Here in the United States, the death toll from Hurricane Helene has surpassed 166 people across six states, with hundreds still missing more than five days after the storm triggered devastating floods and landslides. Massive power outages continue to impact over 1.3 million customers. In eastern Tennessee, at least six plastic factory workers are missing and presumed dead after floodwaters swelled around their workplace, trapping the group of predominantly Latinx workers who, for hours, clung to the back of a semi-truck before they were swept away by the deluge. Some family members report the employer, Impact Plastics, told the workers not to evacuate and threatened to fire anyone who left ahead of the storm. This is Robert Jarvis, one of the survivors.

WCYB reporter: “What would you say to the company?”

Robert Jarvis: “Why did you make us work that day? Why? We shouldn’t have worked. We shouldn’t have been there. None of us should have been there. And that’s what I should have said to them.”