EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Despite the devastation at its Edwardsville warehouse, Amazon deliveries must go on, especially during the busy holiday season. Loss of life supersedes packages, but the reality is that hundreds of Amazon workers are back on job. One facility re-opened Monday, two full days after the tornado struck.
Six people lost their lives in what's known as a delivery station. To workers, it's called the DLI4 building.
That particular building opened in July 2020, has 1.1 million square feet and employs about 190 people across multiple shifts.
That building is the end of the line for a given package. Those delivery stations prepare orders for the last-mile delivery to customers. You'll find packages addressed and ready-to-go.
"That is the last mile," said Kelly Nantel, Director of Media Relations for Amazon. "The end of the work."
Nantel says when the tornado hit, most drivers were returning for the evening with mostly empty vans. New packages had yet to be sent over.
"The incoming packages were not at the site yet," said Nantel. "So while there is some product at the site, [it's] not to the degree you might think some of our other warehouse settings."
A busier site might be at a nearby fulfillment center. One such building known as STL4 went back to work on Monday morning. On Monday, it was the only building out of two others that returned to operation.
In the meantime, Amazon is providing help to workers, including paid time off, giving rental cars, paying for Lyft certificates, and giving $1 million to the Edwardsville Community Foundation. The company has promised to rebuild the site and understands that it is a long-term recovery effort.
"We're committed to this community," said John Felton, Sr. Vice President of Global Delivery for Amazon.
A company spokesperson also said they are in communication with the families of victims to see what support they need.
And though the company earlier in the year said it would be a challenge to fulfill holiday orders because of supply chain issues and labor shortages, it will continue still continue to operate.
"We have enough assets in this area that we know that we can move the workload and accommodate," said Nantel.
Amazon has three facilities in the Edwardsville area.