Hurricane Sandy the culprit to 294 Walmart site closures during peak of storm

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/1/2012 11:56:19 AM

Bentonville, Ark. - Walmart reported 294 facility closures, which include stores, clubs and distribution centers, during the peak of Hurricane Sandy, which tore through the Northeast region early this week.

"We remain concerned for the communities and for the millions of people that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy," the company said.

Most of its closures were due to mandatory evacuations, power outages and safety concerns. The number affected continues to fluctuate, and this page is being updated every few hours as the situation changes, the company noted.

"At this point, we have no reports of significant damages to facilities or associate injuries related to this storm," Walmart continued. "A few associates have reported personal property damages due to flooded homes. We're doing everything we can to ensure they have a roof over their heads for the time being. We have established a call center for our associates, where we've asked them to check in and let us know they are OK or talk with one of the hundreds of volunteers who are staffing the lines that can help them find shelter, food or support."

The company added that it is working with its disaster relief partners to assess and support the life sustaining needs of the communities affected by the storms.