In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a two-day superstorm that left a trail of destruction in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other areas of the Northeast including snow storms, floods, power outages, fires, billions of dollars in property damage and an estimated 110 U.S. deaths to date, according to a Nov. 4 article on CNN.com, beverage companies are doing their part to send relief aid to the affected Northeast communities.

Purchase, N.Y.-based Pernod Ricard USA contributed $100,000 to the American Red Cross to fund donations of bottled water and other needed supplies for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The company also is organizing an employee fundraising drive to raise money and in-kind donations.

“Our thoughts are with the huge number of people whose lives have been impacted by this terrible storm,” said Bryan Fry, president and chief executive officer of Pernod Ricard USA, in a statement. “As the damage is assessed in the weeks ahead, we will work closely with our distributors and on- and off-premise customers to help ensure a swift recovery in affected communities.”

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Atlanta-based The Coco-Cola Co., pledged $1 million to local community relief efforts. The funds will help provide resources for necessary food and shelter in the short-term and will aid in long-term rebuilding efforts, the company said in a statement. Coca-Cola also is working with local authorities and agencies to assess additional beverage donation needs and identify other ways to provide assistance.

In advance of the storm, the company worked closely with customers throughout the area to provide products and resources to help people prepare.

"Coca-Cola always stands ready to help when people are in need. Our hearts go out to those affected by this destructive storm," said Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Co., in a statement. "Our system has mobilized to help however we can. We're working with local authorities and relief agencies, donating our beverages and funds to help rebuild impacted communities."

Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co. released a statement expressing its concerns for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. “We understand that Starbucks is a gathering place for the community and we are working diligently to resume operations in our impacted stores as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement. The company also donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and another $250,000 to the United Way Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund for longer-term assistance to the impacted neighborhoods.

Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., also released a statement expressing concern for those affected by the hurricane. To aid in the recovery effort, Heineken USA has pledged to match all hurricane-related employee donations five to one.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch offered its help by sending more than 1 million cans of emergency drinking water to distributors on the East Coast for residents impacted by the hurricane. More than 4,000 cases of canned water were already sent to Anheuser-Busch distributors Harrison Beverage in Pleasantville, N.J., and Ritchie & Page Distributing in Robbinsville, N.J., as well as the American Red Cross and other local disaster relief organizations as of Nov. 1. More than 10,000 cases have been requested for Brooklyn, N.Y., and were delivered to Floyd Bennett Field during the Nov. 3-4 weekend. The Anheuser-Busch Foundation also announced a $100,000 donation to the American Red Cross to assist in on-the-ground support for disaster relief workers and victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Nestlé Waters North America, Stamford, Conn., donated more than 500,000 bottles to its emergency relief partners, Americares and the American Red Cross, to serve communities affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont. Additional donations are expected in the coming days.

Nestlé Waters teams currently are working at full production to meet the needs of relief organizations, retailers and communities. In preparation for the storm, Nestlé Waters ramped up production at six bottling facilities in Maine, Pennsylvania and northern Florida. These facilities help ensure that high-quality bottled water is available as a vital backup when municipal water supplies are affected, the company says.

As of Nov. 1, 12 truckloads of Nestlé Pure Life purified water and Deer Park spring water have been delivered to Red Cross warehouses in Middletown and Somerset, N.J., for immediate distribution to Jersey Shore towns most in need of clean drinking water. Through AmeriCares, Nestlé Pure Life purified water and Deer Park spring water have been distributed to The Salvation Army for Nassau County, the Food Bank for New York City, and Vermont Food Banks to help residents affected by the storm.Nestlé Waters North America, Stamford, Conn., donated more than 500,000 bottles to its emergency relief partners, Americares and the American Red Cross, to serve communities affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont. Additional donations are expected in the coming days.

Purchase, N.Y.-based The PepsiCo Foundation donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross and $250,000 to Feeding America’s disaster relief fund, which will help stock local food banks, according to a Nov. 1 article by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Essentia Water, Bothell, Wash., donated more than 24,000 bottles of water to New York City residents affected by the storm. Essentia worked with organizations such as Operation Compassion and Adopt-a-Block to distribute the water in the New York neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park and Manhattan.

OXYwater, Columbus, Ohio, donated approximately 100,000 bottles of its enhanced flavored water to the American Red Cross of Camden & Burlington Counties to support the thousands of people in the New Jersey and New York areas that are still without power, living in shelters and enduring decreasing temperatures.

“When disasters like Hurricane Sandy strike, the American Red Cross is there helping neighbors and communities,” Stacey Kuzda, vice president of marketing for OXYwater, said in a statement. “OXYwater is proud to be a part of the response and help in keeping people hydrated.”