North Carolina man hikes 11 miles and up mountain to get to elderly parents trapped in 'post apocalyptic' Asheville after Hurricane Helene

Sam Perkins would locomotion to the ends of the Earth for his parents - and implicit the weekend, helium astir did. 

On Saturday morning, Perkins, 38, acceptable retired connected a perilous trek, trudging done 11 treacherous miles to marque definite they were alright successful their location successful the mountains of North Carolina. 

'I did this due to the fact that I person parents that person been astonishing to me,' helium told the DailyMail.com

Hurricane Helene had conscionable laid waste to the occidental portion of the state, and helium hadn't heard from his parents for 48 hours.

'I was doing the mathematics successful my head,' Perkins said. 'If they needed aesculapian attention, if they needed water, I needed to get to them soon.' 

His parents, though resourceful, are successful their 70s.

With the timepiece ticking, Perkins got successful his car and started driving toward their home, which is tucked distant connected a upland betwixt Spruce Pine and Little Switzerland. 

'My parents unrecorded successful an implicit gem of the North Carolina mountains,' helium wrote connected Facebook. 'Under mean circumstances, it's pleasantly precise isolated.

'Little did I cognize that up determination Helene has demolished roads, homes, and inferior networks. This country is wholly chopped disconnected from resources successful each direction.' 

In North Carolina, Helene's brutal devastation has near much than 100 radical dead. In Buncombe County - location to Ashville - astatine slightest 30 radical died. 

The tempest brought astir monolithic destruction, flooding roads and reducing buildings and homes to ruins. 

According to Gov. Roy Cooper, a minimum of 280 roads are closed passim the state.

Perkins tried driving assorted routes to get to his parents but soo discovered that the roads were 'unpassable by vehicle.'

At the bottommost of the mountain, helium abandoned his conveyance and undertook the remainder of the 11-mile travel connected foot.

During his hike, Perkins encountered sights helium described to the DailyMail.com arsenic 'very station apocalyptic.'

He said that precocious winds and perchance tornadoes had 'demolished world and roads and trees.'

Perkins described the demolition arsenic 'constant.' He said that 'for miles, determination were down trees, mudslides, and collapsed roads.'

As helium climbed up the mountain, the devastation got 'worse.' 

He encountered severely deed individuals who lived connected the mountainside and were doing what they could to wide distant fallen branches and trees with chainsaws. 

Perkins noted that they would person 'a trek' to get backmost to civilization. 

To scope his parents house, helium hiked 2,200 treacherous feet. 

'I'm a bully hiker and for maine it was difficult.'

But erstwhile helium yet reached his parents house, helium saw a show that brought him contiguous relief. 

'I walked up their property,' Perkins told the DailyMail.com. 'And I stumbled connected my dada among the down trees and felt the top alleviation successful my life.

'I hugged him and balled and went wrong the location and did the aforesaid with my mom.'

Both of his parents were okay. They had capable food, and though they were astir retired of water, they had capable propane to boil some. 

He besides learned that his parents were trapped.

The area, which has ever been isolated, was 'truly present an island.' 

There were besides 'very fewer locations' wherever telephone oregon net work was available. 

'At immoderate point, folks are going to tally debased connected supplies,' Perkins said. He added that medicine and babe look were 'critically needed.'

Fortunately, Perkins's parents unrecorded successful 'a adjacent neighborhood,' wherever residents are helping each different stay supplied. 

But this tone of solidarity wasn't confined to his parents neighborhood. During his hike up the mountain, Perkins encountered chainsaw crews from Florida, Indiana, and different states affected by Hurricane Helene. 

'They had each travel to assistance out.'