Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic floods claimed the lives of several workers at Impact Plastics in Erwin, Tennessee, after floodwaters from the nearby Nolichucky River swelled and trapped them.
Workers Trapped by Rising Floodwaters
Family members learned the devastating news Monday as frantic searches came to a tragic end. Workers were caught off guard as the floodwaters surged around the factory, leaving many stranded in the parking lot. Some relatives received distressing video calls from their loved ones as they struggled to escape the fast-moving water. Desperate pleas were shared on social media, where families posted photos of the missing and pleaded for help from authorities. Sadly, many of those posts were later updated to confirm the loss of their loved ones.
Families Demand Answers
At a news conference, family members showed up with pictures of their missing relatives, pressing officials for updates. Among the victims was Johnny Peterson, whose daughter, Alexa Peterson, confirmed his death. While Peterson refrained from commenting further, social media posts indicate he was one of the workers swept away by the floods.
Fernando Ruiz, searching for his mother, told local media that she called him during the storm, worried about the rising waters. Despite his pleas for her to leave, she said managers at the factory had given no clear instructions. “She was still working during the rain and wasn’t told what to do,” Ruiz explained, expressing frustration at the lack of guidance from management.
Several workers, many of them Latino, were reportedly not given clear directions during the storm, and language barriers may have played a role in the confusion. Some families of the victims spoke through interpreters, highlighting the challenges faced by non-English speaking workers during the disaster.
Impact Plastics and Response to Tragedy
Impact Plastics issued a statement expressing sympathy for the employees who were either missing or confirmed dead. Company founder Gerald O’Connor said in the release, “We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees.” The company emphasized that employees were never told they would lose their jobs if they left and claimed that bilingual managers were on-site to help communicate the situation to non-English speaking workers. According to the company, employees were dismissed when the floodwaters covered the parking lot and power was lost at the facility. However, some workers remained for unknown reasons. Impact Plastics expressed its commitment to supporting affected families and recovering from the disaster.
Concerns for Immigrant Workers
The tragedy also sparked concern from immigration advocacy groups. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) called for better disaster services for immigrants, criticizing the lack of available interpretation services for non-English speakers during the flood. The group noted that some immigrant family members were asked to provide identification while searching for loved ones, which slowed the rescue and recovery process.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee, as Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction across the state. The storm has claimed over 120 lives and caused extensive damage across the southeastern United States since making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Entire communities were wiped out, with floods isolating towns and cutting off residents from essential resources like food and water.
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