by Kim Jarrett
A week after Hurricane Helene devastated eastern Tennessee, state officials say they are still following leads on 27 missing persons reports.
The latest update from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says more than 500 calls were fielded by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations missing persons hotline. At least 27 of those are still active leads, but the number does not represent the number of unaccounted individuals, the agency said.
A manufacturer in Erwin is denying reports the company’s actions may have led to the deaths of some employees.
Gerald O’Connor, president and CEO of Impact Plastics, said in a video published on WCYB that rumors of employees being told they could not leave as the storm escalated are false.
“Subsequent analysis of recorded video footage and photographs has identified both current and missing employees who left the property of Impact Plastics and remained on South Industrial Drive for approximately 45 minutes after the plant’s closure,” the company said in a statement. “This group has since been either rescued or reported as missing or deceased. Review also indicates that when employees were dismissed as water was pooling in Impact Plastic’s parking lot, but South Industrial Drive, in front of the plant appears to have been passable.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee OSHA are investigating.
“Investigators from TOSHA will work with TBI and local officials to determine when they can begin an on-site inspection,” Tennessee OSHA said in a release. “Tennessee law allows an employer eight hours to notify TOSHA of workplace fatalities. TOSHA has not received a fatality report from managers at Impact Plastics.”
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is also dispelling rumors that its agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are confiscating donated supplies.
Bristol Motor Speedway is serving as Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center for the region’s recovery efforts.
“This center does not replace the donation centers that have been established by counties,” the agency said in its update.
Five state bridges were destroyed, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The Tennessee Valley Authority said Friday thea the eastern Tennessee River watershed received more than 20 inches of rain from Helene.
“The entire area averaged 7.7″. That is the equivalent of two months of rain in three days,” the agency said in a social media post.
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Kim Jarrett’s career spans over 30 years with stops in radio, print and television. She has won awards from both the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. Jarrett is an associate editor for The Center Square.
Photo “Hurricane Helene Damage” by myTDOT.
