'A piece of all of us': Children lost in the storm, mourned in Hurricane Helene aftermath

 ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- A single pink rose bloomed on a scraggly bush near where the Dry family's front wall  stood until 16 days ago.

The plant's greenery was a welcome brightness in the muddy ground. Two thorny branches, each holding a single unopened bud, clung defiantly to the bush. Despite floodwaters rising 27 feet above the road, the plant held on, and now its leaves soak up Asheville's bright  sun. A few plants and at least one tree also remained standing as the waters receded from Tropical Storm Helene. But it was in three roses that Megan Dry found solace  on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October.  She believes it was a sign from her parents and young son, who died when their family home collapsed into the Swannanoa River on September 27. Megan, 39, was the only survivor of the flooding, which also killed 7-year-old Micah Dry and Nora and Michael Dry, both 73. Micah was just one of the children who died in the storm; 9-year-old Felix Wisely and his 7-year-old brother Lucas also died. At least one other student from Buncombe County Schools was confirmed dead on Monday, and about 20 students are missing.

Superintendent Rob Jackson said the district is "continuing to search" for them. Many are expected to be safe with their families.  While the nation's attention is focused on Florida and the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton, North Carolina is still reeling from Helen's damage, mourning  confirmed deaths and remaining vigilant for those still missing, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis. At least 72 people have died in Buncombe County, home to Asheville, making up the largest share of the 124 confirmed deaths so far in Western North Carolina, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis. Officials expect the death toll to continue to rise as search and rescue teams continue their recovery efforts. Megan Dry and her family are trying to pick up the pieces and focus on remembering how their loved ones lived, not how they died.  "Micah was a part of all of us," she told the Asheville Citizen-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. "He was quiet. Actually, he was very shy, like your mom, until he opened up. And then he became your best friend. "And he was a loving person, like my dad and me," she continued. "He got a little bit of everyone."