Bertha Mendoza made a final call to her husband as the floodwaters of Hurricane Helene engulfed the Impact Plastics factory in Erwin, Tennessee.

“Tell my children I love them,” she said before being swept away. Her body was found two days later.

Mendoza, 56, was a beloved member of the local community, known for her cake-baking and dedication to her family, NBC News reports. Her tragic death has left the town mourning and searching for answers.

Mendoza was one of 11 workers caught in the devastating flood. As the nearby Nolichucky River swelled, flash flood warnings were issued, but workers were not immediately evacuated. By the time they were allowed to leave, the factory parking lot was submerged, and the surrounding roads were impassable.

Failure to Evacuate in Time

As the storm raged, workers at the plastics factory were told to stay. Some questioned whether it was safe, but according to Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at the factory, management delayed their departure.

“They should’ve evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings,” Ingram told PBS. When the parking lot began to flood, workers scrambled to escape, but for many, it was too late.

Ingram and several others found temporary refuge on the back of a flatbed truck, but the rising water eventually tipped it over. Ingram survived by clinging to plastic pipes floating in the water.

“Just wanna say I’m lucky to be alive,” he later posted on Facebook.

Rescue helicopters arrived later, pulling survivors from the fast-moving water.

A Community Mourns

The loss of Bertha Mendoza and several other victims has devastated Erwin’s tight-knit community. Mendoza, an immigrant from Michoacán, Mexico, had lived in Erwin since 1998, where she was known for her generosity and warmth.

Her son, Guillermo Mendoza, a minister at First Baptist Church of Erwin, recounted his mother’s final moments, saying she tried to hold onto tubing as floodwaters swept her away.

“My mother was a very godly woman, very strong in her faith,” he told NBC News.

Investigations Underway

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) have launched investigations into whether Impact Plastics acted negligently. The company claims it followed safety protocols, dismissing workers once the situation became dangerous, but survivors dispute this, the Associated Press reports.

“We were in panic mode. The water came up so fast, and we had nowhere to go,” Robert Jarvis, another worker at the factory, told NBC News.

District Attorney Steven R. Finney has asked the TBI to look into potential criminal negligence on the part of the company. According to the Associated Press, the company failed to file a fatality report within the required eight-hour window, further complicating its defense.

Calls for Change

As families grieve, the tragedy has sparked a broader conversation about workplace safety during extreme weather events.

“What we want from this is for things to change, for every workplace to have an evacuation plan for anything,” Anabel Andrade, a relative of one of the missing workers told NBC News.

At least 6 lives have been lost as a result of this tragedy. the impact of this disaster has left a lasting mark on Erwin. Families and survivors are now calling for accountability and action, ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.

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