Amazon is providing assistance to communities in the Southeast U.S. impacted by Hurricane Helene. The company’s efforts include providing supplies, supporting rescue and relief operations, and utilizing advanced technology.
Amazon has activated its Disaster Relief Hub located near Atlanta to expedite aid to areas in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina affected by the storm, which has caused severe wind and flooding damage.
“Extreme flooding poses a grave threat to communities across the Southeast right now,” said Alice Shobe, global director of Amazon Community Impact, in a corporate blog post. “Amazon is using our logistics and technologies to support first responders who are helping families impacted by this devastating storm.”
The Amazon disaster relief and response team is working with local partners and humanitarian organizations to deliver essential supplies to those in need. The company is utilizing its extensive logistics infrastructure, inventory, and emergency response teams. Amazon is also using Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing capabilities to analyze high-resolution aerial imagery of affected regions, assisting rescue and relief operations on the ground.
In coordination with disaster relief partners such as the American Red Cross, Operation BBQ Relief, and World Central Kitchen, the company is shipping donated items, including water, tarps, diapers, and personal hygiene kits. These items are being dispatched as quickly as possible from the more than 3 million relief items pre-positioned at the Atlanta facility.
Amazon has adjusted its internal operations due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. The company employs thousands of people in the impacted communities and has temporarily closed operational buildings in those areas. It stated that it will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate precautions to ensure safety, while also supporting relief efforts and utilizing its national network of storage and delivery to fulfill customer orders from unaffected regions. Delivery estimates will be adjusted as needed, and customers can contact customer service for additional assistance.
Disaster Relief Hubs are designed to allow Amazon to quickly deliver critical products to nonprofits and community partners following natural disasters. The company analyzed its data across four years of disaster support to develop a pre-positioning strategy. This approach is tailored to the most commonly needed supplies, including tarps, tents, water containers and filters, medical equipment, clothing items, and kitchen supplies. Since 2017, Amazon has donated over 24 million relief items to support more than 160 disasters worldwide.
