As Hurricane Isaias continues to intensify and approach U.S. landfall, the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is urging Gulf Coast businesses to heed local advisories and warnings – and asking logistics professionals everywhere to be ready to help.

“Isaias is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane sometime Friday – with massive rainfall, a potentially life-threatening storm surge and winds as high as 110 miles per hour. As a result, we are officially mobilizing to help,” said Kathy Fulton, ALAN’s Executive Director.

Earlier this week, ALAN entered the preparedness stage of its storm activation, including working with its non-profit partners on their prepositioning activities. ALAN has also begun providing information about hurricane supply chain impacts via its Rapid Assessment, which can be accessed at https://www.alanaid.org/supply....

ALAN’s active response phase – which involves helping relief organizations find the donated expertise, warehousing, transportation and material handling equipment they need – will commence later this week if the storm’s path and strength and path continue as predicted. ALAN will post unfilled requests on its Disaster Micro-Site (www.alanaid.org/operations) and via its social media channels, and it will update both frequently in the days and weeks ahead. Businesses and individuals that wish to make a financial donation can do so at www.alanaid.org/donate.

Until then, ALAN urges logistics professionals to focus on keeping themselves and their Gulf Coast area employees safe, and to resist the temptation to send unsolicited products, trucks or personnel directly to impacted areas.

“Many of these well-intended charitable efforts actually get in the way of search, rescue and relief activities,” said Fulton. “So more often than not, the best way that members of our industry can be of help is by sharing their capacity and expertise.”