A Georgia mother and her twin infants were among the youngest victims claimed by Hurricane Helene, which swept through rural areas of the state last week. Kobe Williams, 27, and her one-month-old sons, Khyzier and Khazmir, perished in their Thomson, Georgia, trailer home after a tree crashed through the roof during the storm.
Williams had been sheltering with her sons and her mother, Mary Jones, as the hurricane’s strong winds battered their home. On the evening of the storm, Williams’ father, Obie Williams, spoke with her over the phone, hearing his grandsons crying in the background and sensing the growing fear in his daughter’s voice. He had advised her to take shelter in the bathroom with the babies until the worst of the storm passed.
Moments later, communication with Kobe was lost. A tree collapsed onto the trailer’s roof, striking the bedroom where she and her sons were. When Jones called out in panic, she received no response from her daughter. All three were later found deceased in the aftermath of the storm.
Hurricane Helene has claimed at least 200 lives across several states, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Kobe Williams’ twin boys, born in August, are now the youngest recorded victims of the hurricane.
“I’ll never get to meet my grandsons,” said a grieving Obie Williams, who had been waiting for the chance to visit them. “It’s devastating.”
Kobe was described by her family as a joyful, loving mother who was thrilled to welcome her twin sons into the world. Chiquita Jones-Hampton, Kobe’s niece, shared that Kobe had embraced motherhood wholeheartedly, adding, “She…was so proud to be their mom.”
As family members mourn, many are still dealing with the aftermath of the storm. In Augusta, where Obie Williams lives, power outages continue, and debris litters the streets, hampering efforts to recover. One of Kobe’s brothers had to navigate fallen trees and downed power lines to reach her home, only to be met with the heartbreaking discovery.
The tragedy has left her family in shock and mourning as they grapple with the immense loss.
