Hurricane Helene swept through the southeastern United States with unrelenting force, leaving destruction and heartbreak in its wake. Among the most tragic victims of this devastating storm were twin boys, Khyzier and Khazmir Williams, who were just five weeks old, and their mother Kobe Williams. Their story is one of love, loss, and unimaginable sorrow.
Kobe Williams, 27, was holed up with her newborns inside their mobile home located in rural Thomson, Georgia, as Helene unleashed its fury on the region. The hurricane's powerful winds and heavy rainfall on September 27 caused widespread havoc, but for Kobe and her little boys, the storm culminated tragically when a massive tree crashed through the roof of their home.
According to their grandfather, Obie Williams, Kobe had decided to stay put instead of evacuate, believing it would be safer to shelter with her twins. She had voiced concerns about the difficulty of evacuations with such young infants and opted to heed her father’s advice to take refuge inside the bathroom, which she believed would be the safest option during the storm.
“Now I’ll never get to meet my grandsons,” said Obie Williams, filled with grief as he recalled the day he received the devastating news. He hadn’t even had the chance to meet the boys since he lived miles away and had only seen pictures of them. “It’s devastating,” he shared, grieving the opportunity lost to form memories with the precious infants born only weeks prior, on August 20.
After hours of silence from Kobe, family members became increasingly worried and decided to check on her. When they arrived, the scene was unfathomable: the structure had been critically damaged, and both the mother and her babies had been crushed beneath the weight of the fallen tree.
While news of the death of the twins and their mother echoed through their family, the reality of their loss hit the entire community hard. Huddled together, relatives and friends tried to support each other as they mourned, recalling Kobe as an energetic and joyful soul who had always brought smiles to those around her.
“That was my baby,” Obie Williams expressed, with tears streaming down his face as he remembered her laughter and zest for life. “And everybody loved her.” Kobe had been studying to become a nursing assistant but had chosen to take time off from her studies to give birth to her sons, whom she had adored.
Hurricane Helene caused significant devastation across multiple states including Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, resulting in at least 230 reported fatalities. The storm brought rising floodwaters, uprooted trees, and destruction to homes, leading to desperate scenarios for many families caught unprepared.
Alongside Khyzier and Khazmir, Helene took the lives of other young victims, including Harmony and Derrick Taylor, aged seven and four, respectively, who were killed when another tree fell on their home. A heartbreaking pattern emerged, with families like the Williams enduring the immeasurable pain of losing young lives during one of nature’s fiercest assaults.
The community, meanwhile, is still reeling as search efforts ramp up to try and find survivors and provide aid to those affected. With roads severely damaged and many neighborhoods still without power, relatives of victims and community members are coming together to help one another navigate this catastrophe.
“This young mother was trying to do the right thing by keeping her babies safe,” said one neighbor, reflecting on Kobe’s tragic decisions. “It’s just so wrong.” The entire situation has left many residents of Thomson grappling with the weight of the loss, not just for the Williams family but for all those who perished during the hurricane.
The Williams family is now awaiting the release of the bodies from the coroner’s office, hoping for the chance to arrange funerals for Kobe and her twin boys amid the continued struggle to recover from the storm’s aftermath. Obie Williams shared the family’s determination to honor the lives of Kobe and her children, vowing to keep their memory alive within the hearts of those who knew them.
This young family’s story, marked by hope and joy, has taken a heartbreaking turn, becoming one of the many stories of loss amid Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Though their lives were tragically cut short, the love shared between Kobe and her twin sons will forever echo within the memories of those they left behind.
“We are waiting for the road to clear so we can go through this,” said Obie, his voice filled with pain. “All we can do is try to get through it together.”
