When hurricanes Florence and Michael struck the Southeast, one of the most critical needs in the recovery efforts was drinking water.  The floods and winds that devastated many coastal towns in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida also fouled water systems and ruined stores. Beverage companies throughout the region reacted swiftly, donating bottled water, supplies and money to support the relief efforts.

Local bottler Pepsi Bottling Ventures, headquartered in Raleigh, sent 6,000 cases of bottled water to Wilmington and Lumberton, N.C. and Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Hickory, N.C., contributed to the Red Cross in an effort to bring relief to their community.

Coca-Cola Consolidated sent 10 pallets of water apiece to Pender, Bladen and Robeson counties. Consolidated workers traveled from other states to help, clearing fallen trees and storm debris and spending time with people who were affected.   

Pepsi Refreshment Services, a bottler in Florida, donated over 7,000 bottles of water to students and faculty at Florida State University.

Coca-Cola UNITED’s production and sales teams in Alabama and Georgia worked in advance and throughout Hurricane Florence to supply water and other products to Coca-Cola Consolidated and communities impacted by the storm. Coca-Cola UNITED also donated 70,000 bottles of water following Hurricane Michael.

The national companies were involved as well. Keurig Dr Pepper donated bottled water to the United Way Association of South Carolina and Second Harvest, a partner of United Way of Big Bend in Tallahassee, Fla.; The Coca-Cola Foundation pledged $1 million to support relief efforts in the Carolinas following Hurricane Florence, and another $1 million to the American Red Cross to provide immediate resources for emergency food and shelter across the Florida Panhandle and the Southeastern United States after Hurricane Michael; and The PepsiCo Foundation pledged $1 million in relief funds and 350,000 meals to hurricane victims.

The North Carolina Beverage Association coordinated with the North Carolina Department of Emergency Management on water donations, routing requests to the nearest bottlers.

 “North Carolinians are good, generous folks and there has been an incredible amount of water donated,” Amy McConkey of the North Carolina Beverage Association said.

Bottling companies and their parent companies have been part of their communities for generations, in good times and bad. We salute the first responders who conduct rescue efforts at great personal risk and help our communities recover. In times like these we all come together as neighbors and friends to do what’s right.