It had been 48 hours since the winds and rains from Hurricane Helene ripped through western North Carolina and Sam Perkins still had not heard from his parents.

In a Facebook post shared on Sunday, Sept. 29, Sam Perkins, of Charlotte, wrote about not having heard from his parents in 48 hours as Helene wreaked havoc on his state — so far claiming at least 35 lives in Buncombe County, per ABC affiliate WLOS.

( NewsNation) — One man trekked 11 miles to check on his parents after Hurricane Helene ravaged North Carolina, and he didn’t hear from them for two days. Sam Perkins said on “ NewsNation Now ” that the situation in Ashville is “dire.”

Before this scenic, rustic Great Smoky Mountain refuge turned into a trap few residents saw coming, there were signs of Hurricane Helene’s unthinkable potential.

North Carolina residents are devastated after Tropical Storm Helene brought floods to the state. Anastasiia Riddle. More Videos. Biden speaks on Helene response efforts

While the region hit hardest is largely rural, it holds a healthy share of the state’s nearly 7.7 million registered voters.

"Then it filled up the valley with mud." It took him a full day to dig to the main road with a farm excavator. He found roads strewn with downed power lines, fallen limbs, thick mud, and debris.

Hurricane Helene has caused significant disruptions for election officials in North Carolina and across the southeastern U.S., scrambling voting preparations.