Amazon has initiated disaster relief efforts to assist communities in the Southeast United States affected by Hurricane Helene. The company is leveraging its extensive logistics network, technological capabilities, and partnerships to provide critical supplies and support rescue and relief operations in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The company’s Disaster Relief Hub near Atlanta has been activated to expedite aid to regions impacted by significant wind and flooding from the storm.
“Extreme flooding poses a grave threat to communities across the Southeast right now,” stated 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 team is working with local partners and humanitarian organizations, including the American Red Cross, Operation BBQ Relief, and World Central Kitchen, to deliver essential goods to those in need. It is utilizing its vast logistics infrastructure, inventory, and emergency response teams.
In addition to supply distribution, Amazon is using Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing to analyze high-resolution aerial imagery of affected areas. This technology will help direct rescue and relief operations. The plan involves shipping pre-positioned supplies, including water, tarps, diapers, and personal hygiene kits, from the Atlanta facility, which holds over 3 million relief items.
Amazon has also made internal adjustments due to the storm. Thousands of its employees live in the affected areas, and the company has temporarily closed some operations buildings. Amazon is monitoring the situation and taking safety precautions while maintaining customer order fulfillment through its national network, outside of the affected region. Delivery estimates for customer orders will be adjusted as necessary. Customers can check for updated delivery times and contact customer service for additional help.
The company’s 14 global Disaster Relief Hubs are designed to utilize its logistics network to quickly deliver essential products to nonprofits and community partners after natural disasters. Amazon developed a pre-positioning strategy after analyzing its disaster support data from the previous four years. This research helped identify the most common supplies needed by its community partners, including tarps, tents, water containers and filters, medical equipment, clothing, and kitchen supplies.
Since 2017, Amazon has donated over 24 million relief items in response to more than 160 disasters worldwide.
