LAKELAND, Fla. – As Hurricane Debby has made landfall in Florida, the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is urging residents of the Southeast to heed emergency management officials’ warnings about everything from safely evacuating to sheltering in place — and asking members of the logistics community to be ready to help.
“In addition to high winds and a significant storm surge, Hurricane Debby has the potential to bring huge amounts of rain and significant flooding to many parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. That has us especially concerned, because flood waters are often the deadliest and most underestimated effect of a hurricane,” said Kathy Fulton, ALAN’s executive director.
According to Fulton, ALAN has already begun meeting with many of the non-profit agencies that will lead early relief efforts, and it is poised to provide them with logistics support as needed.
“As always, most of their requests for support will arrive after the storm has passed, because that’s when safety officials and first responders will have a chance to get into the area, assess the damage and determine what’s needed,” she said. “We’ll be posting these requests on our Disaster Micro-Site as soon as we receive them, and we encourage people to visit it often in the days and weeks ahead.”
Businesses that wish to offer their assistance now can visit ALAN’s web site at: https://www.alanaid.org/offer-inkind-services-or-equipment or make a financial donation to ALAN. They can also view current information about Hurricane Debby’s path and the storm’s supply chain impacts via ALAN’s Supply Chain Intelligence Center or the Helpful Links portion of ALAN’s Disaster Micro-Site.
“We’ll provide more specific updates, including information about what’s needed most, as the storm progresses,” Fulton said. “Meanwhile, please join us in holding good thoughts for the many people who are in Hurricane Debby’s cone of concern.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
