her husband, Tony.
Stories of survival
Amid so much loss, the Craigs also witnessed incredible survival. One relative lived through the landslides trapped in his truck, which was carried several hundred feet before breaking through the back window to escape. Another was saved after the storm ripped their home from its foundation.
"There were so many lives that day that, by conventional standards, they should not have lived," Jesse said. "If you could stand in the midst of all of that and see it, and that is a testament to my faith." Even his parents' dog, Cooper, was found alive inside his cage, surrounded by debris.
Holding on to pieces of hope
A year later, Craigtown looks different. The land is healing, but for the Craigs, the scars remain. "The land looks better, but our hearts will forever be scarred," Jesse said. "A huge piece of us died that day."
As Jesse showed Diane where his parents' house once stood, he pointed out a small but powerful reminder of his mother: a blooming morning glory-her favorite flower-still growing where their porch had been. "She got the seeds from her grandmother. A little piece survived," Jesse said. Nearby, the American flag Jesse and his cousin planted in the ground just after the storm still stands strong.
"We saw so many miracles through the pain," MeKenzie said. "That helps you keep the faith-because even through the bad, there's always going to be good somewhere."
Moving forward
For the Craigs, faith and community support have carried them through the darkest year of their lives. "We're just trying to live our lives to the fullest," Jesse said.
"We've let go of a lot of trivial things-because everything can change in the blink of an eye."
They're also determined to honor the love they've received this past year by paying it forward.
In addition to the 11 Craig family members who were killed, two other people died in Craigtown when Hurricane Helene hit.