In storms like Hurricane Helene, flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent and growing threat
- Written by James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University
An overturned industrial storage tank in Asheville, N.C., shows the power of fast-moving flood water.Sean Rayford/Getty ImagesHundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants were in Hurricane Helene’s path as the powerful storm flooded communities across the Southeast in late September 2024.
Near the coast and into Georgia, Helene...