The remains of the final missing Tennessee victim from Hurricane Helene were found two years after the storm devastated Appalachian mountain towns with floods that wiped away whole communities.
In Tennessee, first responders over the past two years had narrowed down the search area for Nancy Tucker to a portion of the Cherokee National Forest called Jackson Island. However, they faced both physical and bureaucratic hurdles. When asked why first responders never gave up the search, Saylor noted that Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton had vowed to recover every missing person after the storm.
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. James Matthews, with the local Emergency Management Agency, said that since February, search crews had logged over 400 miles walking through the area but could not search through the debris piles. Some reached 40 feet high in places and, in addition to trees and rocks, were filled with things like cars and large propane tanks.
His body was recovered within a couple of days, but hers had been missing until Saturday, said 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 said.
“Why would you not want to bring what you could bring to the family, who had already lost a father? Saylor asked.
“There was never a question of stopping.”
