Mooresville, NC, September 17--Lowe's Cos. has 16 stores, mainly along Interstate 10 in Alabama and Florida, that are closed because of Hurricane Ivan, said Gregory Wessling, senior vice president of store operations in the southeast.
Of the 16 stores, six are damaged, with three being severely damaged, Wessling said during a conference call with the media Thursday afternoon. Damage has been to roofs, receiving bays and garden areas, he said. The front facades of two stores were damaged, and one store had its glass windows blown out, Wessling said.
The home improvement retailer is getting damage reports from employees since Lowe's officials and inspectors haven't been able to get to the stores, Wessling said. Lowe's doesn't "have good communications" with all its locations, he said.
Stores affected by Hurricane Ivan include those in Pensacola, Fla., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Mobile, Ala., and Foley, Ala.
Lowe's isn't sure what the status is of its Gulf Breeze, Fla., store because it is located on a barrier island and some bridges from Pensacola to Gulf Breeze may have been damaged, Wessling said.
The retailer's goal is to get all the stores open again as soon as possible, although curfews remain in some areas, Wessling said.
With Hurricane Ivan expected to bring flooding to interior sections of the southeast, Lowe's is balancing the product needs of stores along the gulf coast with the needs of stores farther inland, spokeswoman Chris Ahearn said.
Stores inland, for example, are receiving products such as sump pumps, mops, sand, sand bags and wet/dry vacuums, Ahearn said. Lowe's isn't having any problem getting those products because it anticipated needing them, she said.
Lowe's is receiving generators daily and the retailer has a supply of them in its Valdosta, Ga., distribution center waiting to be shipped where they are most needed, Ahearn said. Demand continues for generators, but some Lowe's stores in southern Florida have them in stock, she said.
Plywood is arriving at stores almost hourly, and tarps are also in demand, Wessling said.
Ahearn declined to comment on the effect the hurricanes have had on total sales. Traffic in stores is "very brisk," with people buying products before and after landfall, she said.
Although stores were busy before the hurricane made landfall, some stores are closed now and it is unclear when they will reopen.
