How far away is death? Hurricane Helene Swept Away 11 Plastics Factory Workers, Investigation
Hurricane Helene swept away 11 workers from a Tennessee plastics factory; an investigation is underway.
When the rain from Hurricane Helene in the rural northeastern Tennessee town of Erwin caused the nearby Nolichucky River to overrun its banks, the flash flood warnings were evidently not enough to persuade the bosses of Impact Plastics factory to allow employees to leave.
In fact, an AP article informs us that, “Several [workers] asserted that they weren’t allowed to leave in time to avoid the storm’s impact. It wasn’t until water flooded into the parking lot and the power went out that the plant shut down and sent workers home.” The AP article adds, “Several never made it [home].”
From the raging rainfall of Hurricane Helene that swept 11 people away, only five were rescued. Two have been confirmed dead, and four others from the factory are still missing since they were washed away.
Southern Living says, “According to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Nolichucky Dam withstood nearly twice the water flow of the iconic Niagara Falls during Hurricane Helene—an incomprehensible amount of water. By 11 pm on the night of September 27, the Nolichucky River was rising at two feet per hour. At this point, approximately 1.3 million gallons of water were pouring over the dam each second.”
For comparison, the peak daily water flow of Niagara Falls is around 700,000 gallons per second.
Quoted source credits:
AP, (Associated Press), “Helene’s flooding swept away 11 workers at a Tennessee factory. Now the state is investigating,” by Cedar Attanasio and Jonathan Mattise, published October 2, 2024.
Southern Living, “Hurricane Helene Brought Nearly Twice The Water Flow Of Niagara Falls To This 111-Year-Old Tennessee Dam—And It Stood Strong,” by Meghan Overdeep, October 3, 2024.
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