As winter storms continue to pound large swaths of the United States with snow, ice and below-freezing temperatures, Walmart announced on Monday that it would be temporarily closing hundreds of stores throughout various parts of the country.
As of noon Tuesday, approximately 465 Walmart and Sam's Club stores were temporarily closed while the retailer's emergency operations center monitors the storms and "other potential disasters."
“The safety of our associates and customers is our top priority,” the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant announced Monday. “Walmart’s Emergency Operations Center monitors winter storms and other potential disasters in real time. We assess the status of our facilities and will continue to operate as long as it is safe to do so. We pay close attention and follow local and/or state guidance.”
Walmart has created a map to assist its customers and the communities it serves to help them plan for storms and possible consequences. The map will continue to update in real time to give users the most up to date information available.
The extreme winter storm brought snow, ice and plunging temperatures across the southern Plains and caused a power emergency in Texas and reached down to the Gulf Coast.
The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart operates more than 4,700 stores and supercenters in the United States, as well as approximately 600 Sam’s Club warehouse stores.
