Hurricane Laura Closes Stores in Louisiana and Texas

Laura is a category four hurricane that made landfall Thursday, August 27, 2020, in areas of Texas and Louisiana. It has moved towards Arkansas, weakening to a tropical storm. The hurricane has caused the closure of 52 Walmart stores across the two states.

Storm surges are still causing heavy rains and flooding as Laura wends its way inland. More than 800,000 customers have lost power in Louisiana and Texas, and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has stated that at least six people have died in his state. Due to concerns about the hurricane, some Louisiana parishes have instated curfews.

As of August 26, all of the following stores have been closed, sorted by Region, Market, and then Store Number.

Store Number	Market	Region	City	State
194	60	6	BAYTOWN	TX
1186	60	6	LIBERTY	TX
2439	60	6	BAYTOWN	TX
3298	60	6	KEMAH	TX
462	61	6	ALVIN	TX
482	61	6	WEST COLUMBIA	TX
504	61	6	GALVESTON	TX
527	61	6	ANGLETON	TX
529	61	6	LA MARQUE	TX
808	61	6	LAKE JACKSON	TX
1405	61	6	BAY CITY	TX
5388	61	6	LEAGUE CITY	TX
214	503	6	JASPER	TX
288	503	6	WOODVILLE	TX
283	66	13	BRIDGE CITY	TX
331	66	13	SULPHUR	LA
383	66	13	SILSBEE	TX
384	66	13	LUMBERTON	TX
408	66	13	PORT ARTHUR	TX
449	66	13	PORT ARTHUR	TX
457	66	13	VIDOR	TX
469	66	13	LAKE CHARLES	LA
521	66	13	LAKE CHARLES	LA
651	66	13	BEAUMONT	TX
777	66	13	WEST ORANGE	TX
1204	66	13	LAKE CHARLES	LA
311	129	13	FRANKLIN	LA
540	129	13	MORGAN CITY	LA
309	132	13	ABBEVILLE	LA
310	132	13	CROWLEY	LA
386	132	13	JENNINGS	LA
402	132	13	BREAUX BRIDGE	LA
415	132	13	BROUSSARD	LA
531	132	13	LAFAYETTE	LA
533	132	13	NEW IBERIA	LA
543	132	13	OPELOUSAS	LA
2938	132	13	LAFAYETTE	LA
7301	132	13	CARENCRO	LA
312	134	13	VILLE PLATTE	LA
405	134	13	LEESVILLE	LA
505	134	13	DERIDDER	LA
773	134	13	EUNICE	LA
1107	134	13	OAKDALE	LA
1128	134	13	MARKSVILLE	LA
3727	541	64	ALEXANDRIA	LA
3736	541	64	PINEVILLE	LA
5125	541	64	OPELOUSAS	LA
5773	541	64	NEW IBERIA	LA
6583	541	64	LAKE CHARLES	LA
6590	541	64	LAKE CHARLES	LA
7099	543	64	MORGAN CITY	LA
4618	562	64	LEAGUE CITY	TX
Supply chain best practices for a hurricane

There are a few key practices to follow to create a resilient supply chain during a hurricane. If you sell “emergency” items for natural disasters (e.g., bottled water or batteries), you should attempt to get as much product to affected stores as soon as possible. One way to do this is by working with replenishment managers directly. Another is to create a Store-Specific Order (SSO) to ship products straight to the affected stores.

However, some suppliers will see a reduction in sales as the stores close. If you are a non-emergency supplier, make sure to not ship to the closed stores or distribution centers as no one will be available to receive the orders. Instead, focus on shipping to other stores and DCs. Work with your replenishment manager on making sure you cancel POs for the correct reasons to avoid OTIF fines. Otherwise, expect replenishment as normal.

No matter what you sell, it’s important to stay in touch with your replenishment manager during natural disasters to make sure you’re communicating your needs. DCs and stores may be closed for days or even weeks due to damages, and some may be destroyed permanently.

Walmart is tracking the storm closely out of concern for its customers, associates, and suppliers. To this end, Walmart has created a Hurricane Laura status page you can visit to view updates.

Hurricane Laura Closes Stores in Louisiana and Texas

Written by The SupplyPike Team

About The SupplyPike Team

SupplyPike builds software to help retail suppliers fight deductions, meet compliance standards, and dig down to root cause issues in their supply chain.

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Hurricane Laura Closes Stores in Louisiana and Texas

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Written by The SupplyPike Team

About The SupplyPike Team

SupplyPike builds software to help retail suppliers fight deductions, meet compliance standards, and dig down to root cause issues in their supply chain.

About