Forced workers at a Tennessee plastics factory are recalling the day historic flooding took over parking lots and caused power outages. The factory was closed and they went home, but some workers did not.
Eleven people were swept away by the flood, and only five were rescued. Two of the deaths were confirmed, part of a total of more than 150 deaths across the affected states on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
“We all sat down with our supervisors and said, 'Look, we don't need to be here,'” said Impact Plastic employee Zinna Adkins. he told WJHL. “Our phone alerts were telling us we needed to evacuate the area, and they didn't say anything about it. And the supervisors didn't tell us we could evacuate. It was.”
Management of the company, founded in 1987, and its plant in Irwin issued a statement to local media Monday saying they “express our sympathies to the missing and deceased employees and one contractor.”
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Impact Plastics' plant in Irwin, Tennessee, is closed due to extreme flooding in the area, the company's website states. (Google Maps)
“Employees were never told that if they left the facility they would be terminated,” the statement continued.
Impact Plastics said most employees left shortly after termination, but “some remained on or near the premises for unknown reasons.”
Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at a plastics factory, filmed himself and four others waiting to be rescued as a levitating vehicle passed by. He later posted a video on facebook The caption read: “I just want to say I'm lucky to be alive.” Video of the helicopter rescue was posted on social media late Saturday.
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Aerial view of flood damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen on Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Irwin, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“They should have evacuated when the flash flood warning went out and when they saw the parking lot,” Ingram said. Knoxville News Sentinel. “We asked them if they should evacuate, and they said they shouldn't evacuate yet, it's not enough yet.”
Two people found dead at a Tennessee plastics factory are Mexican nationals, Lisa Sherman Nicolaus, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, told The Associated Press. She said many of the victims' families have started online fundraisers to help cover funeral costs and other expenses.
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An aerial view of the damage caused by Hurricane Helen in Irwin, Tennessee, where the Impact Plastics plant is located. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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“The group of managers who communicated messages to non-English speaking employees included bilingual employees,” Impact Plastics said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
