An Impact Plastics employee says the company could have saved lives in Unicoi County

ERWIN, Tenn. (WVLT) – A plastics factory in Unicoi County is under fire after some employees there were trapped and killed in flooding from Hurricane Helene.

One Impact Plastic employee – Jacob Ingram – said lives could have been saved if employees had been allowed to leave the facility earlier.

“I didn’t hear anyone say ‘leave’ or anything like that. I actually asked one of the supervisors,” Ingram said. “They told me ‘No, not yet.’ You have to ask someone before we could leave, even though it was already over the doors and the cars and everything else.”

Ingram said he was swept away by floodwaters Friday and had to climb onto a tractor-trailer to get to higher ground. He was then rescued by a helicopter.

Previous coverage: Eight “weather-related” deaths confirmed in East Tennessee, officials say

The worker said he and his colleagues were together the day Helene’s amniotic fluid came through.

At least two of these employees were killed. Another six and one contractor are still missing, according to Impact Plastics.

The company released a statement following the tragedy. Its representatives said the company monitored weather conditions and laid off employees when the facility lost power and water began covering the parking lot.

Ingram said that didn’t happen.

“NO. The plant lost power and we were still not allowed to go home or leave,” he told WVLT News. “We were still there 15 to 20 minutes after the plant lost power.”

The company said some employees left immediately, but others stayed behind for unknown reasons.

Previous coverage: How you can help after severe flooding hits East Tennessee

Ron Kell, the owner of nearby R&R Manufacturing, went to Impact Plastics to assist in the rescue effort. This after he sent his own employees home.

“I yelled at them to come; She spoke to her boss,” Kell recalled of the day.

Impact Plastics has since announced that it will set up a recovery center for employees. One thing the company didn’t do was reach out, Ingram said.

“I haven’t heard anything,” he said. “They made no effort to make sure we were OK, nothing.”

Impact Plastics said management was the last to leave the building, adding that the company had contacted emergency responders to help rescue people.

You can find her full statement below.

The leadership team of Impact Plastics, Inc. (“Impact Plastics”) of Erwin, Tennessee, expresses condolences for the missing and deceased employees and a contractor during the historic and devastating flooding at its facility on Friday, September 27th.

“We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees,” said Gerald O’Connor, who founded the company in Erwin in 1987. “Those who are missing or deceased and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.”

Impact Plastics is located in Riverview Industrial Park. On the morning of September 27th it had rained heavily the night before, but eased as the morning progressed.

The company continued to monitor weather conditions. When water began to cover the parking lot and adjacent access road and the facility lost power, employees were laid off by management so they could return to their homes in time to escape the industrial park. At no time were employees told that they would be fired if they left the facility. For employees who did not speak English, bilingual employees were among the group of managers who delivered the message.

While most employees left the company immediately, some remained on or near the premises for unknown reasons. Management and their assistants remained busy monitoring employee departures, assessing damage, and preserving company records. They were the last to leave the building.

As the flooding escalated, some employees left the industrial park in a truck from a neighboring company, driven by a driver from that company. Others exited the CSX rail line behind the facility and entered the building due to flooding at the front door. Due to the rapidly rising water, the truck overturned and five employees and a contractor on board the truck were missing. Five other people who were also on the truck at the time it overturned were able to get to safety and were later evacuated. Those who fled along the railway tracks were offered help by employees of a neighboring company to get to safety.

The management was looking for emergency helpers to carry out further rescue attempts for the employees. A National Guard helicopter was then dispatched to rescue five employees who were airlifted to safety.

A recovery center is currently being established to assist current Impact Plastic employees and provide additional information about their benefits and local employment opportunities. These employees will be informed when and where the facility will soon be open.

The company plans to reopen its operations in the future.

Impact Plastics remains committed to supporting its employees and helping them connect to available resources following the devastating (SIC) impacts of the horrific floods of September 27, 2024.

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