Magazine Staffer Uses 2019 Chevrolet Silverado to Bring Supplies to Hurricane Florence Victims
Instead of giving a standard review, Ezra Dyer of Popular Mechanics decided to use his press truck to help others.
Ezra Dyer is the current automotive editor for Popular Mechanics. Like many in that line of work, Dyer occasionally gets loaner "press" cars from manufacturers, so that he can then give his impressions of them. This month, he happened to be testing a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 when Hurricane Florence struck his home state of North Carolina. As the storm flooded many parts of the region, it presented Dyer with the opportunity to both put the truck through its paces, and get much needed aid to those affected.
"About 45 miles away, in Lumberton, [North Carolina], all hell broke loose," Dyer writes in his article. "PopMech told me to take the 2019 Chevy Silverado Trail Boss 4x4 that I’m testing , fill it with emergency supplies, and head to Lumberton. So I spent a few hours at [Walmart] grabbing food, water, blankets, socks and underwear, and cleaning supplies."
Dyer and the Silverado braved roads covered in several feet of water, making stops at any homes that needed assistance. Many houses along his route appeared him to be irreparably damaged by the hurricane, with Dyer lamenting that he didn't have anything more to offer the affected families "than blankets or paper towels."
Though conditions were hazardous, the options the truck came equipped with, including a two-inch lift, all-terrain tires, and locking differentials, made it an ideal vehicle for the task. The journey ended at a Red Cross shelter that had been set up in the local Lumberton High School. It was here that the writer was able to turn his remaining supplies over to relief workers.
Dyer closed out the article with, "If you live within driving distance of a scene like this, head over and see if you can pitch in. There’ll be work to do long after the storm is over."
For those outside driving distance, the Red Cross currently has a donation page set up to provide relief for those stricken by Hurricane Florence.