John Miller
- New York and New Jersey faced record-breaking flood conditions on Wednesday night.
- Videos on social media show several delivery drivers dropping off orders despite hazardous conditions.
- During Storm Ida, New York and New Jersey residents were warned to take shelter.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Videos of delivery drivers braving flooded city streets surfaced on social media on Wednesday night.
New York and New Jersey suffered a record-breaking deluge on Wednesday night as the remnants of Hurricane Ida, now a tropical storm, bombarded the Northeast. Storm Ida brought with it flash floods, heavy winds and rainfall, as well as a tornado warning, causing New York to declare a state of emergency and bringing many transportation services in New York City to a screeching halt. To date at least 15 deaths have been linked to the storm.
While residents were warned to seek shelter and avoid the hazardous weather conditions, several delivery drivers appear to have received different directions. A video of a delivery man, believed by social-media users to be from GrubHub, riding through the streets of Brooklyn went viral on Twitter. The man waded through waist-high flooded streets on his bicycle with his order in tow.
-Unequal Scenes (@UnequalScenes) September 2, 2021
A GrubHub spokesperson told Insider they have not been able to confirm the driver is one of their gig workers.
"The safety of delivery workers is a top priority," the spokesperson said. "While we always appreciate the hard work drivers put in to get the job done, no delivery worker for any company or restaurant should ever take an action that would jeopardize their safety."
The video sparked outraged comments on Twitter at both the delivery company as well as the individual who chose to order during the storm. But, the driver appears to have been one of several to brave the flooded streets during the storm. A video on TikTok appears to show an UberEats delivery person walking through water up to their knees with an order. The post said the delivery took place in New Jersey. The user who posted the video did not respond to a request for confirmation from Insider.
Another TikTok from New Jersey appears to show an Amazon Prime truck delivering packages in a flooded neighborhood.
Amazon told Insider that employees in the impacted areas have been sent home.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we've closed several Amazon facilities and delivery stations along the path of Hurricane Ida," the spokesperson said. "We will resume operations at these sites only when it's safe to do so."
UberEats did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. DoorDash, another delivery service that is operated by independent contractors, told Insider it was actively monitoring the weather conditions in New York and New Jersey on Wednesday night. The spokesperson said that DoorDash has a policy where orders can be paused due to weather conditions, and delivery options were turned off for parts of New York City on Wednesday night.
"We always encourage all members of our community to follow local guidance," a DoorDash spokesperson told Insider. "Merchants can easily adjust their operations within their merchant portal and Dashers are always free to decline any order."
UPS told Insider their drivers and customers are actively alerted to weather situations that would force the company to temporarily halt deliveries. The customers can also divert their deliveries to another UPS pickup point.
"Our drivers are trained to not drive through rising water or flooded areas," a UPS spokesperson told Insider. "If our drivers cannot get to an area they won't proceed through."
Did you deliver any food or packages in Storm Ida? Reach out to the reporter at [email protected]