NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- When Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina last year, Zack Johnson was alone.

His wife, Casi, and their children were hundreds of miles away in Charleston, meeting their newborn niece, lovingly referred to as their "angel baby."

As the storm rolled in, Zack stayed behind at their home in Avery County. He started sending his wife photos and videos as the rain came down and the floodwaters rose.

“It’s going to be scary here tonight,” he texted.

He wasn’t wrong.

Casi Johnson recalled,

“And I told him I was like, all right, we're heading back. And he said, ‘No, don’t… maybe just stay at your dad’s house.’”

That decision may have saved their lives. Casi and the kids stayed in Rock Hill. But Zack was soon in trouble.

“He had called, and he sai

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