Disney donates $1 million to Hurricane Michael relief

The Walt Disney Company will donate $1 million to Hurricane Michael relief efforts after the Category 4 storm tore through Florida’s panhandle on Wednesday. The donation will support disaster response and recovery efforts through the Florida Disaster Fund.

“All of us here at Disney have the families and communities impacted by this powerful storm in our hearts,” Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, said in a release. “Florida has been our home for almost 50 years, and our contribution will support our neighbors as they rebuild their communities in the wake of this powerful storm.”

In addition to the million-dollar donation, contributions from Disney employees to eligible relief and recovery organizations will be matched dollar for dollar by Disney Employee Matching Gifts: A Program of The Walt Disney Company Foundation.

Last year, Disney committed $2.5 million to recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma, which closed Disney World for two days. Irma approached the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane and ultimately killed 84 people and did an estimated $50 billion in damage. The damage from Hurricane Michael is only starting to be calculated. The death toll, currently at six, is expected to rise as search and rescue teams comb the hardest-hit areas. Damage from Hurricane Michael is expected to climb into the billions as well.