A pregnant woman in North Carolina had to do anything she could survive after Hurricane Helene caused rivers to flood and overwhelm homes in the area. For Emily Russell, she found herself in a tough survival situation. Floodwaters quickly overtook her home, trapping herself inside of her home.
Russell said that fast thinking helped her survive Helene. She told NBC affiliate WXII that she was at home alone when the storm hit. Floodwaters quickly made their way inside of their home. She was trapped with no where to go. "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."
Desperation caused for desperate measures. Russell said she thought the flood water was going to drown her. Russell managed to throw herself and her dog on top of her mattress. She ended up clinging to the piece of furniture for an agonizing eight hours after Helene hit. She quickly realized what people during the Titanic felt.
Helene Causes Flooding
The water made her cold but managed to calm her down. "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 said.
Fortunately, her husband David came to her rescue that evening. However, she realized she was going to have to try to brave the flood waters to escape.
"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.' "
Fortunately, her husband rescued her. She said she is grateful to be alive. Her baby is due in just a few weeks as well. Russell's is just one of several horror stories flooding out of North Carolina. Helene forced residents to do whatever they had to in order to survive. Sadly, not everyone managed to survive the devastating flood waters. For that, the pregnant woman is fortuante.
