Amazon has temporarily closed warehouse sites near Tampa and Orlando.
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Amazon has temporarily shut some warehouses in Florida ahead of Hurricane Ian’s approach, per CNBC.
The Category 3 storm smashed into Cuba on Tuesday and is now headed to Florida.
Amazon said the warehouse closures are a safety precaution.
Amazon has temporarily shut some warehouses in Florida as Hurricane Ian approaches the state, according to a CNBC report Tuesday.
The ecommerce giant has temporarily closed warehouse sites near Tampa on the Gulf Coast and Orlando in central Florida, according to CNBC, citing notices sent to employees. The warehouses are expected to stay shut until Friday, per the news outlet.
“We’re closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Ian and making adjustments to our operations in order to keep our employees and those delivering for us safe,” Richard Rocha, an Amazon spokesperson, told CNBC. “We’re in regular contact with our employees and delivery partners to ensure everyone is aware of any site closures or unsafe conditions and will continue to make adjustments as needed.”
The CNBC report did not specify how many warehouses are closed or how many workers are affected.
Amazon did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, sent outside regular business hours, regarding whether workers in the temporarily closed warehouses would still receive pay.
The National Hurricane Center upgraded Hurricane Ian from a tropical storm to a Category 3 storm on Tuesday. It smashed into Cuba on the same day and knocked out the entire island’s electricity, leaving the whole country without power, according to Reuters. The hurricane is now headed to Florida.
—National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 28, 2022
The National Hurricane Center said weather condition are expected to deteriorate across central and south Florida on Tuesday evening. Heavy rainfall is expected through Thursday, and is expected to reach parts of the southwest later in the week and through the weekend.
Amazon faces scrutiny over workplace safety issues. In December, six workers died at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois after the roof collapsed due to severe weather.