Father of 4 Dies After Neighbor's Tree Falls on His Home During Hurricane Helene: 'A Friend to Everyone'

Mar. 15, 2025

Tony Taylor.Photo:Go Fund Me

Go Fund Me

A father of four died after a neighbor’s tree fell on his Charlotte, North Carolina home asHurricane Helenewreaked havoc in the state.

On Friday, Sept. 27 at approximately 5:11 a.m. local time, the Charlotte Fire Department “responded to an emergency on the 4200 block of Brookway Drive, where a tree had fallen onto a home, trapping two people inside,” per a poston X(formerly known as Twitter).

A photo of flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina on Sept. 28, 2024 following Hurricane Helene.Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty

Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty

AGoFundMepage has since identified the victim as Tony Taylor, with friends and family paying tribute to him “in the wake” of the “devastating tragedy.” According toThe Charlotte Observer, Taylor was 62.

A photo of flood damage in Asheville, North Carolina on Sept. 29, 2024.Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Sean Rayford/Getty Images

“Uncle Tony was a friend to everyone and treated every person he met like family. We are asking for any contribution to help support his wife and children as they rebuild their lives in the wake of this unimaginable loss. Your generosity means more than words can express, and we are deeply grateful for any support you can offer during this time,” the message continued.

The GoFundMe page has raised almost $15,000 so far.

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PerCNN, at least 162 people have died across six states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia — following Hurricane Helene, which was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall over Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday, Sept. 26.

source: people.com