A plastics manufacturer in Unicoi County expressed sympathy after several employees went missing or died amid catastrophic flooding. Impact Plastics issued a press release on Monday stating that the company “expresses sympathy for the missing and deceased employees and one contractor during the historic and devastating floods at its facility on

Some workers climbed onto a truck operated by neighboring company PolyPlastics USA, hanging onto plastic pipe as the Nolichucky River raged through eastern Tennessee.

Impact Plastics employee Zinna Adkins stepped outside her workplace at 10:54 a.m. on Friday and captured water rising in the parking lot on her cellphone. But at that time, she said no supervisor informed employees they were free to leave.

Company officials said workers were dismissed after water covered the parking lot, service road and the plant lost power.

Families began learning the grim news Monday that their loved ones were among the workers who did not survive when floodwaters from Hurricane Helene trapped them at a eastern Tennessee plastics factory.

Impact Plastics employee recounts narrow escape through flood waters

A devastating flood struck an East Tennessee plastics manufacturing plant during Hurricane Helene, resulting in multiple employees being missing or deceased.

Impact Plastics in Unicoi County come from a tight knit Mexican community. The families say they were told four bodies have been recovered and they’re waiting to hear who they are.