As Russian forces invaded Kherson, a key port city in Ukraine, in February 2022, Anastasiia Novitnia Segen and her family were desperately seeking an escape.

The family of four, which includes Segen’s husband Dmytro, their 13-year-old son Yevhenii, and Segen’s 80-year-old mother Tatiana Novitnia, were accepted into a U.S. humanitarian program and relocated to Micaville, a small community in western North Carolina, three months later.

They chose Micaville, a remote area nestled in the southern Appalachian Mountains, because it was where Segen’s sister and brother-in-law had made their home years prior.

On her sister’s land, Segen’s family settled into a navy blue mobile home, only a short distance from the scenic South Toe River. The move was a welcome change from Kherson, the first major city captured by Russian troops, where a prolonged occupation and nightly bombardments led to mass evacuations and the destruction of numerous homes.

However, after enjoying over a year of peaceful life in North Carolina, the Segen family’s world has been turned upside down by another calamity.

Hurricane Helene has become one of the most lethal storms in U.S. history, drenching the Southeast with unprecedented rainfall that resulted in massive flooding throughout many neighborhoods and towns. In Micaville and the surrounding regions, including Asheville, the destruction was extensive. Landslides and overflowing rivers swept away homes, caused bridges to collapse, and washed out numerous roads.

Nearly a week after the hurricane struck, Segen and her family remain missing, prompting an urgent search by their loved ones.

Lysa Gindinova, Segen’s niece from Brooklyn, New York, has been glued to her phone since Thursday, constantly checking local Facebook groups for updates about residents who have been found, and reaching out to rescue teams and authorities at different levels.

“I’ve been doing this non-stop,” Gindinova shared with YSL News. “I can’t seem to focus on anything else. It’s consuming my thoughts.”

The Segens are part of the many individuals still unaccounted for amid widespread communication failures, power outages, and damage to roads, severely hindering rescue efforts in the area.

“We’re facing major road and infrastructure problems, which are causing significant difficulties for both responders and affected residents,” stated Yancey County Chairman Jeff Whitson during a news briefing on Tuesday. He mentioned that search and rescue operations were underway across the county, with teams providing assistance from as far away as New York and Texas.

The family’s mobile home was situated in an open area close to the South Toe River, a popular summer spot for camping, fishing, and tubing.

According to the National Water Prediction Service, the river rose dramatically early Friday morning, increasing almost six feet in just seven hours, abruptly halting measurements after the gauge malfunctioned. By the last report at 7:30 a.m. Friday, the river had surpassed six feet above flood stage and was nearing its record height.

The last time Gindinova spoke to her aunt was around 6 p.m. on September 26, as the first waves of Helene’s heavy rains and winds began to batter the region.

“She mentioned that the river was rising,” Gindinova recalled. “She even joked about hoping their ‘Titanic’—a reference to their mobile home—would hold up.”

Since that last conversation, Gindinova has not been able to reach her aunt and uncle through calls, texts, or social media.

Gindinova’s husband and two kids were eventually saved. She learned from the children that everyone in their family was confirmed safe, except for the Segens.

On Tuesday, Gindinova contacted a family friend who had used a drone to survey the area where the Segens’ house used to be. The video shared with Gindinova revealed that the house was completely missing.

“There’s nothing remaining,” Gindinova remarked.