Drug chain works to reopen stores shut down due to flooding

DEERFIELD, Ill. — About 200 Walgreens stores in southeastern Texas and Louisiana remain closed due to widespread flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Walgreens said Tuesday that local field leaders and store teams are working to reopen other stores in the region and restore pharmacy services as soon as possible. The company reported that more than 300 out of approximately 500 Walgreens stores in the area impacted by the storm are now open.

Meanwhile, Walgreens announced a $200,000 donation to the American Red Cross to aid Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Customers also can now donate to the American Red Cross at checkout in the 8,000-plus Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide.

In addition, Walgreens is donating food items, first aid and medical equipment such as blood pressure cuffs, glucometer strips, catheters and transport wheelchairs to the American Red Cross emergency shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

The retailer said it’s also working with United Airlines to transport first aid and medical items from Chicago to Houston on a flight with relief supplies.

“Our hearts go out to the people in Southeast Texas who are going through tremendous personal losses from Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that has followed,” Richard Ashworth, president of pharmacy and retail operations at Walgreens, said in a statement. “We stand ready to continue to support our customers and employees who live in the region.”

Walgreens added that in preparation for Hurricane Harvey, portable generators were staged throughout southeast Texas and deployed to a number of stores. The drug chain said it provided one of those generators to the city of Victoria, Texas, to support municipal facilities.