Disaster Relief

Rising floodwaters. Hurricane-force winds. Rapidly spreading wildfires. These catastrophes all share one thing: they test the spirit. Throughout our entire Comcast NBCUniversal family, stories of selfless service and compassion have emerged from the recovery efforts. Our employees have an inclination toward action, so these are only a few of the hundreds of incredible examples of how we are Comcast strong.

To truly make a difference during a disaster, we know providing information — from the latest weather updates and best evacuation routes to tips for people staying in place — is just step one. Step two is action. Our 2017 news coverage emphasized the magnitude of the challenges faced by people in affected areas. It also helped mobilize citizen action as we connected viewers with relief organizations offering financial and logistical aid.

Opening the nation’s eyes to the dire circumstances, infrastructure damage, and human struggle was vital to rallying support.

Even before Hurricane Maria touched down in Puerto Rico in September 2017, many feared the damage would be enormous. When the storm reached landfall, those fears were confirmed, and it was obvious that people’s lives on the island would be changed forever.

Seeing the devastation firsthand, our NBC News teams knew that covering the story piecemeal from afar wasn’t going to be enough — the story was too big and too important. As we do whenever major news stories hit, we embedded ourselves on the ground to help audiences understand what was happening on an island literally in the dark.

Responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, Hallmark matched employee donations to the American Red Cross of $35,000 at its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, and $4,000 at Crayola in Easton, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Hallmark Gold Crown stores across the U.S. accepted donations from their valued consumers through year-end, totaling $28,000 for the Red Cross.

A family frantically climbs onto an air mattress to escape their flooding home, their precious belongings floating around them. Water levels rise by the hour. Precipitation falls with force. Dams release water. Relief seems nowhere in sight.

That’s how some of our customers and employees experienced Hurricane Harvey, when historic rainfall was unleashed on southeast Texas during the four days the storm stalled there.

But when Harvey was still just a tropical storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico, our Comcast team in Texas was already preparing for possible disaster. They worked hard to establish communications with local governments, employees, customers, and the community at large. Their planning and strategies set a new standard for disaster response throughout Comcast NBCUniversal.

Hess Corporation’s 2017 Sustainability Report provides a comprehensive review of how the company is addressing sustainability issues and integrating sustainable business practices into its strategy and goals. The company’s 21st annual sustainability report has been prepared in accordance with the Core level for sustainability reporting under the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards.

The 2018 hurricane season – which kicked off June 1 – is expected to be “near-or above-normal,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As those who have been in a hurricane will tell you, nobody affected by Harvey or Irma or any other event will look at an approaching storm without profound anxiety.

At Cisco, we believe technology has the power to bring communities together and change the world. In fact, we have a goal to positively impact one billion people by 2025 through digital solutions. See how we bring together our resources, people, and the power of our technology to make the world a better place.

Comcast NBCUniversal released its 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Report today. It covers the following seven themes: Bridging the Opportunity Divide; Building a Community of Civic Engagement; Using our Platforms to Inform and Inspire; Supporting our Military Community; Stronger, Better: a Year of Disaster and Resilience; Transforming the Customer Experience, One Customer at a Time; and Sustainable Excellence from the Ground Up.