Retailers Prepare for Irene’s Arrival

By Lisa LaBruno, VP of Loss Prevention and Legal Affairs

Retailers have wasted no time preparing for the impending arrival of hurricane Irene. With her sights set on much of the east coast from North Carolina all the way up through the North East, retailers and their disaster preparedness teams have been busy at work putting their plans into action.

With the safety of their customers, employees and communities on the line, in addition to making their own necessary preparations retailers are encouraging individuals to take the lead from local and regional authorities and response teams and make every effort to prepare and stay safe during and after the storm.

Retailers are working tirelessly on many fronts as they continue to prepare for the arrival of severe weather. Most will try to stay open until a few hours before the storm is set to hit to ensure the safety of their customers, employees and stores, but also, to provide ample time for customers to gather supplies. Retailers have been busy stocking their shelves with necessary items such as water, batteries, plywood and power generators.

They have been prepping their stores for the potential storm damage over the last week and closing some stores while also shipping high value merchandise to their distribution centers. They have put their command centers on full alert and deployed teams to various areas for support. Many have crisis lines open and have begun to make arrangements to receive any volunteers for clean up after the storm, should it be necessary. In addition they are shipping in supplies and special orders based on store needs.

FEMA has reached out to let retailers know they are available as a resource and are offering national and regional support. Retailers are staying in close communication with FEMA and other government agencies to prepare for the before, during and after effects of the storm.

Retailers will be continually providing information to FEMA regarding their operation status and capabilities so the federal government can monitor who is open for business, where supplies are available, who is in a position to help with recovery efforts and what conditions may be preventing retailers from reopening after the storm. Open lines of communication between and collaboration among retailers and local, state and federal government agencies is a key component to ensuring a rapid recovery in the aftermath of Irene.

RILA and our members will continue to be there to lend our support and assistance as preparation and relief efforts move ahead. We encourage those in the affected areas to make ready and stay safe and we will continue to provide information as it becomes available.

Retail Industry Leaders Association

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