CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta woman is among the thousands of people reported missing after devastating flash floods in parts of Nepal.
Mary Sorensen from Cherokee County traveled on a Kailash pilgrimage earlier this month. Her son, Ryan Wildeman, says the last time they heard from her was Tuesday morning.
The next day is when catastrophe struck.
All the latest developments on the ongoing searches, on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4:00 p.m.
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The flash floods and landslides were likely triggered by a glacial collapse in Langtang National Park in Nepal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Scientists say the glacier failure had an energy level equivalent to a 5.2 magnitude earthquake.
“The glacial debris contained water and ice that rapidly melted, picking up more material and water as it flowed downslope in the existing stream and river channels, creating a fast-moving, far-traveled landslide and flood laden with boulders and other rubble,” the USGS explains on its 2026 Nepal Debris Avalanche and Flash Flood information page.
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As of Monday morning, officials say the death tolls from Nepal and China have surpassed 900. Another 4,700 people remain missing. At least 85 Americans, including Sorensen, are unaccounted for.
“We feel so much heartbreak and so much sadness and pain, like a deep, guttural pain,” Wildeman told ‘Good Morning America’. “Because of the impact that she had on us and our fear of missing her, our fear if she is gone.”
The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.
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