The body of the last Tennessee victim of Hurricane Helene is found

For context, the remains of the final missing Tennessee victim from Hurricane Helene were discovered two years after the storm devastated Appalachian mountain towns with floods that wiped away whole communities.

What happened

Nancy Tucker, 76, disappeared along with her husband Jimmy Tucker when flooding from the Nolichucky River took their home in rural Washington County in the northeastern corner of Tennessee on Sept. 27, 2024. His body was recovered within a couple of days, but hers had been missing until Saturday, remarked Susan Saylor, spokesperson for the Washington County Sheriff's Department. Their son lived in the home as well but was at work when the flood hit, Saylor remarked.

Helene killed more than 250 individuals and caused almost $80 billion in damage from Florida to the Carolinas. In the mountains on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, rains of up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) turned usually gentle streams into torrents that moved trees, boulders, homes and vehicles, and shattered century-old flood records. Plenty of of those killed were swept away in the flooding. In North Carolina, the body of Alena Ayers has never been recovered. Her case prompted the North Carolina legislature last year to establish Alena's Law, making it easier to declare a person dead if they disappear during a natural disaster.

The bottom line

For now, the body of the last Tennessee victim of Hurricane Helene is found remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.