We’re collecting updates from our volunteers and associates helping to address the needs of those affected by recent hurricane activity. Stay tuned to this article and @WalmartNewsroom for the latest info.
We Want to Make Sure We’re Here for Our Community
Updated 3:15 p.m. CDT – Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017
Now that most curfews have been lifted and people are starting to get around, recovery mode is well underway following Hurricane Irma. For residents of the impacted areas, returning home, repairing storm damage and getting life back to normal are priorities. The same is true for our associates and stores. A sure sign of normalcy returning to communities across Florida and the Southeast is a reopened Walmart or Sam’s Club. Following the hurricane, residents will need food, water and all types of supplies as they return home. Getting these facilities up and running as quickly as possible is something our associates take seriously, and they’re proud to be a part of getting impacted communities back on their feet.
Not far from Miami International Airport, the same sense of pride and desire to make a difference is obvious at store 4161. There, Store Manager Mike Williams and his team worked with purpose to have the store ready for customers. For the team, being there for customers isn’t just a job, it’s an obligation they take seriously.
While it will be quite some time before life is truly back to normal in some of the hardest hit areas, being open and there to help is welcome news for both our associates and our customers.
Monday Morning Briefing from Walmart’s Emergency Operations Center
Updated 5:20 p.m. CDT – Monday, Sept. 11, 2017
Now that Irma has been downgraded to a tropical storm, our Emergency Operations Center is tracking rainfall as it heads into Georgia while continuing to offer 24-hour support to our associates in the field. Take a look at this morning’s briefing to hear the teams talk about challenges in Florida, another $10 million in relief and the continued focus on associate safety.
#BetterTogether -- Hurricane Relief Efforts Continue
Updated 11:30 a.m. CDT - Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017
Over the past several weeks, we have seen unimaginable damage caused by both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, but we have also seen stories of hope and people coming together to recover and rebuild.
It is times like these where we step up to help our associates, customers and communities. We are proud of the work that all of our associates have done to give back in so many different ways. Here are some of the ways we have worked together to make a difference.
Preparing for Recovery: A Look Inside our Emergency Operations Center
Updated 3:30 p.m. CDT – Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017
Teams at our Emergency Operations Center at Walmart’s home office in Bentonville, Arkansas, have been working 24/7 on hurricane relief since Aug. 22. Here’s a look inside the EOC from Friday, Sept. 8, as the team prepares for Hurricane Irma.
Taking Care of Each Other While Taking Care of Our Communities
Updated 6:22 p.m. CDT – Friday, Sept. 8, 2017
Making sure family and friends are safe and cared for following a natural disaster is the first order of business for anyone impacted. It’s no different at Walmart and Sam’s Club, where our first priority is making sure our associates are safe and have what they and their families need.
When Harvey struck Texas, dedicated teams in our Emergency Operations Center were hard at work with our human resources teams on the ground. Together, they helped make sure our associates were safe and accounted for, while also helping them get aid and supplies. Also, to assist with immediate needs, impacted associates have early access to wages they’ve already earned, as well as other programs such as disaster support pay and disaster displacement assistance.
As Texas continues to recover, a new threat, Hurricane Irma, is expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend. So far, Irma has caused massive damage in the Caribbean. As it moves closer to the U.S., we’re working to help ensure our associates are out of harm’s way while making preparations to be there for the customers we serve once it’s safe to do so. With mandatory evacuations underway across Florida, we have the same support systems we used in Texas in place to help our people in evacuation zones get to a place of safety.
Making a difference in the communities we serve is what we do, and our associates are the real difference makers. At Walmart and Sam’s Club, we’re here for our associates when they need us most so they can be there for our customers – because we’re better together. After all, that’s what it means to be part of a community.