Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a massive Category 4 hurricane, unleashing widespread destruction across the southeastern United States. The storm has left communities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee grappling with unprecedented flooding, extensive wind damage, and severely affected infrastructure. For many, the road to recovery will be long, and some areas may never fully return to their pre-Helene state. 
 
Amidst this devastation, ALAN (American Logistics Aid Network) has mobilized to fill critical supply chain and logistics gaps and ensure that relief reaches those in need. Food Shippers of America (FSA) has been a long-standing financial supporter of ALAN and is a 2024 Sustainer Sponsor.   
 
The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 last Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six states. The hurricane came ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, washing away homes, destroying roads and knocking out electricity and cellphone service for millions. Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. About half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in Georgia and South Carolina.  
 
Here are examples of how companies in the food supply chain industry are supporting relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene: 

Source: Amazon

Amazon 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's devastating impact on North Carolina, Amazon stepped up to provide critical aid to the state's most vulnerable residents—its children. Within 15 hours of receiving an urgent request from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Amazon delivered more than 19,500 ounces of baby formula to the Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh where the North Carolina National Guard expedited the shipment into Asheville, where many food banks and supply stores have been destroyed by the storm. 

Amazon's logistics infrastructure, inventory, teams, and technology have been activated to provide rapid assistance in crisis areas. Amazon will continue assessing needs in impacted areas and working with partners to provide support. 

"In times of crisis, our youngest community members are among the most vulnerable," says Abe Diaz, Disaster Relief lead at Amazon. "We're committed to supporting the incredible relief efforts underway to provide for the immediate needs of families and children." 

Given the destruction caused by the storm, Amazon looked across our extensive network of fulfilment centers within a close radius to Asheville to rapidly respond to the request. Amazon’s fulfillment center in Raleigh, North Carolina responded within 90 minutes of receiving the call for support and completed the shipment in record time. 
 

Source: CSX

CSX 

CSX contributed $100,000 to support the American Red Cross with Hurricane relief and recovery efforts across our network. “The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene has deeply impacted the communities where our employees, families, neighbors, and customers live and work,” says Joe Hinrichs, CSX President & CEO.  

Source: FedEx

FedEx 

Tennessee-based FedEx is supporting multiple nonprofits that are helping communities battered by the hurricane, including American Red Cross, Direct Relief and Heart to Heart International. Other efforts include providing a truck to pick up an order of 75 generators in western North Carolina; delivering 21,000 hygiene kits to affected communities; transporting two truckloads of kennels for animals in North Carolina. 

Source: Nestle Purina

Nestle Purina 

Nestlé’s businesses across the U.S. have been working quickly to contribute funds and deliver product donations totaling approximately $2.3 million to help with relief efforts, including: 

Nestlé USA is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross to support immediate hurricane relief efforts and is leveraging its internal giving platform to match employee donations to the American Red Cross dollar-for-dollar. The company is also donating over $100,000 to various local charities in and around Gaffney, South Carolina, where its prepared foods factory is located.  

Essentia Water is donating over 100,000 cases of Hydroboost to organizations across several states including Good360, Greater Good Charities, and Convoy of Hope.  

Nestlé Health Science is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross to support hurricane relief efforts.  

Nestlé Purina PetCare is donating $25,000 to Greater Good Charities and several Purina factories are shipping dog and cat food and cat litter to Greater Good Charities warehouses in the southeast to be distributed to organizations that are caring for displaced pets. 

Source: Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods 

Smithfield Foods delivered more than 30,000 pounds of protein to Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based nonprofit disaster and humanitarian relief organization, to support Western North Carolina communities and residents recovering from Hurricane Helene. 

"Devastation across Western North Carolina has left many residents displaced from their homes without basic essentials like water and electricity, leaving them wondering where their next meal may come from," says Steve Evans, Vice President of Community Development for Smithfield Foods. "Through our partnership with Mercy Chefs, we are deploying support to our neighbors who are suffering from the catastrophic impacts of the hurricane." Donated food items included ribs, tenderloins and pork chops, and will provide more than 120,000 servings of protein. 

Mercy Chefs' mobile kitchen, capable of serving up to 20,000 hot meals a day, is providing free food in Asheville, North Carolina, to anyone in the community in need. The team is also distributing meals to those unable to make it to the base of operations.  

Source: Walmart

Walmart 

Many associates, customers and members in the communities served by Walmart stores are experiencing the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. Walmart teams have been working closely with local leaders and organizations to assess needs, support associates and deliver donations of supplies to organizations supporting relief efforts. 

Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation have increased their commitment to $10 million, up from $6 million, to support time-sensitive relief efforts across impacted communities in Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina and Tennessee. These efforts include donations of food, water, essential supplies and grants to organizations providing relief. 

Walmart launched a nationwide customer campaign to magnify their impact by matching their donations to the American Red Cross 1:1, up to $2.5 million, when they donate to support hurricane relief at the registers in stores and clubs and on Walmart.com from Sept. 30 – Oct. 13. The generosity from customers and members poured in quickly, and the $2.5 million match was met as of Oct. 3. Fundraising for the American Red Cross will continue at Walmart and Sam’s Club and on Walmart.com through Oct. 13. 

Walmart also joined global icon and Tennessee native Dolly Parton at a Walmart Supercenter in an Eastern Tennessee community heavily impacted by the storm. Dolly announced a $1 million donation to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims. In addition, Dolly’s East Tennessee businesses — Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, and Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show — as well as The Dollywood Foundation are combining efforts and have pledged to match her donation to Mountain Ways with a $1 million contribution of their own. 

“These are special people here; they’re my people,” Dolly explains. “I feel like all people are my people, but everyone here grew up in the mountains just like I did so of course I have a close connection to them. I can’t stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods. I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbors — even strangers — during this dark time they are experiencing.” 

Related Articles: 

• The Perfect Storm: Port Strike & Hurricane Helene 
• The Loss and the Hope in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene 
• Creating Resilience to Extreme Weather in Your Supply Chain 
• Adapt to Deliver: Driving Resilience through Talent and Technology 
• How Food Shippers Adapt to Permanent Volatility in Supply Chains 
• Building Supply Chain Resiliency (and Fixing Top Challenges) 

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