How Amazon helps during natural disasters

Key takeaways

Amazon partners with local organizations during emergencies to address immediate community needs.
Amazon has donated over 25 million relief items worldwide since 2017, using its logistics network and technology.
15 strategic disaster relief hubs globally enable Amazon to deliver critical supplies within 72 hours of a request.
Team safety remains Amazon’s first priority during natural disasters.

The summer months in the U.S. mark the start of a peak season for natural disasters, and Amazon is positioned to act during a crisis. In the aftermath of hurricanes along the Atlantic coast, tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest, or wildfires in the West, Amazon uses its wide network of warehouses and disaster relief hubs, transportation fleet, and technology to help communities in need.

Since 2017, we’ve leveraged this network to donate more than 25 million relief items—like emergency supplies, hygiene kits, diapers, baby formula, and water—to communities impacted by over 190 disasters around the world.

Here’s how we’re prepared to help:

We prioritize the safety of our teams

Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our teams. To support our decision-making related to operations and safety, we employ meteorologists and weather monitors who track storms and severe weather events, and we maintain a 24/7 operation dedicated to providing alerts when severe weather events are expected.

We pre-position supplies in our logistics network

Amazon Wildfire Relief Hub: humanitarian goods and supplies

Pre-positioning critical products and supplies is crucial to effective and fast relief efforts. We have 15 disaster relief hubs around the globe stocked with essential supplies for immediate delivery. The hubs are strategically located facilities in disaster-prone areas and are in close proximity to major cities and transportation networks, enabling us to deliver supplies to impacted communities within 72 hours or less of a relief partner’s request.

In the U.S., we have a disaster relief hub near Atlanta, Georgia that stores more than 1.4 million emergency supplies, enabling rapid distribution of essential items to communities affected by natural disasters, particularly across hurricane-impacted states on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Eastern seaboard. The hub houses supplies such as tarps, water filtration systems, flashlights, and solar-powered lights, as well as hygiene and personal care supplies. We also have a wildfire relief hub in Southern California that is stocked with specialized wildfire relief items, including wildfire mitigation equipment such as axes, goggles, and shovels; and personal supplies including fire-safe rubber boots, high-particulate matter filtration respirators, hydration packets, trauma kits, and more. The hub helped us deliver over 500,000 items to relief organizations following the devastating fires in California in early 2025.

We collaborate with others to have an impact

We collaborate with local community leaders and organizations who know their communities best. For example, during Hurricane Milton, we worked with local and national groups including the American Red Cross, AMIkids, Feeding Tampa Bay, Gracepoint, Operation BBQ Relief, Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, and the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties, to get supplies into the hands of frontline organizations supporting affected communities’ immediate needs. After Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on North Carolina, we reacted quickly to critical needs, one of which was to provide aid to the state’s 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 and the North Carolina National Guard expedited the shipment into Asheville, where many food banks and supply stores had been destroyed by the storm.

We also work with partners to provide technology support. During the Palisades, Eaton, Hughes, and Lilac fires, we identified a need for mobile drone detection to cover detection blind-spots. We quickly created a mobile detection capability and began sharing data with agencies to assist with situational awareness. Working with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center, an IT-focused nongovernmental organization, we set up temporary communications infrastructure to provide internet and phone connectivity across impacted areas.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Amazon is here to help

We’re continuing to expand and innovate these programs, using our logistics network to donate and deliver relief items to nonprofit partners, and deploying technology to help emergency responders assess and react to changing conditions.

In these moments, when our communities are faced with some of the scariest circumstances imaginable, Amazon is prepared to stand with them and help them get back on their feet.

Learn more about how Amazon leverages our resources to provide the fastest, most effective aid.