Grief and anger mix as Tennessee plastic plant survivors say permission to leave came too late

[Stevicus]

Grief and anger mix as Tennessee plastic plant survivors say permission to leave came too late

While some families confirmed the deaths of their loved ones, others were still waiting for news of the missing, who were swept away by Hurricane Helene floodwaters.

www.nbcnews.com

It is alleged that a plastics plant in Tennessee told its workers that they would be fired if they left the plant during the storm. The plastics company is denying it and said that everyone evacuated on time.

At an afternoon news conference, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee addressed questions from reporters about whether the town had been sufficiently responsive to its Latino community.

“We want to respond to people in a way that they know we care," Lee said, as officials noted that translators are now available to assist the families.

Impact Plastics has said in a statement that workers were allowed to leave on time and that it never said they would be fired if they left. It did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said by email that following a request from District Attorney General Steve Finney, TBI agents are investigating allegations involving Impact Plastics.

Jacob Ingram told the Knoxville News Sentinel that flash flood warnings were issued while the workers were at the plant and as they watched floodwaters rise in the parking lot. That is when workers should have been evacuated, but instead supervisors told them to move their cars, he said.

“We asked them if we should evacuate, and they told us not yet, it wasn’t bad enough," he told the newspaper. “And by the time it was bad enough, it was too late unless you had a four-wheel-drive.”

Guillermo Mendoza said his mother was with her sister Araceli Mendoza, who survived, and another woman atop a truck, clinging to coiled tubing covered with hard plastic. Ingram also said he was aboard that truck.

“My mom lost her grip; she had a very sensitive shoulder she was struggling with. She didn’t know how to swim,” Mendoza said, breaking into sobs. “So from there, she lost contact with my aunt.”

So, there were flash flood warnings issued, yet the plant owners still refused to evacuate because they thought "it wasn't bad enough." But when the government issues a flash flood warning, then it means it is "bad enough." They were right next to a river. I hope they thoroughly investigate this.