‘Duck Dynasty’ Family Members Got ‘Trapped’ by Hurricane Helene

Two families associated with the Duck Dynasty cast — Al and Lisa Robertson, and Zach Dasher and his family — have witnessed first-hand the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.

The Duck Dynasty family discuss their experience on the newest episode of their Unashamed podcast, helmed by family patriarch and professional hunter Phil Robertson.

Al and Lisa Robertson were there in person to record the podcast, and shared their experience of getting trapped in the Black Mountain region of North Carolina, just east of hard-hit Asheville. Al explains that they got “got caught flat-footed” by the storm, and saw two days of steady downpours, which accumulated more than 20 inches of rainfall in total.

“It hit us at about 5:30 in the morning and I admit, we’ve rode out a couple storms here and downi n the Gulf shores, but this one had some bite to it,” Al recounts, saying he couldn’t sleep. He recalls hearing trees coming down in the area: “Not close by, but these things are 200 feet tall. When they hit the ground, you hear it for a long way.

“First you’re just praying, ‘Spare us,’ then you’re thinking about the people down lower…I was worried about a mudslide. It was a scary night,” he continues. The next day, they went out to check on the cousins in the nearby area and on their granddaughter, who were all okay. However, “there was no cell phone, no Internet and then of course no power, no water,” he adds.

The couple still hoped to make it to the event they’d traveled out for, but they only made it half a mile before encountering a road blockage due to a mudslide and trees on the road. They tried other routes and directions, and finally, they tried to turn back and simply go home. But no matter where they went, they were met with closures and impasses.

“At this moment, I realize we’re trapped. We cannot leave this area,” he says. “We’ve got no phones, no electricity. At this point we don’t even have a place to stay, but we do have family. And there’s a helplessness that comes over you in that moment.”

Also hit by the storms was the Dasher family. Zach Dasher, who is Phil Robertson’s maternal nephew. Dasher and his wife Jill live in the Asheville area, and they remain impacted by the storms. Dasher joined the podcast by phone, describing the area as a “war zone” as residents continue to struggle without power, water, Internet or access to food and gasoline.

Swannanoa, the town where the Dashers live, has been “swept away” by the storms, Dasher recounted. “I’m talking about the land that the buildings were on is gone. Not just the land, but the buildings,” he says.

Dasher and his wife recently updated fans on the situation in an emotional Instagram post, saying that the community has united in a time of crisis. “I have seen people come together and love on one another in such a beautiful way,” Jill said. “And so just keep praying. We’re so thankful for every single one of you.”

In that post, they also shared ways to help, linking specifically to the Swannanoah Church and the Black Mountain Children’s Home.

What to Know About Hurricane Helene

• Hurricane Helene first made landfall on Sept. 26 when it impacted Florida’s Big Bend region, becoming the strongest hurricane on record to do so.
• Helene lessened to a tropical storm by the time it made its way inland to North Carolina, but still carried deadly winds and rainstorms.
• As of Sunday (Oct. 6), the death toll of Hurricane Helene has risen to at least 227 across six states according to CNN.
• Deaths have been reported in Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The highest number of deaths have been reported in North Carolina, where 113 people have lost their lives.
• Hundreds of people across the southeast remain unaccounted for, as large swaths of areas remain affected by flooding, road closures and power loss.
• According to PowerOutages.us, 410,019 customers remain without power on Sunday.

What Are Country Stars Doing to Help Hurricane Helene Victims?

• Several country stars have offered support to those impacted by the storms, especially artists who hail from areas that have been hit.
• Dolly Parton pledged $2 million to relief efforts, including a personal donation of $1 million.
• Morgan Wallen, a native of east Tennessee made a $500,000 donation to the Red Cross to help residents of that area and the hard-hit western North Carolina region.
• Eric Church released a new song called “Darkest Hour (Helene Edit),” earmarking the proceeds of the track for relief efforts.
• Luke Combs — also a North Carolina native — has announced plans to help the region, too.