It will take days — and more likely weeks — before the effects of Hurricane Helene are fully understood. In addition to storm surge and wind damage in Florida, the storm caused massive damage and flooding throughout Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.
High water levels in rivers and creeks are still flowing downstream, which means more floods may be on their way.
Plastics News will be following stories from the region, including reports that employees of Impact Plastics are among the dead or missing.
While it's fairly easy to understand how hurricanes in regions with extensive chemical and resin production facilities in Texas and Louisiana can cause ripple effects nationwide, the communities and companies in Southern Appalachia aren't as concentrated or focused on any specific industry. Outages of roads, bridges, power and cell service also means many regions are having problems making contact, meaning there's much we don't realize about the extent of the damage.
But there are some major manufacturers affected, and we should expect disruptions associated with those companies. Deerfield, Ill.-based medical supplier Baxter International Inc., in one example, says its North Cove facility in Marion, N.C. — its largest manufacturing site with 2,500 employees making dialysis products — was damaged.
"Ahead of the storm, Baxter implemented its hurricane preparedness plan, which included evacuation plans for colleagues, as well as proactively moving products to higher ground or secure storage where feasible," the company said in a Sept. 29 update. "The heavy rain and storm surge triggered a levee breach, which led to water permeating the site. The bridges accessing the site have also been damaged."
Baxter International Foundation has pledged to contribute $1.5 million toward relief efforts and is matching $2 to every $1 contributed by employees.
