RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Rutherford County Fire and Rescue Chief Larry Farley highlighted how public servants from his department volunteered to assist in hurricane-ravaged areas, helping locate the bodies of those who perished in the floods caused by Hurricane Helene...

Providing this recovery service offers closure to the families who lost loved ones but can be emotionally and mentally taxing for the rescue workers involved in the effort...

Meanwhile, the President of Impact Plastics in Erwin, Tennessee has been hit by a wave of mixed emotions from the public on employees working the day of the flooding. Impact Plastics Founder Gerald O’Connor said in a recorded release... O'Connor evidently released the statement after tensions continued to grow...

Specifically in Tennessee, the Department of Health confirmed 17 deaths. Throughout the south, Hurricane Helene caused more than 230 deaths. Helene caused a multi-billion dollar loss that equaled wide-spread devastation in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee Electric crews from Rutherford, Williamson, and Wilson counties continue assisting various electric cooperatives in rebuilding after the hurricane's floods devastated portions of the electrical grid. WGNS will keep you updated on the progress of the recovery efforts in the coming months.

On October 3, 2024, the State of Tennessee announced the launch of an investigation into Impact Plastics in Erwin, Tennessee and the lives lost as a result of the flooding. Below are more details about that investigation:

After media reports that flash floods swept away employees from Impact Plastics in Erwin while on the job, Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the workplace fatalities.
 
The current investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) into the circumstances that led to these deaths supersedes the jurisdiction of TOSHA. Investigators from TOSHA will work with TBI and local officials to determine when they can begin an on-site inspection.
 
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.
 
During the investigative process, TOSHA investigators typically survey the location of the fatality, review company records, and procedures, and conduct interviews with management and employees.
 
A fatality investigation can take up to six months to complete. 
 
To ensure the investigation's integrity, TOSHA does not release any preliminary information regarding the incident. When the investigation is final, the report detailing the agency’s findings is open for review by the citizens of Tennessee.