THOMSON, GA. (THECOUNT) — Tragedy struck a rural Georgia family last week when Hurricane Helene tore through Thomson, claiming the lives of 27-year-old Kobe Williams and her newborn twin boys, Khyzier and Khazmir. As the storm raged, Kobe’s father, Obie Williams, could hear the sound of babies crying and the relentless pounding of branches against the windows when his daughter called him to update him on their safety.
Kobe, a single mother caring for her month-old twins, had been hunkering down in her trailer home, fearing for their safety. Her father advised her to shelter in the bathroom with her boys until the storm passed. She promised him she would, but soon after, her phone went silent.
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When her family couldn’t reach her, one of Kobe’s brothers braved fallen trees, downed power lines, and dangerous storm conditions to check on her. When he arrived at the trailer, he found an unimaginable scene. A large tree had crashed through the roof, crushing Kobe and causing her to fall on top of her twin sons. All three were killed instantly.
“I’d seen pictures when they were born and pictures every day since, but I hadn’t made it out there yet to meet them,” Obie told The Associated Press. “Now I’ll never get to meet my grandsons. It’s devastating.”
Khyzier and Khazmir, born on August 20, are now the youngest known victims of Hurricane Helene, a storm that has claimed at least 200 lives across several states, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Among the storm’s other young victims are a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy from Washington County, Georgia, located about 50 miles south of Thomson.
In the aftermath of the storm, the destruction was evident across eastern Georgia. In Augusta, where Obie lives, power lines stretched across sidewalks, tree branches blocked roads, and utility poles lay cracked and broken. The devastation left him and many others trapped in their neighborhoods for over a day as the storm passed through.
Kobe, who was nursing her newborn twins, had told her family that evacuating wasn’t an option with babies so young. The decision to stay home was one of many difficult choices families across the Southeast faced as Hurricane Helene’s destructive path became clear. The storm brought deadly winds, flooding, and devastation to communities already grappling with the hardships of the disaster.
Obie, who has 14 other children, said many of them were also impacted by the storm. Some remain without power, and others have sought refuge in nearby cities like Atlanta or traveled to Augusta to be with their father and mourn the loss of their sister and her boys. The family is now waiting for the coroner to release the bodies and for roads to be cleared so they can plan a funeral.
Kobe was described by her father as a strong, lovable, and social young woman who always had a smile on her face and loved making people laugh. She was studying to become a nursing assistant but had paused her education to give birth to her twin boys.
“That was my baby,” Obie said. “And everybody loved her.”
The loss of Kobe and her newborn sons is a heartbreaking reminder of the power and unpredictability of nature. As the Southeast continues to recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastation, many families, like the Williams family, are left grieving the loss of their loved ones.
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