CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Although there has been sunshine across the Coastal Bend, Hurricane Helene has been tearing one local couple apart, miles away from each other.
“To know that Eric was not part of that and to know that he was safe, I’m so grateful."
Those words came from Wendy Herman as she recounted the emotional moments of not hearing from her husband for days.
On Wednesday, he traveled to Asheville, North Carolina to reunite with a former college professor and classmates. Instead, he was faced with a different encounter: The wrath of Helene.
“I lost communication with him on Friday morning. Then, Saturday around noon, it had been 24 hours since I had talked to him and I had really, really started to get concerned,” Wendy said.
After making landfall last week in Florida, the storm devastated several states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Some towns received more than two feet of rain. Even now, the death toll continues to rise, with the latest count at more than 160 people and many more missing.
Wendy's concern intensified, so she immediately took to Facebook, hoping someone would know whether her husband was okay.
“All the catastrophic destruction, I was just afraid," Wendy said fearfully. "I didn’t know if his hotel was still there. I didn’t know if there was a possibility that he was alive or not.”
Following Wendy's post, it was a KRIS 6 News producer that connected Herman with former KRIS 6 reporter, Chelsea Torres.
Torres was in the Asheville area covering the storm and offered to help find Eric.
“She sent me a text that said ‘okay I’m going to finish my segment and then I’m going to go look for your husband,' Wendy said. "Who does that? Who goes and looks for a perfect stranger’s husband?”
Torres was able to connect with hotel management where Eric was staying in Asheville and confirmed he was alive and safe.
Over the weekend, Eric finally regained cell phone service following the storm and was able to reach out to his wife. That sense of relief covered Wendy like a blanket. Now, Eric is on his way back home.
With the help from one stranger to another and the power of social media, Wendy and Eric will soon be in each other’s arms, safe from the storm.
Eric hopes to return home to his family by Tuesday night.
If you or someone you know is looking to reconnect with a loved one, you can find out more information for hurricane victims on NC211.org.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
