Teen, grandmother remain missing after search in newly cleared Helene debris

BURNSVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - A Yancey County teenager and his grandmother remain missing after a search through Hurricane Helene debris was unsuccessful on Tuesday, according to the Sheriff Shane Hilliard.

The sheriff said the search took place nearly two years after the storm because the debris pile below the family’s home was recently approved by FEMA for removal. Cadaver dogs were deployed as part of the removal process, but nothing was found.

“This area has been searched many times by many different organizations, but we felt with the removal of the debris it would give us better access to do another search,” Sheriff Shane Hilliard said.

Yevhenii Segen, 13, and his grandmother, Tetyana Novitnia, were last seen at their home near Patience Park in the South Toe and Blue Rock area, the sheriff’s office said. Both of Segen’s parents were killed during Hurricane Helene.

Debris clearance and recovery efforts across western North Carolina continue as federal assistance expands. FEMA recently announced an additional $137 million for 114 recovery and mitigation projects across the state, bringing total federal disaster support to more than $7.5 billion. That funding includes $102 million in Public Assistance to reimburse communities for debris removal, infrastructure repairs, and emergency protective measures, alongside more than $34 million in Hazard Mitigation grants to acquire flood-prone properties in counties including Yancey.

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