When Hurricane Ian made landfall off the southwestern coast of Florida last year, it left severe damage in its wake. Extra Space Storage locations in the area were not spared, with storage unit doors and roofs completely torn off by the strong winds. Many sites in the area were flooded and without power or internet for weeks.

One of Extra Space’s core values is teamwork. And during Hurricane Ian’s aftermath, the team lived up to that value in a big way. Employees volunteered to step away from their usual roles and spent weeks at a time helping the affected stores. Over 40 team members from different stores across the country traveled to Florida to help clean sites, coordinate repairs, and assist customers with their belongings. Store manager Zana Gibson from Corpus Christi, TX, shared her experience in a letter to CEO Joe Margolis.

“I was honored to travel to Florida to assist in the recovery from Ian. Having helped with Hurricane Harvey before my time at Extra Space, I knew some of what I would be stepping into.”

Gibson worked at one of the Cape Coral locations for two weeks. When she arrived, the team had been working around the clock.

“The team there was incredible. They worked for weeks with minimal days off and always kept smiling. They were compassionate to our customers and demonstrated our company values in every way. They were true champions!”

Many Extra Space customers in Florida only reside there part-time. As a result, in addition to on-site support, the Florida team needed help answering an influx of phone calls from customers checking on their storage units.

“Our stores were getting so many phone calls,” shared Matthew Most, District Manager in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area. “It was impossible for our team to take care of everything happening on-site and answer all incoming calls.”

In addition to phone support from the National Solutions Center, calls were directed to other stores across the company to ensure customers could always speak to someone and have their questions answered.

“In the face of a natural disaster, the Extra Space team exemplified teamwork,” continued Most. “The coordinated efforts and support of each other, and our customers, was truly exceptional.”

Through challenges and adversity, we become stronger. Together, we were able to overcome obstacles and achieve success.

“I’m thankful for a company that allowed me to go and assist my sisters and brothers in their time of need,” Gibson concluded in her letter. “And I’m thankful for relationships forged in the midst of a disaster.”

We’re also thankful to every team member that worked tirelessly to support our customers and restore full functionality to affected locations. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed!