Anheuser-Busch Sends 50,000 Cans of Water To Tornado-Ravaged Mississippi

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- More than 50,000 cans of emergency drinking water packaged by Anheuser-Busch arrived Thursday in Mississippi to help communities around Hattiesburg hit by last weekend's deadly tornado.

Southern Beverage Company, one of Anheuser-Busch’s wholesaler partners, and the local American Red Cross chapter will work together to distribute the water to those in need.

The water will be sent from the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Cartersville, which pauses beer production periodically throughout the year to produce canned drinking water, to be ready to help American communities in times of disaster.

“We want to lend a hand to our neighbors," said Cartersville Brewery General Manager Kevin Fahrenkrog. "Providing this emergency drinking water is the best way we can help right now.”

A total of four people were killed in the Jan. 21 tornado. The storm system also injured nearly two dozen residents and caused widespread damage.

Damage in and around Hattiesburg is so severe that many impacted neighborhoods still remain inaccessible, according to the American Red Cross. Over 750 homes have been damaged or destroyed, and this number could exceed 1,000 once all areas are safe to enter and damage assessments are completed.

Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of providing water and supplies to those affected by natural disasters nationwide. In 2016, the company produced and shipped over 2 million cans of emergency drinking water to communities hit by natural disasters, including the California wildfires, the Louisiana floods and Hurricane Matthew.

Image via Anheuser-Busch