Pregnant Woman Survived Helene Floodwaters by Clinging to Mattress

A pregnant woman in North Carolina is recounting her harrowing story of survival as floodwaters trapped her inside her home during Hurricane Helene. 

Emily Russell, of Swannanoa, told NBC affiliate WXII that she was at home by herself on the morning of Friday, Sept. 27, when her home became inundated with water.

“It was literally like you were stuck on an island,” she said. “I just didn’t know what to do. There was no leaving the house at that point.”

Russell said she thought she was going to drown as water quickly entered her home.

The situation forced Russell and her dog to cling onto a floating mattress for about eight hours, according to the report.

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“You go from the scariest feeling to almost peaceful because you were already so scared and your body’s getting cold from being in the water,” Russell further described to the station.

Then about 6 p.m. local time, Russell’s husband David was able to find her. She realized it was her only opportunity to escape, she told WXII.

“So me and the dog took off down the front yard, but the currents were so strong that I only made it about 10 feet,” she said. “I had to yell to them ‘I can’t walk anymore or it’s gonna take me.’ ” 

Russell survived the experience and told WXII that she is grateful to be alive. Meanwhile, her baby is expected to arrive in weeks. 

As of Thursday, Oct. 3, Hurricane Helene, which rocked the southeastern portion of the U.S. last week, has claimed the lives of at least 200 people, CNN reported. Per PowerOutage.us, about 1 million people remain without power since the storm hit. 

At an briefing on Wednesday, Oct. 2, President Joe Biden said he directed the Department of Defense “to move up 1,000 soldiers to reinforce North Carolina’s National Guard” for additional assistance. 

“My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced the unthinkable loss,” Biden said. “But we’re here for you.”

To learn more about how to help with relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Helene, click here.