As residents and businesses all up and down the East Coast anxiously watched weather reports following the path of Hurricane Isabel in late September of 2003, the team at one of DSC’s Logistics Centers in the mid-Atlantic region jumped into action. Their initial move was to collaborate closely with our customer, a “Fortune 50” company, to develop a plan and to begin coordinating efforts with the customer’s Disaster Recovery people.

On Monday, as it became obvious that Isabel—then a Category 5 hurricane—was heading straight for the vicinity of the Logistics Center, the team decided to advance ship domestic and export orders.

On Tuesday, the nearby port announced it would be closing down within 24 hours, requiring three days of product to be shipped in less than 36 hours. DSC collaborated with the customer’s Inventory Management and Production, as well as steamship lines and domestic carriers.
By Thursday morning, when the storm was just hours away, all orders had been completed and all shipments were on their way.

At the same time, DSC prepared for the worst of the storm, taking precautionary measures to protect the building and the product inside. Docks were cleared and doors were reinforced. The Logistics Center was ready. The storm hit.

Power was terminated throughout the area at 4 p.m. on Thursday, leaving more than two million people in the area without electricity. DSC’s generators kept the power on at the Logistics Center, thanks to a sufficient supply of fuel DSC had obtained when getting ready for the storm.
By Sunday, even though much of the state was in shambles, DSC’s Logistics Center resumed full operations. It wasn’t until 10 days later that normal power was restored, but DSC and the customer team hadn’t missed a beat.

At DSC we’re geared toward expecting the unexpected. We understand that a problem in one location can send shock waves through an entire distribution network. Our culture places a priority on being resourceful and resilient. People throughout the organization learn to anticipate and adapt so when circumstances change—we are poised for action. And we get the job done—whatever the weather!