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Some workers are still missing after flooding at the Tennessee plastics factory

Some workers are still missing after flooding at the Tennessee plastics factory

As the rain from Hurricane Helene intensified, workers at a plastics factory in rural Tennessee continued to work. Only when water flooded the parking lot and the power went out was the plant closed and workers sent home. Some never made it. Video above: Families desperately search for answers about missing family members. The raging floods swept away eleven people and only five were saved. Two of them are presumed dead and are part of the death toll in the affected states, which surpassed 150 on Tuesday. Four others are still missing since they were washed away Friday in the small town of Erwin, Tennessee, where dozens of people were rescued from the roof of a hospital. Video below: Drone footage shows flooding in Erwin, Tennessee Some workers were able to drive away from the plant, while others were caught on a clogged road where the water rose so much that vehicles were washed away. Videos show brown floodwaters from the adjacent Nolichucky River covering the nearby highway and spilling onto the doors of Impact Plastics. Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at the plastics factory, filmed himself and four others waiting for rescue as rocking vehicles floated past. He later posted the videos on Facebook with the caption: “I just want to say I’m lucky to be alive.” Videos of the helicopter rescue were posted on social media later on Saturday. In one video, Ingram can be seen looking at the camera as a green Tennessee National Guard helicopter hovers overhead and picks up one of the other survivors. In another, a soldier is seen equipping the next evacuee with a harness. Impact Plastics said in a statement Monday that it “continued to monitor weather conditions” on Friday and that managers laid off employees “as water began to cover the parking lot and adjacent areas.” “In interviews with local news outlets, two denied the Workers who managed to leave the plant made these claims. One told News 5 WCYB that employees had to wait until it was “too late.” Another, Ingram, made a similar statement to the Knoxville News Sentinel: “They should have evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings and when they saw the parking lot,” Ingram said. “We asked them if we should evacuate and they told us it wasn’t yet, it wasn’t bad enough.” Worker Robert Jarvis told News 5 WCYB the company should have let them leave sooner. Jarvis said he tried to drive away in his car, but the water on the main road rose too high and only SUVs could find a way out of the flood zone. “The water came up,” he said. “A guy in an SUV came and picked up a few of us and saved our lives, otherwise we would have been dead too.” The eleven workers found temporary rest in the back of a truck driven by a passerby, but they managed her soon He overturned after debris hit him, Ingram said. Ingram said he survived by holding on to the plastic pipes that were on the truck. He said he and four others swam about half a mile (about 800 meters) before finding safety on a sturdy pile of rubble. Impact Plastic said Tuesday there were no updates. “We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees,” company founder Gerald O’Connor said in the statement Monday. “Those missing or deceased and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.” The death toll from Hurricane Helene rose Tuesday as search operations continued in several states. Survivors sought shelter and struggled to find running water, electricity and food. Others in the region expect obstacles to the election. The two confirmed dead at the Tennessee plastics factory were Mexican citizens, said Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. She said many victims’ families have started online fundraisers to cover funeral costs and other expenses. Bertha Mendoza was with her sister when the flooding began, but they were separated, according to a eulogy on her GoFundMe page, written by her daughter-in-law, who declined an interview request: “She was deeply loved by her family, her community , your church family and your staff,” was the eulogy. AP journalists Rhonda Shafner and Beatrice Dupuy contributed from New York.

(Video above from WCYB via CNN Newsource) —

As the rain from Hurricane Helene intensified, workers at a plastics factory in rural Tennessee continued to work. Only when water flooded the parking lot and the power went out was the plant closed and workers sent home.

Some never made it.

Video above: Families are desperate for answers about missing family members

The raging floods swept away eleven people and only five were saved. Two of them are presumed dead and are part of the death toll in the affected states, which surpassed 150 on Tuesday.

Four more people are still missing since they were swept away Friday in the small town of Erwin, Tennessee, where dozens of people were rescued from the roof of a hospital.

Video below: Drone footage shows flooding in Erwin, Tennessee

Some workers managed to drive away from the factory, while others were stranded on a clogged road where water rose so much that vehicles were washed away. Videos show brown floodwaters from the adjacent Nolichucky River flooding the nearby highway and spilling onto the doors of Impact Plastics.

Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at the plastics factory, filmed himself and four others waiting for rescue as rocking vehicles drove past. He later posted the videos on Facebook with the caption: “I just want to say I’m lucky to be alive.” Videos of the helicopter rescue were posted on social media later on Saturday.

In one video, Ingram can be seen looking at the camera as a green Tennessee National Guard helicopter hovers overhead and picks up one of the other survivors. In another, a soldier can be seen putting a harness on the next evacuee.

Impact Plastics said in a statement Monday that it “continued to monitor weather conditions” on Friday and that managers laid off employees “as water began to cover the parking lot and adjacent access road and the facility lost power.” “

In interviews with local news outlets, two of the workers who managed to leave the facility disputed these claims. One told News 5 WCYB that employees had to wait until it was “too late.” Another, Ingram, made a similar statement to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

“They should have evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings and when they saw the parking lot,” Ingram said. “We asked them if we should evacuate and they told us we weren’t yet, it wasn’t bad enough.”

Worker Robert Jarvis told News 5 WCYB that the company should have let her go sooner.

Jarvis said he tried to drive away in his car, but the water on the main road became too high and only ATVs could find a way out of the flood zone.

“The water came up,” he said. “A guy in an SUV came and picked up a few of us and saved our lives, otherwise we would have been dead too.”

The 11 workers found temporary respite in the back of a truck driven by a passerby, but it soon overturned after debris hit it, Ingram said.

Ingram said he survived by holding on to the truck’s plastic pipes. He said he and four others swam about half a mile (about 800 meters) before finding safety on a sturdy pile of rubble.

Impact Plastic said Tuesday there were no updates.

“We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees,” company founder Gerald O’Connor said in the statement Monday. “Those missing or deceased and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.”

The death toll from Hurricane Helene rose Tuesday as search operations continued in several states. Survivors sought shelter and struggled to find running water, electricity and food. Others in the region expect obstacles to the election.

The two confirmed dead at the Tennessee plastics factory were Mexican citizens, said Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. She said many victims’ families have started online fundraisers to cover funeral costs and other expenses.

Bertha Mendoza was with her sister when the flooding began, but they were separated, according to a eulogy on her GoFundMe page written by her daughter-in-law, who declined an interview request.

“She was deeply loved by her family, her community, her church family and her co-workers,” the eulogy said.

___

AP journalists Rhonda Shafner and Beatrice Dupuy contributed from New York.