The Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville destroyed by a tornado that killed six employees in 2021 reopened for business earlier this month.
DLI4, one of three warehouses the retail giant operates in the Gateway Commerce Center that straddles Edwardsville and Pontoon Beach in the Metro East, initially ramped up for business on Sept. 4 — exactly 1,000 days after its destruction.
“After three years, we're excited and humbled to be resuming operations at this facility,” Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesperson, said Tuesday. “The process is the result of a lot of hard work that was done by our local teams, and they are a credit to the great partnerships we have with local leaders and organizations in Edwardsville.”
In December 2021, an EF-3 tornado tore through the area, wrecking the building with estimated wind speeds of 150 mph.
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While the exterior of the warehouse was nearly complete about a year after the tornado hit, construction crews have since worked on the interior of the facility — like building out the mechanical equipment and safety testing, Kelly said.
The warehouse serves as a delivery station, which is the last facility to process a package before it is shipped.
While the company is just ramping up business, Kelly declined to say exactly how many employees are currently working in the warehouse because that number will increase in the near future. Prior to the tornado, more than 100 people worked at the 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse, Kelly said.
After the collapse, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found Amazon did not violate federal guidelines.
To the chagrin of some, this facility — which is not owned by Amazon but rather a San Diego-based real estate company — was not rebuilt with a storm shelter. None of the nearly 30 large warehouses in the commerce district has shelters.
Previously, the company was discussing storm shelters.
“Decisions about additional construction on the site are largely at the discretion of the landlord,” Kelly said Tuesday.
In all, the Seattle-based company operates over 800 facilities in North America. Amazon has not sought to install shelters in any of those sites.
After the City of Edwardsville updated its building codes, the rebuilt warehouse does have stronger walls, now required to withstand 114 mph winds for three seconds. Previously, the walls were rated for 90 mph.
Amazon also hired a meteorologist and has extreme weather training and procedures for employees, Kelly said.
Three lawsuits had been filed by families of employees killed and delivery drivers. One wrongful death suit is currently scheduled for mediation and could go to trial next year, according to Madison County court records.
The Illinois General Assembly created a 16-member task force in 2023 to study warehouse safety. The group’s recommendations are due by Jan. 1, 2025.
State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, who’s a member of the task force, said she looks forward to sharing the group’s findings with the legislature after consulting experts in code enforcement, workplace safety and emergency management over the last two years.
“In the wake of tragedy comes rebuilding, and the reopening of Amazon’s warehouse is — literally — a concrete reminder of that,” Stuart said. “But with physical renewal must also come a renewed focus on the policies and systems that keep tragedies from being repeated.”
State Sens. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, and Chris Belt, D-Swansea, serve on the task force. Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy is also a member.
“I can't stress enough that we couldn't be more grateful for the support that we've gotten from the Edwardsville community,” Kelly said. “We are ready to ramp up at this facility and deliver for our customers in the area again.”
