Kobe Williams, a 27-year-old mother, made a final promise to her father to protect her newborn twins from the impending devastation of Hurricane Helene. Seeking safety in her home in Thomson, Georgia, with her one-month-old sons, Khyzier and Khazmir, Kobe hoped they would weather the storm. Tragically, fate had other plans. Hurricane Helene, a force of nature that would go on to claim 33 lives, left the Williams family shattered. Kobe, along with her twin sons, became some of the youngest and most heartbreaking victims of the storm’s destruction.
The twin boys, Khyzier and Khazmir, were the youngest known victims of Hurricane Helene. Their deaths serve as a tragic reminder of the catastrophic power of the hurricane, which had already ravaged much of the southeastern United States. The storm’s toll would later be counted at over 200 lives, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in recent U.S. history. Kobe’s father, Obie Williams, had spoken to his daughter moments before the tragedy. As the storm bore down on her home, Kobe reassured him that she would follow his advice to take shelter in the bathroom with her infants. She hoped that this would protect them from the storm’s wrath.
Obie could hear the ferocity of the storm during their call—the winds howling outside, the branches slamming against windows. Yet, he could not have anticipated the devastation that would follow. After their conversation, when Obie tried to call back a few minutes later, Kobe didn’t answer. That was when the family sensed something was terribly wrong.
One of Kobe’s brothers braved fallen trees and downed power lines to reach her home later that day, only to discover a horrific scene. A large tree had crashed through the roof of Kobe’s trailer, landing directly where she and her babies had taken refuge. All three had been crushed by the impact. In an instant, the storm had torn through the Williams family’s lives, leaving behind unimaginable grief.
“I’d seen pictures when they were born, but I hadn’t made it out there yet to meet them,” Obie shared, his voice heavy with sorrow. “Now, I’ll never get to meet my grandsons.” The family’s devastation mirrors the pain felt by hundreds of others as Hurricane Helene wrought havoc across multiple states, leaving families torn apart and communities in ruins.
Kobe had chosen not to evacuate, believing it was too risky to travel with her newborns. Like many others, she hoped that her home would offer enough shelter from the storm. But Hurricane Helene proved too powerful. Described by her father as a strong, smiling young woman, Kobe had dreamed of becoming a nursing assistant. Her dreams were tragically cut short by the storm.
As news of Kobe and her sons’ tragic deaths spread across social media, it triggered an outpouring of grief. People from all over expressed their heartbreak, offering condolences and prayers for the Williams family. Many commenters could not fathom the young mother’s final moments, imagining the terror she must have felt trying to protect her babies.
Hurricane Helene now ranks as one of the deadliest storms in recent U.S. history, second only to Hurricane Katrina. It made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane and wreaked havoc as it tore through the southeastern United States. The storm’s path of destruction was felt across a region over 500 miles wide, and the recovery process will take months, if not years, to complete. As families like the Williamses mourn their loss, the scale of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene continues to unfold.