Two workers at a plastics factory in Erwin, Tennessee, have been confirmed dead, and 11 others swept away by floodwaters following Hurricane Helene’s destructive impact.
The disaster, which struck on Friday, left four workers still missing as of Tuesday.
Floodwaters engulfed the area surrounding Impact Plastics, with dramatic footage showing the Nolichucky River spilling over onto the highway near the factory.
Videos of the incident, shared on social media, captured employees waiting for rescue, with one worker, Jacob Ingram, filming himself and four others stranded on a floating vehicle. Ingram, a mould changer at the factory, later reflected on his survival, saying, “Just wanna say I’m lucky to be alive.”
Helicopter rescues of stranded workers were posted online, but Ingram criticised the company for delaying evacuation despite flash flood warnings.
“They should’ve evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings and when they saw the parking lot,” Ingram remarked.
Impact Plastics defended its actions, stating they monitored weather conditions and dismissed workers once water levels began to rise. However, Robert Jarvis, another survivor, refuted this, stating: “The water was coming up. A guy in a 4×4 came, picked a bunch of us up, and saved our lives, or we’d have been dead, too.”
The two deceased workers were identified as Mexican citizens, with their families launching fundraisers to cover funeral costs, according to Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.
As search efforts continue, the death toll from Hurricane Helene climbs across several states. Survivors in Tennessee and surrounding areas are faced with ongoing hardships, including a lack of running water, electricity, and food.