“Trapped by Their Employer: The Harrowing Tale of 11 Tennessee Workers Caught in Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Flood”
In a tragic turn of events, a group of workers at a plastic factory in rural Tennessee faced turmoil and heartache when they were allegedly denied the chance to seek safety as Hurricane Helene pummeled the region. Who would’ve thought that a workplace could become a battleground against mother nature, where the responsibility for safety hangs in the balance? Last Friday, September 27, the floodwaters of the Nolichucky River surged, sweeping away eleven employees from Impact Plastics in Erwin. Five of them clung to hope and were rescued, but sadly, two were confirmed dead, and four more remain missing. Jacob Ingram, one of the survivors, could only capture the chaos with his phone—recording videos that showcase the power of the rushing water that quickly turned their escape into a desperate struggle for life. The harrowing details that emerge from this disaster beg the questions: Could effective communication have averted this tragedy? What must organizations do to prioritize worker safety? For more insights into this devastating event, click here: LEARN MORE.A group of workers at a plastic factory in rural Tennessee were swept away after their employers allegedly denied them to go home in time to save them as Hurricane Helene hit the region.
The raging floodwaters swept away eleven Impact Plastics workers in Erwin, Tennessee, last Friday (September 27). Only five were rescued.Â
Two of the employees have been confirmed dead, while the remaining four are still unaccounted for.
Jacob Ingram, one of the workers who survived, shared videos showing the brown floodwaters from the adjacent Nolichucky River covering one of the roads near the facility as a group of workers tried to drive away.
