A mere two days after hurricane Katrina swept through the U.S. gulf coast states, Dow responded to the needs in the region. This included a plan for the urgent assistance of employees in the affected region, as well as major contributions for the region as a whole.

With some 7,000 employees at six sites throughout the state of Louisiana, the safety and welfare of employees is the company’s highest priority. St. Charles Operations, a Union Carbide facility situated alongside the Mississippi River on the outskirts of New Orleans, appears to be the most severely affected of the Louisiana sites. The facility employs nearly 1,100 direct employees and more than 2,000 contract employees, many of whom live in the surrounding towns and have been forced to evacuate their homes. Hotline numbers have been established, and efforts are underway to help employees who need immediate assistance.

Dow also announced that it will contribute $3 million to the hurricane relief efforts.